El incendio forestal más grande, que comenzó el lunes, estaba contenido en un 30% y había quemado 13,400 acres. El incendio más pequeño, que comenzó el martes, estaba contenido en un 25% y había quemado 500 acres.

Carolina Herrera dijo que vive con una condición autoinmune que aumentó su sensibilidad al humo. Estaba paseando a su perro en su comunidad cerca de la autopista Turnpike en Miami-Dade.

“Mis ojos han estado más irritados de lo normal”, dijo Herrera.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue desplegó alrededor de siete docenas de unidades en el área de la avenida 137 del noroeste y la calle 25, según el registro de llamadas activas.

Conductores reportaron que el humo afectó la visibilidad temprano el miércoles por la mañana a lo largo de la autopista Florida Turnpike cerca de Hialeah. Agentes cerraron temporalmente Krome Avenue en la milla 23.

Enlace útil: Posibles cierres temporales de carreteras

La contaminación afectó la calidad del aire en el sur de Florida, por lo que se desaconsejaron las actividades al aire libre, según la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Estados Unidos.

El personal de MDFR advirtió que el humo se disipará a medida que aumenten las temperaturas y sugirió a los residentes “limitar el tiempo al aire libre, mantener puertas y ventanas cerradas y configurar los sistemas de aire acondicionado para recircular el aire interior.

Enlace útil: Mapa para verificar la calidad del aire en su área

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MDFR continues to work alongside the @FlForestService to battle the two brush fires in western Miami-Dade County.

MDFR has deployed multiple resources to support firefighting efforts, including water tender trucks to provide steady water supply, and fire engines working to… pic.twitter.com/zy1dASlLYN

— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) June 17, 2026

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According to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials, the fire was reported at about 5:20 a.m. in the 1800 block of Southwest 23^rd Avenue.

FLFR officials said firefighters arrived at the scene about six minutes later and found flames coming from a tiki hut that was behind a rental property, as well as a neighboring home.

Firefighters said four adults who live at the home were able to safely evacuate with their three dogs.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and it’s unclear whether the fire originated in the home or tiki hut, authorities said.

The American Red Cross will assist the displaced residents.

Según funcionarios de Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, el incendio fue reportado alrededor de las 5:20 a.m. en la cuadra 1800 de Southwest 23rd Avenue.

Los funcionarios indicaron que los bomberos llegaron al lugar unos seis minutos después y encontraron llamas provenientes de una choza tiki ubicada detrás de una propiedad en alquiler, así como de una vivienda vecina.

Los bomberos señalaron que cuatro adultos que viven en la casa lograron evacuar de manera segura junto con sus tres perros.

No se reportaron heridos.

La causa del incendio está bajo investigación y no está claro si se originó en la vivienda o en la choza tiki, dijeron las autoridades.

La Cruz Roja Americana asistirá a los residentes desplazados.

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The land holds the fuel facility that supplies PortMiami.

Commissioner Raquel Regalado was the only dissenting vote.

Ahead of the vote, she expressed concern that with eminent domain, they would be inheriting a “dinosaur,” due to the aging facility.

Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, on the other hand, said he believes it will be less costly to upgrade the existing site than it would be to build a new one.

“Last fall, the board of county commission authorized the administration to enter into negotiations for this property and should those negotiations not be successful to enter into eminent domain proceedings,” Miami-Dade Deputy Mayor Roy Coley told Local 10 News after the vote. “Since that time, and the mayor has determined the negotiations to not be successful, it has been identified that the legal description of the property could be reduced to a slightly smaller footprint than our original resolution. And so, it’s really a cleanup item that reauthorizes what’s already been authorized with a more accurate legal description.”

The fuel bunker on the exclusive Fisher Island has been the subject of several lawsuits and a high-profile dispute over its future.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the county’s goal is to ensure a reliable fuel supply for PortMiami’s operations.

As for the next steps in the related federal case, Coley said the county will now pursue eminent domain and Florida law “requires negotiations.”

“There’s a 30-day statutory negotiation period where we hope we can sit down with the new property owners, the developers, and negotiate out a final deal that the mayor can support,” he said.

Coley said he wouldn’t be able to say whether the plaintiffs who have filed suit will have a seat at the negotiating table.

“Well, Fisher Island has sued us, as you know, and they’ve also sued the developers,” he said. “And so, any negotiations would be confidential in nature, just like all the negotiations up to now that we’re talking about are confidential by requirement. So whether or not everyone’s willing to sit down at the table together, we’ll find out after we file our eminent domain.”

Roberto Perez, the CEO of HRP Group, released the following statement to Local 10 News on behalf of HRP Fisher Island, LLC:

“Today’s action to pursue the seizure of private property is the direct and entirely avoidable consequence of Miami-Dade County’s decades-long failure to plan. The County knew this property existed and were approached repeatedly by the former owner before it ever went to market and during the public sale. They proactively passed on the opportunity to purchase it again and again.

“The former owner provided extensive notice to the County and Port that the property would ultimately be sold to a developer given the highest and best use of the land in one of the country’s most expensive zip codes and provided alternatives for fuel supply location and financing. Moreover, the property was marketed to real estate developers in the public sale.

“HRP ultimately acquired the property through a fully transparent, publicly advertised process and made our intentions to build a world-class residential development clear from day one.

“When the County first threatened eminent domain - just weeks before the closing of our two years of development efforts to unlock the value of a $2.5 billion project - we came to the table and spent eight months participating in a confidential mediation process requested by the County. According to the County’s own public statements, that process resulted in a mediated resolution that would have allowed the County to secure the property immediately at no cost or risk to the taxpayers.

“HRP will aggressively fight this unconstitutional seizure of our property and we will build One Fisher Island. The only question now is how much of the public’s time and money the Mayor is willing to waste to obscure the numerous poor decisions her administration and the County have made for decades.”

]]>https://www.local10.com/news/local/2026/06/18/mfr-4-boats-damaged-in-fire-at-miami-marina/https://www.local10.com/news/local/2026/06/18/mfr-4-boats-damaged-in-fire-at-miami-marina/Thu, 18 Jun 2026 11:09:13 +0000Four boats were damaged Thursday in an early morning fire at a marina in Miami, first responders confirmed to Local 10 News.

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According to Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez, the fire was reported at 1:55 a.m. at Austral Marina, located at 2190 NW North River Drive.

Sanchez said firefighters arrived at the scene and found two docked boats, each measuring more than 30 feet in length, fully engulfed in flames and threatening nearby boats.

More fire rescue units were called to the scene and firefighters used multiple hose lines and conducted a “foam suppression operation from land in coordination with the Miami Fire Boat operating on the water,” Sanchez said.

According to Sanchez, the fire was under control without an hour and all boats were confirmed to be unoccupied.

Sanchez confirmed four boats were damaged in the fire, including two with severe fire damage and four with heat-related damage, including a 60-foot yacht.

All affected boat owners were notified about the blaze and they all responded to the scene where they spoke with the incident commander, Sanchez said.

The Miami Fire Investigation Unit is investigating the origin and cause of the fire.

Sanchez said the Coast Guard will “assess any potential environmental impact from fuel or other hazardous materials that may have entered the water.”

Según el teniente de Miami Fire Rescue, Pete Sanchez, el incendio fue reportado a la 1:55 a.m. en Austral Marina, ubicada en 2190 NW North River Drive.

Sanchez dijo que los bomberos llegaron al lugar y encontraron dos embarcaciones atracadas, cada una de más de 30 pies de largo, completamente envueltas en llamas y amenazando a otras embarcaciones cercanas.

Se solicitaron más unidades de rescate de bomberos al lugar y los bomberos utilizaron múltiples líneas de mangueras y realizaron una “operación de supresión con espuma desde tierra en coordinación con el barco de bomberos de Miami operando en el agua”, dijo Sanchez.

Según Sanchez, el incendio fue controlado en menos de una hora y se confirmó que todas las embarcaciones estaban desocupadas.

Sanchez confirmó que cuatro embarcaciones resultaron dañadas en el incendio, incluyendo dos con daños severos por fuego y otras con daños por calor, incluyendo un yate de 60 pies.

Todos los propietarios de las embarcaciones afectadas fueron notificados sobre el incendio y acudieron al lugar, donde hablaron con el comandante del incidente, dijo Sanchez.

La Unidad de Investigaciones de Incendios de Miami está investigando el origen y la causa del incendio.

Sanchez dijo que la Guardia Costera “evaluará cualquier posible impacto ambiental por combustible u otros materiales peligrosos que puedan haber ingresado al agua”.

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According to an arrest report obtained Thursday by Local 10 News, Reuel Claude Sculley, 28, of Miramar, who was wanted on multiple warrants in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, was arrested last Friday, June 12, in Hollywood.

Hollywood police said an officer stopped Sculley at about 3:45 a.m. in the area of North State Road 7 and Lucky Street after using a grappler, which is a tool that deploys a tethered net from the front of the police car to entangle the rear tire of a fleeing suspect.

According to the report, Sculley was then taken into custody on multiple charges, including grand theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a vehicle with altered numbers and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

The report states that Sculley also had an active warrant in Broward County for resisting/obstructing without violence, and two warrants in Miami-Dade County for numerous charges, including burglary, grand theft of a vehicle, providing a false name after arrest, resisting an officer without violence, interference with or disruption of an educational institution, criminal mischief and driving without a valid license.

As of Thursday morning, he was being held at the North Broward Bureau without bond.

Según un informe de arresto obtenido el jueves por Local 10 News, Reuel Claude Sculley, de 28 años y residente de Miramar, quien era buscado por múltiples órdenes de arresto en los condados Broward y Miami-Dade, fue arrestado el viernes 12 de junio en Hollywood.

La policía de Hollywood dijo que un agente detuvo a Sculley alrededor de las 3:45 a.m. en el área de North State Road 7 y Lucky Street después de usar un grappler, que es una herramienta que despliega una red sujeta desde la parte frontal del vehículo policial para enredar la llanta trasera de un sospechoso que huye.

Según el informe, Sculley fue detenido bajo múltiples cargos, incluyendo hurto mayor de un vehículo, posesión de un vehículo con números alterados y conducir con una licencia suspendida o revocada.

El informe indica que Sculley también tenía una orden activa en el condado Broward por resistirse/obstruir sin violencia, y dos órdenes en el condado Miami-Dade por numerosos cargos, incluyendo allanamiento, hurto mayor de un vehículo, proporcionar un nombre falso tras el arresto, resistirse a un agente sin violencia, interferencia o alteración de una institución educativa, daño criminal y conducir sin una licencia válida.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, permanecía detenido en el North Broward Bureau sin derecho a fianza.

The heat wave is showing no signs of stopping with well above average temperatures and humidity well into next week. What could help is an increasing chance for thunderstorms Friday and especially this weekend. It doesn’t look like a washout for Father’s Day weekend, but expect scattered thunderstorms to develop each afternoon. They will be hit or miss.

Kast impulsó un recorte del gasto público que generó cuestionamientos al tiempo que controversias en el área de seguridad precipitaron la caída en mayo de la entonces ministra Trinidad Steinert.

Esos factores combinados llevaron a un desplome de la aprobación presidencial desde el 47,5% con la que Kast debutó en marzo hasta el 31% a inicios de junio, según la firma Pulso Ciudadano.

“Kast ganó las elecciones presentando mensajes simplistas sobre seguridad, vinculados a la migración y la economía", pero ya en el poder no ha cumplido sus promesas, comentó a The Associated Press, Catalina Calderón, analista política del Women’s Equality Center.

Aquí un vistazo a la gestión de Kast.

Seguridad

Poco se ha avanzado en el combate a la delincuencia y una serie de errores del Ministerio de Seguridad, entre ellos haber admitido que carecía de un plan para combatir el crimen organizado, llevó a la caída de Steinert.

El nuevo ministro Martín Arrau tampoco ha presentado una hoja de ruta y reconoció que la Política Nacional de Seguridad promulgada durante la administración del progresista Gabriel Boric (2022-2026) sigue vigente.

Hasta la fecha la cartera no ha enviado al Congreso los proyectos de ley anunciados para fortalecer la seguridad.

Además, se produjo un "estancamiento de medidas críticas como el aumento de penas para miembros de organizaciones criminales y el reforzamiento de la tipificación del delito de pertenencia a una entidad criminal”, detalló un informe sobre el cumplimiento del programa de gobierno publicado en junio.

El estudio elaborado por una docena de centros progresistas —entre ellos el alemán Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung— analiza regularmente el cumplimiento de las promesas de cada administración.

Inmigración

Otra de las principales banderas de Kast en la campaña fue el combate a la inmigración irregular que muchos en Chile vinculan con el aumento de la delincuencia.

El entonces candidato había prometido convertirla en un delito, construir zanjas y barreras físicas en las fronteras e impulsar expulsiones masivas. Sin embargo, se ha encontrado con trabas legales y administrativas.

“Muchas de las cosas que se prometieron eran de dudosa aplicación”, dijo a AP el analista político Gilberto Aranda. “El Ejecutivo no cuenta ni con los instrumentos ni las herramientas jurídicas para expulsiones exprés".

Ello porque en la actualidad los extranjeros se encuentran en una situación irregular, pero no delictiva. Asimismo, el proceso de expulsión depende de la cooperación entre los países involucrados, lo que dificulta las deportaciones a naciones como Venezuela, cuyas relaciones diplomáticas con Chile están congeladas.

“Lamentablemente muchos de los que cometen delitos son extranjeros y el gobierno debería tener un mayor control sobre ellos”, dijo la comerciante Ana María Torres, de 47 años. “Pero lo que vemos hasta ahora es que todo sigue igual”.

Kast incluso anunció una "cuenta regresiva" para la deportación de los cerca de 300.000 inmigrantes sin papeles — en gran parte venezolanos— que viven en el país, pero luego reconoció que era una "metáfora”.

“Si alguien creyó que en un día vamos a expulsar a 300.000, creo que entendió mal el mensaje”, dijo hace algunas semanas.

En términos concretos el gobierno comenzó la construcción de una zanja simbólica en la frontera norte del país y encabezó recientemente una reunión regional donde firmó, junto a otros cuatro países, un compromiso para incrementar los esfuerzos conjuntos en el combate al crimen organizado y el monitoreo de pasos fronterizos no habilitados.

Economía

El tercer pilar del gobierno de Kast es el que hasta ahora ha mostrado avances más concretos.

El buque insignia de su administración es el proyecto de Reconstrucción Nacional y Desarrollo Económico y Social que prevé un paquete de reformas tributarias, laborales y habitacionales que se encuentra en discusión en el Congreso.

Kast anunció que seguirá adelante con medidas con las que espera “ordenar las finanzas públicas”, pero reconoció que algunas de ellas podrían generar molestias. Eso incluye una reducción de cerca del 3% del presupuesto ministerial, sobre todo en las carteras de Salud, Educación, Vivienda y Trabajo.

La medida generó una ola de críticas y llevó a miles de personas a las calles en los últimos meses.

“Nos quieren callar, pero nosotros no vamos a parar”, dijo la estudiante de Pedagogía, Magdalena Correa. “Nos están quitando recursos y derechos y tenemos que contraatacar”.

The news emerged as Ukraine launched one of its biggest drone attacks since Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, Russian officials said Thursday. A major Moscow oil refinery was hit for a second time in a week and commercial flights at Moscow airports were disrupted.

Against the backdrop of conflict, the EU has been quietly seeking to reopen communications with Moscow even as it doubles down on its support for Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, has tried to cut out Europe and Kyiv and negotiate Ukraine’s future with Washington.

“⁠In the past few weeks, brief contacts were made at diplomatic level to open communication channels but nothing was discussed on substance,” an EU official with knowledge of the approach said on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive move. A second official, also speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the matter, confirmed the Russia outreach is taking place but declined to comment further.

“In any future scenario, the EU has specific interests that will need to be defended, therefore it is important to have established diplomatic channels with Russia. The EU is not a mediator. It supports Ukraine in its efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace,” the first official added.

The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Putin has repeatedly said Europe cannot play any kind of mediation role in settling the conflict but has not ruled out speaking to the EU.

“We have never refused contacts with representatives of the European Union in any format,” he said earlier this month. “We are not rejecting contacts. If they want to talk, they know how to reach us. They can pick up the phone and call. If they want to come, they are welcome to do so. It is not Russia that is refusing engagement.”

According to the officials, European Council President Antonio Costa “has been coordinating closely with European leaders on possible engagement with Russia and the issues to be discussed when the right moment comes.”

News of the moves came as EU leaders were heading to Brussels for their summer summit, where Ukraine will be high on the agenda. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to address the 27 leaders, who are seeking closer ties with Kyiv.

On Monday, Ukraine officially opened negotiations to join the EU, launching a process that will require its government to commit to years of political reforms even as it fights the Russian invasion.

It also closely follows this week's meeting of the world's seven leading industrialized nations in the French spa town of Evian-Les-Bains, where Europeans managed to get Trump to join G7 leaders in offering “unwavering support for Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy said his country won key pledges of further support from world leaders attending the G7 summit in France, including the United States.

___

Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands.

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits in the week ending June 13 dropped by 4,000 to 226,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s in line with the 225,000 new applications forecast by analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet.

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

Despite concerns that the conflict in the Middle East would further squeeze a flagging labor market, hiring has picked up in recent months following a miserable 2025 that saw fewer than 200,000 job gains. For comparison, about 1.5 million jobs were added in 2024.

U.S. employers delivered a surprising 172,000 new jobs in May and the economy is averaging 188,000 job gains in the three months since the Iran war began in late February. That’s the best three months of hiring since early 2024. The unemployment rate remains historically low at 4.3%.

Job openings also rose in April as employers posted 7.6 million vacancies, up from 6.9 million in March and the most since May 2024.

The government reported last week that rising gas prices — triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s southern border — pushed U.S. consumer inflation in May to 4.2%, its highest level in three years. Despite recent declines, prices for oil and gas remain elevated, which can squeeze consumers’ budgets and make businesses think twice about hiring.

Earlier this week, Iran and the U.S. agreed to a deal to end the war and allow Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and sell its oil without restrictions.

With inflation still well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, officials at the U.S. central bank left the benchmark interest rate where it was on Wednesday. It was the first meeting with new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who replaced Jerome Powell after his eight-year run as the U.S. central bank’s leader.

Lower interest rates can boost the economy and hiring, but also tend to stoke inflation, leading a number of Fed policymakers to say they are actually willing to consider at least one interest rate hike this year. That could potentially help bring inflation down, but higher borrowing costs generally make businesses more reluctant to hire.

Optimism over artificial intelligence has also injected a degree of uncertainty about the job market due to the investment required to develop it and because the powerful technology could alter or even replace some jobs.

Among the companies that have cut jobs recently are Verizon, UPS, Amazon, Disney, Starbucks and Walmart.

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

The Labor Department’s report Thursday showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, rose by 4,000 to 223,250.

The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending June 6 rose by 24,000 to 1.81 million, slightly more than analysts predicted.

The warnings were followed by sweeping airstrikes on the city, which Israel said targeted the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group.

What Kaour found back in Tyre, shattered his hopes — his dream family apartment overlooking the shimmering Mediterranean Sea was a heap of rubble and shattered glass.

His return coincided with the announcement of an agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Middle East. The deal also calls for an end to the war in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Hezbollah, but it's unclear what that means in practice.

Israel and Hezbollah are not parties to the agreement. Iran insists Israel must withdraw from the large swath of southern Lebanon it is occupying, but the wording of the interim deal doesn’t explicitly require that and only ensures Lebanon’s “territorial integrity.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment following the signing of the deal though Israel has vowed to keep its troops in Lebanon while Hezbollah says it's committed to resisting Israel. Fighting between the two sides, which was still underway on Wednesday in villages and towns of southern Lebanon, could derail the deal.

Many hope the US-Iran deal signals better times

For residents in the south of crisis-battered Lebanon, hopes of better times are mixed with skepticism —there had been too many ceasefire announcements that had failed to halt the fighting.

Kaour lives in Germany, but spends most of the summer in Tyre. Last month, when an Israeli strike hit their street without warning, he was a abroad with his family.

When he returned, he saw his building, with a popular sweets shop and an electronics store on the ground floor, was still standing, unlike surrounding structures — buildings that were all leveled to the ground.

But the walls and the windows of his apartment had been blasted out. He was relieved his family had not been there, he said. They all survived.

“I’m hopeful for peace, and God willing this is the end of the war, and everyone can go back to their homes," he said. “We are living abroad, but our minds are here in our country.”

Outside, the street filled quickly with people trying to clear the rubble.

Kaour's neighbor one floor above, Samih Haidar had also just returned and found his door bolted by wooden boards.

He tried to kick them down, but failed, then anxiously waited as two men who had been clearing rubble on another floor came and unscrewed the bolts.

Through a gap, Haidar climbed in. He didn't know what to expect — he had rented the apartment out to a family displaced from another area in the south, people who were close to a trusted friend of his.

Then his anxiety turned into shock: broken furniture, shattered glass, rubble and a burned out kitchen. Neighbors told him the kitchen caught fire after the strike. He slowly walked through each room, quietly filming with his phone. He doesn't know what became of the family — displaced from Tyre like scores of others, he presumed.

He wants to hope, he said.

“We want things to work out and live in safety, so there can be stability for us and everyone else,” Haidar said.

Morning strikes pierce a tenuous ceasefire

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported several Israeli drone strikes on Thursday morning in the country's south, including one on a car in the town of Kfar Tebnit that killed one person and critically wounded another.

Israel did not comment on the strikes.

To the north, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) away, displaced families huddled along the waterfront in Beirut, Lebanon's capital. Most of them have sleeping in tents for months, living day-to-day in limbo. For others, it's a bench or a mattress on the ground.

Many said they're not convinced that the U.S.-Iran deal will hold or that they will be able to return to their homes — if they still have homes to return to. In the border area close to Israel, many Lebanese villages have been almost completely demolished.

“I haven’t felt relieved at all,” said Mohammed Ashmar, displaced from the border village of Deir Seryan, holding a cup of coffee and sitting near his tent on the waterfront. “Until I get back to my home ... I won’t be convinced of anything.”

The Israel-Hezbollah war has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon, and killed nearly 3,900, according to Lebanese officials. About 30 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, and two civilians have been killed in northern Israel, according to Netanyahu’s office.

Speaking during a visit by foreign dignitaries on Thursday, Lebanon’s Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said the country faces urgent humanitarian needs but also the daunting task of planning for the return of displaced families and reconstruction of the destroyed areas.

“The Lebanese people deserve peace," she said. "They deserve to return safely to their homes, rebuild their communities, and look to the future with confidence and hope."

___

Associated Press journalist Fadi Tawil in Beirut contributed to this report.

It is the first time since March that the average cost for a regular gallon has been that low. Prices fell overnight after President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country.

Gas prices are at $3.999 on average in the U.S., according to motor club AAA. The drop below $4 follows a 15% decline in the price of U.S. crude this month.

But fluctuations in gas prices remain across the country. In California, gas prices are averaging $5.64 per gallon, while in South Carolina it’s $3.58 per gallon.

The agreement between the U.S. and Iran calls for a permanent end to hostilities and starts a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear program, though Trump left the door open to resume attacks. It appears to offer Iran several benefits up front while extracting little in return.

Oil prices fell Monday to about $80 for a barrel of U.S. benchmark crude. That compares to $67 per barrel before the war and the price of over $120 a barrel reached earlier in the conflict.

Even as gas prices start to decline, it is anticipated to take weeks or months for oil to start flowing through the Strait of Hormuz again.

Before the war, the strait carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil. Now, it will take time for hundreds of ships trapped in the Persian Gulf to exit through the narrow strait. And Gulf oil producers that throttled back production will need time to get the oil moving again. Analysts also say ship captains may take their time to decide if passage is safe and that the threat of attack from Iran has truly receded.

In addition, refineries typically pay for crude oil a month or more in advance, so even after oil prices drop, they won’t immediately be processing cheaper products.

Fighting over the Strait of Hormuz disrupted not only supplies of crude and refined fuel but also the supply chains for fertilizer, food and even footwear. Businesses expect higher costs to linger, which means their customers might need to prepare for that too.

A century of broken treaties already had spawned distrust of the federal government, and widespread forced assimilation was accelerating. With shifting cultural and social circumstances came declining populations. Survival was hanging in the balance.

Renowned for their masterful beadwork, Lakota women had a strategy.

Incorporating symbols of American patriotism into their work was more than a simple embrace of the stars and stripes. It was an act of quiet resistance that provided an avenue for conserving their values as U.S. policies unraveled their communities.

So with America's 250th birthday come mixed emotions rooted in pain, pride and even patriotism. Museum displays of elaborate beadwork are providing a window into that past, while paintings by contemporary Native artists offer critiques on more modern political struggles.

It's a milestone marking resilience — and a fresh opportunity to look at the nation's history through an unexpected, and perhaps less varnished, lens.

Native Americans and the US have a unique relationship

Curators and tribal scholars say the Native experience cannot be overlooked or minimized when talking about the complex tapestry that is America.

“The United States could not exist without Native history having been here first,” said Aaron Carapella, who is of Cherokee descent and creates maps of Indigenous territories. “There’s so many influences that Native people embedded into the fabric of what we call America.”

A student of history, Carapella finds it unlikely that most of the Founding Fathers would have expected tribes to persist as sovereign entities. Rather, they thought tribes would be absorbed into American society.

Implementation of laws like the 1830 Indian Removal Act signed by President Andrew Jackson and the 1887 Dawes Act enacted by President Grover Cleveland led to forced relocations through brutal journeys like the Trail of Tears. Land grabs resulted when millions of acres of tribal landholdings were broken up.

Bounties in Minnesota and the Southwest along with militias in California further eroded tribal territories. Then came the boarding schools, where Native children were sent in an effort to erase their connections to culture, language and religion.

It's not ancient history. Tribal leaders say their people are still living with the effects of those policies.

Today, there are 575 tribes with inherent sovereignty recognized by the U.S, with the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina joining the list in December. The government-to-government relationships are unlike arrangements many other countries have with Indigenous populations.

N. Bruce Duthu, chair of Native American and Indigenous Studies at Dartmouth College and a member of the United Houma Nation, has taught and lectured around the globe. He said it’s hard for Indigenous leaders in Bolivia and elsewhere to believe that tribes in the U.S. have been able to build power over the last half-century. It’s an ongoing fight, but Duthu points to successful efforts to influence environmental policies and pass major legislation to hold non-tribal citizens accountable for crimes committed in Indian Country.

“The U.S. is routinely at the top of the heap in terms of a country that, despite all the flaws, at least now in the last 50 years or so, seems to have gotten it right,” he said.

There's a deep history of influence

Native influences span from the notions of democracy shared with the Founding Fathers to the warrior ethos exhibited by the fierceness with which tribal nations fought to protect their land — from other tribes, foreign nations and the federal government.

It's not unlike the patriotism many Americans feel today. And for some Native Americans, it's a fundamental part of who they are; they have one of the highest per-capita rates of military service in the country.

At the center of the “Stars, Stripes and First Americans” exhibit at New Mexico’s Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is a painting by Kee Yazzie titled Diné Code Talker. The brushstrokes pay homage to the Navajo Code Talkers, who used their language to create an unbreakable code that played a critical role in U.S. victories during World War II.

Danyelle Means, the museum's executive director and a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, said other tribes also had code talkers. That included the Choctaw Nation and Comanche, Kiowa, Hopi, Muscogee, Sioux and Seminole recruits.

“Veterans are a huge part of celebration and ceremony within Native communities and are often revered and have their own societies within these communities,” Means said. “So it is something — that aspect of the U.S. and being a warrior for this country — that is very deep-seated in so many Native communities.”

Influence has permeated art and culture

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., is commemorating the 250th with an installation of two dresses that highlight heritage and Native American servicewomen.

Made a century apart, one is a Lakota beaded dress likely made for a July Fourth celebration and the other is a modern jingle dress worn by members of the Native American Women Warriors that includes a patch honoring Lori Piestewa, who is believed to be the first Native woman killed in combat on foreign soil. The Hopi soldier died from injuries following an ambush in Iraq in 2003.

Those military operations came after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Navajo artist Pauline Thomas called it a scary time, knowing that more Native soldiers would be heading off to war. The 73-year-old created a weaving following 9/11 that is now part of the exhibition in New Mexico.

For Thomas, her weavings mark moments in time, but they're also a way for Navajo customs to live on. Her 12-year-old granddaughter already is winning blue ribbons for her weavings.

“I think it’s very, very important,” Thomas said from her hometown of Naschitti on the Navajo Nation. “I don’t want my people to lose their culture. I want them to learn more about their ancestors, where they came from.”

The way forward has many paths

Jami Powell, curator of Indigenous art at Dartmouth College's Hood Museum of Art, uses the phrase “colonial entanglements” to describe the complexity of U.S.-tribal relations. She tells her students that things aren't always black and white.

“And it is OK to have feelings of ambivalence around these issues and the difficult histories that led to this current moment,” said Powell, a citizen of the Osage Nation.

The Hood Museum is displaying the work of Native artists as part of its 250th commemoration. Both subversive and pointed, the pieces broaden the conversation and get visitors thinking about the next two centuries, Powell said.

Ensuring Native youth have a voice in that future is a driving force for Tracy Canard Goodluck, executive director of the Center for Native American Youth.

A member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and of Mvskoke Creek heritage, Goodluck said the power of those voices rang loud and clear in essays submitted for a recent competition focused on the 250th. They touched on sovereignty, self-determination and maintaining a connection with land and culture.

“They know who they are, where they come from, their identity, their culture, their history,” Goodluck says, “and we need to create pathways for them to be able to share that with everyone.”

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This story is published through the Global Indigenous Reporting Network at The Associated Press.

Fourteen players managed to post scores — no birdies among them — before the horn sounded to stop because of low visibility. They were kept on the course for 15 minutes, and when it didn't get any better, they were brought back in.

The first round finally resumed after a two-hour delay. It was the first time the opening round of the U.S. Open was delayed by fog since 2021 at Torrey Pines in San Diego, which is notorious for its “June Gloom.” That one lasted 90 minutes and the first round was not complete until the next morning. That will be the case again at Shinnecock Hills.

The problem was evident at the start. James Nicholas was to hit the opening tee shot, and he walked over to the starter to ask if they were still on time.

“I just wanted to make sure,” Nicholas said. “I can't see the fairway.”

The fairways are wide enough — an average width of 48 yards this year — that no one had any trouble finding their golf balls. But when the par-3 11th green and some landing areas were hard to see, officials had no choice.

Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player who is trying to complete the career Grand Slam with a U.S. Open title, and Rory McIlroy were among those on the range ahead of their morning tee times.

The USGA prepared the course for the anticipation of strong wind, with gusts potentially approaching 40 mph. The wind Thursday morning wasn't strong enough to move the fog.

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The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act aims to regulate payments to players, limit them to one free transfer over their careers and create a rule to restrict coaches from changing jobs during a season. The Senate Commerce Committee will debate the latest version of the bill on Thursday before potentially voting on whether to send it to the full Senate for consideration.

The legislation is the product of months of negotiations between Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the top lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee, and comes when lawmakers in both chambers of Congress are grappling with whether it's time for them to intervene in college sports.

The Senate bill has won backing from several athletic conferences as well as the NFL and its players' union and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. But the two most powerful conferences in college sports — the Southeastern Conference, based in Birmingham, Alabama, and the Big Ten Conference, based in Rosemont, Illinois — have not endorsed it.

The Olympic committee’s support comes as the revised bill is expected to add further protections for women’s and Olympic sports.

Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the Olympic and Paralympic committee, told Cruz and Cantwell in a letter this week that she looks forward to Thursday's action by the Senate panel and encouraged it to advance the bill without delay.

Support for the bill does not fall neatly along party lines, reflecting the national reach of SEC and Big Ten schools and broader divisions in Congress. While President Donald Trump has backed the bill, some fellow Republicans oppose it.

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican and former Auburn football coach, has opposed the measure, saying, “If we get involved in it, if you look at everything else we do, it doesn’t work.” He has introduced his own bill.

Senate Democrats have been especially quiet on the issue. On the eve of the committee action, some Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee were still on the fence about the bill. Further changes are still possible, with lawmakers expected to consider amendments during the hearing.

“I have not made up my mind,” Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth said.

Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan said he is also “still up in the air” on the bill. Michigan is home to two prominent Big Ten schools — the University of Michigan and Michigan State University — and Peters said he has been in contact with the conference.

“We still are trying to get some changes that the Big Ten would like to see,” Peters told The Associated Press.

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Luis Díaz had a goal and an assist in his debut on soccer’s biggest stage, sparking Colombia to a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan on Wednesday night.

“That’s what we came here to do. It’s very important to win this first game. We controlled the first half, but they played better in the second,” said Díaz, who plays for Bayern Munich. “We must improve.”

Daniel Muñoz, also playing in his first World Cup, opened the scoring in the 40th minute after a pass from Díaz, who scored the tiebreaking goal in the 65th when his strike from close range deflected off the hands of diving goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov and trickled across the line.

“We knew that it was going to be a tough match,” Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo said.

Fayzullaev Abbosbek scored in the 60th minute for Uzbekistan, which made its World Cup debut in front of a heavily pro-Colombia crowd of 80,824 at Estadio Azteca.

“It is a wonderful joy, but emotionally, I think it weighed on some of the players who suffered physically,” Lorenzo said. “It has to do with the emotional burden generated by the opening match and the setting in which we played — especially since we were expected to take the initiative and were under pressure to win.”

With the White Wolves’ defeat, three of the four debuting teams at this year’s World Cup lost their first match. Cape Verde played Spain to a draw, while Curaçao and Jordan lost.

“For a small team like ours, to lose 3-1 is too much,” said Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro, an Italian who took over the team in October 2025. “We have good quality for an Asian team, but we need to grow. It was a good experience.”

Jaminton Campaz added a goal in second-half stoppage time for the Colombians, who are ranked 13th in the world and were heavy favorites over 50th-ranked Uzbekistan. Colombia’s best World Cup finish was a run to the quarterfinals in Brazil in 2014.

“We needed to hit the ground running. Now we can enjoy the rest of the night,” midfielder Gustavo Puerta said.

Colombia moved atop Group K, ahead of Portugal and Congo, who played to a surprising 1-1 draw earlier Wednesday.

The Colombians will face Congo next Thursday at Guadalajara, Mexico, while Uzbekistan will take on Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal at Houston.

“We are going to play against a tough team that played great against one of the best teams in the world. It is going to be hard,” Lorenzo said.

Colombia finished third in South American qualifying behind Argentina and Ecuador. Uzbekistan was second in its Asian qualifying group behind Iran.

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Some experts have warned that this summer’s World Cup — co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada — could be the hottest in the tournament’s history. In response to concerns about extreme heat, FIFA implemented three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half regardless of temperatures. But some critics say they’re interrupting the game’s flow and give coaches a chance to shift momentum in their team’s favor, while some scientists have said the breaks are too short to make a significant impact on cooling and rehydration when conditions are sizzling.

“When we look at the three minute hydration breaks, we’re really looking at this as a way to mitigate anything that could potentially lead to an incident or an emergency,” said Joshua L. DeVincenzo, assistant director of applied research services at Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness.

Here’s a look at the heat risks players face and what the hydration breaks can do:

FIFA’s mandatory breaks, regardless of temperatures

This World Cup is the first to implement mandatory three-minute cooling breaks midway through each half, regardless of temperatures or whether stadiums are enclosed and/or air conditioned.

The governing body said it was to “ensure equal conditions for all teams, in all matches,” and the rules draw upon the experiences of past tournaments, including the FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S. last summer where temperatures soared into the 90s F (mid-30s C) and above in many areas.

Some coaches said the breaks make sense when temperatures are extreme, but they questioned whether they were necessary at every match.

Even highly-trained, elite athletes can get heat stress

Athletes pushing themselves physically in hot and humid conditions risk getting what’s called exertional heat illness. It happens when the body’s temperature gets too hot and is accompanied by significant strain on the heart, nerves, muscles and central nervous systems.

Common symptoms include muscle cramps, extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration.

When internal body temperature exceeds 105 F (40.5 C), athletes might feel confused, aggressive or lose consciousness, said Yuri Hosokawa, associate professor at the Faculty of Sport Sciences in Japan’s Waseda University, in an email, “all of which are characteristic signs of exertional heat stroke and require immediate medical attention.” She co-signed a letter to FIFA in May urging stricter heat guidelines for player safety, including that cooling breaks be at least six minutes.

Exertional heat stroke while playing a sport is among the leading causes of death in athletes.

Dehydration also exacerbates the risk. Athletes in the heat can sweat 1 to 2 liters (50 to 67 ounces) an hour, and most drink less liquids than they expel. Losing as little as 2% of one’s body weight to dehydration can impair physical performance.

Ryan Calsbeek, professor of biological sciences at Dartmouth College, said the human body performs better when it’s warmer, but there’s a critical threshold above which that improvement in performance not only stops, but precipitously drops off.

“Your body starts to really fall apart, you lose the ability to cool off fast enough,” he said. “And the physiological mechanisms just break down.” That happens when the wet bulb globe temperature, which includes temperature, humidity, cloud cover and wind, reads above about 95 F (35 C), though some people will be more heat tolerant than others.

The increased confusion from extreme heat could impact an athlete’s ability to make strategic decisions, he said.

“It’s these marginal differences in performance that I think can determine the outcome of a match,” Calsbeek said. “If you have individuals that do better in extreme conditions, whether it’s extreme heat or high altitude or whatever the case may be, those small differences could play a critical, pivotal role in determining the outcome.”

Hydration breaks should be longer, some experts say

The three-minute mandatory hydration breaks are meant to protect players, and referees, from extreme heat illness and help them maintain their physical performance.

In that time, players can cool off and replenish lost water and salt from sweating, but how effective it is depends on how aggressive the cooling methods are.

That could mean putting wet, cold towels on the exposed parts of a player’s body, such as the neck, head, back and arms. If done well, that could reduce their body temperature by about 0.22 F (0.12 C) per minute, said Douglas Casa, CEO of the University of Connecticut’s Korey Stringer Institute who also co-signed the letter to FIFA.

“Some people can tolerate a little more fluids comfortably and then do intense exercise. Some people can’t because it sloshes around in their stomach and they don’t feel super comfortable, so they might not drink as much in such a short period of time,” he added.

The time, he said, dictates the volume of impact, whether from fluid or cooling, and “that’s why we’re suggesting doing something like five or six minutes, because it just makes such a big impact when you’re dealing with a change of that magnitude.”

But how much time a player needs to recover also varies. “Depending on your body, you might need more or less time. But those kinds of breaks are crucial so that your body isn’t just being forced to keep trying to play catch up... to keep trying to cool you down without any kind of rest or a break,” said Bharat Venkat, director of the Heat Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles.

As our planet gets hotter, mandating hydration breaks and changing where, when and how sports are played will be necessary.

“No matter what sport you play, there’s going to be adjustments that have to be made in the face of climate change,” he said.

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The incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday near 24302 SW 107th Ave.

Investigators said 24-year-old Elio Jesus Rodriguez Garcia was at his home when a man he had been arguing with through WhatsApp messages appeared at the front gate of his apartment complex.

Rodriguez Garcia heard the man yelling from outside and exited through the back of his apartment to see what was happening.

After seeing the man, Rodriguez Garcia went back inside, armed himself with a rifle and returned to his rear balcony, where the two continued arguing.

During the confrontation, Rodriguez Garcia fired two warning shots, investigators said.

One of the shots traveled across U.S. 1 and struck the passenger side of a Miami-Dade Transit bus as it was traveling north near Southwest 132nd Avenue and the Busway, authorities said.

The bus was carrying passengers at the time, deputies confirmed.

According to the arrest form, the bullet entered the bus, shattered a side window and caused minor glass injuries to the right side of a passenger’s head and face.

Deputies said a woman was seated on the driver’s side of the bus, a few feet from where the bullet entered. The bullet was recovered intact from inside the bus and appeared to be a rifle round, authorities said.

The woman was treated at the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel.

As deputies responded to the report of an occupied bus being struck by gunfire, dispatchers also received a separate call about a man firing a weapon at Pine Grove Apartments, authorities said.

Deputies said they responded to the second scene and took Rodriguez Garcia into custody without incident.

According to the arrest form, deputies recovered a spent .300 Blackout casing behind Rodriguez Garcia’s apartment. From the rear of the apartment, investigators said they could see across heavily-congested U.S. 1 to the Miami-Dade Transit bus that had been struck.

Rodriguez Garcia was transported to MDSO’s South District station for an interview. Investigators said he was advised of his Miranda rights and he agreed to speak without an attorney present.

He was later arrested and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

He faces multiple charges, including four counts of attempted manslaughter with a deadly weapon and unlawfully discharging a firearm in a public place or residential property.

Rodriguez Garcia remains jailed on an immigration hold, according to online jail records, however his arrest report states that he is a U.S. citizen who was born in Florida.

The crash happened near Ninth Street and Meridian Avenue as the officer was responding to a separate traffic crash.

Cellphone video captured the aftermath of the crash involving the officer as Miami Beach police and fire rescue crews flooded the scene.

Another view showed what appears to be a damaged police ATV in the middle of the road.

The officer was transported by Miami Beach Fire Rescue to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition.

Police shut down the scene for hours as detectives worked to piece together what happened.

The crash remains under investigation and investigators have not said whether any other vehicles were involved.

The agreement calls for at least $60 million in humanitarian aid, provided by the Trump administration, to be controlled by the Cuban Catholic Church. Another $40 million would be handled by trusted non-governmental organizations, though still under challenging conditions.

But getting that aid where it needs to go is easier said than done.

“I spoke to the Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba not too long ago and he says the logistics of it is -- they have no gasoline to deliver some of the humanitarian aid. Even in the region of Santiago de Cuba, it is very difficult,” said Local 10 News Cuba analyst Andy Gomez.

Gomez believes Cuba is on the brink of a historic change.

“At this instance, the situations are so bad that they’re gonna need help from the outside,” he said.

There is some talk of the U.S. military stepping in to help fill the gap in delivering foreign aid, but that scenario is unlikely to have the blessing of the Cuban regime.

“By allowing the U.S. military to go in, then you’re gonna have 8.3 million Cubans demanding much more and that is the fall of the regime -- and they know that. And that’s what Cuba does not want,” Gomez said.

Meanwhile, a meeting is set for Thursday with Cuba’s National Assembly, economists and President Miguel Diaz-Canel, billed as a meeting to evaluate proposals for economic and social transformations. Gomez isn’t buying the framing.

“I think it’s basically saying behind closed doors -- uh oh, where do we go with this?” he said.

When asked if it amounts to a crisis meeting, Gomez didn’t hesitate.

“I think it’s a crisis meeting,” he said.

Gomez questions what economic reforms Cuba could realistically introduce in that meeting besides approving new laws to attract foreign investment. Multiple analysts agree that Raul Castro, Diaz-Canel and the rest of the regime know their power is on the verge of collapse.

The forum was hosted by the Urban League of Broward, while questions about representation in the majority-Black district remained front and center.

“There is an attack on Black people in this country and we have to stand up against that and we have to speak out against that,” Democratic congressional candidate Elijah Manley said.

The forum took place in Congressional District 20, where roughly half of the constituents are Black. The seat is currently held by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat, who is seeking reelection.

“This is a Black access district, and if we erase the remedy, we erase the past, and that would lead us into a future that would destroy us,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “So everybody must talk about what is wrong at this time, having someone come into our district forum shopping.”

The comment appeared to be aimed at Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose district was eliminated under a new redistricting map. Wasserman Schultz is now running in District 20 against five other candidates who are Black.

“I think my record speaks for itself,” Wasserman Schultz said. “I’ve been a strong fighter over my entire career to stand up and be a voice for consumers and to push back on businesses and industries who take advantage of consumers.”

Wasserman Schultz said she has fought for minorities, jobs and immigrants during her time in Washington, but candidates throughout the evening continued to emphasize the importance of minority representation.

“When everyone has a seat at the table, we’re better for it. We’re stronger for it,” Democratic candidate Dale Holness said.

The discussion also touched on climate change, healthcare and voting rights.

“We need regulations -- strict regulations -- cut the red tape, promote small local businesses, and that way we can empower our own insurance company locally,” Republican candidate Rod Joseph said.

Cherfilus-McCormick’s ethics investigation also came up during the forum.

One Democratic candidate was notably absent from the event: Luther Campbell. The rapper-turned-political candidate later posted a message on Facebook explaining why he did not attend.

“I love a good fight, but I never confirmed an event,” Campbell wrote. “Nobody on my team confirmed an event.”

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The vote comes as the district faces a new reality -- for the first time in generations, there are more school seats than actual students. District leaders cited declining enrollment and changing demographics as reasons they had no choice but to re-evaluate how some school buildings are being utilized.

“It is never an easy decision to consolidate schools, but when done properly it benefits our students,” said school board member Robert Alonzo, who represents District 4.

Nine schools are set to be closed and/or repurposed, including Miami Springs Middle School, Richmond Heights Middle and Lorna Smith Elementary, among others.

“We’re not seeing those numbers coming in. We have also seen a decline in birth rate. We are just not seeing that many students within our communities,” Alonzo said.

Parents and community activists who spoke out at Wednesday’s school board meeting say changes in immigration policy are partially to blame for the drop in enrollment.

“I also want to urge the board to recognize how concerns around immigration enforcement have impacted school enrollment in our district,” said community activist Luna Plaza.

Others warned the closures carry consequences beyond just numbers.

“School closures affect far more than enrollment numbers -- they affect families, local businesses, property values and the overall stability of our communities,” said community activist Cassie Creed.

There were also those who pushed back on the closures themselves, saying those schools make up the fabric of their community. But district leaders say the changes will benefit students, and they pledged not to leave any community without the resources it needs.

“We are never going to leave a community that is going to be underserved or not having the resources that they are going to need -- our goal is to provide the best education that they can receive,” Alonzo said.

Students from closed schools will join others that continue to operate as the district consolidates buildings and facilities, with leaders saying the move is necessary to maintain quality.

“It’s something that we have to do in order to continue to provide our students with the best services out there and the best facilities,” Alonzo said.

As for what happens to the now-vacant properties, the district says that will vary on a case-by-case basis.

Below is a list of the closures:

North Region:

• Parkway Elementary

• Rainbow Park Elementary

Central Region:

• Lenora B. Smith Elementary

• Miami Springs Middle

• Phillis Wheatley Elementary

South Region:

• Mandarin Lakes K-8 Academy

• Pine Villa Elementary

• Richmond Heights Middle

• Robert Russa Moton Elementary

Below are the combinations:

Central Region:

• Georgia Jones-Ayers Middle School and Lenora B. Smith Elementary School will combine to become a K-8 Center.

• Miami Springs Middle School and Miami Springs Senior High School will combine to become a 6-12 School.

South Region:

• Arthur & Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts and Pine Villa Elementary School will combine to become a K-12 School.

• Richmond Heights Middle and BioTech 9-12 will combine to become a 6-12 School.

The video shows a woman in blue sitting in a park before police say she violently pushed down the young child.

“She hit my child with such a force and with anger and hatred in her eyes,” the mother said after being shown the footage.

The attack happened June 8 at 172nd Street and Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles Beach. The little girl was being watched by her grandmother at the time.

“My 5-year-old, she fell to the ground, she rolled on the floor, and she had severe bruises all over her body after the fall,” the mother said.

She described the moment in disbelief, saying the suspect was simply sitting near her child gathering toys before the assault.

The aftermath has taken an emotional toll on the child, the mother said.

“She’s asking me about that lady, why she was so evil, what I did wrong, and it’s like every time I have that emotional conversation with my child since then,” the mother said.

Sunny Isles Beach police launched an investigation after a witness told them the child was thrown to the ground. Officers caught up with the suspect, Natalia Hordiienko, on Saturday and arrested her on a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm.

It remains unclear what prompted the attack. The mother told Local 10 News she is speaking out because she doesn’t want this to happen to any other child, and she’s grateful to police for conducting a thorough investigation and making an arrest.

“She deserves the absolute maximum penalty possible allowed by law,” the mother said.

Moderna is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval of its new shot, dubbed mFlusiva, as an option for people 50 and older. The FDA advisory committee meeting is a step toward a final decision ahead of the winter flu season.

Tens of thousands of Americans die from influenza every year, and older adults are among the most vulnerable. There are various types of flu vaccines already available in the U.S., including three specifically recommended for people 65 and older. But vaccines made with the Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology are faster to manufacture than other types — something experts say might help if the shape-shifting flu virus mutates in a way that requires suddenly brewing new doses to match.

In a study of 40,000 people age 50 and older, Moderna’s mRNA vaccine reduced flu cases by about 27% compared to those given another routinely used vaccine brand. Ahead of the meeting, FDA published a favorable review of that data and reported no safety concerns.

Moderna is seeking full approval for the vaccine’s use in the 50- to 64-year-old population — along with authorization for use in those 65 and older while it conducts additional testing.

Earlier this year, Moderna’s data was at the center of a highly unusual public dispute as a then-top FDA official blocked the company’s application for its first-of-its-kind shot.

The embattled vaccine chief at the time, Dr. Vinay Prasad, said the company should have compared its shot to a high-dose flu vaccine recommended for seniors rather than a standard-dose brand. It was a sign of FDA’s heightened vaccine scrutiny under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Moderna challenged that decision, noting that FDA staff had approved that main study’s design and citing a separate, smaller study comparing the mRNA shot with a high-dose vaccine for seniors. Days after the spat, the FDA accepted Moderna’s application.

The expert panel also will assess that smaller study, which found Moderna’s shot generated flu-fighting antibodies similarly to a high-dose senior shot. The FDA’s initial review noted the new vaccine lacks data on very frail older adults and those with weak immune systems.

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Thursday’s decision was widely anticipated after figures showed inflation did not rise as had been expected in May, holding steady instead at 2.8%.

Though that remains above the bank’s target of 2%, it raised hopes that the upward pressure on prices emanating from the spike in oil and gas prices after the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28 may have been less than anticipated.

Economists think rate-setters will opt against hiking rates over coming months, but only if the recent fall in energy prices is sustained. The pressure on central banks since the outbreak of hostilities in the Persian Gulf has been to raise rates. The European Central Bank hiked last week while on Wednesday, half of the policymakers at the U.S. Federal Reserve said that they could support a rate hike later this year.

Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England governor, said the recent decline in oil prices has been “encouraging” while noting they are still higher than before the war, a steer to markets that higher U.K. borrowing costs are possible.

“Whatever happens in the future, the higher energy prices of the past four months mean there’s already some inflationary pressure in the pipeline,” he said. “The Bank’s job is to make sure that doesn’t turn into sustained inflation above our 2% target.”

Two of the nine members of the Monetary Policy Committee remain concerned enough about those pipeline pressures that they voted for a quarter-point increase.

Because of the recent pullback in oil and gas prices, the bank has trimmed its forecast for inflation in the final quarter of the year to 3.25%. The hope is that inflation then starts to drop next year, freeing up the bank to cut rates, allowing mortgage lenders to offer cheaper home loans.

“If energy prices continue to moderate then the debate could once again turn again to rate cuts, but that might have to wait until next year,” said Luke Bartholomew, deputy chief economist at asset management firm Aberdeen.

Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, the first woman to lead the church and the person seen as the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, issued the apology as the church released a report on conditions at the homes from 1949 to 1976.

Many women and girls were forced to do menial labor as a form of “correction’’ for having children out of wedlock, and their babies were sometimes described as commodities available to meet the demand for adoption, the report found.

“We are profoundly sorry for the pain, trauma and stigma experienced — and still carried — by many people because of historical adoption practices in homes affiliated to the Church of England,’’ Mullally said. “We have heard firsthand the accounts of mothers who were separated from their babies in circumstances where they had very few meaningful choices.”

During the period covered by the report, about 185,000 children born to unmarried mothers were put up for adoption in England and Wales. It was a time when a “culture of shame, stigma and secrecy” surrounded unmarried mothers and their children, even as attitudes about sex and marriage were beginning to change, the report said.

While church policies emphasized that unmarried women had the right to keep their children and the children had a right to remain with their mothers, staff often ignored this guidance and worked closely with adoption agencies, researchers found.

The guidance “sat alongside language which expressed dehumanizing and dismissive attitudes, falling short of what would be expected towards anyone in the church’s care, not least people who were rendered especially vulnerable by their circumstances,” the report said.

Security forces were deployed to repel the attack after the gunmen breached the airport security, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the situation. It was not immediately clear who the attackers were.

An Associated Press journalist said soldiers were searching people on the road to the airport in the aftermath of the gunfire.

It was the second attack at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey this year, after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a similar attack in January that targeted Niger's drone assets.

Niger, led by a military junta since a 2023 coup, has struggled to contain deadly jihadi violence that has battered parts of Africa’s Sahel region, including neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali that are also run by military juntas.

The airport is a strategic hub that hosts a Nigerien air force base as well as the headquarters of the Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali joint military force.

The military has beefed up the airport security following the January attack, but jihadis in Niger and the wider region continue to pose serious threats, analysts say.

"The symbolism of the airport as headquarters for AES will drive intent by militants to target it,” said Beverly Ochieng, a senior security analyst at Control Risks, referring to the regional Alliance of Sahel States.

The Sydney-based airline on Thursday unveiled the first of its specially-modified Airbus A350-1000 jets that will regularly make the 17,015-kilometer (10,573-mile) journey from October next year. The flights between cities on opposite sides of the world are expected to take between 19 and 22 hours.

The current longest regularly scheduled direct flight is Singapore Airlines’ route between its city-state base and New York City. The distance of 15,349 kilometers (9,537 miles) is flown in under 19 hours.

A significant difference in passenger comfort between the airlines is that Singapore’s Flight SQ24 doesn’t fly economy passengers.

While a standard Airbus A350-1000 can carry up to 480 passengers, Qantas ’ customized version A350-1000ULR will carry only 238, with 140 of those in what is colloquially termed “cattle class” on flights between London and Sydney.

The farthest an economy passenger can currently fly on a direct flight in the world is with Qantas between London and Perth on Australia’s west coast. That’s a distance of 14,499 kilometers (9,009 miles) flown 16 and 18 hours. Sydney is on Australia’s east coast.

Sharon Petersen, chief executive officer of AirlineRatings, an Australia-based website that ranks airlines around the world on their products and safety, said Qantas economy seats between London and Sydney would have more leg room than most long haul airlines.

Economy passengers would also have access to a so-called Wellbeing Zone between economy and premium economy cabins where they could stretch their limbs and help themselves to drinks and snacks.

Qantas has said passengers will pay more for direct flights when tickets go on sale in February than they do for flights that make a stop in Singapore. Qantas says the direct flights will save up to four hours of travel time.

Petersen said flying business class direct was a great option for passengers who could potentially sleep for eight hours without the interruption of disembarking at Singapore.

But she would prefer to break up the journey than fly 22 hours in economy.

“The reason for that is 22 hours is really daunting. If you get sat next to someone who’s smelly, is perhaps really unwell and coughing, perhaps there’s a baby sitting next to you that’s having an uncomfortable flight or an oversized passenger who really needs two seats,” Petersen said.

She regards two shorter flights as a safer option in economy.

“If you’ve got it wrong on one flight, you might be okay on the next. You get a break,” she said.

Petersen said the smaller passenger configuration of Qantas’ A350-1000ULR was to enhance comfort and to compensate for an additional tank carrying 20,000 liters (5,283 gallons) of fuel.

Such long haul flights rely on premium passengers to make profits, she said.

“Because the flight is so long, they can’t rely on cargo because of the weight. So it really is a passenger-heavy aircraft and a premium passenger-heavy aircraft at that to get the profit margin,” Petersen said.

Once the Sydney-London direct route was established, Qantas said its next ultralong-haul direct service will be Sydney-New York, a shorter distance of 16,013 kilometers (9,950 miles).

Monroy lleva tatuada en un brazo una balanza, la misma que tenía su hijo de 19 años y que fue usada para identificar su cuerpo tras ser víctima de una ejecución extrajudicial. López asegura que conoció el “inframundo” al ser secuestrado por la guerrilla Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).

Ambos elegirán en el balotaje entre dos propuestas diferentes sobre cómo abordar el conflicto armado, pero con un temor común: volver a un pasado de mayor violencia.

Cepeda, quien ha servido de facilitador en varias negociaciones de paz, defiende el diálogo y consideraría continuar las negociaciones que inició el actual presidente Gustavo Petro, su padrino político, intentando disminuir la violencia que persiste en el país pese a que hace una década las FARC abandonaron las armas tras un histórico acuerdo de paz con el Estado.

De la Espriella, en tanto, ha dicho que acabará las negociaciones de paz e incrementará las operaciones militares. “Los voy a acabar como unas cucarachas”, dijo a The Associated Press recientemente el candidato, simpatizante de los presidentes Donald Trump y Nayib Bukele.

Para Yann Basset, profesor de Ciencia Política de la Universidad del Rosario, aunque hay una mayoría de colombianos inclinados a buscar el diálogo, el país suele oscilar entre las políticas que lo priorizan y las de mano dura. A su juicio, la política de Petro “fracasó” y generó “indignación en la opinión pública”.

La Fundación Ideas para la Paz, un centro de investigación sobre el conflicto, calcula que el año pasado el país tenía 27.000 armados ilegales dentro de ocho estructuras que en su mayoría se han fortalecido pese a la política de paz de Petro y que aumentaron sus filas en 5.000 integrantes con respecto al año previo.

Miedo por los “falsos positivos”

La vida cambió para Monroy en marzo de 2008 cuando su hijo Julián Oviedo Monroy desapareció en Soacha, una localidad al sur de Bogotá. Salió a encontrarse con una persona que le había ofrecido trabajo y fue asesinado en Ocaña, en el noreste del país.

Su hijo es uno de los 6.402 “falsos positivos”, como son conocidas las víctimas de ejecuciones extrajudiciales que militares presentaron como guerrilleros muertos en combate. La mayoría de los casos ocurrieron durante el mandato de Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010), quien niega haberlos ordenado.

Por su asesinato y los de otros reconocieron su responsabilidad al menos 10 exmiembros de la fuerza pública y un civil ante el Tribunal de Paz de Colombia, creado tras la firma del acuerdo con las FARC.

“Ellos (exmilitares) me decían: ‘doña Blanquita, nosotros nos ofrecimos voluntariamente para matar a su hijo’”, relató a AP Monroy, quien decidió perdonarlos.

Ahora, cuando el país decide de qué manera enfrentar a los ilegales, dice que Cepeda debe actuar contra ellos sin exterminarlos.

“Tiene que tener mano dura, pero no como dice este señor (De la Espriella)... que porque este es un guerrillero y es lo peor, lo vamos a coger, lo vamos a matar. Así no se va a hacer una paz”, dijo desde el centro de Bogotá.

Así como Monroy, otras madres de los “falsos positivos” han apoyado activamente la campaña presidencial de Cepeda.

Filósofo, exmiembro de las Juventudes Comunistas y actual congresista, Cepeda encauzó su vida en la defensa de las víctimas del Estado tras el asesinato en 1984 de su padre Manuel Cepeda Vargas que era legislador de la Unión Patriótica, un partido constituido en 1985 tras un infructuoso diálogo de paz entre el gobierno y las FARC.

Monroy teme que De la Espriella implemente una política que termine por afectar de nuevo a los civiles. “Dios quiera y ponga su mano y este señor… no suba (al poder), porque los ‘falsos positivos’ van a volver a ser una realidad”.

Miedo a los grupos armados

López fue secuestrado en 2002 con sus 11 colegas diputados de la Asamblea del Valle del Cauca, en el suroeste de Colombia. Tras casi siete años de cautiverio fue el único que sobrevivió.

“Lo más duro para mí fue cuando supe del asesinato de mis compañeros; (entré) en una depresión que me duró mucho tiempo. Estaba como perdiendo la razón”, recordó López, quien aún tiene secuelas psicológicas y sufre de artrosis como consecuencia de las inclemencias de la selva. “Eso es realmente el inframundo. Lo más parecido al infierno”.

El exdiputado es una de las 21.000 víctimas de secuestros cometidos por las FARC durante el conflicto armado de cinco décadas. La última cúpula de la guerrilla recibió una sanción por esos delitos, que no implicó cárcel, a cambio de contar lo que sabía y reconocer su responsabilidad.

Desde Cali, la misma ciudad donde fue secuestrado, López advirtió que la inseguridad se está agravando y sostuvo que la política de paz de Petro “fracasó” y que los armados ilegales se expanden en el territorio.

“Colombia está siendo secuestrada... no solamente el secuestro tradicional que conocimos y que vivimos personas como yo y miles más, sino que tienen secuestradas a las personas porque en su territorio, por ejemplo, hoy no pueden votar libremente”, aseguró a la AP López, quien tiene un esquema de protección por amenazas a su vida.

Contó que ha tenido su “corazón a la izquierda”, pero decidió apoyar a De la Espriella porque promete devolverle la seguridad a la ciudadanía y “entendió que la paz total no se logra negociando con los criminales, sino ejerciendo la fuerza legítima del Estado”.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil facilities, aiming to cut Moscow’s revenue for the war and make Russians feel the consequences of the invasion. Some areas have reported fuel shortages.

The attack by dozens of drones came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had held “an important coordination call” with the presidents of the United States and France and had won key pledges of further support from this week's G7 summit.

“If Ukraine is going to burn, your Moscow will burn too," Zelenskyy said, adding that the attack was part of Kyiv's effort to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. "It is time to end the aggression, time to end this war.”

Zelenskyy was expected to hold talks in Brussels later Thursday with NATO and European Union leaders, including about the possibility of a continental system to defend against ballistic missiles. Russia has relentlessly struck Ukraine with those types of missiles, which air defenses struggle to counter.

The Moscow attack was the latest embarrassment for Putin, after a Ukrainian drone attack on his hometown of St. Petersburg earlier this month as he welcomed foreign VIPs to his showcase economic forum in the city.

Fires rage at Moscow refinery

Thick, black smoke and occasional flames spewed from the Moscow Oil Refinery amid its red-and-white smokestacks on the southeastern edge of the city, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Kremlin. Sooty, black rain fell on cars, according to local video.

“One of the most popular questions asked by Muscovites this morning is ‘What is going on?’" Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. "I can answer. Your country started a war of aggression against ours. For years, it has been killing our people. Now that you know what’s going on, ask Putin when he is planning to end it.”

The refinery is one of Russia’s biggest, according to its official website, and produces more than a third of the Moscow region's fuel. It was last attacked by Ukrainian drones on Tuesday, catching fire, but officials said the blaze was swiftly put out.

Flights from four Moscow airports were temporarily halted, transport and aviation authorities said.

In the greater Moscow region, a drone hit a residential building in the town of Zhukovsky, according to Gov. Andrei Vorobyov. Buildings elsewhere were damaged by drone debris, injuring 17 people, including two children, he added.

Ukrainian drone attack embarrasses Putin again

The Russian Defense Ministry said that its air defenses overnight shot down 555 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions, with almost 200 intercepted as they were approaching Moscow. That was roughly double the number of drones that Russia launched at Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Putin on Thursday was in Kazan, some 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Moscow, hosting leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as Russia seeks to bolster business and other ties with the nations of the regional bloc.

“If Putin does not want to end this war and wants to continue it, we will not sit quietly — we will respond,” Zelenskyy said in a voice message to a group chat with journalists. The Ukrainian president has accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by Trump, but Putin has refused, and U.S.-led peace efforts have petered out.

Ukraine disrupts Russian supply lines with drones

As well as pledges of more diplomatic and military help at the G7 summit, Ukraine recently has gained momentum on the battlefield against Russia’s bigger army thanks to its high-tech drones, Western officials and analysts say.

Longer-range drone strikes are choking Russian supply lines in occupied regions of Ukraine, in addition to disrupting Russian oil production.

Macron said the G7 summit was “very important for Ukraine” because its supporters — crucially including the United States — vowed to help it, although the French president provided no details. The U.S. under Trump has cut back assistance to Ukraine, leaving the Europeans as the biggest suppliers of military and financial aid. Trump and Zelenskyy have had an at times strained relationship.

“America is with us on Ukraine, that is very important,” Macron told reporters as he and Trump left the Palace of Versailles near Paris.

In other developments Thursday, Russia struck the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine with two powerful glide bombs that killed a 64-year-old man who was fishing in a river, said Oleh Hryhorov, head of the regional military administration.

Another Russian strike on the central city of Dnipro killed one man and wounded nine other people, said Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

For Blanca Nubia Monroy, it’s a black-and-white scale of justice tattooed on her forearm, identical to the one used to identify her 19-year-old son's body after he was kidnapped and killed by Colombian soldiers in 2008.

For Sigifredo López, it's flashbacks from the seven years he was held captive by guerrillas in the South American country's dense jungles and the trauma of surviving after his companions were massacred in 2007.

Both have radically different views of who should win Colombia’s presidency on Sunday, with Monroy throwing her support behind peace activist Iván Cepeda and López backing Trump-endorsed Abelardo de la Espriella, who has promised a scourge on crime.

But their fear is the same: Returning to a more violent past.

“It all takes a toll, both physically and emotionally,” said López. “Emotionally, there’s the fear that still simmers deep down, something you don’t openly express, the fear that everything we’ve already lived through could happen again.”

Polarization "brewing for decades”

In Colombia’s most polarized presidential election in years, voters will choose between de la Espriella and Cepeda – two candidates with sharply different visions for how to find peace in a country long marked by war.

The armed struggle between Marxist guerrillas, Colombian military forces and right-wing paramilitaries has resulted in more than 10 million people — one in five Colombians — becoming victims of conflict, according to a government registry documenting killings, kidnappings, forced displacement and more.

The trauma of war and the fight for peace are embedded in Colombian politics. Despite a 2016 peace pact with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, conflict rages in many parts of the Andean nation, becoming a defining theme in Sunday's vote.

Polarization within Colombian society over how to handle violence has “been brewing for decades,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, Bogotá-based deputy Latin America director of International Crisis Group.

“Increasingly on both sides, there's an us and a them. That's very dangerous in a country like Colombia with a long history of political violence. ... The spark could light at any moment."

On one side is Cepeda, who has pledged to continue Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” agenda of negotiating peace pacts with a range of criminal groups, from drug mafias to insurgent fighters. That strategy sought to rewire how Colombia deals with conflict, but has largely failed, stoking a rebuke as armed groups have taken advantage of ceasefires to grow in strength.

On the other is de la Espriella, a lawyer who has promised an all-out offensive on crime, echoing El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s war on gangs. While Bukele’s crackdown has drawn attention across the region for sharply cutting homicide rates, it also fueled allegations of human rights abuses.

Fears of state violence

The 67-year-old Monroy is reminded of the civilian toll from past military offensives every time she thinks of her son, Julián Oviedo Monroy, or looks at the tattoo on her arm.

Her son, who had dreamed of joining Colombia’s military to lift his family out of poverty, disappeared in 2008 along with other poor young men on the fringes of Bogotá. Months later, his body was unearthed in a clandestine grave in the conflict-torn northeast. His body was identified by his tattoo.

“It’s like still having him here,” she said, looking down at the tattoo she got as an homage to her son and his photo that she keeps in her wallet.

Monroy's son became one of 6,402 victims in one of the worst atrocities of Colombia’s conflict. Colombian military officers carried out extrajudicial executions against civilians in a scandal known as “false positives” carried out largely between 2002–2008 under ex-President Álvaro Uribe. Officials then falsely said the murdered civilians were enemy combatants killed in the war with FARC rebels.

Around a dozen high-ranking security officers later acknowledged they killed Monroy's son and asked for forgiveness in a peace tribunal established after the 2016 peace pact to unearth the ugly truths of the war — a court that de la Espriella has promised to dismantle.

Monroy criticized the mounting violence under incumbent president Petro, saying Cepeda would have to come down with a heavier hand on criminal groups.

But what outweighed her criticism was fear of the military campaign promised by de la Espriella, who has vowed to wipe out “anyone who I’ve declared a military target like cockroaches, like rats.”

“God willing, this man doesn’t come to power, because ‘false positives’ will become a reality again,” she said of de la Espriella.

“Colombia is being kidnapped”

For López, 62, the fear is returning to the “hell” he lived in for seven years from 2002-2009 when he was kidnapped by FARC guerrillas and held captive in the jungles they controlled.

López was working as a local assemblyman in western Colombia at a time when the rebels had declared politicians military targets. They kidnapped him and 11 other lawmakers.

López was being held in solitary confinement in 2007 when his companions were massacred by rebels. He heard the gunshots echo over the rebel camp, a memory that haunts him. The case turned López into a symbol — a survivor of the FARC's kidnapping of over 21,000 people over five decades of conflict.

Now in Cali, the city where he was kidnapped, he lives with a state-appointed security detail because of threats against his life. He's watched with fear over the past four years as violence has mounted. Because of that, López, a self-declared leftist, said de la Espriella has his support.

“Colombia is being kidnapped,” López said. “I’m with Abelardo because his priority is to restore safety to Colombians. He understands ‘total peace’ isn’t won by negotiating with criminals, but by exercising the legitimate force of the state.”

Under current president Petro, armed groups have used weapons like drones to wage war, bombings have racked up a civilian toll and one presidential candidate was assassinated in June 2025. In May, the International Red Cross said the impact of armed conflict on civilians in Colombia over the past year had reached the worst point in a decade.

This week, the country's largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), announced a temporary ceasefire in order to not interfere in Colombia's elections. Other criminal groups made no such promises.

With the wave of violence, López said, “victims are being revictimized."

Just as Monroy fears what could come from a sharp swerve to the right, López worries about what could happen if Colombia continues on its current path.

“My fear is for the new generation, that the same thing that happened to me could happen to them if the country keeps being handed over to guerrillas and organized crime,” López said.

The threat of a review was yet another surprise for European allies and Canada as they learn to deal with an increasingly unpredictable ally. U.S. officials and senior military officers had promised to coordinate closely with the Europeans as America draws down.

Just weeks ago, the Trump administration said that it would no longer provide as much military support should any NATO member come under attack, leaving them scrambling to find equipment to plug any gaps.

In recent months, U.S. President Donald Trump and the Pentagon have sent conflicting signals about whether America is reducing or increasing its military footprint in Europe, as well as threatening to annex Greenland, a semiautonomous island that is part of ally Denmark.

“This will be a real review. It will be designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe,” Hegseth told his NATO counterparts. “It’s a review that some countries will fail and others will pass with flying colors.”

A public dressing down over base use, gender and migration

In a fiery speech at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Hegseth also lambasted European allies for failing to provide U.S. forces access to bases in Europe to launch attacks on Iran, calling it “shameful.”

“These allies, they put America’s sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk by denying them the predictable access, basing and overflight that never should have been in question at all,” he said. The review would also assess whether the U.S. has full access and overflight “when we need it.”

While defense ministers and military officers sat in silence, Hegseth railed against migration and gender equality policies in Europe, in remarks reminiscent to those of Vice President JD Vance in February last year that angered many Europeans.

“Instead of tanks and fighters and air defenses, the focus has been on gender equity and climate change and defense austerity. Europe’s borders flew wide open, welfare states expanded, defense budgets cratered, along with Europe’s belief in itself and its civilization,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth's comments largely mischaracterized European policies today. On defense, European allies and Canada have launched an unprecedented effort to boost defense spending and expand their armed forces. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte noted on Thursday that they spent $90 billion more on defense last year, a 20% increase over 2024. And while Europe accepted large numbers of migrants and asylum seekers more than a decade ago, most countries have tightened their borders since.

It does not augur well for a summit of NATO leaders in Turkey on July 7-8.

A rare and short visit to NATO

It was a rare visit to NATO by Hegseth, his first this year after skipping a meeting in February. The Pentagon chief did not stay long on Thursday either, leaving well before this gathering was over and hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to press allies for more weapons for his country.

Speaking to reporters at Brussels airport before flying home, Hegseth said, “It was great to hear country after country say, ‘We’re going to meet our target. We’re going to meet our target.’ There are still a few outliers, and we will be clear with them as we do this review.”

NATO’s supreme allied commander, an American, is working on backup plans to defend Europe after the U.S. signaled on June 3 that it would no longer supply an aircraft carrier and support ships, aerial refueling planes and dozens of fighter jets, among other military assets, in a crisis.

The Trump administration insists that it needs to be able to plan for two simultaneous conflicts and wants more military resources at hand should it clash with China in the Indo-Pacific region.

Under NATO’s collective security guarantee – Article 5 of its founding treaty – the 32 allies pledge that an attack on one of them will be considered an attack on all. It does not oblige them to provide military support, although many likely would.

In essence, the United States is scaling back how it might help should an ally trigger Article 5.

US nuclear weapons will stay

The U.S. has by far NATO’s biggest armed forces. It does not intend to withdraw its nuclear weapons in Europe, which are key to NATO’s deterrence. To underscore that point, NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group issued its first statement in 19 years after Thursday’s meeting.

In the statement, it “recalled that the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance remain the supreme guarantee of Allied security and underpin NATO’s extended deterrence architecture.”

The ministers “agreed to continue enhancing NATO’s nuclear deterrence mission by modernizing NATO’s nuclear capabilities, strengthening its nuclear planning capacity, and adapting to achieve its security interests.”

Rutte played down the impact of the U.S. decision, saying that the NATO Force Model – the system for organizing what forces member countries will provide commanders in times of peace, crisis or conflict – is just “a planning tool,” and not a reflection of what would actually happen.

“If war breaks out, we will all max out what we need to do to make sure we can fight the war,” Rutte told reporters. “In the planning phase, it is important to know what we can count on. What is in theory there.”

He said that some European countries “are already backfilling a lot of those resources, in other cases, we are nearly there, and there is still areas where we need more work to do. So we are in a good place.”

La policía del condado de Spokane anunció el miércoles que su unidad forense encontró lo que parecían ser restos humanos dentro de una vivienda destruida por el fuego. Un familiar había solicitado una visita de control a la casa porque uno de los residentes se había negado a evacuar y no se le podía localizar, señalaron las autoridades en un comunicado. Estaban trabajando para confirmar si los restos pertenecían a una persona y, de ser así, identificar quién era y cómo murió.

Las autoridades no han reportado heridos.

Muchos residentes en vecindarios con una elevada densidad de población tuvieron que huir sin previo aviso —a veces después de que un agente tocara a su puerta—, dejando atrás sus pertenencias y, en algunos casos, medicamentos esenciales, dijo el jefe de la policía del condado de Spokane, John Nowels, en una conferencia de prensa.

Un agente escoltó el miércoles a los vecinos hasta sus casas, una por una, para que pudieran acceder a esos artículos esenciales, pero luego debían abandonarlas de nuevo, indicó Nowels.

La orden de evacuación para los 1.500 residentes seguía vigente el miércoles, informó Chandra Fox, subdirectora de la Oficina de Manejo de Emergencias del condado de Spokane.

“Nuestra preocupación es la intensificación de los vientos el miércoles por la tarde”, expresó Fox.

El portavoz del cuerpo de bomberos, Robert Gray, explicó que el incendio comenzó poco después del mediodía del martes y avanzó rápidamente por una colina. Luego los vientos cambiaron, lo que dirigió las llamas hacia un vecindario, agregó. Spokane está a unos 450 kilómetros (280 millas) al este de Seattle, cerca de la frontera con Idaho.

John Leavell, jefe de batallón del Departamento de Bomberos de Spokane Valley, fue una de las primeras personas en detectar el fuego. Contó que conducía cerca de la Interestatal 90 cuando vio una columna de humo.

“Cuando me acerqué, pensé que esto iba a ser grave, se propagaba rápido", relató. "Parecían olas de fuego subiendo la colina”.

Dijo que se detuvo en un camino de acceso y encontró una casa completamente envuelta en llamas, por lo que se comunicó con agencias de la zona y con el departamento de bomberos local y asumió el mando mientras su equipo empezaba a levantar líneas de contención. Leavell apuntó que no sabía si el incendio comenzó en la vivienda o si la consumió rápidamente. La causa del incendio sigue bajo investigación.

Brigadas de bomberos de Washington e Idaho combatieron el incendio por tierra y aire, pero este creció rápidamente hasta 225 acres (0,35 millas cuadradas). Estaba contenido en un 10% el miércoles por la mañana, según el Centro Nacional Interagencial de Incendios. Avista cortó el suministro eléctrico en la zona a medida que avanzaba el fuego por la seguridad de los bomberos. En algunas zonas, el servicio seguía suspendido el miércoles.

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Bellisle informó desde Seattle. Las periodistas de The Associated Press Rebecca Boone en Boise, Idaho, y Hannah Schoenbaum en Salt Lake City contribuyeron a este despacho.

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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.

From a distance, Ivan Franco thought it must be a car. But as he approached in his tow truck, he saw it was a plane — broken in half, its fuselage resting on its side, bright fire beginning to rise above. He stopped and rifled through the rescue kit his company keeps in the truck, grabbing a sledgehammer as well as three fire extinguishers, which he handed off to police officers.

“At that moment, you don’t think much about what to do, because I knew the plane could explode since it was on fire,” Franco told The Associated Press in Spanish. “My idea was to try to break the windows because the pilots hadn’t come out yet.”

Franco was one of several motorists who happened across the crash in Laredo, Texas, late Tuesday night and rushed to help — putting their own lives in danger to help those on board escape as smoke filled the cabin.

Passersby helped save lives

Police were also on the scene quickly, and their teamwork with the good Samaritans undoubtedly saved lives, officials said.

“The officers and the good Samaritans that went to the scene, our firefighters that responded — I do also want to commend each and every one of them,” Laredo Police Chief Mike Rodriguez said during a news conference Wednesday. He said he asked his staff to track down all the civilians who helped.

The Cessna Citation Latitude twin jet departed Tuesday evening from the Mexican resort city of San José del Cabo and was bound for Austin, Texas, the FAA said in a statement. The plane was operated by NetJets, a company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway that lets people buy part ownership in private jets. NetJets said in a statement that it was cooperating with authorities.

The crash occurred after its pilots reported mechanical problems while requesting an emergency landing at a nearby airport. The fuselage came to rest across a concrete barrier, while its tail broke off and fell to a lower section of roadway.

One person was killed: Joshua Baer, a leader in Texas’ technology and startup sectors. Three teenage passengers and two pilots survived, as did a person in a truck struck by the plane as it crashed. Authorities have not released more detail about the passengers' connections to one another.

Investigators combed through wreckage Wednesday for clues to the cause.

It was the third significant aviation accident in as many days in the U.S. A B-52 crashed Monday during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California and killed all eight people aboard, while on Sunday, 12 people were killed when a plane on a skydiving outing in Missouri crashed.

‘It looked like part of a movie’

Among the motorists who stopped in Laredo was Zayra Garza, an esthetician who was driving her co-workers home when she saw the wreckage. She recorded video as her husband ran to help.

“It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,” Garza said. Most worrisome was the fire: “I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.”

Garza saw people leave their cars to try to smash the cockpit glass. Her video shows the aircraft's door popping open slightly from inside as a voice cries “Help! Help! Help!” The rescuers strain to lift the door farther open as the three teenagers dart out, followed quickly by one pilot and then by another.

Franco, a 23-year-old from Laredo, frantically swung the sledgehammer through heavy smoke. Others struck at the window with a shovel and tools from their own vehicles.

Cockpit windows are designed not to shatter

They accomplished little more than spiderwebbing the cockpit window with small cracks: Airplane windshields have multiple layers of glass and are designed to remain structurally sound even if the outer layer shatters. The windows must be able to withstand a bird strike at cruising speed and hold up to extreme pressure differences at high altitudes.

“They are basically bulletproof,” said retired airline pilot John Cox, who is CEO of Safety Operating Systems.

Police officers tried to remove the final person inside — Baer — as the smoke grew thicker. Officers doubled over coughing after turning away from the smoke.

Eventually firefighters with oxygen masks were able to get inside.

Firefighters also removed a dog from the plane that was suffering from smoke inhalation. The dog was turned over to animal control and was expected to survive, said Jose Baeza, an investigator with the Laredo Police Department.

Five officers were treated for smoke inhalation; the five people who survived the crash were also released from a hospital.

As the plane crashed on the northbound lanes of the highway, its wing hit a truck traveling southbound. The driver of that vehicle also survived, Baeza said.

There has been an outpouring of support on social media for those who stopped to help, heralding their bravery and selflessness.

Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño called it “nothing short of a miracle that this tragedy did not become a mass fatality event,” thanks in part to the late hour when the crash occurred and the quick action of first responders.

Franco said that as he tried to help, all he could think of was getting people out of the plane. But to do it, he had to conquer another feeling.

“You’re in constant fear," he said. "You don’t know what situation you’re in.”

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Johnson and Golden reported from Seattle. Taxin reported from Santa Ana, California. AP journalists Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed.

Now that the department is offloading civil rights enforcement and special education, some parents and advocates warn a process that has largely been stalled since President Donald Trump took office will see only more chaos and roadblocks.

“It’s to the point I don’t even check in anymore with the attorney,” said Nicole May, an Ohio mother. May filed a complaint in spring 2024 with the department’s Office for Civil Rights, alleging her teenage daughter was bullied over her hearing aids and was getting in trouble in class because she couldn’t hear her teachers. More than two years later, the case lacks a resolution.

Under the changes announced Tuesday, the Department of Justice will take over civil rights enforcement in schools, and the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education. The moves help fulfill Trump’s campaign promise to dismantle the Education Department. Linda McMahon, the education secretary, pitched the changes as a way to get more help to families of kids with disabilities.

Advocates said special education doesn’t belong in a health department, which usually treats disabilities as conditions to manage, instead of differences in how children learn. The top Republican on the Senate education committee agreed, saying he’d pursue legislation to keep special education out of Health and Human Services.

Some families already are taking discrimination cases elsewhere

For many, though, the response to the announcement was a sigh of resignation.

The Education Department’s civil rights office had long been the last resort for parents who believe their child is facing discrimination at school, with a mandate to review all complaints. Under Trump, the backlog of cases has ballooned, and resolutions have dwindled. Increasingly, attorneys say they are turning elsewhere to try to obtain justice for children.

The reaction is a marked change from a year ago, when parents and attorneys were in a panic as Education Department staff and attorneys were slashed.

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services has shrunk by roughly a third since 2024, and the Office for Civil Rights is roughly 40% smaller. Meanwhile, in the Department of Justice, the Education Opportunities Section has shrunk by half, according to estimates provided by Justice Connection, a network of department alumni.

“I think a lot of people are mad, but they are like, ‘What are we going to do?’” said Emily Harvey, the co-legal director at Disability Justice, formerly Disability Law Colorado, who has watched her cases languish.

When Trump took office, she had a federal complaint pending, alleging some Colorado schools were illegally rejecting enrollment from kids outside their neighborhood boundaries because they had disabilities. Harvey also has a case pending at the Department of Justice, alleging a district south of Denver restrained and secluded disabled students hundreds of times, even though the practice is supposed to be reserved for emergencies.

“I feel like they’re probably collecting dust on a virtual shelf somewhere,” Harvey said.

In response to the federal backlog, she helped to push for a new state law that expands the types of civil rights cases Colorado education officials can pursue.

States across the U.S. already investigate various special education complaints, including when parents allege schools aren’t following a child’s individualized education program. But the Colorado legislation, signed into law in May, allows the state to pursue the types of cases typically handled at the federal level, such as those involving allegations of discrimination and harassment.

Harvey said she didn’t think the federal civil rights office was ever perfect. “But I think it’s become even less help for people who are trying to resolve issues,” said Harvey, who worked as an Education Department civil rights attorney in 2020 and 2021.

Boston-area special education advocate Craig Haller said he’s heard nothing on a complaint he filed early last year with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights. Ever since the Trump administration started dismantling the department, he has leaned more on Massachusetts’s state system for resolving special education matters.

He recently used that system to help a student whose high school didn’t take into account his special education plan when it suspended him.

“I got it fixed for my client,” Haller said. But without the federal Office for Civil Rights, “I can’t get it fixed systematically.”

Department workers say the dismantling has made their jobs harder

While only Congress can close the Education Department, McMahon, a billionaire and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, has signed 10 additional agreements to give department functions to other federal agencies.

So far, those agreements have not reduced the number of employees working on specific programs. But the union that represents department workers says staff have run into issues with equipment and access at their new postings.

“It’s hard to describe how inefficient the implementation of the (agreements) has been,” said Rachel Gittleman, the union’s president.

Taken together, the fracturing of programs, enforcement and oversight for disabled students across multiple agencies raised questions of what would fall through the cracks, special education advocates said.

Robyn Linscott, who directs education and family policy at The Arc of the United States, a major disability rights group, recalled attending a three-hour listening session the Education Department hosted in January. Families, educators and advocates described barriers to accessing proper support and services. Although they acknowledged breaks in the system, not a single parent advocated for moving oversight of special education to Health and Human Services.

Still, she isn’t surprised the Trump administration moved the program anyway.

“It has only been 24 hours, but I think we anticipated this move for over a year,” she said on Wednesday.

In Congress, senators from both sides of the aisle said they would try to stop the move to put special education in Health and Human Services.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said he would “publicly commit” to working with his Democratic colleague, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, on legislative action that would push the administration to change course. Cassidy, who lost a primary election this spring and has less than six months left in his Senate term, has personal knowledge of the education challenges faced by kids with disabilities: His wife co-founded a network of charter schools for students with dyslexia.

If special education is moved, he said Wednesday, it should go to the Labor Department. That agency, he said, is better positioned to support people with disabilities as they learn and work.

Ultimately, what matters to parents is whether they can get the services their children need, said Rob Harris, an IEP advocate in Colorado. Families spend an inordinate amount of time navigating systems that should be working together to serve children, but often aren’t. Harris has navigated those systems himself: His 19-year-old daughter is blind.

“Families don’t experience the government through organizational charts,” Harris said. “We experience it through the services our children receive.”

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Associated Press writers Bianca Vázquez Toness and Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.

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

The Knicks' victory — after a 53-year drought — has electrified New Yorkers, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani has predicted that the parade might be one of the biggest in the city's history.

City police said all the viewing pens along the route were full less than three hours before the procession, packed by thousands of fans who flooded into the city.

The mere fact that it's happening is historic in itself. Although the Knicks won the championship twice in the 1970s, the city didn't host a parade for them either time. Then-Mayor John Lindsay had cut down on ticker-tape extravaganzas for financial and other reasons, and he instead honored the Knicks at a 1970 reception at the mayoral mansion and a jampacked 1973 ceremony outside City Hall.

This time, the city is going all out.

“There will be performances, there will be New Yorkers, there will be the team and there will be history,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday.

The parade is set to start at 10 a.m. Thursday near Battery Park and head up Broadway on the skyscraper-flanked route dubbed the “Canyon of Heroes.” The procession is to end at City Hall, where the players are to get another traditional tribute: keys to the city.

Knicks legends Walt “Clyde” Frazier — a member of the ’70s champion teams — and Patrick Ewing are expected to participate in the parade, according to a person familiar with the plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the details before they were publicly announced. The person said Mike Breen, the Knicks’ play-by-play announcer on MSG Network, was set to emcee the City Hall ceremony.

Alicia Keys, the singer who collaborated with Jay-Z on the New York-loving 2009 hit “Empire State of Mind,” has been tapped to perform.

“How could I not?” Keys said Wednesday in a social media video that featured her on the phone with Knicks forward OG Anunoby.

Early Thursday, Zellnor Myrie, a state senator and Knicks devotee, strolled through the plaza in front of City Hall, decked out in Knicks gear, sporting a huge smile on his face. He said the Knicks’ win, after so many years of pain and futility, brought a feeling of generational catharsis to his family, especially his father.

“I remember calling him right after we won — because he’s out of the city now — and he said, ‘I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders,’” Myrie said. “And as he said that, I got so emotional and felt it. I think all of us have memories like that, and that’s why today’s so special.”

Police plan to deploy 10,000 officers to secure the event, which follows ebullient but sometimes chaotic street celebrations and some violence during the Knicks' run to victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

“We want people to enjoy this moment,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a planning meeting Wednesday, “but public safety comes first.”

Some 650 sanitation workers have been assigned to clean up what could be tens of thousands of pounds (kilograms) of debris, if recent history is any guide.

Ticker-tape parades derive their name from the narrow strips of paper used by telegraph-era “stock ticker” machines. New York brokerage firm workers took to tossing the paper out their office windows during parades in the late 19th century, adding a swirling aerial spectacle to the festivities.

Over the years, especially up to the mid-1960s, the city rolled out ticker-tape parades to honor visiting foreign leaders, mark historic anniversaries and hail feats in aviation, war, sports, music, space travel and more.

The Knicks' parade will be the 210th, and it comes after a ticker-tape bash for the WNBA's New York Liberty in 2024.

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AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed from Southampton, New York.

Always a darling of the far left, he has earned praise from both President Donald Trump and former Democratic critics like New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. He has emerged as the face of the region's sports renaissance. And days before New York's primary elections, Mamdani is testing the limits of his newfound political muscle in a bid to reshape the Democratic Party — in his state capital and in Washington — even if it means challenging his own party's leadership.

Mamdani will join Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. at a get-out-the-vote rally in Brooklyn on Thursday. The event is designed to elevate a slate of candidates aligned with Mamdani's values, including two running against Democratic incumbents in Tuesday's primary.

“He’s seeing that opportunity — that we can radically change the Democratic Party,” said Faiz Shakir, a senior adviser to Sanders and a friend of Mamdani's. “Like Bernie, he's not saying I'm doing this out of spite against you, dear leadership. He's saying, I am supporting these candidates who have a better vision, and I am prepared to lose if it has to be the case.”

The Mamdani slate

Establishment Democrats are not pleased with the mayor's decisions.

Mamdani endorsed political organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier over Rep. Adriano Espaillat, the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in New York's 13th District, which includes parts of upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

He is also backing former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running against incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in New York's 10th District. And in New York's 7th, he's supporting democratic socialist state Assembly Member Claire Valdez against outgoing Rep. Nydia Velazquez’s handpicked successor.

The Mamdani slate, in addition to several state Assembly candidates, will be featured at Thursday's rally.

Valdez says the election is about advancing the political movement Mamdani ignited on his way to City Hall.

“Right now there’s really mass dissatisfaction with the way the party leadership has been operating and not standing up strongly enough to Trump,” she told The Associated Press, contrasting the malaise to the way the mayor energized voters last year.

She said she hopes to “bring a partner to Zohran to Washington.”

Valdez's primary opponent, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, said he feels like the underdog in the race, even though he was endorsed by the outgoing incumbent. He said Mamdani “has a celebrity status that we haven’t seen the likes of since I’ve been alive.”

“He’s going to be our champion for the foreseeable future and he’s doing a great job, and when he says that he’s endorsing someone, it matters,” Reynoso said in an interview. “I believe that this community has seen me work, they know I’m a progressive champion, and in any other circumstance I would be a favorite to win this race, but I’m not because he has tipped the scale.”

The candidates are largely aligned on the biggest issues, although there are modest differences.

Israel’s war with Gaza has featured heavily among the Mamdani slate, with Lander, Valdez and Avila Chevalier casting their Democratic opponents as too soft on Israel. They're echoing the mayor’s steadfast criticism of the country’s leaders and harnessing what they believe could be a driving force in this year’s elections.

The mayor’s candidates have also sought to replicate much of the platform that sent him to City Hall, focusing on the city’s high cost of living and framing themselves as fresh faces not beholden to powerful business interests.

The view from Washington

On Capitol Hill, Democrats are pleasantly surprised that Mamdani has become less of a political liability for the party in swing district seats than they once feared.

But Mamdani’s endorsements have aggravated intraparty fissures, especially among moderates who worry that Mamdani's far-left brand may eventually tarnish the entire party.

And House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a fellow New Yorker, has tried to push back against the Mamdani-backed democratic socialist challengers, endorsing and campaigning for the embattled incumbents in a proxy fight with the mayor.

But Jeffries and Mamdani have opted to wrestle only in primaries rather than bicker publicly and feed into GOP narratives of Democratic disarray.

“Democrats must understand, and both the leader and Mamdani appreciate this, how to yell in areas where we agree and whisper in areas where we diverge,” said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist who works with House Democrats.

For now, Jeffries' allies acknowledge that Mamdani has energized Democratic voters and may be able to reach some Americans who have checked out of the political process. They also prefer that Mamdani is hyper-focused on New York City’s governance rather than traveling across the country nationally.

Republicans, however, have plans to elevate Mamdani's profile whether Washington Democrats want them to or not.

The GOP hasn't made Mamdani a central feature of its broader national messaging as it once threatened, but Republican operatives have sought to link Mamdani to Democratic House candidates in swing districts across California, Colorado and Wisconsin. They also believe the specter of the New York City mayor will loom large in pivotal House races in New York and New Jersey.

The Republican bet is that vulnerable Democrats cannot afford to break with Mamdani too cleanly for fear of alienating progressive voters, even as they cast him as a radical.

“Zohran Mamdani’s socialist brand is as toxic as it comes,” said Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans’ campaign arm. “And during a time when Democrats don’t have a leader or a message, he’s exactly the kind of bogeyman we can use against Democrats to truly show who is leading their party and the crazy policies they all support.”

Meanwhile, Sanders' adviser Shakir encouraged the Republicans to try. He noted that Sanders mentions Mamdani in almost every speech as he tours the nation rallying voters ahead of the midterms.

“The crowd just goes nuts,” Shakir said. “He certainly is not a political liability.”

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Brown reported in Washington.

The guestlist for Thursday’s dedication ceremony includes Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera and Bono, along with former Presidents Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are expected to give remarks. The invite-only celebration will be livestreamed and kicks off a weekend of events centered around the Obama Presidential Center, which opens to the general public on Juneteenth.

President Donald Trump is not among the announced guests. He called the $850 million center a “total disaster” in a social media post in February.

The Thursday celebration “will reflect a spirit of inspiration and joy, with a big boost from the performers who are sharing their talent with us,” said Valerie Jarrett, the Obama Foundation’s chief executive and former Obama top adviser. “We hope to inspire people everywhere to believe in their power to bring change home.”

Other celebrities slated to appear on Thursday include Common, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Vedder, John Legend, Marc Anthony and The Roots.

General admission tickets for the center are sold out through the end of October. But tens of thousands of people have already been offered a sneak peek of the nearly 20-acre campus on Chicago's South Side in Jackson Park.

The center, located near where Obama lived and began his political career, is expected to attract more than 1 million visitors annually. It is adjacent to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in the lakefront park, and not far from the University of Chicago.

The campus includes a towering museum that covers the political and personal realms of the nation’s first Black president and first lady, while public spaces include a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a playground and athletic center, basketball courts and a picnic area with grills.

Supporters and opponents alike view the effort as a major litmus test for tapping the AI-powered software on a U.S. public transportation system, positioning Kansas City as the latest epicenter in a fierce debate over whether the safety benefits of artificial intelligence are worth the privacy costs.

“The idea of running face recognition on a camera that is pointed on live spaces in public is a line that until recently has never really been crossed in the last 25 years,” said Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst for the Project on Speech, Privacy and Technology at the American Civil Liberties Union.

The state of Missouri declined to help fund the project as expected due to concerns with the facial recognition component. Still, the city is pushing ahead with local and federal money, said Tyler Means, chief mobility and strategy officer at the Kansas City Transportation Authority.

“Privacy is always a tricky thing,” Means said. “We’ve always had cameras on our buses. It’s just new technology. I think in time it’ll smooth over and people will realize, ‘Well, it didn’t really feel any different.’”

Cameras that recognize a face

SafeSpace Global, the Knoxville, Tennessee-based company partnering with Kansas City to run the cameras, started using live facial recognition years ago to alert nursing homes when residents left the building, then brought the technology to correctional institutions and schools. Kansas City’s buses represent the company’s inaugural venture in transportation.

Images captured by cameras aboard the buses would immediately be checked against any active alerts, generated when a missing person, banned rider or someone on a law enforcement watch list designated by the transit authority is identified.

If no match or safety issue is detected, the facial data won't be retained. After the buses return to the depot, the transportation authority would archive the regular video footage on a local server for up to five years.

“It’s not sitting there filming all the time,” SafeSpace Global CEO Scott Boruff said. “It just captures the face and goes away.”

But Stanley with the ACLU warned that it's nearly impossible to limit the scope of a surveillance project when artificial intelligence is involved.

“It may be used for a very narrow watch list today, but there are very good reasons to think it’ll expand over time,” he said.

Backers of the effort point out that security cameras are already found nearly everywhere — even on Kansas City's buses — and some law enforcement agencies have used facial recognition software to identify suspects spotted on video.

Cameras with other types of AI-powered software have been installed in numerous cities on public buses and school buses to read the license plates of nearby vehicles and ticket the ones spotted committing infractions such as illegally parking in a bus lane. Privacy advocates are concerned about those devices as well, but they're particularly alarmed by cameras that could actively record faces even when no crime is committed.

“City residents should not be guinea pigs for transit systems to test Silicon Valley’s latest unproven, biased surveillance tech,” said Will Owen, communications director for the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project.

Lessons from elsewhere

Shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, police in Tampa, Florida, used facial recognition cameras in the Ybor City neighborhood to search for crime suspects, but there was immediate backlash and the program was soon abandoned, Stanley said.

More recently, New Orleans police secretly relied on facial recognition surveillance cameras run by a private company despite a city ordinance prohibiting the technology, The Washington Post reported last year. Although the program was believed to have been paused, Stanley wrote a report for the ACLU last month that found it was still operating in some capacity, citing emails an activist obtained through an open records request.

Detroit partnered with some gas stations and liquor stores in 2016 to install high-definition cameras that relayed live feeds of violent crimes directly to the police department. But after a New York Times investigation found footage was paired with facial recognition software to make arrests, some of the accused filed successful lawsuits claiming they were wrongly targeted due to faulty technology that misidentified Black suspects.

James Craig, the police chief at the time, said officials felt the backlash and ultimately changed the rules over how facial recognition could be used without scrapping the program entirely. But he still advocates for the technology, provided it’s done correctly, and says it would be a shame for cities to abandon one of their best tools for securing the streets.

“If the police department or the city doesn’t have the insights to build in strong policies, transparent policies and accountability, the knee jerk reaction is, ‘Well, let’s just ban it,’” Craig said.

KC delays rollout, eyes ‘bigger’ plan

The cameras were expected to be installed on Kansas City's buses this spring, but organizers halted the effort just before launch, derailing hopes that they would be up and running in time for the World Cup matches the city began hosting this week.

The delay was partly technical — a need to upgrade Wi-Fi routers to support both the cameras and a new fare collection system on the buses — and partly financial due to state government funding falling through, illustrating the headwinds U.S. cities often encounter when seeking to deploy facial recognition.

Despite the delays, Means said he's confident the program will launch this year and “a little bit bigger” than initially planned, with potentially as many as 30 buses instead of the nine that had been planned under the pilot.

Boruff, the SafeSpace Global CEO, said the company is ready to start installing the Kansas City cameras as soon as the money comes through, although it'll likely take three to four months to configure the software for the city's specific needs.

Ryana Parks-Shaw, a city council member serving as mayor pro tem, said she's not disappointed that the rollout has been delayed.

“I think they need to take their time and do it right,” Parks-Shaw said. “I believe that any use of this kind of technology must be approached carefully, transparently, and with clear guardrails.”

As for securing buses during the World Cup without the facial recognition cameras, Means said the reconfigured plan includes up to 40 more officers patrolling stops and transit centers.

“We're kind of going old school to address what we hoped the technology would do,” he said.

Then, in 2025, she slipped a disk in her back, requiring medication and physical therapy. Suddenly, the medical bills were so overwhelming that Weaver, an adult learner working toward a leadership degree on the side, had to delay graduation by a year.

“I had to start calculating, am I going to be able to afford to pay my tuition, as well as my books, as well as my living expenses, and continue to care for my family?” the 43-year-old in Sanford, Florida, said in an interview. “It makes you feel powerless as a consumer.”

Weaver’s experience is familiar to a growing number of Americans, according to new data from the West Health-Gallup Affordability Index, which shows only about half of U.S. adults could afford their healthcare and had access to quality care last year. Concerns about affording healthcare in the year ahead were at a record high since tracking began in 2021, signaling that many were feeling anxious about rising healthcare costs as 2025 ended.

The new findings published Thursday draw on a survey conducted from October to December 2025 — before major recent changes to health policy, like Congress’ Medicaid cuts or its decision not to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, took effect. It demonstrates how the country's fraught healthcare system is increasingly straining Americans at a time when inflation is driving high costs and affordability concerns are top of mind as midterm elections approach.

Americans are worried they won’t be able to pay for care

The index used the responses from multiple questions to place Americans into three categories depending on their access to quality care and ability to pay for care and medicine. In the new data, 49% of U.S. adults were considered “cost secure,” meaning that they had access both to high-quality, affordable care and they had recently been able to afford the care and medicine they needed. In 2021, when the measurement began, 56% of U.S. adults were “cost secure.” That rose to 61% in 2022 but has been falling ever since.

In the survey, about three-quarters of U.S. adults said healthcare costs were a “major” or “minor” financial burden for them and their family. Only about 3 in 10 said they’re not a burden.

Meanwhile, about half of respondents were “extremely concerned” or “concerned” that their household would be unable to pay for needed healthcare services in 2026, up from 42% who said that in 2022.

Inger Perez, 59, from Encino, Texas, is one of those worried Americans. She has a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. She said she did blood work recently, and while she wants to know the results, she’s bracing herself for what they could show.

“I literally was crying last night because I’m nervous about what I’m going to find out and how much care that is and how much money that is,” she said in an interview. “I’m terrified that I’ll start a plan of treatment but won’t be able to afford to keep up with it.”

More than half of survey respondents said the cost of healthcare contributes “a lot” or “some” to stress to their daily lives. That’s compared to about 3 in 10 who said these costs contribute “very little stress” and about 2 in 10 who said they contribute “no stress at all.”

Perez said she is also frustrated by the quality of the care she receives, in part because she lives in a rural area about an hour from a doctor’s office. To fit her budget, she had to choose a lower-cost Affordable Care Act marketplace plan with a limited network of covered providers, creating another obstacle to finding good care.

Healthcare affordability is declining across demographics

Younger adults, older adults and women were among several groups of Americans that saw drops in healthcare affordability and access in 2025, according to the findings.

Among Americans under 30, only about one-third were categorized as “cost secure,” down from 46% in 2021. Women were already less likely to be “cost secure” than men, but the gap widened last year. About 57% of men were “cost secure” in the 2025 survey — down from a high of 67% in 2022 — compared to 42% of women.

Older Americans, most of whom are covered by the government's Medicare health insurance program, are generally more likely to be “cost secure.” However, this group saw meaningful decreases as well, falling from 73% in 2021 to 61% in 2025.

Patients make sacrifices to pay the bills

Several survey respondents who talked to The Associated Press discussed things they have had to give up to pay their health bills.

About 2 in 10 U.S. adults in the 2025 poll said there had been a time in the prior three months when they or a member of their household was unable to pay for medicine or drugs that a doctor had prescribed because of costs. About 3 in 10 said they or someone in their household did not seek treatment for a health problem because of the expense.

One dad in Arizona, 55-year-old Xavier Chapa, said his 50-year-old wife has been fighting her insurance company over a preventive colonoscopy that her doctor had recommended.

He said the company verbally assured her it would be covered, but didn’t honor that after the procedure was completed.

The looming $3,000 bill means they've had to cut back their 8-year-old son’s summer camp schedule from full-day to half-day programs, along with trimming their budget elsewhere.

“It’s a lot to deal with,” said Chapa, who moved back to the U.S. from Europe three years ago. “What point does it serve if you're living in this country and having to pay such a high price and you can't get some of the basic things?"

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Swenson reported from New York.

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The West Health-Gallup Center poll of 5,660 adults was conducted Oct. 27-Dec. 22, 2025 using a sample drawn from Gallup's probability-based Gallup Panel. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.

The 1,200-year-old Major Oak in Sherwood Forest is believed to have died after it didn’t sprout leaves this spring, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said Thursday.

Visitors over the past two centuries who viewed the tree's gnarled limbs and sprawling canopy in Nottingham compressed the soil, making it difficult for rain to reach its roots, the conservation group said.

The forest has been under threat for years and the tree had been rumored to have died in the past — only to have the group confirm it was still alive.

That is no longer the case.

“The tree’s failure to produce leaves this year is heartbreaking for everyone,” Hollie Drake of the RSPB said in a statement announcing the death.

The tree is said to have sheltered Robin Hood, the legendary 13th-century bandit who stole from the rich and gave to the poor and took refuge in the forest when being pursued by the sheriff of Nottingham.

It got its name after being mentioned in a book on oaks by Major Hayman Rooke in 1790 that led to the first wave of fans who flocked to the forest.

It's impossible to say what killed the tree, but the footprints of millions contributed to its downfall, along with intervention to shore up its massive limbs using cables and poles. Climate change that has brought heat waves and drought was also blamed.

Tree experts found the root system strangled and starved.

“Ancient trees like the Major Oak are the ‘conservation white rhinos of the U.K.’ but their decline is far less visible,” said Ed Pyne, of the Woodland Trust. “Saving them is vital to the health of the world we live in and yet most disappear quietly, without the recognition or care given to the Major Oak.”

In addition to its place in folklore, the forest is known for Sherwood oaks that floated the ships of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson’s Royal Navy in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and as timbers in the roof of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

The Major Oak was spared from the saw and has been protected by a fence since the 1970s.

“The Major Oak will continue to stand at the heart of Sherwood as a natural monument for visitors to come and see, living on in the legend of Robin Hood and continuing to provide as much support to the forest’s ecosystem in death as in life,” Drake said.

Instead, the rollout of Vance’s second book, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” has been largely crowded out by something else he’s put his name on: the tentative deal to end the Iran war.

The Republican vice president has embraced the role of chief defender of the agreement he and President Donald Trump signed with Tehran, giving a series of interviews touting the memorandum of understanding as a success and releasing a video championing it.

It’s a striking emergence for a politician who was known for his skepticism of foreign military interventions and who seemed reluctant to speak on the conflict when Trump launched it in late February.

The vice president is poised to yoke himself further to the conflict’s outcome on Friday, when he’s expected to travel to Switzerland to kick off a new phase of negotiations with Iran. He was originally expected to attend a formal signing ceremony for the deal, but Trump formally signed it on Wednesday instead.

Vance becoming a hype man for the agreement seems to be an all-in gamble that, should he decide to seek the White House in 2028, voters will reward him for being the face of ending an unpopular conflict.

It’s also setting Vance up as the presumptive fall guy should the deal with Iran falter.

Trump joked about such a possibility on Wednesday.

“If it works out, I’m going to take the credit. If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD,” Trump said.

Officials release text of the deal after backlash

The White House in a statement called Vance the president's “right-hand man and an invaluable member of the President’s talented national security team.”

"That’s why the Vice President was trusted to lead these negotiations alongside Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner," White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said. "What President Trump and his team achieved on the battlefield and at the negotiating table is nothing short of remarkable and will strengthen American security for years to come.”

But backlash, including from conservatives, began growing this week after the U.S. digitally signed the memorandum of understanding with Iran on Sunday.

Luke Schroeder, a spokesman for the vice president, said in a statement: “It’s unfortunate that some Republicans are attempting to undermine the President’s efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East and ensure Iran never has a nuclear weapon.”

Officials gave shifting answers about when they would release the text, but leaked copies of a draft were quickly met with anger and skepticism from Democratic and Republican U.S. lawmakers, as well as Israel and pro-Israel advocates. Their criticisms included concerns that the deal, meant to open a two-month negotiating period, seemed to offer Iran wins up front while guaranteeing little in return, and that Trump’s stated reason for launching the conflict, to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, remains unresolved.

Vance has reiterated that Iran must meet its obligations.

“If they don’t behave properly, they don’t get any of the benefits of this bargain,” he said Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends."

In response to the backlash and mounting questions, the U.S. on Wednesday provided the text of the agreement to journalists.

The agreement states that Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is believed to be buried under rubble, must at minimum be diluted under international supervision. It also states that Iran shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons — a commitment it has made previously. But beyond stating that the U.S. and Iran will negotiate over Iran's nuclear program, other commitments still need to be worked out.

Criticism on the right persisted after the text was released.

Conservative radio host Erick Erickson, a hawk who has defended the war, said Wednesday: “This is an American surrender.”

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, criticized the agreement and said to reporters, “I think the president, unfortunately, is receiving bad advice.”

Trump's ‘Operation Epic Fury’ has angered wings of his movement

The conflict, which has stretched into its fourth month, has cleaved Trump’s broad Make America Great Again coalition and angered both those who favored a harder line against Iran and those drawn to Trump’s “America First” foreign policy underscored by a message of “no new wars.”

Critics, including Republicans, have already started pointing fingers in Vance's direction, questioning whether the deal resembles the 2015 nuclear agreement struck by Democratic President Barack Obama and whether this new agreement achieves Trump’s stated objectives for launching the war.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Trump ally and Iran hawk, had been skeptical of the agreement and referred to Vance on social media as “the architect of the deal."

After the agreement was released, Graham issued a tepid statement of support, saying, “Whether or not the United States can reach an acceptable, verifiable deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program and other issues is yet to be determined, but I see little downside to trying.”

Ben Domenech, The Daily Wire’s opinion editor, said on Fox News that everything he was hearing about the deal “seems bad” and appeared to cast blame on Vance by alluding to his first book, “Hillbilly Elegy."

“Are we going to backslide into being some kind of ‘hillbilly Obama’ kind of GOP?” Domenech said.

GOP allies say Vance can navigate the politics

The Trump administration has not offered formal briefings to Congress on the details of the memorandum, but Vance has quietly started doing outreach to some Republican senators on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, a close ally of Vance's, said the vice president would be able to assuage even critics within his own party who are skeptical of the deal because “JD is just the president’s messenger, and the president’s going to prove them all wrong.”

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said the deal “certainly adds to the national security and geopolitical chops” of Vance, who spent two years as a U.S. senator for Ohio before ascending to the vice presidency.

But Cramer acknowledged the risks if the agreement goes awry.

“I guess the nice thing is, if you’re not the No. 1 person, you can take credit and avoid risk, avoid the criticism, but probably not so easily,” Cramer said.

Vance argues Iran is not a quagmire like the Iraq war

In interviews this week, Vance has sought to speak directly to the skeptics in his party, a preview of the difficult explanations he may be pressed to make as a candidate on the war.

On Megyn Kelly's show, the vice president said the critics “believe Iranian propaganda” about the deal. But he acknowledged some of the frustrations on the hawkish right while trying to reassure the anti-interventionists that the Iran conflict isn't the war in Iraq, where he served as a Marine.

“We were never going to get the quagmire that a lot of people were worrying about because Donald Trump is just not George W. Bush,” he said.

Democrats have stressed that even as Vance becomes the face of the Iran deal, the fate of any administration official who harbors presidential aspirations — particularly hawkish Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has largely been quiet in the agreement's final phases — will be tied to its outcome.

“I think any member of this administration is going to rise or fall on the basis of the Iran war and the handling of the economy, and I don’t think there are exceptions,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.

___

Associated Press writer Will Weissert contributed to this report.

Voters in the Makerfield district of northwest England are electing a new lawmaker, and the leading contender is Andy Burnham of the governing Labour Party, the current mayor of Greater Manchester and oddsmakers’ favorite to be the next prime minister.

If Burnham defeats a candidate from the anti-immigration party Reform UK and wins the seat for Labour, he’s almost certain to challenge the embattled Starmer for leadership of the party, and the country.

Burnham has pledged that “if people put their trust in me, I will change politics” — a big promise for a politician who, if he wins, will be just one of 650 lawmakers in the House of Commons.

But the scores of journalists from around the world who have flocked to Makerfield during the campaign are evidence that this is no normal by-election.

In an election-day video, Burnham said he would take the fight for change “as high as I can possibly take it.”

Polls close at 10 p.m. (2100GMT), with results due early Friday.

Starmer struggles since landslide win

About 75,000 people are eligible to vote in Makerfield, a constituency that encompasses several towns and villages on the edge of Greater Manchester, 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of London.

They hold in their hands the fate of Starmer, whose popularity has cratered since he led the center-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024.

Starmer’s government has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as the U.K. ambassador to the United States.

A dismal performance in May’s local elections spurred scores of Labour lawmakers to demand Starmer’s resignation. He has refused to budge, but senior colleagues are trying to force a change. Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary in May, saying that “where we need vision, we have a vacuum.”

Then Josh Simons, the Labour lawmaker for Makerfield, stepped down to trigger a special election and give Burnham the chance to return to Parliament.

Britain’s parliamentary system allows governing parties to change leader midterm, with the winner becoming prime minister without the need for a national election. Under Labour rules, a lawmaker can challenge the leader if they have backing from a fifth of the party’s House of Commons lawmakers — a number that stands at 81.

Streeting said Tuesday that he hopes Starmer will agree to step down, but that if he doesn’t, “there will need to be a contest, and I would be prepared to do that.”

A Burnham victory will pile pressure on Starmer to quit

Streeting is an assured communicator with a base of support among parliamentary colleagues, but Burnham is considered the more likely successor.

The 56-year-old politician nicknamed the “King of the North” has led Manchester since 2017, overseeing rapid regeneration for the city where the Industrial Revolution was forged. Burnham is pledging to repeat his signature brand of “Manchesterism” on a national scale.

“It’s not right, the way the country has been run,” Burnham said on the campaign trail last week, claiming “London-centric politics” has failed other regions of the U.K.

Starmer, meanwhile, has tried to keep calm and carry on, insisting during a G7 summit in France this week that he has no intention of leaving his post.

“I will fight if there’s a challenge,” he said. “We won a significant general election result in 2024, with a mandate to bring about change. I’m not going to walk away from that.”

Starmer suggested that he could offer Burnham a Cabinet post if he wins, telling Sky News on Wednesday that “I want him to have a big role in government.” Allies of Burnham indicated that he wasn’t interested.

Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said that if Burnham wins convincingly, “the pressure on Starmer will be very hard to resist.

“Starmer can say all that he likes that he wants to carry on,” Ford said. “But if the entire Cabinet turns around and says, ‘We’re not going to serve under you and we think you should go,’ then either he’ll go with dignity or go without dignity, but he’ll end up having to go quite quickly.”

Reform UK poses a challenge to Labour

Burnham’s victory isn't a given. The Makerfield area has elected Labour lawmakers for more than a century, but Reform UK has rapidly gained ground in post-industrial northern England, winning big in local elections last month.

Reform candidate Rob Kenyon, a local plumber, is hoping to tap into concerns about immigration — frequently expressed by voters despite relatively low numbers of immigrants in Makerfield. But Reform faces a challenge from Restore, an even more hard-line, anti-immigration and ethnonationalist party to its right.

A Burnham victory would be bad news for Starmer. But Ford said that a Reform win in Makerfield would spell “Gotterdammerung, apocalypse, disaster, chaos” for the Labour Party.

“Andy Burnham is miles more popular than every other (leadership) candidate available. Miles better known, miles better liked,” he said.

“If Reform take him out, then simultaneously you have a situation where the Reform threat looks much graver, and the best person available to combat the Reform threat has failed.”

From Doral to areas in western Broward, thousands of residents have been impacted. The smoke has made it difficult for some to breathe, while vehicles have been left covered in ash as the haze spreads.

As the fires continue to burn, no one in the affected areas appears to be escaping the shroud of smoke hanging over the region.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

U.S. markets rose in premarket trading Thursday, taking back much of their losses from a day earlier that were driven by speculation that the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates this year to try and reign in persistent inflation.

Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.6%, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.2%. The Nasdaq was on track to claw back all of its losses from Wednesday, with futures gaining 1.3% before the opening bell.

Oil prices continued their charge downward after the U.S. and Iran signed their initial agreement ending the war.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil fell $1.19 to $78.36. It’s still above its roughly $70 price from before the war, but it’s well below its $100-plus price from a few weeks ago.

U.S. benchmark crude slipped $1.56 to $74.45 per barrel.

The U.S.-Iran agreement starts a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear program. In the meantime, it calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

The deal waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country, immediately allowing Iran to sell its oil freely in a major concession from Washington, according to details released by both countries.

In equities trading, Intel soared another 8.7% after U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a social media post that the semiconductor giant had agreed to make chips for Apple in the U.S. That announcement came after media reports that Apple was planning to raise prices due to a shortage of memory chips.

SpaceX was falling for the second straight day since its ballyhooed debut on the U.S. stock market last week. The Elon Musk-led rocket maker and AI company was down 3.2% before the bell Thursday following a 4.9% loss Wednesday.

Thanks to falling oil prices, travel-related companies continued to rise. Delta, United and American all rose between 1.5% and 2%. Cruise lines Royal Caribbean and Carnival were both up more than 2%.

In his first news conference as head of the U.S. central bank, Kevin Warsh, did not give a forecast for where the federal funds rate may end 2026. He said he’s considering a revamp of how the Fed communicates with financial markets and U.S. households and businesses.

One of his first moves was to end the inclusion of hints in Fed statements about where interest rates may be heading in the future.

However, nine of Warsh’s 18 colleagues on the Fed’s rate-setting committee signaled they supported higher rates this year, with six supporting two or more quarter-point increases.

Higher interest rates can tap the brakes on inflation, but they also slow the economy and hurt prices for investments. For much of the past year, the expectation has been that the Fed would be cutting rates.

Elsewhere, in Europe at midday, Germany's DAX edged 0.1% lower, while the CAC 40 in Paris ticked down 0.2%. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 1%.

During Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 resumed its climb, gaining 1.7% to a new closing high of 71,053.49. It topped 70,000 for the first time this week and is still gaining thanks to hopes for an end to the war and strong buying of high-tech shares due to the artificial intelligence boom.

"This is very broad-based rally, I believe it’s actually showing some confidence that the Japanese economy is going to recover further from the ... the end of the war, and presumably the oil prices in the near future,” said Neil Newman, head of strategy at Astris Advisory Japan.

South Korea likewise has been setting records, gaining 2.3% to 9,063.84. The Kospi has roughly tripled in the past year, helped by gains for computer chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Samsung's shares rose 4.6% and those of SK Hynix gained 6.5%.

Taiwan's Taiex jumped 1.3%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 2.1% to 23,792.35, while the Shanghai Composite index edged 0.4% lower to 4,090.48.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.6% to 8,911.10.

___

Senior Producer Mayuko Ono contributed to this report.

Some cities recycle. Some don’t. And as landfills near capacity, officials say solutions need to be found quickly.

Broward County believes it has one.

The county’s Solid Waste Authority has unveiled a master plan aimed at tackling Broward’s growing trash problem, but its future depends on whether enough cities choose to embrace it.

Broward County generates about 20,000 pounds of waste every minute, or roughly 5 million tons a year, and officials say the situation is reaching a critical point.

“We’re at a critical juncture right now,” said Mike Ryan, mayor of Sunrise and chairman of the Broward Solid Waste Authority.

“We’re running out of landfill capacity and we’re running out of the ability to burn our way out of this,” Ryan said.

The crisis prompted action in 2023 when Broward County and 28 cities joined forces to create the Solid Waste Authority, launching an effort to reduce waste, boost recycling and divert more trash from landfills.

“When we realized what a crisis we are facing, both economically and environmentally, the cities came back together to try to figure out can we fix this fragmented system and work better together than separately?” Ryan said.

The result is a master plan that would guide Broward County’s waste management strategy for the next four decades.

“The master plan recognizes that we have to do better at diverting our trash from the landfill and waste energy. We have to do better at recycling and repurposing, and ultimately we have to do better at controlling our economic destiny,” Ryan said.

At the heart of the plan is a push to reduce waste and dramatically expand recycling efforts.

“The state goal is 75% to 70%. Right now, if we’re getting credit for what we’ve burned, we’re at 39%. If you don’t have the credit for what we’ve burned, we’re below 30%,” Ryan said.

Ryan warned that as landfill capacity shrinks and disposal options become more limited, the cost of handling Broward’s waste could eventually become unsustainable for residents and businesses.

“The brilliance of this plan is that when we combine our tonnage, and we work together, we can get the best pricing,” Ryan said. “But we can also extract the value that is in trash. And trash is a series of commodity streams.”

The Solid Waste Authority says the plan is already proving its value through partnerships with the Florida Panthers and City Furniture. Now it needs buy-in from Broward cities.

So far, the response has been unanimous. All 15 municipalities that had voted approved the plan, as did Broward County.

“So our work right now is to convince the rest of the cities not only is this a good plan to tackle recycling, but that it’s necessary to protect our residents and our businesses from skyrocketing trash costs that are going to come,” Ryan said.

The authority is also taking its message into Broward classrooms, encouraging students to become ambassadors for the effort.

“I’m here to encourage my peers and also the students in Broward County to sort of stand up and also use their voice,” said Fort Lauderdale High School student Mikyle Sukoo.

“If we do not start recycling, if we do not start advocating for ourselves, that we are going to grow in a deep, deep hole,” Sukoo said.

Students like Sukoo are attending city commission meetings and urging officials to consider their future when voting on the master plan.

“If the commissioners see the urgency in the students, you know, that the students advocating for this and fighting for this, they’re going to want to say yes. They’re gonna lean toward yes more,” Sukoo said.

The master plan requires approval from enough cities to represent 80% of Broward County’s 2 million residents. The deadline is Aug. 14.

If that threshold is not reached, the Solid Waste Authority and its master plan will be dissolved.

“Our hope is that the cities recognize not only is this good for the environment, but it’s good economics,” Ryan said.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make the right decision.”

Wednesday night, Coral Springs voted unanimously to approve the master plan, bringing the total number of participating cities to 16.

Pembroke Pines, Pompano Beach and Hallandale Beach are the only Broward cities not part of the Solid Waste Authority. If the plan passes, they can join at any time.

Residents who want more information can click here.

A $14-billion arms sale package to Taiwan is still in limbo after President Donald Trump returned from Beijing in May and said he had discussed the proposal “in great detail” with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, heightening anxieties in Taiwan and raising concerns among lawmakers on the Capitol Hill.

“We need those arms for defensive purposes,” Alexander Yui Tah-ray, who heads the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday in Washington. “We're trying to increase our defense expenditure. We try to increase our ability to defend ourselves better and survive times of crisis.”

The United States, like most countries, does not officially recognize Taiwan as a country. China prohibits any state it has diplomatic relations with from having formal ties with Taipei. But the U.S. is the island's strongest informal backer and arms provider.

Yui, while not formally an ambassador to the U.S., acts as Taiwan's top envoy in Washington.

The Trump administration has not moved forward with the $14 billion weapons sale proposal approved by senior lawmakers earlier this year. Trump has described the sale as a “very good negotiating chip” with China.

Washington is obligated by domestic law to provide Taiwan with sufficient hardware to deter aggression from China, which claims sovereignty over the island and vows to seize it, by force if necessary, to achieve what it considers to be unification. Beijing has always opposed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, which has never been under China's communist rule.

Taiwanese diplomat says the island won't wait for ‘the U.S. cavalry’

Yui said Taiwan is aware that it must defend its territory.

“This is our responsibility, so we will not wait and depend for the U.S. cavalry to come and save us,” he said. “That’s why we’re willing to acquire, to buy U.S. equipment and arms to make ourselves stronger.”

Yui said the weapons sales need to be “commensurate” to the threat level, which is “actually pretty high” from China.

“First and foremost, we’re not the aggressors. It is the People's Republic of China who is sending all the planes and ships,” he said. “They're the ones huffing and puffing. They are the ones who’s trying to annihilate our freedom and democracy in Taiwan.”

China sends warships and military aircraft near Taiwan almost daily and has conducted major military exercises around the island in recent years.

Beijing sees the island as a core interest and has criticized those supporting Taiwanese independence for causing instability in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan diplomat sees no change in the US position toward the island

Yui stressed that there had been no changes to the U.S. position on Taiwan and that the Taiwanese government will respect the Trump administration's “tempo” in making announcements.

The arms sale has broad support in Congress, with lawmakers raising concerns to Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a hearing this month. Rubio affirmed that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed and that Washington does not “consult with the Chinese on these arms deals.”

“We’re aware of their position. They talk about it all the time,” Rubio said of Beijing. “They are not negotiated, and they are not consulted.”

Rubio said the proposal was not held up but under review and that the administration had other factors to weigh.

“It includes the availability of the stocks in the short term,” Rubio said of U.S. weapons stockpiles, which have been drawn down during the Iran war. “We have to balance that with our own procurement process.”

The administration did approve a separate $11 billion arms sale package to Taiwan in December that included high-mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, and howitzers.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te on Thursday told reporters his administration maintains close contact with the U.S.

"We hope the arms purchase from the U.S. can be approved as soon as possible," he said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian called it “a dead end” for the Taiwanese government to seek independence by relying on the U.S. and through military means. "China’s opposition to American arms sales to Taiwan is consistent and clear," he said.

Yui is navigating the second Trump presidency

Yui arrived in Washington in late 2023 during Joe Biden's presidency. Biden had said several times that he would send troops to the island if Beijing attacked.

Now, Yui is navigating the caprices of the second Trump administration, which has struck a more conciliatory tone with Beijing following an intense trade war marked by tit-for-tat tariffs.

As much as Trump has raised eyebrows by ignoring a Reagan-era promise not to agree to prior consultation with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan, he also said he could call Taiwan's President Lai, breaking a decades-long practice that no sitting U.S. president has directly spoken with the leader of the island.

In its national defense strategy published in January, the Pentagon said it seeks to deter China through strength, not confrontation. It says the U.S. “will build, posture, and sustain a strong denial defense” along a strategic line of islands, including Taiwan, to keep China out of the wider Pacific Ocean.

Yui ascribed what appears to be mixed messages to Trump's outside-of-the-box style but expressed confidence in Taiwan-U.S. relations.

“It's important to look at the actions, what is happening, not just the rhetoric,” Yui said. “The big stick is still there.”

___

Associated Press writer Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan contributed to this report.

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Carolina Herrera said she lives with an autoimmune condition. She was walking her dog in her community near the Turnpike in Miami-Dade.

“At least the last three days, my eyes have been itchier than usual,” Herrera said.

The first of two wildfires started during a thunderstorm on Sunday after lightning struck near the Metrowest Detention Center, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah.

The larger wildfire was 50% contained and had burned 15,900 acres, according to FFS. The smaller wildfire, which started on Tuesday, was 25% contained and had burned 500 acres.

Related story: Smoke pollution increases health risks in Broward, chief warns

The smoke prompted a “moderate” air quality alert in South Florida, which impacts those who are unusually sensitive to particle pollution, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

MDFR personnel warned that the smoke was lifting as temperatures increased and asked residents to “limit time outdoors, keep doors and windows closed, and set air conditioning systems to recirculate indoor air.

“Carry your inhaler with you and be mindful of your normal activities if they are getting harder than they usually would be,” said Dr. Tyler Haertlein, an emergency medicine physician at Broward Health.

MDFR deployed about seven dozen units to the area of Northwest 137 Avenue and 25 Street, according to the active dispatch calls log.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies asked people to avoid the area and slowing down to take pictures.

Drivers reported the smoke affected visibility early on Wednesday morning along the Florida Turnpike near Hialeah.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Florida Highway Patrol temporarily closed and reopened Krome Avenue at mile marker 23.

Fires and weather

Fires and traffic

Useful link: Temporary road closures possible

Related social media posts

MDFR continues to work alongside the @FlForestService to battle the two brush fires in western Miami-Dade County.

MDFR has deployed multiple resources to support firefighting efforts, including water tender trucks to provide steady water supply, and fire engines working to… pic.twitter.com/zy1dASlLYN

— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) June 17, 2026

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and @FLForestService continue battling two grass fires in West Miami-Dade near NW 137 Avenue and NW 41 Street, and NW 122 Avenue and NW 58 Street.

As temperatures rise throughout the day, smoke is expected to lift, but those in nearby communities may… pic.twitter.com/IjBkv9NYdu

— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) June 17, 2026

Group stage matches

JUNE 17: DAY 1

Ghana gets 3 points after 1-0 win against Panama

England gets 3 points

• Game analysis: Harry Kane ties England’s record for World Cup goals in 4-2 win over Croatia

The next matches

JUNE 23: DAY 2

England vs. Ghana is at 4 p.m.

Panama vs. Croatia is at 7 p.m.

JUNE 27: DAY 3

Panama vs. England is at 5 p.m.

Croatia vs. Ghana is at 5 p.m.

Track the groups’ progress

• Group A
• Group B
• Group C
• Group D
• Group E
• Group F
• Group G
• Group H
• Group I
• Group J
• Group K

Group stage matches

Uzbekistan vs. Colombia is at 10 p.m.

JUNE 17: DAY 1

Portugal and Congo each get 1 point after 1-1 draw

• Game analysis: Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal held to a 1-1 draw by Congo at the World Cup
• Pre-game coverage: Ronaldo looks to make history by scoring in 6th World Cup

The next matches

JUNE 23: DAY 2

Portugal vs. Uzbekistan is at 1 p.m.

Colombia vs. Congo is at 10 p.m.

JUNE 27: DAY 3

Congo vs. Uzbekistan is at 7:30 p.m.

Track the groups’ progress

• Group A
• Group B
• Group C
• Group D
• Group E
• Group F
• Group G
• Group H
• Group I
• Group J
• Group L

Los Angeles firefighters responded around 2:30 p.m. to the blaze, which was sending large plumes of dark smoke into the air in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Local news stations showed smoke billowing from the burning roof of the warehouse, which was covered in solar panels.

Officials issued an alert to the area shortly after, warning of “hazardous materials nearby.” Residents were told to close all windows, doors and vents, turn off air conditioning and bring people and pets to an inside room.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Jennifer Middleton said there was previous concern over the fire burning an ammonia line, but that danger had “dissipated.” The roof blaze had been extinguished by late afternoon and firefighters were entering the building to assess the interior, Middleton said.

The building at the address is listed online as a cold storage warehouse owned by Lineage Logistics for the transport of frozen or other temperature-controlled goods. It contains 491,000 square feet (45,600 square meters) of warehouse space, according to its website. The company did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

About 30 minutes into the Group J opening match against Algeria, a referee awarded a free-kick to Algeria over the Argentine superstar’s foul.

The referee’s response to the legend prompted Hugo Broos, South Africa’s coach, to appeal Themba Zwane’s June 11 red card, which bans him for three matches.

“The red card is too severe. I saw back the situation where Themba got the red card. I don’t think it was a red card,” Broos told reporters. “When I see what happened yesterday with Messi, then I don’t agree.”

Messi, 38, who made FIFA history as the first man to play in six different World Cups, stepped on Algeria national team captain Aïssa Mandi’s right calf.

Szymon Marciniak, a Polish association referee, gave Messi a warning.

The referee’s choices also included daring to give the star a red card for intentional violence or excessive force, or a yellow card for reckless misconduct.

“I think there was not even a VAR with Messi,” Broos said. “I don’t want Messi to get a red card because that player has to be on the pitch, and you saw yesterday what a wonderful player he is. But, yeah, what is the difference here?”

Messi scored his 14th, 15th, and 16th World Cup goals during his 27th World Cup match on Tuesday, and Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0.

Before Broos’s appeal, and during the match, commentators raised similar questions about the foul. Patrick Ittrich, a former German association referee, told the DPA press agency he felt strongly about it.

“By the letter of the law, that is a red. If I had seen it like that on the pitch, I would have shown red,” Ittrich said. “If the referee had shown red, it definitely would not have been overturned.”

Related coverage

• Game analysis: Messi has his first World Cup hat trick as defending champion Argentina beats Algeria 3-0 in opener
• Argentina is defending its World Cup title, and its fans are more obsessed than ever
• Lionel Messi ties men’s World Cup goals record with a hat trick as Argentina tops Algeria
• FIFA game video: Messi’s opening goal
• FIFA game video: Messi’s hat trick

Dreesen died at his home in Los Angeles, according to publicist Lori De Waal. A cause of death was not provided.

After meeting in Chicago, Dreesen and Reid, who was Black, formed “Tim and Tom” in 1969. Against a backdrop of simmering racial tension, they used humor to address social issues and promote understanding between audiences of different backgrounds. They worked together until the mid-1970s. Reid went on to solo success playing DJ Venus Flytrap on the popular TV sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati,” where Dreesen was a guest star.

“When I was a kid I found an album he and his comedy partner did called Tim and Tom and took it home and played it and it was one of the albums that changed the course of my life. So great,” comedian and filmmaker Mike Binder wrote on X.

After splitting with Reid, Dreesen honed a solo comedy act, making over 500 national TV appearances, including 60 visits to “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." He also was a frequent guest and sometime guest host on “The Late Show with David Letterman." Their friendship dated to the early 1970s when both worked at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, California.

Dreesen's final TV appearance came last week on “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen,” which replaced Stephen Colbert's canceled CBS late-night show.

Dreesen was Sinatra's opening act for 14 years and became close with the entertainer.

“If he loved you, he worshipped the ground you walked on,” Dreesen told The Desert Sun newspaper in 2014. ”In a lot of ways, he was like a father to me. I didn’t have a father that really cared that much where I was and what I did. But Frank would give me advice and counsel, and then he was a buddy in a lot of ways. I thought the world of him."

Dressen also toured with Sinatra's fellow Rat Pack member Sammy Davis Jr., as well as Liza Minnelli, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight and Tony Orlando.

“He was one of the most brilliant comedians of all time. Tonight, he'll once again be opening for Dean, Frank and Sammy,” Deana Martin, a daughter of Dean Martin, posted on X.

In 2008, he co-wrote the book “Tim and Tom: An American Comedy Act in Black and White” and in 2020 he authored his memoir.

Dreesen acted in such TV shows as “Columbo,” “Murder, She Wrote," and “Touched by an Angel.” His film roles included “Spaceballs,” “Man on the Moon” and “Trouble With the Curve,” as well as the HBO movies “The Rat Pack” and “Lansky.”

Dreesen was active in charitable work, motivational speaking and veterans’ causes, including serving as ambassador for the Gary Sinise Foundation.

"America lost one of our great comedians and patriots, and I lost a dear friend,” Sinise posted on X.

He was born on Sept. 11, 1939, in Chicago and raised as one of eight children in suburban Harvey. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17 and after getting out in 1960 he returned home to work a series of jobs, including selling insurance.

Dreesen is survived by daughters Amy and Jennifer from his marriage to Maryellen Subock, which ended in divorce in 1984, as well as seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son Tommy.

Before the Yankees played the Chicago White Sox, Brunson and Hart were met with a standing ovation and loud cheers from fans as they took the field to a montage of highlights from the title run.

Standing in front of the mound and wearing Yankees pinstripes, Brunson made his toss to backup catcher J.C. Escarra while Hart threw to utilityman Max Schuemann.

“That was cool," outfielder Cody Bellinger said after New York's 10-5 victory. "Obviously, we’re all super tuned-in to the series and to the postseason. I saw them pregame and what they were able to accomplish is pretty amazing.”

Brunson and Hart were honored after the Knicks made appearances on NBC’s “The Today Show” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” on Monday. Brunson and Hart along with starters Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby also appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday.

The ceremony occurred a day before the Knicks will be honored with a massive ticker-tape parade in lower Manhattan. Mayor Zohran Mamdani predicted Thursday’s celebration could be “the largest parade in New York City history."

“Oh, I think’s it been awesome,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “What a fun team to get behind and just the story of that team and how it’s kind of come together over the last couple of years and just a lot of grit, a lot of mental fortitude and to see the fanbase and then some galvanized around that club has been a lot of fun to witness.”

The parade will be the first for the Knicks, who won their first two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973. After those titles, then-Mayor John Lindsay celebrated the team at the mayoral mansion and City Hall.

Brunson threw out a first pitch for the second time since joining the Knicks. He also did it before a Mets-Yankees game in July 2024 shortly after signing a four-year, $156.5 million contract to stay with the Knicks.

Brunson averaged 32.6 points in New York’s five-game victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals and won MVP honors. He led the Knicks to a 94-90 victory in the clinching Game 5 by scoring 45 points.

Hart is a great-nephew of former Yankees catcher Elston Howard, whose No. 32 jersey is retired by the team. Howard is also honored with a plaque in Monument Park.

The Knicks finished 16-3 in the postseason, an .842 winning percentage that matched the 2024 Boston Celtics for second-best since the format changed to best-of-seven series in all NBA playoff rounds beginning in 2003. The 2017 Golden State Warriors went 16-1.

New York won 13 consecutive postseason games, second to Golden State's 15 in a row in 2017, and set records by winning nine straight road games and outscoring their postseason opponents by 283 points.

Brunson and the Knicks also pulled off several big comebacks on the way to their title.

“It’s just been a captivating run that they’ve been on and with a group that’s now been together for a couple of years and then on top of the 53 years since a championship, it’s been a great story and a fan base that has come to know several of these guys as they’ve kind of climbed that ladder to ultimately winning a championship,” Boone said. “So I think it’ll be one of the historic teams that we talk about when it comes to the NBA.”

___

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

FHP troopers temporarily closed Krome Avenue, and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies were notifying residents of recommended evacuations, as the direction of the flames changed.

“It was for the sanctity of life ... a majority of the homeowners heeded to our recommendation,” MDSO Assistant Chief Fernand Charles Jr. said on Wednesday during a news conference.

Marshall Jones told Local 10 News on Wednesday afternoon that the wildfire had prompted him to close and evacuate Mack’s Fishing Camp at Danell Lane, at the Miami-Dade and Broward County boundary.

Jones said the flames were “jumping over the conservation area” and he saw Broward County Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue personnel responding.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Wilson Louis contributed to this report.

More on the wildfires

• Wildfires burn ‘just under’ 14,000 acres in western Miami-Dade
• Fire chief warns Miami-Dade smoke pollution keeps moving to Broward

Location

Related social media

Changing weather conditions are impacting visibility across portions of Miami-Dade. Use caution on the roads, allow extra travel time, and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions. https://t.co/Mnjbp2B9Za

— Miami-Dade County EM (@MiamiDadeEM) June 17, 2026

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to remain alert as firefighters continue battling brush fires in West Miami-Dade.

Smoke and reduced visibility may impact nearby neighborhoods and roadways. Motorists should drive with caution, slow down, and remain aware of… pic.twitter.com/kul7asyrBM

— Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (@MiamiDade_SO) June 17, 2026

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and @FLForestService continue working to suppress two brush fires in West Miami-Dade. If you see or smell smoke in your area, refrain from any outdoor exercise or strenuous activity to avoid smoke exposure. Those with respiratory conditions, children and… pic.twitter.com/8pZn59TkzX

— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) June 17, 2026

A team from the British firm Wessex Archaeology said the structure would have consisted of two wooden poles 120 meters (394 feet) apart and aligned to point directly at the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun at the winter solstice.

Researchers said the discovery predated Stonehenge by around 500 years.

The team was led by archaeologist Phil Harding, who is well known in the U.K. through his many years of excavations for Channel 4 TV series “Time Team.”

Harding, 76, said the site, which also turned up a treasure trove of finds including pottery, animal bones and a rare disc-shaped knife, was likely to have been a focus for major religious gatherings.

“Opportunities like this probably only come once in a career, in a lifetime,” Harding said. “I’m probably towards the end of my career now, but thank God I’m still in archaeology long enough to be part of this discovery, because it’s certainly the highlight of my career.”

The findings were released ahead of the summer solstice, which falls this year on Sunday, when thousands head to Stonehenge each year to celebrate the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Stonehenge is a symbol of British culture and history and remains one of the country’s biggest tourist draws. The World Heritage Site was built on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain in stages starting 5,000 years ago, with the unique stone circle erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 B.C.

The site’s meaning has been the subject of vigorous debate. The most generally accepted interpretation is that it was a temple aligned with movements of the sun — lining up perfectly with the summer and winter solstices.

Researchers who found the structure near Stonehenge carried out the dig at Bulford, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the main stone circle, as part of archaeological work to support the British defense ministry's program to accommodate troops who have been withdrawn in recent years from Germany, where the army had a big footprint for decades. The area around Stonehenge is one of the largest military training grounds and in the U.K. and Bulford is home to a barracks.

The original excavation took place between 2015 and 2017, with the findings requiring many years of analyses and tests.

English Heritage said other theories about Stonehenge include that it was a coronation place for Danish kings, a druid temple, a cult center for healing, or an astronomical computer for predicting eclipses and solar events.

Whatever the explanation, thousands of people, many dressed as druids and pagans, will gather at the site on Sunday to see the sun rise.

“What few will realize is that 5,000 years ago on a nearby hillside overlooking modern day Bulford, people were doing the exact same thing — revering and celebrating the sunrise on Midsummer’s Day,” said Harding.

The 18-year-old was riding in the horse-drawn carriage with three other passengers when the accident happened just before 3 p.m., according to the New York Police Department. At least two passengers were sent flying out of the careening cab.

The teenager was initially hospitalized in critical condition. The other passengers refused medical treatment.

A representative for the Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage industry employees, said the driver had dismounted to take a photograph of his passengers, which they are not supposed to do.

The horse had been in the park for only six weeks, according to Alexander Kemp, the administrative vice president of the union's local chapter. He said he wants a full investigation.

“Safety in the park has been a growing concern among many, and improvements are needed to be made with respect to all vehicles, including e-bicycles, delivery vehicles, pedicabs, and horse-drawn carriages," he said in a statement.

Video showed the horse sprinting through the park as two people appeared to jump from the four-wheeled carriage. A second video shows the cab toppling over after clipping the wheels of another carriage on the park's busy loop.

It's a fraught moment for Central Park's 150-year-old horse-drawn carriage industry. The industry has long been seen as a quaint attraction that offers tourists a romantic remnant of a bygone New York, while providing hundreds of jobs to drivers, along with many farm and racing horses. But they are now facing the growing threat of a ban from opponents who say the rides are both inhumane to horses and a danger to city residents.

Wednesday's event follows several recent horse-related problems in the park, including the fatal collapse of a horse last week.

The Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit which operates the park and came out last summer in support of banning horse-drawn carriages, said the back-to-back events should bring an end to the industry.

“A young man came to enjoy our park and lost his life,” the group said in a statement. “That is not an acceptable cost of an antiquated industry operating in the middle of one of the most heavily used public spaces in America.”

Central Park is nearly 850 acres and attracts millions of people every year.

In an overnight social media post from the Group of Seven summit in France, Trump declared he was delaying the nomination of federal prosecutor Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence just hours ahead of his scheduled hearing, despite bipartisan praise for the nominee and Republican efforts to speed him through the confirmation process.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Republicans would go ahead with the Clayton hearing anyway, “unless the president directs him not to appear or withdraws his nomination.” But later he postponed the hearing, saying it was “regrettable” that Trump had directed Clayton not to appear.

“Mr. Clayton is a patriot and a highly qualified nominee, as the president has said repeatedly,” Cotton said. “While today’s hearing is now unfortunately postponed, I look forward to proceeding with his confirmation in the near future.”

Trump’s attempt to delay Clayton makes it more likely that his temporary pick for the intelligence job, top housing official Bill Pulte, will take over when outgoing director Tulsi Gabbard leaves office on Friday. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have sharply criticized Pulte, a Trump loyalist who has no known national security experience and has used his current administration perch to target perceived adversaries of the president.

Trump has defended Pulte, calling him “fair” and “talented” in his social media post. Speaking to reporters in France, Trump called the speedy process to get Clayton formally installed a “rush act by the Democrats.”

“Why are they afraid of this guy? They’re so afraid of him,” Trump said, referring to Pulte. “They’ll do anything not to have Pulte go in there.”

Caught in the middle is the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, bipartisan legislation that aims to prevent terrorist attacks by monitoring the communications of targeted foreigners located outside the United States. Democrats had said they would not provide the necessary votes to pass the bill unless Pulte’s temporary appointment was withdrawn. The current surveillance authority expired last week.

Further complicating matters, Trump said in his social media post that he would not sign the FISA renewal without his legislation to require proof of citizenship for all voters — which does not have enough votes to pass the Senate — and that he does not want to remove Clayton from his current position as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York until his replacement, James McDonald, is approved.

Trump’s post sent Senate Republicans scrambling, and it was unclear if and when Clayton’s nomination would move forward.

“We’ll just have to take it a day at a time until we get more clarity on what the White House position is on this,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Wednesday morning. He said he didn’t know why Trump was holding up the effort.

“Good question,” he said.

Escalating tensions between White House and Capitol Hill

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called Trump’s move an “extraordinary display of dysfunction from a president who seems determined to turn America’s national security into a political bargaining chip.”

“The biggest obstacle to resolving these issues has not been Senate Democrats or Senate Republicans,” Warner said. “It has been the chaos and confusion coming from the White House itself.”

It was just the latest in a series of standoffs between Trump and Senate Republicans this year.

A funding bill for Trump’s immigration agencies was delayed several weeks when Republicans revolted over a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and a $1 billion security request for the White House, including his new ballroom. The bill passed after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the settlement would not move forward, and GOP leaders decided to drop the security money from the bill.

Trump then appointed Pulte as interim intelligence director just as the FISA renewal was moving toward passage, upsetting bipartisan talks. Republicans urged the White House to pull the appointment, to no avail.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said that Trump’s recent moves are “undermining the results he wants.”

“Jay Clayton was on the brink of having a very good hearing and probably getting some Democrat support, and now we’re in a posture to where it may be the reason that 702 doesn’t get reauthorized,” Tillis said. “That’s a mistake.”

Tillis called Pulte a “sycophant” to Trump.

“How could anybody think he was going to be a credible choice?” he asked.

Democrats say Trump is distracting from other issues

Democrats say that Trump is undermining Americans’ safety as he makes demands of the Senate and tries to put loyal allies in national security positions.

Pulte’s appointment “should send a shiver down the spine of every American,” said Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former CIA analyst and national security official. “The only thing more dangerous than letting FISA lapse is putting Bill Pulte at the head of 17 intelligence agencies.”

Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, said he may have supported Clayton, with whom he met on Tuesday. “It’s unfortunate because he nominated this guy,” King said of Trump.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said she thinks Trump is also trying to divert attention from the war in Iran.

Murray said Clayton was on track to be confirmed because “most Democrats felt that allowing Pulte to go in office was a really bad idea, and most Republicans agreed.”

Consequences for FISA’s lapse

National security officials across both major political parties have for years described Section 702 as vital for gathering intelligence that can disrupt terrorist attacks and espionage operations, though some lawmakers and civil liberties advocates have raised concerns over the government’s use of information about Americans that is incidentally collected through the program.

A court order from March certified that the program could continue for an additional 12 months, though it is possible that communications companies could challenge the government’s authority to force them to cooperate and share data.

Trump’s delay of Clayton “shows he has no interest in getting FISA done,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Joey Cappelletti and Lisa Mascaro in Washington, Aamer Madhani in Evian-les-Bains, France, and Darlene Superville in Geneva contributed to this report.

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The mix of gases and fine particles can make anyone sick, but those who live with chronic conditions are at a higher risk, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The smoke will continue to push northward ... the way that it continues to push is towards the north or slightly towards the northwest,” Jadallah said during a news conference. "

Before Jadallah’s warning, the smoke prompted a “moderate” air quality alert in South Florida, which affects those who are unusually sensitive to particle pollution, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

MDFR personnel warned that the smoke was lifting as temperatures increased and asked residents to “limit time outdoors, keep doors and windows closed, and set air conditioning systems to recirculate indoor air.

“Carry your inhaler with you and be mindful of your normal activities if they are getting harder than they usually would be,” said Dr. Tyler Haertlein, an emergency medicine physician at Broward Health.

Breathing in the smoke can cause coughing, trouble breathing, wheezing, asthma attacks, stinging eyes, scratchy throat, runny nose, irritated sinuses, headaches, tiredness, chest pain, and even fast heartbeat, according to the CDC.

Pregnancy also increases risks, and respirators and masks may even be helpful for children who have asthma, according to the CDC.

Related story: 2 wildfires burn 13,900 acres in western Miami-Dade: Florida Forest Service

Fires and weather

Fires and traffic

Useful link: Temporary road closures possible

Thursday will bring a mix of sun and clouds, along with south-southeast winds. Smoke and haze could still linger across parts of metro Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Temperatures will climb into the mid-90s. When humidity is factored in, it will feel like the triple digits. The chance of rain is 20%.

The iconic former headquarters of the gone-but-not-forgotten Pan American World Airways, better known as Pan Am, has been reimagined for a new generation of travelers.

The headquarters, dubbed the “Taj Mahal” after being built in 1963, has now been restored and transformed into a private terminal for luxury flyers. Pan Am went out of business in 1991.

Former Pan Am employees joined an opening ceremony for the swanky digs on Wednesday.

“I went through training here in the Taj Mahal, as we called it,” former flight attendant Renate Van Kempena said.

There’s a spa, nine private suites and a private Transportation Security Administration checkpoint. It definitely beats waiting in the terminal with everybody else.

When travelers are ready to go they put them on a BMW limousine and get driven straight to their plane.

Miami joins the ranks of Atlanta, Los Angeles and others to have these swank spaces for the rich and famous.

The developer P/S has a lease on this historic building.

“We definitely stayed true to the architecture that existed,” Amina Porter, P/S’s chief operating officer, said. “A lot of the historic elements were really architectural and on the outside, so the bristle, the terracotta tiles and there’s a few of them throughout the inside the courtyard and in the hallway.”

It costs $4,800 to be a member per year.

The embarrassment for the Republican gubernatorial candidate who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement comes as the Republican Party of Florida’s political debate rules only qualify him.

“I wouldn’t have qualified when I ran in ‘18 for what they were trying to do,” Gov. Ron DeSantis recently said in West Palm Beach.

The Florida’s Voice reported the 10/10/10 rules: The candidate has to reach at least 10% support in the RPOF poll, raise more than $10 million, and secure more than 10,000 donors.

The RPOF’s poll results: Donalds had 38.8%, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins had 7.6%, James Fishback had 4.1%, former House Speaker Paul Renner had 2.2%, Bobby Williams had 1.9%, and 42.9% were undecided.

Byron’s campaign statement in response: “There are not participation trophies in politics.”

On Tuesday, Collins, a combat-wounded U.S. Army Special Forces veteran who served for over 23 years, responded during a news conference in Milton.

“That participation trophy line is a bit of a slap in the face,” said Collins, who removed his prosthetic leg, placed it on the podium, and added, “This is my participation trophy.”

The Sunshine State Showdown was set for June 27 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood.

Karthikeyan Deenadayalan was charged in U.S. District Court in Maryland on Monday with one count of violating the federal Port and Waterways Safety Act. Deenadayalan’s attorneys did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

Prosecutors also filed notice of a “deferred prosecution agreement” with the court, but did not provide details about the terms of that deal. Deferred prosecution agreements are typically used when a defendant has agreed to meet certain conditions — such as providing testimony, or paying restitution — in exchange for the charges against them being dropped.

Prosecutors say in court documents that Deenadayalan was the chief engineer of the container ship when it was in the Port of Baltimore in the days before the deadly bridge collision, and that Deenadayalan willfully failed to notify the U.S. Coast Guard that an improper fuel pump without a backup system was being used to power two of the ship's generators.

The Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, lost power twice in a four-minute span as it moved to sea from the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge in the early hours of March 26, 2024. Investigators say a loose wire in a switchboard likely caused the first power loss that led to its steering failure.

But after regaining power, the ship found itself in trouble again, prosecutors say, because the fuel pump used on the two generators was not designed to automatically restart after the first blackout. That caused a second blackout to occur, and the vessel crashed into a supporting column of the bridge, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes on the structure. The toll bridge first opened in 1977 and is traveled by millions of cars every day.

The Singapore-based ship operator and another employee were indicted on criminal charges in May, accused of relying on the improper pump and then lying about it to investigators. Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. and Chennai, India-based Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd. and the ship's former technical superintendent Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, are charged with conspiracy, misconduct causing death, failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a hazardous condition, obstructing the National Transportation Safety Board and making false statements.

A trial in the case against the ship's operator and the technical superintendent has been scheduled for October 2027.

After the indictment, Synergy Marine expressed disappointment and accused the U.S. Justice Department of turning an accident into a crime. Nair’s lawyer, David Gerger, had a similar response, saying in May that his client “thinks about this accident every day, but he certainly did not cause it.”

In April, a $2.25 billion settlement was announced between the state of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore-based ship owner. Grace Ocean hasn’t been charged with any crimes related to the collapse.

Earlier this month, a federal judge agreed to postpone a civil trial over the collapse after a flurry of last-minute settlements resolved most of the remaining claims, including deals resolving all pending claims over the deaths of six construction workers.

Virtually all of the unresolved claims are alleging economic losses by businesses and local governments. None of the remaining parties were asking to start the trial as scheduled this week.

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Blind and visually impaired soccer players rely on the sound of a ball that is filled with bells and on the voices of their teammates and coaches.

“It looks hard at first, but once you get to learn it, it seems easier,” said Arianna Taylor, a Miami Lighthouse Academy player.

Virginia Jacko, the president and chief executive officer of the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Physically Impaired, said 145 students benefit from the soccer program.

“Too often, blind children are leftover of team sports, and team sports teach us so much,” Jacko said.

Oseas De Leon, the Miami Lighthouse’s soccer coach, was a baby when a severe case of measles caused blindness. He has experience with the USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team.

“The fact that our children don’t have the opportunity to do any physical activity, I think it’s more than a reason to have blind soccer here with us,” De Leon said. “Unfortunately, we are the only ones in the country.”

The International Blind Sports Federation, which included blind soccer in the 1990s, credits Spain as the pioneer of blind soccer in the 1920s and Brazil for increasing its popularity in the 1960s.

De Leon has had big dreams for the national blind soccer movement, so he developed a curriculum for kids as young as one in collaboration with the U.S Association of Blind Athletes, or USABA.

Aside from De Leon, the soccer program also includes eight other employees of the Miami Lighthouse.

To support them, Roborock announced a $50,000 donation and equipped a new classroom “to advance accessibility and independence through technology.”

Useful link: Donate now to support blind soccer at Miami Lighthouse

FIFA WORLD CUP

Groups’ stage progress

Group K: Portugal and Congo each get 1 point

Group J: Austria and Argentina each get 3 points

Group I: France and Norway each get 3 points

Group H: Every team sits at 1 point

Group G: Every team sits at 1 point

Group F: Sweden gets 3 points

Group E: Germany and Ivory Coast each get 3 points

Group D: Australia and United States each get 3 points

Group C: Brazil and Morocco each get 1 point; Scotland gets 3 points

Group B: Qatar and Switzerland each get 1 point

Group A: Mexico and South Korea each get 3 points

Tournament’s schedule

June 18: There are four matches: The Group A match, The Czech Republic vs. South Africa, is at Noon. The Group B, Switzerland vs. Bosnia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Canada vs. Qatar, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A match, Mexico vs. South Korea, is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 19: There are four matches: The Group D, U.S. vs. Australia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Morocco, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Brazil vs. Haiti, game is at 8:30 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. Paraguay, game is at 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to midnight at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 20: There are three matches: The Group F, Netherlands vs. Sweden, game is at 1 p.m. The Group E, Germany vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Curaçao, game is at 8 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to 11 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach fan party: Doors open at 6 p.m. on June 20 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for an event for Uruguayan fans co-hosted by the Consulate General of Uruguay.

June 21: There are five matches: The Group F, Tunisia vs. Japan, game is at midnight. The Group H, Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Iran, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, New Zealand vs. Egypt, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 22: There are four matches: The Group J, Argentina vs. Austria, game is at 1 p.m. The Group I, France vs. Iraq, game is at 5 p.m. The Group I, Norway vs. Senegal, game is at 8 p.m. The Group J, Jordan vs. Algeria, game is at 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to 8 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 11 a.m. on June 22 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 1 p.m. Argentina vs. Austria match.

June 23: There are four matches: The Group K, Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Ghana, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Panama vs. Croatia, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Colombia vs. Congo, game is at 10 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to 1 a.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 24: There are six matches: The Group B, Switzerland vs. Canada, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Bosnia vs. Qatar, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Morocco vs. Haiti, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Brazil, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A, South Africa vs. South Korea, game is at 9 p.m. The Group A, Czech Republic vs. Mexico, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 4 p.m. on June 24 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 6 p.m. Scotland vs. Brazil match.

June 25: There are six matches: The Group E, Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Germany, game is at 4 p.m. The Group F, Tunisia vs. Netherlands, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Japan vs. Sweden, game is at 7 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. U.S., game is at 10 p.m. The Group D, Paraguay vs. Australia, game is at 10 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 26: There are six matcuphes: The Group I, Norway vs. France, game is at 3 p.m. The Group I, Senegal vs. Iraq, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, game is at 8 p.m. The Group H, Uruguay vs. Spain, game is at 8 p.m. The Group G, New Zealand vs. Belgium, game is at 11 p.m. The Group G, Egypt vs. Iran, game is at 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 27: There are six matches: The Group L, Panama vs. England, game is at 5 p.m. The Group L, Croatia vs. Ghana, game is at 5 p.m. The Group K, Colombia vs. Portugal, game is at 7:30 p.m. The Group K, Congo vs. Uzbekistan, game is at 7:30 p.m. The Group J, Algeria vs. Austria, game is at 10 p.m. The Group J, Jordan vs. Argentina, game is at 10 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Sunrise watch party: The indoor Amerant Bank Arena is hosting a free watch party for ticket holders at 7:30 p.m. on June 27. Parking is free. Broward County is offering free Express bus transportation from the arena to the Miami Stadium, also known as Hard Rock, in Miami Gardens, to FIFA World Cup ticket holders.

Round of 32 begins

June 28: There is a match at 3 p.m.

Miami watch party: The fan festival opens from 1 p.m to 10 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 29: There are three matches at 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to midnight at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 30: There are three matches at 1 p.m., 5 p.m., and 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to midnight at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

July 1: There are three matches at noon, 4 p.m., and 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

July 2: There are three matches at 3 p.m., 7 p.m., and 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

July 3: There are three matches at 2 p.m., 6 p.m., and 9:30 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 1 p.m to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Round of 16 begins

July 4: There are two matches at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to midnight at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

July 5: There are two matches at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens for the last day from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

July 6: There are two matches at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

July 7: There are two matches at Noon and 4 p.m.

Quarterfinals begin

July 9: There is a quarter-final match at 4 p.m.

July 10: There is a quarter-final match at 3 p.m.

July 11: There are two quarter-final matches at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Sunrise watch party: The indoor Amerant Bank Arena is hosting a free watch party for ticket holders at 5 p.m. on July 11. Parking is free.

Semifinals begin

July 14: The fan festival is closed. There is a semi-final match at 3 p.m.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 3 p.m. on July 14 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the semifinal match.

July 15: There is a semi-final match at 3 p.m.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 3 p.m. on July 15 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the semifinal match.

Finals begin

July 18: The third-place play-off match is at 5 p.m.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 3 p.m. on July 18 at The Sandbowl, behind The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 5 p.m. bronze final.

Sunrise ride to stadium: The Amerant Bank Arena has free parking for FIFA World Cup ticket holders who ride Broward County’s free Express bus transportation to the Miami Stadium, also known as Hard Rock, in Miami Gardens.

July 19: The final match is at 3 p.m.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 1 p.m. on July 19 at The Sandbowl, behind The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 3 p.m. final.

Sunrise watch party: The indoor Amerant Bank Arena is hosting a free watch party for ticket holders for the final on July 19. Parking is free.

Related stories

• Key information for fans attending matches at Miami Stadium
• Security guard accused of stealing FIFA referee uniform from Miami Beach hotel

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An aerial view from Sky 10 showed structures are still in place, but the facility is not quite as busy as it has been in the past.

This activity comes after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement Tuesday, saying: “As we enter into hurricane season, ICE and the state of Florida have moved illegal aliens from the soft-sided facility. For the safety of the illegal alien detainees, we transferred them to other facilities.”

When Local 10 News asked DHS officials where the detainees have been moved to and how many might still be at the facility, they sent the same statement and did not elaborate.

Kevin Guthrie, the state’s emergency management director, previously said that the facility could withstand a Category 2 hurricane.

On Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked if the facility was closing or not.

“It was never meant to be permanent and so we won’t do that,” he said. “I don’t think that it’s empty now, at least as of yesterday when I was briefed on it.”

The facility is located deep in the Everglades and was constructed quickly last summer. It has received sharp criticism from environmental groups, whose lawsuit remains intact.

“It seems to be business as usual,” Jessica Namath, the founder of the group Floridians for Public Lands, said.

Namath joined a virtual press conference with other environmental groups discussing the detention center. She says she has more questions than answers.

“If there are no detainees, as a public land lover and wanting to access the site, I don’t know (under) what premise they are still maintaining their footprint,” she said

It has also been an expensive operation, costing Florida taxpayers roughly $1.2 million a day out of the emergency management fund.

Guthrie has mentioned that the state has requested $390 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a reimbursement for this facility.

“FEMA is working closely with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the State of Florida,” a FEMA spokesperson said in a statement. “Reimbursement requests are in process. Updates will be provided as the process continues.”

According to FEMA, the agency has already reimbursed $58.2 million to the state.

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Pino, 55, is charged with manslaughter and vessel homicide.

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

Dr. Diana Barratt, a neurologist, testified Wednesday as a defense expert witness, confirming she was retained by Pino’s defense team to determine whether the real estate mogul had suffered a brain injury in the crash and whether or not that could lead to some form of amnesia or unknowingly giving false information.

She confirmed that she met with Pino and reviewed his medical records, determining that he did suffer a brain injury in the crash.

“When he bumped his head, there was blood accumulating under the surface of the skin,” Barratt said. “He was witnessed unconscious on the boat and so that made it very clear that he met the diagnostic criteria for traumatic injury.”

Barratt added that people who suffer a traumatic brain injury “can forget things immediately preceding the injury, and then things immediately after the injury, and sometimes they have trouble retaining old memories.”

Barratt said Pino made multiple wrong statements to investigators after the crash, including who was sitting behind him, which showed signs of having false memory after a traumatic brain injury.

“There was no scientific test that you could administer to prove that he had amnesia, was there?” prosecutor Laura Adams asked when it was her turn to question the defense’s expert witness.

“After the fact? No,” Barratt responded.

The state pressed Barratt on how she came to her diagnostic conclusion of Pino perhaps exhibiting a “false memory without the intent to deceive.”

“So you were evaluating his memory, but you didn’t ask him what he remembered, did you?” Adams asked.

“No, I relied on the records,” Barratt said.

Through the testimony of defense witness Andrew Mescolotto, a maritime attorney retained about a week after the boating incident to defend Pino by an insurance company, jurors learned about the incident-related civil claims that have since been resolved with several families, including the Fernandez and Puig families.

He testified the Pino had a marine insurance policy.

Mescolotto testified during direct examination with defense attorney Howard Srebnick that “it was very important” to Pino to “resolve” the medical claims filed by families of those injured in the crash.

During cross-examination with Adams, the witness also conceded part of the process included mitigating against Pino’s financial liability while working to resolve the claims.

Pino’s wife, Cecilia Pino, told jurors Tuesday about the chaotic moments after the crash and said that afterward she was “just thinking of the girls.”

Claudia Portocarrero, who was on the boat celebrating the 18^th birthday of the Pinos’ daughter, said she and her friends were singing and waving their hands prior to the crash.

The defense claims something may have obstructed George Pino’s view of the channel marker, but the state maintains that none of the girls were standing up or placing their hands up in a way that would have obstructed Pino’s view.

“I just remember opening my eyes after the impact and seeing like a lot of white,” Portocarrero said. “And the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was George, and I thought he was dead. I just saw a lot of blood gushing and then my friends were telling me that I had to get out of the boat … by the time I was going to get off the boat it was kind of almost like turned, flipped, so instead of jumping from the boat, I practically like stepped into the water because of how tilted it was.”

Portocarrero said she assisted one of her friends in helping to keep Puig afloat in the water before a rescue boat arrived.

Both she and another passenger who testified Tuesday said that while they each had a couple of alcoholic beverages, they didn’t see Pino drinking and said the speed of the boat did not feel excessive at the time of the crash.

A witness who was on another boat told the jury that his friend called out to Pino to check under the boat and Pino “immediately” went under the boat and then pulled Fernandez out before handing her over to the witness who had jumped into the water.

The witness said he then helped place her onto another boat that arrived.

Pino’s defense team claims the crash was a horrible accident and not the result of negligence.

After Srebnick wrapped up the defense’s case, Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez again denied his request to have one or both of the charges tossed.

Proceedings wrapped up just before 5 p.m. With no court on Friday, Tinkler Mendez and the parties agreed to have jurors back on Monday for closing arguments, giving jurors Thursday off as well.

Harry Kane scored twice to equal the English record for World Cup goals, and Jude Bellingham put England in front for good two minutes into the second half of a 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday.

Martin Baturina and Petar Musa answered each of Kane's first-half goals in a rematch of a 2018 semifinal won by Croatia. Musa's goal came on the final play before the whistle ending the first half.

The even score didn't last long once play resumed.

Bellingham took a long pass from Elliot Anderson and stayed clear of the defender the rest of the way, sending a shot past Dominik Livakovic and in off the far post. Marcus Rashford padded the lead in the 85th minute.

“He just told us to let the shackles off,” Kane said of coach Thomas Tuchel's halftime message after Croatia pulled even so late before the break. “The way we conceded that second goal is not the team we want to be. He finally just said, ‘What’s the worst that can happen? We lose the match, first group game, we get on with it.’ We move on. Just go and kind of show the world who we can be.”

Kane, who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia by scoring six times, is up to 10 World Cup goals, tying Gary Lineker's mark from the 1986 and 1990 tournaments.

The 32-year-old's first goal came on his second chance on a penalty kick after Livakovic's save on the first try was nullified by a video review that showed both his feet off the goal line as Kane was striking the ball.

Kane went the same way toward the right post with the second attempt, while Livakovic lunged the other direction, to his right.

The penalty was called when Luka Modric, the 40-year-old midfielder who extended his Croatian record by appearing in his fifth World Cup, kicked Noni Madueke in the thigh.

Kane matched Lineker's mark when the Bayern Munich striker easily beat Livakovic with a powerful header off a corner kick from Declan Rice. Kane has 81 international goals.

“We scored two goals that were good actions and good situations, but they were too little,” Croatia coach Zlatco Dalic said through an interpreter. “England was very difficult, (we) also have to be strong on the defensive side.”

Bellingham almost immediately had another great scoring chance after the Real Madrid player's seventh international goal. Livakovic made that save and about a half-dozen more in a matter of minutes during a frenetic English attack.

“We could have scored probably three goals in that 20-minute spell coming out (after halftime),” Kane said. “In the end, we just had too much for a great team that will probably go far in the tournament themselves.”

Musa scored the first World Cup goal for an active player from Dallas of Major League Soccer, which plays its home games about 40 miles from AT&T Stadium.

The retractable-roof venue that is home to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys is giving World Cup fans an air-conditioned reprieve from the muggy Texas heat, this time for white-clad English fans and Croatian supporters who were mostly wearing their country's familiar red-and-white checkered uniforms, not the blue kits the players had on.

Musa tracked a header from Ivan Perisic and put a one-timer past Jordan Pickford, who was also beaten in the 36th minute by Baturina. That shot into the left corner ticked off Pickford's hand.

Bukayo Saka's pass left plenty of room for Rashford as the Barcelona player entered the penalty area, faked a shot with his left foot and scored his 19th international goal with his right.

“I loved the second half, all of it,” Tuchel said. “I encouraged them to go for it. To play with more courage, to be brave, to be ourselves. And like I said, I loved their reaction.”

England next plays Ghana in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in Group L on Tuesday, the same day Croatia plays Panama in Toronto.

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El incidente ocurrió alrededor de las 2:15 p.m. del martes cerca de 24302 SW 107th Ave.

Los investigadores dijeron que Elio Jesus Rodriguez Garcia, de 24 años, estaba en su casa cuando un hombre con el que había estado discutiendo a través de mensajes de WhatsApp apareció en la entrada principal de su complejo de apartamentos.

Rodriguez Garcia escuchó al hombre gritando desde afuera y salió por la parte trasera de su apartamento para ver qué estaba pasando.

Después de ver al hombre, Rodriguez Garcia regresó al interior, se armó con un rifle y volvió a su balcón trasero, donde ambos continuaron discutiendo.

Durante la confrontación, Rodriguez Garcia disparó dos tiros de advertencia, dijeron los investigadores.

Uno de los disparos cruzó la US 1 e impactó el lado del pasajero de un autobús de Miami-Dade Transit que circulaba hacia el norte cerca de Southwest 132nd Avenue y el Busway.

El autobús tenía pasajeros en ese momento. Según el informe de arresto, la bala entró al autobús, rompió una ventana lateral y causó heridas leves por vidrio en el lado derecho de la cabeza y el rostro de un pasajero.

Johnson estaba sentada en el lado del conductor del autobús a unos pocos pies de donde entró la bala. La bala fue recuperada intacta del interior del autobús y parecía ser un proyectil de rifle.

Fue atendida en el lugar por Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

Mientras los agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade respondían al reporte de un autobús ocupado impactado por disparos, los despachadores también recibieron una llamada separada sobre un hombre disparando un arma en Pine Grove Apartments.

Los agentes respondieron y detuvieron a Rodriguez Garcia sin incidentes.

Según el informe de arresto, los agentes recuperaron un casquillo calibre .300 Blackout detrás del apartamento de Rodriguez Garcia. Desde la parte trasera del apartamento, los investigadores dijeron que podían ver a través de la congestionada US 1 hacia el autobús de Miami-Dade Transit que había sido impactado.

Rodriguez Garcia fue trasladado a la estación del Distrito Sur de MDSO para una entrevista. Los investigadores dijeron que se le leyeron sus derechos Miranda utilizando un formulario preimpreso y aceptó hablar sin la presencia de un abogado.

Posteriormente fue acusado y trasladado al Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Los cargos incluyen cuatro cargos de intento de homicidio involuntario con arma mortal, con fianza por determinar. También enfrenta un cargo de disparar ilegalmente un arma de fuego en un lugar público o propiedad residencial, con una fianza fijada en $500 USD.

Las autoridades también colocaron una retención migratoria sobre Rodriguez Garcia.

La votación se produce mientras el distrito enfrenta una nueva realidad: por primera vez en generaciones, hay más cupos escolares que estudiantes. Los líderes del distrito citaron la disminución de la matrícula y cambios demográficos como razones por las que no tuvieron otra opción que reevaluar cómo se utilizan algunos edificios escolares.

“Nunca es una decisión fácil consolidar escuelas, pero cuando se hace correctamente beneficia a nuestros estudiantes”, dijo Robert Alonzo, de la Junta Escolar de Miami-Dade del Distrito 4.

Nueve escuelas están programadas para cerrar y/o ser reutilizadas, incluyendo Miami Springs Middle School, Richmond Heights Middle y Lorna Smith Elementary, entre otras.

“No estamos viendo que esos números lleguen, también hemos visto una disminución en la tasa de natalidad, simplemente no estamos viendo tantos estudiantes dentro de nuestras comunidades”, dijo Alonzo.

Pero padres y activistas comunitarios que hablaron en la reunión del miércoles dijeron que los cambios en la política de inmigración son en parte responsables de la disminución en la matrícula.

“También quiero instar a la junta a reconocer cómo las preocupaciones sobre la aplicación de leyes de inmigración han impactado la matrícula escolar en nuestro distrito”, dijo la activista comunitaria Luna Plaza.

Otros advirtieron que los cierres tienen consecuencias más allá de los números.

“El cierre de escuelas afecta mucho más que las cifras de matrícula, afecta a las familias, los negocios locales, los valores de propiedad y la estabilidad general de nuestras comunidades”, dijo la activista comunitaria Cassie Creed.

Aun así, hubo quienes se opusieron a los cierres, señalando que esas escuelas forman parte del tejido de su comunidad. Pero los líderes del distrito dicen que los cambios solo pueden beneficiar a los estudiantes y prometieron no dejar a ninguna comunidad sin los recursos que necesita.

“Nunca vamos a dejar a una comunidad desatendida o sin los recursos que va a necesitar, nuestro objetivo es proporcionar la mejor educación que puedan recibir”, dijo Alonzo.

Los estudiantes de las escuelas cerradas se unirán a otras que continúan operando mientras el distrito consolida edificios e instalaciones, y los líderes dicen que la medida es necesaria para mantener la calidad.

“Es algo que tenemos que hacer para continuar brindando a nuestros estudiantes los mejores servicios y las mejores instalaciones”, dijo Alonzo.

En cuanto a qué pasará con las propiedades ahora vacías, el distrito indicó que variará caso por caso.

A continuación la lista de cierres:

Región Norte:

• Parkway Elementary• Rainbow Park Elementary

Región Central:

• Lenora B. Smith Elementary• Miami Springs Middle• Phillis Wheatley Elementary

Región Sur:

• Mandarin Lakes K-8 Academy• Pine Villa Elementary• Richmond Heights Middle• Robert Russa Moton Elementary

A continuación las combinaciones:

Región Central:

• Georgia Jones-Ayers Middle School y Lenora B. Smith Elementary School se combinarán para convertirse en un centro K-8.• Miami Springs Middle School y Miami Springs Senior High School se combinarán para convertirse en una escuela 6-12.

Región Sur:

• Arthur & Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts y Pine Villa Elementary School se combinarán para convertirse en una escuela K-12.• Richmond Heights Middle y BioTech 9-12 se combinarán para convertirse en una escuela 6-12.

Jamaica’s National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang confirmed Tuesday that the country has signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to accept up to 25 people from countries other than Jamaica every two weeks.

The deportees, said Chang, will not be placed in detention, though details of where they would be housed have yet to be determined. Compensation for accepting them is still being hashed out.

If the agreement is finalized, Jamaica would join Mexico, El Salvador, Uganda and a number of other countries that have agreed to accept third-country migrants deported from the U.S.

The move is already getting pushback from the Opposition People’s National Party, or PNP, which accused the Jamaican government of keeping the negotiations from the public.

The PNP argued that accepting the migrants places Jamaica’s internal security, international standing, and fragile social infrastructure at severe risk.

“Jamaicans deserve to know whether discussions have taken place and whether any commitments or understandings have been reached,” Donna Scott Mottley, a spokesperson for the opposition, said in a statement.

“Jamaica, like other sovereign nations, is obligated under international laws to accept the return of its own citizens,” Chang stated. “However, this new arrangement does not mean third-country nationals are being dumped on our shores. This is a structured, managed process to transit individuals through Jamaica to their final destination,” he added, drawing a hard line between repatriating Jamaican nationals and processing foreign citizens.

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said that the administration is “utilizing all lawful options” to carry out deportations.

While a U.S. federal district court ultimately struck down the third-country removal policy as unlawful in February 2026 — ruling that the U.S. cannot dump migrants in undesignated nations without proper notice — the policy is still being enforced pending appellate action.

Widening rift in Caribbean

As part of its immigration crackdown, the Trump administration has used a series of secretive agreements to deport more than 19,000 people to third countries, according to the group Third Country Deportation Watch, with some ending up in nations they had never even heard of.

Most deportees have been sent to Mexico, the group says, but over 1,500 have been scattered to more than 20 other nations, many of them poorer countries in Latin America and Africa looking for ways to curry favor with the U.S.

The diplomatic rift in Kingston mirrors a broader fragmentation across the Caribbean, where several governments have quietly entered into varying agreements with the U.S. to avoid crippling travel restrictions or economic penalties.

The Dominican Republic signed a non-binding agreement to temporarily hold a limited number of non-criminal third-country nationals, while explicitly barring unaccompanied minors and nationals from neighboring Haiti, a deal that also met with heavy criticism.

Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit defended a similar agreement as a “pragmatic step” to preserve vital bilateral relations with Washington, though stipulating violent offenders would be rejected.

Antigua and Barbuda adopted a highly restrictive case-by-case posture. Prime Minister Gaston Browne confirmed a framework capping total acceptances at a maximum of 10 non-criminal individuals.

Guyana is leveraging negotiations to solve its massive oil-boom labor deficit, exploring a U.S.-bankrolled framework to accept skilled, non-criminal migrants to fill an estimated 80,000-worker shortage.

For critics and human rights advocates, the legal and humanitarian risks of these third-country agreements are evident in the case of Orville Etoria, a Jamaican citizen who was deported from the U.S.

Etoria, who had lived in the U.S. for nearly 50 years after arriving as a child in 1976, had his green card revoked following a criminal conviction. Instead of being repatriated to Jamaica, Etoria was sent to Eswatini in July 2025. Upon arrival, Etoria and four other third-country nationals were stripped of due process and indefinitely detained at the Matsapha Correctional Complex, a maximum-security prison. After two months of intense diplomatic intervention from the Jamaican government, Etoria was repatriated back to Jamaica.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

El ministro de Seguridad Nacional de Jamaica, el doctor Horace Chang, confirmó el martes que el país firmó un memorando de entendimiento con el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos para aceptar hasta 25 personas de países distintos de Jamaica cada dos semanas.

Los deportados, señaló Chang, no serán puestos en detención, aunque aún no se han determinado los detalles sobre dónde serían alojados. La compensación por aceptarlos todavía se está negociando.

Si el acuerdo se concreta, Jamaica se uniría a México, El Salvador, Uganda y a varios países más que han aceptado recibir a migrantes de terceros países deportados desde Estados Unidos.

La medida ha comenzado a recibir el rechazo del opositor Partido Nacional del Pueblo, o PNP, que acusó al gobierno jamaicano de mantener las negociaciones ocultas al público.

El PNP sostuvo que aceptar a los migrantes pone en grave riesgo la seguridad interna de Jamaica, su posición internacional y su frágil infraestructura social.

“Los jamaicanos merecen saber si se han llevado a cabo conversaciones y si se han alcanzado compromisos o entendimientos”, dijo en un comunicado Donna Scott Mottley, portavoz de la oposición.

“Jamaica, como otras naciones soberanas, está obligada por las leyes internacionales a aceptar el retorno de sus propios ciudadanos”, afirmó Chang. “Sin embargo, este nuevo arreglo no significa que se esté arrojando a ciudadanos de terceros países en nuestras costas. Se trata de un proceso estructurado y gestionado para trasladar a las personas a través de Jamaica hasta su destino final”, añadió, trazando una línea tajante entre repatriar a nacionales jamaicanos y tramitar a ciudadanos extranjeros.

Un vocero del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional dijo que el gobierno “utiliza todas las opciones legales” para realizar las deportaciones.

Aunque en febrero de 2026 un tribunal federal de distrito de Estados Unidos finalmente anuló la política de expulsión a terceros países por considerarla ilegal —al dictaminar que Estados Unidos no puede arrojar migrantes en países no designados sin la debida notificación—, la política sigue aplicándose a la espera de una decisión en apelación.

Crecientes diferencias en el Caribe

Como parte de su ofensiva migratoria, el gobierno de Trump ha utilizado una serie de acuerdos discretos para deportar a más de 19.000 personas a terceros países, según el grupo Third Country Deportation Watch, y algunas de ellas han terminado en naciones de las que ni siquiera habían oído hablar.

La mayoría de los deportados han sido enviados a México, afirma el grupo, pero más de 1.500 han sido dispersados a más de 20 países, muchos de ellos, naciones pobres de América Latina y África que buscan maneras de congraciarse con Estados Unidos.

La desavenencia diplomática en Kingston refleja una fragmentación más amplia en todo el Caribe, donde varios gobiernos han suscrito discretamente distintos acuerdos con Estados Unidos para evitar restricciones de viaje paralizantes o sanciones económicas.

República Dominicana firmó un acuerdo no vinculante para retener temporalmente a un número limitado de nacionales de terceros países sin antecedentes penales, mientras prohibía explícitamente el ingreso a los menores no acompañados y a los nacionales del vecino Haití, un pacto que también recibió fuertes críticas.

El primer ministro de Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, defendió un acuerdo similar como un “paso pragmático” para preservar las vitales relaciones bilaterales con Washington, aunque estipuló que se rechazaría a los delincuentes violentos.

Antigua y Barbuda adoptaron una postura muy restrictiva, caso por caso. El primer ministro Gaston Browne confirmó un marco que limita el total de aceptaciones a un máximo de 10 personas sin antecedentes penales.

Guyana aprovecha las negociaciones para resolver su enorme déficit de mano de obra derivado del auge petrolero, y explora un marco financiado por Estados Unidos para aceptar a migrantes calificados sin antecedentes penales con el fin de cubrir una escasez estimada de 80.000 trabajadores.

Para críticos y defensores de derechos humanos, los riesgos legales y humanitarios de estos acuerdos con terceros países quedan en evidencia en el caso de Orville Etoria, un ciudadano jamaicano que fue deportado desde Estados Unidos.

A Etoria, que había vivido en Estados Unidos durante casi 50 años tras llegar de niño en 1976, le revocaron la residencia permanente después de una condena penal. En lugar de ser repatriado a Jamaica, fue enviado a Esuatini en julio de 2025. Al llegar, a él y a otros cuatro nacionales de terceros países se les privó del debido proceso y fueron detenidos de manera indefinida en el Complejo Correccional de Matsapha, una prisión de máxima seguridad. Tras dos meses de intensa intervención diplomática del gobierno jamaicano, Etoria fue repatriado de regreso a su país.

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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.

Las declaraciones muestran el aumento de las tensiones entre Brasil y Estados Unidos después de que el gobierno de Trump propusiera más aranceles contra el país sudamericano y recientemente clasificara a dos grupos delictivos como organizaciones terroristas extranjeras, medidas a las que Lula se opone.

Lula ha defendido con frecuencia la soberanía de Brasil desde que Trump impuso aranceles al país el año pasado por el juicio de su aliado, el expresidente Jair Bolsonaro. Lula también se ha quejado de las sanciones de Estados Unidos contra el juez del Supremo Tribunal Federal Alexandre de Moraes por lo que el gobierno estadounidense calificó como su papel en el procesamiento de Bolsonaro, quien fue condenado por intento de golpe de Estado tras perder las elecciones de 2022 frente a Lula.

Trump afirmó el miércoles que Brasil se había vuelto “peligroso políticamente” y que el gobierno quería arrestar a “Bolsonaro junior”, quien “iba bien en las encuestas”.

El Supremo Tribunal Federal de Brasil condenó el martes a uno de los hijos de Bolsonaro, el exlegislador Eduardo Bolsonaro, por coacción relacionada con el juicio de su padre y lo sentenció a cuatro años y dos meses de prisión.

Sin embargo, la referencia a que iba bien en las encuestas indica que Trump podría haber estado hablando —o también hablando— del hijo mayor de Bolsonaro, el senador Flávio Bolsonaro, quien se postula contra Lula en la elección presidencial. Flávio Bolsonaro no ha enfrentado arresto.

Eduardo Bolsonaro fue condenado después de que el tribunal determinara que interfirió ilegalmente en el juicio de su padre al hacer gestiones ante el gobierno de Estados Unidos para amenazar a funcionarios brasileños con el fin de detener el proceso.

Un periodista leyó las declaraciones de Trump a Lula durante una conferencia de prensa posterior a la cumbre del G7 de líderes mundiales en Francia, a la que asistió Lula. El mandatario brasileño señaló que demostraban que Trump “no conoce bien Brasil”.

“Si conoce Brasil por sus relaciones con la familia Bolsonaro, no conoce Brasil”, manifestó Lula. “Puede seguir gustándole Bolsonaro —el padre, el hijo, el nieto—, ese no es mi problema, es el suyo. (...) Pero no interfiera en las elecciones de Brasil, porque las elecciones de Brasil son asunto de Brasil”.

Eduardo y Flávio Bolsonaro visitaron recientemente a funcionarios de Estados Unidos en Washington, incluido Trump. Poco después, el gobierno de Trump clasificó a los mayores grupos de narcotráfico de Brasil —Primer Comando de la Capital y Comando Vermelho— como organizaciones terroristas extranjeras. Lula criticó esa decisión el miércoles y argumentó que, aunque los grupos aterrorizan a las poblaciones locales, no son organizaciones terroristas porque buscan ganancias y no un cambio político.

El gobierno de Estados Unidos también había propuesto un nuevo arancel del 25% a las importaciones procedentes de Brasil, al afirmar que la décima economía más grande del mundo incurre en prácticas comerciales injustificadas. Esa medida se produjo pese a un viaje de Lula a Washington para intentar persuadir a Trump de que no aplicara más aranceles.

Lula ha expresado su malestar por ese arancel, y lo hizo de nuevo el miércoles. “Creo que lo que hizo fue una falta de respeto hacia Brasil. Él lo sabe. Por eso dije que todavía se comporta como un emperador. Estábamos negociando un acuerdo”.

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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.

William Applegate, 31, said at a hearing that he and Carpenter were part of a classified military program that required them to “be together as soon as possible” because it’s essential to “national and global security.”

In one instance last month, Applegate hit a security guard and was arrested after reaching the front door of Carpenter's home in Los Angeles, she said in a petition. He got there through a neighboring property. He came back in the following days, and the judge issued a temporary restraining order on May 29.

Applegate admitted to all his appearances, saying Carpenter wanted him to be there. However, he said he would be “more than willing” to stay away from her if she told him herself. He said police and her representatives were working against him.

With no attorney, he delivered the message coherently, wearing a suit and sitting at the defense table with a laptop.

Carpenter was ready to testify remotely but was not called to do so.

Her attorney Blair Berk told the judge “she is in fear for her own personal safety and the safety of members of her family.” Berk questioned Applegate only to verify that social media posts about Carpenter were from him.

Applegate said in his filing opposing the restraining order that he was at Carpenter's Coachella festival performance in April and she had looked at him as she sang in an attempt to communicate with him.

In her petition, Carpenter called him “a complete stranger” who she has never met or communicated with, and never wants to.

Judge David L. Wasserman treated Applegate's assertions seriously in his questioning and said he appreciated the decorum of everyone in the courtroom.

“I understand that it's your belief that in order to save the world, you and the petitioner must be together,” the judge said. “I expect you to obey the order, not what you think is right, not what you think the military commands you.”

He ordered Applegate to stay at least 100 yards (meters) from Carpenter and her sister and sister's partner who live with her, along with many other restrictions. Applegate was also ordered not to attempt to communicate with her in any way and not to possess any firearms.

Applegate remains under a criminal investigation, but court records do not show that charges have been filed.

Carpenter, 27, starred in the Disney Channel series “Girl Meets World” as a teen before turning to a music career. She had modest success with her first few studio albums before scoring a breakthrough with 2022's “Emails I Can't Send.” With her 2024 album “Short n' Sweet” and its No. 1 hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” she became a multiple Grammy winner and one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

On Wednesday, it was the youngsters’ turn to take the spotlight at the draft.

In being selected first overall by the Vancouver Goldeneyes, U.S. national team and Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey kicked off a parade of 14 2026 Olympians — five of them Americans — taking downtown Detroit's Fox Theater stage during the six-round event.

The draft class was regarded as the league’s deepest and most talented and was one of the reasons behind the PWHL adding four new markets, growing to 12 teams entering its fourth season. It's also why Harvey experienced nerves before finally hearing her name called.

“There’s always this, you have no idea until you officially hear it,” said Harvey, who kicked off the day being named the International Ice Hockey Federation's female player of the year.

“This draft class is just so deep and so many phenomenal players. Anyone could get picked at any time,” she added. “It’s just a surreal feeling, and I had no idea. I mean it could have been anyone. But I’m grateful to have my name called.”

Draft features tears and cheers

The draft was held in one of the PWHL’s new markets and featured its share of tears and cheers.

Seated next to Harvey, Laila Edwards grew emotional while congratulating her longtime friend and teammate upon being selected.

“It caught me off guard. After I gave her a hug I started crying, and I couldn’t stop,” said Edwards, who was chosen fourth by San Jose. The 22-year-old Edwards is from Cleveland, and became the first Black player selected in the first round of the PWHL draft.

As for the cheers, they rang out any time Detroit or Knight — the expansion team’s star addition — were mentioned. And the biggest roar in the packed theater was heard when Detroit finally made its first selection in the second round by choosing Switzerland Olympic goalie Andrea Brandli.

The 29-year-old Brandli’s selection was key for Detroit, with GM Manon Rheaume — a former goalie — growing nervous because she had had yet to fill the position.

As for the welcome she received, Rheaume said: “I got like emotional walking there ... And I think everybody felt it, every player that was getting drafted.”

This was the atmosphere the PWHL has become accustomed to generating while growing its brand in the wake of the Americans’ thrilling 2-1 overtime win over Canada in the Olympic final. The win created a surge of attention for women's hockey in North America, with Knight and gold medal-clinching goal-scorer Megan Keller appearing on Saturday Night Live.

“Milan was just one of those amazing things that keeps happening to us,” PWHL executive board member Stan Kasten told The Associated Press. “You see what the city of Detroit is going to do for this team, right? We just think the more people that get exposed, the more fans we make.”

Americans fill top 5 selections

On Wednesday, Americans swept the top five picks and made up nine of 12 first-round selections, with the 23-year-old Harvey continuing to cement her reputation as her generation’s most accomplished player.

She’s a two-time Olympian and was the tournament MVP in Milan. At Wisconsin, she won three NCAA titles and capped her four-year career winning the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as college hockey’s MVP.

From Pelham, New Hampshire, Harvey is the second American player to go No. 1 after Minnesota chose Taylor Heise in the league’s inaugural draft in 2023.

“She’s actually just at the start of her career, which is crazy, and she’s coming in with all these accolades,” Goldeneyes GM Cara Gardner Morey said, before emphasizing the priority PWHL teams place on defense. “To have one of the best ones in the country, in North America, probably in the world right now is pretty special.”

Fellow U.S. Olympians followed with Minnesota forward Abbey Murphy chosen second by Seattle, Penn State forward Tessa Janecke going third to Las Vegas. After Edwards went fourth, Wisconsin forward Kirsten Simms rounded them out, going eighth to Toronto.

“It’s a little bittersweet,” Simms said of watching many of her Badgers’ teammates go their separate ways. “I’m just happy for all of them. They’re unbelievable players and unbelievable people and so every team is super lucky. But, obviously, I’m gonna miss them.”

Finland national team defender Nelli Laitinen was the first European player selected, going No. 6 to Hamilton. The first Canadian selected was Ohio State defender Sara Swiderski, who went ninth overall to Minnesota.

Overall, 31 Americans and 30 Canadians were among the 72 players selected with Finland having four.

Las Vegas lands 3 of top 13 selections

Las Vegas finished having three picks among the top 13. Janecke was selected with the pick Las Vegas acquired in trading Knight to Detroit. Las Vegas then used its fifth pick to select Wisconsin's Lacey Eden, women's college hockey's leading scorer last season. The team then traded forward Abby Boreen back to Vancouver to acquire the Goldeneyes' first pick of the second round and select Princeton forward Issy Wunder.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Pino, de 55 años, está acusado de homicidio involuntario y homicidio de embarcación.

Los fiscales acusan a Pino, entonces de 52 años, de ser imprudente cuando perdió el control de una embarcación Robalo de 29 pies en las primeras horas de la noche del 4 de septiembre de 2022 y la estrelló contra un marcador de canal cerca de Boca Chita Key, matando a Lucy Fernandez, de 17 años. Otras dos jóvenes resultaron gravemente heridas, incluida Katerina Puig, de 17 años, quien quedó permanentemente discapacitada.

La esposa de Pino, Cecilia Pino, dijo a los jurados el martes sobre los momentos caóticos después del choque y señaló que después ella “solo pensaba en las chicas”.

Claudia Portocarrero, quien estaba en la embarcación celebrando el cumpleaños 18 de la hija de los Pino, dijo que ella y sus amigas estaban cantando y levantando las manos antes del choque.

La defensa afirma que algo pudo haber obstruido la vista de George Pino del marcador de canal, pero el estado sostiene que ninguna de las jóvenes estaba de pie ni levantando las manos de una manera que hubiera obstruido la vista de Pino.

“Solo recuerdo abrir los ojos después del impacto y ver como mucho blanco”, dijo Portocarrero. “Y lo primero que vi cuando abrí los ojos fue a George, y pensé que estaba muerto. Solo vi mucha sangre brotando y luego mis amigas me decían que tenía que salir de la embarcación, , para cuando iba a bajarme de la embarcación estaba como casi volteada, inclinada, así que en lugar de saltar desde la embarcación, prácticamente como que entré al agua porque estaba muy inclinada”.

Portocarrero dijo que ayudó a una de sus amigas a mantener a Puig a flote en el agua antes de que llegara una embarcación de rescate.

Tanto ella como otro pasajero que testificó el martes dijeron que, aunque cada uno había tomado un par de bebidas alcohólicas, no vieron a Pino bebiendo y señalaron que la velocidad de la embarcación no se sentía excesiva en el momento del choque.

Un testigo que estaba en otra embarcación dijo al jurado que su amigo le gritó a Pino que revisara debajo de la embarcación y Pino “inmediatamente” se metió debajo y luego sacó a Fernandez antes de entregársela al testigo que se había lanzado al agua.

El testigo dijo que luego ayudó a colocarla en otra embarcación que llegó.

El equipo de defensa de Pino afirma que el choque fue un horrible accidente y no el resultado de negligencia.

El humo de incendios forestales es una mezcla de gases y partículas finas provenientes de árboles y plantas en combustión, edificios y otros materiales.

Antes de la advertencia de Jadallah, el humo provocó una alerta de calidad del aire “moderada” en el sur de Florida, lo que afecta a quienes son inusualmente sensibles a la contaminación por partículas, según la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Estados Unidos.

El personal de MDFR advirtió que el humo se estaba disipando a medida que aumentaban las temperaturas y pidió a los residentes “limitar el tiempo al aire libre, mantener puertas y ventanas cerradas y configurar los sistemas de aire acondicionado para recircular el aire interior.

Joshua Baer, 50, described himself as an “Austinpreneur,” a reference to the state capital and his enthusiasm for getting people into business. He founded Capital Factory, which has grown into an important Austin-based venture capital firm supporting a range of technology startup companies, from robots to autonomous ships.

Baer’s LinkedIn page shows him wearing a black T-shirt and pointing at the message: “I help people quit jobs.” His email had a similar handle. Capital Factory's downtown headquarters is among the offices of tech giants like Google.

“Whether you’re in technology or not, there’s a hole in the heart of Austin today,” Thom Singer, CEO of the Austin Technology Council, which promotes the local tech industry, said of Baer’s death.

Baer listed his life strategy as, “Plant lots of seeds. Water everyone's. Repeat.” And people noticed: The Austin mayor in 2023 gave him a key to the city, a symbol of civic honor.

Bryan Chambers, co-founder and president of Capital Factory, said his business partner was a “true super connector.”

Baer was aboard a business jet that crashed Tuesday on a highway in Laredo, Texas, after the pilots reported mechanical problems and requested to make an emergency landing at an airport. His LinkedIn profile said he had a wife and three children. It wasn't known whether three young people who survived the crash were family members.

After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he created an email marketing business, Baer moved to Austin in 1996 to work as a software developer at Trilogy Inc. He started Capital Factory in 2009 and regularly held business chats with people at a coffee shop.

“My hobby is startups,” Baer told the Austin American-Statesman in 2012. “I don’t watch sports or anything like that. So this is what I do. ... I want to be an investor in every great tech company that comes out of Austin. That’s probably unrealistic, but I’m going to try anyway.”

Baer often spoke to high school students and had the title of “entrepreneur in residence” at the University of Texas.

“He was passionate that technology could change the world and make people's lives efficient and better,” Singer said. “And if entrepreneurs did it right, they could make money and help their communities. He believed in those two things.”

Texas U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn said they were saddened by Baer’s death. Cornyn wrote on X that Baer was an “innovative & creative leader in Austin’s entrepreneurial culture.”

Just not for very long. Wind at Shinnecock Hills is as inevitable as traffic along the Montauk Highway from the infamous “trade parade.”

And that's what has everyone nervous — not only the players, but USGA officials in charge of the course — going into the 126th edition of the golf's second-oldest championship.

“Problematic,” is how John Bodenhamer, the chief competitions officer at the USGA, described excessive wind. “This year I believe the wind will impact our championship unlike many others.”

Adding to the concern are the previous two trips to Shinnecock Hills, when the wind and warmth dried out the course in a New York minute and caused the greens to be borderline unplayable.

It got so bad on the final day in 2004 that no one broke par and 28 players failed to break 80. Treacherously slick greens and questionable pin positions on Saturday in 2018 kept the last 44 players to tee off from matching par. That was the day Phil Mickelson hit a moving ball on the 13th green to avoid it rolling back into the fairway.

The USGA now is taking extreme caution. Bodenhamer said the greens would be roughly 10 1/2 on the Stimpmeter — the original plan was between 11 and 12 — and the course is being kept as soft as possible to get through the next four days.

“I would say the course is about as enjoyable as I've seen it,” said Justin Rose, who joins Adam Scott as the only players to have competed at Shinnecock the last two years.

“There's not many golf courses you could turn up to on any given week and play championship golf, and Shinnecock is one of them,” he said. “I think I like the way the approach is this year. ... Potentially what I'm hearing is some slightly different protocols this week make sense to me. And I think it's set up to be a great tournament.”

It all starts to unfold on Thursday at 6:35 a.m. — 10 minutes earlier than a normal start so the grounds crew has time to douse the greens with water before the afternoon wave — with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, Nos. 1 and 2 in the world, both start in the morning wave on opposite sides of the course. Scheffler is bidding for the career Grand Slam with the U.S. Open the only major title he is lacking.

Scheffler first picked up a golf club in his native New Jersey. He moved to Dallas when he was 6 and honed his game in the wind at Royal Oaks.

But there is wind, and there is wind at Shinnecock Hills, situated between the Great Peconic Bay to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.

Bodenhamer said the expectation was for wind in the 20s mph Thursday with gusts nearly twice that strong throughout the afternoon. The forecast was less wind on Friday, then wind strong and from a different direction Saturday, then a bit calmer on Sunday.

Bodenhamer said a key strategy in setting up the course is to be “tough but fair.”

“We could brutalize this place the next few days if we wanted to. That’s not what we’re about,” he said. “We really want it to be fair, and we want it to be what Shinnecock Hills has always been. It will be tough enough.”

Scott, who is playing in his 100th consecutive major, considers this course among his favorite in the world. He has yet to see Shinnecock Hills on the weekend, at least during a U.S. Open. The Australian knows what to expect, and he liked what he had seen so far.

“It looks like they’re being cautious at the moment. They know the wind is going to be a factor this week,” Scott said. “Hopefully, we can get the greens to firm up over the weekend, and we’ll see some of the greatness of Shinnecock where the shots in are so important to hit these small areas, and then you’ll get a great champion.”

The one statistic that speaks to Shinnecock Hills are the three players who have managed to finish a U.S. Open under par in the previous five U.S. Opens — Raymond Floyd in 1986, Retief Goosen in 2004, Mickelson as the runner-up in 2004.

Brooks Koepka in 2018 at Shinnecock is the last U.S. Open champion to win with a score over par.

“The Shinnecock links are almost perfect as they present nearly every kind of natural obstacle the most exacting and fanatical golfer could ever desire,” Bodenhamer said, pausing before adding he didn't actually come up with that.

“That comes from the New York Herald on Aug. 30, 1891, when this place was founded,” he said. “I don't think a whole lot has changed.”

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

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Manuel De Jesus Chaveco Delgado knew the victim, who was between 13 and 15 years old at the time, according to an arrest warrant from the Hialeah Police Department.

An HPD news release states that the agency’s detectives, along with investigators from the Hialeah Gardens Police Department and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, began looking into the case earlier in the month.

According to the warrant, the girl told investigators of multiple instances where Chaveco Delgado touched her inappropriately.

Additionally, the warrant states that he showed the girl “a photo of a penis” on his phone at one point.

Chaveco Delgado faces three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation and one count of showing obscene material to a minor.

Local 10 News has contacted HCSO seeking comment. It’s not clear when he began working for the agency.

The agency put out a brief news release on Wednesday acknowledging Chaveco Delgado’s employment, arrest and charges but providing no additional details about his employment or status with HCSO.

Manuel De Jesus Chaveco Delgado conocía a la víctima, que tenía entre 13 y 15 años en ese momento, según una orden de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Hialeah.

Un comunicado de prensa del Departamento de Policía de Houston (HPD, por sus siglas en inglés) indica que los detectives de la agencia, junto con investigadores del Departamento de Policía de Hialeah Gardens y la Fiscalía del Estado de Miami-Dade, comenzaron a investigar el caso a principios de mes.

Según la orden judicial, la niña declaró a los investigadores que Chaveco Delgado la tocó de forma inapropiada en varias ocasiones.

Además, la orden judicial indica que en un momento dado le mostró a la niña “una foto de un pene” en su teléfono.

Chaveco Delgado enfrenta tres cargos de abuso lascivo y obsceno y un cargo de mostrar material obsceno a un menor.

Local 10 News se ha puesto en contacto con la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Harris (HCSO) para solicitar comentarios. No está claro cuándo comenzó a trabajar para la agencia.

La agencia emitió un breve comunicado de prensa el miércoles reconociendo el empleo, el arresto y los cargos contra Chaveco Delgado, pero sin proporcionar detalles adicionales sobre su empleo o su situación dentro de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Harris (HCSO).

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The larger wildfire, which started on Monday, was 30% contained and had burned 7,500 acres. The smaller wildfire, which started on Tuesday, was 25% contained and had burned 500 acres.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue deployed about seven dozen units to the area of Northwest 137 Avenue and 25 Street, according to the active dispatch calls log.

Drivers reported the smoke affected visibility early on Wednesday morning along the Florida Turnpike near Hialeah. Deputies closed Krome Avenue temporarily at mile marker 23.

Useful link: Temporary road closures possible

The pollution affected air quality in South Florida, so outdoor activities were discouraged, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

MDFR personnel warned that the smoke will lift as temperatures rise and suggested residents “limit time outdoors, keep doors and windows closed, and set air conditioning systems to recirculate indoor air.

Related social media posts

MDFR continues to work alongside the @FlForestService to battle the two brush fires in western Miami-Dade County.

MDFR has deployed multiple resources to support firefighting efforts, including water tender trucks to provide steady water supply, and fire engines working to… pic.twitter.com/zy1dASlLYN

— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) June 17, 2026

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and @FLForestService continue battling two grass fires in West Miami-Dade near NW 137 Avenue and NW 41 Street, and NW 122 Avenue and NW 58 Street.

As temperatures rise throughout the day, smoke is expected to lift, but those in nearby communities may… pic.twitter.com/IjBkv9NYdu

— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) June 17, 2026

Durante un partido reciente en la Miami Lighthouse Academy en el barrio de Little Havana, cuando un jugador se movía, decía en español: “¡Voy!” o “¡Vamos!”.

Arianna Taylor, estudiante y jugadora de fútbol de la Miami Lighthouse Academy , dijo estar contenta de haber aprendido y de poder jugar.

“Al principio parece difícil, pero una vez que lo aprendes, parece más fácil”, dijo Taylor.

Virginia Jacko , presidenta y directora ejecutiva de Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Physically Impaired , dijo que 145 de sus estudiantes juegan al fútbol.

“Con demasiada frecuencia, los niños ciegos son los que quedan fuera de los deportes de equipo, y los deportes de equipo nos enseñan muchísimo”, dijo Jacko.

Oseas De Leon, entrenador de fútbol del Miami Lighthouse, tiene experiencia con la selección nacional masculina de fútbol para ciegos de Estados Unidos . Era un bebé cuando un caso grave de sarampión le causó ceguera.

“El hecho de que nuestros hijos no tengan la oportunidad de realizar ninguna actividad física, creo que es motivo suficiente para tener fútbol para ciegos aquí con nosotros”, dijo De Leon. “Desafortunadamente, somos los únicos en el país”.

La Federación Internacional de Deportes para Ciegos , que incluyó el fútbol para ciegos en la década de 1990, reconoce a España como pionera del fútbol para ciegos en la década de 1920 y a Brasil por aumentar su popularidad en la década de 1960.

De Leon tenía grandes sueños para el movimiento nacional de fútbol para ciegos, por lo que desarrolló un programa de estudios para niños de tan solo un año de edad en colaboración con la Asociación de Atletas Ciegos de Estados Unidos , o USABA.

Además de De Leon, el programa de fútbol también incluye a otros ocho empleados del Miami Lighthouse.

Para apoyarlos, Roborock anunció una donación de 50.000 dólares y equipó una nueva aula “para fomentar la accesibilidad y la independencia a través de la tecnología”.

Enlace útil : Dona ahora para apoyar el fútbol para personas ciegas en Miami Lighthouse.

Más información sobre la cobertura local de la Copa del Mundo.

• Avistamiento de celebridades en Palm Beach
• Programación y reporte de progreso de hoy
• Festival de aficionados de la FIFA en el centro de Miami
• Exposición de la FIFA en el centro de Miami

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Authorities said at around 6 p.m. Tuesday, a Miami police sergeant noticed Elton Casallas, 58, of southwest Miami-Dade, walking through an exit gate and “greeting multiple security guards while walking through the venue.”

According to an arrest report, the sergeant asked the guards if they knew who Casallas was and who he worked for; none of them knew.

Police said the sergeant stopped Casallas at a gate at Chopin Plaza and “and asked him if he was working security for the event.”

According to the report, Casallas told the sergeant that he had been working the event since Saturday. Police said event staffers confirmed that Casallas “does not work for any security company staffed for the event.”

The report states that authorities additionally discovered that Casallas had three traffic-related bench warrants and had “a pocketknife and a canister of pepper spray.”

Police said Casallas had a security license that expired in May.

Under questioning, Casallas said a company had hired him and he “had taken a security post at one of the security checkpoints and was responsible for watching over bags left by patrons at the entrance of the venue,” the report states.

Authorities said he then showed investigators text messages between him and a security supervisor, which police said “at no point proved any employment with any security company.”

Additionally, they said they contacted the security supervisor, who said that he had given Casallas his phone number and Casallas, who “proceeded to text (him) to the point he became uncomfortable responding.”

“It was determined that (Casallas) was at the venue on his own will with the intention of being hired by a security company on location,” police wrote in the report.

Officers arrested Casallas on a charge of falsely impersonating an officer with a deadly weapon, in addition to the traffic warrants. As of Wednesday afternoon, he was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with a bond listed as “to be set.”

The legislation, shown first to The Associated Press, would create a sovereign wealth fund overseen by an independent commission and financed through a one-time 50% tax on the stock of the largest AI companies. Sanders estimates that the tax would create a nearly $7 trillion fund that would generate hundreds of billions of dollars annually in direct payments to Americans and programs such as health care, education and housing.

“The benefits cannot simply go to the handful of wealthy corporations. They will be shared by the American people," the independent Vermont senator said in an interview Wednesday.

The idea of giving the public a stake in AI has recently drawn interest from figures as ideologically diverse as President Donald Trump and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. But Sanders’ proposal goes much further, calling for public ownership of half of the largest AI companies and direct influence over corporate decision-making.

“The public has got to have a significant seat at the table to make sure that terrible things do not happen to ordinary people, and that in fact, AI benefits ordinary people, not hurts them,” Sanders said.

How the fund would work

Sanders has previously proposed the sovereign wealth fund, but the bill summary obtained by the AP is the first legislative attempt to make it a reality.

The 50% tax would apply to AI companies that reach $200 million in annual AI sales. Any new AI company that reaches that benchmark would also be subject to the tax.

It would create a sovereign wealth fund — similar to those used by countries around the world and some U.S. states — that Sanders estimates would be worth around $7 trillion.

Unlike a traditional tax, the proposal would require companies to transfer stock rather than cash, effectively making the American public a major shareholder in the country’s largest AI firms.

A seven-person independent commission — nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate — would manage the fund and use its voting shares “to block decisions that hurt the American people and to push for policies that help them,” the bill summary says.

Sanders proposes that a 5% annual dividend from the fund would provide direct payments of more than $1,000 to every American. If companies grow, the gains would be used for public goods such as education, housing and health care.

Sanders argues taxpayers would not bear the losses if AI company valuations decline.

“We’re not going to lose any money, even if there is a bust in the bubble,” Sanders said.

The commission would be directed to “to block decisions that hurt the American people and to push for policies that help them,” according to the summary.

Sanders emphasized that the proposal is just a start.

“We think this is the best that we could do at the moment, and it’s certainly a major, major, major step forward from giving unilateral and total power to a handful of multi-billionaires,” Sanders said.

The idea has supporters in the White House and Silicon Valley

Sanders is not alone in pushing for a public stake in the companies that develop AI.

Trump, who recently signed an order to have new AI models voluntarily vetted by the government, has also mused about the government owning a stake in the companies that develop AI, saying “there’s something very interesting about it, where it almost becomes a partnership with the American public."

OpenAI — led by Altman — in April proposed to “create a public wealth fund that provides every citizen — including those not invested in financial markets — with a stake in AI-driven economic growth.”

Anthropic, one of OpenAI’s top competitors and recently valued at $965 billion, has been open to similar ideas, with CEO Dario Amodei writing recently that “universal basic income could be financed through taxes on relevant companies.”

Trump on Wednesday attended a session focused on AI at the G7 summit in France with top industry leaders, including Altman and Amodei.

Still, Sanders' push is much more aggressive than any of these. In Sanders' meeting with Altman, they remained far apart on how large of a stake the public would get, according to those in the room.

“I think people like Sam Altman and Trump (who) may be sympathetic to this are saying: ‘Okay, look, we’re making zillions of dollars so we’re going to be nice guys and maybe we’ll buy off the public. We will give 5% of our profits back into the government,’” said Sanders.

“That’s not what we’re talking about. What we’re talking about are two very different things.”

Taking the fight to voters

Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” tour drew massive crowds across the country last year as he appeared with high-profile lawmakers such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Asked whether he plans to make AI ownership and wealth inequality part of that message on the campaign trail, Sanders responded, “Absolutely."

It’s a message other candidates are using ahead of the midterms as they tap into voters’ angst about the technology. Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow unveiled a plan to “protect workers in the age of AI,” while New York Democratic House candidate Alex Bores has also made AI regulation a campaign issue.

Data center projects across the country have drawn opposition from residents concerned about electricity demand, water consumption and environmental impacts. Some states once eager to attract the facilities, including Ohio and Virginia, have moved to reconsider tax incentives.

On college campuses, commencement speakers have been interrupted by boos when discussing artificial intelligence. About 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a 2025 poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Workers will be thrown out of their jobs while billionaires, multi-billionaires become even richer," Sanders said. “The American people are aware of that and don’t want to see it happen.”

The South Florida Detention Center has been praised by President Donald Trump. But its conditions have been harshly criticized by l awyers, families and human rights groups, who have persistently denounced the mistreatment of detainees since the center opened 11 months ago, during the Atlantic hurricane season.

DHS said that all detainees at the Florida state-run facility had been transferred but did not specify how many or where they were taken. Nor did it say whether the facility would close permanently or only temporarily.

"For the safety of the illegal alien detainees, we transferred them to other facilities,” department spokesperson Lauren Bis said in an emailed statement.

The hurricane season spans six months, from June through November. The detention facility opened on July 3, 2025, one month after the start of that year’s hurricane season, which concluded without any storms making landfall in Florida. It has been operating since then.

Shortly after ICE announcement, the National Hurricane Center reported on Wednesday that the first tropical storm o f the 2026 hurricane season had formed off the Texas coast.

Detainees at the facility have talked about their difficulty accessing lawyers, and have described poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that don’t flush, flooding floors with fecal waste, and mosquitoes and other insects everywhere.

Surrounded by alligator-filled swamps in the Florida Everglades, "Alligator Alcatraz” was built by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration in a matter of days, and Trump toured it on July 1, 2025, just two days before it was opened.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management, the main state agency responsible for its operation, did not immediately respond to an information request from The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Since the facility opened, immigration advocates said the tents were never safe or humane to hold people. Federal and state officials, nonetheless, had said that it was prepared to withstand hurricanes.

“Transferring people out of this cruel facility is an important step, but it does not erase the harm that has already been done,” said Amy Godshall, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who filed a lawsuit against the state and the federal government alleging a lack of access to legal representation for detainees. “The state and federal government must permanently close this facility and commit to never detaining people there again.”

DeSantis said in May that South Florida Detention Facility always was meant to be temporary. He said the facility had processed and deported 22,000 detainees since its opening.

Hurricane season is an excuse, activists say

Immigration advocates and lawyers said the hurricane season is an excuse, not the real reason why the detainees have been transferred.

“That’s a nonsense excuse because they opened in the middle of the worst part of hurricane season last year,” said Arianne Betancourt, a community advocate at the non-governmental group The Workers Circle who has spent months connecting dozens of detainees with pro-bono attorneys.

Betancourt and other advocates and attorneys said they noticed an increase in the transfer of detainees to other facilities over the past two weeks, during which time they lost contact with dozens of detainees.

Katie Blankenship, an immigration attorney at Sanctuary of the South, said all 50 clients that she and other attorneys have been providing free advice during the past 20 days have been moved from “Alligator Alcatraz” to other facilities in South Florida, California, Arizona, Louisiana and Texas.

“They are all gone,” Blankenship said. “They have been moved and disappeared into the system and are unavailable to family or counsel, typically for a period of about a week."

She noted that she hasn’t received any official notice about the transfers, but instead found out because her clients did not appear at hearings or did not show up at calls. When she tried to find out what had happened to them, she located them using the official detainee search tool and saw that they had been transferred to other facilities, Blankenship said.

Families left to pick up pieces

Renata Bozzetto, deputy director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said that even if the facility is closed, the harm will not end.

“Many of the people detained there will be transferred to other detention facilities, while their families continue to face uncertainty and hardship,’’ Bozzetto said. “When this detention camp closes, many corporations and contractors will have walked away with millions in profits, while immigrant families are left to pick up the pieces.”

The leaders’ meeting came just a week after three Indian sailors were killed in a strike on a tanker in the Gulf of Oman in the midst of a U.S. blockade targeting oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Indian Foreign Ministry has formally protested the incident.

The two sat down on the sidelines of the G7 summit on Wednesday, where Modi was one of several leaders who attended as a guest of the host, French President Emmanuel Macron.

Trump dismissed any suggestion of trouble between the U.S. and India, repeatedly heaping praise on Modi, describing him as a tough negotiator.

“We have the best relationship. We cannot be closer than we are. Would you say that, sir? I don’t think we can be any closer,” Trump said, reaching out to clasp Modi’s hand. “Both him and I, and our nations. But it really starts with the two of us.”

When it came time for Modi to speak, he raised the strike directly, noting hundreds of thousands of Indian nationals work on ships around the world, including in the strait. “Their safety is of utmost importance to us,” Modi said, after thanking Trump for coming to an agreement to end the war with Iran.

“You made tremendous efforts towards reaching this understanding and this agreement, and I’m confident that the issue of seafarers will receive the highest priority during the implementation of this agreement,” he said.

Asked for words of condolence for the mariners' families, Trump said, “It’s a tough profession. There’s no question about it. And we work together on it.” He added: “We love all of those people. They’re great people.”

Trump had a notably warm relationship with Modi during his first term.

During a two-day trip to India in 2020, Trump was impressed when Modi honored him with a massive rally at a cricket stadium. Months earlier, Trump had joined the Indian leader at the “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston, which drew a big showing from Texas' Indian diaspora.

But this time around, Trump and Modi's relationship has been complicated by Russia’s war in Ukraine and trade disputes.

The Trump administration put steep tariffs on Indian exports last year, partly over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil. The two countries reached an interim trade deal, but talks on a broader agreement are ongoing.

Trump on Wednesday said a new deal is “very close” while describing Modi as a “scary” trade negotiator. “He’s the most beautiful looking man. He looks so nice. He’s like an angel. But actually, he’s as tough as — he’s a killer,” Trump said.

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Binkley reported from Washington.

Pulisic played a dynamic first half in the Americans' 4-1 victory over Paraguay last week, but came off at halftime after feeling stiffness from a calf injury incurred in training. He hasn't worked out with his teammates this week at their training base in Orange County, instead doing individual work largely in the gym.

Pulisic didn't work out on the grass at all Tuesday, but the AC Milan attacker took the field at Great Park with trainers and did ball drills on Wednesday. He tested out his left leg while wearing a compression sleeve on his calf during the 15 minutes of practice open to media.

“We’re really hoping that Christian is going to be back for the game, of course,” said Brenden Aaronson, one of Pulisic’s potential replacements. “I don’t really know what’s going on in particular, but we know that he’s going to give us his all to get back in the team and be there for the game, so we’ll see. We’re really excited to see what the deal is.”

Pulisic is the U.S. team's most accomplished player and the lynchpin of their offensive attack. His playmaking and ball skills down the left side led directly to Paraguay’s own-goal in the opening minutes last Friday, and he added an assist on Folarin Balogun’s first goal.

His absence could hinder a team coming off its nation's highest-scoring World Cup performance with a wave of momentum early in its home World Cup. But Pulisic's teammates are confident he'll do everything possible to play — and they also feel the team's depth could sustain them in this potentially physical matchup with the Socceroos in Seattle.

“We’ve still got a couple of days to see where he’s at,” U.S. left back Antonee Robinson said. ”Thankfully we’ve got a lot of boys on the bench who are eager to get involved with helping the team with a lot of quality. It’s a long tournament. If we don’t have (Pulisic) for the game, then we need to make sure we have him for the rest of the way, because we’re going to need him. We’re going to need everyone. But hopefully we have him (Friday).”

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino would have several capable options as a replacement for Pulisic, although none has the star’s resume. Starting midfielder Weston McKennie, who had an outstanding game against Paraguay, could ramp up his responsibility as well.

The top two options appear to be Aaronson, a solid Premier League winger who had four goals and five assists for Leeds last season, and Marseilles forward Tim Weah, who can impact a game with his speed on either wing.

Both players are hoping Pulisic will be healthy enough to keep his place in the lineup, however.

“Christian, for me, is one of the top five wingers in the world,” Weah said. “He’s one of my favorite players to watch. Being able to play alongside him for a long time has been amazing. Just the little things that he does, he’s such a humble player. I think you get caught up in a lot of the noise, but Christian is amazing. He showed it against Paraguay. His ability when he’s able to be on the ball is amazing. It helps the team. I’m super proud of him. Hopefully he’ll be ready for Friday.”

Pochettino's other options for offense include Gio Reyna, who scored the Americans’ final goal against Paraguay and has provided moments of dynamic playmaking from the wing for the U.S.

Sebastian Berhalter came on at halftime for Pulisic in the opener, while starting midfielder Malik Tillman raised his already impressive game in Pulisic’s absence.

“I felt like we were still threatening, still creating chances (in the second half),” Robinson said. “We just didn't convert them going forward in the game until Gio scored at the end. Like I said, a lot of people are ready to step in.”

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

The suit alleges the group, known widely as WPATH, made deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minors and its members profited off the claims. Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas filed along with the FTC.

“Parents have a right to make informed decisions about their children’s health,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said on X. “The FTC will not allow parents and children to be deceived by medical organizations and providers who are prioritizing profit over children’s health and safety.”

The suit also alleges the group didn't disclose the side effects of certain pediatric medical transition services, including those related to hormone treatments, and doctors then repeated to consumers "false, misleading or unsubstantiated statements about safety and efficacy found in WPATH guidelines.”

It asks a federal judge to block WPATH from “future violations of the FTC Act” and other laws, and to award civil penalties and other financial awards to each of the states.

In a statement WPATH said its guidelines call for care that is tailored to individual patients, rather than a “one size fits all” approach.

“Transgender and gender-diverse patients deserve the highest level of care from their medical professionals," the group said, saying its standards are "designed to promote this through open dialogue and clear communication.”

Lawrence Gostin, an international public health expert at Georgetown University, said the lawsuit represented a “significant expansion” of the FTC’s past approach to healthcare enforcement.

He said the agency is using consumer protection law to challenge a medical association’s standards of care, and the FTC “has rarely, if ever, focused on the scientific justifications for clinical medical guidelines."

“This strikes me as especially concerning given the Trump administration’s repeated attempts to use transgender health as a cultural and political issue,” Gostin said. “The FTC would be highly unlikely to second-guess clinical guidelines in areas that do not align with its political agenda."

Leaders at the Department of Health and Human Services applauded the FTC's move, pointing to an HHS review that questioned WPATH standards. That report was sharply criticized by major medical groups and those who treat transgender young people as inaccurate.

Gender-affirming care for transgender youth under standards widely used in the U.S. involves developing a plan with medical experts and family members that includes supportive talk therapy and can — but does not always — involve puberty blockers or hormone treatment. Many U.S. adolescents with gender dysphoria may decide not to proceed with medications or surgeries.

WPATH has established widely accepted medical standards for gender-affirming care for more than 50 years, the organization’s website notes, based on “established scientific standards, expert consensus and patient-centered values.” The group does not directly provide medical care to patients.

The suit comes following an investigation by the agency into WPATH. The group sued to block the probe, alleging the agency was violating its First Amendment rights. A federal judge in May ruled in favor of WPATH to temporarily block the probe from continuing.

The FTC also launched investigations into the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society over their guidelines on gender-affirming care. Both of those groups also sued.

WPATH noted in a statement that a federal court has already ruled against the FTC over this effort when it blocked the investigation.

"WPATH is in a strong position to prove that the FTC is acting out of pure retaliation as part of the federal government’s relentless and targeted campaign to undermine gender-affirming care by attacking the First Amendment rights and the independence of professional medical organizations,” the statement said. “We expect the same result when we oppose this latest attack on WPATH and its mission to promote evidence-informed care and guidance for doctors and their patients.”

Fewer than 1 in 1,000 adolescents in the U.S. received gender-affirming medication — puberty blockers or hormones — according to a five-year study of those on commercial insurance released this year. About 1,200 patients underwent gender-affirming surgeries in one recent year, according to another study.

While the nation's largest professional organization for plastic surgeons in February recommended that gender-affirming surgeries be delayed until patients turn 19, most other major groups have stood by their guidelines to act on a case-by-case basis and use caution when considering surgery for minors.

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The story has been corrected to show that the proper name of the organization is the American Academy of Pediatrics rather than the American Association of Pediatrics.

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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.

The organization, founded by former President George H.W. Bush to encourage service, is set to unveil plans to improve that connection at its annual conference in Washington on June 22.

Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO of Points of Light, told The Associated Press that the group’s National Volunteer Strategy initiative is the first phase in its $100 million plan to double the number of U.S. volunteers to 150 million by 2035.

“We believe that volunteering changes everything,” Sirangelo said in an interview. “It changes the people who serve. It uplifts the community. And we know that collectively it can change our society.”

The National Volunteer Strategy is Points of Light’s contribution to “building bridges, deepening empathy, and putting us on a path for having a more civil society where we can get along in a pluralistic environment,” she added.

The strategy – which includes investments in infrastructure and building standards for both volunteers and nonprofits – comes at a complicated time for volunteerism and the broader nonprofit sector. President Donald Trump’s administration gutted AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, in 2025, eliminating thousands of jobs and leaving nonprofits scrambling to replace the lost workers and funding.

Those cuts aggravated a decline in volunteerism caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that created a shortage of workers at many charities that have seen an uptick in demand. Though volunteers began to return in 2023, the most recent year the U.S. Census Bureau has released data for, the 28% of the population who donated their time is still below pre-pandemic levels.

Interest in volunteering is rebounding

Sirangelo said that rebound is a sign that the timing is right to roll out a significant strategy to foster more volunteerism. “So many people in the industry have applauded the effort and said, ‘I’ve been waiting for this for years’,” she said. “There has been enthusiastic engagement.”

Cathy Scott, UPS vice president for social impact and The UPS Foundation, said that she is excited about Points of Light’s plans, in part because her foundation has seen its own strategy to increase volunteerism succeed.

In 2011, The UPS Foundation set an ambitious goal for company workers to volunteer 30 million hours by 2030. UPS accomplished that goal in April — four years ahead of schedule.

Through its work with Points of Light, UPS was able to quantify how volunteering helped increase employee retention and employee pride in themselves and the company, Scott said. “We know that volunteerism increases well-being,” she said. “And we know that doing good is good for business.”

The idea that Points of Light’s volunteer strategy would help spread that kind of success to other companies and communities is something UPS wanted to support.

“We’re finding that (volunteerism) is bringing employees out of loneliness,” Scott said. “It’s creating additional professional networks. It is increasing skill development and talent development. It’s giving them a purpose… And people want to be part of a purpose and also find their own purpose.”

‘Listening tour’ yields new volunteer strategy

Points of Light developed its National Volunteer Strategy after a yearlong “listening tour” that included two national surveys, 23 roundtables with leaders from corporate, cultural, faith and governmental groups, and input from a 40-member advisory council.

What they learned, Sirangelo said, was that interest in volunteerism was strong, but the nonprofit infrastructure to bring those interested into the groups that need them and engage them with the work and the mission was lacking. To strengthen that infrastructure, Points of Light plans to support the millions of volunteer managers at the nation’s nonprofits.

“We will invest in them and their continued growth with tools and resources that help them be effective at building those transformative volunteer experiences,” she said, adding that nonprofit managers are essential to ensuring “volunteers are available to achieve what we need in hunger, youth development, the environment and other big nonprofit issues.”

Another part of that support is creating a sort of canon for volunteerism so that both volunteers and nonprofits better understand what to expect from each other and can have clearer common goals.

Sirangelo is quick to point out that the National Volunteer Strategy is the launch of the process to double U.S. volunteerism, not the final goal. One area that remains to be developed is the strategy to better engage Gen Z and younger people who have not embraced traditional volunteering in the way previous generations have.

Engaging young people is essential to overall growth

That’s not to say young people are not as generous or as interested in volunteering.

Alex Edgar, youth engagement manager at the history education nonprofit Made by Us and a member of the Points of Light board of directors, said young people don’t often get the credit for their volunteer work and that no strategy for the future of volunteerism would be complete without engaging that group.

“There is a hunger for (nonprofits) to have more youth-focused things, but oftentimes these local volunteer action centers don’t have the staff or resources or best practices honestly to do that well,” said Edgar, 22, who is also the co-founder of Youth250 at Made By Us, which is connecting young people to the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary. “There is interest, there is energy around bringing young people in, in part, because people see how disconnected they are, how much they distrust our institutions."

Edgar is hopeful Points of Light can help create a framework that shows young people the career pathways available to them in the nonprofit sector. “It is going to be incredibly beneficial for young people who are interested in service, but may not really see much of a ecosystem out there right now, especially given the changes in funding,” he said.

There are plenty of economic and cultural barriers to overcome before young people can volunteer more, experts say. And Edgar says no strategy can address all of them.

“For so many young people, we’re not 100% there yet in terms of showing them, ‘This is for you. This is something that we can do with you’,” he said. “But we have to start somewhere.”

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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Without firm details on what they plan to explore, key to the expanded study is more direct involvement from tour players.

That much was evident in the statement that came from not just the two governing bodies but also the PGA Tour and European tour.

“The governing bodies will work closely with key stakeholders — including the PGA Tour DP World Tour and their respective members — to review, test and implement options that have a meaningful impact on distance at the elite level,” the statement said.

Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, said at a news conference at Shinnecock Hills: "Maybe there are some ideas here that are getting reopened that we looked at in the past and probably closed the door on because of some of the tour's feedback.

“I think it would be the wrong way to govern if we don't listen to that when we're starting to now talk about similar objectives."

The objective has been keeping distance from making golf too one-dimensional, and in some cases leading courses to getting longer. The target has primarily been golf balls.

The governing bodies in 2023 announced the test for “Overall Distance Standard” would be updated. Golf balls would be tested with a 125 mph swing speed (up from 120 mph), and the distance limit would remain at roughly 317 yards.

The original plan was for the new test to start in 2028 for elite players, and in 2030 for everyone else. After feedback from the golf community, the USGA and R&A decided a single-date implementation in 2030 was the best route.

But it also wants a deeper look into distance.

The USGA and R&A said in a statement that discussions among the PGA Tour, the tour's Player Advisory Council, the European tour and other stakeholders recognized that distance continues to increase at the elite level; the new ODS standard might not reduce distance enough; and a willingness to “reconsider alternative approaches” that might have a greater impact on increases without disrupting the overall golf market.

A new wrinkle in the golf ball debate came earlier this year when Cameron Young used a new Titleist golf ball that didn't spin as much. It met the standards of the new ODS test, yet Young didn't lose any distance. His final tee shot when he won The Players Championship went 375 yards, wind-aided and with roll on the firm fairways of TPC Sawgrass.

One argument from the players has been the new standard would affect some players far greater than others depending on how they launch the ball. And given the expanse of technology in the game, Whan said there were questions whether any reduction in distance with the new golf ball test would be enough.

Whan and other USGA officials have met with skepticism — and criticism — from PGA Tour players at the Memorial each of the last three years, though he said this year the players sounded as though they wanted to be part of any solution.

“There's been a lot of tour involvement from the very beginning, but probably less individual players and a lot more tour leadership and the folks that are representing players,” Whan said.

“What really kind of changed with us more recently is the number of individual players that stepped forward, both in that meeting and since, with a real sense of wanting to help and share and asking for more information. That’s exciting.”

But he said an expanded review of distance cannot take as long as the eight years to reach the implementation of a new golf ball test.

“When we talk about other approaches, we want to be doing that with the speed of saying ... if we were going to do something in addition to 2030, we need to know that sooner than later,” Whan said. “So it creates a sense of urgency for all parties. This isn’t another eight-year effort. We need to get at it and do it with a sense of urgency.”

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

El Diario Oficial de Guatemala publicó el miércoles un acuerdo ministerial en el cual el presidente Bernardo Arévalo ordenó a todas las instancias de gobierno participar en el Plan de Reparación y Dignificación de las Víctimas del Conflicto Armado Interno en Guatemala 2026-2036.

El plan se realizará mediante medidas de reparación individual y colectiva en el marco de los acuerdos de paz firmados en 1996 para poner fin al conflicto iniciado en 1960. Se basa en las 14 sentencias condenatorias de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos al Estado guatemalteco por violaciones a los derechos humanos, dijo Elvin Díaz, de la Comisión Presidencial por la Paz y los Derechos Humanos, COPADEH.

“Hasta ahora, desde el Estado no se había tenido un seguimiento y acompañamiento a las víctimas de desapariciones, solo (lo hacían) organizaciones no gubernamentales especializadas; en la región los demás Estados tienen comisiones de búsqueda, pero aquí nunca se había logrado esto”, dijo Díaz a The Associated Press.

El funcionario explicó que el objetivo es recopilar y registrar toda la información de esas organizaciones y la de las instituciones del Estado guatemalteco, incluyendo unos 54.000 expedientes de personas desaparecidas que gobiernos anteriores abandonaron. Además, reconocer la labor de las ONGs y robustecerlas financieramente para continuar la búsqueda.

Francisco Vivar, abogado de familiares de víctimas de delitos de lesa humanidad, señaló que “la reparación" a las personas que sufrieron violaciones a los derechos humanos “es una deuda del Estado”.

Vivar indicó que “ha habido diferentes iniciativas del Estado para beneficiar a exparamilitares", en referencia a los que participaron combatiendo para el Ejército y realizando tareas de espionaje a comunidades, "lo que contrasta con el poco apoyo que ha tenido las víctimas”.

El Congreso de Guatemala aprobó en 2022 una ley para resarcir económicamente a miles de expatrulleros civiles que fueron reclutados por el Ejército para tareas de control de la población, algunos de los cuales han sido acusados de crímenes de guerra.

El abogado dijo que el Estado mismo ha revictimizado a las víctimas negándolas incluso derechos como el acceso a la justicia.

“Las víctimas (en general) nunca han sido reparadas dignamente. No solo es la reparación económica por la pérdida de sus familiares, son los sistemas de salud, infraestructura...la no repetición de los hechos; también el derecho a obtener justicia”, apuntó Vivar.

Durante la gestión de Consuelo Porras al frente del Ministerio Público (2018–2026), se desmanteló la fiscalía especializada en atención a las víctimas del conflicto armado y se destituyó o trasladó al personal que por años conoció los procesos judiciales, según han denunciado organizaciones.

El viernes se presentará la parte del plan que hace referencia al mecanismo de búsqueda de los desaparecidos.

Guatemala vivió un cruento conflicto armado entre el Ejército y grupos guerrilleros de izquierda que dejó un saldo de 200.000 muertos y unos 45.000 desaparecidos, según informes de memoria histórica. El Ejército, grupos de seguridad y paramilitares fueron responsables del 93% de los crímenes, dicen los informes. El resto los atribuyen a guerrilleros.

Congo, which was playing at the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, became the second African nation to make a strong start in the tournament against European competition following Cape Verde's 0-0 draw with Spain on Monday.

“The World Cup is a tournament where this happens,” said Portugal coach Roberto Martínez, a Spaniard who coached Belgium to the semifinals at the 2018 tournament. “At times the performance is not up to the challenge.”

Playing in front of a crowd of 68,777 spectators at NRG Stadium, which was mostly filled with Portugal supporters, Congo earned its first point at the World Cup after losing all three of its previous matches.

Many Congolese were prevented from traveling to the United States for this year's tournament because of restrictions tied to Ebola.

“There was not enough blue in the stands, but the players are tough and they know how to overcome challenges,” Congo coach Sébastien Desabre said. “But I’m sure that many Congolese people are proud of their team today.”

João Neves gave Portugal an early lead in the sixth minute. The 5-foot-7 midfielder headed in a cross from Pedro Neto.

But Yoane Wissa equalized for Congo with a header in stoppage time at the end of the first half off a cross from Arthur Masuaku, delighting the small pockets of blue-clad fans. It was the first World Cup goal for Congo in its history.

“It’s crazy,” Wissa said. “Fifty-two years later we are here, we are back. It’s been long, it’s been difficult. So scoring that goal, it means a lot for all Congolese, for me, for my family, for the fans who showed up today.”

Congo's only other World Cup matches came at the 1974 tournament in West Germany, when the team was known as Zaire and lost to Scotland 2-0, Yugoslavia 9-0 and Brazil 3-0.

“The goal changed things,” Martínez said. “We almost felt the fear of not losing the game.”

For Portugal, it was the lack of goals that stood out. Ronaldo missed shots wide right in the 68th and 73rd minutes. He shook his head in disgust after both.

Martínez was asked if he considered taking out Ronaldo on Wednesday.

“It makes no sense to get the best world scorer to be out when you need goals,” the coach said. “The experience of Cristiano in the box is important. The way that he attracts defenders is important.”

Ronaldo became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match, taking the record set four years ago by Canada midfielder Atiba Hutchinson. Cameroon great Roger Milla is the oldest outfield player to appear in a World Cup match, coming on as a substitute at 42 years old during the 1994 World Cup.

Ronaldo also joined Argentina captain Lionel Messi as the only players to appear in six World Cups. Ronaldo can move out of a tie with Messi, who had a hat trick on Tuesday, by becoming the first player to score in a sixth tournament if he does manage to get one into the net this year.

Beside Ronaldo's efforts, Bruno Fernandes had a chance to put Portugal ahead in the 90th minute but his shot also was wide right.

Portugal looked to have taken the lead in the 55th minute on a bicycle kick by João Cancelo, but he was ruled offside.

Soon after that, Cédric Bakambu’s attempt to put Congo in front failed when his shot bounced off the near post.

The parents of Diogo Jota, a member of the Portugal team who died alongside his brother in a car crash last summer, attended the game in a luxury suite.

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

Sorsby plans to hold his pro day July 10 at a Dallas-area high school, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because the process for conducting the supplemental draft wasn't complete.

The deadline for applying for the draft is Monday, but there were still procedural issues related to a Texas district court's temporary injunction that had cleared the way for him to play for Texas Tech this fall.

Sorsby, who is from the Dallas area, would have to be ineligible from NCAA play to be able to apply for the NFL's supplemental draft. That rarely used draft would be completed at least a week before the start of the first training camp in late July.

The temporary injunction issued June 8 by a Lubbock County court prevented the NCAA from blocking the quarterback's eligibility for what would have been his final college season. That would have to be dropped to make him ineligible again.

The NCAA had declared the 22-year-old Sorsby permanently ineligible after he admitted making thousands of bets worth at least $90,000 during his time at three different schools. His college career began at Indiana, before playing for Cincinnati the past two seasons and then transferring to reigning Big 12 Conference champion Texas Tech in January.

Those bets included at least 40 bets on Indiana while he was a freshman there in 2022, though none on the game in which he played for the Hoosiers that season.

The June 22 deadline for entering the supplemental draft was among the key factors that led to the decision Monday for Sorsby to pursue the pros rather than move forward with the legal process that had gotten more uncertain.

Sorsby filed suit against the NCAA on May 18. The case was heard June 1 in the 99th District Court in Lubbock County, where Texas Tech is located, and he was granted the temporary injunction against the NCAA on June 8. The NCAA and the Big 12 went to different courts this week.

The NCAA on Monday asked a Texas appellate court for an emergency motion to stay the injunction, and for a resolution of the case before the start of Texas Tech's season. The Big 12 went to federal court seeking an order to back its ability to use its bylaws for possible sanctions against Texas Tech if Sorsby had played this season.

Sorsby, who never took a snap for Texas Tech, played in 35 college games, 24 at Cincinnati the past two seasons after 11 at Indiana the two seasons before that. He threw for 7,208 yards with 60 touchdowns and 18 interceptions while completing 594 of 968 passes (61.4%). He ran 320 times for 1,295 yards and 22 more scores.

At Cincinnati last season, he threw for 2,800 yards and 27 TDs while running for 580 yards and nine touchdowns. He ranked third in the Big 12 with 281.7 total yards per game.

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AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed to this report.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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He was a volunteer, counselor, a football coach and “Mr. Homecoming” at Florida Memorial University.

Roshell Williams now wants answers after her son’s body was recovered in Biscayne Bay on Sunday after last being seen on a charter boat the night before. Police believe he fell overboard.

Williams said she doesn’t have clear answers yet from authorities. She recounted what she told her son the last time she saw him.

“I (said), ‘Please don’t leave me, just stay a little while.’ That’s what I told my son. He said, ‘Don’t worry about it, I’m coming right back,’” Williams said.

She added, “He is a living legend at 23 years old. That’s what I want you to tell them.

“A young Black male from Miami-Dade County ― no, he was not gang banging, he wasn’t smoking no dope, he wasn’t selling no dope. I want you to tell them ― and I don’t want you to edit this part ― He was not," Williams said. “And it is possible for you to come from nowhere and be something.”

She also had a message for whoever posted video of her son’s body online.

“Take that down. Facebook, whoever-book, whatever anybody got going on, it’s utterly disrespectful,” Williams said. “And what they need to understand and know: I learned how to respect people’s privacy. Because one day it just may be you, whoever posted it. Yeah, it may be you. One good day, be mindful.”

Law enforcement agencies call the investigation ongoing and active.

“Why is it taking law enforcement so long to confirm his identity? And why is it taking so long to get answers?” family attorney Nixon LaRoche asked. “I mean, he was last seen on Friday. Today is now Tuesday. We still don’t have answers.”

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officially announced Liverpool’s identity on Wednesday.

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The neighbors in Fort Lauderdale’s Lake Aire - Palm View neighborhood got into an argument in the hallway about Grenajha Gadson’s son “being touched,” according to a police officer’s arrest report.

A mother and her three kids told police officers that they were inside their apartment, near Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, when Gadson, 27, and Bryanna Womble broke in, according to the report.

After “kicking the door open,” Womble, 35, punched the mother, and Gadson, 27, punched an 11-year-old girl “when she tried to take her mom’s phone to call for help,” according to the report.

Gadson also “mushed and punched” the girl’s 10-year-old sibling, who tried to defend her, according to police. And when a 7-year-old boy tried to defend his mother, Womble kicked him in the chest, according to police.

Police officers arrested Gadson and Womble on Monday in Fort Lauderdale, and corrections booked them at the Broward County Main Jail, where they remained without bond Wednesday afternoon, records show.

Gadson faced three counts of burglary with assault or battery. Womble faced two counts of burglary with assault or battery.

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

Los vecinos en el vecindario Lake Aire - Palm View de Fort Lauderdale tuvieron una discusión en el pasillo sobre el hijo de Grenajha Gadson “siendo tocado”, según un informe de arresto policial.

Una madre y sus tres hijos dijeron a los agentes que estaban dentro de su apartamento, cerca de Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, cuando Gadson, de 27 años, y Bryanna Womble irrumpieron, según el informe.

Después de “patear la puerta”, Womble, de 35 años, golpeó a la madre, y Gadson, de 27 años, golpeó a una niña de 11 años “cuando intentó tomar el teléfono de su madre para llamar por ayuda”, según el informe.

Gadson también “empujó y golpeó” al hermano de 10 años de la niña, quien intentó defenderla, según la policía. Y cuando un niño de 7 años intentó defender a su madre, Womble lo pateó en el pecho, según la policía.

Los agentes arrestaron a Gadson y Womble el lunes en Fort Lauderdale, y correcciones las ingresó en la cárcel principal del condado Broward, donde permanecían sin derecho a fianza el miércoles por la tarde, según los registros.

Gadson enfrenta tres cargos de allanamiento con agresión o violencia. Womble enfrenta dos cargos de allanamiento con agresión o violencia.

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

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Surveillance video shows Christopher Brandi during a shooting targeting Johnny Serrano in the North Beach neighborhood, according to an arrest warrant.

Serrano “battered Brandi and brandished a firearm” on May 26 at The Sand Bar and Kitchen at 6752 Collins Ave., and the shooting was about three hours later on May 27 outside of the bar on Collins Avenue, according to the warrant.

Surveillance video shows Brandi “removed a firearm” from a black cross-body bag and fired at Serrano, who was driving away in a silver 2026 Chevrolet Equinox, according to the warrant.

The evidence also included nine spent bullet casings, “damage to nearby trees and concrete pillars,” and damage to the car “along the driver’s side, rear passenger door,” according to the warrant.

On Tuesday, Brandi was arrested at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale, and Miami-Dade corrections booked him at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, records show.

Brandi faced charges of attempted murder with a deadly weapon and shooting a deadly missile. Corrections held him without bond.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.