A 36-year-old man booked under the name Jose Kamruzzaman was taken into custody on Thursday in connection with the Feb. 27 incident at the Islamic Center of South Florida, a mosque at 1641 NW 15th St. in Pompano Beach.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, security guards at the mosque called deputies after seeing a man later, identified as Kamruzzaman, of Boca Raton, engaging in “odd” behavior with a group of girls who were walking outside ― namely, Kamruzzaman picking one of them up.

A report states that the girls told one guard they didn’t know Kamruzzaman, whom the guards also confronted, trying to get his identification. Deputies said he instead took off in his car, but the guards were able to snap a photo of his license plate.

According to BSO, video showed Kamruzzaman beckoning one of the girls over and lifting her up. Deputies said he inappropriately touched two girls during the encounter. Their ages weren’t specified, but at least one was under 12, authorities said.

Authorities said they were able to trace the vehicle to Kamruzzaman, who had it registered under No Name Given Kamruzzaman. Deputies said in the report that Kamruzzaman only had one name, so it’s unclear whether “Jose” is a legal name, a nickname or a placeholder.

The New York Police Department has referred to Kamruzzaman as “Fnu Kamruzzaman” - “Fnu” standing for “first name unknown.”

“We don’t even know his first name,” a Broward prosecutor said in court Friday.

According to BSO, Kamruzzaman has had at least three run-ins with the NYPD for lewd subway behavior.

In 2014, they said he was arrested for “rubbing himself against a 15-year-old girl on a train.”

In August 2017, police said he rubbed himself against an off-duty female police officer on a Manhattan-bound 7 train in Queens, then “exposed himself,” then got off at a stop and fled before being captured in the Sunnyside neighborhood.

Then, in 2021, he was accused of “masturbating in front of a woman” on an E train.

Kamruzzaman, now facing Broward charges of lewd and lascivious conduct and lewd and lascivious molestation, was ordered held without bond.

He’s also behind bars on an immigration hold. His nationality wasn’t clear; arrest documents list his place of birth as Queens, which a prosecutor said in court was “clearly not accurate,” given that he has a final deportation order.

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The first Monday of September arrives right as the hurricane season is reaching its traditional peak (on or around September 10^th), when the Atlantic basin is typically most active.

Some Labor Days of the not-so-distant past – like in 2023 and 1995 – featured as many as four simultaneous named storms over the holiday weekend. Labor Day weekend of 1950 was littered with 3 overlapping hurricanes – Charlie, Dog, and Easy, the last of which struck the Big Bend of Florida as a Category 3 hurricane and set a state rainfall record (45.2 inches at Yankeetown), which still holds today.

Roughly 9 out of 10 Labor Day weekends since 1950 have featured at least one active tropical cyclone across the Atlantic basin (Gulf, Caribbean, and wider north Atlantic). Only twice in the reliable records (since 1950) have two consecutive Labor Day weekends passed with no active Atlantic systems whatsoever – 1997-1998 and 2024-2025. Never in the reliable records have we gone three consecutive Labor Day Weekends with an empty tropical Atlantic map; that is, until 2026.

It’s a rare treat for the Atlantic hurricane season to pause the first week of September and let beachgoers enjoy the unofficial end of summer without worry of a looming hurricane. It’s even more rare to look out at our long-range computer models in early September and see absolutely no Atlantic tropical contenders on the horizon.

So far the Super El Niño is doing all that we hoped it would, keeping the Atlantic hurricane season remarkably quiet, with the lowest activity to-date of the reliable hurricane records (since at least 1950).

Another close call for parts of Hawaii

Unlike the Atlantic, the Pacific is replete with strong hurricanes. This week Karina and Lowell attained Category 4 and Category 5 status, respectively, while Maria became a hurricane late Wednesday over the open Pacific to their east.

Lowell is the only one of the three that could pose a direct threat to land. The forecast is not only for Category 3 Lowell to strengthen over the weekend, it could maintain its status as a major Category hurricane as it makes its closest point of approach to the westernmost main Hawaiian Islands late Monday and Monday night local time.

Officially the National Hurricane Center keeps the center of Lowell about 150 to 200 miles west of Kauaʻi at its nearest pass and models have generally trended westward and away from the state’s main islands over the past few days.

Google’s latest 1,000-member DeepMind ensemble run suggests low odds that Lowell’s center passes to within 75 miles of Kauaʻi.

Nevertheless, residents and visitors across the state will want to continue to monitor the forecasts, as powerful waves and life-threatening surf will continue to build as Lowell approaches. The large extra-high surf will likely affect harbor entrances, channels, and coastal properties and infrastructure, including roadways, through early next week.

Under those obligations, which are part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran is legally bound to declare all nuclear material and activities and allow inspectors of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency to verify that none of it is being diverted from peaceful uses.

The diplomatic move has been under consideration since June 2025 when the IAEA board found Iran officially in noncompliance with its nonproliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years — one day before the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran’s nuclear sites.

The possible referral of Iran to the U.N. Security Council shifts the responsibility to a higher authority that is able to enact further legally binding measures, including sanctions or asset freezes.

But specific punitive measures by the U.N. are unlikely in this case since Iran’s allies Russia and China hold a veto power on the U.N. Security Council.

The draft resolution, which was seen by The Associated Press and reported earlier by Reuters, requests the IAEA director general Rafael Grossi “to transmit this resolution and the previously adopted resolutions … to all Members of the Agency and to the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the IAEA Statute.”

The resolution also “stresses its support for a diplomatic solution to the challenges posed by the Iranian nuclear programme and its implications for regional peace and stability leading to an agreement that addresses all international concerns related to Iran’s nuclear activities, and encourages all parties to constructively engage in diplomacy.”

Diplomats say that the resolution is still under negotiation and has not yet been formally submitted to the board. The text of the draft resolution may therefore still change, as board members still have the opportunity to suggest amendments.

Once formally submitted, it will be put to a vote during next week’s IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna.

Referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council had been stalled to allow a final push for diplomacy, according to a senior Western diplomat, who wasn’t authorized to comment about the sensitive matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. The IAEA board now has to follow its mandate and act because not only has Iran not cooperated, but even communication is no longer happening, the official said.

Since Israel and the U.S. struck Iran’s nuclear sites during the 12-day war in June 2025, Iran hasn’t given IAEA inspectors access to nuclear sites that were affected by the strikes — even though Tehran is legally obliged to cooperate with the watchdog under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

The agency also has been unable to verify the status of the stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium since the June bombing. Of course, that has been made much more difficult by more than six months of war that the U.S. and Israel launched against Iran on Feb. 28, including strikes that have been carried out by both Washington and Tehran this week.

The IAEA warned in Tuesday’s confidential report, seen by the AP, that continued denial by Iran to allow IAEA inspectors access to its nuclear sites and to verify the nuclear material constitutes a “proliferation risk” that needed to be “addressed with the utmost urgency.”

According to the IAEA, Iran maintains a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

That stockpile could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, IAEA chief Grossi warned in an interview last year with the AP. He said that it doesn’t mean that Iran has such a weapon.

The IAEA also reported in its confidential report on Tuesday that there has been no progress in its long-running investigation into uranium traces detected by inspectors at various undeclared sites in Iran.

Western officials suspect that the uranium traces could provide further evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons program until 2003.

Iran says that it’s not pursuing nuclear weapons, and its program is entirely peaceful.

—- The Associated Press 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 department sustained several allegations against former Officer Raymond Kerner, four of which came under the internal policy violation of “failure to adhere to laws.” Those laws, according to the July 30 CSPD internal affairs report, were battery, lewd and lascivious exhibition, showing obscene material to minors and sexual battery.

While the report alleges that Kerner broke the law, he is not facing criminal charges; the report states that prosecutors couldn’t pursue them because the alleged incidents fell outside of the statute of limitations. In one case, a woman said she did not want to pursue charges for an allegation from 2025, according to the report.

CSPD announced the results of the investigation into Kerner and publicly announced his “termination” on Friday. The department said Kerner served as a full-time SRO at Taravella from 2013 to 2021, retired in 2022, then rejoined the department as a seasonal SRO at Eagle Ridge Elementary.

They said the internal probe into the officer began after reports from “several women who described inappropriate behavior and conversations of a sexual nature” while serving at Taravella. Police said he was “immediately” relieved of duty following the allegations and is “no longer employed” by CSPD.

In one case, Kerner was accused of inappropriately touching a 21-year-old former student “and placing cash inside her shirt.”

Internal investigators said he also sexually battered a young woman on an August 2025 boat outing. According the CSPD document, the woman told investigators that she “doesn’t want to press charges” and “does not think Officer Kerner should be working in a school with young females or be a police officer anymore.”

Investigators also sustained allegations that Kerner showed a student, then 15 or 16, pornography during a FaceTime call and masturbated during another FaceTime call, according to the report.

According to the report, they also sustained complaints that Kerner, who allowed students to “routinely hang out in (his) office,” once likened a student to a type of sex toy because of “how small she was,” said “she would be fun to be with (during sex)” and “physically massag(ed) her back.”

An investigator finding Kerner violated the agency’s unprofessional behavior policy concluded: “Officer Kerner engaging in criminal sexual conduct is unprofessional and is not a standard of a Coral Springs Police Officer.”

Kerner did not provide a statement during the investigation.

In Friday’s announcement, CSPD Chief Brad Mock called Kerner’s conduct “inexcusable.”

“Wearing this badge gives an officer authority, but it also places great responsibility on that officer to exercise good judgement and protect the trust placed in us,” Mock said. “That responsibility is especially important when an officer works with our youth.”

“Accountability matters. Transparency matters. We investigated these allegations, took immediate action, and now the investigation is closed. We will not hide from conduct that falls short of what this department and our community expects,” the statement continued.

Mock said that the “recognize(s) there may be others who have had similar experiences and never reported them.”

He said anyone with “information concerning inappropriate conduct involving Officer Kerner” is asked to call Sgt. Ernesto Bruna at 954-346-1234.

Authorities said MFR medics responded to a stabbing call at the government center, located at 111 NW First St., at about 3:45 p.m.

They said the man was transported in serious condition to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center.

No other details about the victim, a possible suspect or motive were immediately released.

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Collier County prosecutors’ cases against Stephen Trejos and Andre Seenaraine remained pending. They were accused of the Jan. 25 battery against Rigoberto Rodriguez, a Cuban who U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained on Dec. 9.

Frank Rivera, a witness, told WINK News that he and Rodriguez were part of a group of dozens of detainees who were banging their handcuffs on a bench after waiting since 6 a.m. without access to food or water.

Trejos, 25, “picked him up, slammed him, and then started hitting him,” Rivera said, according to WINK Reporter Olivia Jean’s report published on July 1.

Attorney Yaritssa Plasencia, who represented Rodriguez, told WINK that the case surfaced after Rodriguez arrived wearing a blood-stained uniform, with bandages on his hand, and with a black eye on Jan. 25 at El Paso Camp East Montana, in Texas.

In a motion, Trejos’s attorney alleged surveillance video showed Rodriguez delivering a “compliance strike” after Rodriguez spat on him. Rivera also told WINK that detainees yelled at Trejos to stop, and Seenaraine, 30, later punched Rodriguez in another room.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the cases. Collier County Circuit Judge Crystal K. Kinzel signed warrants for their arrest on June 24.

Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Trejos on June 24. Trejos was released on a $1,000 bond on June 25. Seenaraine was also released on a $1,000 bond on June 27.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Seenaraine on June 26 in Ocala, records show. The Tampa Bay Times reported deputies listed Seenaraine’s employer as Critical Response Strategies, one of Florida’s contractors at Alligator Alley.

Trejos and Seenaraine each faced a charge of first-degree misdemeanor battery and pleaded not guilty.

The agreement paves the way for the long-sought return of “ Portrait of a Lady ” to Marei von Saher, the sole surviving heir of Dutch-Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, whose celebrated collection was sold under duress to Nazi officials after Adolf Hitler’s Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940.

Patricia Kadgien, the daughter of the late high-ranking Nazi official Friedrich Kadgien, and her husband, Juan Carlos Cortegoso, were charged with aggravated cover-up last year after authorities said they hid the 18th-century painting despite knowing it was being sought by Argentine and international investigators.

Under the agreement, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the couple agreed to give up any claim to the work and consent to its return to von Saher in exchange for avoiding a criminal trial and spending two years under court supervision. During that time, they must make payments to a hospital in Argentina's coastal city of Mar del Plata, where they live, and keep authorities informed of their whereabouts.

The deal ends a generations-long search for the missing portrait and a yearlong legal saga that began in August 2025. Dutch reporters investigating Friedrich Kadgien, a fugitive Nazi financial official who fled to Argentina after World War II, spotted “Portrait of a Lady” hanging above a green velvet couch in an online real estate listing for his daughter’s rustic home in Mar del Plata.

The listing disappeared within hours of the Rotterdam-based newspaper Algemeen Dagblad publishing its findings. Police raided the home several times but failed to find the painting. More than a week later, Kadgien’s lawyer turned it over to authorities.

For decades, the portrait had been identified as a work by the Italian Baroque painter Giuseppe Vittore Ghislandi. It appeared under that attribution in Goudstikker’s collection records and was exhibited as a Ghislandi in Amsterdam before the war. But a court-ordered examination by Argentina’s National Academy of Fine Arts reached a different conclusion, attributing the work to the Italian artist Giacomo Antonio Melchiorre Ceruti.

Experts authenticated the painting as part of Goudstikker’s collection and estimated its value at about 250,000 euros ($290,000).

Goudstikker was one of Europe’s leading art dealers before World War II, known for a collection that included works by Rembrandt and Vermeer. He died in a shipwreck while fleeing Amsterdam with his family as German forces swept into the Netherlands in May 1940.

An estimated 1,100 works from his collection were illegally sold to Hermann Göring, known as Hitler’s right-hand man, who amassed a vast art collection during the war. It remains unclear exactly how “Portrait of a Lady” came into the possession of Kadgien, Göring’s financial adviser, who handled foreign currency, precious metals and the sale of confiscated property for the Nazi regime.

Kadgien fled Europe after Germany’s defeat, first for Switzerland and later Argentina. He died in the South American country in 1978 without having been arrested or charged with war crimes.

Lawyers for von Saher, who now lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, and spent decades trying to recover her family’s looted art, said she has agreed to let the painting be exhibited in Argentina before being returned to her.

During last year's raids on homes owned by Kadgien and her sister in Mar del Plata, Argentine police also seized two 19th-century paintings, along with other prints and engravings. Authorities are still investigating whether any of them may also have been looted during World War II.

___

Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report.

“Build the Wall” is a “Tetris” knockoff that transforms the classic game into an effort to “Protect the border from the coming horde.” In “Rio Run,” which resembles the mobile favorite “Snake,” an icon resembling Trump runs around gathering potential border crossers.

In “Supply Line,” which looks like a condensed version of the arcade game “Tapper,” food moves along an assembly line and you must reject items that don’t meet “Make America Healthy Again” standards.

Two of the games take place over the skies of the nation’s capital. In “Flappy Bill,” an eagle carries a bill across the National Mall. In “Trump Savings Tycoon,” your goal is to collect money flying through the air to “Fill your kids’ Trump Accounts,” the administration savings plan that offers $1,000 to every child born during Trump’s term.

The White House announced Arcade on social media with a series of animations parodying Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo loading screens. In one such post, the Sega logo turns into “MAGA,” as in Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

Los casos de los fiscales del condado Collier contra Stephen Trejos y Andre Seenaraine seguían pendientes. Fueron acusados de la agresión del 25 de enero contra Rigoberto Rodriguez, un cubano que el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos detuvo el 9 de diciembre.

Frank Rivera, un testigo, dijo a WINK News que él y Rodriguez formaban parte de un grupo de decenas de detenidos que golpeaban sus esposas contra un banco después de esperar desde las 6 a.m. sin acceso a comida ni agua.

Trejos, de 25 años, “lo levantó, lo lanzó contra el suelo y luego comenzó a golpearlo”, dijo Rivera, según el reporte de la periodista de WINK Olivia Jean, publicado el 1 de julio.

La abogada Yaritssa Plasencia, quien representó a Rodriguez, dijo a WINK que el caso salió a la luz después de que Rodriguez llegara el 25 de enero a El Paso Camp East Montana, en Texas, con un uniforme manchado de sangre, vendajes en la mano y un ojo morado.

En una moción, el abogado de Trejos alegó que un video de vigilancia mostraba a Trejos dando un “golpe de cumplimiento” después de que Rodriguez le escupiera. Rivera también dijo a WINK que los detenidos le gritaron a Trejos que se detuviera y que Seenaraine, de 30 años, posteriormente golpeó a Rodriguez en otra habitación.

El Departamento de Aplicación de la Ley de Florida investigó los casos. La jueza del Tribunal de Circuito del condado Collier, Crystal K. Kinzel, firmó las órdenes de arresto el 24 de junio.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Collier arrestaron a Trejos el 24 de junio. Trejos fue liberado bajo una fianza de $1,000 USD el 25 de junio. Seenaraine también fue liberado bajo una fianza de $1,000 USD el 27 de junio.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Marion arrestaron a Seenaraine el 26 de junio en Ocala, según muestran los registros. El Tampa Bay Times informó que los agentes identificaron al empleador de Seenaraine como Critical Response Strategies, uno de los contratistas de Florida en Alligator Alley.

Trejos y Seenaraine enfrentaban cada uno un cargo de agresión, un delito menor de primer grado, y se declararon no culpables.

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Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel rushed the FIUPD motorman from Hialeah Gardens to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in an ambulance.

The crash was along U.S. Route 27, near Frontage Road. Florida Highway Patrol troopers temporarily blocked southbound traffic to make way for the ambulance.

This is a developing story. Local 10 News Senior Assignment Editor Frine Gomez contributed to this report.

Location

Personal de Bomberos y Rescate de Miami-Dade trasladó de urgencia al policía motociclista de FIUPD desde Hialeah Gardens hasta HCA Florida Kendall Hospital en una ambulancia.

El accidente ocurrió a lo largo de la U.S. Route 27, cerca de Frontage Road. Agentes de la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida bloquearon temporalmente el tráfico en dirección sur para dar paso a la ambulancia.

Esta es una noticia en desarrollo. La editora sénior de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Frine Gomez, contribuyó a este reporte.

Ubicación

Asked during an Oval Office exchange about Vance’s comments made a day earlier, Trump noted that U.S. strikes on Iran are now “intermittent” and seemed to downplay the intensity of a war that's cost U.S. taxpayers more than $37.5 billion and left 18 U.S. service members dead.

“I can understand what he’s saying,” said Trump. He added, “I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing."

Vance on Thursday, during a White House press briefing, rejected the use of the word “war” to describe the U.S. fighting with Iran and steered clear of predicting that the 6-month-old conflict would be over by November’s midterm elections, in which Republicans are trying to hang on to their narrow majorities in Congress.

“I wouldn’t call it a war,” Vance said after being asked during a White House press briefing about whether the fighting could end before voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 congressional elections. “Right now, there is no active shooting.”

Vance’s assertion came even as Iran fired at U.S. Gulf ally Kuwait on Thursday in retaliation for rounds of U.S. strikes on Iran earlier in the week.

Trump in Friday's exchange with reporters added that the U.S. death toll in the Iran conflict is relatively lower than some other recent U.S. wars. The U.S., along with Israel, have only carried out air strikes in the Iran war, which began on Feb. 28, and has not deployed troops into the country.

“We did Venezuela and we did this. In Venezuela, we lost nobody,” said Trump, referring to the January U.S. military operation to seize former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and spirit him to New York City to face federal drug trafficking charges. “And this, we lost 18 people. And, in Vietnam we lost 100,000 people. And in other conflicts, we lost tens of thousands of people.”

A total of 58,220 members of the U.S. armed forces died during the Vietnam War, according to records from the U.S. National Archives.

Pressed by a reporter on describing the conflict as “small potatoes" when 18 U.S. service members have been killed, Trump responded by reiterating his argument that the conflict—one that he said at the outset of the war would last a matter of weeks—has led to the defanging of Iran's nuclear program.

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon because if they did you probably wouldn’t be standing here,” Trump said.

Según la policía, el apuñalamiento fue reportado alrededor de las 4:45 a.m. en el área de 86 SW Eighth St.

Se observó una gran presencia policial afuera del edificio de apartamentos Solitair, pero no está claro si el ataque ocurrió dentro o fuera del edificio.

La policía dijo que en este momento no está claro si el apuñalamiento estuvo relacionado con un incidente doméstico.

El estado de la víctima aún no ha sido divulgado.

Vea Local 10 News o actualice esta página para obtener más información.

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According to police, the stabbing was reported at about 4:45 a.m. inside the Solitair apartment building, located at 86 SW Eighth St.

A large police presence was spotted inside and outside the building throughout the morning.

Zach Karson, who lives on the same floor where the victim was found, said he stumbled upon the scene while trying to leave his building to go for a run.

“I heard some noises this morning, like 4:30, woke up to it, didn’t know what I heard, I rounded the corner. I just saw the yellow police tape and then I heard some keys, then I saw four cops and a body with a pool of blood,” Karson said. “It was super scary. I went back into my apartment, locked my balcony door, locked my door and kind of just looked in the peephole for 10 minutes until I took the stairs 47 floors down.”

Karson said only one elevator was working in the building Friday.

Miami Fire Rescue officials said the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police later confirmed that the stabbing was domestic-related.

“The body remains inside. We’re waiting for a warrant, which is procedure,” Officer Kenia Fallat said shortly before noon. “We’re waiting for a warrant to make access to go back inside.”

No other details were immediately released.

Maj. Alex Klinner, 33, was one of six crew members of a KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq in March while supporting operations against Iran. He's one of 18 U.S. service members killed, along with 790 wounded, since the war began more than six months ago.

The Air Force reached out to his widow, Libby Klinner, this week to clarify that his final paycheck would include hazard pay and combat-related tax breaks. This occurred after she voiced frustration on social media at being told by a military officer assigned to support her after her husband’s death that he was ineligible for those benefits because “we were not at war.”

“My husband lost his life because we’re in a war, and then I was told that because it’s not technically a war, we lose out on something,” Klinner told The Associated Press. “It all comes down to principle.”

Trump administration is rejecting the ‘war’ label for current Iran operations

Her post, made over the weekend, gained national attention. Vice President JD Vance promised to look into her case after being asked about it during a White House briefing on Thursday.

“We want to be as helpful as we can and ensure she gets everything that she is entitled to,” Vance said. “My message to her would be, ‘We love ya, we’re grateful for the sacrifice and we very much take very seriously our commitment to get you what you need to get.’”

In response to a separate question, Vance rejected the use of the word “war” to characterize U.S. fighting in Iran, saying that “there is no active shooting.” The military has launched strikes against targets in Iran twice this week, and Iran has retaliated by firing on U.S. allies in the Gulf.

On Friday, President Donald Trump called U.S. strikes “intermittent" and defended Vance's comments.

“I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

In late July, the Trump administration created a new, separate category in the Pentagon's casualty count system for those killed and wounded in renewed U.S.-Iran fighting. Pentagon officials said the change was necessary because “Operation Epic Fury,” the original name for combat operations against Tehran, had ended. Since July 7, all U.S. casualties in the Middle East have been tallied under “Overseas Operations.”

Widow says the Air Force has clarified the issues about her husband's pay

Libby Klinner said Air Force officials contacted her this week to say they were initiating a review of her husband's pay. The Air Force acknowledged to her Thursday that it had initially provided inaccurate information and clarified that she was receiving the full pay and benefits her husband was owed, she said.

She said she was told that her husband's paycheck had already included but incorrectly itemized the combat-related hazard pay and tax breaks.

The pay incentives commonly known as “combat pay” are $225 per month and are not conditioned on a formal war declaration but just that the service member be in an area where there is “grave danger of physical injury” or be “killed, injured, or wounded by a hostile fire event,” according to a military website.

Alex Klinner’s final paycheck would have included half that amount since troops are paid twice per month. It is difficult to calculate how much in federal tax breaks Klinner would have been receiving without more information.

Klinner declined to specify the amount of money she was initially told her husband, an eight-year Air Force veteran from Birmingham, Alabama, would be ineligible to receive.

The Air Force says it's committed to offering information and support

The Air Force said officials spoke with Klinner this week to “ensure all her questions are fully addressed” and confirmed that “all eligible combat theater benefits were included” in her husband's pay.

“We remain committed to providing clear information and continued support to Mrs. Klinner, as well as all the families of the Airmen who died in the KC-135 crash,” the Air Force added.

Broadly, errors in pay in the military are very common because service members can often gain or lose eligibility for a variety of payments depending on their deployment status, duty location or even family factors. As a result, unlike their civilian counterparts, some troops can see their paychecks change many times a year depending on many factors — something that also increases the likelihood of errors.

A GoFundMe for Libby Klinner and her three young children, launched in the days after her husband’s death, has raised more than $1.5 million.

Klinner said she hoped that by speaking out, other grieving families receive clear information from the outset.

"I am very fortunate to have a significant support system around us and a platform to advocate for myself and for my kids. Other families may not have those resources," she said. “If I can do anything to make this awful situation a little bit easier for someone else to navigate, then I am more than willing to do so.”

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Brook reported from New Orleans. Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Sinema has acknowledged having a romantic relationship with Matthew Ammel but argued that she can't be sued in North Carolina because she has no connection to the state.

U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon rejected that argument, saying nine text messages she sent Ammel while he was in the state give North Carolina jurisdiction over her. He found it implausible that she was unaware of Ammel's whereabouts when she texted him.

Sinema's lawyer, Steven Epstein, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The lawsuit, filed by Ammel's ex-wife, seeks financial damages from Sinema, who represented Arizona in the U.S. House and later the Senate for one term that ended early last year. North Carolina is one of a handful of states that allow jilted spouses to sue for “alienation of affection” to seek compensation from a third party responsible for the breakup of their marriage.

Matthew and Heather Ammel had “a good and loving marriage” with “genuine love and affection” before Sinema interfered, pursuing Matthew Ammel despite knowing he was married, Heather Ammel alleges in her lawsuit.

Matthew Ammel joined Sinema's security team after he retired from the Army in 2022 and accompanied her on domestic and foreign travel, according to Heather Ammel's complaint.

In early 2024, Heather Ammel discovered “romantic and lascivious” messages her husband had exchanged with Sinema over the Signal messaging app. That summer, he stopped wearing his wedding ring and Sinema gave him a job as a national security fellow in her Senate office while he continued to work for her campaign as a bodyguard, the lawsuit alleges.

Sinema described their sexual encounters during a deposition in July. She said the relationship turned sexual on May 27, 2024, during a trip to Napa, California. She said they later had sexual encounters in New York, Washington, Colorado and Arizona, but never North Carolina.

Matthew and Heather Ammel separated on Nov. 1, 2024.

The justices halted for now a lower-court ruling in favor of Democratic candidates who argued that cheaper broadcast ads should be limited to candidates. One justice publicly dissented from the unsigned order. It's the latest election-related appeal to come before the high court ahead of the pivotal November contests.

The Trump administration supported the emergency appeal from GOP campaign arms.

The decision comes on the heels of a June Supreme Court ruling that removed limits on parties spending money in coordination with candidates. It was seen as a boon to the GOP because the national party has a sizable cash advantage, and access to cheaper ad rates could boost that edge.

Among Democrats, meanwhile, some individual candidates have sizable fundraising advantages over their Republican opponents.

Candidates pay discounted rates for TV time around an election under federal law, and in March the Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau said certain party-coordinated ads are entitled to those prices as well.

Four Democrats, including Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia and former Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, challenged the finding in court. They won a victory from a divided panel of the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of appeals.

The National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee then asked the Supreme Court to intervene. They argued that broadcasters were already charging them higher rates and upending their planned budgets after the appeals court decision.

The majority of justices agreed that the lower court had acted too soon with the order that differed from judges around the country.

“Current and future recissions will require the party committees to pay more for advertising space, thereby hampering their efforts to reach the electorate in the critical weeks leading up to the midterms,” the Supreme Court order states.

One justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, disagreed, writing that the court likely didn't have to wait until an internal FCC review was done.

The decision halts the appeals court ruling while the Republican committees file a fuller appeal.

The two-time defending champion complained to the chair umpire that it was bothering her early in her third-round victory over Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday.

Sabalenka said she had never smelled the odor so strong as she did while serving early in the match.

“I don’t know if it was, like, coming from the crowd or was from the outside because the wind blows it into the stadium,” Sabalenka said. “I don’t know. I just hope they’re going to be a bit more aware of that stuff.”

Sabalenka was serving in the third game of the match in Louis Armstrong Stadium. She tossed the ball but then let it fall to the court. She did the same thing on the next point, with something clearly bothering her.

She then approached the chair to ask for help.

“I was like, guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please, to not do it around the tennis courts,” Sabalenka said, when asked what she was thinking of the time. “It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best.”

Other players, such as Nick Kyrgios and Maria Sakkari, have complained in the past about the smell of marijuana during their matches. There is a park behind the grounds where the U.S. Open is played, which is often the expected source of the smell.

No fans were found to be smoking and ejected from the tennis grounds.

“While we can’t control what takes place off the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, we continue to be vigilant as we maintain this facility as a smoke free environment," U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Brendan McIntyre said in a statement. "This includes enforcement by our security and guest services teams when they are made aware of any individual that may be smoking, making them aware that although it may be legal in NY, that smoking is not permitted on parks property including the tennis center.”

The top-seeded Sabalenka eventually was able to laugh off the topic during her news conference after the match, including the idea that fans just might be looking for ways to further enjoy her matches.

“Maybe it’s too fast so they want to slow down a little bit, so who knows,” she said. “I don’t know the effect from it.”

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

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Authorities said the Broward crime happened on May 13 in Pompano Beach, a day before Vladimir Kudyakov, 43, was suspected of stealing a Rolex in Doral and a week before he would be arrested at a downtown Miami FedEx store as police said he attempted to “fraudulently retrieve another package.”

He had been suspected of stealing a package containing a $53,500 Rolex at a Doral FedEx Office Print & Ship Center on May 14.

He initially faced multiple felony charges, though, as of Friday, Miami-Dade court records showed that only a charge of possessing or making equipment to counterfeit drivers licenses remained.

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies said in the Pompano Beach incident, Kudyakov went to the victim’s condominium building and gave a FedEx driver fake identity documents matching the victim’s personal information in order to steal a $7,190 Rolex Datejust watch.

Hollywood police took him into custody on grand theft and identity theft charges on Wednesday, records show.

He no longer appeared in Broward jail records as of Friday.

Las autoridades dijeron que el delito en Broward ocurrió el 13 de mayo en Pompano Beach, un día antes de que Vladimir Kudyakov, de 43 años, fuera sospechoso de robar un Rolex en Doral y una semana antes de que fuera arrestado en una tienda FedEx del centro de Miami cuando, según la policía, intentaba “recuperar fraudulentamente otro paquete”.

Era sospechoso de robar un paquete que contenía un Rolex de $53,500 USD en un FedEx Office Print & Ship Center de Doral el 14 de mayo.

Inicialmente enfrentó varios cargos por delitos graves, aunque, hasta el viernes, los registros judiciales de Miami-Dade mostraban que solo permanecía un cargo por poseer o fabricar equipos para falsificar licencias de conducir.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward dijeron que, en el incidente de Pompano Beach, Kudyakov acudió al edificio de condominios de la víctima y entregó a un conductor de FedEx documentos de identidad falsos que coincidían con la información personal de la víctima para robar un reloj Rolex Datejust de $7,190 USD.

La policía de Hollywood lo detuvo el miércoles por cargos de hurto mayor y robo de identidad, según muestran los registros.

Hasta el viernes, ya no aparecía en los registros de la cárcel de Broward.

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Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Andres Perez on Thursday at 7:25 a.m. at Horizons West, at 8650 SW 133 Ave., in Miami-Dade’s Kendale Lakes neighborhood, according to a deputy’s arrest report.

“The victim is an elderly female who has been diagnosed with severe vascular dementia of the alzheimers type, poor memory, anxiety disorder, and poor hearing,” a deputy wrote, according to the arrest report.

Perez also collected about $17,600 in rent from the woman’s tenant at an efficiency in her townhome, in the gated Villa Venezia, at 1331 SW 124 Court, in the Tamiami neighborhood, according to deputies.

Perez lived with the victim and was “aware” of her “cognitive impairment,” as he “exercised control and received financial benefits from the property, and participated in continuous efforts to challenge the victim’s capacity,” according to deputies.

The victim had owned the townhome since 1987 and had inherited it from her brother after his death, according to deputies who reported working with the Miami-Dade County Recorders’ Office.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Perez at 11:10 a.m. on Thursday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he remained on Friday afternoon, according to inmate records.

Perez faced three charges: Exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult for more than $100,000, first-degree grand theft, and organized scheme to defraud. A judge ordered him to prove that the bail’s funds were not the proceeds of a crime.

Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez is set to preside over the case.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade arrestaron a Andres Perez el jueves a las 7:25 a.m. en Horizons West, en 8650 SW 133 Ave., en el vecindario Kendale Lakes de Miami-Dade, según el informe de arresto de un agente.

“La víctima es una mujer de edad avanzada que ha sido diagnosticada con demencia vascular grave del tipo Alzheimer, mala memoria, trastorno de ansiedad y problemas de audición”, escribió un agente, según el informe de arresto.

Perez también cobró cerca de $17,600 USD en alquiler al inquilino de la mujer por una vivienda tipo efficiency en su casa adosada, en la comunidad cerrada Villa Venezia, en 1331 SW 124 Court, en el vecindario Tamiami, según los agentes.

Perez vivía con la víctima y estaba “al tanto” de su “deterioro cognitivo”, ya que “ejercía control y recibía beneficios financieros de la propiedad, y participaba en esfuerzos continuos para cuestionar la capacidad de la víctima”, según los agentes.

La víctima era propietaria de la casa adosada desde 1987 y la había heredado de su hermano después de su muerte, según los agentes, quienes informaron que trabajaron con la Oficina de Registros del Condado Miami-Dade.

El Departamento de Correcciones de Miami-Dade registró a Perez a las 11:10 a.m. del jueves en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde permanecía hasta la tarde del viernes, según los registros de reclusos.

Perez enfrentaba tres cargos: explotación de una persona de edad avanzada o adulto discapacitado por más de $100,000 USD, hurto mayor en primer grado y esquema organizado para defraudar. Un juez le ordenó demostrar que los fondos para la fianza no provenían de un delito.

La jueza del Tribunal de Circuito del Condado Miami-Dade, Marisa Tinkler Mendez, presidirá el caso.

Documentos judiciales muestran que los casos contra Nikolay Saukov, de 60 años y residente de Pompano Beach, y Andrei Zaretski, de 49 años y residente de Hollywood, están siendo procesados en un tribunal federal de Detroit. Las autoridades dijeron que un tercer coacusado, Oleskiy Holikov, vive en los suburbios de Detroit y dirigía allí parte del esquema.

Red de cupones llama la atención de autoridades federales

Según una denuncia penal federal, los tres llamaron la atención de las autoridades como parte de una investigación sobre The Weekly Coupon Service, o WCS.

Los investigadores describieron a WCS como “una conspiración criminal que involucraba la producción y venta de cupones de bienes de consumo altamente realistas, pero falsificados, con valores drásticamente inflados”, los cuales están “tan inflados que provocan pérdidas significativas para los fabricantes de productos y, en ocasiones, para las tiendas donde se venden esos productos”.

WCS enviaba correos electrónicos a clientes con enlaces a “sitios web de comercio electrónico donde los usuarios pueden seleccionar cupones para comprarlos y pagarlos a través de PayPal”, dijeron las autoridades, y luego los cupones eran enviados por correo a todo el país. Grupos comerciales de la industria habían estado monitoreando el servicio, indicaron.

Investigan envíos

Inspectores postales dijeron que identificaron por primera vez a Holikov, de West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, en 2024 mediante registros de PayPal y bancarios. Las autoridades dijeron que vigilaron una oficina postal en la cercana Walled Lake y vieron a Holikov depositando numerosos paquetes con cupones falsificados en buzones de recolección; sus huellas dactilares aparecieron en algunos de los paquetes.

Las autoridades dijeron que interceptaron en julio de 2024 un paquete de FedEx de 30 libras enviado desde Pompano Beach que “contenía miles de cupones”. Indicaron que fotografiaron y volvieron a empacar los artículos y permitieron que fueran entregados en una tienda UPS en Southfield, Michigan, donde Holikov posteriormente recogió el paquete.

Según la denuncia, los investigadores pudieron identificar la cuenta de FedEx del remitente y obtuvieron varios videos de vigilancia de los envíos, que mostraban a un hombre enviando cajas a Michigan y otros lugares, principalmente desde una tienda FedEx en Hollywood. Las autoridades dijeron que posteriormente determinaron que la persona en los videos “parecía ser Zaretski”.

Identifican a sospechoso del sur de Florida

Las autoridades dijeron que pudieron rastrear a Zaretski después de “obtener registros de llamadas de números telefónicos pertenecientes a personas identificadas en esta investigación”.

Uno de esos números estaba asociado con una llamada de alarma a la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward en una propiedad de Pembroke Road. Un número telefónico de una persona con acceso a la propiedad proporcionado por la compañía de alarmas, dijeron, posteriormente fue vinculado a Zaretski.

Indicaron que investigadores del Departamento de Aplicación de la Ley de Florida posteriormente vieron a Zaretski, conduciendo un BMW visto en videos de vigilancia anteriores, en la tienda FedEx de Hollywood.

Según la denuncia, Zaretski vivía en Evergreen Terrace, a poca distancia a pie de la propiedad de Pembroke Road. La vigilancia de las fuerzas del orden mostró que Zaretski “pasaba horas solo dentro” de esta última propiedad.

Rastros de papel y revisiones de basura en Broward y Miami-Dade

Las autoridades dijeron que en julio de 2025, investigadores del FDLE “realizaron una revisión de basura” en la casa de Zaretski en Hollywood “y encontraron números de rastreo de FedEx y recortes de papel que parecían estar relacionados con PayPal”.

Después de más vigilancia, otra revisión de basura en la propiedad de Pembroke Road, realizada en marzo de este año, reveló un cartucho de tóner para impresora, cajas de envío y cajas de papel brillante, “bolsas de tamaño industrial llenas principalmente de recortes de papel”, guantes y etiquetas de envío, según la denuncia.

Las autoridades dijeron que el 19 de marzo hablaron con una compañía de papel “sobre envíos a un buzón” en Miami Gardens Drive. Según la denuncia, representantes de la compañía dijeron que tenían un envío de cuatro cajas de papel de 55 libras cada una programado para salir ese día hacia la dirección y que la cuenta “había pedido papel varias veces desde 2022, con aproximadamente 87 envíos entregados a “Andy Zaret, Lingo Systems”” en esa dirección.

El 20 de marzo, según la denuncia, “Zaretski fue visto recogiendo el papel en la dirección de Miami Gardens Drive en su BMW” e investigadores encubiertos lo vieron llevar los envíos al interior del edificio de Pembroke Road.

Las autoridades dijeron que una reconstrucción de recortes de papel obtenidos en una revisión posterior de basura “coincidía con los cupones fraudulentos” y los investigadores determinaron que se podían imprimir 12 cupones por hoja, lo que significaba que Zaretski podía “imprimir aproximadamente 480,000 cupones” solo con ese envío.

“La mayoría de los cupones identificados hasta el momento tienen un valor de descuento de al menos $6.00 USD, lo que significa que 480,000 cupones representarían aproximadamente $2,880,000 USD en valor de cupones fraudulentos”, señala la denuncia.

Más vínculos con el sur de Florida

Las autoridades dijeron que identificaron a Saukov después de rastrear 15 empresas fantasma vinculadas a cuentas de PayPal utilizadas en el esquema.

Indicaron que un video de vigilancia mostró a Saukov retirando $1,500 USD de tres cuentas distintas de empresas fantasma en cajeros automáticos de bancos en Boca Raton y posteriormente realizando depósitos en efectivo en la cuenta bancaria de Holikov.

“También ha depositado decenas de cheques emitidos desde las cuentas de las empresas fantasma en varias cuentas bancarias y ha recibido múltiples paquetes pequeños de una cuenta de FedEx controlada por Zaretski”, concluyeron los agentes.

Tras sus arrestos el jueves, Saukov y Zaretski permanecían detenidos en la cárcel principal de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward en nombre del Servicio de Alguaciles de Estados Unidos.

Los registros judiciales muestran que tenían previsto comparecer ante un tribunal federal de Fort Lauderdale el viernes por la mañana. Hasta la tarde del viernes, los registros no indicaban si ambos habían comparecido.

Tampoco estaba claro de inmediato cuándo Saukov y Zaretski serían extraditados a Michigan, ni si Holikov estaba bajo custodia.

Holikov no aparecía en los registros de la Oficina Federal de Prisiones y una búsqueda de Local 10 News en los registros de cárceles de tres condados del área metropolitana de Detroit tampoco arrojó resultados el viernes.

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Court documents show the cases against Nikolay Saukov, 60, of Pompano Beach, and Andrei Zaretski, 49, of Hollywood, are being prosecuted in Detroit federal court. Authorities said a third co-defendant, Oleskiy Holikov, lives in and ran a portion of the scheme in the Detroit suburbs.

Coupon ring hits feds’ radar

According to a federal criminal complaint, the three got on authorities’ radar as part of an investigation into The Weekly Coupon Service, or WCS.

Investigators described WCS as “a criminal conspiracy involving the production and sale of highly realistic, but counterfeit, consumer goods coupons with drastically inflated values,” which are “so inflated that they result in a significant loss to product manufacturers and, at times, the stores at which those goods are sold.”

WCS sent out emails to customers with links to “e-commerce websites where users can select coupons for purchase and pay for them via PayPal,” authorities said, with the coupons then being mailed out nationwide. Industry trade groups had been monitoring the service, they said.

Shipments investigated

Postal inspectors said they first identified Holikov, of West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, in 2024 through PayPal and bank records. Authorities said they surveilled a post office in nearby Walled Lake and saw Holikov dropping numerous counterfeit coupon packages into collection boxes; his fingerprints appeared on some of the parcels.

Authorities said they intercepted a 30-pound FedEx package sent from Pompano Beach in July 2024 that “contained thousands of coupons.” They said they photographed and repackaged the items and allowed them to be delivered to a UPS Store in Southfield, Michigan, where Holikov later picked the item up.

According to the complaint, investigators were able to identify the shipper’s FedEx account and got multiple surveillance videos of shipments, which showed a man shipping boxes to Michigan and elsewhere, primarily from a FedEx store in Hollywood. Authorities said they later determined that the person in the videos “appeared to be Zaretski.”

South Florida suspect identified

Authorities said they were able to trace Zaretski after “obtain(ing) call tolls of phone numbers belonging to individuals identified in this investigation.”

One of those numbers was associated with a Broward Sheriff’s Office alarm call at a property on Pembroke Road. A keyholder phone number provided by the alarm company, they said, had a phone number that later traced back to Zaretski.

They said Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators later saw Zaretski, driving a BMW seen in previous surveillance footage, at the Hollywood FedEx store.

According to the complaint, Zaretski lived on Evergreen Terrace, within walking distance of the Pembroke Road property. Law enforcement surveillance showed that Zaretski “spent hours alone inside” the latter property.

Paper trails, trash pulls in Broward, Miami-Dade

Authorities said in July 2025, FDLE investigators “conducted a trash pull” at Zaretski’s Hollywood home “and located FedEx tracking numbers and paper clippings that appeared to be connected with PayPal.”

After more surveillance, another trash pull at the Pembroke Road property ― conducted this March ― revealed a printer toner cartridge, shipping boxes and boxes for glossy paper, “construction-sized bags filled mostly with paper clippings,” gloves and shipping labels, the complaint states.

Authorities said on March 19, they spoke to a paper company “regarding shipments to a mailbox” on Miami Gardens Drive. According to the complaint, company representatives said they had a shipment of four, 55-pound boxes of paper set to go out that day to the address and the account “ordered paper multiple times since 2022, with approximately 87 shipments delivered to ‘Andy Zaret, Lingo Systems’” at the address.

On March 20, the complaint states “Zaretski was observed picking up the paper from (the) Miami Gardens Drive address in his BMW” and undercover investigators saw him bring the shipments inside the Pembroke Road building.

Authorities said a reconstruction of paper clippings from a subsequent trash pull “align(ed) with the fraudulent coupons” and investigators determined that 12 coupons could be printed per sheet, meaning Zaretski could “print approximately 480,000 coupons” from that shipment alone.

“Most of the coupons identified thus far carry a discount value of at least $6.00, meaning 480,000 coupons would represent roughly $2,880,000 in fraudulent coupon value,” the complaint states.

More South Florida ties

Authorities said they identified Saukov after tracing 15 shell companies linked to PayPal accounts used in the scheme.

They said surveillance video showed Saukov withdrawing $1,500 from three separate shell company accounts at bank ATMs in Boca Raton and later making cash deposits in Holikov’s bank account.

“He has also deposited dozens of checks drawn on the shell companies’ accounts into various bank accounts and has received multiple small packages from a FedEx account controlled by Zaretski,” agents concluded.

Following their arrests on Thursday, Saukov and Zaretski were being held in the BSO Main Jail on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Court records show they had been scheduled to appear in Fort Lauderdale federal court on Friday morning. The records didn’t state whether the two made those appearances as of Friday afternoon.

It also wasn’t immediately clear when Saukov and Zaretski will be extradited to Michigan, nor was it clear whether Holikov was in custody.

Holikov did not appear in Federal Bureau of Prisons records and a Local 10 News search of jail records across three counties in metropolitan Detroit also yielded no results Friday.

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According to Hallandale Beach police, the crash was reported in the area of East Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Northeast 10th Avenue.

As a result of the investigation, all eastbound lanes of Hallandale Beach Boulevard at Federal Highway are closed.

Police have not released information about what caused the crash, whether anyone was injured or how many vehicles were involved.

“Our priority right now is ensuring the safety of everyone involved, supporting emergency response efforts, and allowing investigators to safely and thoroughly determine the circumstances surrounding the crash,” the department said in a statement.

Authorities are asking drivers to avoid the area, use alternate routes and expect delays while the investigation remains active.

Police said additional information will be released once details have been confirmed.

Según la policía de Hallandale Beach, el accidente fue reportado en el área de East Hallandale Beach Boulevard y Northeast 10th Avenue.

Como resultado de la investigación, todos los carriles en dirección este de Hallandale Beach Boulevard a la altura de Federal Highway están cerrados.

La policía no ha divulgado información sobre qué causó el accidente, si hubo personas heridas o cuántos vehículos estuvieron involucrados.

“Nuestra prioridad en este momento es garantizar la seguridad de todos los involucrados, apoyar los esfuerzos de respuesta de emergencia y permitir que los investigadores determinen de manera segura y exhaustiva las circunstancias en torno al accidente”, dijo el departamento en un comunicado.

Las autoridades piden a los conductores evitar el área, utilizar rutas alternas y anticipar demoras mientras la investigación continúa activa.

La policía dijo que se divulgará información adicional una vez que se confirmen los detalles.

El encuentro entre los mandatarios se desarrolla en la ciudad portuaria de Guayaquil, la segunda más importante de Ecuador, ubicada 270 kilómetros al suroeste de Quito.

“Todos sabemos la difícil situación del Ecuador… tenemos una amenaza latente que cada vez se incrementa más. Tenemos que unir esfuerzos”, sostuvo Mulino a su arribo al país andino, según comunicó la presidencia panameña.

“Lo que Panamá pueda hacer para colaborar con nuestros vecinos lo vamos a hacer”, declaró el jefe de Estado panameño en relación con la violencia que asedia a Ecuador que tuvo en 2025 uno de los índices más altos de muertes violentas en la región al sobrepasar las 9.000.

Previamente, el presidente Noboa en una entrevista con radio I99 aseguró que los acuerdos que se prevé suscribir al finalizar la jornada buscan que ambos países se complementen en los ámbitos de seguridad, laboral, comercial, energético y migratorio.

En la lucha contra “las mafias y el terrorismo que exista más información compartida entre los dos lados”, mencionó el jefe de Estado ecuatoriano y aspiró que Panamá pueda vender energía a Ecuador en momentos de superávit. “Ellos tienen excedentes a muy buen precio y nos lo pueden vender”, afirmó.

No es la primera cita entre ambos mandatarios. A mediados del año pasado mantuvieron un diálogo oficial en España durante una conferencia sobre financiación y desarrollo de las Naciones Unidas, mientras en enero coincidieron en Ciudad de Panamá durante el Foro Económico Internacional América Latina y el Caribe organizado por la CAF-Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe.

Se espera que al finalizar la jornada se suscriba el acuerdo de Alcance Parcial de Complementación Económica entre ambos países con miras al acuerdo comercial, según informó previamente la cancillería ecuatoriana. También destacó la reciente inclusión de Ecuador en una lista de “países amigos” de Panamá que fortalece la migración, inversión y el intercambio profesional y turístico, citó en un comunicado previo.

El intercambio comercial bilateral es favorable a Ecuador que en 2025 exportó más de 177 millones de dólares en productos no petroleros, mientras las importaciones fueron por 122 millones, según cifras del Banco Central.

State inspectors had planned to visit the plant to interview workers about two unrelated safety complaints the week of the tragedy, one of the deadliest U.S. workplace accidents in decades. Those plans were disrupted when the tank failed, expelling huge amounts of a caustic liquids.

The AP reviewed government records involving inspections and safety complaints at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co.'s plant in Longview, Washington. Before the accident, the state Department of Ecology had issued 54 environmental violation notices against the company since 2016 and fined them $41,500 for eight serious violations.

The state’s Department of Labor and Industries investigated more than a dozen safety complaints at the plant since 2018 and issued almost $7,000 in fines for violations. Its investigation into the tank collapse is ongoing, and it has opened two new investigations since May.

More than $2.4 million in workers' compensation claims have been paid for 169 employees injured on the job since 2015, the agency reported, including for injuries related to exposure to caustic substances.

Expert calls violations a ‘red flag’

The multiple equipment failures and safety violations are a “red flag” for this company, said Stephen Kmiotek, a chemical engineering professor at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute who has closely followed the fatal accident and its aftermath.

“My impression, you put it all together, including the most recent tank collapse, is it is a site that has not been maintained, and that creates risk to employees and risk to public,” he said.

Agency says company knew tank was ‘not fit for continued service’

The U.S. Chemical and Safety Board released a report last week saying the company knew the tank was “not fit for continued service,” but they still used it. The state's Department of Ecology filed a violation notice against the company after the accident, listing 35 citations.

Sam Jefferies, a spokesperson for Nippon Dynawave, declined to comment on the records showing poor maintenance at the plant. He said they're working with regulators as the investigation into the tank failure continues.

“We believe the responsible course is to allow the full investigative process to proceed and establish a complete and accurate record before conclusions are reached,” he said.

Sheri Lynn King, the mother of two brothers who were killed, has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Nippon Dynawave, saying her sons were burned and crushed by the white liquor and debris. The lawsuit claims the company failed to maintain and inspect equipment, failed to properly train and supervise employees and failed to implement safety policies and emergency response procedures.

Detached valve handle on ammonia tank leads to fine

An employee complained to the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health in March, saying the handle on a valve for an ammonia clarifier tank was detached so the valve could not close, according to documents obtained by the AP. Its purpose is to prevent toxic air from getting released.

The open valve was hazardous for delivery drivers who were breathing toxic air, said the worker, whose name was not disclosed in the report. He added there was also a risk of explosion.

A state inspector, who planned to interview employees on May 26 — the day of the catastrophic tank failure — returned at a later date. The investigation concluded in August with a citation and fine, saying the plant failed to inspect and maintain pipes, hoses, and valves and the “corrosive/abrasive effect of the material handled in the system to mitigate equipment failure.”

The plant also failed to keep records of inspections and tests of the aqua ammonia tank and associated piping and valves, the citation said. Officials fined the plant $2,890 — the highest it has imposed on the plant in the last decade.

Worker falls chest-deep in sinkhole

Labor and Industries inspectors are also investigating an April 9 incident after an employee reported he had fallen into a sinkhole while trying to fix a stuck valve, and became submerged in hot stock up to his chest.

The worker told investigators that a drain valve had been plugged since last year and never closed completely. That caused displaced gravel around the drain, which created a sinkhole. The worker had to wade into the hot stock to try to close the valve, but it was stuck. As he struggled with it, he said he fell in up to his chest and was stuck for 35 to 40 seconds.

“After exiting the area, I was exhausted and unable to move for a short time,” the worker said in a complaint, adding that a coworker helped him cut off his clothing.

State inspectors requested documentation from the company and had planned to interview workers on May 27, the day after the tank collapse. The investigation is ongoing.

Federal response center received calls of toxic chemical discharges

Eight times between 2017 and 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Response Center received reports of methyl mercaptan releases from the plant.

Methyl mercaptan is a colorless flammable gas. Exposure can induce headache, nausea, and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four workers were killed in a 2014 methyl mercaptan leak at a DuPont industrial plant in suburban Houston.

State ecology inspectors were notified about the September 2017 methyl mercaptan release, saying in emails that a private citizen was hospitalized due to exposure. They also investigated odor complaints.

Residents regularly reported noxious smells around the plant that sometimes made them sick and kept them inside. Ecology officials fined Nippon $4,500 in 2024 for releasing excessive amounts of sulfur dioxide, a poisonous gas with a strong smell.

A history of equipment failures

The plant had an active release of black liquor, a caustic chemical that can cause severe burns, from a storage tank in 2020. The person who reported the release said it was ongoing and they needed to drain the tank before it could be fixed.

Ecology officials were notified that 250,000 gallons (946,353 liters) of black liquor was discharging into and out of the containment area, according to emails among investigators. The company recovered much of the chemical but it contaminated some gravel. Ecology considered this a violation but didn’t take enforcement action.

“Black liquor spills are rare,” said Kmiotek, the WPI professor. “In all the years I’ve been in business I have not had any situations where there’s been a black liquor spill that went beyond the secondary containment.”

The plant has a history of other releases in recently years, including:

1. In August 2021, about 3,000 gallons of white liquor was released from a storage tank because a valve was open. The leak started during the startup and the chemical went into a containment area and then overflowed onto a gravel area. Some entered a storm drain. 2. Fire investigators said old equipment was to blame for a fire at the paper mill in 2023 that involved a conveyor belt and burned wood chip piles. Workers had complained that the belt was old and not properly maintained. 3. Equipment failure caused a chlorine release from a generator in 2021. The plant also had chlorine leaks in 2024 and 2025.

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Opa-locka police said officers responded to the store, located at 14400 Northwest 27th Ave., after the robbery was reported.

Police said when they arrived at the scene, they saw the suspect fleeing the area on foot.

They said officers established a perimeter and called for additional law enforcement resources.

Sky 10 flew over the scene just before 10:30 a.m. as officers gathered next to a police car in the area.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office K-9 and aviation units, along with officers from the Miami Gardens Police Department and Miami-Dade Schools Police Department, joined the search, according to investigators.

The suspect was eventually located and taken into custody without further incident, police said.

They said there is no ongoing threat to the community related to the armed robbery.

Police said the investigation remains active. They did not immediately release additional details about the suspect or what, if anything, was taken from the store.

La policía de Opa-locka informó que los agentes acudieron a la tienda, ubicada en 14400 Northwest 27th Ave., después de que se reportara el robo.

La policía dijo que cuando llegaron al lugar, vieron al sospechoso huyendo a pie del área.

Indicaron que los agentes establecieron un perímetro y solicitaron recursos adicionales de las fuerzas del orden.

Sky 10 sobrevoló el lugar poco antes de las 10:30 a.m., mientras los agentes se reunían junto a un vehículo policial en el área.

Unidades K-9 y de aviación de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, junto con agentes del Departamento de Policía de Miami Gardens y del Departamento de Policía de las Escuelas de Miami-Dade, se unieron a la búsqueda, según los investigadores.

El sospechoso finalmente fue localizado y detenido sin más incidentes, dijo la policía.

Indicaron que no existe una amenaza activa para la comunidad relacionada con el robo a mano armada.

La policía dijo que la investigación continúa activa. No divulgaron de inmediato detalles adicionales sobre el sospechoso ni sobre qué, si algo, fue sustraído de la tienda.

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Luis M. Perez had an active National Crime Information Center warrant from Fort Bliss, Texas, according to Heather J. Hagan, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Perez after a traffic stop by deputies with a robbery intervention unit turned into a chase and ended with the crash on Wednesday in Brownsville.

Stefan Germaine Davis, an artist visiting Miami-Dade from the Bahamas, died after the crash at Northwest 33rd Avenue and 51st Terrace, according to deputies. He was 55.

Phillip Brave Davis, the prime minister of the Bahamas, released a statement on social media describing Davis as an artist with “a remarkable” gift.

“It was always a joy to watch him bring our stories, our culture, and our people to life through his art,” Brave Davis wrote, according to the statement. “His passing is a tremendous loss for our country and our creative community.”

Surveillance videos show the fugitive speeding and the impact, according to deputies. Norman Bradley, who was in the area, said he heard “a BOOM!”

“The car flipped on its side,” Bradley said.

Fire Rescue personnel rushed Davis, whose condition was critical, to the hospital, where he later died, according to deputies.

“Sorry to see such talent has left us in a tragic way,” said Levin Wilson, Davis’s friend in Miami-Dade County.

According to Davis’s Facebook profile, he had graduated from Government High School in Nassau, Bahamas, where he co-owned Airbrush Junkies, an art gallery and events venue in Nassau. Davis painted on canvas and was also a coveted tattoo artist.

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Luis M. Perez tenía una orden de arresto activa del Centro Nacional de Información Criminal (NCIC) emitida desde Fort Bliss, Texas, según Heather J. Hagan, portavoz del Ejército de Estados Unidos.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade arrestaron a Perez después de que una parada de tráfico realizada por agentes de una unidad de intervención contra robos se convirtiera en una persecución y terminara con el accidente el miércoles en Brownsville.

Stefan Germaine Davis, un artista que visitaba Miami-Dade desde Bahamas, murió tras el accidente en Northwest 33rd Avenue y 51st Terrace, según los agentes. Tenía 55 años.

Phillip Brave Davis, primer ministro de Bahamas, publicó un comunicado en redes sociales en el que describió a Davis como un artista con un talento “extraordinario”.

“Siempre fue un placer verlo dar vida a nuestras historias, nuestra cultura y nuestra gente a través de su arte”, escribió Brave Davis, según el comunicado. “Su fallecimiento es una pérdida enorme para nuestro país y nuestra comunidad creativa”.

Videos de vigilancia muestran al fugitivo conduciendo a exceso de velocidad y el impacto, según los agentes. Norman Bradley, quien se encontraba en el área, dijo que escuchó “¡un ESTRUENDO!”

“El auto se volcó de lado”, dijo Bradley.

Personal de Bomberos y Rescate trasladó de urgencia al hospital a Davis, quien se encontraba en condición crítica y posteriormente murió, según los agentes.

“Lamento ver que tanto talento nos haya dejado de una manera trágica”, dijo Levin Wilson, amigo de Davis en el condado Miami-Dade.

Según el perfil de Facebook de Davis, se había graduado de Government High School en Nassau, Bahamas, donde era copropietario de Airbrush Junkies, una galería de arte y recinto para eventos en Nassau. Davis pintaba sobre lienzo y también era un cotizado artista del tatuaje.

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• Artista bahameño muere en fatal accidente en el noroeste de Miami-Dade que involucró a agente y hombre buscado por deserción militar
• Una persona muerta y una detenida tras accidente que involucró a agente de Miami-Dade

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But this isn’t goodbye. And it’s not exactly “see you later.”

It’s “see you part-time.”

Krueger is stepping away from her regular anchoring duties but isn’t going anywhere. She’ll continue doing what she has long been passionate about: helping South Floridians better understand their health through Kristi Krueger’s “Good Health” reports.

The move also gives Krueger something else that’s increasingly precious — more time with her family.

A mother of two, Krueger is now “Gammy” to three grandchildren.

More than three decades at Local 10

Over 33 years, Krueger has become one of Local 10’s most recognizable faces.

Her television news career began after she graduated from the University of Florida and landed her first job in Sarasota.

That first stop proved important for more than just her career. It’s also where she met her future husband, Todd.

The couple later moved to Detroit before Krueger eventually made her way to Local 10.

During her time at the station, she anchored alongside the legendary anchor Dwight Lauderdale on Local 10’s primetime newscasts for nearly a decade.

She later moved to mornings before eventually transitioning to the daytime lineup, anchoring Local 10’s noon, 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. newscasts.

Along the way, she became more than a familiar face to viewers. She also became a trusted colleague to generations of Local 10 journalists.

A storyteller who traveled the world

Krueger’s career has extended far beyond the anchor desk.

A three-time Emmy winner, she was also honored with the prestigious Silver Circle Award.

Her reporting has taken her around the world, including trips to the Amazon and Antarctica.

In 2025, Krueger touched down in Australia, marking her seventh continent.

But for all the places she’s traveled and all the professional honors she’s received, family has remained her driving force.

Krueger has always shared a close relationship with her mother, Karen, crediting her with helping shape her kind heart.

She also shared a special sense of humor with her father, who died in 2020 after battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Krueger has remained involved with the Alzheimer’s Association, keeping a cause deeply connected to her family close to her heart.

South Florida watched her family grow

Local 10 viewers didn’t just watch Krueger’s career unfold. Over the years, they also watched her children, Troy and Kelsie, grow up.

“Whoever said parenting was a tough job sure got that right!” Krueger once joked.

Today, Troy and Kelsie are adults with families of their own, making Krueger a grandmother of three.

And no matter how old children get, they still need Mom.

Now, her family will get to see a little more of her.

‘Our matriarch, our den mother, our first lady’

Krueger may be stepping away from the daily anchor desk, but her Local 10 family isn’t ready to let her go, either.

“She is our biggest supporter, she is our therapist, she is also our honorary doctor and I love to come to Kristi and ask her advice when anything is wrong with my children,” fellow Local 10 anchor Nicole Perez said. “And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Local 10 investigative reporter Jeff Weinsier summed up the role Krueger has come to play inside the Local 10 newsroom over more than three decades.

“She’s our matriarch, she’s our den mother, she’s our first lady,” Weinsier said. “She’s our staple.”

And that’s not changing.

South Florida may see Krueger a little less often, but she’ll still be here — telling stories, reporting on health and remaining part of the Local 10 family.

After 33 years, it’s not goodbye.

It’s simply see you part-time.

Pero esto no es un adiós. Y tampoco es exactamente un “hasta luego”.

Es un “nos vemos a tiempo parcial”.

Krueger se aleja de sus funciones habituales como presentadora, pero no se va a ninguna parte. Continuará haciendo lo que desde hace mucho tiempo le apasiona: ayudar a los residentes del sur de Florida a comprender mejor su salud a través de los reportes “Good Health” de Kristi Krueger.

El cambio también le da a Krueger algo más que es cada vez más valioso: más tiempo con su familia.

Madre de dos hijos, Krueger ahora es “Gammy” de tres nietos.

Más de tres décadas en Local 10

A lo largo de 33 años, Krueger se ha convertido en uno de los rostros más reconocidos de Local 10.

Su carrera en las noticias de televisión comenzó después de graduarse de la Universidad de Florida y conseguir su primer trabajo en Sarasota.

Esa primera parada resultó importante por algo más que su carrera. También fue donde conoció a su futuro esposo, Todd.

La pareja se mudó posteriormente a Detroit antes de que Krueger finalmente llegara a Local 10.

Durante su tiempo en la estación, presentó junto al legendario presentador Dwight Lauderdale los noticieros de horario estelar de Local 10 durante casi una década.

Más tarde pasó a las mañanas antes de finalmente hacer la transición a la programación diurna, presentando los noticieros de Local 10 del mediodía, 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. y 5:30 p.m.

En el camino, se convirtió en algo más que un rostro conocido para los televidentes. También se convirtió en una colega de confianza para generaciones de periodistas de Local 10.

Una narradora que viajó por el mundo

La carrera de Krueger se ha extendido mucho más allá del escritorio de presentadores.

Ganadora de tres premios Emmy, también fue honrada con el prestigioso premio Silver Circle.

Su trabajo periodístico la ha llevado alrededor del mundo, incluidos viajes al Amazonas y la Antártida.

En 2025, Krueger llegó a Australia, marcando su séptimo continente.

Pero a pesar de todos los lugares a los que ha viajado y todos los reconocimientos profesionales que ha recibido, la familia ha seguido siendo su principal motivación.

Krueger siempre ha mantenido una relación cercana con su madre, Karen, a quien atribuye haber ayudado a formar su buen corazón.

También compartía un especial sentido del humor con su padre, quien murió en 2020 después de luchar contra la enfermedad de Alzheimer.

Krueger ha seguido involucrada con la Asociación de Alzheimer, manteniendo cerca de su corazón una causa profundamente vinculada con su familia.

El sur de Florida vio crecer a su familia

Los televidentes de Local 10 no solo vieron desarrollarse la carrera de Krueger. A lo largo de los años, también vieron crecer a sus hijos, Troy y Kelsie.

“¡Quien haya dicho que ser padre era un trabajo difícil, sin duda tenía razón!”, bromeó Krueger una vez.

Hoy, Troy y Kelsie son adultos con sus propias familias, convirtiendo a Krueger en abuela de tres nietos.

Y no importa cuánto crezcan los hijos, todavía necesitan a mamá.

Ahora, su familia podrá verla un poco más.

“Nuestra matriarca, nuestra madre protectora, nuestra primera dama”

Krueger puede estar alejándose del escritorio diario de presentadores, pero su familia de Local 10 tampoco está lista para dejarla ir.

“Ella es quien más nos apoya, es nuestra terapeuta, también es nuestra doctora honoraria y me encanta acudir a Kristi y pedirle consejo cuando algo anda mal con mis hijos”, dijo Nicole Perez, también presentadora de Local 10. “Y no lo cambiaría por nada”.

El reportero de investigación de Local 10 Jeff Weinsier resumió el papel que Krueger ha llegado a desempeñar dentro de la sala de redacción de Local 10 durante más de tres décadas.

“Ella es nuestra matriarca, es nuestra madre protectora, es nuestra primera dama”, dijo Weinsier. “Es nuestro pilar”.

Y eso no va a cambiar.

El sur de Florida podrá ver a Krueger con un poco menos de frecuencia, pero ella seguirá aquí, contando historias, informando sobre salud y siendo parte de la familia de Local 10.

Después de 33 años, no es un adiós.

Es simplemente un nos vemos a tiempo parcial.

Los agentes dijeron que el accidente fue reportado alrededor de las 5:05 p.m. en la I-75 en dirección norte, justo al sur de Pines Boulevard.

Dijeron que una Honda CR-V 2026 circulaba en dirección norte por el carril exterior de incorporación cuando su conductor, de 69 años, intentó cambiarse al carril exterior.

Los investigadores dijeron que el conductor no pudo completar de manera segura el cambio de carril y circuló entre el arcén exterior y el carril exterior.

Dijeron que un hombre se encontraba en el arcén pavimentado intentando cambiar la llanta trasera izquierda de un vehículo cuando fue impactado por la parte delantera de la Honda, según funcionarios de la FHP. Dijeron que el hombre fue lanzado hacia el carril exterior y murió en el lugar.

Otro hombre de 32 años que estuvo involucrado en el incidente no resultó herido, confirmaron las autoridades. El conductor de la Honda tampoco resultó herido.

Las autoridades dijeron que todos los carriles de la I-75 en dirección norte fueron reabiertos alrededor de las 7:55 p.m. del jueves.

Las autoridades no han divulgado detalles adicionales sobre el accidente ni han identificado al fallecido, a la espera de notificar a sus familiares. Ninguna de las personas involucradas en el accidente ha sido citada hasta el momento.

Dentro del Aeropuerto Internacional de Miami este viernes, varios niños lloraron mientras observaban a familiares prepararse para partir, escenas que pusieron de relieve la dolorosa realidad que enfrentan las familias atrapadas en el sistema migratorio: incluso cuando los seres queridos se reúnen, una familia puede permanecer separada.

Para la familia Domingo, el viernes trajo otra decisión difícil.

Aiden Domingo, el hijo menor de la familia, iba a ser enviado a Guatemala para vivir con sus padres, quienes fueron deportados allí después de ser puestos bajo custodia migratoria el mes pasado.

La decisión reuniría al pequeño con sus padres, pero también lo separaría de sus cuatro hermanos en Estados Unidos.

“Nunca hemos estado separados”, dijo entre lágrimas un familiar mientras hablaba con Local 10 News en MIA. “Nuestra familia siempre ha estado unida. Siempre somos como una gran familia, pero ahora todos nos estamos separando”.

La separación de la familia Domingo comenzó a principios de agosto, cuando la familia salía de la iglesia y se dirigía a comprar ropa y zapatos para la escuela. Su hija de 18 años, Wendy Domingo, conducía el automóvil de la familia.

La familia Domingo dijo a Local 10 News el mes pasado que agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza de Estados Unidos los detuvieron y le dijeron a Wendy Domingo, ciudadana estadounidense, que ella no había hecho nada malo. La familia dijo que un agente había escaneado la placa del vehículo, que mostraba que estaba registrado a nombre de una persona que no era ciudadana.

Los padres de Wendy Domingo, Maria Leiva Perez y Abraham Domingo, fueron puestos bajo custodia. Fuentes policiales dijeron anteriormente a Local 10 News que la pareja fue arrestada el 9 de agosto.

Los registros muestran que Leiva Perez tenía una orden final de deportación. Los registros también muestran que Domingo no tenía ningún estatus migratorio legal ni ningún trámite pendiente, incluida una solicitud de asilo o visa, según una fuente familiarizada con los registros.

La misma fuente dijo que los registros muestran que Domingo fue arrestado en enero de 2018 por un cargo de negligencia infantil y nuevamente en diciembre de 2024 por un cargo de agresión doméstica. La fuente dijo que ambos arrestos correspondían a casos de delitos graves. No quedó claro de inmediato cuál fue la resolución de ninguno de los casos.

La pareja fue posteriormente deportada a Guatemala, dejando a Wendy Domingo a cargo de ayudar a cuidar a sus cuatro hermanos menores.

Un video grabado durante la parada de tránsito inicial captó la emotiva despedida de la familia. Las imágenes, compartidas por el Guatemalan Maya Center, mostraron a los niños llorando mientras se llevaban a sus padres.

Ahora, los hijos de la familia Domingo enfrentan otra separación.

Mientras Aiden se preparaba para partir hacia Guatemala, el dolor de los niños era evidente dentro del aeropuerto. Se escuchó a un niño de unos 3 o 4 años gritando y llorando mientras pasaba por el área de seguridad, según un reportero que presenció la escena.

Los Domingo eran una de cuatro familias que enfrentaban separaciones en el aeropuerto ese día.

Se creó una página de GoFundMe para ayudar económicamente a la familia.

Both players overcame their troubles to reach the fourth round and keep alive the chances of a third straight meeting on the final weekend.

Sabalanka beat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 on Friday. The No. 1 seed was pushed in a second set that lasted 54 minutes — a minute longer than her entire previous match.

“She played incredible tennis,” Sabalenka said. “She really pushed me so hard in the second set and I love when they bring their best tennis because they really push me to improve.”

Trying to become the first player to win three straight U.S. Open titles since Serena Williams from 2012-14, Sabalenka will face Taylor Townsend in the round of 16.

Williams, who is playing at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2022, will team with sister Venus to play a first-round doubles match Friday night against Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint, who beat Serena in singles play at Wimbledon this summer.

Two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz returned to the round of 16 by beating Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. Back for this tournament after missing four months because of a right wrist injury, Alcaraz will face No. 20 seed Tommy Paul, who edged No. 15 Alexander Bublik in five sets.

“To be honest I'm better than I thought,” Alcaraz said.

Sabalenka was serving in the third game of her match in Louis Armstrong Stadium when she tossed the ball but then let it fall to the court. She did the same thing on the next point, with something clearly bothering her.

She then approached the chair umpire to ask for help because she smelled marijuana.

“I was like, guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please, to not do it around the tennis courts,” Sabalenka said, when asked what she was thinking at the time. “It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best.”

Pegula, the No. 3 seed, fought back to beat 2021 runner-up Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Pegula, who lost to Sabalenka in the 2024 final and again last year in the semifinals, had a dismal start in which she put only 5 of 16 first serves in during the first set.

Fernandez hadn't won a Grand Slam singles match this year until getting to New York and was trying to reach the fourth round at the U.S. Open for the first time since falling to Emma Raducanu in the final five years ago. Pegula handled her easily in their only meeting this year but said Fernandez showed her different looks that gave her trouble.

“I didn’t start off very well. It was tough,” Pegula said. “I had to dig deep there in the second to turn that around, and it very well could have not turned around.”

Pegula advanced to face Sorana Cirstea, the 36-year-old from Romania who is contemplating retirement after this season. She will have at least one more Grand Slam match after the No. 16 seed beat No. 19 Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-3.

Townsend reached the round of 16 for the second straight year by knocking off No. 15 seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3 and seemed eager for the matchup with Sabalenka.

“I’m so excited. I feel like I thrive in these moments," the American said. “I’m built for these moments and so now is my time, I’m ready to take it. I'm ready to go.”

Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 champion, became the first man into the fourth round when he beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. The No. 7 seed will face either No. 11 Frances Tiafoe or No. 22 Valentin Vacherot.

No. 7 seed Karolina Muchova, the Wimbledon runner-up, was ousted by No. 26 Emma Navarro. Marta Kostyuk, the No. 11 seed, also advanced.

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Whatever the wording, though, the message was clear: Daughter Olympia really wanted to be a big sister. And Williams knew she couldn’t accomplish that and still play tennis the way she wanted. She could not, in other words, have it all.

“Something’s got to give,” Williams wrote, in words that resonated with many women, in sports and beyond.

Well, Olympia got her little sister. And now, she may be calling the shots again, because Mom is fulfilling another of Olympia’s requests: that she play doubles again at the U.S. Open with Aunt Venus.

“You need to play with Auntie VeVe,” 9-year-old Olympia told her, Serena Williams said this week on ABC's “Good Morning America.”

“She said it so clear and so calm,” Williams said. “She's like my mom, she doesn't really talk a lot, but when she does talk, you listen. And I was like, ‘OK.’”

And so Serena and Venus, a superstar doubles duo if ever there was one, will take the court Friday evening at the U.S. Open as a team, for the first time in four years.

“Super excited about it,” Venus said this week — after her singles match wrapped up at the ungodly hour of 2 a.m.

It’s a tournament where Serena won six singles titles, and Venus won two, one of them against Serena, who returned the favor the following year. That 2001 victory for the elder sister came a full quarter-century ago — which is enough to give fans goose bumps that this partnership is alive, at ages 44 and 46.

“I’m happy for them,” said longtime tennis fan Nonie Green, of Arlington, Virginia, as she waited out a rain shower between matches earlier this week. “Father Time is undefeated. But I'm happy for them, even if they don’t win.”

As a doubles team, the sisters won two of their 14 Grand Slam titles at the U.S. Open — in 1999 and 2009. They last played together at Flushing Meadows in 2022, losing in the first round. That was a few weeks after Serena penned her Vogue essay. (This year, they had to scrap their appearance at Wimbledon because of Serena’s knee injury, but they played in Cincinnati last month.)

Now, fans are happy to witness any “evolving” back to tennis that the sisters care to do. The doubles match, unsurprisingly, has a marquee spot: the night session, in Arthur Ashe Stadium. With cocktails, a DJ and all the rest of a U.S. Open evening spectacle.

They’ll face Maya Joint of Australia and Chan Hao-Ching of Taiwan. It was Joint who defeated Serena in their recent Wimbledon singles match. But whether the sisters win is not, for many, the point. The point is that they're back in the spotlight.

Green, the fan from Virginia, did acknowledge that if it were up to her, at the same age, she would probably be watching, or commentating, rather than playing. But she said she loved how happy Serena Williams looked when playing mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, early in the tournament.

Even more importantly: “They are good for women — and they are good for Black women,” said Green, 58, who is Black.

Green recalled something a former pastor had told her: “Even the sky is not the limit. You can go beyond it.”

Which sounds just like the lesson Serena Williams now wants to teach her daughters — and why, four years after stepping away from tennis, she is back, at least in doubles and probably, she said on “Good Morning America,” in singles again soon.

“I just really want my children to see me play at a different age,” she said.

“I hope to show them that anything is possible. You can do anything at any age as long as you work hard and put some effort and dedication behind it.”

The daughters — now two of them — will surely be watching on Friday night as their mom, and Auntie VeVe, take center stage.

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

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Troopers said the crash was reported at about 5:05 p.m. on northbound I-75, just south of Pines Boulevard.

They said a 2026 Honda CR-V was traveling northbound in the outside merge lane when its 69-year-old driver attempted to move into the outside lane.

Investigators said the driver was unable to safely complete the lane change and traveled between the outside shoulder and the outside lane.

They said a man was on the paved shoulder attempting to change the rear left tire of a vehicle when he was struck by the front of the Honda, according to FHP officials. They said the man was then thrown into the outside lane and died at the scene.

Another 32-year-old man who was involved in the incident was not injured, authorities confirmed. The Honda driver also was not injured.

Authorities said all lanes of northbound I-75 were reopened by about 7:55 p.m. Thursday.

Authorities have not released additional details about the crash or identified the deceased, pending notification of next of kin. No one involved in the crash has been cited at this time.

The shooting at one of the city's most famous landmarks closed the bridge and tied up traffic for part of the morning. It happened four days after a woman randomly stabbed two people in Times Square, killing one, and then was fatally shot by officers.

The man told the police rescue team that he wanted them to kill him and that he had a bomb, Gerard Dowling, commanding officer of the city's Emergency Services Unit, said at a news conference.

The officers had used a safety harness to attach themselves to the bridge and spoke to the man for about an hour, saying they wanted to help him and bring him to safety, Dowling said. They told him to drop the knife multiple times.

At one point, the man began to climb down a cable quickly. The officers were in a line below him on the same cable, Dowling said.

“The officers began to move backwards away from the male, but they were not able to move as quickly as the subject, who was approaching them,” he said.

When the man came within 3 feet (.9 meters) of one officer, he raised his arm with the knife extended toward the officer. One of the officers on the roadbed of the bridge then shot him once, Dowling said. The officers brought the man down and started rendering aid. He later died at a hospital.

Police body cameras recorded the encounter, he said.

Members of the team “are specially trained for these types of high-risk and incredibly dangerous situations,” Dowling said. “They receive extensive instruction on de-escalation and how to engage with individuals compassionately.”

The man's name was not released.

Police said in addition to a knife, they recovered a flashlight.

When a reporter asked if police found a bomb, Dowling said that was part of the ongoing investigation.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted online that officers responded after receiving a 911 call about a man “who appeared to be attempting to jump from the bridge.”

He said the police tried to de-escalate the situation and urged the man not to jump.

“The man was holding a knife and threatened the officers. He eventually moved toward the officers, coming within close proximity to a number of responding officers. One responding officer discharged his weapon and struck the man,” Mamdani said.

The police department posted a video on social media in July about the Emergency Service Unit’s successful rescue of a woman in distress who had climbed onto the bridge. The team specializes in high-angle rescue, scuba and emergency psychological technician training, Dowling said in the video.

The Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, is a cable-supported suspension bridge that connects Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Its tower height is 276.5 feet (84 meters) above water. It's not clear how high up the man and the police officers were.

The stabbings on Monday happened near a New York Police Department substation, just outside One Times Square, the building that hosts the city’s annual New Year’s Eve ball drop celebration. It is one of the most heavily touristed and policed spots in all of New York.

A 49-year-old Queens woman pulled two knives from a shopping bag and stabbed a 68-year-old man in the abdomen, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. The man had just left the subway station and was waiting to cross the street with his wife.

Seconds later, the woman also stabbed a 32-year-old woman in the abdomen, Tisch said. The victim later died.

Officers tried to convince the woman, identified as Pamela Cisneros, to drop the knives for several minutes before using a Taser, Tisch said. The woman told them: “I’m not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you,” according to Tisch.

A video shows the Taser failing to incapacitate Cisneros, who walks quickly toward the officers while waving the knives in front of her.

Two officers then shot the woman, according to police.

Clark had 14 points and 11 assists and Bueckers added another 14 points as the Americans topped China 94-61 on Friday.

It was the first of likely many times that Clark and Bueckers will play together in the U.S. backcourt over the next decade for the senior national team.

“It’s just organic. We know how to play well off of each other,” Bueckers said. "She draws so much defensive attention, so a lot of the defense is worried about her.”

Clark loved having so many offensive options, including Bueckers. Everywhere she turned to pass there was a teammate waiting to score.

“Obviously being around so many talented players, obviously our guards are incredible and our bigs too, but you know anybody I pass the ball to, it feels like they’re never going to miss a shot,” Clark said. “That’s one of my goals when I come into the game — to facilitate.”

Clark's 11 assists were the most by a U.S. player since Dawn Staley had 12 against Russia in 1998, which tied her for the most ever with Teresa Edwards, who had a dozen against China in 1986.

The U.S. beat China for the gold medal in the 2022 World Cup, but that Chinese team didn't have 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu. The 19-year-old had her own impressive debut in the World Cup, finishing with 13 points and hitting nine of her 10 free throws.

The towering Zhang had just two blocked shots, but made the Americans think twice about driving to the basket. Bueckers took a few foul line jumpers instead of attacking Zhang.

“I like to think I’m pretty smart. I thought that a layup over some 7-foot-3 center is probably not the best idea,” Bueckers said, smiling.

Clark agreed that Zhang presented a difficult challenge, but the U.S. frontcourt of Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese held their own, collecting a combined 24 rebounds.

“This was a different type of basketball game that I probably ever played in my entire life," Clark said. “I’ve never played against a woman of that size. She obviously presented some challenges for us, but you gotta give our post players a lot of credit.”

Reese and Boston also were making their World Cup debut. In total, nine of the 12 players on the American roster, which is full of WNBA All-Stars, were playing in their first World Cup. They were able to keep the U.S. rolling.

The win was the 31st in a row for the Americans, who have a day off Saturday before facing Italy on Sunday and the Czech Republic on Monday.

“It was great. Obviously the first one we got to shake off our rust,” Bueckers said. “Get back into game shape. Get back into game mode. And it’s our first time playing together as a team, as a unit. So we got a couple of days of practice, but there’s nothing like getting game reps, getting game experience together.”

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Inside Miami International Airport Friday, several children cried as they watched family members prepare to leave, scenes that underscored the painful reality facing families caught in the immigration system: Even when loved ones are reunited, a family can remain separated.

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For the Domingo family, Friday brought another difficult decision.

Aiden Domingo, the youngest boy in their family, was being sent to Guatemala to live with his parents, who were deported there after being taken into immigration custody last month.

The decision would reunite the young boy with his parents, but it would also separate him from his four siblings in the United States.

“We’ve never been separated,” one family member said through tears while speaking to Local 10 News at MIA. “Our family has always been together. We’re always like one big family, but now we’re all just separating.”

The Domingo family’s separation began in early August, when the family was leaving church and heading out to shop for school clothes and shoes. Their 18-year-old daughter, Wendy Domingo, was driving the family’s car.

The Domingo family told Local 10 News last month that U.S. Border Patrol agents pulled them over and told Wendy Domingo, a U.S. citizen, that she had done nothing wrong. The family said an officer had scanned the vehicle’s license plate, which showed it was registered to a non-citizen.

Wendy Domingo’s parents, Maria Leiva Perez and Abraham Domingo, were taken into custody. Law enforcement sources previously told Local 10 News that the couple was arrested on Aug. 9.

Records show Leiva Perez had a final order of removal. Records also show Domingo did not have any legal immigration status, with nothing pending, including an asylum application or visa, according to a source familiar with the records.

The same source said records show Domingo was arrested in January 2018 on a child neglect charge and again in December 2024 on a domestic battery charge. The source said both arrests were felony cases. It was not immediately clear what the dispositions were in either case.

The couple was later deported to Guatemala, leaving Wendy Domingo to help care for her four younger siblings.

Video recorded during the initial traffic stop captured the family’s emotional goodbye. The footage, which was shared by the Guatemalan Maya Center, showed the children crying as their parents were taken away.

Now, the Domingo children are facing another separation.

As Aiden prepared to leave for Guatemala, the children’s grief was visible inside the airport. Local 10’s Michaila Hightower was at MIA when a boy as young as 3 or 4 was heard screaming and crying while moving through the security area.

“They took us from our parents, and now this is taking us from our brother,” said Jessica Domingo, Wendy and Aiden’s sister.

The Domingos were one of four families facing separations at the airport that day.

A GoFundMe page has been created to help the family financially.

Por lo general, un rayo cae sobre la antena o el techo de un automóvil, pasa a través de la cubierta metálica exterior del vehículo, sobre los neumáticos y hacia el suelo, según el Consejo Nacional de Seguridad contra Rayos.

El calor de la caída de un rayo puede derretir parcialmente la antena de un vehículo y puede provocar una explosión de chispas a medida que pequeños fragmentos de metal se derriten y se queman, según el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional.

El sargento, a quien MDSO no ha identificado públicamente, resultó herido alrededor de las 5:15 p.m. del jueves afuera de la sede de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, ubicada en 9300 NW 41st St., en Doral.

Personal de MDFR utilizó una ambulancia para trasladar de emergencia al sargento, quien estaba fuera de servicio, hacia el sur por la Florida Turnpike hasta el hospital ubicado en 11750 SW 40th St.

La condición del sargento era estable el viernes, según agentes de MDSO.

Ubicación

El primer lunes de septiembre llega justo cuando la temporada de huracanes alcanza su punto álgido tradicional (alrededor del 10 de septiembre ⁾ , cuando la cuenca del Atlántico suele estar más activa.

Algunos Días del Trabajo del pasado no tan lejano, como en 2023 y 1995, presentaron hasta cuatro tormentas con nombre simultáneas durante el fin de semana festivo. El fin de semana del Día del Trabajo de 1950 estuvo plagado de 3 huracanes superpuestos: Charlie, Dog y Easy, el último de los cuales golpeó la Gran Curva de Florida como un huracán de categoría 3 y estableció un récord estatal de lluvia (45,2 pulgadas en Yankeetown), que todavía se mantiene hasta el día de hoy .

Aproximadamente 9 de cada 10 fines de semana del Día del Trabajo desde 1950 han presentado al menos un ciclón tropical activo en la cuenca del Atlántico (Golfo de México, Caribe y el Atlántico Norte en general). Solo en dos ocasiones, según los registros fiables (desde 1950), se han registrado dos fines de semana consecutivos del Día del Trabajo sin ningún sistema activo en el Atlántico: 1997-1998 y 2024-2025. Nunca, según los registros fiables, hemos tenido tres fines de semana consecutivos del Día del Trabajo con un mapa del Atlántico tropical vacío; es decir, hasta 2026.

Es un verdadero lujo que la temporada de huracanes del Atlántico se detenga la primera semana de septiembre, permitiendo a los bañistas disfrutar del final no oficial del verano sin la preocupación de un huracán inminente. Es aún más raro observar nuestros modelos informáticos a largo plazo a principios de septiembre y no ver absolutamente ningún ciclón tropical en el horizonte del Atlántico.

Hasta ahora, el fenómeno de El Niño Super está cumpliendo con todas nuestras expectativas, manteniendo la temporada de huracanes del Atlántico notablemente tranquila, con la menor actividad registrada hasta la fecha (desde al menos 1950).

Otro momento crítico para algunas zonas de Hawái.

A diferencia del Atlántico, el Pacífico está repleto de huracanes intensos. Esta semana, Karina y Lowell alcanzaron la categoría 4 y la categoría 5, respectivamente, mientras que María se convirtió en huracán a última hora del miércoles sobre el Pacífico abierto, al este de la zona.

Lowell es el único de los tres que podría representar una amenaza directa para tierra firme. El pronóstico indica que Lowell, de categoría 3, no solo se fortalecerá durante el fin de semana, sino que podría mantener su estatus de huracán de categoría mayor al acercarse a las islas principales más occidentales de Hawái entre la noche del lunes y la madrugada del lunes, hora local.

Oficialmente, el Centro Nacional de Huracanes sitúa el centro de Lowell a unas 150 a 200 millas al oeste de Kauaʻi en su paso más cercano, y los modelos generalmente han mostrado una tendencia hacia el oeste y alejándose de las islas principales del estado en los últimos días.

La última ejecución del conjunto de datos DeepMind de Google, compuesto por 1.000 miembros, sugiere que hay pocas probabilidades de que el centro del cráter de Lowell pase a menos de 120 kilómetros de Kauaʻi.

No obstante, tanto los residentes como los visitantes de todo el estado deberán seguir atentos a los pronósticos, ya que las olas fuertes y el oleaje peligroso continuarán aumentando a medida que se acerque Lowell. Es probable que el fuerte oleaje afecte las entradas de los puertos, los canales, las propiedades costeras y la infraestructura, incluidas las carreteras, hasta principios de la próxima semana.

A person familiar with the deal confirmed to The Associated Press that he will sign with Sacramento. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn't been announced.

ESPN first reported the move and said Simmons would be paid $3.5 million.

The 30-year-old from Australia is a former No. 1 draft pick, three-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year, but he has struggled to perform and stay healthy in recent years. He sat out last season while dealing with back and leg injuries after ending the 2024-25 season in a reserve role for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sacramento is coming off a 22-60 season and is trying to rebuild around rookie Darius Acuff Jr., who was picked seventh in the draft after a stellar freshman season at Arkansas. The Kings were looking for veteran help after waiving DeMar DeRozan and deciding not to bring back Russell Westbrook. Those two scored the most points last season for Sacramento.

The Kings believe Simmons provides value as a versatile defender that can guard almost any position and can be the backup point guard to Acuff as well as play in other spots.

Simmons was the first overall pick by Philadelphia in 2016 after playing one season in college at LSU. He sat out his first season with an injured foot but quickly developed into a star player for the 76ers once he returned. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2017-18, was an All-Star the following three seasons, as well as a third-team All-NBA player in 2019-20 and a first-team All-Defense selection in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

But his career hasn't been the same after sitting out the 2021-22 season when he was dealing with mental health concerns, other physical injuries and was seeking a trade out of Philadelphia.

He was sent to Brooklyn at the 2022 trade deadline but missed the rest of that season with a bad back. He then played 2 1/2 seasons with the Brooklyn before getting cut in February 2025. He finished that season with the Los Angeles Clippers before sitting out last season.

But he never came close to his level of play early in his career in Philadelphia, averaging 5.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists during his time with the Nets and Clippers.

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After years of new-normal ticket sales and regular spells of unease, the summer box office rallied to $4.61 billion in domestic ticket sales between May 1 and Aug. 31, according to Rentrak.

That’s not just miles ahead of last year (a 26.1% increase from 2025), but better than every summer other than 2013. Accounting for inflation and higher ticket prices, it’s less of a record season. Admissions are still way down from pre-pandemic levels. But 2026 was still the summer Hollywood got its mojo back.

While that is partly thanks to some usual suspects — Spider-Man, “Toy Story” and others — much of what’s driven the resurgence has been refreshingly new. Gen-Z audiences have filled theaters. Low-budget films such as “Obsession” have turned into blockbusters. But it's been filmmakers, even more than intellectual property, that have lured moviegoers. Even once-dead movies have come back to life.

“We’re seeing audiences show up for things they really care about, and those might not be the same things we saw a summer or two summers ago,” says Dave Green, director of the previously canned “Coyote vs. Acme.” “I’m really encouraged by the resilience of the movie business and that it can bounce back and morph and change all the time.”

Such optimism had for years been hard to find in a Hollywood ravaged by the pandemic, wildfires, labor strife, contraction and technological upheaval. There are still seismic changes afoot, including Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and the continuing effects of generative AI.

But for the first time in a while, the movie business is running at a high gear, with reason to expect the good times might continue to roll. Fall releases like “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Dune: Part III” (both due out in December) should add to the momentum, and maybe more record returns.

Here’s what fueled Hollywood’s summer comeback:

Filmmakers drive moviegoers

There's not a lot that movies like “The Odyssey,” “Obsession” and “Disclosure Day” have in common. But each drew audiences largely because of the filmmaker behind them.

Christopher Nolan's box-office drawing power has never been more apparent. That he could transform one of the oldest works in literature into a summer blockbuster that will soon hit $1.6 billion is a triumph even for him. It goes to show just how much a studio having the right stable of filmmakers can be a boon to them. Universal Pictures famously scooped up Nolan after his acrimonious departure from Warner Bros. over its pandemic detour to streaming.

Universal is also home to Spielberg, whose “Disclosure Day” ($241.3 million worldwide) made a more minor splash in theaters. But everyone who came to see it came for Spielberg. The same, maybe, could be said for “Obsession,” by 26-year-old YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Curry Barker. Made for less than $1 million, it's surpassed $500 million worldwide for Focus Features, making it among the most profitable movies ever made.

The seminal moment of the season, and a possible sea change in 21st century Hollywood, was when “Obsession” blew past “Star Wars,” a franchise that helped define the summer blockbuster. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” tapped out with a disappointing $345.4 million globally.

It wasn't the only sign that some of Hollywood's most dependable franchises don't necessarily have the same power they once did. The Walt Disney Co.'s latest live-action remake, “Moana” ($315.4 million), also stumbled, as did Warner Bros. and DC Studios' big summer release, “Supergirl” ($126.4 million).

Gen-Z audiences are filling theaters

Of course, other long-running franchises are doing just fine. Sony Pictures' “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is still atop the box office but it's already accrued $2.34 billion, making it the second highest grossing film ever, not accounting for inflation.

While that success points to a few things — Spider-Man's supremacy among superheroes, the inconsistency of any “superhero fatigue” — it was hard to miss how, for two months, Tom Holland and Zendaya (stars in "Brand New Day,” co-stars in “The Odyssey”) presided over summer moviegoing.

The 30-year-old stars, and their obvious drawing power, reflect the considerable influence Gen Z has on the box office. Those aged 14 to 29 were already ranking as the demographic going most often to theaters. According to Cinema United, the exhibitor trade group, Gen Z in 2025 averaged a leading 6.1 visits, up from 4.9 the year prior.

That was most evident in the twin successes of “Obsession” and “Backrooms” earlier in the summer. A24's “Backrooms,” directed by 21-year-old Kane Parsons, grossed $394.1 million worldwide on a $10 million budget. That a pair of 20-something former YouTubers outperformed Spielberg and “Supergirl” suggests shifting tides in American moviegoing.

“I think we’re a little tired of being at home. Our generation is the COVID generation a little bit,” Barker said in an earlier interview while basking in the grosses for “Obsession.” “I was fortunate enough to have all four years of high school experience. My brother Riley lost two years of that. We’re sick of the phones.”

Large-forma

t screens, and 70 mm

According to S&P Global, the number of overall ticket sales is still well behind where they were in 2019. Through mid-August in 2019, cinemas sold 795.9 million tickets. Over that same period this year, the number is 547.1 million.

What's making up the difference is ticket prices, particularly for large-format showings. Business has been best on the biggest screens. In July, “The Odyssey” led IMAX to its best month ever, with $257 million in worldwide sales.

IMAX, more differentiated from home TVs than your average movie screen, never saw the same downturn that broader exhibition did.

“IMAX had a record in 2025. We beat the number from pre-pandemic and we expect to beat last year’s number this year,” says Richard Gelfond, IMAX chief executive. “So we’ve been back.”

Still, the craze over seeing “The Odyssey” in 70 mm IMAX isn't likely to be forgotten. Film format increasingly drives moviegoing. The chance to see this year's best-picture winner “One Battle After Another” in VistaVision was part of its pull on cinephiles.

It's also one reason why the looming matchup of “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Dune: Part III” will be so fascinating. In December, “Dune: Part III” will have IMAX exclusivity while Disney is promoting “Infinity Vision” — a designation for premium large format screens — for “Doomsday.” But in a similar situation, things worked out just fine for “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”

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The sergeant, whom MDSO hasn’t publicly identified, was injured at about 5:15 p.m. on Thursday outside the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue headquarters, at 9300 NW 41st St., in Doral.

Deputies escorted MDFR personnel, who used an ambulance to rush the sergeant southbound on the Florida Turnpike to the hospital at 11750 SW 40th St.

Lightning typically strikes a car’s antenna or roofline, passes through the vehicle’s outer metal shell, over the tires, and to the ground, according to the National Lightning Safety Council.

The lightning strike’s heat can partially melt the antenna of a vehicle and can cause an explosion of sparks as tiny fragments of metal melt and burn, according to the National Weather Service.

The sergeant’s condition was stable on Friday, according to MDSO deputies. He was off duty when he was injured, according to MDSO.

NWS facts about lightning safety

• Over the last three decades, the U.S. has averaged 51 lightning fatalities per year
• Only about 10% of people struck by lightning are actually killed. The other 90% must cope with varying degrees of disability, sometimes for the rest of their lives.
• If in a car, avoid contact with any conducting paths leading to the outside of the vehicle, such as portable electronic devices plugged in for charging.
• Seeking shelter under a tree is one of the leading causes of lightning-related fatalities.
• Seek shelter at the first indication of a thunderstorm and stay there until 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.
• A sturdy, enclosed structure with plumbing and electrical wiring is safest during a storm. Buildings with exposed sides are not safe.
• Stay away from windows and doors. Remember that lightning can travel through the metal wires or bars in concrete walls and flooring.
• Don’t touch electrical equipment or cords during storms, and avoid metal plumbing. Do not wash your hands, do dishes, do laundry, or take a shower or a bath during a thunderstorm.

Source: The National Weather Service

Location

La policía no intervino para dispersar a la marcha, que fue pacífica y de la que no participó Morales, quien desde su feudo cocalero del Chapare evade una orden judicial de detención por el presunto abuso de una menor cuando era mandatario (2006-2019). El expresidente sí alentó a sus seguidores para que dejaran sus labores agrícolas y marcharan hasta Cochabamba.

Esta es la primera marcha de cocaleros desde las duras protestas de mayo y junio que por 53 días paralizaron gran parte del país cuando varios sindicatos exigieron la renuncia de Paz ante la falta de respuesta a la crisis económica y la escasez de combustibles. Paz acusó a Morales de impulsar esas protestas para desestabilizar a su gobierno.

En mensajes en redes sociales Morales criticó la víspera a Paz, al que tildó de “neocolonial y neoliberal” y de “someterse a intereses de Estados Unidos y del Fondo Monetario Internacional".

Protestas pese a estado de excepción

“Este gobierno quiere rifar nuestros recursos naturales, no escucha al pueblo. No vamos a permitir más daño a la economía, esto es un aviso, vamos a seguir en la lucha”, dijo el dirigente cocalero Isidro Auca el viernes al encabezar la columna de manifestantes.

“¡Todo sube de precio, menos los salarios!, ¡No alcanza el dinero!”, gritaban los manifestantes.

La manifestación desafía el estado de excepción que el gobierno de Paz impuso en junio después de duras protestas con cortes de rutas que causaron desabastecimiento de combustible, oxígeno medicinal y alimentos principalmente en las ciudades de La Paz y El Alto.

“Nadie puede estar por encima de la ley, menos un expresidente. Morales debe rendir cuentas a la justicia”, dijo el ministro de Defensa, Ernesto Justiniano, en declaraciones a la televisora Unitel.

La víspera Justiniano cerró acuerdos con productores agrícolas que habían cortado carreteras para rechazar un reciente aumento en el precio del diésel para grandes consumidores y en contra de la escasez de combustible que está afectando a la producción agropecuaria.

Paz heredó problemas acumulados durante los gobiernos izquierdistas de Morales y Luis Arce (2020-2025), entre ellos la caída de la producción de hidrocarburos por falta de inversión, la reducción en la generación de divisas para importar gasolina y diésel y una inflación que al año pasado llegó al 20%.

En casi un año de gestión no ha logrado resolver los problemas económicos y su gobierno se ha visto envuelto en escándalos como el de su encarcelado exasesor argentino Fernando Cerimedo, procesado por intento de feminicidio.

Justiniano anticipó que varios legisladores estarían dispuestos a ampliar el estado de excepción que vence el 20 de septiembre.

The numbers come from the Education Department's Civil Rights Data Collection, a federal survey of nearly every public school in the nation. The release this week covers the 2023-2024 school year, when the survey included “nonbinary” as a gender category alongside male and female.

However, an Associated Press analysis shows that in every column for information related to gender identity, the numbers were replaced with a code indicating “Suppressed in Compliance with Executive Order.” That refers to an executive order that President Donald Trump signed on his inauguration day calling for the federal government to define sex as only male or female.

The government also suppressed the number of allegations of harassment or bullying on the basis of gender identity in schools, information about whether the districts had written policies prohibiting such harassment, and any links to those policies.

Those questions in the data collection are designed to capture the experiences of transgender and nonbinary students — whether they experience harassment, participate in sports or face overly harsh discipline, said Seth Galanter, a senior fellow at the Edley Center on Law and Democracy and a former attorney with the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights under the Biden and Obama administrations.

Only school districts that already collected data on trans and nonbinary students were required to report it to the federal government, Galanter said, and roughly 1,800 out of the more than 13,000 U.S. school districts reported data in the last collection.

“We're losing the granular experience of those kids,” Galanter said. “They exist in the world, their schools acknowledge their existence, but we now no longer have any way to have any kind of local, state or national picture about these kids and what their school experience is like.”

In a written statement, the Education Department said the Office for Civil Rights would be releasing more data in coming weeks. It also said the Trump administration is “realigning the functions of OCR to align with its statutory mandate.”

The White House has targeted efforts to accommodate trans students

The data suppression reflects the Trump administration’s wider efforts to target protections for transgender and nonbinary students in schools. The White House has repeatedly clashed with schools and colleges over accommodations for transgender students, with the Justice Department this week announcing a federal lawsuit against the school system in Kansas City, Kansas, over its policies on transgender students.

It's also one of many instances in which the administration has removed data related to gender from government resources.

The Williams Institute, an LGBTQ+ law and policy research center based at the UCLA School of Law, has identified around 360 cases where the Trump administration removed information related to sexual orientation or gender identity from federal data collections, ranging from Medicare surveys that asked about discrimination in doctors’ offices to data on homeless youth.

The author of the Williams Institute’s report, Lauren Bouton, said the Office for Civil Rights could have used the data to identify schools that have a problem with bullying of nonbinary students and then require them to follow an action plan to improve. “No one’s being held accountable to these kids,” Bouton said.

The Civil Rights Data Collection is one of the country’s most important and comprehensive sources of data related to educational opportunity in public schools. As required by federal law, the Office for Civil Rights collects information from every school in the country on topics like discipline, corporal punishment, bullying and harassment, and access to advanced coursework.

The lack of transparency around the most recent update could erode public trust the government has worked to build for its civil rights data, said Ivy Morgan, director of research and data at EdTrust, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that advocates for educational equity.

“The way this data was released is part of a long-standing pattern that we have observed for the last two years,” Morgan said. “This administration just does not care about data, doesn’t care about research, doesn’t care about evidence. And it particularly doesn’t care about that information when it is helping us understand the experiences of students and people who are marginalized in our society.”

The survey went to schools shortly before Trump took office

Preparations for the latest data collection began under President Joe Biden’s administration, and Morgan said the attempt to gather data on nonbinary and trans students was one of the most comprehensive efforts to date from the federal government. The survey went out to schools a month before Trump was inaugurated.

While Trump had previously announced his administration would remove questions related to gender identity, it was unclear whether that would affect the 2024 data or only future surveys.

The last time that the data collection was updated, under the Biden administration, it came with a detailed report on trends in educational equity and opportunity, including findings that Black and Latino students were far more likely than white students to attend schools where the majority of teachers were not certified and were far less likely to have access to advanced math courses in high school.

This year, the new data came out with no accompanying report. There was no official announcement from the Education Department that new data had arrived. The only indication of the change was a single row added to the department’s list of data tables. As of Friday, the homepage of the data collection website listed 2021-2022 data under the heading “What’s New?”

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“There was a moment where there was people shouting and stuff," Osaka said. “You could hear it quite clearly.”

The source of the disruption: a group of influencers and content creators who have been afforded widespread access at this U.S. Open. The number of content creators who were credentialed to cover the tournament has doubled from last year, and the interruptions have made the influencers and tennis etiquette a hot topic at Flushing Meadows.

Chair umpire Kader Nouni admonished a group of influencers in a suite for recording a video in the middle of a point, and another incident Monday night involved the use of a bright ring light to take photos. In Osaka's second match, chair umpire Marijana Veljovic asked fans several times to be quiet, an effort the players appreciated.

"It could be a good thing for people to make the sport of tennis popular to their specific audience, but I think it has to be managed a lot better, especially in the situation like first-round match,” Osaka said Thursday after advancing to the third round. “Overall, I think there is huge positives. ... You want people to continue to grow the sport. I just think it has to be in a way that everyone knows the rules and the etiquette.”

The U.S. Tennis Association began inviting creators last year, and spokesperson Brendan McIntyre said reaching new audiences is essential to the growth of the sport and the U.S. Open.

There have been some crowd and noise hiccups, including again Thursday when Osaka played Katerina Siniakova.

“Sometimes the people don’t realize that even when they’re like up and they are talking, you can hear it down (on the court),” Siniakova said. “You just don’t think about it. You think: 'Oh, I’m somewhere where no one even, like, hears me, but it’s not really true. Actually, in this big stadium, it’s everything, is going everywhere.”

Arthur Ashe Stadium, which serves as center court, has emerged as the place to be at the U.S. Open — often with the famous Honey Deuce cocktail and its tennis ball-shaped melons in hand. It has become common for fans to pose for photos in the middle of matches while play is ongoing.

“Sometimes it’s their first tennis match; they don’t know. They have probably been to basketball games before," 2023 champion Coco Gauff said, wondering if brands that invite influencers should put up etiquette signs as a way of helping. “With anything, any venue you go to, if you’re being invited to a red carpet, you wouldn’t show up in jeans. I think it’s just follow the etiquette of the sport.”

Madison Appel, a college tennis player at Indiana who teaches lessons as a coach and is an influencer, responded to the criticism on TikTok and Instagram by giving her own tips for those unfamiliar with how to act at matches.

“The problem is not the influencer: The problem is that no one understands tennis etiquette,” Appel said. “You should only be walking around and taking photos when the two players are sitting down, the music’s up and it’s lively. When players are playing, and they’re in between serving games, you should be in your seat, not taking photos and keeping it quiet. When a player is ready to serve, everyone needs to respect that, sit down and just watch.”

Earlier this week, video screens began displaying a message to “Please refrain from the use of flash photography and other lighting.” Osaka notices the noise more than the lights, while Gauff is most concerned about flash photography.

They and other players have mixed feelings about influencers. Daniil Medvedev, ranked eighth in the world in men's singles, is all for making tennis more popular and joked that one downside is getting recognized by more people on the street or at restaurants.

“If it disturbs during the play, like if you see the light or something, well, you always say to the referee, can be sometimes challenging, like if during the point this happens,” Medvedev said. “But I’m pretty sure as well, even them, maybe one time they do it, and then someone tells them not to do it. (There is) a lot of more upside than downside, so go for it.”

Frances Tiafoe does not see much of a downside to more butts in seats, with the goal of getting fans from all walks of life into tennis. Fellow American Jessica Pegula sees a benefit to influencers showcasing the U.S. Open experience but wonders if there's a tipping point.

“It’s tough when you see videos like that when they’re taking pictures and using the selfie lights,” Pegula said. “People are down there trying to perform, and it’s their career and their job. It seems like a bit disrespectful. I think it’s gotten a little maybe too much, it feels like, this year. I don’t know. I think I can appreciate one side of it, but I think when you have the other side literally interrupting matches, it gets a little tough.”

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

“Acudo a esta indagatoria con tristeza. Lo hago por respeto a la Constitución, a mi familia, a mis compatriotas y a la justicia”, dijo Uribe a la prensa antes de entrar al juzgado en Bogotá para la diligencia reservada. “Creí que le había servido a la nación, pero hoy acudo a decir que no he sido asesino”, agregó.

La fiscalía abrió en junio una investigación contra Uribe, quien gobernó entre 2002 y 2010, por hechos relacionados con la conformación de un grupo paramilitar en el municipio de San Roque, en el departamento de su natal Antioquia, y las masacres perpetradas en La Granja y El Aro en 1996 y 1997, respectivamente.

Uribe estaría involucrado, según la fiscalía, en los delitos de concierto para delinquir agravado, homicidio de persona protegida y presuntamente "facilitar y promover el accionar” del grupo paramilitar que habría utilizado como base para operar una hacienda ubicada en el noroeste del país que fue propiedad de la familia de Uribe.

También investigan la posible participación de Uribe, cuando era gobernador de Antioquia entre 1995 y 1997, en las “incursiones paramilitares” en los poblados de La Granja y El Aro, donde los ilegales mataron a más de una docena de personas en estado de indefensión tras acusarlas de ser guerrilleros.

La Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos halló responsable al Estado colombiano en 2006 por las masacres de La Granja y El Aro.

El expresidente ha negado en el pasado cualquier vinculación con las masacres y nexos con los paramilitares. El viernes indicó a la prensa que la actual investigación se “suma a las muchas que he llevado, creadas por el comité de mis adversarios”.

A fines del año pasado Uribe fue absuelto en segunda instancia por los delitos de soborno a testigos y fraude procesal por los que había sido condenado en primera instancia a 12 años bajo arresto domiciliario, un caso que también consideró tener raíces políticas.

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Great Big Game Show has arrived at Dania Pointe, transforming everyday visitors into game show contestants through a series of challenges testing knowledge, strategy, speed and luck.

The experience accommodates groups of two to 14 contestants, who are divided into red and blue teams and compete to rack up points throughout multiple rounds.

“I think everyone’s always wanted to be a contestant on a game show, and now is your chance,” general manager Justin Hambey said. “There’s music, you have a live host, so you really feel immersed in that experience.”

Local 10’s Alexis Frazier brought along several members of the Local 10 team to put the experience to the test.

And once the teams were divided, coworkers quickly became competitors.

From trivia to building challenges

The competition kicked off with “Build It Up,” which gave contestants 60 seconds to construct the tallest tower they could.

Communication under pressure proved to be just as important as building skills.

From there, contestants faced questions ranging from a first-grade to fifth-grade level.

The challenges continued to change throughout the experience. Some tested knowledge, while others required strategy, speed or a little bit of luck.

Another game, “Major Miners,” featured a format similar to a survey-style game show, with teams trying to guess answers on a board and earn points.

The Local 10 teams eventually found themselves tied, setting up a final spin to determine the winner.

One unfortunate spin landed on “Lose It All,” bringing the competition to a dramatic end — complete with screams and confetti for the winning team.

Escape rooms add another challenge

The game show isn’t the only attraction available.

Visitors can also take on The Escape Game, a 60-minute escape room experience where teams work together to solve puzzles and clues before time runs out.

“You work together with your team to solve clues and puzzles and find a way out within one hour,” Hambey said.

Among the adventures is “The Heist,” where participants attempt to recover a stolen painting.

“The Depths” takes players into an abandoned underwater laboratory, while “Ruins: Forbidden Treasure” sends teams on an adventure through the jungle.

Local 10’s teams tried another escape experience that even included a snowy surprise — but we’re not giving away the clues.

Great Big Game Show at Dania Pointe opens to the public Friday.

For information on booking an experience, click here.

Great Big Game Show ha llegado a Dania Pointe, convirtiendo a visitantes comunes en concursantes de un programa de juegos a través de una serie de desafíos que ponen a prueba el conocimiento, la estrategia, la velocidad y la suerte.

La experiencia permite grupos de dos a 14 concursantes, que se dividen en equipos rojo y azul y compiten para acumular puntos durante varias rondas.

“Creo que todos siempre han querido ser concursantes de un programa de juegos, y ahora es su oportunidad”, dijo el gerente general Justin Hambey. “Hay música, tiene un presentador en vivo, así que realmente se siente inmerso en esa experiencia”.

Alexis Frazier de Local 10 llevó a varios miembros del equipo de Local 10 para poner a prueba la experiencia.

Y una vez que los equipos se dividieron, los compañeros de trabajo rápidamente se convirtieron en competidores.

De preguntas de conocimiento a desafíos de construcción

La competencia comenzó con “Build It Up”, que dio a los concursantes 60 segundos para construir la torre más alta que pudieran.

La comunicación bajo presión demostró ser tan importante como las habilidades de construcción.

A partir de ahí, los concursantes enfrentaron preguntas que iban desde el nivel de primer grado hasta quinto grado.

Los desafíos continuaron cambiando a lo largo de la experiencia. Algunos pusieron a prueba el conocimiento, mientras que otros requirieron estrategia, velocidad o un poco de suerte.

Otro juego, “Major Miners”, presentó un formato similar al de un programa de juegos basado en encuestas, con los equipos tratando de adivinar las respuestas en un tablero y ganar puntos.

Los equipos de Local 10 finalmente quedaron empatados, preparando un giro final para determinar al ganador.

Un giro desafortunado cayó en “Lose It All”, llevando la competencia a un final dramático, con gritos y confeti para el equipo ganador.

Salas de escape añaden otro desafío

El programa de juegos no es la única atracción disponible.

Los visitantes también pueden enfrentarse a The Escape Game, una experiencia de sala de escape de 60 minutos en la que los equipos trabajan juntos para resolver acertijos y pistas antes de que se acabe el tiempo.

“Trabaja junto con su equipo para resolver pistas y acertijos y encontrar una salida en una hora”, dijo Hambey.

Entre las aventuras se encuentra “The Heist”, donde los participantes intentan recuperar una pintura robada.

“The Depths” lleva a los jugadores a un laboratorio submarino abandonado, mientras que “Ruins: Forbidden Treasure” envía a los equipos a una aventura por la selva.

Los equipos de Local 10 probaron otra experiencia de escape que incluso incluyó una sorpresa con nieve, pero no vamos a revelar las pistas.

Great Big Game Show en Dania Pointe abre al público el viernes.

Para obtener información sobre cómo reservar una experiencia, haga clic aquí.

Tate, 39, and his brother Tristan Tate, 38, were first arrested in Romania’s capital, Bucharest, in late 2022. Tristan is indicted with complicity in the case, according to DIICOT, Romania’s anti-organized crime agency.

The agency said on Friday that the Tate brothers coerced a victim by pretending to be in a loving relationship and then forcing her to produce pornographic material for an online webcam business.

A lawyer for the Tate brothers in Romania did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The new indictment stems from an investigation that led to the brothers’ arrest in 2022 and their being formally indicted in 2023. A court returned that case to DIICOT in 2024 because of multiple legal and procedural irregularities on the part of the prosecutors. The case wasn’t closed, and there was also a separate legal case against the brothers in Romania in 2024.

The Tates, who are dual U.S.-British citizens, are among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities by promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire.

DIICOT alleges that in 2012 the brothers recruited a 15-year-old girl in Luton, a town in England where the brothers are from, and that they obtained more than $1.2 million from her webcam activity after she was repeatedly transported to Romania.

The crime agency alleges that Tristan Tate knew the victim’s age, that she had been recruited by Andrew, and that between 2014 and 2021 he knowingly deceived her about his brother’s “feelings and intentions,” which helped to facilitate her sexual exploitation. It is further alleged that between December 2020 and mid-2021, Andrew Tate “repeatedly had sexual intercourse and sexual acts with another minor victim,” who was also aged 15.

Between December 2023 and July 2024, DIICOT alleges the Tates tried to “hide or disguise the illicit origin of the money” obtained from human trafficking by purchasing four luxury cars worth about 825,000 euros ($957,000), and said they had requested the vehicles confiscated.

Both the Tate brothers have repeatedly denied the allegations against them. Andrew Tate has also claimed that there is a political conspiracy to silence them.

The Tates were arrested in Bucharest in late 2022 on charges they participated in a criminal ring that lured women to Romania, where they were sexually exploited. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape.

DIICOT alleges in the new indictment that their victims had been paid or intimidated in attempts to influence them “not to give statements or to give false statements.”

The Tates are currently being held in Miami after prosecutors in the United Kingdom requested their extradition in July on sex crimes allegations. The Tates took the witness stand in federal court last week and said they can’t adequately defend themselves from criminal sex charges if they have to remain in a Miami jail while fighting extradition to the U.K.

Their lawyers repeated arguments from court filings that the U.K.’s extradition request was out of line because their criminal case in Romania is going first.

Romanian officials allowed the Tates to remain free with some restrictions — including reporting to a Bucharest police station — while the proceedings are ongoing.

—

McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was looking into whether Tesla was in full compliance with federal rules in deploying so-called Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, given that the two-seater cars lack steering wheels, mirrors or brake pedals typically required of all vehicles.

The head of the company, Elon Musk, kicked off his Cybercab service in Austin on Thursday with fanfare, sending dozens of the futuristic taxis into the city streets and holding a launch event for invitees.

Tesla stock was down more than 5% to $357.38 in early trading Friday on news of the probe, reversing many of the gains a day earlier.

Tesla did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Before the launch, Tesla had said it had relied on a self-certification procedure to make sure the Cybercabs were in compliance, but the agency apparently is unsure if the taxis do indeed meet standards. In its filing, the agency said it will now conduct an audit to “examine the process and technical data” that Tesla used in the certification.

The Austin service Thursday kicked off what Musk says will be a national rollout of a cheap, driverless taxi service that he promises to transform the way people travel.

Musk plans to integrate Cybercabs, which lack manual controls so passengers could take over in an emergency, into the company’s existing cab service that up to now uses just normal Tesla vehicle. That robotaxi network has been operating in Austin for more than a year, but has also begun offering rides in five other Texas and Florida cities.

The company is facing several federal investigation into the safety of its self-driving software.

One probe is examining the software’s role in several Tesla crashes in fog, sun glare and other low-visibility conditions, including one in which a pedestrian was killed. Another is investigating dozens of incidents in which Teslas using partial self-driving software ran red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road, sometimes crashing into other vehicles and causing injuries. A third is examining why Tesla apparently violated regulatory requirements by failing to report crashes promptly.

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Local 10’s Good News South Florida has been following the transformation of Edward and Clara Knox’s Richmond Heights home since April.

As construction moves through each phase, more businesses and volunteers are stepping forward to donate their time, labor and materials. Donations from Local 10 viewers are also helping push the project toward completion.

The latest progress includes new plumbing throughout the house and a new roof that has passed its final inspection.

$15,000 in plumbing donated

Luke Blosser, a fourth-generation plumber with his family’s business, Bob’s Plumbing, and his crew installed new plumbing throughout the Knox home.

The work included replacing old cast-iron pipes that had become severely corroded.

“This is a pretty severely corroded pipe,” Blosser said while examining one of the old pipes.

The company donated all of the labor and materials for the plumbing work, a contribution valued at approximately $15,000.

“We don’t do it for the recognition, we just do it because we want to serve our neighbor,” Blosser said.

A community effort grows

The effort to help the Knox family began with Joe Puentes, a builder and co-founder of the nonprofit WikiVoice.

Puentes couldn’t bear seeing the conditions Edward and Clara Knox were living in and rallied several volunteers to begin rebuilding their home before Local 10’s Good News South Florida became involved.

Since then, the number of people willing to help has continued to grow.

“So many wonderful people with a good heart have stepped up,” Puentes said.

Among them is Hector Rodriguez, owner of Level Up Roofing, who has donated thousands of dollars in materials and manpower while personally spending hours at the job site.

Rodriguez estimated the value of the roof alone at about $14,000.

He also reached out to John Massengill, a sales agent for Polyglass, to tell him about the Knox family’s situation.

“This one hit us pretty hard,” Massengill said. “Hector called us and explained the situation.”

Polyglass supplied the underlayment and waterproofing materials for the roof, a donation valued at $4,000.

“Charitable giving is something that we try to do whenever we can,” Massengill said.

After seeing photos of the Knox home before the work began, Massengill said he knew he wanted to get involved.

“When you just look at those pictures you just have to do something,” he said.

Massengill even traveled from Deerfield Beach to meet Knox at the home.

“For the first time in my life, I am at a loss for words,” Knox said.

Roof passes final inspection

The Knox family’s home on Jackson Street is now being transformed from top to bottom.

The roof shingles have been installed, and the roof has passed its final inspection.

The next phase includes metal framing, but more work remains before Edward and Clara Knox can see their rebuilt home completed.

“We’re here to overcome,” jobsite foreman Deiky Vergel said. “Mr. Knox is a deserving individual and a friend and we’re happy to do it.”

For Edward Knox, seeing businesses and people he didn’t previously know dedicate their time and resources to helping his family has been overwhelming.

“To find this many people with businesses who don’t really have to do this, but they are finding joy in doing it, that just makes me feel that much better,” Knox said.

More help is still needed

While significant progress has been made, additional materials, equipment and labor are still needed to finish the project.

The remaining needs include:

• Attic and wall insulation
• Electrical materials
• Interior and exterior lighting fixtures
• Remaining structural shell work and reinforcement
• Concrete pump and concrete truck
• Interior and exterior paint and painting supplies
• HVAC system, ductwork and installation labor
• Exterior stucco
• Driveway removal and replacement
• Landscaping

Also, 100% percent of the money donated goes toward construction of the Knox home, with Local 10 providing updates on how the funds are used as the project moves toward completion.

• To donate: If you’d like to make a monetary donation toward a Good News South Florida story or project, click here. Local 10 has established the Local 10 Fund with The Miami Foundation and 100% of your donation will go toward the cause you designate in the “additional information” box.
• To volunteer or submit a story idea: If you’d like to volunteer for a Good News South Florida project or would like to submit a story for consideration, email goodnews@local10.com.

Good News South Florida airs Fridays on the Local 10 morning news at 10 a.m. It will encore Fridays at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday mornings, beginning at 6 a.m.

Good News South Florida de Local 10 ha estado siguiendo la transformación de la casa de Edward y Clara Knox en Richmond Heights desde abril.

A medida que la construcción avanza por cada fase, más negocios y voluntarios se están sumando para donar su tiempo, mano de obra y materiales. Las donaciones de los televidentes de Local 10 también están ayudando a impulsar el proyecto hacia su finalización.

Los avances más recientes incluyen nuevas tuberías en toda la casa y un nuevo techo que pasó su inspección final.

$15,000 USD en trabajos de plomería donados

Luke Blosser, plomero de cuarta generación del negocio de su familia, Bob’s Plumbing, y su equipo instalaron nuevas tuberías en toda la casa de los Knox.

El trabajo incluyó reemplazar viejas tuberías de hierro fundido que se habían corroído gravemente.

“Esta es una tubería bastante corroída”, dijo Blosser mientras examinaba una de las tuberías viejas.

La compañía donó toda la mano de obra y los materiales para los trabajos de plomería, una contribución valorada en aproximadamente $15,000 USD.

“No lo hacemos por el reconocimiento, simplemente lo hacemos porque queremos ayudar a nuestro prójimo”, dijo Blosser.

Crece un esfuerzo comunitario

El esfuerzo para ayudar a la familia Knox comenzó con Joe Puentes, constructor y cofundador de la organización sin fines de lucro WikiVoice.

Puentes no podía soportar ver las condiciones en las que vivían Edward y Clara Knox y reunió a varios voluntarios para comenzar a reconstruir su casa antes de que Good News South Florida de Local 10 se involucrara.

Desde entonces, la cantidad de personas dispuestas a ayudar ha seguido creciendo.

“Muchas personas maravillosas y de buen corazón se han sumado”, dijo Puentes.

Entre ellas se encuentra Hector Rodriguez, propietario de Level Up Roofing, quien ha donado miles de dólares en materiales y mano de obra, además de pasar personalmente horas en el lugar de la obra.

Rodriguez estimó el valor del techo por sí solo en unos $14,000 USD.

También se comunicó con John Massengill, agente de ventas de Polyglass, para contarle sobre la situación de la familia Knox.

“Este caso nos impactó bastante”, dijo Massengill. “Hector nos llamó y nos explicó la situación”.

Polyglass proporcionó la capa base y los materiales de impermeabilización para el techo, una donación valorada en $4,000 USD.

“Las donaciones benéficas son algo que tratamos de hacer siempre que podemos”, dijo Massengill.

Después de ver fotos de la casa de los Knox antes de que comenzaran los trabajos, Massengill dijo que sabía que quería involucrarse.

“Cuando ves esas fotos, simplemente tienes que hacer algo”, dijo.

Massengill incluso viajó desde Deerfield Beach para reunirse con Knox en la casa.

“Por primera vez en mi vida, me he quedado sin palabras”, dijo Knox.

El techo pasa la inspección final

La casa de la familia Knox en Jackson Street está siendo transformada por completo.

Las tejas del techo ya fueron instaladas y el techo pasó su inspección final.

La siguiente fase incluye la instalación de estructuras metálicas, pero aún queda más trabajo antes de que Edward y Clara Knox puedan ver terminada la reconstrucción de su casa.

“Estamos aquí para superar esto”, dijo Deiky Vergel, capataz de la obra. “El señor Knox es una persona que lo merece y un amigo, y estamos felices de hacerlo”.

Para Edward Knox, ver a negocios y personas que no conocía anteriormente dedicar su tiempo y recursos a ayudar a su familia ha sido abrumador.

“Encontrar a tantas personas con negocios que realmente no tienen que hacer esto, pero que encuentran alegría al hacerlo, simplemente me hace sentir mucho mejor”, dijo Knox.

Todavía se necesita más ayuda

Aunque se han logrado avances significativos, todavía se necesitan materiales, equipos y mano de obra adicionales para terminar el proyecto.

Las necesidades restantes incluyen:

• Aislamiento para el ático y las paredes
• Materiales eléctricos
• Accesorios de iluminación interior y exterior
• Trabajos restantes en la estructura y refuerzo
• Bomba de concreto y camión de concreto
• Pintura interior y exterior y suministros para pintar
• Sistema de aire acondicionado, conductos y mano de obra para la instalación
• Estuco exterior
• Remoción y reemplazo de la entrada para vehículos
• Paisajismo

Además, el 100% del dinero donado se destina a la construcción de la casa de los Knox, y Local 10 proporciona actualizaciones sobre cómo se utilizan los fondos a medida que el proyecto avanza hacia su finalización.

• Para donar: Si desea hacer una donación monetaria para una historia o proyecto de Good News South Florida, haga clic aquí. Local 10 estableció el Local 10 Fund con The Miami Foundation y el 100% de su donación se destinará a la causa que usted indique en la casilla de “información adicional”.
• Para ser voluntario o enviar una idea para una historia: Si desea ser voluntario en un proyecto de Good News South Florida o enviar una historia para consideración, envíe un correo electrónico a goodnews@local10.com.

Good News South Florida se transmite los viernes en el noticiero matutino de Local 10 a las 10 a.m. Se volverá a transmitir los viernes a las 3:30 p.m. y los domingos por la mañana, a partir de las 6 a.m.

The federal indictment accuses Christian Castro of falsely telling investigators that he was attacked with a broom and shovel before he opened fire, injuring Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in January.

Castro was shackled at his wrists, waist and feet during a brief hearing in the federal court in McAllen after he turned himself into authorities Thursday evening. The judge ordered him released on a $75,000 unsecured bond and with a GPS ankle monitor.

It's the first Justice Department prosecution of a federal officer for actions taken during this year's massive Operation Metro Surge, which brought thousands of agents to the Twin Cities and led to sweeping protests, arrests and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers.

The allegations in the federal indictment mirror those brought by Minnesota officials, who have separately charged Castro with assault and false reporting of a crime related to the nonfatal shooting of Sosa-Celis.

According to the federal indictment, Castro told an FBI agent that a man grabbed a red broom off a front porch and began hitting him with it while Castro was trying to detain another man outside a Minneapolis home. Castro also claimed that another man hit him with a snow shovel and that he opened fire while on the ground as the men ran away.

The indictment alleges that Castro had a short “physical interaction” with Sosa-Celis and another man, before the two ran into a home with a 1-year-old child inside. Castro then fired a shot through the front door while standing as the men began to close it, hitting Sosa-Celis in the leg, the indictment says.

“No person struck” Castro “with a broom as he described, and no persons wielded the broom and snow shovel as he described,” the indictment says.

An attorney for Castro urged the public not to rush to judgment without learning all the facts and to let his client “have his day in court.” Castro served in the military before becoming a federal immigration officer, the lawyer, David Lindenmuth, said after the hearing.

“His life has been that of public service to our country and to our nation, either through its military or protecting its borders and enforcing its laws,” Lindenmuth said.

Federal prosecutors had initially charged Sosa-Celis and the other man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, with assault but dropped the charges after video evidence showed the officer may have lied about the encounter. Castro was suspended from ICE in February while authorities pursued an investigation.

The federal charges follow Castro’s release from jail last week after Texas’ governor refused to immediately sign an extradition warrant to hand him over to Minnesota authorities.

The federal investigation into Castro created turmoil inside the Justice Department, with a prosecutor on the case accusing higher-ups of blocking efforts to bring more serious civil rights charges.

In an email obtained by ProPublica, the prosecutor told lawyers for Sosa-Celis and others that Castro would be charged only with making false statements over his “strongest objections,” adding the decision was “being directed by the Main Justice and the US Attorney.”

A person familiar with the investigation, however, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the civil rights probe is continuing and additional charges could still be brought.

The prosecutor, Matthew Evans, has since been fired and the Justice Department is now investigating whether he broke any laws during his handling of the case, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not publicly authorized to discuss ongoing investigations.

An automatic email response from Evans’ Justice Department account said he was on leave, and other attempts to reach him were not immediately successful.

Sosa-Celis' lawyer is pressing for Castro to face stiffer charges, saying in a statement on Thursday that Castro’s statements were made to “cover up the fact that he shot my client through the door of an occupied house without a self-defense justification.”

“Mr. Sosa Celis wants Mr. Castro to be held fully accountable for his crimes,” said the attorney, Robin Wolpert. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota said Thursday that Sosa-Celis also plans to seek damages from the federal government.

———

Richer reported from Washington.

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The incident happened Saturday at about 7:20 p.m. Troopers said they responded to a report of a traffic accident and road-rage incident involving two drivers.

According to an arrest report, Anthony Moreno was driving a gray Dodge Ram and the other driver was in a gray Ford F-150. The victim told troopers that Moreno “intentionally slammed on his brakes in order to stop him,” the report states.

Troopers said the incident led to a pursuit.

They said the victim claimed that after he was stopped in traffic because of Moreno’s pursuit, he saw Moreno pointing a small black gun directly at him.

The victim told troopers he feared for his life and believed Moreno “might kill him,” according to the report. He also said Moreno appeared to mouth words to the effect of, “Pull over, imma f***in kill you!” the report states.

Moreno later told troopers that he pointed the gun toward the victim’s tires “just to scare” him, according to the report.

Troopers said after the victim fled once again, Moreno pointed the gun at him and boxed in his vehicle. They said the victim was eventually stopped on the right shoulder of the Florida Turnpike near mile marker 73 in Coconut Creek.

Troopers said Moreno made a confession, but that portion of his arrest report was redacted.

Jail records show he was facing one count of improper exhibition of a firearm or dangerous weapon.

As of Friday morning, Moreno was no longer listed as an inmate in the Broward County jail records system.

El incidente ocurrió el sábado alrededor de las 7:20 p.m. Los agentes respondieron a un reporte de un accidente de tránsito y un incidente de ira al volante que involucró a dos conductores.

Según el informe de arresto, Anthony Moreno conducía una Dodge Ram gris y el otro conductor estaba en una Ford F-150 gris. La víctima dijo a los agentes que Moreno “frenó intencionalmente de golpe para detenerlo”, indica el informe.

Los agentes dijeron que el incidente provocó una persecución.

Dijeron que la víctima afirmó que, después de quedar detenida en el tráfico debido a la persecución de Moreno, vio a Moreno apuntándole directamente con una pequeña arma negra.

La víctima dijo a los agentes que temió por su vida y creyó que Moreno “podría matarlo”, según el informe. También dijo que Moreno pareció pronunciar palabras que significaban: “¡Detente, te voy a matar!”, indica el informe.

Moreno dijo posteriormente a los agentes que apuntó el arma hacia los neumáticos de la víctima “solo para asustarlo”, según el informe.

Los agentes dijeron que después de que la víctima huyera nuevamente, Moreno le apuntó con el arma y bloqueó su vehículo. Dijeron que la víctima finalmente se detuvo en el arcén derecho de la Florida Turnpike cerca de la milla 73 en Coconut Creek.

Los agentes dijeron que Moreno confesó, pero esa parte de su informe de arresto fue censurada.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que enfrentaba un cargo de exhibición indebida de un arma de fuego o arma peligrosa.

Hasta la mañana del viernes, Moreno ya no figuraba como recluso en el sistema de registros de la cárcel del condado Broward.

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Stefan Germaine Davis, 55, was the man who died after a crash involving a Miami-Dade deputy and a suspect wanted by the U.S. military happened near Northwest 51st Terrace and Northwest 33rd Avenue.

Surveillance video captured a car speeding through the area before the violent impact.

“I heard a boom,” said Norman Bradley, who was nearby at the time.

Other video angles show the force of the collision.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office told Local 10 that deputies with the Robbery Intervention Unit were conducting a traffic stop when 21-year-old Luis Manuel Perez hit the gas and took off.

Perez was wanted for military desertion, according to deputies.

“When the car flipped on its side, we said, ‘Wow, what happened?’” Bradley said.

The crash left Davis seriously injured. He was rushed to the hospital, but later died.

The Nassau Guardian confirmed Davis’ identity and reported that he is a well-known artist from the Bahamas.

Friends say Davis loved spending time in Miami, especially around his birthday in early September.

Levin Wilson, a friend of Davis, said it is difficult to process the loss.

“Sorry to see such talent has left us in a tragic way,” Wilson said.

As of Thursday evening, Perez was being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Stefan Germaine Davis, de 55 años, fue el hombre que murió después de un accidente que involucró a un agente de Miami-Dade y a un sospechoso buscado por las Fuerzas Armadas de Estados Unidos cerca de Northwest 51st Terrace y Northwest 33rd Avenue.

Un video de vigilancia captó un automóvil circulando a alta velocidad por el área antes del violento impacto.

“Escuché un estruendo”, dijo Norman Bradley, quien se encontraba cerca en ese momento.

Otros ángulos de video muestran la fuerza de la colisión.

La Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade dijo a Local 10 que agentes de la Unidad de Intervención de Robos realizaban una parada de tránsito cuando Luis Manuel Perez, de 21 años, pisó el acelerador y huyó.

Perez era buscado por deserción militar, según los agentes.

“Cuando el automóvil se volcó de lado, dijimos: “Vaya, ¿qué pasó?””, dijo Bradley.

El accidente dejó a Davis gravemente herido. Fue trasladado de emergencia al hospital, pero posteriormente murió.

The Nassau Guardian confirmó la identidad de Davis e informó que es un conocido artista de Bahamas.

Amigos dijeron que a Davis le encantaba pasar tiempo en Miami, especialmente cerca de su cumpleaños a principios de septiembre.

Levin Wilson, amigo de Davis, dijo que es difícil asimilar la pérdida.

“Lamento ver que tanto talento nos haya dejado de una manera trágica”, dijo Wilson.

Hasta la noche del jueves, Perez permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Engelbert is the second-longest tenured WNBA president or commissioner, and she helped negotiate a lucrative collective bargaining agreement this past spring that resulted in the league's first set of million-dollar player salaries.

“Cathy has presided over the WNBA through the most significant period of growth in the league’s 30-year history,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday when announcing Engelbert's decision. “We are grateful for Cathy’s leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women’s basketball.”

Engelbert, who turns 62 in November, told The Associated Press that she has been thinking about retiring for months.

“When I first came to the league I intended to do this for 3 1/2 years,” she said in a phone interview. “The 7 1/2 years exceeded that time. This is a really good time given the financial transformation journey we've been on. Getting the collective bargaining agreement done, getting a long-term media rights deal done, getting expansion done.”

Engelbert insists that the decision to leave was solely her own and that she did not feel any pressure to step down from NBA or WNBA stakeholders.

Engelbert: Several unidentified successors on league's radar

The commissioner said she has been working on a succession plan over the last few years. While she didn’t give any specifics on who might be considered for the position, Engelbert did say there are both internal and external potential candidates on the league’s radar.

“It’s a good time to hand it off to the next leader to take the ‘W’ into a better phase,” she said. “I’m proud of the team we built and everything we accomplished. A leader knows when it’s time to drop the mic and move on after building a powerhouse team in the league office.”

Engelbert said she has mixed emotions about leaving.

“I love women's basketball and am not going anywhere yet. We'll run a real succession process in the remaining four months. If we don't find someone I'll stay on," she said. "I had no transition. I walked in the door and I was by myself as no one transitioned me into this role.

“Hopefully I can help this next leader transition in especially considering the elevation of this league.”

The WNBA has grown at an exponential rate during Engelbert’s tenure as commissioner, with record television ratings, strong attendance, a new long-term media rights deal and expansion to 18 teams by the end of the decade.

“I was brought in as a business leader to transform the business,” she said. “I look at revenue and merchandise, viewership and attendance,” she said, noting how they've all improved. “A great leader senses when it’s time for someone else to come in. When I came in, this league was facing questions about our long-term viability and sustainability.”

Turmoil and tension part of Engelbert's tenure

Engelbert said the growth of the league has “blown away her expectations” since she stepped into her role after leaving her previous position as president of Deloitte in 2019.

Besides the new CBA, the list of things she is most proud of includes getting charter travel for players, keeping the league going during the coronavirus pandemic, the historic media rights deal and exponential increase in the value of of WNBA franchises. In 2019, the average value of a WNBA franchise was $10 million; in 2026, it is about $460 million.

Along with the financial gains, however, turmoil and tension have accompanied the WNBA’s growth.

Players say they have seen more social media vitriol directed toward them over the last few years and some don't feel the league has done enough to ensure their safety. The league also has been at the center of discussions about transgender athletes playing in the league.

Engelbert has repeatedly said the online attacks of players are unacceptable and she backs league initiatives to protect players. She also said there should be no confusion on the transgender question.

“We have no current eligibility issues in the WNBA," Engelbert said, adding that “if we did, we would have a thoughtful policy discussion with the (players' association) and the players.”

While there was a strained partnership between the commissioner and players during the recent CBA negotiations, Engelbert insists she has a good relationship with them.

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, vice president of the WNBA players' union executive committee said Friday that she was happy for Engelbert.

“What she’s done for the league is incredible,” Stewart said. “Obviously, the CBA negotiation was a tough one, but the way that both sides continue to have a huge win is really important. So really happy for her and hope that she continues to remember that and reflect on that.”

Stewart had said before the All-Star Game in July that there was a respect for Engelbert among the players but not much of a relationship.

What's next in Engelbert's future?

Engelbert said she is ready to do what most retirees plan: spend more time with family.

She also admitted that the online hate she receives has affected her family as well, though she did not share details of the impact.

“There have been some hard parts of that on my family with the vitriol and hate I get online,” Engelbert said.

Her retirement will make her mother happy.

“My mom is turning 90 this year, and she said that ‘it would be good if you were retired to spend more time with me,'" Engelbert said, laughing. “I have two children, one I barely see.

"I’m one of eight kids (and I) have five brothers. They always say can you retire so you can spend more time with us."

Come Jan. 1, her family will get its wish.

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

The actions against Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi Anonim Sirketi come after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week launched “Operation Economic Outcast, ” Washington’s new effort to isolate already heavily sanctioned Iran from its remaining trading partners to try to get it to capitulate to U.S. demands after more than six months of war.

The Treasury Department accused the Turkish bank and its entities of being established to enable Iran's efforts to transfer oil revenues from China to Turkey, where they could then be converted to cash and gold. It also said the institution “knowingly offered” banking services to Iranian financial entities, including those already sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2022 for funneling Tehran's oil sales.

Bessent, who had told The Associated Press earlier this week that another bank would face economic penalties, said financial institutions with ties to Iran will “continue to find out the hard way that we are serious about Operation Economic Outcast.”

“While we hope no more banks will need to be sanctioned, that ultimately depends on how quickly the international community comes to its senses and ceases support of the murderous Iranian regime,” he said in a press release Friday. “We know who you are, we know where you are, and we will continue to take action together with our allies and partners until we have buried the head of the Iranian snake.”

But so far, the goal to force those that still do business with Iran to cut off financial ties or face U.S. retaliation has fallen flat, with promises of an “economic D-Day” for a group of countries that could include China and India quickly turning into warnings and negotiations with Iran’s trading partners.

Bessent had previously told reporters that he wanted countries to have an opportunity to shift away from Iran before it was too late in a bid to avoid upending the global financial system.

The Trump administration’s reluctance to penalize major trading partners that still do business with Iran was on display last week when the U.S. took steps to limit an Egyptian bank’s operations in the United Arab Emirates but stopped short of imposing sanctions.

The U.S. also has resumed military strikes in recent days, prompting Iranian retaliation in the region. It’s unclear what the outcome of the two-pronged strategy will be for President Donald Trump, who has struggled to end an unpopular war with an intransigent Iranian government as energy prices rise and pose problems for Republicans before November's midterm congressional elections.

Targeted in the latest U.S. sanctions is Golden Global Investment Bank, which was founded in 2019 as Turkey’s first investment bank to offer “banking services and alternative financing methods” to foreign companies, according to its website.

The Istanbul-based bank, which is largely unfamiliar to most Turks, says it aims to increase Turkey’s foreign trade through target markets in neighboring countries.

The Treasury announcement came a day after Turkey’s state-run Halkbank declared it had reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department in a nine-year case focused on violating sanctions with Iran.

In that case, senior officials at Halkbank were said to have illegally moved about $20 billion worth of Iranian oil revenues. U.S. prosecutors claimed high-ranking Turkish government officials received millions of dollars in bribes to protect the scheme.

The Halkbank case caused a rift in U.S.-Turkey relations, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally lobbying the White House to have the case dropped.

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Wilks reported from Istanbul.

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This was Nida’s fifth arrest this year.

The warrant states that Nida, 55, was released to the Broward County Pretrial Services Program on July 30 “for the offenses of robbery/no weapon, grand theft auto, false imprisonment, tampering with witness/victim/informant” and “battery touch or strike.”

Authorities said Nida violated the terms of the program by “failing to reside at the James Club Program and follow any treatment recommendations.”

According to the warrant, detectives verified that Nida was discharged from the James Club Treatment Center, which offers “supportive sober living programs,” on Aug. 21.

Nida was previously arrested on July 11 for allegedly violating a domestic violence injunction.

According to BSO, he “separated from” the agency on June 29, a little more than a month after his third arrest.

Nida’s first arrest came in January after he was accused of attacking his longtime partner over infidelity. The victim later waived prosecution and a no-contact order was dismissed. She told investigators she “felt coerced into dropping the charges” because Nida allegedly said he would “lose his job and pension.”

But Nida was arrested again in April after being accused of attacking his partner for a second time and stealing her vehicle.

He was arrested one month later on a domestic violence injunction violation charge. A BSO report states that he allowed his girlfriend to live with him “because she and her daughter were forced out of their previous residence” and reached out to Nida “because they had no place to go.”

Court records show Broward prosecutors declined to pursue charges in that case.

His arrest report from July indicates that a concerned acquaintance of Nida’s called in a wellness check on July 11 after receiving concerning messages from him.

When authorities arrived, they said Nida went inside the home and moved around his house before coming back outside.

A police drone found Nida’s girlfriend and her child hiding in a storage area, with the report stating, “The pair went as far as to admit he had formed a plan for them to hide in the backyard if law enforcement came to the house for which they executed tonight.”

The woman told police they were at Nida’s home for weeks because of a financial crisis, and even had a key, the report stated.

As of Friday morning, Nida was being held at the Broward County Main Jail. Online jail records showed that his bond had not yet been set.

Este fue el quinto arresto de Nida este año.

La orden indica que Nida, de 55 años, fue liberado bajo el Programa de Servicios Previos al Juicio del Condado Broward el 30 de julio “por los delitos de robo/sin arma, robo mayor de vehículo, privación ilegal de la libertad, manipulación de testigo/víctima/informante” y “agresión física por tocar o golpear”.

Las autoridades dijeron que Nida violó los términos del programa al “no residir en el Programa James Club ni seguir las recomendaciones de tratamiento”.

Según la orden, los detectives verificaron que Nida fue dado de alta del James Club Treatment Center, que ofrece “programas de vivienda de apoyo para personas en recuperación”, el 21 de agosto.

Nida fue arrestado anteriormente el 11 de julio por presuntamente violar una orden judicial por violencia doméstica.

Según BSO, se “separó” de la agencia el 29 de junio, poco más de un mes después de su tercer arresto.

El primer arresto de Nida ocurrió en enero después de que fuera acusado de atacar a su pareja de muchos años por una infidelidad. Posteriormente, la víctima renunció a presentar cargos y se desestimó una orden de no contacto. Ella dijo a los investigadores que “se sintió coaccionada para retirar los cargos” porque Nida presuntamente dijo que “perdería su trabajo y su pensión”.

Pero Nida fue arrestado nuevamente en abril después de ser acusado de atacar a su pareja por segunda vez y robarle su vehículo.

Fue arrestado un mes después por un cargo de violación de una orden judicial por violencia doméstica. Un informe de BSO indica que permitió que su novia viviera con él “porque ella y su hija fueron obligadas a abandonar su residencia anterior” y acudieron a Nida “porque no tenían dónde ir”.

Los registros judiciales muestran que los fiscales de Broward decidieron no presentar cargos en ese caso.

El informe de su arresto de julio indica que un conocido de Nida, preocupado por su bienestar, solicitó una verificación de bienestar el 11 de julio después de recibir mensajes preocupantes de su parte.

Cuando las autoridades llegaron, dijeron que Nida entró a la vivienda y se desplazó por la casa antes de volver a salir.

Un dron de la policía encontró a la novia de Nida y a su hija escondidas en un área de almacenamiento, y el informe señala: “La pareja incluso admitió que él había elaborado un plan para que se escondieran en el patio trasero si las autoridades acudían a la casa, plan que ejecutaron esta noche”.

La mujer dijo a la policía que llevaban semanas en la casa de Nida debido a una crisis financiera y que incluso tenían una llave, según el informe.

Hasta la mañana del viernes, Nida permanecía detenido en la cárcel principal del condado Broward. Los registros de la cárcel en línea mostraban que aún no se había fijado su fianza.

La explosión del domingo por la noche frente a la comisaría de policía de Ojocaliente, 580km al noroeste de Ciudad de México, no causó muertos, pero el estallido de 200 kilos de explosivos provocó 11 heridos y daños en más de 60 viviendas del centro de la ciudad, dijo el viernes el secretario de Seguridad federal Omar García Harfuch de visita en Zacatecas con la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum. Hay tres detenidos.

Aunque la mandataria destacó el descenso de homicidios parte de la población sigue sin sentirse segura. Este año van 23 ataques con explosivos, seis de ellos colocados en vehículos, dijo el fiscal estatal Cristian Paul Camacho.

El Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) y el de Sinaloa llevan años luchando por el control de Zacatecas.

“Hasta hemos llegado al terrorismo con los coches bomba", dijo Rafael Armas, un empleado del ayuntamiento de la capital del estado que pidió más acciones contra la corrupción. “Antes eran las ejecuciones, las desapariciones... no podemos estar seguros mientras esté esta gente (los cárteles) aquí".

Estas son algunas claves para entender por qué estos ataques preocupan aunque su impacto esté lejos del sufrido en el pasado por otros países como Colombia.

¿Es habitual el uso de coches bomba en México?

No, pero sí se han utilizado desde hace años, generalmente como parte de la lucha entre cárteles.

Victor Manuel Sánchez, profesor de la Universidad de Coahuila, ha mapeado los coches bomba de las últimas décadas y destacó un primer momento marcado por el atentado en Guadalajara de 1994 del Cártel de Tijuana contra uno de los fundadores del de Sinaloa, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, ahora condenado en Estados Unidos.

En torno al año 2010 hubo otra fase de acciones con coches bomba, el más grave en la fronteriza Ciudad Juárez, con al menos cuatro muertos.

Más recientemente, el CJNG ha liderado el uso de explosivos para expandir su presencia en el país. Las autoridades atribuyen a este grupo los dos atentados a comisarías de policía, ambas en el centro de pequeñas poblaciones: el de diciembre en el estado occidental de Michoacán, con cinco muertos, y el del domingo de Zacatecas.

¿Cuándo empezaron los cárteles a usar más explosivos?

Hace unos cinco años. Los lanzan desde drones para atacar a las fuerzas de seguridad o a grupos rivales o los entierran como minas para delimitar territorios.

En 2023, ocho bombas en un camino de Jalisco mataron a seis personas e hirieron a 14. Un mes después, el Ejército reconoció que era un problema creciente y ofreció sus primeras cifras: en cuatro años y medio había decomisado unos 2.800 explosivos en todo el país.

Al año siguiente las autoridades desactivaron casi 3.200 explosivos sólo en Michoacán, donde en 2025 una mina mató a ocho militares, uno de los eventos más letales de este tipo. Las autoridades no han ofrecido cifras nacionales recientes.

“Estamos viendo una constante intensificación de la violencia”, destacó Vanda Felbab-Brown, experta en crimen organizado de la Brookings Institution, un centro de estudios estadounidense. “Esto agudiza enormemente el clima de miedo y represalias”.

¿Por qué utilizar coches bomba?

Para intimidar, generar presión al gobierno y sembrar terror en la población.

Carlos Pérez Ricart, profesor de Estudios Internacionales de la universidad mexicana CIDE, señaló que son una manera de llamar la atención e influir en las autoridades para negociar con ellas, sobre todo cuando los grupos se sienten asediados.

El general Arturo Medina, secretario de Seguridad de Zacatecas, dijo que tiene capturas de pantalla de mensajes donde criminales ofrecen pagos a agentes para que los dejen operar.

¿Se puede hablar de terrorismo en México?

México ha rehuido este término para evitar presiones externas y que su turismo o sus inversiones se resientan, explicó Vanda Felbab-Brown.

Uno de los argumentos oficiales es que el terrorismo tiene fines ideológicos y los cárteles no. Pero sí ha habido ataques contra civiles como las granadas lanzadas en la capital de Michoacán en las fiestas de la Independencia de 2008, que mataron a ocho personas e hirieron a decenas; o el incendio de un casino en el norte del país tres años después donde murieron 52 personas.

Ahora que la administración estadounidense utiliza esa designación para justificar acciones militares cuya legalidad es cuestionada dentro y fuera de Estados Unidos, expertos y autoridades son más cautelosos.

Para Pérez Ricart, luchar contra los cárteles con métodos antiterroristas no funciona porque “la respuesta al terrorismo es la desaparición del enemigo” y en la política de drogas ese enemigo es todo un mercado ilegal.

Ante la imprevisibilidad de Trump, los académicos coinciden en que México debería reforzar la lucha contra la corrupción de altos funcionarios, como los que estaban en el gobierno de Sinaloa, acusados por Estados Unidos de vínculos con el narcotráfico, para demostrar su combate total contra el crimen organizado.

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El videoperiodista de The Associated Press Eduardo Pesci contribuyó a esta nota desde Zacatecas.

Rhyne Howard also scored 14 points and Jackie Young added 12 for the Americans, who have now won 31 consecutive World Cup games dating back to a loss in the semifinal game of the 2006 tournament.

This a period of transition for the U.S. with a young roster that includes the trio of Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese. None of them were in the starting lineup, but they were on the court together to close out the opening quarter, which the Americans dominated to go up 27-14.

China fought back at the start of the second quarter behind Zhang. The 19-year-old, who was making her first World Cup appearance, towered over the Americans. On defense, she stood under the basket, making it difficult for the Americans to score inside or get second shots off misses. On offense, the Americans constantly double-teamed her when she caught the ball.

Zhang's first basket of the game got China within 33-25 with 6:21 left in the half. The U.S. then went on a 16-4 run to close the first half up 49-29. Young had a three-point play and Breanna Stewart scored the final four points of the spurt.

China paired Zhang with 6-10 Han Xu in the third quarter, presenting an even more potent defensive wall against the U.S. China got within 53-37, but no closer as the young trio of Clark, Bueckers and Reese helped spark a 17-5 run to close the period.

Zhang finished with 13 points, hitting nine of her 10 free throws. Han added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The U.S., which is normally jeered by opposing crowds in international tournaments, had the fans backing them on Friday. Clark, who routinely spends time before games signing autographs for fans when she plays in the WNBA, signed a basketball and took a photo with a young girl who was wearing a Fever T-shirt with Clark's name on the back.

Up next

U.S. will play Italy on Saturday in another pool game.

China will face the Czech Republic on Saturday in a pool game.

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

The report alleges that Chavez-DeRemer “engaged in an inappropriate relationship” with a member of her security detail and repeatedly directed staff to perform personal tasks on government time. It also accuses her of inappropriately combining personal and official travel, violating the department’s alcohol policies, and failing to report gifts through proper channels.

Based on interviews with dozens of current and former labor department staffers and a review of more than 500 documents, images and videos, the report includes several striking allegations.

During a personal trip to Oregon, it reports, Chavez-DeRemer allegedly stopped at a strip club featuring partially nude dancers and directed her limousine driver to come inside and give money to a performer, despite his hesitation. She then “took additional money from her purse and asked the agent to drop the bills one by one onto the partially nude woman," despite his protests.

Chavez-DeRemer, who resigned earlier this year, could not immediately be reached for comment.

She is also accused of repeatedly directing staff to perform personal tasks during work hours. That included, at one point, directing her personal aide and executive assistant to travel to her home and organize her bedroom closet. After completing the task, they were asked to provide a video documenting their work. The report includes a photo of neatly hung, colorful blazers, alongside purses and shoes.

In other instances, it alleges, she sent staffers to her home to retrieve packages from the mail room, instructed them to make personal purchases that weren't always reimbursed, and directed a Hispanic federal employee to communicate with Spanish-speaking workers, including a house cleaner and movers.

The report alleges Chavez-DeRemer developed and maintained an inappropriate and unprofessional relationship with a senior agent on her security detail, documenting in extensive detail witness reports of her massaging the agent's shoulder, the two golfing and gambling together, and leaving an event walking arm-in-arm.

Investigators obtained electronic hotel door lock records that suggested the two were spending time overnight in each other’s rooms. And they obtained key fob records and video footage to document his visits to her home.

The relationship, they said, “appeared to continue even after he was placed on administrative leave and was suspended from his official duties.”

The office also concluded that the former secretary and senior staff consumed and stored alcohol on federal property without permission, that she combined personal and official travel, including visits to family, personal residences and Las Vegas. And it identified a handful of gifts that were not reported, including tickets to attend a rodeo, an alligator-hide wallet and cowboy hats.

The report also alleged that Chavez-DeRemer oversaw a hostile workplace, with senior staff “routinely engaged in threatening, demeaning, and abusive verbal and written communication” that she was seemingly aware of but did not take action to stop.

Witnesses described the work environment as “toxic, intimidating and humiliating," with staff accused of berating employees in front of colleagues, openly discussing performance issues in the presence of other staff, and frequently making threats of termination.

Senior staff were also accused of making staffing decisions based on physical appearance instead of qualifications, including relocating one employee’s desk because they did not want a “fat person” seen in the front office.

But the three-armed robotic salvager had to turn away because of low fuel, according to Katalyst Space Technologies, which attempted the daring operation.

“We got so close, but so far,” Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee told The Associated Press this week.

Katalyst's Link spacecraft got within 15 kilometers (nine miles) of Swift on Tuesday, using its own sensors to gather data on the doomed telescope for NASA. The rescue effort had already been called off in August because of Link's own troubles in orbit, but the company wanted the practice for future satellite service calls.

Link went into an uncontrollable spin soon after rocketing to Swift's rescue in July. Flight controllers managed to reduce the tumble and stabilize the spacecraft, using up precious fuel. In the end, there wasn't enough fuel remaining to boost the aging Swift to a higher, longer-lasting orbit so it could continue observing the cosmos.

Lee blamed Link's problems on the rush to get it flying. The mission was thrown together in just nine months, and engineers often had to grab whatever was available instead of waiting for the preferred parts, he said.

NASA paid the company $30 million to carry out the attempt, which was always going to be rushed. Both sides viewed it as an experiment with little to lose, although no one wanted a wreck that would unleash clouds of space debris.

“Unfortunately, it wasn't the outcome that we were expecting,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said following Sunday's launch of the Roman Space Telescope. “But that's exactly the type of missions that we should be flying at NASA. We will learn from that.”

Isaacman said it makes sense to extend the life of a valuable spacecraft, especially if the cost to salvage it is less than to replace it. That's why the Roman telescope was designed to be refuelable even though it's headed toward an observation point 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away.

It's unlikely that Link has enough fuel left to attempt another close approach to Swift, according to Lee. But it can keep exercising its 3-foot (1-meter) arms and provide important data before it reenters and burns up in the atmosphere in the next few weeks, he said.

Launched in 2004, Swift has a little more time remaining in orbit, depending on how active the sun is. Intense solar storms of recent years are responsible for bringing the telescope down much sooner than expected. As of Friday, its orbit had dropped to 208 miles (335 kilometers), barely half as high as when it set out to scan some of the biggest explosions in the universe.

NASA anticipates Swift will plunge through the atmosphere sometime between October and year’s end. The space agency resumed observations with the telescope last week after halting them early this year to save precious power.

Like Swift, the Hubble Space Telescope's orbit also has been shortened by solar activity. Katalyst is developing a next-generation spacecraft that could boost the 36-year-old Hubble to a longer-lasting orbit.

“Hubble does still have a few years of life yet, right? So the good news is this isn't imminent," Lee said.

Servicing old telescopes and other satellites used to be “a very, very niche concept," he added, “and we believe it’s going to become more and more commonplace.”

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This story was updated to correct that the close approach happened Tuesday, not last weekend, based on updated information from Katalyst Space Technologies.

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Miami-Dade Property Appraiser Tomas Regalado is a firm supporter of Amendment 3, while Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is warning voters that the measure could force the county to cut services.

The amendment would increase Florida’s homestead exemption if approved by at least 60% of voters. Supporters say it would provide relief to homeowners struggling with rising costs, while critics argue local governments could lose billions in revenue.

Regalado said the need for tax relief is clear.

“People are hurting. A lot of people are losing their homes. We have to give them some kind of relief,” he said. “I think that the people here are so angry and so in need of relief that they will vote yes.”

Levine Cava disagrees, saying the county is already under financial pressure.

“Amendment 3 will cut us hard, it will cut services directly, I can promise you that,” she said.

Regalado: Governments need to get creative

Regalado, who previously served as mayor of Miami from 2009 to 2017, said local governments can adjust their spending to account for reduced property-tax revenue.

“It’s about getting creative, reducing the different spending line items that they have,” Regalado said.

Regalado acknowledged that Miami-Dade could lose hundreds of millions of dollars if the amendment passes, but argued the impact would be manageable.

“The fact of the matter is that real estate taxes, property taxes will continue to be one of the few revenues that the county and municipal government have,” Regalado said.

He said his office’s analysis estimates the county could lose between $300 million and $400 million in the first year.

“So that is not something that will break the government,” Regalado said. “The problem is that governments have to tighten their belt.”

He pointed to the foreclosure crisis in 2009, when he said Miami faced a deficit of more than $100 million.

“We reduced the salaries, but we did not fire police or firefighters or trash collectors,” Regalado said. “And then Miami came back.”

Regalado said the amendment would provide significant relief to Miami-Dade homeowners.

“Amendment 3 will give some relief to more than a half a million homestead here that we have in Miami-Dade County,” Regalado said.

“There is no way to explain how much a government, a local government will be hurting if Amendment 3 passes. But what I can tell you is that if Amendment 3 passes, thousands of thousands of people in Miami-Dade County will be able to keep their homes,” he added. “Amendment 3 is designed to help people keep their homes. It’s not designed to let governments do what they think they can do to get more revenue.”

Under the proposal, the homestead exemption would rise from the existing exemption to $150,000 initially and $250,000 the following year, according to Regalado.

“When people ask me in the street, what do you think of Amendment 3? Should I vote yes or should I vote no?” Regalado said. “And I said, if you want to keep giving money to the government, vote no. If you want your taxes reduced, vote yes.”

Levine Cava: ‘There’s no more fat to squeeze’

Levine Cava said the county has already spent years looking for ways to reduce costs.

“We have been belt tightening for a while and certainly in the last two years we’ve saved a lot of taxpayer money by consolidating, by reducing positions, finding other ways of economizing,” Levine Cava said.

“And the bottom line is there’s no more fat to squeeze,” she said.

The mayor made the comments ahead of the county’s first budget hearing for fiscal year 2026-27, where transit funding is expected to be among the major issues.

“We know that there will be a lot of discussion about transit cuts - transit is highly subsidized by the general fund,” Levine Cava said.

She said the county’s general fund is already under stress, including from requests for additional funding from the county’s constitutional offices.

“Our general fund is really under stress with five constitutional offices wanting more money as well and high cost of inflation,” Levine Cava added.

She said county revenues have not kept pace with rising costs and that the county has already reduced its general fund budgets.

“We have cut our general fund budgets three percent except in public safety and we propose to double it to six percent,” Levine Cava added.

Levine Cava also pointed to rising operating costs, including gasoline, and said the county has reduced its tax rate for two consecutive years.

“We have the lowest tax rate since 1982 and I was elected twice because people know that I am committed and fiscally responsible and we’re going to continue to find ways to save costs,” she said.

Health care another point of concern

Opponents of Amendment 3 have also raised concerns about its potential impact on public hospitals.

A recent Florida Policy Institute analysis estimated that public hospital districts and health systems across Florida could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in property-tax revenue over three years if the amendment passes.

For Miami-Dade, the report estimated Jackson Health System could lose more than $63 million in property-tax revenue over that period.

Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo of Jackson Health System said the potential cuts could affect patient care.

“As a doctor, I’m concerned about Amendment 3 because of the major impact it would have on the patients we provide care for,” Carrasquillo said.

Levine Cava said the impact on Jackson would ultimately affect workers and patients.

“No question about it. This will affect Jackson that means that will affect workers and the quality of our health care set You get what you pay for,” Levine Cava said.

Regalado disputes the idea that Amendment 3 would create the kind of financial crisis its opponents predict.

“Well, people should know when they hear from government officials, especially county and municipal, that this is a doomsday scenario, that is not correct,” he said.

He said governments have other sources of revenue, including building permits, airports, ports, water and sewer services and impact fees.

“There are many, many ways for the county and the municipal governments to get income,” Regalado added. “They don’t have to hurt the people. They can get creative and help the people and survive.”

A representative for the Jackson Health System released the following statement to Local 10 News:

“We understand that affordability is a real concern for families across Miami-Dade County and that residents are looking for meaningful relief.

“If approved by voters, the property tax referendum would have a significant impact on Jackson Health System, reducing funding by an estimated $34 million in the first year and an additional $29 million in the second year, resulting in approximately $64 million in recurring annual reductions.

“As Miami-Dade County’s public safety-net health system, Jackson serves the county’s largest share of uninsured and Medicaid patients in the county and provides essential services that are not always financially sustainable, but are critical to our community. Caring for everyone who needs us, regardless of their ability to pay, is central to our mission and a responsibility we are proud to fulfill.

“Over the past several years, Jackson has worked aggressively to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs, while never sacrificing patient care.

A recurring $64 million reduction would require us to take a hard look at our operations and services to identify where additional savings could be achieved.

“Our responsibility is to provide clear information about what the proposal could mean for Jackson, our patients, and the community we serve.”

Jackson Health System

The debate is expected to intensify as voters weigh whether the proposed constitutional amendment is worth the potential tax savings for homeowners — and the financial uncertainty facing local governments.

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It’ll be a perfect night for football at Stanford Stadium, just outside of San Francisco, with temperatures falling from the lower 60s into the upper 50s, with light winds and mainly clear skies.

Go Canes!

CLICK HERE to view the latest forecast updates from Local 10’s Weather Authority.

Será una noche perfecta para el fútbol americano en el Stanford Stadium, en las afueras de San Francisco, con temperaturas que bajarán de los 60 grados bajos a los 50 grados altos, vientos ligeros y cielos mayormente despejados.

¡Vamos Canes!

HAGA CLIC AQUÍ para ver las últimas actualizaciones del pronóstico de la Autoridad del Tiempo de Local 10.

The request, announced Friday, comes nearly a year after the agency proposed a rule defining "waters of the United States," or WOTUS, based on a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that removed federal protections for vast areas. The plea for new information is highly unusual and reflects the complexity of the water rule, a contentious regulation that has been argued in the courts for decades and reached the Supreme Court twice since 2006.

The latest proposal is a “supplemental” rule that EPA said will help it and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers evaluate a wider range of options as they work toward a final rule that fully implements the Supreme Court’s decision in a case known as Sackett v. EPA.

The 2023 ruling sharply limited the federal government’s authority to police water pollution in certain wetlands. It boosted property rights over concerns about clean water in a ruling in favor of Michael and Chantell Sackett, an Idaho couple who sought to build a house near a lake.

The new rule, once made final, will cut “bureaucratic red tape” and protect water quality while “recognizing that states and tribes are best positioned to manage their own water resources,” the EPA said.

The rule will provide greater predictability for landowners, farmers, ranchers, energy producers, the technology sector, developers and small businesses, the agency said. The measure will focus on relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water, such as streams, oceans, rivers and lakes, along with wetlands that are directly connected to such bodies of water.

"The EPA’s goal is a durable WOTUS definition that follows the law and ends burdensome regulatory uncertainty,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement.

The request for additional comment “reflects our continued commitment to transparency and public input, ensuring we have fully considered a wide range of potential policy options,” he added. "We look forward to public feedback on this supplemental notice, which will help strengthen the real-world expertise behind the final rule.”

The November proposal to rewrite the water rule is among dozens of environmental regulations being rolled back by Republican President Donald Trump's administration as part of what Zeldin calls a concerted effort to accelerate economic prosperity while putting “ a dagger through the heart of climate change religion.” Critics call the planned water rule a giveaway to ranchers and industrial polluters.

“The Trump EPA’s shortsighted push to encourage industries to plow over more wetlands and streams will destroy thousands of miles of waterways critical to wildlife across the United States,” J.W. Glass, a policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity, said when the plan was announced last year.

The proposed rule will most likely “wipe out life-sustaining waterways in every corner of the nation,” Glass said, and leave vast stretches of wetlands and other low-lying areas vulnerable to increasingly destructive storm surges driven by climate change.

The EPA's proposal “declares open season” on the nation's waterways, according to Jon Devine, director of freshwater ecosystems at the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council.

“The proposal would virtually eliminate protection for freshwater wetlands” and especially hurt the western United States, he said.

Zeldin disputes that argument, saying the agency's proposal strikes a needed balance between federal and state authority. Any lands removed from federal jurisdiction will still face regulation from states and tribes, he said.

The EPA and Army Corps will accept public comments for 30 days once the supplemental plan is published in the Federal Register, expected in the next week. The agencies have held three public meetings on the proposed rule, which has generated more than 220,000 comments from a wide range of stakeholders.

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It happened around 5:15 p.m. near the headquarters for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, located at 9300 NW 41st St. in Doral.

According to officials, rescue crews responded after receiving reports of a car that had been struck by lightning.

Investigators said an off-duty deputy was sitting inside his vehicle working an assignment when it was struck by lightning.

The deputy was taken by MDFR to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in stable condition.

No other details were immediately released.

Ocurrió alrededor de las 5:15 p.m. cerca de la sede de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, ubicada en 9300 NW 41st St. en Doral.

Según funcionarios, los equipos de rescate respondieron después de recibir reportes de un automóvil que había sido alcanzado por un rayo.

Los investigadores dijeron que un agente fuera de servicio estaba sentado dentro de su vehículo realizando una asignación cuando fue alcanzado por un rayo.

El agente fue trasladado por MDFR al HCA Florida Kendall Hospital en condición estable.

No se divulgaron de inmediato más detalles.

Pero la policía de Miami dijo que la “Dra. Lori” era en realidad Latonya Shanice Starks, quien no es una doctora con licencia, sino una delincuente convicta de 33 años sin un “trabajo legítimo”.

Los detectives dijeron que realizaba inyecciones ilegalmente, algunas de las cuales dejaron a pacientes con cicatrices, dolor y abscesos. En un caso, la policía dijo que una víctima creía que las complicaciones finalmente provocaron que sufriera un aborto espontáneo.

Las autoridades dijeron que Starks, de Aventura, operaba Lori Dior Miami Med Spa en 5789 NW Seventh Ave., en el vecindario Liberty City de Miami.

“Bultos”, “irritación”, “abscesos” y un aborto espontáneo

La policía de Miami dijo que recibió denuncias en mayo y junio sobre Starks de mujeres que acudieron a la “Dra. Lori” para recibir Sculptra, descrito en los informes de arresto como un “relleno dérmico”.

En un caso, la policía dijo que una mujer que afirmó haber encontrado a Starks a través de la página de Instagram loridior_beautyspa acudió a la clínica en septiembre para recibir Sculptra, que “le fue presentado como una inyección para disolver grasa”.

“La víctima posteriormente se enteró de que presuntamente le habían inyectado lemon bottle, una sustancia extranjera para disolver grasa que no está aprobada por la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos de Estados Unidos”, escribió un detective del Departamento de Policía de Miami en uno de los informes de arresto. “La víctima declaró que después de recibir las inyecciones, la sustancia posteriormente comenzó a salir a través de su piel en las mismas áreas donde había sido inyectada”.

La policía dijo que la mujer “sufrió una reacción médica adversa grave y requirió hospitalizaciones repetidas durante un período de aproximadamente tres meses”.

La mujer, quien quedó embarazada en enero, creía que sufrió un aborto espontáneo meses después debido a los medicamentos que tuvo que tomar para tratar las complicaciones, señala uno de los informes de arresto.

En otro caso, la policía dijo que una mujer que también encontró a Starks a través de Instagram acudió a la clínica con su hermana en octubre para recibir inyecciones.

Una de las mujeres, quien dijo que intentaba eliminar los “hundimientos de cadera”, afirmó que Starks utilizó una aguja de insulina para inyectar en sus glúteos y abdomen lo que la víctima creía que era Sculptra, señala el informe.

Un detective del Departamento de Policía de Miami señaló que la sustancia “normalmente se inyecta con una jeringa más grande que una aguja del tipo utilizado para insulina porque las partículas pueden obstruirla”.

La policía dijo que la víctima, quien pagó a Starks $1,200 USD, nunca vio una caja de Sculptra y no estaba segura de que eso fuera lo que realmente recibió. Dijeron que la víctima también pagó a Starks $650 USD para que su hermana, quien estaba en el sur de Florida procedente de Kentucky para celebrar su cumpleaños, recibiera las inyecciones como regalo.

Según un informe de arresto, ambas mujeres dijeron que comenzaron a experimentar “bultos e irritación” después de recibir las inyecciones. Ambas mujeres, dijo la policía, tuvieron que someterse a múltiples procedimientos para drenar abscesos y reparar cicatrices, y ambas continúan sufriendo dolor en los lugares donde recibieron las inyecciones.

Una de las mujeres dijo que incluso perdió su trabajo “porque faltó al trabajo debido a las múltiples citas médicas a las que tuvo que acudir para reparar sus cicatrices y drenar sus abscesos”, dijo la policía.

Publicaciones en Instagram y antecedentes por delitos graves

La policía dijo que revisó la cuenta de Instagram loridior_beautyspa, donde videos mostraban a “Starks grabándose mientras afirmaba que ya no realiza inyecciones e indicaba a las personas que dejaran de contactarla para solicitar inyecciones”.

Una publicación en la cuenta dice: “Lori Dior SOLO ofrece capacitaciones. No presto servicios. Puedo recomendarles personas, pero dejé de hacer bbl líquidos hace 2 años”.

“Mis clases son MUY DE BARRIO”, decía una publicación sobre una sesión de capacitación.

Otras publicaciones incluyen anuncios de la “máquina exclusiva POWERBOOTY™ para aumento de glúteos” de Lori Dior, que muestran lo que parecen ser videos generados por inteligencia artificial de mujeres cuyos glúteos son inflados significativamente por las máquinas en una playa.

Los detectives dijeron que los registros revelaron que Lori Dior nunca tuvo licencia del estado y que “una investigación adicional reveló que Starks había recibido previamente una orden de cese y desistimiento del estado de Georgia por operaciones similares antes de realizar negocios en Miami”.

Los registros del Departamento de Correcciones de Georgia muestran que Starks, oriunda de ese estado, fue condenada por cometer múltiples delitos, incluyendo falsificación en primer grado y hurto en tiendas, en los suburbios de Atlanta en 2010. La policía de Miami dijo que estaba en libertad condicional al momento de su arresto el miércoles.

Parada de tráfico y arresto

Starks, dijo la policía, fue puesta bajo custodia después de una parada de tráfico cerca de su casa en Aventura.

Un registro de su vehículo reveló “equipos médicos y cosméticos, incluyendo agujas, un recipiente para objetos punzocortantes, vendajes y empaques etiquetados como Sculptra 150”, dijo la policía.

Dijeron que obtuvieron una orden para registrar su apartamento en el edificio de condominios Portsview at the Waterways, ubicado en 3610 Yacht Club Drive, y encontraron “equipos médicos y cosméticos adicionales”.

Las autoridades dijeron que Starks afirmó que una enfermera registrada llamada “Kate”, de quien no pudo proporcionar apellido, número de teléfono ni credenciales, era quien realizaba las inyecciones.

Starks ahora enfrenta tres cargos por ejercer la atención médica sin licencia causando lesiones graves, así como dos cargos por posesión de un arma de fuego por parte de una delincuente convicta.

Los registros muestran que permanecía detenida en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza total de más de $30,000 USD.

El Departamento de Policía de Pembroke Pines dijo que tuvo conocimiento del video temprano el jueves y que su División de Investigaciones está investigando activamente el incidente.

En el video grabado el domingo pasado desde un consultorio dental cercano, que fue difuminado debido a la naturaleza gráfica de las imágenes, un hombre parece pisotear a un pato adulto y permanecer parado sobre él durante varios minutos. Un segundo video parece mostrar a varios patitos dispersándose mientras el hombre intenta pisarlos.

Según reportes, el incidente ocurrió cerca de University Drive y Southwest 13th Street en Pembroke Pines.

Manuel Cavallini, propietario del consultorio dental, dijo a Local 10 News que le parecía “una locura” que alguien matara patos.

Cuatro días después, el pato muerto permanece en el césped.

La policía dijo que las acciones mostradas en el video son “ilegales y crueles” y enfatizó que el departamento no tolera delitos contra personas o animales.

La edad o identidad del hombre que aparece en el video no se conocía de inmediato.

La policía de Pembroke Pines pide a cualquier persona que tenga información sobre el incidente que se comunique al 954-431-2225.

Very high levels of moisture remain for the entire holiday weekend. This may not mean rain the entire day, but expect rounds of thunderstorms that may last for several hours with dry weather in between.

Según fuentes, el general retirado Abelardo Colomé Ibarra, conocido como “El Furry”, se encuentra actualmente en peores condiciones.

Colomé Ibarra fue jefe del Ministerio del Interior y era muy respetado por los hermanos Castro y las fuerzas armadas cubanas.

Funcionarios cubanos han permanecido en silencio después de que Diario Las Américas, un periódico en español con sede en Miami, reportara el martes que Castro, de 95 años, quien se retiró formalmente en abril de 2021, había sufrido un derrame cerebral y se encontraba conectado a soporte vital.

La última aparición pública de Castro fue el 6 de junio en una ceremonia para conmemorar el 62.º aniversario del Ministerio del Interior de Cuba. No asistió al evento oficial anual para conmemorar el histórico asalto del 26 de julio de 1953.

El incidente ocurrió el 21 de agosto afuera del McDonald’s ubicado en 1310 S. Federal Highway.

Una madre de familia de la escuela secundaria Olsen Middle School dijo que estaba recogiendo a sus hijos cuando vio cómo la pelea se extendía hasta la calle.

“Básicamente, se le fueron encima entre varios a un hombre mayor”, dijo Yanelle Perez, madre de familia que presenció la pelea.

Patrick Utter también dijo haber estado presente durante el incidente y que intervino para ayudar al hombre, aunque agregó que ninguna de las partes estuvo exenta de responsabilidad.

“Un hombre que quizá tenía problemas de salud mental y estaba bebiendo entró al McDonald’s y dijo algo indebido; provocó a un grupo de jóvenes y ellos lo siguieron hasta aquí, al corredor de la US 1”, dijo Utter. “Esta zona de la US 1 es un poco problemática y, más importante aún, estos muchachos que pasan por aquí podrían necesitar mayor supervisión”.

De acuerdo con la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward, el hombre amenazó con pelear con los menores cuando todos se encontraban dentro del McDonald’s.

Cuando el hombre salió del restaurante, los agentes dijeron que los menores lo siguieron y posteriormente comenzó la pelea.

Los investigadores señalaron que están tratando de determinar si lo que se dijo dentro del restaurante justificaba lo que ocurrió posteriormente afuera.

También indicaron que aún están a la espera de hablar con el hombre, quien ya no se encontraba en el McDonald’s cuando llegaron los agentes.

Al final de la pelea, un video muestra a varios testigos tratando de auxiliar al hombre.

“Le quitaron la comida, lo golpearon y cayó al suelo”, dijo Perez. “Dos hombres mayores tuvieron que intervenir para detenerlos porque el hombre ya no podía defenderse. Había como 10 o 15 muchachos encima de él”.

La directora de Olsen Middle School, Janet Giancarli, envió un mensaje a los padres de familia sobre el incidente, en el que señaló:

“Un hombre adulto se acercó a los estudiantes e inició un enfrentamiento físico afuera del restaurante. La Oficina del Sheriff de Broward acudió al lugar e investigó. Nadie resultó herido”.

“Entendemos que actualmente circula en redes sociales un video de este incidente y que resulta preocupante. Aunque el hecho no ocurrió dentro de las instalaciones escolares ni durante el horario de clases, nos tomamos muy en serio cualquier situación que involucre a nuestros estudiantes y continuaremos trabajando estrechamente con las autoridades en relación con este asunto”, continuó el comunicado. “La seguridad y el bienestar de nuestros estudiantes siguen siendo nuestra máxima prioridad”.

Utter dijo que considera necesaria una mayor presencia policial en la zona.

“No tengo ninguna duda de que mi amigo Ed Tarks, Bernard y yo evitamos que este hombre tuviera un desenlace realmente terrible. Por eso acepté dar esta entrevista, porque al final del día necesitamos más apoyo de la policía en esta zona”, dijo Utter.

La mujer fue identificada como Melissa Payne en un memorando de cierre del caso de la Fiscalía Estatal del Condado de Broward.

“Si en el momento en que Melissa Payne utilizó fuerza letal no estaba haciendo nada ilegal, se encontraba en un lugar donde tenía derecho a estar y ‘creía razonablemente que el uso o la amenaza de dicha fuerza era necesario para evitar una muerte inminente o lesiones corporales graves’, entonces está exenta de arresto y procesamiento”, señala el memorando.

Bart Diguglielmo, residente de Lauderhill, recibió un disparo el 30 de junio afuera del Walmart ubicado en 7900 W. McNab Road, después de una discusión con Payne, según informaron agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward.

De acuerdo con el memorando, todo el incidente quedó registrado por diversos dispositivos de video y muestra a Payne, quien estaba acompañada por su sobrina y el bebé de esta, y a Diguglielmo, quien se encontraba solo dentro de su SUV Kia blanco, intentando estacionarse en el mismo espacio.

Los fiscales señalaron que se produjo “un breve enfrentamiento” antes de que Payne y Diguglielmo salieran de sus respectivos vehículos.

Según el memorando, Diguglielmo dejó su vehículo en el carril de circulación, tomó un carrito de compras y entró al Walmart, mientras Payne estacionaba su Chevrolet Malibu en el espacio.

Diguglielmo regresó a su SUV unos 90 segundos después y, según dos testigos, le dijo a Payne: “Voy a hacer mierda tus cosas”, señala el memorando.

Después se alejó conduciendo a gran velocidad, según los fiscales.

De acuerdo con el memorando, Diguglielmo estacionó aproximadamente dos pasillos al oeste del automóvil de Payne, caminó hacia el vehículo de ella y permaneció un rato debajo de un árbol cercano mientras fumaba un cigarrillo.

Los testigos dijeron que Diguglielmo parecía enojado mientras observaba a Payne y que estaba temblando.

Los fiscales señalaron que Diguglielmo se acercó posteriormente al automóvil de Payne, momento en el que ella salió del vehículo con su teléfono en una mano y un arma de fuego en la otra.

Payne le advirtió a Diguglielmo: “¡Si sigues acercándote a mí, te voy a disparar!”, según el memorando.

De acuerdo con el documento, un testigo les gritó tanto a Payne como a Diguglielmo: “¡No vale la pena!”.

Los fiscales dijeron que Payne continuó advirtiéndole a Diguglielmo: “¡No vengas hacia acá!”, “¡No te acerques a mi auto!” y “¡No lo intentes!”.

El memorando señala que inicialmente Diguglielmo retrocedió, pero después volvió a acercarse a Payne mientras hacía gestos con las manos.

Los fiscales dijeron que finalmente Payne le disparó una vez en el abdomen.

Diguglielmo fue trasladado a un hospital, donde posteriormente murió a causa de sus heridas.

Melissa Rodriguez, abogada de la hija del hombre, declaró a Local 10 News: “Amanda Diguglielmo está muy decepcionada al enterarse de que no presentarán cargos penales en el caso. Hemos sostenido que las circunstancias no justificaban conceder inmunidad bajo la ley de defensa propia ‘Stand Your Ground’”.

En una entrevista exclusiva con Local 10 News, Amanda Diguglielmo describió a su padre como un hombre dedicado a su familia que trabajó durante 30 años como enfermero especializado en trauma en salas de emergencia.

“Era un gran hombre. Era padre, era abuelo y era hermano”, dijo.

Amanda Diguglielmo señaló que su padre también tenía un hermano gemelo, era padre de tres hijos y había alcanzado el grado de sargento en el Ejército.

Cuando le preguntaron qué sería lo que más extrañaría de su padre, Amanda Diguglielmo respondió: “Todo: poder llamarlo, almorzar juntos, las fiestas, todo”.

Amanda Diguglielmo y su abogada rechazan que Payne haya disparado contra Bart Diguglielmo en defensa propia.

“Esta no fue una situación de defensa propia ni un caso que justificara inmunidad bajo la ley ‘Stand Your Ground’. No creo que el tiroteo estuviera justificado”, declaró Rodriguez a principios de este mes. “Creo que deberían presentarse cargos penales”.

El Índice de Contaminantes del Aire en Serian, una pequeña localidad agrícola de poco menos de 90.000 habitantes cerca de la frontera con la provincia indonesia de Kalimantan, se disparó a 521 el viernes, según el departamento de medio ambiente de Malasia. Kuching, la capital de Sarawak, que es mucho más grande, también registró una lectura peligrosa de 311.

La oficina del primer ministro Anwar Ibrahim indicó en un comunicado que el rey de Malasia, el sultán Ibrahim Iskandar, dio su consentimiento para la declaración de emergencia en Serian, lo que permitiría adoptar medidas más eficaces. No ofreció detalles, pero funcionarios han señalado que una lectura por encima de 500 podría permitir la suspensión de trabajos no esenciales y de actividades al aire libre. Las escuelas ya se cierran si el índice supera 200.

Sarawak ha sido el estado malasio más afectado por la contaminación, y varias zonas han tenido niveles de aire peligrosos en los últimos días.

La contaminación del aire es un problema estacional recurrente en el Sudeste Asiático, donde el humo de incendios forestales y de turberas en Indonesia puede cruzar fronteras nacionales y afectar a la vecina Malasia, así como a Brunéi y Singapur.

La contaminación de este año ha sido particularmente severa debido a una mayor actividad de incendios en varias provincias de Indonesia, incluida Kalimantan, y a las prolongadas condiciones secas que han contribuido a empeorar el problema, que se ha extendido por la región.

También ha afectado a Filipinas, donde el presidente Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordenó el viernes la suspensión de clases en todos los niveles en la región capital, el área metropolitana de Manila, y en más de una docena de provincias del norte, según un comunicado del gobierno.

El Departamento de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales de Filipinas también aconsejó a la población que reduzca al mínimo las actividades prolongadas al aire libre y que use mascarillas protectoras en las zonas visiblemente afectadas.

Datos satelitales del Ministerio de Silvicultura de Indonesia detectaron el viernes 717 puntos críticos en todo el país, probablemente causados por incendios forestales desde el 1 de agosto. Los datos mostraron 103 puntos críticos activos solo en las últimas 24 horas.

Las autoridades indonesias han desplegado recursos de extinción de incendios y han intentado inducir lluvia.

La policía de Indonesia anunció el viernes que ha detenido a 112 personas sospechosas de provocar los recientes incendios forestales y de turberas en 10 provincias de las islas de Sumatra y Borneo. Los sospechosos eran agricultores locales acusados de quemar tierras deliberadamente para despejar áreas a menor costo.

Indonesia también ha suspendido las licencias comerciales de cinco empresas por presuntos incendios forestales y de tierras dentro de sus concesiones en la provincia de Kalimantan.

Pipit Subiyanto, un alto funcionario policial de la agencia de investigación criminal de la Policía Nacional de Indonesia, señaló que las autoridades investigan 167 casos relacionados con la quema deliberada de unas 4.700 hectáreas (11.700 acres) de tierra en nueve provincias.

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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.

After a late October rain last year, the fourth-generation farmer was optimistic about his 1,800 acres (728 hectares) of winter wheat. But a dry winter and spring brought extreme drought when the wheat needed moisture to establish itself. He ended up harvesting about 1,500 acres (607 hectares), but the yield was the lowest he's had since taking over his family's farm in 2017.

“It was just a grit your teeth and get through it type of deal,” said Black, who also grows corn, soybeans and milo on his family’s 4,500-acre (1,821 hectare) farm. “It is disheartening, you know? And it’s kind of hard to know what to do.”

When these weather events occur, farmers often look for new ways to protect their crops and their bottom line.

A small number are putting perennial grains in rotation to build resilience against extreme weather like drought and intense rainfall. Researchers are working to develop perennial versions of common annual grains like wheat, sorghum and rice, but the work is slow. And widespread adoption by farmers is challenging because perennial crops don’t yield as much, harvesting can be difficult and the market is still developing.

Despite the challenges, Black is intrigued.

“I’m in survival mode,” he said. “If you can plant something and then you don’t have to go back for four or five years … that would save so much money, so much labor, everything. That’s what makes it enticing.”

What is a perennial grain?

Five years ago, David Mueller planted a 12-acre (5 hectare) field of Kernza, a perennial grain similar to native grasses found in parts of Europe and western Asia.

Perennial grains don’t require yearly planting, harvesting and replanting. Instead, they are planted once every few years.

Researchers say their root systems, which can reach several feet down, can access water deeper in the ground. That helps them better withstand short-term drought. And when heavy rain hits, the larger root structures can absorb excess water that would otherwise run off and erode the soil. Those deeper roots also sequester more carbon, reducing pollution in the atmosphere.

Kernza is one of several perennial grains under development at The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas, about an hour’s drive north of Mueller’s farm. The institute, which formally began domesticating Kernza in 2001, works with researchers and farmers around the world to develop perennial versions of wheat, rice, sorghum and other grain and oil seeds.

Some farmers in Southeast Asia and parts of Africa have started planting and harvesting perennial rice in their fields. Kernza, though, is furthest along and was first harvested on a farm in 2010.

In the U.S. last year, Kernza was cultivated on 3,511 acres (1,421 hectares), compared with 37.2 million acres (15.1 million hectares) of winter, spring and Durum wheat harvested or planted in 2025-26.

Mueller's Kernza field is one of almost 100 acres (40 hectares) he has planted since 2018. He's used the crop to rebuild soil with drainage issues or to reestablish organic matter on his family's farm in Halstead, Kansas, where they also farm about 600 acres (243 hectares) each of corn and soybeans.

He also said Kernza uses about a third of the fertilizer that wheat needs, and because it's planted once every few years, he doesn't have to run gas-burning farm equipment as often.

“Not only are we able to utilize those acres profitably, but then we also build up that soil and work on some benefits to make it hopefully profitable to raise other crops on those fields in the future,” Mueller said.

A 2024 United Nations report suggests that by 2050, soil degradation could cause more than $20 trillion in losses to the global economy. Farming perennials is less disruptive to that carbon-capturing soil.

Soil serves as a reservoir, capturing planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that plays a role in climate change, experts say. Annual cultivation — the plow, plant, harvest and repeat cycle — strains soil formation, which takes thousands of years and rapidly degrades the farmland. Perennial roots can also bring that carbon deeper into soils, where it is less likely to be disturbed, said Laura van der Pol, The Land Institute's lead soil ecologist.

And soil that has more carbon in it tends to be better for plants.

“Incorporating perennials into our agriculture seems like really the only option to have soil for generations if we want to continue to grow food,” van der Pol said. “It’s hard to imagine getting to a place where we could have soil and abundant food without a perennial option.”

Lower yields and harvesting can be challenging

Pilot programs involving perennial grains are in the works around the world, testing how to grow them in different regions, climates and soils, but the research is early and slow-moving.

Chief among the challenges is the crops' grain yield, said Lee DeHaan, who leads the Institute’s Kernza domestication program. Kernza farmers are getting yields of about 20 to 40% of what they might get from a wheat crop in the area. That's because a perennial crop has to use energy not only to grow seeds for grain, but also to grow roots to penetrate the soil so it can survive for more than a year. That contrasts with annual crops, which are engineered to put as much energy as possible into making as much seed as they can in one growing season.

Researchers at Cornell University also have found that establishing a Kernza field can be difficult as it contends with weeds in its first year. Finding the right seeding rate to maximize yield is also still being studied, said Matthew Ryan, a sustainable cropping professor at Cornell University.

Mueller said new varieties of Kernza are yielding more than previous ones, but the yield can decline as the crop ages. Yields on perennial rice are similar to annual ones, officials at The Land Institute said.

Harvesting Kernza specifically can be challenging. The grain is smaller than wheat, for example, and farmers and researchers are still finding the best ways to adapt farm equipment so the kernel isn't damaged during harvest.

Still, Ryan said farmers who experience crop loss due to drought or major flooding may be prompted to think about ways to build more resilience into their operations.

“I think farmers, more than other people, realize that the climate is changing,” he said. “They prompt people to think, and I feel like they are driving farmers to practice this.”

Markets are still developing despite cautious interest

Even as perennial grain development steadily improves and more farmers sign on to grow it, there are still issues with consumer interest, federal support and research infrastructure.

Aaron Gaeddert, the owner of Prairy in Newton, Kansas, sells Kernza products and develops food products in his test kitchen. The grain has a sweeter flavor than wheat and can be found in products like baking mixes and beer. Building awareness is challenging, Gaeddert said, but he's hopeful interest will grow as new products are developed.

“We still have customers that shop here all the time who don’t know what Kernza is, and we’ve had it on our shelves for three or four years,” he said. “I truly think that it’s gonna take some bigger industry players to adopt a new grain like this.”

And while farmers receive federal bridge payments and other assistance for traditional crops amid market disruptions and increased production costs, federal funding for perennial grains is lacking. The value of a farmer's land and the loans they can get to subsidize operations are directly connected to what they grow.

Brandon Schlautman, a perennial crop scientist and farmer at Sustain-a-Grain, a supplier and distributor of Kernza, said he constantly hears from farmers who want to grow it, but he turns away almost all of them because the market isn't developed enough.

“What farmers really need is access to the product or the grain itself,” Schlautman said. “And stable markets that allow them to grow Kernza and sell it profitably and sustainably.”

Mueller contracts with Sustain-a-Grain, which sells him Kernza seed and buys back his crop at a fixed price. That guaranteed price means he doesn’t have to worry as much about the risk of planting an alternative crop. Mueller agrees the market for Kernza is small, but that means farmers who grow it can be paid a premium, sometimes 5 to 10 times the price of a pound of wheat, he said.

Pricing the grain low enough to open up a larger market for consumers is the main challenge.

“The fact that it has the potential to be profitable as opposed to some other alternative crops, that was intriguing too,” Mueller added. “Because at the end of the day, ideas are great, but you need to make money if you want to do this again next year.”

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St. John reported from Detroit. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org. Follow Joshua A. Bickel on Instagram, Bluesky and X @joshuabickel. Reach him at jbickel@ap.org.

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Read more of AP’s climate coverage.

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

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It happened on Aug. 21 outside the McDonald’s located at 1310 S. Federal Highway.

An Olsen Middle School parent says she was picking up her kids when she saw the fight spilling out into the street.

“They basically jumped an old man,” said parent Yanelle Perez, who witnessed the fight.

Patrick Utter also said he was there for the incident, jumping into action to help the man, but adding that neither party was innocent.

“A guy that maybe had mental health issues, drinking, went into the McDonald’s and he said something wrong, he incited a bunch of young kids, and they followed him out here on the U.S. 1 corridor,” said Utter. “The U.S. 1 corridor is a little bit rough over here, and more importantly, these kids that are passing through here could use some supervision.”

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the man threatened to fight the kids when they were all inside the McDonald’s.

When the man left the restaurant, deputies said the children followed him outside and attacked him.

Deputies said they are investigating whether whatever was said inside the restaurant justified what subsequently occurred outside.

They said they are still waiting to speak with the man, who was no longer at the McDonald’s by the time deputies arrived.

At the very end of the brawl, video shows several witnesses trying to help the man.

“They took his food, beat him up, and he fell on the floor,” said Perez. “They had to have two older gentleman stop it because the man, he couldn’t. There was like 10-15 kids on top of him.”

Olsen Middle School Principal Janet Giancarli sent a message to parents in regard to the incident, which stated:

“An adult male approached the students and initiated a physical confrontation outside of the restaurant. The Broward Sheriff’s Office responded and investigated. No one was injured.”

“We understand that a video of this incident is now circulating on social media and is concerning. While the incident did not occur on school grounds or during the school day, we take any situation involving our students seriously and we will continue to work closely with law enforcement regarding this matter,” the statement continued. “The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority.”

Perez disputed the principal’s characterization of what happened.

“I can’t see that happening,” she said. “He was basically begging them to leave him alone.”

Utter said he feels there needs to be more law enforcement presence in the area.

“There’s no doubt in my mind, my friend Ed Tarks, Bernard and myself, saved this guy from a really horrific ending, and that’s why I’m going along with this interview, because we need some help over here with police at the end of the day,” said Utter.

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According to sources, retired General Abelardo Colome Ibarra, known as “ El Fury,” is currently in worse condition.

Colome Ibarra was head of the Ministry of the Interior and highly respected by the Castro brothers and the Cuban military.

Cuban officials have remained silent after the Diario Las Américas, a Miami-based newspaper in Spanish, reported on Tuesday that Castro, 95, who formally retired in April 2021, had suffered a stroke and was on life support.

Castro’s last public appearance was on June 6 at a ceremony to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior. He did not attend the official annual event to commemorate the historic assault of July 26, 1953.

“This past year has been very complex and we know the reason,” said Oscar Perez-Oliva, Cuba’s minister of foreign trade and investment. “The unprecedented tightening of the US blockade and the executive orders.”

“It’s got shock value,” said John Kavulich, president of the nonpartisan, nonprofit U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.

Kavulich points to policies and statutes already in place, but says actual action — if the past is a guide — may be a long time coming.

“I’ll give you an example,” Kavulich said. “In 2022, the Biden-Harris administration authorized the first direct investment into a Cuban private company and first direct financing for a Cuban private company.”

“That was May of 2022. We are still waiting for the regulations to allow that,” he added.

The new announcement follows reforms announced last month allowing Cuban citizens to open gas stations and pharmacies for the first time — sectors that had been controlled by the government.

Since January, Cuba has made more economic openings in its communist history, approving 176, as the U.S. capture of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro ended Cuba’s main source of oil and U.S. sanctions crippled the economy to crisis levels.

“Now they’re trying to couch it that, well, we’re just expanding the definition of the revolution or this is within Fidel’s, you know — Fidel would have done the same thing,” Kavulich said. “No, I’m sorry, he wouldn’t have.”

Asked what Fidel Castro would have done, Kavulich said: “Well, he would have made a deal with President Trump a long time ago. Cuba would not have gotten to this stage.”

Cuba’s minister of foreign trade says the new reforms will go into effect on Wednesday.

Deliberations took a dramatic turn Thursday when the foreperson told the judge that a lone holdout was refusing to follow the court’s instructions about reasonable doubt. Clancy’s defense has argued that the judge’s refusal to remove the juror undermines the trial.

Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, doesn’t deny strangling her children in the basement of their home. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington blamed postpartum psychosis. Jennifer Sprague said Clancy knew what she was doing.

Postpartum psychosis is estimated to afflict 1 to 2 per 1,000 women after delivery. Experts at the Cleveland Clinic describe it as a mental health emergency affecting someone’s sense of reality. Though most people with postpartum psychosis don’t harm their children, mothers with severe cases may try to do so.

Here’s the latest:

Plymouth resident expresses disappointment over mistrial

Rhonda Gonsalves, who has come to court three times but not Friday and dressed in white for the Clancy children, said it wasn’t the verdict she was hoping for.

“I don’t think today was justice for the children at all because we are going to have to do this all over again,” she said by phone. “At the end of the day, I do think she deserves to be behind bars or a mental institution for the rest of her life for what she did to her children.”

Maternal mental health advocate calls killing of Clancy children ‘a preventable tragedy’

Jessie Colbert is the coordinator of the Massachusetts Mind the Gap Coalition, an advocacy group working on state legislation that would reform how maternal mental health conditions are treated in the criminal justice system.

“The shame, stigma, confusion, and lack of any real system of care around Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) is an ongoing crisis much wider than this trial,” Colbert said. “Better solutions are needed in both the healthcare and criminal legal systems, and even more so for vulnerable communities.”

Judge orders the names of jurors impounded

Sullivan said the case has garnered significant and divisive attention in Massachusetts and beyond.

The order expires in 14 days unless otherwise directed by the court, and it does not preclude jurors from coming forward and identifying themselves.

Ex-husband’s civil lawyer says the prospect of another criminal trial is painful

David Meier, who is representing Clancy’s former husband Patrick Clancy in his civil lawsuit over her mental health treatment, released this statement:

“Patrick Clancy is grateful to the Court and to the jurors for their hard work, their commitment, and their perseverance. The loss of Patrick’s children is something from which he will never recover and from which there will never be closure. The prospect of reliving this tragedy through another trial is extraordinarily painful -- for Patrick, for his family, and for all us.”

In separate lawsuits, Lindsay and Patrick Clancy allege that various providers failed her, and should have recognized she was a risk to herself and the children.

The providers, at least those who had responded by the time the criminal trial began, deny the allegations and dispute that she clearly told them she intended to harm the kids.

Clancy supporter feels the mistrial is unfair to her — and to women in general

“I don’t think she deserves to have to go through this all over again. I think this should have been resolved,” Marta Quijano said outside the courthouse. She said she’s been following the case since the beginning and has attended the trial.

“It’s very unfair. I feel as women we are treated very unfairly. We get dismissed, things are minimized. Even what’s happened today,” she said, referring to the juror who was singled out in a note from the foreperson. “I think one person failed her.”

Clancy’s family made no comments

Clancy’s parents and her sister were escorted by state police out the back of the courthouse. They said nothing to reporters.

Clancy remains charged with murder and will continue to be held at a psychiatric hospital until her criminal case is resolved.

Lawyer says Clancy knows her kids were victims

During remarks to reporters, Reddington spoke affectionately about Clancy, saying “she’s like a daughter to me.”

“My heart breaks. She deserved an acquittal,” he said.

At another point, a reporter noted that Cruz said the focus should remain on the children.

“My client is well aware of the fact that her three kids, who she loved dearly, are the victims in this case,” Reddington said.

Reddington said his ‘heart breaks’ for Clancy

“She deserved an acquittal,” he lawyer said.

And despite some sharp exchanges in court, Reddington said he deeply respects the judge. He referred to Sullivan as “Sully” when he talked to reporters.

“He’s a great guy. He was a wonderful defense lawyer before he became a judge. Everybody loves him, he’s a fair guy,” Reddington said.Reddington said his ‘heart breaks’ for Clancy

“She deserved an acquittal,” he lawyer said.

And despite some sharp exchanges in court, Reddington said he deeply respects the judge. He referred to Sullivan as “Sully” when he talked to reporters.

“He’s a great guy. He was a wonderful defense lawyer before he became a judge. Everybody loves him, he’s a fair guy,” Reddington said.

Defense attorney has strong words for juror

Outside the courthouse, Reddington blasted the juror who he believes stood in the others’ way of an acquittal.

“They know they were robbed by one man, for whatever his agenda was, who stole seven weeks of the life of these other jurors that were so attentive, so beautiful, so wonderful,” he said. “You could see how defeated they were sitting there. I got a funny feeling they would have gone on for another week if they had to. So I hope that guy can sleep well at night.”

Prosecutor praises his trial team

Cruz praised trial prosecutors Shanan Buckingham and Jennifer Sprague, “both mothers themselves.”

“They went home to their families after each long day in court. They embraced the most difficult trial assigned to them with utmost professionalism,” he said.

Trump weighs in on Clancy mistrial, calls killing of children ‘horrible tragedy’

The president said he followed television news coverage of the Lindsay Clancy trial in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

“It’s a terrible situation. Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing,” Trump said. “Can’t be worse. But you’ll find out what the price to pay is. There’ll be a price — a mental institution or jail or something.”

Prosecutor says he won’t be swayed by public opinion about a second trial

“I have never been swayed to act a certain way or make certain decisions based upon public sentiment,” he said.

Prosecutor says this case isn’t about the medical care of women

“This was and has always been about getting justice for those three little babies. We’re here at this courthouse today because those children are not. ... Children were murdered, and it’s our job to seek justice,” District Attorney Timothy Cruz said.

“This case is not about the healthcare system, or about how women are treated in it,” or the diagnosis of different medical conditions, he said. “Those are all important issues. They stir emotion. Sometimes they stir anger.

“I understand that postpartum depression has impacted the lives of countless women and families, and I sympathize with their struggles. The investigation in these heinous killings, however, did not establish that they were caused by such depression,” Cruz said.

Emotions run high as crowd shouts at prosecutor

“You only cared when the kids were dead. Why didn’t you care about the mother?” someone yelled.

Someone else yelled, “God bless those children,” as the press conference wrapped up.

Prosecutors have gathered outside court to comment on mistrial

“I understand that this has been an emotional trial for everyone,” Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz said.

“This case was about Lindsay Clancy and what she did ... the cruel and calculated killing of three innocents.”

“This was and has always been about getting justice for those three little babies,” Cruz said. “Children were murdered and it’s our job to seek justice.”

Cruz said there would not be an immediate decision about a second trial.

— Correction: This post was updated to correct that Cruz referred to Clancy’s children as “three little babies,” not “beautiful babies.”

Clancy lawyer will get a chance to ask for acquittal

Shira Diner, a lecturer at Boston University law school and former public defender, told The Associated Press however that “it seems very unlikely that this judge would agree to overrule what the jury decided, which was nothing, and enter his own opinion.”

What happens next

After the jury was dismissed, the judge and lawyers discussed their next steps.

The judge set a hearing for Sept. 29 at which Reddington likely will ask Sullivan to declare Clancy not guilty, a rare step but one that is allowed under state law.

The hearing could also reveal details about a possible second trial.

No one shows emotion after a grueling experience

Neither the jury nor Clancy nor her family shows any emotion as the judge announces the mistrial.

Clancy’s defense lost its emergency appeal. Her lawyer isn’t giving up

Judge Sullivan called court back into session and confirmed that the emergency defense appeal was denied.

The judge said he would declare a mistrial as planned, but Reddington continued to object, saying federal law protecting criminal defendants was being violated.

He again requested a jury inquiry.

And again, the judge denied it, declaring a mistrial and calling jurors into the courtroom.

He then thanked the jurors for their service and dismissed them.

JUST IN: Mistrial is formally declared in the Lindsay Clancy trial after a last-minute appeal by her lawyer is denied

JUST IN: Massachusetts court clears the way for judge to declare a mistrial in Lindsay Clancy case after a last-minute appeal

Appeal cited constitutional rights

The appeal petition said removing the juror “is particularly important because the juror’s reasoning reflects a bias against those who suffer from debilitating mental illness, a protected category under both the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments and Article 114 of the Massachusetts Constitution.”

Defense attorneys suggest juror may be biased against mentally ill people

Defense attorneys wrote the top court in Massachusetts in their emergency request for relief that the reasoning of one of the jurors “reflects a bias against those who suffer from debilitating mental illness.”

The defense brief says the high court has held that just one juror who is not impartial violates a defendant’s right to have an impartial jury.

It says the trial court judge “need not simply accept the juror’s professions of fidelity and impartiality,” but rather can determine whether the juror is credible in light of the other jurors’ statements.

“The judge appears to be abdicating the responsibility” to weigh the evidence of juror malfeasance, the defense argues. “This is not abuse of discretion; it is failure to exercise discretion at all.”

Massachusetts justice has heard arguments from both sides

A member of Massachusetts’ highest court has quickly heard arguments in a last-ditch effort by Clancy’s lawyers to stop a judge from declaring a mistrial.

The defense team wants the court to order the trial judge to further question a juror about applying the law and following instructions during deliberations in the high-profile trial.

Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt heard arguments over video conference and then said, “I need to make a decision.”

She said she’s taking the appeal “under advisement,” and offered no timeline for her decision.

Here’s what the defense’s written appeal brief asks for

The defense appeal asks the top court in Massachusetts to require the trial judge to do two things:

″(1) to inquire into the ability of the identified juror to apply the law or (2) prohibit the further deliberations of a juror identified by the jury foreperson as biased and refusing to follow the court’s instructions on reasonable doubt unless and until the court determines by individual voir dire that the juror is willing and able to follow the court’s instructions.”

“The judge appears to be abdicating the responsibility to weight the evidence of juror malfeasance. In other words, this is not abuse of discretion; it is failure to exercise discretion at all,” the brief says. “A mistrial at this point is entirely avoidable, but only if the court does its job.”

The court is now in recess

Participants were told the lunch break would be from 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

The defense appeal has been filed

Attorney Dana Goldblatt said she filed the emergency appeal on behalf of Lindsay Clancy’s defense attorney Kevin Reddington at 12:29 p.m. on Friday.

Legal expert says it’s highly unlikely the defense appeal will be granted

Trial judges don’t often allow a defense attorney to file such emergency petitions, said Joseph Perullo, a criminal defense attorney in Massachusetts.

The petition will be considered by a single justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court who will look at whether the trial judge abused his discretion, committed a reversible error of law or did something that is “egregious and should be corrected prior to a mistrial being announced.”

The justice could initially grant a stay pausing the trial court proceedings and then consider the merits of the defense attorney’s petition in a process that would give the prosecutors a chance to present their arguments.

But “that is a high bar,” Perullo said. He doubts the justice will pause the trial proceedings to consider the merits.

The judge’s clock is ticking on the defense appeal

More than an hour has passed since the judge gave the defense one hour to file an emergency appeal of his pending mistrial declaration.

Reached for comment, the clerk’s office for the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts told The Associated Press that it is in the process of receiving all the documents related to the emergency appeal.

What happens if the judge declares a mistrial?

The case would essentially go back to the same status as before the trial — Clancy could be charged with murder and held at a psychiatric hospital awaiting a resolution of the criminal case.

Prosecutors would have to decide whether to try again with a new jury. If they do, the jury selection process would begin again and a new trial would be scheduled.

Prosecutors could also offer a plea deal to Clancy, said Brad Bailey, a Boston defense attorney and former prosecutor who is not involved in the case.

“Any time the threat of a retrial with murder one hanging over the client is re-interjected, defense lawyers will, at the very least, explore whether or not there’s any interest in a resolution,” Bailey said.

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Here’s how the mistrial discussion played out in court

Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague told the judge a mistrial was required because he had already read to the jury the legal instruction sometimes known as a “dynamite charge.”

Reddington argued the judge still had discretion: “The court has the ability to send the jury back,” he said.

Sounding exasperated, the judge said “I don’t feel I have any choice but to declare a mistrial at this time.”

Reddington then requested that the jurors be polled “as to whether or not there has been a decision reached on murder one, murder two, manslaughter or anything like that.” If they did reach such a decision, prosecuting her again on those charges would be double jeopardy, he said.

Sprague objected, saying the court can’t delve into jury deliberations. “I don’t think anything else is required at this point other than a declaration of mistrial unfortunately.”

Sullivan then said, “Over the defendant’s objection, I am going to declare a mistrial at this point.”

Then Reddington pushed back, and the judge gave him one hour to appeal to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Legal expert says defense sees ‘structural defect’ in the trial

Criminal defense attorney Joseph Krowski, who has been observing the trial, commented about Friday’s developments outside the court in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He said the defense wants a judge on the state’s highest court to consider an emergency stay because Reddington believes there “is a structural defect to this trial by the failure to remove the juror or do an inquiry.”

Here’s what the jury’s note read

Judge Sullivan read the jury foreperson’s note aloud in open court: “It is with a heavy heart that we report we are unable to come to a unanimous decision and will not be able to.”

Court is once again in recess, mistrial pending, as the defense appeals

Sullivan and Reddington went back and forth after the judge signaled that he would declare a mistrial and summon the jury to break the news.

Then the judge suddenly gave Clancy’s lawyer time to seek an appeal to stop his mistrial order.

“What I’m asking for is time to file a single-justice appeal for this travesty,” said Reddington, who was upset over Sullivan’s refusal to remove a juror.

“I’ll hold off for an hour,” the judge said.

The clock began around 11:30 a.m.

There was an audible gasp when the judge said he would declare a mistrial

Clancy’s parents, Paula and Mike Musgrove, and her sister, Allison Ozga, showed no reaction but stared straight ahead. Clancy’s expression wasn’t visible to the gallery.

The defense then raised objections and the jury was not brought in.

JUST IN: Judge says he is going to declare a mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy case, then gives defense 1 hour to appeal

The court clerk had something to show the lawyers

Prosecutors and Reddington are being brought up to a podium and the court clerk showed them something. It is unclear what it was.

Now they’ve returned to their tables and the judge has returned to the bench.

Having launched “Operation Economic Outcast” just last week to try to isolate Iran from its remaining global trade partners, the Trump administration also resumed strikes in recent days — signaling President Donald Trump’s turn to a dual-pronged approach that combines economic pressure with the potential of a devastating escalation in force. But the Iranian leadership has yet to bow to already intense sanctions and an intermittent bombing campaign since the war began six months ago.

The global economy, meanwhile, continues to roil. Diesel hit a record price in the U.S. on Friday, soaring to an average of $5.85 a gallon for the first time as the war disrupts the world’s flow of fuel.

A day earlier, Vice President JD Vance rejected the use of the word “war” to describe the fighting with Iran and steered clear of predicting that the 6-month-old conflict would be over by November’s midterm elections, in which Republicans are trying to hang on to their narrow majorities in Congress.

Here's the latest:

ICE officer pleads not guilty to lying about shooting and is ordered released from federal custody

The officer was ordered released Friday after pleading not guilty to lying to investigators about the circumstances that led to the shooting of a Venezuelan man during the Minnesota immigration crackdown last winter.

The federal indictment accuses Christian Castro of falsely telling investigators that he was attacked with a broom and shovel before he opened fire, injuring Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in January.

Castro was shackled during a brief court hearing in Texas after he turned himself in Thursday evening. The judge ordered him released on a $75,000 unsecured bond and with a GPS ankle monitor.

It’s the first DOJ prosecution of a federal officer for actions during this year’s massive Operation Metro Surge, which brought thousands of agents to the Twin Cities and led to protests, arrests and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.

Castro’s attorney urged people not to rush to judgment without learning all the facts and let him “have his day in court.”

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Trump suggests communities rejecting data centers may face ‘poverty, crime, squalor’

The president continued his full-throated recent defense of data centers in the face of polls showing bipartisan opposition to them around the country.

“I look at data centers very, very carefully,” Trump said, arguing that they can “lower taxes” and “create tremendous wealth.”

“If you want to go through poverty, crime, and squalor, I would say don’t approve data centers,” Trump added of communities opposing them. “You know, you have your choice.”

That followed the president posting on his social media site earlier in the week that “The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor.”

Widow of airman killed in Mideast is upset she was told Iran wasn’t a war while sorting out benefits

The widow of an airman killed on a combat mission in the Middle East said it took a viral social media post to get resolution from the Pentagon on issues related to her husband’s benefits and basic pay months after his death.

Maj. Alex Klinner, 33, was one of six crew members of a KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq in March while supporting operations against Iran.

The Air Force reached out to his widow, Libby Klinner, this week to clarify that his final paycheck would include hazard pay and combat-related tax breaks. She had voiced frustration on social media at being told by a military officer that her husband was ineligible for those benefits because “we were not at war.”

“My husband lost his life because we’re in a war, and then I was told that because it’s not technically a war, we lose out on something,” Klinner told The Associated Press. “It all comes down to principle.”

Judge to decide ‘very shortly’ whether prosecutors could seek new Reflecting Pool charges against ex-Olympian

During a hearing on Friday, David Hearn’s attorneys urged D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman to dismiss the Maryland resident’s case with “prejudice,” which would block U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office from refiling the felony charge against the former Olympic canoeist. The judge didn’t rule from the bench after hearing attorneys’ arguments.

Hearn’s lawyers say Trump administration officials have continued to falsely accuse the Maryland resident of vandalizing the reflecting pool despite Pirro’s decision to drop the case on July 31. Hearn was charged with one count of property destruction.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Spence told Edelman that Pirro’s office has no plans to seek another grand jury indictment of Hearn. But the prosecutor said that plan could change if any new evidence emerges.

Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, competed in three Summer Olympics.

Supreme Court gives Republican campaign committees a win on TV ad rates ahead of midterms

The Supreme Court sided with Republicans in a dispute over campaign ad prices on Friday, clearing a legal roadblock to political parties getting cheaper TV ad time ahead of the midterm elections.

The justices halted, for now, a lower-court ruling in favor of Democratic candidates who argued that cheaper broadcast ads should be limited to candidates. It’s the latest election-related appeals to come before the high court ahead of the pivotal November contests.

Trump says he can ‘understand’ what Vance was saying in not calling Iran fighting a war

Asked about the vice president suggesting on Thursday that the fighting in Iran isn’t a war, Trump said the conflict is “not a big thing.”

“I can understand what he’s saying. It’s a military conflict, but it’s very intimate,” Trump said of Vance’s assessment. “And I could see somebody not calling it a war.”

The U.S. continues to bomb Iran with the war now in its sixth month. Yet Trump said, “I would say that it’s intermittent” in terms of fighting, adding, “We’re not fighting right now. There’s no fighting.”

The president once suggested he’d wrap up the war in Iran in a matter of weeks. Asked when fighting might actually conclude now, he offered, “I want to leave so that the next president doesn’t have to worry about it.”

Trump says he’ll host a state dinner for China’s Xi on Sept. 24

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit the White House later this month, and Trump confirmed there will be a state dinner in his honor.

“We look forward to it. He’s a great gentleman. We get along great,” Trump said of Xi. “We have a very good trading relationship. And, you know, they’re a competitor and all of that. But we have a very good relationship with President Xi.”

Trump noted that the new White House helipad he has been building on the White House lawn would be ready in time for Xi’s visit.

“We’ve done very well with China,” Trump added. “And China and I have a very good relationship.”

Trump announces executive orders on food processing and culling grey wolves

The president said he was signing two orders, one of which is designed to allow farmers and ranchers “the right to process their own food.”

Trump said the order would break up what he suggested was a near-monopoly held by four major meat processing firms.

He didn’t name those companies, but said two were based in Brazil. The president said the move would ultimately help lower food prices.

Trump also announced that he’d sign an action meant to allow for culling populations of grey wolves from Mexico, Canada and other places.

Surrounded by farmers and ranchers from Arizona and other western states, who described wolves attacking their livestock and dogs, Trump said the action means, “You’ll be able to protect your herd.”

Trump says his super PAC will spend on the midterms — but provides few details on how

Asked about MAGA, Inc., which has at least $400 million in campaign funds, Trump said, “I’m going to be making contributions to various campaigns” that “I think are good people.”

Pressed on how he’d decided which candidates to support, Trump said, “I sit down, and I say, ‘Let’s do this.’”

“I’m going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us,” Trump said of Republicans running in November’s midterm elections.

He added, “This is my money,” however, and said it was “separate” from funds controlled by the Republican National Committee.

The president also said he could hold some of the funds until the elections in 2028 “if that’s what I want.”

Trump weighs in on Clancy mistrial, calls the killings a ‘horrible tragedy’

The president said he followed television news coverage of the trial in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

“It’s a terrible situation. Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing,” Trump said of Lindsay Clancy. “Can’t be worse. But you’ll find out what the price to pay is. There’ll be a price — a mental institution or jail or something.”

A judge earlier Friday declared a mistrial after jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict on whether she was criminally responsible when she strangled her three young children.

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Trump vents about high interest rates after strong jobs report

The president expressed his anger that U.S. interest rates climbed in response to the solid August jobs report.

The addition of 162,000 jobs last month indicated that demand for workers might be exceeding their availability, which could contribute to higher prices. Interest on the 10-year U.S. Treasury climbed to nearly 4.8%.

Trump said that the financial markets were wrong.

“Success does not cause inflation. Stupidity causes inflation,” Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office.

The president claimed that overall economic growth could be in the double digits if the rates were lower, an opinion not shared by any credible outside economic forecaster.

Trump confirms envoys will travel this weekend for talks on Russia-Ukraine war

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Moscow and then Kyiv over the weekend and into early next week.

“They are bringing with them a proposal to end the war,” Trump said.

Witkoff and Kushner’s visit comes as the air war between Russia and Ukraine has intensified.

Earlier Friday, a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s security service in central Kyiv.

Trump calls conflict in Iran ‘small potatoes’

The president’s comments came a day after Vice President JD Vance said he wouldn’t call the conflict in Iran a “war.”

Asked during an Oval Office exchange about Vance’s comments, Trump defended the rhetoric.

“I can understand what he’s saying,” said Trump, who added that U.S. strikes against Iran in the six-month-old war are now “intermittent. “I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us.”

‘We know who you are, we know where you are’

In a news release about sanctions on a Turkish bank, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said financial institutions with ties to Iran will “continue to find out the hard way that we are serious about Operation Economic Outcast.”

“While we hope no more banks will need to be sanctioned, that ultimately depends on how quickly the international community comes to its senses and ceases support of the murderous Iranian regime,” he continued.

“We know who you are, we know where you are, and we will continue to take action together with our allies and partners until we have buried the head of the Iranian snake.”

US issues sanctions on Turkish bank that it calls a ‘critical financial lifeline’ for Iran

The U.S. Treasury Department announced Friday it has imposed sanctions on a Turkish financial institution as part of its latest effort to sever “critical financial lifelines” for the Iranian government.

The actions against Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi Anonim Sirketi come nearly a week after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced “Operation Economic Outcast” as the new effort by Washington to get Tehran to capitulate to its demands after more than six months of war.

Last week, the U.S. targeted an Egyptian bank’s operations in the United Arab Emirates.

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Other allegations in the internal report on Chavez-DeRemer

Among the allegations are accusations that senior staff berated employees in front of colleagues and made staffing decisions based on physical appearance rather than professional qualifications.

In one incident, during a personal trip to Oregon, Chavez-DeRemer allegedly stopped at a strip club featuring partially nude dancers and directed her limousine driver to give money to a performer, the report said.

The report says it was based on interviews with 53 current and former labor department staffers and one employee from another federal agency, as well as a review of more than 500 documents, images and videos.

Trump hails ‘great’ jobs numbers and calls again for lower interest rates

The president posted on his social media site that the job tally broke “all estimates (except mine!).”

“Lower the interest rates because the U.S.A. is a much stronger credit than it was just a short time ago! A STRONG COUNTRY MEANS A LOWER INTEREST RATE” Trump wrote.

He added that, “We should have the LOWEST RATE of any country in the World, like ‘the old days’ and threatened: “LOWER THE RATE OR I’LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT.”

In August, employers added a surprising 162,000 jobs, according to the latest jobs report.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has said inflation is still too high and suggested the central bank may have to raise interest rates in the coming months.

Watchdog report: Former labor secretary oversaw a hostile work environment and misused funds

Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer oversaw a “toxic, intimidating and humiliating” work environment and engaged in numerous violations of department policy, according to a new report from the department’s Office of Inspector General.

The report includes allegations that Chavez-DeRemer “engaged in an inappropriate relationship” with a member of her security detail and violated travel regulations by combining personal and official travel, as well as violating the department’s alcohol policies, directing staff to perform personal tasks on official timing, and failing to report gifts through appropriate channels.

Chavez-DeRemer, who resigned earlier this year, did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email listed on her Facebook page.

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Jordan’s alliance with the US makes the kingdom a target for Iranian strikes

Jordan, a staunch U.S. ally that hosts American forces in the Mideast, has paid a price for its relationship with Washington, which has made the kingdom’s military bases a target of repeat Iranian strikes.

Hundreds of drone and missile attacks have added to other strains on Jordan that include a slumping economy and volatility in the neighboring West Bank, where Israeli settlers have ramped up attacks on Palestinians.

Despite the risk of more strikes, Jordanian leaders say they’re committed to maintaining the relationship after decades of courting deeper security ties with American officials and offering to be a reliable partner with the West in a region rocked by conflict. Analysts say the alliance offers Jordan a way to guard against Iran’s attempts to destabilize its neighbors.

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Solid job figures could boost the case for a Fed rate hike

The jump in hiring last month and low unemployment rate point to a mostly solid job market, a sign the Federal Reserve could lift rates at its meeting next month to combat inflation.

Steady hiring suggests overall interest rates aren’t high enough to cool borrowing, spending and inflation. A hike by the Fed at its Sept. 15-16 meeting could lift borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards.

Vice President JD Vance on Thursday became the latest Trump administration official to urge the Fed to cut rates, rather than raise them, which few economists or Wall Street investors expect.

A lot will ride on next Friday’s inflation report. On Thursday, top Fed official Christopher Waller said his decision on whether to hike rates would largely hinge on whether that report shows inflation cooling or not.

Hiring perked up last month in the latest sign of a choppy job market

U.S. companies and other employers added 162,000 jobs last month, an improvement from recent months of sluggish hiring, while the unemployment rate stayed a low 4.1%.

The figures suggest businesses are optimistic enough about the economy to expand and gives the Trump administration and Republicans running for Congress a positive talking point heading into midterm elections.

Still, average hourly wages grew 3.1% from a year ago, usually a decent figure but below the August inflation rate of 3.4%. That means Americans are losing purchasing power even amid an otherwise healthy economy.

Big job gains were recorded in manufacturing, construction, and restaurants, bars, and hotels.

Midterm mail ballots start to go to voters as litigation over Trump’s order creates uncertainty

Statewide mail voting for this year’s midterm elections kicks off Friday amid a churning legal battle over President Trump’s attempts to limit the practice and mounting concern over Postal Service changes that some state officials blame for a rise in rejected ballots.

The developments have created a sense of uncertainty about a popular voting method used by one-third of the nation’s voters.

North Carolina on Friday is scheduled to become the first state to widely distribute mail ballots for this year’s elections, which will determine the balance of power in Congress for the remainder of Trump’s term.

Election officials said that while they’re closely monitoring the litigation, ballots will be mailed out as expected and the state is prepared to administer a secure election even if the new limits go forward.

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Rubio heads to South America to visit right-leaning leaders friendly with the Trump administration

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel next week to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, three South American countries increasingly aligned with the Trump administration’s policies in the hemisphere.

The State Department said Friday that Rubio would discuss enhanced cooperation between the U.S. and the three nations to combat narcoterrorism and expanding commercial ties during his three-day trip that starts Tuesday. It will be Rubio’s fifth trip to Latin America since he became Secretary of State in January 2025.

At each stop, Rubio “will reaffirm the Trump administration’s commitment to a secure, prosperous, and democratic Western Hemisphere,” the State Department said.

The administration and Rubio in particular have made the region a priority, having ousted Venezuela’s former president and taking aim at the governments of Cuba and Nicaragua while cracking down on illegal migration.

Vance says Iran fight isn’t a ‘war’ as Trump tries to navigate unpopular conflict as election nears

Vice President JD Vance on Thursday rejected the use of the word “war” to describe the U.S. fighting with Iran as he steered clear of predicting that the 6-month-old conflict would be over by November’s midterm elections, in which Republicans are trying to hang on to their narrow majorities in Congress.

“I wouldn’t call it a war,” Vance said after being asked during a White House press briefing about whether the fighting could end before voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 congressional elections. “Right now, there is no active shooting.”

Vance’s assertion came even as Iran fired at U.S. Gulf ally Kuwait on Thursday as it continued to retaliate for rounds of U.S. strikes on Iran earlier in the week.

Vance’s attempt to minimize the intensity illuminates the difficult task at hand for Trump and his administration as he tries to persuade American voters to keep Republicans in control of Congress.

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Trump turns to a dual economic and military approach in latest attempt to squeeze Iran

Confronted by an intransigent Iranian government that has refused to back down in the face of a massive military campaign, President Donald Trump appears to have settled on a dual-prong approach that combines economic pressure with the potential of a devastating escalation in force.

Having launched “Operation Economic Outcast” just last week to try to isolate Iran from its remaining global trade partners, the Trump administration also resumed strikes in recent days, prompting Iranian retaliation that has renewed concerns of an all-out regional war.

However, the combination of already intense sanctions on Iran and an off-and-on bombing campaign since the war began more than six months ago has not bowed the Iranian leadership and has left the administration struggling to find a way to wind down the conflict. Tehran has dug in its heels — to Trump’s frustration — as energy prices rise, the global economy roils and poll numbers on the administration’s handling of the war dip ahead of November’s midterm congressional elections.

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The response? Give him water.

After two missed doses of the long-lasting insulin he needed, he was taken to the hospital. He was diagnosed with brain swelling, put on a ventilator and died in 2022 of complications from Type 1 diabetes.

There were no penalties imposed for Blodgett’s death, and Arizona's largest group home provider now stands at the center of a political controversy swirling as Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs seeks reelection. Records show Sunshine Residential Homes made political donations beneficial to Hobbs and months later received a rate increase from the state for providing beds for children.

The Arizona attorney general, a fellow Democrat, found no evidence of bribery. But Republican legislators are pushing back with their own questions, and the state auditor general's office is conducting a separate investigation.

The boy’s death and the pay-to-play allegations highlight questions about Arizona's congregate-care capacity for children, training for workers who care for them and oversight of providers and other contractors who hold leverage over the state simply due to their size and influence.

Alleged political favors become campaign fodder

Hobbs maintains she wasn’t involved in the decision to increase rates for Sunshine Residential Homes. But Republican challenger, U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, has made the scandal a centerpiece of his campaign to unseat her.

“That was all handled by the department," Hobbs said, "and they made the decision based on what was in the best interest of the department and the kids in their care.”

The allegations were first reported by The Arizona Republic and prompted an investigation by Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes. However, Mayes' office said it couldn't find evidence to support bribery charges against Hobbs and concluded that Sunshine’s rate increases were the result of its “outsized leverage” as the state's largest group home provider, not because of politics.

The company had threatened to reduce its bed capacity if it didn’t get an increase, saying it would instead use beds to house unaccompanied immigrant children for the federal government, officials said. Child welfare officials have said a reduction in Sunshine’s beds would significantly affect the state’s ability to place children in homes and would likely lead to siblings in foster care being split up and sent to different homes.

In all, Sunshine made $550,000 in contributions, including $100,000 to Hobbs’ inaugural fund in December 2022 and $150,000 to a legal defense fund for Hobbs between November 2023 and May 2024, according to records.

A separate investigation by the state auditor general’s office and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, a Republican, is continuing.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office also has interviewed several Sunshine employees as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into Blodgett’s death. No one has been charged.

Blodgett isn't the only diabetic child to die after a stay at an Arizona group home. In July 2024, a 15-year-old boy staying at a group home in Mesa operated by another company died of diabetic ketoacidosis after staff said the boy refused to take insulin, according to records.

Text messages outline concerns over a diabetic coma

Blodgett was staying at a foster home in metro Phoenix where only the house manager was trained in managing his diabetes.

Staff members said the boy was refusing to take his medicine. The manager advised an employee via text to tell the boy that the manager would be called if he refused to take his medicine.

“We don’t want him to go into a diabetic coma,” the manager texted.

The employee texted back about whether the child should get insulin. The manager didn't respond.

The next day, the employee texted the boy's blood glucose reading to the manager and asked what to do. The manager said to give Blodgett water but didn't give any instructions about insulin, according to lawyers for the state and Blodgett's family. The day after missing his second dose, Blodgett was taken to a hospital.

Violation nets no penalties

Two weeks before approving a 30% rate increase in May 2023, the Arizona Department of Child Safety issued a licensing violation against Sunshine over Blodgett's case. The agency declined to specify to The Associated Press which policy was violated.

Robert Pastor, an attorney representing the family in a wrongful death lawsuit, said the violation was for not giving Blodgett the insulin as prescribed. The lawyer said Sunshine’s staff missed the signs of ketoacidosis, a serious complication caused by a lack of insulin, and waited too long to take Blodgett to the hospital. He also disputed claims that the boy had refused medication.

The state didn't fine Sunshine or suspend or revoke its license as a result of the violation, according to court records. The agency said it detailed the steps Sunshine had to take to come into compliance, but declined to reveal to the AP what those steps were.

Pastor agreed with the attorney general's conclusion that Sunshine has a lot of leverage over the state due to reliance on the company's beds.

“That leverage gave Sunshine an increased rate increase,” Pastor said. “We also know that that leverage that Sunshine has over DCS means that when they kill a child, there will be no consequences. There will be no accountability.”

In a statement, Sunshine spokesperson Tommy McKone said the wrongful death lawsuit remains active, but declined to comment on the licensing violation and the company’s policy on responding to children who refuse medications.

“Sunshine Residential followed all policies and procedures for the required care, throughout his stay at our homes, under state law,” McKone said.

In court records, lawyers for Sunshine said the state indicated Blodgett’s medical needs were minimal and didn’t inform the group home provider that Blodgett’s diabetes management was complex.

Boy was hospitalized before heading to group home

Blodgett went into foster care in December 2022 after his father was jailed on a drug charge. His blood glucose levels were high when he was brought to a welcome center operated by the Department of Child Safety, which sought medical help for Blodgett from a children’s hospital where he was treated over several days.

Once discharged, Blodgett went to a Sunshine home.

While he went two days without getting the long-lasting insulin he needed before going to bed, the staff did give him another type of insulin — fast-acting insulin after eating meals — over both days. After the boy missed a long-lasting dose, the house manager contacted the same hospital to talk about how to improve his blood glucose levels.

In a deposition, the house manager testified there was nothing the staff could do if the child refused his medication. Pastor said the claim that the boy refused insulin is a false narrative aimed at blaming the child.

More workers should have been trained

Myriam Villarreal, an official in the Department of Child Safety’s operation that licenses group homes, testified in an April 2025 deposition that Blodgett’s condition wasn’t caught in time because group home workers weren’t trained in spotting the signs of ketoacidosis.

Pressed on why the company didn’t face any penalties, Villarreal testified that the state asked for policy modifications from the company. And she said training should have been provided to the staff members who directly cared for the boy, not just the house manager.

“We didn’t look that every single staff (member) had the appropriate training,” Villarreal testified.

The disaster, which has killed more than 1,000 people and left more than 4,500 missing in the two countries, has once again highlighted China’s tight grip on information surrounding disasters and its efforts to control what is — and is not — said about them.

The death toll is updated only once every few days, and access to the disaster area has been granted only to top-level state media outlets, which have avoided broadcasting the names or faces of the missing and their relatives in favor of videos showing the logistics of delivering aid or rescue dogs working hard.

Meanwhile, at least 10 people across China have been detained or fined for social media posts that questioned aspects of the official narrative.

It's a sharp contrast to the Nepalese side of the border, where officials have regularly updated lists of dead and missing people, while journalists and social media posts have documented the unfolding disaster and the recovery effort.

Grieving families were made visible, giving voice and shape to those who were lost, as people held symbolic burial rites or went on their own journeys to look for loved ones.

After an update Sunday, China did not release new figures until Wednesday, when it said 21 people had been killed and 541 were missing in Tibet, including 261 foreigners from 23 countries. Late Friday, it raised the death toll to 31 and said 531 people remained unaccounted for.

Nepal has allowed up-close reporting in disaster-struck areas

Nepal's government has published continuous updates on rescue efforts, including creating a website listing the names of those rescued. The army has published footage of rescues via helicopter, and of people being pulled out of the hydropower tunnels, completely caked in mud.

Nepal has shared near daily updates about rescued people and allowed journalists, both domestic and foreign, to report from the area.

Journalists have been able to visit disaster-struck sites. While the government in Nepal did issue some restrictions, such as requiring journalists to provide accreditation, reporters were ultimately allowed to report from government sites like aid camps where rescued survivors are temporarily being kept, and visit mass burial sites.

Access to the Chinese disaster zone is restricted to state media

In contrast, access in China was limited for all but a few journalists from China's two state media outlets, Xinhua News and CCTV.

The Associated Press requested access to affected areas soon after the disaster struck, but has not been given permission to visit the area.

China often tries to control information about disasters, but in the tightly controlled region of Tibet the flow of information has been especially limited.

Tibet is a Chinese autonomous region that has gone through cycles of protest, unrest and government repression since China asserted control over the region in 1951. Today, the region is the focus of extensive central government investment and poverty alleviation efforts. Communications are also heavily monitored and restricted, making it difficult for Tibetans to communicate freely with people outside China. Travel to Tibet requires special government permission for all foreigners, especially journalists, even if they are fully accredited to work in China.

CCTV has focused on the official response, highlighting President Xi Jinping's instructions for disaster relief and sharing dispatches focused on heroics, such as rescuers being flown in via drone, hanging by a rope, or police comforting a family member who lost a loved one. Xinhua News has issued official reports about the disaster and technical dispatches about the science of the glacial lakes.

Some Chinese journalists have received directives to not conduct interviews with family members of dead or missing people and to use only material from Xinhua, according to Human Rights Watch.

China punished people who doubted official death toll

Meanwhile, China has broadcast its efforts to punish people who expressed doubt about the official narratives.

State media have widely circulated a report from the Tibetan Cyberpolice about 10 cases in which police across China punished people for “spreading rumors online” about the disaster.

That could mean things like questioning the official death toll, as in one post that read: “It’s clear that at least 1,000 people were washed away, yet the official report only says three people dead and 265 missing."

Punishments ranged from five to 10 days in detention by police, with a fine of $150 imposed in some cases.

China is often slow to release complete information on the death toll of major disasters. After a typhoon brought severe flooding to the southwestern province of Guangxi in early July, the government updated the official death toll figure more than a month later from 39 dead to 159.

The government has raised the reported death toll from the floods several times, most recently to 31 on Friday.

Voices of some victims' families are heard in small overseas Chinese outlets

Relatives of a few missing people have spoken publicly through the rare channels that exist outside direct Chinese control.

Aquarian, an independent Chinese media outlet operating in exile, interviewed family members of missing Chinese victims, including Peng Guangming, a young man who worked on a Chinese-supported highway project on the Nepal side of the border. Peng was last in touch with a colleague about 10 minutes before the flood.

Another one of the missing is a woman named He Hongrong, according to X account Fat Parrot, which has been sharing posts from Chinese social media onto X. The X user declined to be interviewed, but said they had been in touch with He's family and a friend.

She was last seen on the Nepal side of the border, carrying a green backpack, waiting to cross back into China. She had hired a driver to take her back to Lhasa, in Tibet. Her family is hoping that by sharing a photo of her on X, they will find someone able to provide information about her whereabouts.

Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access, at times, to enough nutritious food for an active and healthy lifestyle. Children who experience hunger are more likely to struggle in school and have health complications. In adults, studies reveal that food insecurity reduces worker productivity and drives up healthcare costs.

It’s why since 2020, Local 10 and Publix have teamed up for Food for Thought to address food insecurity in our communities.

Food for Thought raises awareness about the plight of hunger and comes alongside local nonprofits to support their efforts to get nutritious meals into the hands of those who need them most.

In the past five years, we’ve stocked school food pantries from the elementary to college levels, provided weekend backpack meals to underserved children, sponsored food drives, and planted vegetable gardens.

One of the organizations we’ve collaborated with is The Cupboard of Goodman JFS in Davie. Last year, Director of Operations Ross Adel told us the pantry was serving 600 families per month, which translated to 1,100 individuals.

“Every can of food that comes in here, every dollar that comes in here is just one more individual that we can feed,” said Adel.

In September, during Hunger Action Month, we will be working with more organizations to make healthy food accessible to vulnerable populations across South Florida.

If you’d like to find out more or get involved, the list below connects you with some local nonprofits that offer programs to feed families in our community.

If your nonprofit organization provides food services to South Florida families and would like our Food for Thought campaign to know about it, simply email our community relations department at community@local10.com.

Our goal is to connect those who have the means to help with those helping families fight food insecurity every day. Together, we can make a difference.

TO VIEW THE LATEST FOOD FOR THOUGHT STORIES, CLICK HERE.

Broward College Seahawk Marketplace

954-201-FOOD (3663)

https://www.broward.edu/students/seahawk-outreach/marketplace.html

Community Enhancement Collaboration

954-987-0625

https://www.cecwashpark.org/

Covenant House Florida

954-561-5559

https://www.covenanthouse.org/homeless-shelters/ft-lauderdale-florida

Health in the Hood

305-714-2262

Healthinthehood.org

Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies of Broward County

954-765-0550

Hmhbbroward.org

Joshua’s Heart Foundation

305-944-4452

joshuasheart.org

La Bodega at the YMCA in Allapattah

305-635-9622

2370 NW 17th Avenue

*serves food to residents Monday- Friday, from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

LifeNet4Families

954-792-2328

Lifenet4families.org

Mobile School Pantry

954-297-4929

Mobileschoolpantry.org

One More Child

305-271-4121

Onemorechild.org

The Cupboard Goodman JFS

954-370-2140

https://www.jfsbroward.org/services/cupboard/

China considers self-governing Taiwan to be part of its territory and rejects the island’s claim to sovereignty. Beijing generally refers to Taiwan as “China’s Taiwan region.”

China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday criticized the South Korean organizers of the biennial Gwangju Biennale, one of Asia's most prominent art exhibitions, saying the organizers have "stubbornly clung to the wrongful practice, allowing China’s Taiwan region to participate under a designation that is completely incompatible with its status.”

Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China hopes the South Korean government will uphold its political commitment to the “one China” principle through concrete action.

The Chinese artists said the same day that they were withdrawing from the festival, which opens Saturday and runs through mid-November.

The “Taiwan Pavilion” is one of about 25 small national and institutional galleries to be operated separately from the biennale’s main exhibition site, under its so-called Pavilion Project.

“The organizers of the Gwangju Biennale used an incorrect name for China’s Taiwan region over its participation in the exhibition, causing a political issue to spill over onto the realm of art,” Chinese curator Ruan Yuelai told reporters through an interpreter. “The Chinese exhibition team cannot accept this and unanimously agreed to withdraw from the exhibition to express our strong protest.”

As of Friday afternoon, the Chinese participants had not yet removed their paintings, sculptures and other works originally planned to go on display in the “China Pavilion.”

The festival organizers apologize for the ‘confusion’

Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture said in August that Taiwan had planned to exhibit under the name “Taiwan Pavilion” but protested that organizers changed it to “National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts Pavilion.”

The art festival said Wednesday that it “deeply apologizes for causing concerns and confusion” to those involved in its “Pavilion Project," and said there had been differences with the Taiwan museum over the naming issue.

Organizers said they signed a contract with the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts over its participation, so they thought Taiwanese artists would exhibit under the museum acronym, “NTMoFA.” They said the Taiwanese museum later insisted on the name “Taiwan Pavilion,” and said they felt pressure to accept the name.

Earlier in the week, China also warned of consequences for Taiwan after the island’s foreign minister attended a diplomatic forum in the island country of Palau. In May, China pressured an African country to exclude Taiwanese activists from an international human rights conference.

It's unclear whether the Chinese protest would trigger a major diplomatic spat with South Korea, which is now ruled by a liberal government which wants to improve ties with China, the country's biggest trading partner.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the naming decision was made by a non-governmental entity and has nothing to do with the government. It said South Korea hopes the latest issue won't affect relations and cooperation between the two countries.

Taiwan is a self-ruled island, but China claims it as part of its territory. The two sides split after a civil war in 1949. Beijing has stepped up its pressure on Taiwan, poaching diplomatic allies. The island now only has 12 diplomatic allies around the world.

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Associated Press writer Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

Mladic’s remains were flown to Belgrade on a Serbian government plane from The Hague, Netherlands, on Thursday, a week after his death and days ahead of his burial in a Belgrade cemetery.

Mladic was sentenced in 2017 to life imprisonment for orchestrating the massacre of more than 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995; the yearslong siege of the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo during the 1992-95 conflict; and other war crimes, including setting up concentration camps for detained non-Serb civilians and enemy soldiers.

Upon landing in Belgrade, Mladic's coffin was wrapped in the national flag and Serbian soldiers carried his body to a van for transport to the military hospital. Serbia's Justice Minister Nenad Vujic was on the plane with Mladic's family members and nationalist admirers lit flares as the convoy passed.

Kos said on X that “the glorification surrounding his death is incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built.”

“Ratko Mladic was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,” Kos said. “The return of his remains to Belgrade reminds Europe of the darkest pages in our recent history.”

In Belgrade, regional N1 television quoted Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic as saying that Kos’s explanation was “very short but stupid.” Vucic said Kos did not specify “who glorified anything” but that “I guess we should ban people from showing up, ban the funeral.”

Earlier Friday, Kos said the next days “will be a very important test” for Serbia ahead of the burial, which could draw thousands of admirers.

Mladic to be buried Monday in Belgrade

Mladic’s son, Darko Mladic, said at a news conference Friday that a military commemoration is planned for Saturday. Mladic’s coffin will be placed in a church in Belgrade on Monday morning so people can pay their respects before his funeral and burial later that day.

Vujic had previously said Mladic would be buried with full state honors, sparking outrage across the Balkans, where ethnic divisions persist decades after the 1992-95 war in Bosnia killed over 100,000 people and displaced millions.

Last year, Serbia buried another convicted war criminal, the former army chief of staff Nebojsa Pavkovic, with full military honors at a cemetery for distinguished individuals.

Serbia, which backed Bosnian Serb forces during the war, is formally seeking EU membership but remains defiant over its war role, accusing the West of anti-Serb bias. After Mladic died last week, thousands of Serbs in their political entity in Bosnia and many in Serbia held vigils in his honor. Thousands could attend the funeral.

Other European officials condemn Mladic glorification

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, on Friday urged authorities in Serbia and in the Serb-run entity of Bosnia to “counter the glorification of convicted war criminals,” which is illegal in Bosnia and “is not protected speech under the European Convention on Human Rights.”

“I abhor the public glorification of Ratko Mladic, a deceased war criminal convicted for the Srebrenica genocide and crimes against humanity,” O'Flaherty said in a statement.

Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said granting funeral honors for Mladic would be “shameful and disrespectful for the victims,” adding: “I condemn that act in the strongest terms, and have passed this message to my Serbian counterpart in charge of European affairs this morning.”

Calls also are multiplying for Europe’s biggest political bloc – the European People’s Party – to cut its ties to Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is a member of the EPP, along with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and other top officials.

Vladimir Prebilic, a European Parliament member from Slovenia, urged the EPP to “stop acting as a safe haven” for Vucic's party, which he said “openly celebrates convicted war criminals and rolls out the red carpet for the ‘Butcher of Bosnia.’”

Serbia's president says he has meetings on Monday

In Serbia, Vucic, who is a former extreme nationalist who backed Serbia's expansionist policies in the past, said Friday that he has previously scheduled meetings Monday, and the funeral arrangements were made by Mladic's family.

“I have spoken to the Mladic family and I wish it all passes in a dignified way,” Vucic said, according to the pro-government Informer television.

“I did all I could so that the funeral would pass as it should,” he added without elaborating.

Serbia's EU bid has stalled due to democratic backsliding and Vucic's refusal to join international sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.

The massacre in Srebrenica was Europe’s first acknowledged genocide after World War II. A U.N. “safe haven” for Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), Srebrenica ended up being overrun by Serbs who forced men and boys to strip, killed them and bulldozed their bodies into mass graves.

Mladic was one of the most notorious figures of the war in Bosnia that left more than 100,000 people dead and over 1 million homeless before it ended in 1995 in a U.S.-brokered peace agreement.

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AP Writers Lorne Cook and Sam McNeil contributed from Brussels.

With South Africa positioning itself as Africa's main data hub and U.S. technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Equinix increasingly setting up digital infrastructure in the country, civil society organizations have raised the alarm about the lack of transparency around the projects.

The country’s rights watchdog, the South African Human Rights Commission, told The Associated Press that it has received over 250 submissions from interested groups after it called for input in May this year.

According to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the country hosts 70% of Africa’s data center capacity, and the government has identified this as an opportunity in the global digital economy, inviting more tech companies to build digital infrastructure in the country.

However, as in other parts of the world, such as the U.S., where data centers have been increasing rapidly, their long-term environmental and societal impacts are coming under greater scrutiny.

The commission noted that the country had experienced “significant growth” in the establishment of data centers, cloud infrastructure and related digital systems.

“A key issue emerging from the process is precisely the availability, consistency and transparency of information relating to matters such as electricity and water demand, land use, infrastructure requirements, environmental impacts and impacts on surrounding communities,” said Dr. Eileen Carter, who leads the commission preliminary process.

One of the latest municipal approvals for a data center that has irked various quarters is an Equinix hyperscale facility to be built in Cape Town, a city that avoided a so-called “Day Zero” in 2018, when its taps were predicted to run dry due to water scarcity.

The country’s recent memory of widespread power cuts, known as “ loadshedding, ” has also raised concerns about the 160 megawatts of electricity estimated to be required to run the facility.

South Africa has seemingly overcome its electricity crisis, with the country’s power utility, Eskom, reporting a power surplus during the winter peak-demand season, but civil society groups are wary of the surplus power being sold to data centers.

Some experts say the call for a temporary halt to more approvals should not be taken as a rejection of potential foreign investment in the country, but rather as a mechanism to establish clear rules, especially around transparency.

“Serious investors are not deterred by clear rules. They price uncertainty, and an unregulated boom is the most uncertain environment of all,” said Pitso Tsibolane, a senior lecturer in Information Systems at the University of Cape Town.

He said one of the major problems was that operators were not required to disclose how much water, electricity and land they would use or commit to in binding terms, so every proposal was weighed without the numbers.

Operators have cautioned against comparing data centers being built in South Africa to large-scale data centers in the U.S. as the water, land and power needs there are much higher.

They point out that Eskom currently has a power surplus and that most data centers increasingly rely on renewable energy for electricity.

“It should be clear that the growth in energy demand due to data centers is not contributing to electricity scarcity in South Africa and that this increasing demand is not a cause of rising electricity tariffs,” said Internet Service Providers Association chairperson Sasha Booth-Beharilal.

“Local data centers apply new technologies to minimize their water usage, which is substantially lower than the global average.”

The organization represents tech companies operating in the sector and operating data centers in the country.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Berry, who died Monday at home at age 92, drew that connection in poignant writings across many decades.

“Persons cannot be whole alone,” Berry wrote in “The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture,” his classic 1977 work. “It is wrong to think that bodily health is compatible with spiritual confusion or cultural disorder, or with polluted air and water or impoverished soil.”

While Berry inspired writers, artists, local-food activists, environmentalists, agrarians and many others, some of his deepest admirers were moved by his spiritual vision.

Spending Sundays amid the ‘timbered choir’

That's despite — or maybe because of — Berry's skepticism of organized religion. He called himself a “bad-weather churchgoer” because in finer weather, he often skipped church to spend Sundays in what he called nature's “timbered choir.”

He was too steeped in the Bible and his Baptist heritage to fit the common notion of “spiritual but not religious.” But he was too independent-minded to be pigeonholed into any one tradition. Defiantly non-conformist yet committed to neighborly and communal bonds, he quipped about creating an “International Brotherhood of Contraries” in one of his poems.

“One of the reasons Wendell has been read and loved by so many people who are in faith or spiritual traditions is that he was able to think about the most fundamental questions of land and water and community and health and a flourishing life in such an expansive way,” said Norman Wirzba, a longtime friend of Berry’s who has written and edited numerous essays about him.

“He was also able to show the industrial mindset is not just a technique, but it’s a spiritual way of seeing the world that turns out to be very damaging and degrading,” said Wirzba, a professor of Christian theology at Duke Divinity School.

Berry saw spirituality as integrated with the human body

Berry recoiled from any spirituality that was ethereal and other-worldly, Wirzba said. “Wendell was a master in showing that any spirituality that’s worth anything starts with the human body.”

Seekers found a kindred soul in Berry, one who accompanied them in a time haunted by species loss, environmental disasters and social alienation.

Many sought him out in person: seminarians, clergy, professors and others on a search for greater meaning. They found their way to Berry's farmhouse overlooking the Kentucky River in Port Royal, the prototype for the tiny hamlet that was the setting for much of his fiction. Visitors sat on Berry's porch or amid the towering bookshelves in his living room, bringing their anxieties and questions in conversation with the author and his wife, Tanya.

Of course, Berry reached many more through his writings.

“So today I find myself giving thanks for someone I knew rather well, yet never met,” wrote Derek Peterson, a youth development educator. He said Berry helped deepen his appreciation for the North Dakota farm where he and three previous generations of his family have lived.

“He helped me understand that loving a place is not sentimentality; it is a discipline,” Peterson wrote on Facebook. “To know a piece of Earth — its soil and water, trees and birds, seasons and wounds; to understand what happened here before you arrived and wonder seriously about what condition it will be in after you leave — is a particular way of being human.”

An author, activist, farmer and contrarian

Berry was many things. As an author, he wrote more than 40 books, publishing his final novel, “Marce Catlett: The Force of a Story,” at age 91 in 2025. As an activist, Berry took part in an occupation of the Kentucky governor’s office to protest mountaintop-removal mining. As a farmer, he plowed with a horse rather than a tractor, rejecting the “Get big or get out” mandate of industrial agriculture.

Berry embraced parts of his Baptist heritage. He took the Bible at its word when it says the Earth was made by God, and it was good — a gift to be cared for.

But he believed the Southern evangelical religion had gone wrong with a stark separation of the spiritual and the physical worlds. To Berry, it focused on other-worldly salvation while blessing slavery and, later, environmentally devastating practices of agriculture and coal mining.

The title character of his acclaimed 2000 novel, “Jayber Crow,” concludes that “Christ did not come to found an organized religion but came instead to found an unorganized one.” Young Jayber studies for the ministry but has too many doubts to continue, becoming instead a barber and church janitor and living out “questions to which you cannot be given answers.”

In one of his poems, Berry gleefully defied both the religious and the cynical.

“When they said, ‘I know my Redeemer liveth,’ I told them, ‘He’s dead,’” Berry wrote. “And when they told me ‘God is dead,’ I answered, ‘He goes fishing every day in the Kentucky River. I see Him often.’”

The title of his widely admired “Sabbath Poems” partly reflects that he wrote many of them on his Sunday amblings in nature. But it also hearkens to biblical concepts of “Sabbath” — that humans and the land need a time of rest, not the constant churn demanded of an industrial economy.

Berry sought to heal fragmented selves and society

In a time of rampant loneliness and anxiety, such a message is crucial, said Wirzba.

“More people today enjoy a standard of life that would have been unimaginable to people 100 years ago, but they’re not happy,” Wirzba said. Berry's answer, he said, is to “see the beauty of this world and see that it’s worth cherishing.”

Among Berry's longtime admirers was Russell Moore, editor at large at Christianity Today and author of a 2025 cover story on Berry for the evangelical magazine.

“He believed body and soul, heaven and earth, are meant to hold together,” Moore wrote after Berry's death. “When they do not, the result is what Berry saw as the most fundamental crisis of the modern era: the disintegration of persons and communities.”

Through The Berry Center in New Castle, Kentucky, the author's family promotes the values he championed through education, agricultural training and other means. The center launched a small cooperative for local farmers raising grass-fed beef — a model for helping maintain small-scale farms.

Berry’s death came just days after the center announced publication of a 50th anniversary edition of “The Unsettling of America.” It was his passionate manifesto for human-scale, sustainable farming and against the machines, chemicals and human displacement of the era of industrialized agriculture.

“The tragedy of this book is that it originated in the recognition of a still-continuing absurdity,” Berry wrote in a new foreword. That is the assumption “that we can produce food by means that destroy, in human culture and in nature, the sources of food.”

Yet Berry insisted in interviews that he refused to give in to cynicism. Hope, he noted, is not a sentiment but a theological virtue, something one is obligated to pursue.

“I haven’t quit,” he said in a 2013 interview. “You have to assume I have hope. If you want an easy life, indulge yourself in despair.”

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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“Forever Grateful/Golden Gate Park” opens Saturday and will also feature the Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia ’s BMW, which remains in mint condition and has never been displayed publicly.

The two iconic artifacts will anchor an exhibition that immerses visitors in the colors, sounds and sights of the counterculture that flourished in San Francisco in the 1960s.

Kesey rode the bus dubbed “Furthur” during the cross-country trip by the late author and his Merry Band of Pranksters to expand human consciousness through art, music and mind-altering drugs.

“This invites people to communicate and connect around art, music, and activism,” said Kelly Harris, executive director of the Haight Street Art Center, which organized the exhibition. “In this day and age, when we need something to bridge community, we know that this space allows for that to happen and Furthur is the portal.”

A celebration of hippie love, activism

The exhibition aims to celebrate the city’s history of hippie love and activism at a time when San Francisco is grappling with widening economic inequality fueled by an AI-driven technology boom, and the nation confronts deepening political divisions and collective fatigue.

Formed in 1965, the Grateful Dead is synonymous with San Francisco and its counterculture. Members lived in a dirt-cheap Victorian in the Haight and later became a significant part of 1967’s Summer of Love.

And it all started with the bus.

Kesey bought the bus with the proceeds from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” In 1964, the writer and his friends drove it on a marijuana and LSD-fueled journey from coast to coast, helping introduce Americans to the emerging psychedelic scene.

That history-making road trip was later recounted in Tom Wolfe’s 1968 bestseller, “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.”

Upon their return to California, Kesey, who as a student had been a guinea pig for government tests of the mind-altering drug, shared his experiences at a series of parties at his home in the hills above Stanford University that became known as the “acid tests.”

The parties featured a local bar band called The Warlocks, which turned into the Grateful Dead. The bus became a defining feature of the “acid tests” as Kesey and his friends took the parties on the road, mainly around the Bay Area.

“This entire exhibit, it’s a very layered story of the Grateful Dead and their influence, their phenomenon, and their impact on communities, on society, on people, and how their legacy still lives on,” said Renee de Cossio, director of exhibitions at the Haight Street Art Center.

Deadheads can recite why they fell in love with the music, how it happened and the moment it all clicked. They embrace something just as important as the music itself — the community that comes together at a Dead show.

Exhibit immerses visitors in counterculture

Visitors will be invited to record their first encounter with the counterculture — whether it was becoming a Deadhead, as the band’s fans are called, while Garcia was still alive, discovering the band after his death, or experiencing the Grateful Dead for the first time through the exhibition.

Actors with the Third Rail Projects, a New York-based experiential performance company, will guide visitors through part of the exhibit, including a dark tunnel full of mirrors that leads into booths where they will start conversations with the audience.

They will then lead small groups to experience a liquid light show, a 1960s art form that mixes liquids of different densities in watch glasses and projects colorful, shifting psychedelic patterns onto every space of a room, creating the sensation of being inside a giant, multicolor lava lamp.

“You might go with the people that you came with, or you might get packaged with a couple other folks that you didn’t know, and you’ll then unpack the experience with each other and have a conversation with a stranger that you wouldn’t have had otherwise,” said Edward Rice, associate managing director at Third Rail Projects.

The exhibit, which runs through Oct. 25, will also feature photographs from the band’s many concerts in Golden Gate Park and a screen-printing station where visitors can create their own art.

It will also help launch an effort to restore the now-dilapidated “Furthur” bus, which got its name after a typo on its destination sign. The bus was kept on the Kesey family farm in Pleasant Hill, Oregon, and was last seen in public at Woodstock in 1969.

“The focal point is the Furthur bus. And Furthur is a call to action. Never stop creating, never stop exploring, keep going further,” Harris said.

The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Center said the victims were simultaneously siphoning crude products into their boats from an “illegal tapping point” on Thursday. It caused them to inhale toxic fumes at high pressure, it said. Many are still missing, according to the report, quoting a network of volunteers.

The Nigerian police confirmed the incident on Friday but gave no death toll and said an investigation was underway.

“The Rivers State Police Command can confirm the deaths. The victims were allegedly attempting to steal crude oil,” Blessing Agabe, Rivers State police spokesperson, said.

Oil theft is common in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, where decades of oil exploration have led to high levels of poverty and environmental degradation.

The Nigerian government said oil theft causes several billion dollars in losses annually and has been clamping down on the practice.