Saturday will feature a mix of clouds and sunshine, with the chance of a hit-or-miss shower. The rain chance will increase Sunday, with the potential for off-and-on downpours.

The weekend will also be breezy, with northeast winds sustained at 10 to 15 mph or higher and gusts reaching 25 to 30 mph.

King tides are likely to bring major saltwater flooding along the east coast Sunday and Monday. The highest water levels generally will occur between 5 and 8 a.m. and 5 and 8 p.m. each day.

Gray, gloomy skies hung over São Paulo as Brazil braced for a political showdown that could reshape the country’s future.

“Democracy is something really important and very fragile, especially in the times we live in today,” one voter said.

With just two days until the runoff, Brazilians face a stark choice: Lula, the leftist leader promising to protect social programs and working families, or conservative Bolsonaro, who is campaigning on tougher crime policies, smaller government and closer ties with President Donald Trump.

For voters, the choice is personal.

“If Lula wins, we will still have some of our rights, freedom of expression, freedom to come and go, and he will watch out for those in need,” one man said.

Another voter said she supported Bolsonaro because she believes Brazil needs change.

As Sunday’s runoff approaches, both candidates are making a final push on the campaign trail, rallying supporters and trying to win over undecided voters.

“Both have negative points. Neither of these two convinced me, and I don’t think either will have a good government,” one woman said.

At stake is the future of Latin America’s largest economy, from the cost of living and public safety to the protection of the Amazon and Brazil’s relationship with the United States.

For many Brazilians, the choice comes down to affordability, including food prices, everyday expenses and the struggle to make ends meet.

“The economy and interest rates,” one woman said when asked about her biggest concern.

Another voter said things have become increasingly difficult.

But for others, the concerns go beyond the economy to the future of the country itself.

“There are difficulties for everyone — the economy, public safety, health, education, everything that affects the Brazilian people,” one man said. “But these are problems we’ve been fighting over the past few decades.”

Another voter said the stakes include protecting people’s rights, workers’ rights, public schools and the country’s health care system.

In a country deeply divided politically, uncertainty over Sunday’s outcome has many voters on edge, caught between hope and fear.

“I vote for both things,” one man said. “We have hope for a better country. Fear because this is a really tight election.”

The United States is also keeping a close eye on the runoff.

Since Trump returned to the White House, right-wing candidates have won the last seven presidential elections in Latin America. The Trump administration is now hoping Bolsonaro will unseat Lula.

Earlier this month, Bolsonaro received the most votes in the first round, forcing the election into a runoff.

“I think it’s going to be a very close election,” Trump said. “That will be a very close — I think Brazil will be a very close election.”

For the Trump administration, a Bolsonaro victory would advance U.S. dominance in Latin America through a reimagining of the Monroe Doctrine, which the White House has dubbed the “Donroe Doctrine.”

It would also strengthen trade ties involving oil and minerals, security and computing infrastructure, including chips, data centers and artificial intelligence.

Lula supporters have accused the United States of election interference. Crowds have protested outside Meta’s headquarters in São Paulo, claiming its social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, have not represented the candidates equally.

“We have seen Mark Zuckerberg promising since 2018 to properly safeguard our electoral process,” one protester said. “This started at the U.S. Senate, and these promises have repeatedly failed.”

Unlike during the U.S. midterm elections, Trump has backed off public support for a candidate in Brazil’s presidential election.

Trump welcomed Bolsonaro to the White House ahead of the first round. After Lula visited in May, the United States imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods, with another 25% imposed over the handling of Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction for plotting a coup after losing the previous presidential election.

During a debate, Lula criticized the Bolsonaro family’s ties to the United States.

“The Bolsonaro family is subordinate to American interests. It is notable. Your brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, is there putting on pressure, instigating the coup against Brazil,” Lula said. He also discussed Brazil’s efforts to become a leading country in rare earths after China.

Bolsonaro, meanwhile, accused Lula of being focused on holding onto power.

“Lula is fighting for power. He has already contested seven presidential elections. He is concerned about power; I am concerned about Brazil’s future,” Bolsonaro said.

With days before a close election in Israel in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could lose power, and before next month’s U.S. midterm election in which war-linked high prices have sparked voter anger, there are concerns that U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran could resume.

“Netanyahu wants to attack Iran, that’s not even a question,” Danny Citrinowicz, a researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and a former Iran specialist in Israel’s military and intelligence services, told The Associated Press.

He accused Israel of rushing into another round with Iran without revamping its strategy. A clear Netanyahu victory in the Oct. 27 election means an attack is almost guaranteed, he said.

Main opposition candidates are likely to focus on domestic issues first, but Citrinowicz said he believed the region is on the way toward “another kinetic escalation.”

Iran repeats threat to attack U.S. bases in the region

Iranian state television reported the claims about the latest attacks on ships, which the AP couldn’t independently confirm. The report cited the Revolutionary Guard Corps navy, which again threatened to strike U.S. military bases in the region if the U.S. keeps helping to guide commercial ships through the strait.

The report didn’t mention casualties. Iran still asserts control over the waterway, a central point of leverage in any talks with the U.S. over the war.

October has had the most reported attacks on commercial shipping since March in the war’s opening weeks, according to a British military monitor, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. UKMTO didn’t report the latest attacks, but it has noted new reluctance by some shippers to report incidents.

Oil producers have found ways to keep crude flowing, experts say, but at a mounting cost.

Tankers continue moving through Strait of Hormuz despite attacks

Oil tankers are still moving oil through the strait under U.S. military protection despite the recent upsurge in attacks, according to shipping data and analysis company Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

Tanker operators willing to risk the voyage have been shuttling oil from Gulf producers through the strait at night with their location systems and mobile phones turned off using a U.S.-protected lane near the coast of Oman. Those tankers transfer oil to other tankers waiting in the Gulf of Oman for shipment to customers in Asia.

Those “active Gulf operators show little sign of retreating” despite 28 attacks on ships in October, the highest since the start of the war, Lloyd’s said in an online webinar Thursday.

The so-called “dark shuttle” overseen by U.S. Central Command has helped return oil shipments from the Gulf at roughly prewar levels, but at high costs in time, money and sailors’ lives. Spot charter rates for tankers have soared into the hundreds of thousands of dollars a day, while the ship-to-ship transfers can take several days.

UN urges US and Iran to return to diplomacy to end conflict, reopen strait

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said no commercial ships should be attacked and called for diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran to reopen the strait.

“For the sake of the people of the region and for the broader world, we need to see that waterway reopen, and we need to see tensions go down,” he told reporters Thursday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday said Tehran remains open to diplomacy, but is ready to defend itself.

Iran has warned that it learned important military lessons from the war that began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28, indicating in recent days that it could expand targets to include infrastructure such as undersea cables and data centers.

The United States, for its part, is sending more military assets to the region, including a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops, to join the largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades.

Mediators, meanwhile, have been trying to bring Washington and Tehran back to formal talks.

Iran still promotes its latest proposal to end the war and fully open the strait within a week if the U.S. meets several conditions, including ending the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. It echoes conditions in the deal that fell apart within days of both sides signing it in June.

U.S. President Donald Trump rejected the latest proposal last month, but both sides acknowledged that indirect discussions have continued.

The stakes are even higher if all-out war resumes

A return to full fighting would again endanger civilians throughout the region and complicate global deliveries of oil, natural gas and related products like fertilizer from the region and likely bring another spike in prices.

The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, this week acknowledged that the Islamic Republic will suffer under a prolonged U.S. blockade. But economic pain and strategic collapse are not the same thing, he added, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

Now the conflict has widened with the recent surge in fighting between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi kingdom backs a coalition of forces with Yemen’s internationally recognized government that is fighting the rebels.

The Houthis’ repeated deadly attacks on airports and other facilities inside Saudi Arabia have pressured the close U.S. ally, which has sought military aid.

The escalation also has threatened a crucial shipping corridor, the Bab el-Mandeb at the southern end of the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, the president of Saudi oil company Aramco, whose sites have been targeted by the Houthis, said the amount of oil moving through a pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz has increased threefold in light of the global energy crisis.

The East-West pipeline’s capacity has surged from two million to seven million barrels each day, Amin Nasser said in an interview with Saudi-owned television Al Arabiya Business. He said the company has been using drones to assess any damage to the pipeline and help with firefighting.

The NFL franchise has agreed to recognize the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association as the collective bargaining representative for one of the most famous cheer squads in professional sports, both sides said in a joint statement Friday, which follows years of the cheerleaders fighting for pay increases.

“The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are an esteemed part of the Cowboys organization, deeply respected for the talent and dedication they exhibit,” the statement said. "They remain one of the most sought-after opportunities for talented dancers worldwide.”

During the second season of the Netflix series “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders,” which aired last year, one of the cheerleaders said that the members were getting a 400% boost in pay. In 2019, the Cowboys settled a lawsuit with a former cheerleader that led to the squad doubling the per-game pay, from $200 to $400. So the raise announced in 2025 was four times that.

A contact for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association could not immediately be found on Friday.

The Cowboys have been the most valuable pro sports team in the world, according to Forbes magazine.

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Rafael Grossi said in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s annual report to the U.N. General Assembly that this will be driven by electrification, data centers powered by artificial intelligence and "technology companies’ appetite for reliable, carbon-free power.”

Nuclear energy is seen by a growing number of countries as key to improving their energy security, he said, stressing that it is on par with solar energy and "safer than every other option.”

“In 2025, more than 400 operating reactors in more than 30 countries produced 10% of global electricity and a quarter of its low-carbon electricity,” the IAEA director-general said. “More than 60 new reactors are under construction and the projections for future nuclear capacity have shifted dramatically upward.”

In addition to the growing use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, Grossi spoke about the nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea, the “unprecedented threats to nuclear safety” from the war in Ukraine, and worrying reports that other countries he didn’t name are talking about acquiring nuclear weapons.

On Iran, whose nuclear sites were struck by the U.S. last year before the U.S. and Israel launched a war on Feb. 28, Grossi told U.N. member nations that the necessary technical work for a diplomatic agreement has been done.

“I call on the parties to redouble their efforts towards agreeing a diplomatic solution that includes the IAEA's indispensable verification role, without which no agreement can be sustainable,” he said. “IAEA inspectors must be able to return to Iran expeditiously. That requires a return to the negotiating table.”

In North Korea, where leader Kim Jong Un has a growing nuclear program without any IAEA oversight, Grossi warned that it “stands as a stark reminder of the consequences when red lines are crossed” in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning nuclear weapons production.

In Ukraine, he singled out the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, saying it remains “in a precarious position” with frequent power losses, limited back-up diesel supplies “and military activity threatening the plant and the people who work there.”

On a positive note, Grossi said the IAEA has made “significant progress” in clarifying and resolving outstanding questions regarding Syria's nuclear activities after nearly two decades of uncertainty. That's as a result of engaging with the government of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, he said.

He reported in September that the Bashar Assad-era government — which was ousted in December 2024 by opposition forces led by al-Sharaa — was constructing a nuclear reactor that was configured to produce fissile material for possible use in nuclear weapons.

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Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel and North Miami Police Department officers responded shortly after 12:40 p.m. to the crash near Northeast Eighth Avenue and 125th Street.

Fire rescue reported transporting two patients to a local area hospital, and police officers reported the injured were among the three in the landscaping truck.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation on Friday afternoon, police said. A witness said the driver told him he had lost control and did his best not to run over anyone.

Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Sofia Mendez and Senior Assignment Editor Frine Gomez contributed to this report.

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Trump spoke at a rally at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. The rally drew long lines hours before doors even opened.

It was a “who’s who” of the Florida GOP. No kumbaya, no reaching across the aisle. It was red meat for Republicans.

“Florida, we are going to elect Byron Donalds as your next governor, and we’re going to elect Ashley Moody to the United States Senate and we’re going to defeat the radical left Democrats all across the country,” Trump said.

Trump’s pitch for Donalds and Moody comes in a state that’s been reliably red, but getting heated competition.

“The one endorsement we need now is from the people of the great state of Florida, because because in 11 days we are going to tell the Democrats one more time that they will not have power in Florida,” Donalds said at the rally.

Gov. Ron DeSantis greeted Trump on the tarmac.

There is data showing candidates this midterm aren’t mentioning Trump as much in ads as his poll numbers sink. You wouldn’t have known it at FGCU on Friday.

The Republican National Committee said about 4,000 people attended Friday’s rally.

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Miami-Dade court records show Lazo, 41, filed a request for a restraining order in April against Granado, 53, a “former live-in boyfriend,” claiming he owned a gun, had served in the U.S. military, abused alcohol and cocaine, and had been without stable employment for over two years.

A Miami-Dade County Circuit judge with the domestic violence division dismissed her request for the court’s protection, citing “no just cause” and “insufficient evidence” on Sept. 30.

“I fear for my life and for the safety of my parents,” Lazo wrote in a sworn statement, reporting “ongoing threats, harassment, coercion, and intimidation,” court records show.

On Friday afternoon, Lazo’s condition was critical, but improving, at the Jackson South Medical Center, according to the MDSO deputy.

Hector Rodriguez and Cecilia Delfino were among the concerned neighbors after deputies surrounded the home and closed Southwest 148th Street between 155th Avenue and 154th Court on Thursday in the Oak Creek community.

“Very sweet, really very sweet, a quiet person,” Rodriguez told Local 10 News about Lazo, who he also described as a “lovely person.”

Delfino, Lazo’s next-door neighbor, told Local 10 News that she heard someone shout and three gunshots. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel and deputies responded to the shooting at about 11 a.m. on Thursday at 15472 SW 148 St.

“They discovered a male and a female who suffered gunshot wounds,” Deputy Danny Castillo, a MDSO spokesman, said during a news conference on Thursday.

MDFR personnel pronounced the man dead and took the woman to Jackson South, according to Castillo.

“It appears, after discharging his firearm, he turned the firearm onto himself and committed suicide,” Castillo said.

Detectives with the MDSO’s homicide bureau were investigating the case.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideations, call, text, or chat at the 24/7 suicide and crisis lifeline at 988.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.

Related stories

• ‘Lovely’ woman had been denied a restraining order before attempted murder, suicide at her Miami-Dade home, records show
• Man dead, woman critical after apparent murder-suicide attempt in Country Walk: MDSO

En una carta enviada el jueves, Cordero-Stutz notificó a la alcaldesa del condado Miami-Dade, Daniella Levine Cava, y a la Junta de Comisionados del Condado que su oficina suspenderá el Programa de Sargento de Armas a partir del 9 de noviembre, señalando que la medida forma parte de un esfuerzo para redirigir recursos ante lo que describe como un “déficit presupuestario”.

Levine Cava respondió en una carta fechada el mismo día, advirtiendo que poner fin al programa con menos de tres semanas de aviso representa un importante desafío de seguridad en el Centro Gubernamental Stephen P. Clark, que alberga oficinas del gobierno del condado, atiende a residentes que buscan servicios públicos y funciona como un importante centro de transporte. El edificio también está siendo utilizado como centro de votación.

Levine Cava reconoció la autoridad de la sheriff, como funcionaria constitucional independiente, para establecer las prioridades de su oficina, pero afirmó que el condado tiene la responsabilidad de proteger a los empleados, funcionarios electos y miembros del público que visitan las instalaciones gubernamentales.

“Ninguna de las dos responsabilidades debería verse disminuida por los desacuerdos entre nuestras oficinas”, escribió Levine Cava, refiriéndose a la seguridad pública y la rendición de cuentas sobre el dinero de los contribuyentes.

Solicitó a la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade que proporcione un plan de transición detallado antes del 9 de noviembre, en el que se especifique qué cobertura de seguridad permanecerá vigente, cómo se coordinarán las responsabilidades y cómo se compartirán y abordarán las evaluaciones de amenazas existentes y las futuras preocupaciones de seguridad relacionadas con funcionarios electos, empleados del condado y el Centro Gubernamental.

La disputa surge mientras han aparecido cuestionamientos sobre los gastos de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO), incluido un gasto reportado de más de $132,000 USD en nuevos sombreros de vaquero para los agentes.

En su carta, Levine Cava también cuestionó la descripción de la sheriff sobre la situación presupuestaria de su oficina, señalando el presupuesto aprobado por el condado de $1,230 millones USD para la Oficina del Sheriff correspondiente al año fiscal 2026-27.

Según la alcaldesa, la asignación es la más grande en la historia de la oficina y supera la solicitud de presupuesto certificada por la sheriff en más de $186 millones USD.

Levine Cava indicó que la apelación presentada por la sheriff contra el presupuesto aprobado sigue pendiente. También criticó a la oficina por no proporcionar toda la información presupuestaria solicitada por la administración durante el proceso presupuestario, incluida la información requerida mediante solicitudes de registros públicos.

“Durante todo el proceso presupuestario, mi administración dio prioridad a la seguridad pública mientras equilibraba las necesidades de otros servicios esenciales de los que dependen nuestros residentes”, escribió Levine Cava.

Levine Cava también indicó que su administración trabajará con el presidente de la Comisión, Anthony Rodriguez, la comisión y los departamentos del condado para identificar las medidas necesarias para mantener la seguridad en todo el Centro Gubernamental durante la transición.

Instó a ambas oficinas a mantener este asunto separado de su disputa presupuestaria más amplia, enfatizando que proteger a los servidores públicos y a los residentes debe seguir siendo una responsabilidad compartida.

Los registros judiciales del condado Miami-Dade muestran que Lazo, de 41 años, había presentado en abril una solicitud de orden de restricción contra Granado, de 53 años, un “ex novio con quien convivía”, alegando que poseía un arma de fuego, había servido en las Fuerzas Armadas de Estados Unidos y abusaba del alcohol y la cocaína.

Un juez del Tribunal de Circuito del condado Miami-Dade desestimó la solicitud el 30 de septiembre por “falta de causa justificada” y “pruebas insuficientes”.

“Temo por mi vida”, escribió Lazo en una declaración jurada, según muestran los registros judiciales.

El estado de Lazo era crítico, pero mostraba mejoría la tarde del viernes en el Jackson South Medical Center, según un agente de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO).

Hector Rodriguez y Cecilia Delfino se encontraban entre los vecinos preocupados después de que los agentes rodearan la vivienda y cerraran Southwest 148th Street, entre 155th Avenue y 154th Court, el jueves en la comunidad Oak Creek.

“Muy dulce, realmente muy dulce, una persona tranquila”, dijo Rodriguez a Local 10 News sobre Lazo, a quien también describió como una “persona encantadora”.

Delfino, vecina de Lazo, dijo a Local 10 News que escuchó a alguien gritar y tres disparos. Personal de los Bomberos de Miami-Dade y agentes respondieron a la balacera alrededor de las 11 a.m. del jueves en 15472 SW 148 St.

“Descubrieron a un hombre y una mujer que habían sufrido heridas de bala”, dijo el agente Danny Castillo, portavoz de la MDSO, durante una conferencia de prensa el jueves.

El personal de los Bomberos de Miami-Dade (MDFR) declaró muerto al hombre y trasladó a la mujer al Jackson South, según Castillo.

“Parece que, después de disparar su arma de fuego, la apuntó contra sí mismo y se suicidó”, dijo Castillo.

Los agentes de la unidad de homicidios de la MDSO estaban llevando a cabo una investigación sobre la muerte.

Si usted o alguien que conoce está luchando con pensamientos suicidas, puede llamar, enviar un mensaje de texto o comunicarse por chat con la Línea de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis al 988, disponible las 24 horas del día, los siete días de la semana.

La editora de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Mercedes Cevallos, contribuyó a este informe.

Noticias relacionadas

• Mujer “encantadora” había recibido negativa a orden de restricción antes de intento de asesinato y suicidio en su casa de Miami-Dade, según registros.
• Hombre muerto y mujer en estado crítico tras aparente intento de asesinato y suicidio en Country Walk: MDSO.

Administrator Jared Isaacman said Friday that the space agency is still on track to launch Artemis III next summer on a docking exercise with Elon Musk's and Jeff Bezos' lunar landers. The two-week mission featuring four astronauts will be confined to orbit around Earth — no moon trip this time.

The all-important Artemis IV — NASA's first moon landing by astronauts since Apollo — remains scheduled for 2028, Isaacman said. His update came six months after the successful Artemis II flight around the moon by four astronauts, humanity's first lunar trip in more than half a century.

NASA will keep its options open as long as possible before choosing between SpaceX and Blue Origin for the Artemis IV lunar lander, according to officials.

Isaacman said the “new space race” to land astronauts on the moon — racing against China now versus the Soviet Union during the Apollo era — will be “much closer than it ever needed to be” because of slow going in past years.

But the space agency is now accelerating its pace, he noted, eliminating endless meetings and bureaucratic inertia, as SpaceX, Blue Origin and other companies scramble around the clock to meet the deadlines and NASA bolsters its workforce.

Adopting Apollo's urgent and intense approach from 1968 through 1972, a period which saw 24 astronauts fly to the moon and 12 land on it, is not “tech industry pixie dust or some new management philosophy,” Isaacman said.

“It's about our own history. It's a playbook this agency knows really well, the same playbook that went from Apollo 7 splashdown to Apollo 11 in just nine months,” he said during a news conference at Kennedy Space Center.

Both landers will be launched next summer for docking practice by the three NASA astronauts and one Italian who will blast into orbit aboard NASA's Orion capsule. The mission will require three launches in quick succession from Cape Canaveral. Orion will dock first with Blue Origin's Blue Ghost about 270 miles (435 kilometers) above Earth, then with SpaceX's Starship in a slightly lower orbit.

“As a rocket nerd, it's going to be pretty awesome,” said Amit Kshatriya, NASA's associate administrator.

NASA's planned moon base near the moon's south pole — nowhere near Apollo's more equatorial locales — should see its first launch by year's end. The Pittsburgh company whose first lunar landing mission fizzled in 2024 will attempt a “take two,” this time aiming for the moon's south polar region with a rover and other experiments. More landers, rovers and orbiters will follow, so many that by the time the first Artemis moonwalkers arrive, their moon car will already be there waiting for them, according to officials.

To speed up and reduce risk, the initial moonwalkers will wear a lighter, less complex spacesuit than the one still under development by Axiom Space for longer, later excursions. Axiom will test these new so-called “sortie suits” on the International Space Station next year.

Setting up a long-term presence is what makes this so much more challenging than the Apollo-style commuter flights, said NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who is part of the Artemis III crew.

“It is incredibly ambitious,” Rubio told The Associated Press earlier this month. “One thing I’ve always believed and learned is don’t bet against America.”

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The Associated Press’ health and science coverage receives financial support from the AP Fund for Journalism and 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

In her first season with Atlanta, she's already become the team's emotional leader and now has the Dream two wins away from the first WNBA championship in franchise history. Game 4 is Saturday.

“I just want to be able to come in every day and just pour into everybody, bring energy, bring the morale because I think it’s contagious,” Reese said after the 97-71 victory on Wednesday night over Golden State. “I’m hype all the time and bringing confidence into everybody. Like, you’re not taking this from us. In my heart, I’m not letting you take this from us, and I think it becomes contagious within the team. They feel that confidence, too.

“So that’s kind of been my mindset throughout the entire season. Just being able to want it more than anybody else.”

Reese, who came to Atlanta from Chicago in an offseason trade, has made the most of her first postseason appearance since coming into the league three years ago. She became only the second player in finals history with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in consecutive games, joining A'ja Wilson.

At 24 years old, she also became the youngest with three straight double-doubles in the finals.

“Angel shows up in every game,” said point guard Jordin Canada, a two-time champion. “Some people only show up at big games, but she’s consistent with that, and she brings her teammates along.”

Reese has raised her game offensively this postseason and is averaging 21.7 points and 13.7 rebounds in the WNBA Finals to help the Dream take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. She always has had an incredible motor where she has been able to outwork people on both ends of the court. Now her offensive game has caught up.

“It’s really hard to match Angel’s energy, but we just try to do our part … just doing the little things to get into it. She brings a ton of energy. It’s very infectious,” Dream forward Naz Hillmon said. “She brings her teammates with her, as (everyone) can see. So just continuing to beat into it and go along with what she’s got going on.”

Reese entered the WNBA with criticism of her offensive game. She didn't shoot much outside of the lane and detractors said many of her rebounds came from her own misses. Now she is hitting 3-pointers at 47% in the postseason and shooting about the same from the field overall thanks to the trust she had in Atlanta coach Karl Smesko to change her shot.

Now she's only two wins away from adding a WNBA title to her ever-growing resume. She won an NCAA championship at LSU and a World Cup title this past September. When asked after the Game 3 win if she belonged in the conversation with other Atlanta sports greats like Hank Aaron, Dominique Wilkins and Deion Sanders, Reese deflected the notion.

“I’ve only been here six months, so I don’t know how y’all can give me that yet,” she said. “My goal was to come to Atlanta and win a championship. And I think you become one of the greats and you come one of the best when you can win and impact winning. And that’s all I wanted to do coming here. Everything else really doesn’t matter to me.”

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

“I’m focused on the finals," Atlanta guard Allisha Gray said Friday at the Dream's practice ahead of Saturday's Game 4. ”I am not really on social media and listening to what people are saying."

Basketball has recently been a focus of the president.

Trump spoke at a rally on Thursday in Iowa and criticized WNBA players for leaving the court before the national anthem is played, and called for a boycott of the league. He had lashed out on social media at the WNBA, along with NBA icon LeBron James for his actions during the anthem, but also called for fans to not watch the WNBA.

Several of Gray's Atlanta teammates and Golden State players shared her sentiments, saying they were tuning out anything that didn't have to do with game preparations.

“For me it's staying off social media. It's just going inward with our teammates and staff,” Valkyries forward Kiah Stokes said. “Staying together. That's been one of our keys all season.”

Trump mentioned at the Iowa rally that WNBA players have been leaving the court before the national anthem is played. Leaving the court before the anthem is not a recent development in the WNBA. It has been part of many teams' pregame routine for years, dating back to at least when the league played the entire 2020 season in Florida because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“By the way, what’s going on with the women’s NBA? What’s that all about?" the president said at the rally. “You know, they’ll destroy themselves before they get started, because they just started to do good.”

Trump went on to say that fans should stop viewing WNBA games because the players don't stay for the anthem. which is played 10 minutes before the end of pregame warmups. Teams have left the court to raise awareness for social justice issues or simply to continue to prepare for the game.

“You know the NFL did that for a while and they stopped because people stopped watching the games,” Trump said. “I think you should do the same thing with women’s basketball.”

The WNBA had no comment on Trump's speech.

As for James, a four-time Olympic medalist, the president said the 76ers forward disrespected the United States after he appeared to continue his warmups while the national anthem was performed before Philadelphia’s season opener on Tuesday.

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In a letter on Thursday, Cordero-Stutz notified Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and the Board of County Commissioners that her office would discontinue the Sergeant-at-Arms Program effective Nov. 9, saying the move is part of an effort to redirect resources amid what she describes as a “budget shortfall.”

Levine Cava pushed back in a response dated the same day, warning that ending the program with less than three weeks’ notice creates a significant security challenge at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, which houses county government offices, serves residents seeking public services and functions as a major transit hub. The building is also being used as a polling location.

Levine Cava acknowledged the sheriff’s authority as an independent constitutional officer to set her office’s priorities but said the county has a responsibility to protect employees, elected officials and members of the public who visit government facilities.

“Neither responsibility should be diminished by disagreements between our offices,” Levine Cava wrote, referring to public safety and accountability for taxpayer dollars.

She asked the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office to provide a detailed transition plan before Nov. 9 outlining what security coverage will remain, how responsibilities will be coordinated and how existing threat assessments and future security concerns involving elected officials, county employees and the Government Center will be shared and addressed.

The dispute comes as questions have emerged about spending by MDSO, including a reported expenditure of more than $132,000 on new cowboy hats for deputies.

In her letter, Levine Cava also challenged the sheriff’s characterization of the office’s budget situation, pointing to the county’s adopted $1.23 billion budget for the Sheriff’s Office for fiscal year 2026-27.

According to the mayor, the allocation is the largest in the office’s history and exceeds the sheriff’s certified budget request by more than $186 million.

Levine Cava said the sheriff’s appeal of the adopted budget remains pending. She also criticized the office for not providing all the budget information requested by the administration during the budget process, including information sought through public records requests.

“Throughout the budget process, my administration prioritized public safety while balancing the needs of other essential services our residents depend on,” Levine Cava wrote.

Levine Cava also said her administration would work with Commission Chairman Anthony Rodriguez, the commission and county departments to identify measures needed to maintain security throughout the Government Center during the transition.

She urged both offices to keep the issue separate from their broader budget disagreement, emphasizing that protecting public servants and residents must remain a shared responsibility.

Read the full letter here:

Miami-Dade Sheriff: “the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office (MDSO) will discontinue the Sergeant-at-Arms Program effective November 9, 2026.”

Miami-Dade Mayor: “Your decision to discontinue the program with less than three weeks' notice presents a significant security challenge.” pic.twitter.com/0pgcFL6pOz

— Christina Boomer Vazquez, M.S. (@CBoomerVazquez) October 23, 2026

The parts of the law in question prevent public schools from requiring diversity training and maintaining DEI-related programs, courses and offices. It also bans public schools from discussing a list of “divisive concepts” related to race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity and national origin. Public schools that violate the law could lose state funding.

The ban passed in April 2025 and is being challenged by a group of educators, students, parents and activists who say the law violates their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

The plaintiffs have several weeks to file a petition for rehearing with the Fifth Circuit. The law would take effect seven days after the petition deadline passes or if a petition is denied, according to McKenna Raney, an attorney representing the plaintiffs.

The Fifth Circuit also ordered that the case be reassigned to a different district court judge after U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate issued a “botch job” temporary restraining order that contained artificial intelligence hallucinations, according to the Thursday ruling. The TRO predates Wingate's August 2025 preliminary injunction, which the Fifth Circuit overturned.

Additionally, the ruling provides clarity on the scope of the law, which opponents have criticized as overly vague.

The law does not apply to scholarly activities, student activities and groups or creative engagements, according to the Fifth Circuit. The court also said concerns raised by the plaintiffs that the law would ban discussions of civil rights, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Ku Klux Klan, the Fourteenth Amendment, Juneteenth and “Of Mice and Men” are incorrect.

“It is heartening to know that at the very least these specific iterations of classroom discussions that have been happening for years in Mississippi are exempted and they can continue unimpeded," said Raney, an LGBTQ Justice Project staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi. However, Raney said the types of discussions allowed under the law are still “murky.”

The Mississippi Attorney General's Office, which represents the defendants, did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment on the court's ruling. The office's attorneys have previously argued that public employees do not have First Amendment rights when acting in a professional capacity.

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Thomas Kendall Jr., living in Deerfield Beach at the time of his arrest, was originally convicted of child molestation and possession of child sexual abuse material.

A November 2023 Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest report details horrifying allegations that led to his incarceration: Deputies said Kendall, then 41, took photos of himself sexually abusing a relative and paid $40 to someone in another country, believed to be the Philippines, to sexually abuse a 4-to-6-year-old girl during a nearly 25-minute live video chat.

Now 44, Kendall is serving a 25-year sentence at the Martin Correctional Institution following his 2024 conviction and authorities said he was caught in the act again.

Investigators said they received an online tip and traced it back to his prison cell.

When they searched his cell, investigators said they found an illegal phone filled with thousands of child sexual abuse images, including some depicting his original victim that were generated with artificial intelligence.

Investigators said Kendall also used the phone to send an AI-generated picture of a naked man to hundreds of young girls on Snapchat.

“I believe in rehabilitation. I believe in second chances. This guy is not that guy. This guy deserves to get the ultimate penalty,” Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said. “If I had my way, he would get the death penalty. He is victimizing and continuing to victimize our youth while he sits in our prison.”

Kendall is being transferred to a different jail in Martin County and will be booked on additional charges.

It is still unclear how he obtained a cellphone while behind bars.

The sheriff said contraband is sometimes brought into Florida prisons and that smuggling tactics are only getting more creative over time.

Trump first floated this idea earlier this year, but has not mentioned it in recent months. But he revived it in response to a shouted question from the crowd about the island nation. He was campaigning just days ahead of midterm elections in which voters have expressed concern about the impact the U.S. war on Iran has had on prices of goods from gas to groceries.

“We’ll do a little stopover,” Trump said. “Actually, what we’re going to do with Cuba is, we’re going to come back from Iran. Those beautiful ships will pass Cuba. We’ll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast. They’ll raise up their hands. And then we’re going to send (Secretary of State) Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal.”

Both Rubio and Trump have been bullish on action in Cuba, with Trump previously suggesting the country would "be next” in terms of intervention abroad, following the winding down of the Iran war he has long forecast but which has not yet happened.

In May, he and Rubio raised the specter of U.S. military intervention in Cuba, a renewed threat that took on greater weight after the administration announced criminal charges against the island’s former leader, Raúl Castro. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that previous U.S. presidents had considered intervening in Cuba for decades but that “it looks like I’ll be the one that does it.”

Rubio told reporters separately that Cuba has been a national security threat for years because of its ties to U.S. adversaries and that Trump is intent on addressing it. While saying the Trump administration wants to resolve differences with Cuba peacefully, Rubio voiced doubts that the U.S. could reach a diplomatic resolution with the island’s current government.

Moments after Trump spoke at the rally, Rubio posted on social media that “now is the time” for action on Cuba, addressing his post “to those who seek to create positive change” and urging them “to seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA.”

Rubio has not addressed Cuba in depth in public for several weeks, with his last comments coming in a Sept. 29 interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

“The truth is Cuba has already fallen. It doesn’t have a functional economy and it’s governed by people who continue to preach about some revolution that has been dead for 20 years that’s never worked,” Rubio said, without alluding to any CIA operation.

“We are hopeful that Cuba will choose a different path. We are hopeful … that there will be some people in there that open their eyes to the reality of what they’re facing,” he said. “We’re never going to allow Cuba to become a base of operation against American interests or pose a threat to our national security. On that we are abundantly clear.”

Rubio and other top Trump aides have met with Cuban officials in recent months to explore possible improvements in relations. But the U.S. side has come away unimpressed from those talks, leading to even more sanctions imposed on the Cuban government.

During his address to the United Nations General Assembly last month, Trump said Rubio — son of Cuban immigrants, who has long taken a hard line against Cuba’s socialist leadership — was “deep into negotiations with Cuba,” saying he would “not allow a haven for foreign adversaries to threaten America on our own doorstep.”

Days later, Trump told reporters that he anticipated that the two countries “will make a deal,” adding, “I don’t think we’ll need the military. Cuba is failing very badly.”

Earlier this week, the two countries clashed at the United Nations as the Trump administration sought once again to build opposition for an upcoming annual vote condemning Washington’s decades-long economic embargo against Havana.

Cuba has struggled since 2020 with an economic and energy crisis. Its gross domestic product has shrunk, and its 10 million residents have endured blackouts, food shortages and inflation. There have been waves of protests, and hundreds of thousands of Cubans have migrated, many to the United States.

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Kinnard reported from Columbia, S.C., and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed from Washington.

Thomas Kendall Jr., quien residía en Deerfield Beach al momento de su arresto, fue condenado originalmente por abuso sexual de menores y posesión de material de abuso sexual infantil.

Un informe de arresto de noviembre de 2023 de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward detalla las horribles acusaciones que llevaron a su encarcelamiento: los agentes indicaron que Kendall, quien entonces tenía 41 años, tomó fotografías de sí mismo abusando sexualmente de un familiar y pagó $40 USD a una persona en otro país, que se cree era Filipinas, para que abusara sexualmente de una niña de entre 4 y 6 años durante una videollamada en vivo de casi 25 minutos.

Ahora, a sus 44 años, Kendall cumple una condena de 25 años en el condado Martin tras ser declarado culpable en 2024, y las autoridades indicaron que fue descubierto nuevamente cometiendo delitos similares.

Los investigadores señalaron que recibieron una denuncia por internet y lograron rastrearla hasta su celda en prisión.

Cuando registraron su celda, los investigadores indicaron que encontraron un teléfono ilegal que contenía miles de imágenes de abuso sexual infantil, incluidas algunas que mostraban a su víctima original y que habían sido generadas con inteligencia artificial.

Los investigadores señalaron que Kendall también utilizó el teléfono para enviar una imagen generada con inteligencia artificial de un hombre desnudo a cientos de niñas en Snapchat.

“Creo en la rehabilitación. Creo en las segundas oportunidades. Este hombre no es uno de esos casos. Este hombre merece recibir la pena máxima”, dijo el sheriff del condado Martin, John Budensiek. “Si fuera por mí, recibiría la pena de muerte. Está victimizando y continúa victimizando a nuestros jóvenes mientras permanece en nuestra prisión”.

Kendall está siendo trasladado a otra cárcel en el condado Martin y será ingresado bajo cargos adicionales.

Todavía no está claro cómo obtuvo un teléfono celular mientras estaba tras las rejas.

El sheriff indicó que en ocasiones se introducen artículos de contrabando en las prisiones de Florida y que los métodos utilizados para ingresarlos se vuelven cada vez más creativos con el paso del tiempo.

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Court records show Lazo, 41, had filed a restraining order in April against Ivan Granado, a “former live-in boyfriend,” claiming he owned a gun, had served in the U.S. military, and abused alcohol and cocaine. A judge dismissed it over “no just cause” and “insufficient evidence” on Sept. 30.

Hector Rodriguez and Cecilia Delfino were among the concerned neighbors after deputies surrounded the home and closed Southwest 148th Street, between 155th Avenue and 154th Court in the Oak Creek community.

“Very sweet, really very sweet, a quiet person,” Rodriguez said about Lazo, who he also described as a “lovely person.”

Delfino, Lazo’s next-door neighbor, said she heard someone shout and three gunshots. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the shooting at about 11 a.m. on Thursday at 15472 SW 148 St.

“They discovered a male and a female who suffered gunshot wounds,” Deputy Danny Castillo, a MDSO spokesman, said during a news conference on Thursday.

MDFR personnel pronounced the man dead and took the woman, whose condition was critical, to the Jackson South Medical Center, according to Castillo.

“It appears, after discharging his firearm, he turned the firearm onto himself and committed suicide,” Castillo said.

Deputies had yet to confirm the identities of the man and the woman. Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 to remain anonymous.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideations, call, text, or chat at the 24/7 suicide and crisis lifeline at 988.

Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.

Marva Cook was adopted as a toddler and had always assumed she was a U.S. citizen, she told Homeland Security investigators earlier this month, according to the criminal complaint.

But in searching for her biological mother, the 66-year-old Syracuse resident, who starred on Syracuse University’s women’s basketball team decades ago, said she discovered she had a German birth certificate.

Federal prosecutors say Cook has had a green card for several years now, but she still cast ballots in recent elections despite not having citizenship.

She faces a single federal charge of voting by an alien stemming from her vote in the 2022 midterms.

The misdemeanor offense carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine up to $100,000, if convicted. Cook can also face deportation, under federal law.

Cook says she has faith in God and support from community

Reached by phone Friday, Cook declined to discuss the criminal case, her voting record or her past efforts at becoming a citizen.

But she said she was “not thrilled” by her court appearance Wednesday as she was placed in shackles despite having voluntarily turned herself in just hours earlier.

“It was a difficult time,” Cook said. “I’m about kindness and service and doing for others as I want to be treated.”

She also said she appreciated the outpouring of support of community members, a number of whom accompanied her to court Wednesday.

“The prayers and the support is a big part of how I will get through this,” Cook said. “I have a deep faith that God will get me through it.”

Cook’s lawyer, Paul Tuck, also declined to discuss details of the criminal case Friday other than to say there are no upcoming hearings or filing deadlines. There are no pending immigration proceedings, he added, but Cook has an immigration lawyer in the event that changes.

Spokespersons for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Cook is latest arrest in Trump’s nationwide crackdown on noncitizen voting

First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III, whose upstate New York office is prosecuting the case, said Cook's arrest showed “voter fraud is rampant” in the state.

Other federal agencies amplified the statement on social media, even as the administration’s own investigations have demonstrated that such instances are incredibly rare and been shown not to change the outcome of elections.

“We cannot and will not allow the votes of American citizens to be canceled out by noncitizens illegally voting in our elections,” the Homeland Security wrote in a post on X that included Sarcone's statement.

In California, federal authorities on Monday charged more than two dozen legal permanent residents with illegally casting ballots or registering to vote. Weeks earlier, 10 people were charged in Minnesota with illegally voting over the last three elections.

Supporters say Cook is a valuable member of the community

Cook’s supporters, meanwhile, described her as a vital part of the local community where she had lived nearly all of her life and had starred in college basketball.

The Syracuse University athletics department confirmed Cook was the team’s leading scorer in the 1979-80 season, averaging 15 points per game. She also holds the school record for most steals in a single season.

Fred Daley, pastor at All Saints Church, said Cook is an active member of the parish who for years has been the church’s go-to Easter Bunny, decked out in full costume during the spring holiday season.

“If the government wanted to make a case, they chose the wrong person,” he said. “She’s a poster child of an amazing person. She’s highly respected throughout the community.”

Dale Avers, a parishioner who has known Cook for almost 20 years, described her as a “person of service” who “never sought limelight.” She said Cook supports low-income families and youth as the YMCA’s community school program director.

“I’m in total shock that they’re putting this much effort into this,” Avers said. “They understood the story. There was no intent. There’s no malice. There was no deception involved.”

Personal de los Bomberos de Miami-Dade y oficiales del Departamento de Policía de North Miami respondieron al accidente poco después de las 12:40 p.m., cerca de Northeast Eighth Avenue y 125th Street.

Los bomberos informaron que trasladaron a dos pacientes a un hospital de la zona, mientras que los oficiales de policía indicaron que los heridos se encontraban entre las tres personas que viajaban en la camioneta de jardinería.

La causa del accidente continúa bajo investigación, informó la policía.

La editora de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Sofia Mendez, y la editora sénior de asignaciones, Frine Gomez, contribuyeron a este informe.

The woman began showing symptoms 10 days ago and began receiving supportive care at an infectious disease unit in the capital, Nairobi.

The ministry said medical personnel “did everything possible to save her life,” but she died Friday evening.

Her family was notified, and the ministry said it would arrange a safe and dignified burial in consultation with relatives.

The remaining seven Ebola patients were receiving treatment at two isolation facilities. No new infections were reported.

Kenya announced its first ever Ebola case on Oct. 6 after a 40-year-old Kenyan man who was living in Congo travelled to Kenya via Uganda, arriving on Oct. 3. He was driven by a relative to Nairobi Hospital, where he tested positive for Ebola on Oct. 5 and died the same day.

Authorities have identified some 135 contacts of the first patient, placing 118 in quarantine. Eight tested positive while in quarantine, including four health workers and four close family members.

The health ministry said some contacts who completed the 21-day quarantine period without developing symptoms would be released starting Saturday.

'Nigerian patient did not travel to Congo'

In Nigeria, authorities said Friday that they were yet to verify how the country’s first Ebola patient contracted the disease. The woman tested positive for the virus upon her return to Nigeria's capital of Abuja from Uganda.

The woman — married to a Swiss diplomat in Nigeria whom she had been traveling with — did not visit Congo and “is believed to have contracted the virus whilst travelling to Uganda,” Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, or FDFA, told The Associated Press on Friday.

Her husband has not shown any symptoms and remains in isolation, the FDFA added.

Nigeria's Health Minister Muhammad Pate told reporters on Friday that the Nigerian patient “appears to be closely related" to the first case in Kenya in terms of the nature of their infection. "That may or may not change the understanding of the route of transmission given that the virus itself takes time to change,” Pate said.

The Africa CDC earlier said the first patients in Nigeria and Kenya had traveled through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport on Oct. 3.

US introduces new protocol for all travelers

United States health officials this week said that all passengers boarding an international flight to the U.S. — no matter from where — must sign a statement attesting that they've not been in Congo in the previous 21 days. The U.S. has been screening travelers from Ebola-affected countries during the current outbreak.

Travelers who were in Congo in the three weeks leading to their trip will not be allowed to board flights with U.S. destinations, including Americans, the U.S. CDC said Thursday.

Ebola is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, including blood and vomit, or through contact with contaminated materials and surfaces, such as bedding and clothing. Congo is experiencing its deadliest outbreak, with at least 4,000 deaths since May.

——

Dyepkazah Shibayan in Abuja, Nigeria and Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report.

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AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

The company added Friday that more than 275 players and employees will still be getting rings as planned.

Knicks players received the rings they earned by winning the NBA championship on Tuesday night before their season-opening loss to Philadelphia. On Thursday, The Athletic reported that assistant coaches did not get rings that night.

The report also stated that in September, MSG employees received an email reading: “Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here.” It showed a graphic with two ring styles that could be selected, but those who clicked on the link at the bottom of the email were forced to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class.

“The company had previously sent out an email to its corporate team as a simulation of a phishing attack designed to strengthen our security against hackers. MSG was recently hacked and extorted using an employee login and password obtained through a similar phishing attack. Using the rings as a lure to gain employees attention was an unfortunate mistake," a Madison Square Garden spokesperson said in a statement.

"The company is gifting more than 275 championship rings and jewelry to players, coaches, employees and other members of the Knicks family, worth more than $3.7 million, in recognition of their contributions and celebrating this achievement.”

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See AP’s full NBA coverage here

The American gymnast never gave up on herself, not after her dreams of Olympic glory ended one step short of a lifelong goal not once, but twice. Not after “shutting down” at times mentally as she wondered if it was all worth it.

The 21-year-old from Dallas kept faith in herself and in the process. She took two years off from competing in the all-around at the elite level after tearing her right Achilles at the 2024 Olympic trials, opting to patiently and painstakingly rebuild her body and her routines until she felt they were ready, and not a moment before.

That moment arrived on Friday at the 2026 world gymnastics championships, when Blakely put together four polished and confident routines that ended with happy tears and an all-around gold medal around her neck that even she didn't see coming.

“Throughout the meet, I was telling myself ‘Do it for the girl in 2021 and the girl in 2024 who couldn’t do everything, just fight for her,'” Blakely told reporters after posting a total of 55.733, more than a half-point ahead of silver medalist Liudmila Roschina of Russia and bronze medalist Ke Qinqin of China. "That’s what I kept telling myself: ‘I am capable, I am ready’ and I made every version of myself extremely proud.”

And maybe a bit surprised. Blakely was a prodigy in 2021 when she injured her elbow at Olympic trials. She was a semi-longshot then to make the team. She wasn't in 2024. Blakely was in excellent position to head to Paris before shredding her Achilles during training the day before the start of the competition.

Rather than rush back, Blakely took her time, competing usually as an event specialist at the University of Florida. She did the all-around for the first time in two years at the U.S. championships in August but ran out of gas on the final day of the meet.

Not this time.

Two days after the U.S. saw its long run of gold medals in the team finals at worlds end with a second-place finish to resurgent China, Blakely became the ninth American woman to win her sport's biggest annual title.

“It truly means the world to me, knowing how much I have overcome, all of the hardship that I faced and the days that I wanted to give up or didn’t think it was possible,” Blakely said. "To see it really come to be tonight, is just, it makes me so proud of myself and makes me reflect on little me who would dream of this.”

Taking the floor two nights after the U.S.'s long gold-medal run in the team finals ended for a variety of reasons — from China's brilliance on beam to some uncharacteristic miscues on the same event by the Americans, Blakely included — she responded with the best meet of her life. So far, anyway.

When Blakely headed to beam on Friday for the third rotation, she was atop the leaderboard after an excellent start on vault followed by a bars routine that's as good as anything done by an American at the moment.

Still, beam is different, a 75-second test of nerves. There were no missed connections this time, as there were in the team final. There were rarely any wobbles either. Blakely's score of 14.200 kept her in front and turned her floor exercise largely into a victory lap.

The tears after she saluted the judges following a routine set to music personally curated by Blakely — including the instrumental from “Show Me What You Got” by rap icon Jay-Z — were real. So were the ones when her spot atop the sport became official about 15 minutes later.

Blakely then draped the American flag over her back while posing for the cameras, drinking in a moment a long time coming in more ways than one.

Algerian Kaylia Nemour's bid to become the first gymnast from Africa to win an all-around title at worlds ended with a fourth-place finish. The 19-year-old's finals got off to a rough start in her first rotation when her feet didn't land squarely on the springboard while vaulting, forcing her to do a simpler vault that cost her valuable points.

While Nemour recovered spectacularly thanks in large part to an uneven bars routine that is one of the hardest routines done on any apparatus by any gymnast — male or female — in the world, it wasn't quite enough to reach the podium.

American Claire Pease's hopes of joining Blakely on the medal stand ended when she hopped off beam on her way to a seventh-place finish.

While the picture figures to get considerably more crowded in the next two years ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Blakely's perseverance and talent have thrust her into the conversation once again.

“I think it for sure sets me up and boosts my confidence for sure,” she said. "Especially knowing I have more to give.”

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See AP’s full sports coverage here

Faith Hedgepeth was a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when she was beaten to death in her off-campus apartment in September 2012. Miguel Salguero Olivares was arrested nine years later after being pulled over for driving while intoxicated and providing a DNA sample that prosecutors say matched evidence from the crime scene.

Salguero Olivares, 33, did not testify during the trial, and his attorneys rested their case without calling any witnesses. Jurors deliberated for six hours over two days before convicting him of murder, rape, sexual offense and burglary. He was then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on the murder charge plus 45-65 years on the other charges.

Hedgepeth’s mother, Connie Hedgepeth, told the judge that she forgave her daughter’s killer long ago.

“It was just three weeks after her death. It didn’t matter who done it, I knew that I had to forgive, and I do forgive, but my heart aches for his family,” she said. “It was just such a senseless and cruel act, but we have to go on, and we just have to trust God and go on with our lives.”

Roland Hedgepeth, Faith’s father, said losing his daughter was like having his heart ripped out. He called her a beacon of hope who was born at a low point in his life and admitted it had been easier over the past 5,158 days to say he forgave someone he didn’t know.

“Today it got very real,” he said. “Nevertheless, I say it without reservation, I forgive Miguel for what he did.”

Calling those statements “powerful and kind,” defense attorney James Rainsford said he also could speak about his client and his client's family but decided not to. “For me to try to blend the two things, I don't think that's what everybody needs at this point.”

Defense argued the client was falsely accused

In closing arguments Thursday, defense attorneys accused investigators of having “tunnel vision” in assuming that their client was a monster and not a “19-year-old boy” who had consensual sex with the victim days before her death. Prosecutors, meanwhile, urged jurors to rely on DNA evidence instead of distractions from the defense team.

“We know who did it. The forensic evidence is screaming his name,” said prosecutor Angela Garcia-Lamarca, who described the “uncurable agony” Hedgepeth's family has endured.

“When the defendant brought that bottle down on her head and she started to bleed, that was the start of a bleeding that still hasn’t stopped,” she said. “He sentenced her to death. He sentenced everybody else who loved her to life. There was no one there to protect her. There was no one there to stop him — until now. Y’all are here. You’re here now, and you can stop him.”

Prosecution suggests victim spurned defendant's advances

Nearly two dozen witnesses testified for the prosecution, including crime scene technicians, state and local law enforcement, a DNA expert and Hedgepeth's friends.

Hedgepeth's roommate, Karena Rosario, testified that she was drunk and sick when Hedgepeth drove them home from a club around 2 a.m. that Sept. 7. She said she later called a friend to pick her up, leaving Hedgepeth in the apartment alone. She returned hours later to find her roommate’s body.

Though no witnesses corroborated the theory, prosecutors suggested Salguero Olivares may have attended a barbecue hosted by Hedgepeth’s neighbor that night, unsuccessfully hit on the young women in the parking lot and then returned, embarrassed and angry, after Rosario left.

Forensic evidence was a focus

Experts testified that the defendant’s fingerprints and palm print were found on a wine bottle at the scene and that his DNA was found in Hedgepeth’s body, on a note written on a fast-food bag found at the scene and on a rum bottle covered in blood that investigators identified as the weapon in the killing.

Defense attorneys questioned Rosario’s account of that night, the processing of the crime scene and the reliability of some DNA evidence. They pointed out that police failed to search some areas of the apartment and later lost some possible blood evidence and emphasized that DNA from sexual intercourse can remain for days afterward.

“Maybe he was living the same life as other 19- and 20-year-old children that we’ve heard about in this case,” defense attorney Jason Murphy said. “Maybe he had too much to drink, maybe he forgot about an encounter.”

But special prosecutor Lisa Coltrane dismissed that as “noise.”

“No matter what kind of mistakes were made or things that were missed, it doesn’t erase the palm print; it doesn’t somehow lift the DNA out of Faith,” she said. “They didn’t talk to every single person in Chapel Hill, and it doesn’t matter. They still got the guy because he left his DNA like confetti all over that room.”

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According to the Miami Beach Fire Department, three workers fell “approximately 20 feet from a cherry picker” just before 2:50 p.m. at the Perigon Miami Beach site.

The under-construction 17-floor condominium tower is located at 5333 Collins Ave. on Mid-Beach.

The injured workers were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, an MBFD spokesperson said.

Video from Sky 10 showed Miami Beach police at the scene.

Officials haven’t provided additional details about their conditions or said whether they’ve determined what led to the fall.

Según el Departamento de Bomberos de Miami Beach, tres trabajadores cayeron “aproximadamente 20 pies desde una plataforma elevadora” poco antes de las 2:50 p.m. en la obra de Perigon Miami Beach.

La torre de condominios de 17 pisos, actualmente en construcción, está ubicada en 5333 Collins Ave., en Mid-Beach.

Los trabajadores heridos fueron trasladados al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital, informó un portavoz del Departamento de Bomberos de Miami Beach (MBFD).

Un video de Sky 10 mostró a la policía de Miami Beach en el lugar.

Las autoridades no han proporcionado detalles adicionales sobre el estado de los trabajadores ni han indicado si determinaron qué provocó la caída.

The force of the helicopter blades pummeled the water, whipping up spray and turbulence. The Coast Guard rescue swimmer couldn’t hear anything over the noise or see anything in the darkness. Waves of 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) hit him.

All he could do was follow the searchlight from the helicopter with the hope it would lead him to the more than two dozen people flung into the cold waters some 140 miles (225 kilometers) off the coast of Mexico’s Baja peninsula. He would personally rescue 16 of them.

“I was experiencing exhaustion at that point," Law, 24, told The Associated Press in his first interview since the rescue. "We had very little sleep. But what I was experiencing was nothing compared to what they were at that point ... I just had to keep that in mind.”

Over the next two hours in the predawn hours of Oct. 16, Law was the sole person in the water who would get the people whose boat had capsized out of the water. Eleven others were never found. The Coast Guard called off its search late Sunday.

Law described the dramatic operation to save lives along a remote route frequented by migrant smuggling boats. What the boat was doing out there and where it originated from are part of a federal investigation. It was unclear if the vessel got lost, had engine failure, was swept out to sea or meant to go that far. Only what were believed to be pieces of the boat were found. All who were rescued are Mexican, the Mexican consulate said.

The Coast Guard said U.S. Customs and Border Protection was investigating and interviewing the survivors, but the agency did not respond to multiple inquiries on whether the vessel was a migrant smuggling boat.

The alarm sounded, rousing the Coast Guard

crew members from their sleep

The mayday call came in around 1 a.m.

Someone said their boat was sinking in the middle of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico.

Within minutes, the alarm sounded at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Ventura, northwest of Los Angeles, rousing Law and his colleagues from their sleep.

Helicopter pilot Lt. Miyako Miller checked flying conditions and planned the flight route that would take the crew of four over the vast ocean south of the U.S. border.

Law prepared his dry suit, fins and medical items, then put on a harness that would be hooked onto a cable to lower him down from the aircraft into the ocean.

By 2 a.m., they were taking off from the Coast Guard station in Ventura.

Pilot says she was guided by the stars

Miller wore night vision goggles to help her fly in the dark. She said she relied on the stars, with no moonlight that night.

As the crew approached the reported location of the sinking, Miller spotted a tiny flicker of light in the distance.

Then she spotted what looked like debris floating in the water, but it was difficult to distinguish what it was. Miller carefully navigated the helicopter over the area, lowering the aircraft until it was hovering about 40 feet (12 meters) above the water.

“I’m doing my best to maintain my references externally by looking outside through the night vision goggles," Miller said, adding that meanwhile “the flight mechanic is telling me where to position the helicopter.”

Some 250 miles (400 kilometers) southwest of Ensenada, Mexico, is Guadalupe Island, a biosphere reserve that is well known as a place brimming with great white sharks.

Law said he didn’t think about what was in the water as he hooked himself to a cable and zipped into the ocean, strapped in a harness.

There was no time to waste. While Law’s dry suit provided some warmth, he knew the others had already spent hours in hypothermic temperature waters.

Law said he was guided by a searchlight from the crew, which allowed him to catch a glimpse of the people in the water.

They were scattered across a wide area. Some were wearing life vests that had tiny lights that produced the flicker first spotted by Miller. Others clung onto one another, buoys and pieces of wreckage, shivering and treading water to stay afloat.

Law said he swam to them, flipped them on their backs, put his arm over them and pulled them up using the “buddy tow” technique. Kicking his legs to swim, he carried them to the spot where he could signal the flight mechanic to lower a basket for them to be picked up.

“With one hand, I’m holding the survivor. With the other, I am signaling to the helicopter and working with the device,” he said.

He placed them into the basket, one by one. Then it was hoisted up to the helicopter where the crew got each person into the aircraft before lowering the basket again.

Law’s dry suit slowly filled up to his knees with water, feeling like weights pulling on him as he swam.

Over the next 90 minutes, Law battled heavy waves while swimming back and forth.

With little fuel, the crew flew to San Diego where ambulances waited

With a packed helicopter and dwindling fuel, the crew decided to head to the Coast Guard station in San Diego where ambulances were waiting.

On the flight, Law treated three people with what he described as “bad” wounds, staunching the bleeding. Several of the injuries were “consistent with shark bites" and the Coast Guard provided life-saving first aid, the agency said in a statement Saturday.

Customs and Border Protection officers went to a hospital and said they would process the survivors according to immigration laws after they were medically cleared. Nearly half of those rescued have since been returned to Mexico, U.S. officials said.

Law and his crew returned to Ventura that morning — it was by far the longest rescue operation he had ever done, he said.

The search for the 11 others continued for another two days to no avail. The Coast Guard, alongside Mexico and the U.S. Navy, searched more than 2,441 square miles (6,322 square kilometers) for a combined 89 hours.

Migrants are increasingly turning to the risky alternative offered by smugglers to travel by sea to avoid heavily guarded land borders. Small boats called pangas leave Baja at night and sometimes travel hundreds of miles (kilometers) north.

The White House said the president was seeking to offset "the burden to U.S. commerce while better serving the public interest.''

Collins, locked in a tight race with Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, issued a statement saying she'd spoken with Trump's top trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick "about the toll tariffs are taking on Maine families, businesses, farmers, and growers.''

"Many of our farmers and growers rely on specialized equipment, packaging materials, and other products from Canada that are either unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant expense,” Collins said.

She said she asked for tariff relief for such products “and stressed the burdens additional costs impose on Maine businesses and families.”

Collins said she'd seek "additional relief from tariffs and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada, our neighbor, ally, and largest trading partner.”

Trump started a trade war with America’s longstanding ally and northern neighbor, reaching back to a Depression-era trade law to impose tariffs on Canadian imports. He charged that Canada discriminates against U.S. dairy, auto and alcoholic beverage producers. Canada promptly lashed back with tariffs of 15% to 50% on American products, matching Trump’s import taxes dollar for dollar.

Trump ratcheted the dispute up from there last month by imposing a flat-out ban on $1 billion worth of Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles.

The U.S. president has claimed that foreign countries pay his tariffs. In fact, U.S. importers do. And they often face the tough choice of having to pass along the higher costs to their customers or absorb them.

As the Nov. 3 midterm elections approach, many Americans are furious about the cost of living. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll of 2,140 U.S. adults, conducted Sept. 24-28, found that 65% now blame Trump’s policies for persistently high prices more than factors outside of his control, signaling weariness over his aggressive use of tariffs and unhappiness with the war with Iran, which has driven up the price of gasoline.

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement, “Trump’s desperate, 11th hour attempt to save Susan Collins’ political career is an admission that American voters are rejecting his toxic tariff policies.”

Collins complained that Trump’s levies were hurting Maine farms and businesses that rely on Canadian imports when U.S.-made alternatives are not available. Her office cited the example of Maine wild blueberry growers who need specialized harvesting boxes from Canada that work with their processing equipment.

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A Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office undercover deputy saw Brenton Burke in a silver Chevrolet Silverado 1500 at about 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at Dadeland Mall in Kendall, according to a deputy’s arrest report.

“I then passed the truck, made a U-turn within the parking lot, and as I was passing by the truck for a second time, I observed [Burke] kneeling on the ground,” the undercover deputy wrote, according to the report.

Burke, of Miami Gardens, was at the parking lot of Saks Fifth Avenue, “underneath the steering column, pulling wires,” the deputy wrote, according to the report.

Burke got into the Chevrolet, which did not have a tag, and while leaving the mall at 7573 North Kendall Drive, turned westbound into North Kendall Drive, according to the report.

“I proceeded to engage my emergency equipment, attempting to conduct a traffic stop at which point, he refused to stop,” the deputy wrote, according to the report.

Burke continued fleeing southbound on Southwest 77th Avenue, and the pursuit ended after he crashed into a fence at about 8:50 p.m. on Thursday at Northwest 42nd Court and 18th Street in the area of the Miami International Airport, according to the report.

The Chevrolet Silverado had been stolen from Bomnin Chevrolet at Dadeland, the 5th-floor parking garage, and Burke “had disconnected the LoJack within the vehicle” at the mall’s west parking lot

Deputies took Burke to the MDSO Kendall District Station for an interview. He refused to answer questions, so deputies arrested him. Broward County court records showed Burke has a felony case pending.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Burke shortly after 2:45 a.m. on Friday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center near Doral, according to inmate records.

In Miami-Dade, Burke faced four charges in two new cases and a warrant case.

In one case, he faced a charge of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding police, and criminal mischief of $1,000 or more. In a second case, he faced a charge of grand theft vehicle. The warrant case was for leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

In Broward, Burke, also known as Kareem Bell and Kareem Orien Bell, faced seven charges in a Hollywood Police Department case that remained active on Friday morning.

“Burke was found to be driving an altered vehicle bearing a Florida dealer tag registered to R.A. B. Auto ... That vehicle was revealed to be stolen out of West Palm Beach ... There were two or more stolen vehicles present,” a police officer wrote about Feb. 1, 2024, in Hollywood, according to an arrest affidavit on Aug. 16, 2024, in a chop shop case.

Burke faced five counts of dealing in stolen property, a second-degree felony; one count of operating a chop shop, a third-degree felony; and one count of possession of a major component of a motor vehicle with an altered vehicle identification number.

Broward court records show there had been a warrant out for his arrest since Feb. 7, 2025. He was arrested on Feb. 20 during a burglary at the Infinity Dealership in Tamarac, according to the arrest report. He was released on Feb. 21 on a $17,500 bond. His next hearing in the case is at 9 a.m. on Oct. 16 before Broward County Circuit Judge George Odom Jr.

Location: Deputies arrest Burke after a crash at Northwest 42nd Court and 18th Street

La medida fue dispuesta por el juez federal Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi “en razón de que los sucesos denunciados no encuadran en una figura legal” de estafa, según el fallo al que tuvo acceso The Associated Press.

Milei había difundido en su cuenta de X una criptomoneda con el nombre de su signo del zodíaco que iba a “incentivar el crecimiento de la economía argentina fondeando emprendimientos”. El valor de $LIBRA se disparó rápidamente, casi quintuplicándose.

Pero horas después los primeros poseedores de la divisa digital que aparentemente accedieron a información privilegiada sobre el lanzamiento comenzaron a retirar sus inversiones y el precio se desplomó. Se retiraron aproximadamente 100 millones de dólares por parte de unas pocas billeteras, que son una suerte de cuentas bancarias en ese ecosistema digital.

La difusión de $LIBRA con un tuit que estuvo varias horas fijado en la cuenta de Milei —con 3,8 millones de seguidores—, terminó derivando en una investigación judicial por presunta estafa en perjuicio de más de 40.000 inversionistas y puso al mandatario bajo la lupa de la justicia argentina y de las autoridades de Estados Unidos.

Cuando el caso estalló, Milei se apresuró a afirmar que había actuado de buena fe y sostuvo que quienes invirtieron su dinero sabían que era una operación con riesgo.

La resolución judicial del viernes también favoreció a Karina Milei, hermana del presidente y secretaria general de la Presidencia; a Hayden Mark Davis, un emprendedor estadounidense que proveyó la infraestructura tecnológica para la creación de $LIBRA, y a dos empresarios argentinos que habrían participado en la creación de la moneda e intermediado entre Milei y el estadounidense.

Kaylub Giamanco, whose two daughters attend Silver Rail Elementary, where the Oct. 15 attack occurred, said he feels like he failed the families of those who died.

“I want to apologize for not saving their babies, that’s probably the biggest thing for me right now,” Giamanco told Oregon Public Broadcasting in an interview published Friday. “The gratitude for saving people’s children is awesome. But there were ones that I didn’t save.”

Three children — ages 5, 8 and 11 — and a teacher were killed at the school in Bend, Oregon, last week when a former student there, 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, blasted his way through locked doors with a shotgun and attacked a special needs classroom. Another student was critically injured and a teacher was injured and hospitalized.

Police say another teacher threw her phone at the attacker and wrestled with him before Giamanco shot and killed him after following the gunman into the building.

Giamanco said he dropped off his daughters at the school that morning before driving to work. A few hours later, the 36-year-old carpenter was passing the school again as he was heading home for lunch.

He said he spotted someone wearing black and carrying a long gun fire shots into a pickup truck and at a person mowing the school's lawn before the shooter climbed a fence and headed toward the school building.

Giamanco said “panic fled into my brain.” He grabbed a .40-caliber handgun from his truck's center console and went after the gunman as he dialed 911. He asked the dispatcher to send help before hanging up his phone.

“I said 'I’m sorry I have to go in. People are going to die,'” Giamanco said in the interview.

`This is probably the last thing that I'm ever going to do'

As he got closer to the building, Giamanco said, he lay on his stomach and used his elbows to crawl across the ground.

“That’s when I started hearing children pleading for their lives,” he said. “And then I started hearing gunfire and I just started army crawling faster and faster. And I told myself: 'This is probably the last thing that I’m ever going to do.'”

Giamanco said he entered the school through a window that had been shot out. Peeking into a nearby classroom, he saw a teacher grappling with the shooter. He said he faced them both in profile, giving him an open shot.

“I felt like I was the last line of defense between him and the rest of the children,” Giamanco said.

He swung the door open, stepped into the room and fired his gun.

Both the gunman and the teacher dropped to the floor. The teacher bolted from the room as the shooter reached for his shotgun.

“He was scrambling for his weapon,” Giamanco said. “I looked at him and I shot him two more times to make sure that he couldn’t move, because I was afraid of him shooting anybody else.”

'I was supposed to be there'

Police have said Giamanco was carrying his gun legally in his truck and have credited him and the unarmed teacher who confronted the gunman with saving lives. A day after the shootings, President Donald Trump said that Giamanco was a “great hero” who “took care of business.”

A second teacher in the classroom, Becky Drury, said in a statement Wednesday that she lay on the floor, helplessly playing dead, after being struck at close range by a shotgun blast that nearly severed her left hand.

The teacher who struggled with the shooter hasn't been publicly identified. Giamanco told the public broadcaster that she's “a real true hero” whose actions gave him an opening to kill the attacker.

“I can’t tell you what it feels like to take a life … but I can tell you that I genuinely feel like I was supposed to be there,” Giamanco said. “If I wasn’t there, I just don’t know what would have happened.”

___

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.

16 ounces spaghetti

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound large shrimp (16/20 or U 10 size), peeled and deveined

3 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 pint very small cherry or grape tomatoes

1 tablespoon calabrian chili spread (available to purchase in most stores)

Picked basil leaves, torn into smaller pieces

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season it with salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and garlic to the skillet and cook until the shrimp are almost cooked through and the garlic is golden, remove the shrimp and garlic from the skillet and onto a plate. Heat the skillet up again and add the rest of the oil over medium high heat. Add the tomatoes, shaking the pan, until they begin to caramelize. Add the chilied spread and 4 ounces of pasta water from cooking the pasta. When the pasta is very al dente, remove from the pot and add to the skillet. Add the shrimp and garlic back into the skillet and heat everything through for 2 minutes. Toss in the basil and parsley. Taste for salt and pepper.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons minced shallots

3 tablespoons minced garlic

Heavy pinch red pepper flakes

zest and juice of 1 lemon

4-5 pounds fresh live mussels, cleaned, beards removed

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

salt and pepper, to taste

for serving, crusty bread

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, warm the oil over medium heat.

Add the shallots and garlic, stirring until soft. Add the pepper flakes, lemon zest and the mussels.

Add the white wine, chicken stock and raise the heat to medium high and cover the pot. Cook, making sure you remove the cover as soon as the mussels have opened, discard any mussels that are unopened. Reduce the heat and remove all the mussels and place them in a serving bowl. Add the butter and heavy cream to the pot, mixing. Add salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Pour the sauce over your mussels and serve immediately with fresh crusty bread.

4 Salmon steaks, skin on (will have a few bones, be aware when eating)

salt and pepper, to taste

¼ teaspoon fennel seed, ground

¼ teaspoon caraway seed

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 leeks, white and green parts, cut in quarters lengthwise, then sliced thin crosswise

1 teaspoon curry powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ tablespoon butter

¼ cup cilantro leaves

¼ cup dill leaves

¼ cup Italian parsley leaves

juice and zest from 1 lemon

extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 300˚F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the salmon to the prepared baking sheet and season with the salt, pepper, fennel seed, caraway and lemon zest.

Place the salmon in the oven and cook for about 10-12 minutes depending on how you like your fish cooked.

Heat a pan with olive oil and the butter over medium heat. When hot, add the leeks and cook, stirring, until tender. Add the curry powder and turmeric, season with salt and pepper.

When you remove the salmon from the oven, squeeze half a lemon over the top.

Toss the herbs with the juice from the other half of lemon, a little extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place the salmon next to the leeks and top with the herb salad.

El hallazgo fue producto de las excavaciones arqueológicas que viene realizando el Equipo Argentino de Antropología Forense (EAAF) desde septiembre de 2025 en la guarnición militar La Calera, perteneciente al Tercer Cuerpo del Ejército, en las afueras de la capital provincial ubicada a unos 800 kilómetros al norte de Buenos Aires.

Tras los análisis genéticos a cargo del propio EAAF, la justicia de Córdoba confirmó el viernes la identificación de Néstor Albino Acosta, Pascual Delfín Ludueña, Claudio Nardini, Cecilia Alicia Pessina de Ávila, Mónica Protti de Guillén, Mercedes del Valle Ramírez, María Luisa Salto y Juan Carlos Soulier y Alejandro Jesús Jerez Boderau.

Los nueve se encontraban desaparecidos desde 1976 y estuvieron cautivos en el centro clandestino de detención La Perla, que funcionó en el mismo predio donde fueron hallados sus restos 50 años después del golpe militar que instauró una de las dictaduras más sangrientas de Latinoamérica en la década de 1970.

El régimen dejó 30.000 desaparecidos, según organismos de derechos humanos, y cerca de 8.000, de acuerdo con las cifras oficiales. La mayoría continúa en esa condición.

La Perla funcionó entre 1976 y 1978 como uno de los centros de detención y tortura más grandes del país. Se estima que por allí pasaron unos 2.500 prisioneros políticos, de los cuales unos pocos lograron sobrevivir. Sus testimonios ante estrados judiciales fueron fundamentales para las investigaciones posteriores que permitieron dar con los restos óseos de los detenidos y condenar a los militares responsables por crímenes de lesa humanidad.

Con estas nuevas identificaciones, son 38 las personas desaparecidas halladas e identificadas en La Perla.

“Después de 50 años la tierra nos los empieza a devolver. Son 38 identidades que vuelven a las familias. Encontrarlos es como una caricia al alma en estos tiempos tan duros”, expresó Sebastián Soulier, hijo de Juan Carlos, en rueda de prensa.

Tras el retorno de la democracia en 1983, el Estado argentino asumió la responsabilidad de juzgar a los responsables de los crímenes, pero no puso el mismo empeño en buscar los cuerpos de las víctimas. A eso se sumó la negativa de los militares a brindar información sobre su paradero.

Desde 1984, cuando el EAAF empezó a participar en las excavaciones en todo el país a pedido de las familias de desaparecidos, la institución ha localizado más de 1.600 cuerpos, de los cuales poco más de la mitad fueron identificados.

Las aguas anegaron decenas de viviendas en Utah mientras tornados arrancaron techos, derribaron árboles sobre casas y tumbaron líneas eléctricas en Arizona. Al menos una persona resultó herida.

Un número desconocido de personas fue rescatado en balsas, helicópteros y vehículos anfibios de la Guardia de Nuevo México, informó el portavoz del condado de San Juan, Devin Neeley.

“Estamos sacando a la gente de los techos y sacando a personas de casas que tienen 3 o 4 pies (1-1,5 metros) de agua dentro, y viene más agua”, informó Neeley.

Agregó que el cielo se estaba despejando, pero los ríos seguían creciendo y ya se habían superado los picos previstos.

“Esto es grave. Seguimos enviando agentes, mientras hablo, para sacar a la gente de sus casas ahora mismo. De hecho, nuestro jefe de policía está a punto de perder su casa hoy”, declaró Neeley.

A unas 600 viviendas se les indicó evacuar en Farmington, donde se cerraron áreas a lo largo del río San Juan, informó la portavoz de la ciudad, Gina Intoppa.

“Estamos, en cierto modo, con todo el personal disponible”, comentó Intoppa.

Farmington es la ciudad más grande de la región apodada "Four Corners" ("Cuatro Esquinas"), el único lugar en Estados Unidos donde confluyen cuatro estados: Colorado, Nuevo México, Arizona y Utah.

En el sur de Colorado, las inundaciones fueron incluso peores de lo previsto y alcanzaron 1 metro (3 pies) más que una crecida de 100 años en el río San Juan ocurrida apenas un año atrás.

Antes del mediodía, rescatistas en un helicóptero estatal intentaban llegar a dos personas que quedaron varadas en una casa rodante tras intentar escapar de las aguas, informó el jefe policial del condado Archuleta, Mike Le Roux.

“Tenemos a dos adultos y tres perros que están lo mejor posible, encaramados en medio de un río dentro de un vehículo que está parcialmente sumergido”, expresó Le Roux.

Mientras tanto, las autoridades evaluaban quién más necesitaba ayuda, incluidos muchos cuyas viviendas no se inundaron, pero quedaron aisladas por las aguas.

“Tenemos daños catastróficos generalizados en la infraestructura estatal, la infraestructura del condado y la infraestructura privada. El volumen de agua no tiene precedentes”, apuntó Le Roux.

Añadió que, hasta el mediodía del viernes, no tenía conocimiento de muertes ni de lesiones graves, “la mejor noticia que podemos esperar”.

En el cercano condado Río Grande, remolques en un campamento quedaron rodeados por aguas altas y camiones estaban parcialmente sumergidos en otras zonas.

El gobernador de Colorado, Jared Polis, declaró una emergencia por desastre en 11 condados en respuesta a las fuertes lluvias e inundaciones en la parte suroeste del estado.

La ciudad de Hurricane, en el extremo suroeste de Utah, realizaba labores de limpieza tras declarar el jueves el estado de emergencia. Aguas de color marrón rojizo entraron y rodearon 80 viviendas en un vecindario y 50 vehículos recreativos en un parque de casas rodantes.

Entre las escenas surrealistas se vio un contenedor de carga que derivaba lentamente por una calle.

Las inundaciones no fueron inesperadas; fueron solo el episodio más reciente tras dos meses de fuertes lluvias que pusieron fin a un verano de sequía. Aunque partes del suroeste son rocosas, con poca vegetación, y por naturaleza son propensas a inundaciones repentinas, las lluvias recientes han facilitado inundaciones en todas partes, explicó Kate Abbott, meteoróloga del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional en Grand Junction, Colorado.

Se pronosticaban más lluvias durante el fin de semana.

“En este punto estamos saturados y no podemos recibir mucho más sin que haya inundaciones", manifestó Abbott. "Esta es la tercera o cuarta ronda de este tipo de humedad que hemos visto en tantas semanas”.

_________________________________

McCormack reportó desde Concord, Nueva Hampshire. El corresponsal Dave Collins contribuyó con esta nota desde Hartford, Connecticut.

_________________________________

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

The storm named Vance that strengthened into a hurricane on Friday is not actually named after the vice president, despite a flurry of social media comments linking the two.

Vance just happened to be next on a list of Pacific storm names devised by the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations' weather agency. It follows Trudy, which also reached hurricane strength off Mexico last week.

Storm systems are named by procedures set by the WMO, and the lists of names are reused every six years. For the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific regions, the lists are alphabetical and alternate male and female names.

Representatives from the vice president's office, the WMO and the National Hurricane Center did not immediately respond to email messages Friday.

Social media commenters joked about the hurricane and vice president having the same name. Many of the posts included photos showing the vice president's face in the eye of the storm.

When Tropical Storm Dolly formed in the Atlantic in August, online reaction was swift and voluminous as it came two days after Dolly Parton's death. It also was the case that the storm was not named after the country music icon.

The WMO manages the naming of tropical storms worldwide. The names come from a set of pre-agreed alphabetical lists decided by five tropical cyclone regional bodies. Some of the lists are in a rotation, with the same roster of names being used every few years, while others start a new list every year.

The WMO says naming storms is important because it’s been proven “the fastest way to communicate warnings and raise public awareness and preparedness,” as well as limit confusion when more than one cyclone is moving through. They can also help with research and record-keeping. (The WMO’s Hurricane Committee does not use less common names beginning with Q and U for storms in the eastern North Pacific.)

If any other storms form in the eastern North Pacific this year, they would be named Winnie, Xavier, Yolanda and Zeke.

The next chance for another storm to be named Vance will come in 2032.

The last Hurricane Vance came in 2014, also off Mexico's Pacific Coast. The National Hurricane Center called it a rare November Category 2 storm that dissipated before making landfall. Another Hurricane Vance developed in the same area in 1990 but didn't hit land, the center said.

If storms are particularly devastating, either by death toll or damage, their names can be retired and replaced with new ones on the lists.

“She sounds like herself, and still sounds strong,” said Kim Aris, adding that her voice was a bit croaky, like she had a cold.

Myanmar’s military government on Thursday allowed Aris a 20-minute phone call with his 81-year-old mother, one of the world’s most famous political prisoners. He spoke from Myanmar’s embassy in London to Suu Kyi in her country’s capital, Naypyitaw, where she's serving an 18-year sentence under house arrest.

Suu Kyi has been detained since February 2021, when Myanmar’s army ousted her elected government. Held mostly incommunicado, she's serving an 18-year prison term on charges that supporters and rights groups say are bogus and politically inspired. It’s not the first time she has been kept as a prisoner — she spent almost 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and 2010.

Despite her ordeal and her son’s worry for her well-being, Suu Kyi opened their conversation with a typical mother’s concern for her child, Aris told The Associated Press. Kim is one of two sons Suu Kyi had with her late husband, British academic Michael Aris.

“The first thing my mother asked me was if I was looking after myself, so I reassured her on that, somewhat,” the 49-year-old Kim Aris told The Associated Press on Friday.

Aris has been campaigning vigorously for his mother’s release, calling even for proof of life since information about her was so inaccessible. He completed an 81-kilometer (50-mile) skateboarding marathon in London this past June to mark his mother’s birthday, highlight his campaign for her release and raise funds for humanitarian aid to Myanmar.

“I don’t think she thought that skateboarding was the best way for her to stay fit, but anyway,” Aris said, in apparent reference to their conversation.

Suu Kyi’s health remains an ongoing concern for Aris, and details about her condition left him unsatisfied.

“She said that her hand was in a lot of pain. I think she’s got tendonitis in her right hand, so at points she’s unable to use it,” he said. “Otherwise, she says she’s in good health, but she gets six-month checkups from military doctors, and I’m not sure how far I trust them.”

It’s not even very clear how and where she's being held. She was held in prison for much of her detention before being officially moved to house arrest this past April.

“She’s essentially been held in solitary confinement from what I can gather. People call it house arrest, but it comes with very few privileges,” Aris said, describing her presumed residence as having “a bit of scrubland which calls itself a garden. I don’t know how much she goes out in it.”

On Monday, Myanmar’s military-backed government said that it had delivered two books concerning gardening sent by U.K. King Charles III to Suu Kyi, along with a sealed envelope and diplomatic correspondence. That announcement and Thursday’s phone call appear to be part of a charm offensive aimed at building diplomatic legitimacy.

President Min Aung Hlaing, who led the army’s 2021 takeover, has sought to end Myanmar’s international isolation, imposed after Suu Kyi was ousted, by trying to project a return to normalcy after holding an election earlier this year.

Although critics judged the election as neither free nor fair, Min Aung Hlaing’s government seems to be making progress in restoring warmer relations with neighboring countries and even the United States, which had been a leading critic of military rule. At the same time, Myanmar’s army remains engaged in a civil war against pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic rebel groups.

___

Grant Peck contributed to this report.

Brown, whose death Friday was announced by LSU, was just over a week away from what would have been his 91st birthday. On Wednesday, Brown was announced as the 2027 recipient of the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award.

“We have lost the most loving and most loved man any of us has ever known," Brown's family said in a statement. "Dale Brown always put others first. He always led with the heart. He was always a great humanitarian before anything else. Dale long ago fell in love with Louisiana. And the people of Louisiana loved him right back. We are forever grateful for that.”

Brown was named AP Coach of the Year in 1981, was a four-time SEC Coach of the Year and has the most wins of a coach in program history. The panache with which his teams played and the rate at which they won packed LSU’s dome-shaped Pete Maravich Assembly Center with crowds so wild that the stadium took on the nickname, “Deaf Dome.”

The highlights of his 25 years as LSU’s coach included two trips to the NCAA Final Four with his 1981 and 1986 teams.

He coached O’Neal for three seasons, from the 1989-90 campaign until the charismatic, 7-foot-1 superstar entered the 1992 NBA draft and was selected first overall by Orlando. LSU earned bids to the NCAA Tournament during all three of O’Neal’s seasons, the first with Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, then known as Chris Jackson, also an All-American, but did not advance past the second round.

The final years of Brown’s career were marred by an NCAA investigation over alleged recruiting tactics that now are permitted.

During the 1996-97 season, the NCAA concluded that a booster had paid one of Brown’s former players, Lester Earl, about $5,000 while he played for the Tigers.

Brown retired in 1997 and LSU was placed on probation in 1998.

Still, Brown remained popular in Louisiana, where his enthusiastic, gregarious and expressive manner had long captivated fans. Many LSU fans also appeared to subscribe to a storyline — espoused in no small part by Brown — that he was unfairly singled out and persecuted by the NCAA.

Brown later was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and LSU’s home basketball court was named for him in 2022 (and also subsequently for late women’s coach Sue Gunter in 2024).

When Brown’s name was unveiled on the court during a halftime ceremony, Brown credited his former players and assistant coaches, many of whom were in attendance that night.

“The best potential of me is we,” Brown said. “This is an example.”

The late former Temple coach John Chaney called Brown “one of the true statesmen of college basketball,” according to a profile of Brown on LSU’s website.

That same profile also quoted Hall of Fame UCLA coach John Wooden saying he will “always remember Dale for his enthusiasm.”

“There are those who say he is a put-on — they just can’t believe that he can be what he professes,” Wooden said then. “But I never questioned that. He amazed me because there is a lot more depth to the man. He was much more than a basketball coach.”

Brown was a native of Minot, North Dakota, and was a three-sport varsity athlete in basketball, football and track at Minot State.

After college, he spent a little more than half a decade as a high school coach in North Dakota and California before taking college assistant posts Utah State in 1966 and Washington State in 1971.

When he was hired by LSU in 1972, few Tigers fans had previously heard of him. His name recognition and popularity began surging after LSU knocked off then-third-ranked Memphis State in the home opener of Brown’s first season.

Brown went on to coach an LSU squad forecast to finish last in the SEC to a 9-9 league record, resulting in his first SEC Coach of the Year honor.

Brown went on to post a career 448-301 record at LSU. Following his retirement, Brown became a motivational speaker, a basketball analyst for television broadcasts and started the charitable Dale Brown Foundation, which aims to promote educational opportunities for students who have physical disabilities or come from families who’ve struggled financially.

___

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For Keely Copeland, that opportunity became the inspiration for Her Second Chance, a Boca Raton-based nonprofit social enterprise that provides women in recovery with paid employment in a safe, supportive environment.

Copeland’s struggles with alcohol began when she was a teenager.

By the time she graduated from college, she had a DUI on her record, a criminal conviction that she said made it difficult to find work.

“I was applying to everything. But on every application then and now there’s a box that asks if you have a criminal record,” Copeland said. “I couldn’t even get an interview to get someone to give me a chance.”

Eventually, someone did giver her that chance.

At 22, Copeland began her journey toward an alcohol-free life. She went on to build a career in hospitality marketing and now lives in Hong Kong with her husband and their 1-year-old daughter, Winnie.

“I am really, really grateful for my sobriety and that it stuck, but it took me a few years to get there. And that’s where Second Chance comes into the picture,” she said.

Copeland founded Her Second Chance to help other women in recovery find the kind of opportunity that helped her rebuild her own life.

The organization operates as a social enterprise, employing women in recovery for one year while providing a supportive setting where they can develop skills, earn income and work toward greater self-sufficiency.

For Christina Betrus, the program offered a path forward after she entered sober living.

“When I went into sober living, they had a connection with Her Second Chance, and I applied and got the job,” Betrus said.

Betrus, who has been sober for nine months, works alongside other women to produce items such as beaded bracelets and custom mugs. The products are sold to the public, and the proceeds go back into the organization to support its mission.

The work provides more than a paycheck. It also offers a chance to build connections with other women who understand the challenges of recovery.

Asked what she had gained through the program, Betrus pointed to one thing: “I think, community.”

Sarah Lucas, a member of the organization’s board, knows firsthand that addiction can affect people regardless of their professional accomplishments or circumstances.

“I didn’t know that someone like me who had an MBA from Harvard Business School could also be a person who was an alcoholic and actively drinking herself to death,” Lucas said.

Lucas has been sober for nearly 19 years and has made supporting others in recovery a central part of her life.

“And, to the extent that I can be an example of how to do that for the women here, I’m happy to do so,” she said.

For Lucas, the organization’s work depends on community members who choose to support its mission, including by purchasing its products.

“It’s through the orders that people place that we are able to exist and continue to grow,” she said.

Each mug sold by Her Second Chance creates 22 minutes of paid work, according to the organization.

Betrus said the program offers women an opportunity to envision a future beyond addiction.

“There is hope that there is a place where women can feel empowered, where we can change, where we can grow,” she said. “We’re here to help.”

For Copeland, the mission reflects a lesson from her own recovery: lasting sobriety is about creating a life worth staying present for.

“You stay sober when you build a life you no longer want to escape. For me that’s the full story,” she said.

Her Second Chance plans to host an open house on Thursday, Nov. 12, to showcase its new line of products.

Para Keely Copeland, esa oportunidad se convirtió en la inspiración para crear Her Second Chance, una empresa social sin fines de lucro con sede en Boca Raton que ofrece empleo remunerado a mujeres en recuperación en un entorno seguro y de apoyo.

Los problemas de Copeland con el alcohol comenzaron cuando era adolescente.

Cuando se graduó de la universidad, ya tenía en su historial una condena por conducir bajo los efectos del alcohol (DUI), un antecedente penal que, según dijo, le dificultaba encontrar trabajo.

“Estaba solicitando empleo en todas partes. Pero en todas las solicitudes, tanto entonces como ahora, hay una casilla que pregunta si tienes antecedentes penales”, dijo Copeland. “Ni siquiera podía conseguir una entrevista para que alguien me diera una oportunidad”.

Finalmente, alguien le dio esa oportunidad.

A los 22 años, Copeland comenzó su camino hacia una vida sin alcohol. Posteriormente, desarrolló una carrera en mercadeo hotelero y ahora vive en Hong Kong con su esposo y su hija Winnie, de un año.

“Estoy realmente muy, muy agradecida por mi sobriedad y por haber logrado mantenerla, pero me tomó algunos años llegar hasta allí. Y ahí es donde entra en escena Second Chance”, dijo.

Copeland fundó Her Second Chance para ayudar a otras mujeres en recuperación a encontrar el tipo de oportunidad que le permitió reconstruir su propia vida.

La organización funciona como una empresa social que emplea a mujeres en recuperación durante un año, mientras les proporciona un entorno de apoyo donde pueden desarrollar habilidades, obtener ingresos y trabajar para alcanzar una mayor autosuficiencia.

Para Christina Betrus, el programa le ofreció un camino hacia adelante después de ingresar a una residencia de recuperación para personas que buscan mantenerse sobrias.

“Cuando ingresé a la residencia de recuperación, tenían una conexión con Her Second Chance, así que presenté mi solicitud y conseguí el trabajo”, dijo Betrus.

Betrus, quien lleva nueve meses sobria, trabaja junto a otras mujeres para elaborar artículos como pulseras de cuentas y tazas personalizadas. Los productos se venden al público y las ganancias se reinvierten en la organización para apoyar su misión.

El trabajo ofrece mucho más que un salario. También brinda la oportunidad de establecer vínculos con otras mujeres que comprenden los desafíos de la recuperación.

Cuando le preguntaron qué había obtenido a través del programa, Betrus destacó una cosa: “Creo que una comunidad”.

Sarah Lucas, miembro de la junta directiva de la organización, sabe por experiencia propia que la adicción puede afectar a las personas independientemente de sus logros profesionales o circunstancias.

“No sabía que alguien como yo, que tenía una maestría en Administración de Empresas de Harvard Business School, también podía ser una persona alcohólica que estaba literalmente bebiendo hasta morir”, dijo Lucas.

Lucas lleva casi 19 años sobria y ha convertido el apoyo a otras personas en recuperación en una parte fundamental de su vida.

“Y, en la medida en que pueda ser un ejemplo de cómo lograrlo para las mujeres que están aquí, me alegra poder hacerlo”, dijo.

Para Lucas, el trabajo de la organización depende de los miembros de la comunidad que deciden apoyar su misión, incluso mediante la compra de sus productos.

“Es gracias a los pedidos que hacen las personas que podemos existir y continuar creciendo”, dijo.

Cada taza vendida por Her Second Chance genera 22 minutos de trabajo remunerado, según la organización.

Betrus dijo que el programa ofrece a las mujeres la oportunidad de imaginar un futuro más allá de la adicción.

“Hay esperanza de que exista un lugar donde las mujeres puedan sentirse empoderadas, donde podamos cambiar, donde podamos crecer”, dijo. “Estamos aquí para ayudar”.

Para Copeland, la misión refleja una lección de su propia recuperación: mantener la sobriedad a largo plazo consiste en construir una vida de la que ya no se quiera escapar.

“Te mantienes sobrio cuando construyes una vida de la que ya no quieres escapar. Para mí, esa es la historia completa”, dijo.

Her Second Chance tiene previsto realizar una jornada de puertas abiertas el jueves 12 de noviembre para presentar su nueva línea de productos.

Los registros judiciales muestran que Lazo, de 41 años, había solicitado una orden de restricción contra Ivan Granado, un “ex novio con quien convivía”, que poseía un arma de fuego y había servido en las Fuerzas Armadas de Estados Unidos, en abril, pero un juez desestimó la solicitud el 30 de septiembre alegando que “no existía una causa justificada”.

Hector Rodriguez y Cecilia Delfino se encontraban entre los vecinos preocupados después de que los agentes rodearan la vivienda y cerraran Southwest 148th Street, entre 155th Avenue y 154th Court, en la comunidad Oak Creek.

“Muy dulce, realmente muy dulce, una persona tranquila”, dijo Rodriguez sobre Lazo, a quien también describió como una “persona encantadora”.

Delfino, vecina de Lazo, dijo que escuchó a alguien gritar y tres disparos. Personal de los Bomberos de Miami-Dade (MDFR) y agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade respondieron a una balacera alrededor de las 11 a.m. del jueves en 15472 SW 148 St.

“Descubrieron a un hombre y una mujer que habían sufrido heridas de bala”, dijo el agente Danny Castillo, portavoz de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO), durante una conferencia de prensa el jueves.

El personal de MDFR declaró muerto al hombre y trasladó a la mujer, cuyo estado era crítico, al Jackson South Medical Center, según Castillo.

“Parece que, después de disparar su arma de fuego, la apuntó contra sí mismo y se suicidó”, dijo Castillo.

Los agentes aún no habían confirmado las identidades del hombre y la mujer. Los detectives pidieron a cualquier persona que tenga información sobre este u otros casos que llame a Crime Stoppers del condado Miami-Dade al 305-471-8477 para permanecer en el anonimato.

Si usted o alguien que conoce está luchando con pensamientos suicidas, puede llamar, enviar un mensaje de texto o comunicarse por chat con la Línea de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis al 988, disponible las 24 horas del día, los siete días de la semana.

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Police say they found the victim hiding under a sink in a motel room.

Terrance Lamont Lee, 43, now faces several felony charges in Leon County.

Missing teen found under sink

According to an arrest report obtained by Local 10 News on Friday, Tallahassee police responded to a Motel 6 off Interstate 10 after deputies in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, asked them Monday to search that area for a vehicle associated with the “missing, endangered” young teenager.

The Tallahassee Police Department report states that Motel 6 staff pointed officers towards Lee’s room.

Police said they arrived to find Lee sitting in a stairwell near the room and said he “immediately began to shake and showed signs of nervousness.”

At first, they said Lee “told officers the victim was not with him or in his motel room.”

Then, they said he fessed up and told officers she was there and could enter.

“Fearing for the victim’s safety, patrol officers entered the hotel room and located the victim hiding under the bathroom sink,” the report states. “The victim was detained in handcuffs due to initially being uncooperative with officers on scene.”

‘You belong to me. I own you’

Authorities said the girl told police that she met Lee through Snapchat and told him she was 18 and that Lee drove to Louisiana “to get her away from her father.”

“The victim advised Terrence (sic) believed she did not have clothes, so he brought a red suitcase with items that belonged to his ex-girlfriend for her,” the report states. “Within the suitcase were a pair of jeans for the victim to wear. The victim noted ‘stripper clothes’ were inside the suitcase but were not for her. She also described the clothes as ‘hoe clothes.’”

According to police, she claimed she and Lee “chilled” at the hotel and denied any sexual contact, saying she hid out of fear of getting in trouble.

But authorities said the girl eventually opened up during a forensic interview.

“The victim met (Lee) on Snapchat where he stated he was the owner and CEO of the ‘Babylon Dating App.’ They communicated and he agreed to travel to (redacted) and bring her back to South Florida,” the report states. “Once he picked up the victim, he stated, ‘You belong to me. I own you.’ He explained the victim could make money by providing ‘backrubs’ and the victim met her first ‘client’ at a hotel in (redacted). The victim stated she was scared, nervous and ‘she did not know what she was doing.’”

Authorities said she performed a sex act on that unknown “client,” who came back the next day to sexually assault her, knowing she was 13.

After she and Lee traveled to Tallahassee, she was prostituted for three more “clients,” according to police.

“She detailed three different sexual batteries committed by three different offenders,” the report states. “The victim stated Terrence (sic) destroyed her old phone and ran it over with his vehicle. In addition, she said (he) controls the money, the phone, sends her into motel rooms to get the money from the offenders, gives the money to (Lee) and the is sent back into the room to be sexually assaulted by the men who paid money.”

Police said the girl “displayed genuine emotional distress during her disclosure” and “appeared nervous, scared and was crying at times.”

‘Alright y’all. Lemme tell y’all what happened’

They said in a separate interview, Lee claimed he met the girl on an app called Hily and “expressed interest in traveling to her and bringing her back to South Florida” because he claimed her father “abused” her.

Lee, they said, “emphasized the fact he did not know she was 13 years old multiple times throughout the interview.”

Police said he claimed the two “chilled” as they drove through multiple states on their way back to Florida and “denied any sexual contact with the victim.”

Authorities said detectives learned that Lee’s phone number was on multiple prostitution websites and confronted him about it.

“At first, he denied these allegations and stated his ex-girlfriend used his phone number and made the posts,” the report states. “Detectives showed him posts that displayed nude pictures of himself.”

Police said Lee “declined to acknowledge these images and would not give a definitive ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

They then said they then confronted him with a prostitution ad placed on Monday morning, using a different phone number, that advertised services in Tallahassee. Police said in the post were pictures and videos of the girl nude or performing sex acts.

The report states that Lee “was completely silent, looked at the ad for several minutes.

“I could see fear in his eyes,” a detective wrote.

Authorities said Lee admitted the phone number in the ad also belonged to him and “admitted to making the post and confirmed the victim was pictured in the videos and images.”

Lee claimed he had made another ad in Pensacola for the girl, “but no one responded to it and no one ever met with the victim.”

“Terrence (sic) stated he met one person today for a ‘back massage,’ the victim would provide to the unknown suspect,“ the report states. ”He again denied any sexual nexus to the victim and denied having sex with her."

But, according to the report, once a detective told him he would “100%” be charged with human trafficking, Lee came clean.

“Alright y’all,” authorities said he told detectives. “Lemme tell y’all what happened.”

They said he admitted to posting the images and ad “in order to ‘make money’ because he needed to provide for his ‘new girlfriend.’”

Serious felony charges

Police said he also admitted to sexually assaulting the girl on Sunday. They arrested him on charges of human trafficking, lewd and lascivious behavior, interference with custody and three charges related to the possession and promotion of child sexual abuse material.

He faces the possibility of life in prison.

As of Friday, he remained held without bond in the Leon County Jail.

Online court records show he’s pleaded not guilty. Those records don’t list dates of any upcoming hearings.

La policía indicó que encontró a la víctima escondida debajo de un lavabo en una habitación de motel.

Terrance Lamont Lee, de 43 años, ahora enfrenta varios cargos por delitos graves en el condado Leon.

Encuentran a adolescente desaparecida debajo de lavabo

Según un informe de arresto obtenido por Local 10 News el viernes, la policía de Tallahassee acudió a un Motel 6 cerca de la Interestatal 10 después de que agentes del condado Livingston Parish, en Louisiana, les solicitaran el lunes que buscaran en esa zona un vehículo relacionado con la adolescente, reportada como “desaparecida y en peligro”.

El informe del Departamento de Policía de Tallahassee señala que empleados del Motel 6 dirigieron a los oficiales hacia la habitación de Lee.

La policía indicó que, al llegar, encontraron a Lee sentado en una escalera cerca de la habitación y que “inmediatamente comenzó a temblar y mostró señales de nerviosismo”.

Inicialmente, Lee “dijo a los oficiales que la víctima no estaba con él ni en su habitación de motel”, según las autoridades.

Sin embargo, posteriormente confesó que la menor estaba allí y les dijo a los oficiales que podían entrar.

“Temiendo por la seguridad de la víctima, los oficiales de patrulla ingresaron a la habitación del hotel y encontraron a la víctima escondida debajo del lavabo del baño”, señala el informe. “La víctima fue detenida y esposada debido a que inicialmente no cooperó con los oficiales presentes en el lugar”.

“Me perteneces. Soy tu dueño”

Las autoridades indicaron que la niña dijo a la policía que conoció a Lee a través de Snapchat y le dijo que tenía 18 años. También afirmó que Lee viajó hasta Louisiana “para alejarla de su padre”.

“La víctima indicó que Terrence (sic) creía que ella no tenía ropa, por lo que llevó una maleta roja con artículos que pertenecían a su ex novia”, señala el informe. “Dentro de la maleta había un par de jeans para que la víctima los usara. La víctima señaló que había ‘ropa de stripper’ dentro de la maleta, pero que no era para ella. También describió la ropa como ‘ropa de prostituta’”.

Según la policía, la menor afirmó que ella y Lee simplemente “pasaron el rato” en el hotel y negó cualquier contacto sexual, indicando que se había escondido por temor a meterse en problemas.

Sin embargo, las autoridades señalaron que la niña finalmente reveló más detalles durante una entrevista forense.

“La víctima conoció a (Lee) en Snapchat, donde él afirmó ser el propietario y director ejecutivo de la aplicación ‘Babylon Dating App’. Se comunicaron y él aceptó viajar a (información censurada) y llevarla de regreso al sur de Florida”, señala el informe. “Una vez que recogió a la víctima, le dijo: ‘Me perteneces. Soy tu dueño’. Le explicó que podía ganar dinero dando ‘masajes en la espalda’ y la víctima conoció a su primer ‘cliente’ en un hotel de (información censurada). La víctima manifestó que estaba asustada, nerviosa y que ‘no sabía lo que estaba haciendo’”.

Las autoridades indicaron que la menor realizó un acto sexual con ese “cliente” desconocido, quien regresó al día siguiente para agredirla sexualmente, sabiendo que tenía 13 años.

Después de que ella y Lee viajaran a Tallahassee, la menor fue prostituida con otros tres “clientes”, según la policía.

“La víctima describió tres agresiones sexuales diferentes cometidas por tres agresores distintos”, señala el informe. “La víctima manifestó que Terrence (sic) destruyó su teléfono anterior y lo atropelló con su vehículo. Además, dijo que (él) controla el dinero y el teléfono, la envía a las habitaciones del motel para recoger el dinero de los agresores, ella entrega el dinero a (Lee) y luego es enviada nuevamente a la habitación para ser agredida sexualmente por los hombres que pagaron”.

La policía indicó que la niña “mostró una angustia emocional genuina durante su declaración” y “parecía nerviosa, asustada y lloraba en algunos momentos”.

“Está bien, les voy a contar lo que pasó”

Las autoridades señalaron que, durante una entrevista por separado, Lee afirmó que conoció a la niña en una aplicación llamada Hily y que “expresó interés en viajar hasta donde ella estaba y llevarla de regreso al sur de Florida” porque, según él, su padre la “maltrataba”.

Lee “enfatizó en múltiples ocasiones durante la entrevista que no sabía que ella tenía 13 años”, indicaron las autoridades.

La policía señaló que Lee afirmó que ambos simplemente “pasaron el rato” mientras conducían por varios estados de regreso a Florida y “negó cualquier contacto sexual con la víctima”.

Las autoridades indicaron que los detectives descubrieron que el número de teléfono de Lee aparecía en varios sitios web de prostitución y lo confrontaron al respecto.

“Al principio, negó estas acusaciones y afirmó que su ex novia había utilizado su número de teléfono para realizar las publicaciones”, señala el informe. “Los detectives le mostraron publicaciones que incluían fotografías de él desnudo”.

La policía indicó que Lee “se negó a reconocer estas imágenes y no dio una respuesta definitiva de ‘sí’ o ‘no’”.

Posteriormente, los detectives lo confrontaron con un anuncio de prostitución publicado la mañana del lunes, utilizando un número de teléfono diferente, que ofrecía servicios en Tallahassee. La policía indicó que la publicación contenía fotografías y videos de la niña desnuda o realizando actos sexuales.

El informe señala que Lee “permaneció completamente en silencio y observó el anuncio durante varios minutos”.

“Podía ver el miedo en sus ojos”, escribió un detective.

Las autoridades indicaron que Lee admitió que el número de teléfono del anuncio también le pertenecía y “reconoció haber realizado la publicación y confirmó que la víctima aparecía en los videos y las imágenes”.

Lee afirmó que había publicado otro anuncio en Pensacola para la niña, “pero nadie respondió y nadie llegó a reunirse con la víctima”.

“Terrence (sic) declaró que ese día se reunió con una persona para un ‘masaje de espalda’ que la víctima le proporcionaría al sospechoso desconocido”, señala el informe. “Nuevamente negó cualquier vínculo sexual con la víctima y negó haber tenido relaciones sexuales con ella”.

Sin embargo, según el informe, después de que un detective le dijera que “100%” enfrentaría cargos por tráfico de personas, Lee finalmente confesó.

“Está bien, muchachos”, dijeron las autoridades que Lee les manifestó a los detectives. “Les voy a contar lo que pasó”.

Las autoridades indicaron que Lee admitió haber publicado las imágenes y el anuncio “para ‘ganar dinero’ porque necesitaba mantener a su ‘nueva novia’”.

Graves cargos por delitos mayores

La policía indicó que Lee también admitió haber agredido sexualmente a la niña el domingo. Fue arrestado bajo cargos de tráfico de personas, conducta lasciva e indecente, interferencia con la custodia y tres cargos relacionados con la posesión y promoción de material de abuso sexual infantil.

Lee enfrenta la posibilidad de cadena perpetua.

Hasta el viernes, permanecía detenido sin derecho a fianza en la cárcel del condado Leon.

Los registros judiciales en línea muestran que se declaró no culpable. Esos registros no incluyen fechas de próximas audiencias.

One of them is a Republican senator and ally of the president. The other is a retired schoolteacher whom Republicans accuse of being a Democratic plant to siphon away votes.

Trump said Friday that he directed the Justice Department to file its lawsuit.

What is going on? Here's an explanation:

Why is there a lawsuit over this?

The campaign is likely to be decided by only a few thousand votes, and it could determine which party controls the Senate. So the stakes are high, and Republicans worry that voters will get confused and accidentally vote for the wrong Sullivan.

That's why Republicans have been trying to get the second Dan Sullivan — hereafter known as Daniel J. Sullivan — thrown off the ballot for months. The lawsuit went all the way to the Alaska Supreme Court, but Republicans lost.

Republicans think the presence of Daniel J. Sullivan is a Democratic dirty trick. But Daniel J. Sullivan, who lives in the tiny fishing community of Petersburg, says he is running of his own accord.

Alaskan voters will see “Dan S. Sullivan” identified as a “registered Republican” and “incumbent" on their ballots, while “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.” will not have a party affiliation. Former Rep. Mary Peltola is the Democratic candidate.

So the Trump administration is filing in federal court to try to block certification of the election if its Dan Sullivan — the senator — loses.

“Should Alaska certify any electoral results tainted by the inclusion on the ballot of Daniel J. Sullivan," the lawsuit said, “the State and its officers will fail in its obligation to protect the integrity of its election.”

Trump said of the lawsuit: “I’m the one who said do it."

Will this work?

The lawsuit is essentially a placeholder and only becomes an issue after Election Day if the incumbent loses.

Even if that happens, legal experts say it has no chance of success. The suit cites a clause in the preamble to the National Voter Registration Act that says states must “protect the integrity” of elections. It says that gives federal courts grounds to overturn elections which, under the U.S. Constitution, are entirely state affairs. But that vague turn of phrase probably isn't enough for any judge to try to overrule the will of the voters, experts say.

Technically, the lawsuit only asks the court to block certification until an investigation determines whether enough voters were fooled by the two Sullivans to have swung the election. It doesn't explain how that would happen, which seems like a big issue given that votes are supposed to be confidential.

Why does this matter?

Dirty tricks and voter confusion are nothing new in American politics. In Ohio's Senate race, Republicans have been tied to an effort to boost a socialist on the ballot who would pull votes from the Democratic candidate challenging Sen. Jon Husted.

What is new is that the Justice Department is trying to block an election result. Trump wanted the department to help him try to overturn his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020, but career attorneys stopped it. Now most of those career attorneys have been forced out and replaced by Trump loyalists.

The top Justice Department official who signed onto the lawsuit, Stanley Woodward, had previously served as a defense attorney for those prosecuted for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

There's been widespread concern that Trump will try to nullify the voters' will in November, which Attorney General Todd Blanche was asked about in Virginia on Thursday. He said he didn't want to rule out intervening in some sort of “doomsday” scenario but that “it is not DOJ’s intention to, and it’s never our intention to, improperly interfere with elections or the state certification process."

Hours later the department filed its lawsuit over Alaska's certification process.

Una sección de los restos del histórico West Pier, en Brighton en el sur de Inglaterra, cayó al mar mientras era azotada por las olas impulsadas por una tormenta bautizada como Austen por el servicio meteorológico nacional.

Es la más reciente reducción de la estructura, que fue incendiada en 2003.

“Desde los dos devastadores ataques incendiarios de 2003, el West Pier ha sido desgastado por la naturaleza", observó Fred Grey, historiador del West Pier Trust. "Todas las ruinas están vivas y cambian constantemente, y esto es cierto en el caso del West Pier”.

La Met Office emitió una alerta por vientos de hasta 130 km/h (80 mph) en Cornwall y Devon, mientras la tormenta sopla hacia el este a lo largo de la costa del Canal de la Mancha. Y los meteorólogos en Jersey emitieron una alerta para la navegación alrededor de las Islas del Canal, donde también se esperaban ráfagas de hasta 80 mph.

Según el distribuidor eléctrico National Grid, más de 31.000 hogares estaban sin electricidad en el suroeste a media tarde. Los ingenieros habían restablecido el suministro a más de 52.000 propiedades desde que comenzó la tormenta Austen.

Una segunda gran tormenta —Boelo— podría traer más viento y lluvias intensas este fin de semana. La Met Office emitió una alerta por Boelo para Irlanda del Norte, Escocia y partes del norte de Inglaterra.

El primer ministro Andy Burnham advirtió a los ciudadanos que se preparen ante la inminencia de más fenómenos meteorológicos este invierno.

“Potencialmente nos enfrentamos a un invierno con mayores inundaciones, así que se trata de reconocer todos esos riesgos y actuar”, manifestó mientras asistía a una cumbre organizada para aprender de los incendios forestales del verano.

El gobierno ha lanzado una campaña sobre medidas de precaución ante peligros, como el cambio climático, las interrupciones tecnológicas y las acciones de un Estado hostil. Una recomendación clave de la campaña “Be Ready” es almacenar reservas de alimentos y artículos esenciales en caso de emergencias de varios días.

La Met Office comenzó a nombrar las grandes tormentas en 2015 como una forma de mantener al público informado sobre el tiempo severo. Las tormentas se nombran en orden alfabético a lo largo de la temporada, de septiembre a agosto.

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

El juez dictó la misma medida para el exasambleísta Santiago Díaz, quien ya cumple una condena por violación, y para Wendy Onofre, una dirigente de un movimiento político aliado que se entregó voluntariamente, informó el Ministerio Público en su cuenta de X.

Para Estefanía Molina —coordinadora de la oficina de Díaz, quien fue tesorero de la campaña— dispuso presentaciones periódicas, la prohibición de salida del país y uso de grillete electrónico, agregó el ente acusador.

Tres de los cuatro imputados fueron detenidos la víspera en el marco de una indagación por supuestas inconsistencias en los aportes electorales y el presunto origen ilícito de medio millón de dólares usados para la campaña de 2023 que no habrían sido declarados, según la Fiscalía.

“Tego 19 procesos en la Fiscalía General del Estado… les dije que me quedaría junto a mi pueblo, a luchar por mejores días y así lo he cumplido”, señaló un comunicado difundido en las redes sociales de González tras conocerse la decisión judicial.

“Darnos por vencidos no es opción y jamás lo será”, añadió la representante de la oposición que ha negado las acusaciones en su contra y se considera una perseguida política.

Para el gobierno, González “fue detenida por financiar su campaña con dinero sin justificación verificable”, aseguró el secretario de la Administración Pública, José Neira, en un video difundido horas antes de conocerse el fallo judicial.

En una explicación sobre el caso, Neira expuso que “la hipótesis que investiga la Fiscalía apunta al ingreso de dinero en efectivo desde Venezuela” para financiar la campaña y aseveró que el gasto electoral debe “ser transparente".

González, abogada de 48 años y abanderada política del expresidente Rafael Correa (2007-2017), fue finalista en los balotajes de 2023 y 2025 frente a Daniel Noboa, quien la superó en ambas ocasiones. Es una figura clave del mayor movimiento de oposición Revolución Ciudadana.

Su detención ocurre a poco más de un mes de las elecciones para alcaldes y prefectos provinciales previstas para el 29 de noviembre marcadas por la suspensión de su organización política y la inhabilitación de su candidatura por parte del Tribunal Contencioso Electoral.

La ley penal ecuatoriana sanciona el lavado de activos con penas que van de uno a 13 años de prisión.

The flooding followed two months of heavy rains that ended a summer drought in the region where the boundaries of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet. Since Wednesday, a total of 4 inches (10 centimeters) had fallen in the already saturated area, with even more rain forecast for the weekend.

Hundreds of people along the San Juan River in the biggest city in the area, Farmington, New Mexico, were told to evacuate. Downstream, residents of the vast Navajo Nation braced for floodwaters not expected to peak until late Friday or early Saturday.

“Do not wait to make your evacuations. Make your preparations for yourselves, your families, as well as your animals,” Navajo Nation Deputy Police Chief Donnie Kee urged during a news conference.

The crisis capped a week of severe weather in which rain swamped dozens of homes in Utah and tornadoes blew off roofs, knocked trees onto houses and downed power lines in Arizona.

In New Mexico, more ‘once in a generation’ flooding ahead

Rescuers used New Mexico National Guard boats, helicopters and amphibious vehicles Thursday night and into Friday to try to reach stranded residents, San Juan County spokesperson Devin Neeley said.

“We’re picking people off of roofs and pulling people out of houses that have 3 or 4 feet (1-1.5 meters) of water in them, and there’s more water coming,” Neeley said.

Rains stopped — at least temporarily — but rivers were still rising.

“This is serious. We’re still sending deputies as I speak to get people out of their homes right now. In fact, our sheriff is damn near going to lose his home today,” Neeley said.

Some 600 Farmington households were told to evacuate, city spokesperson Gina Intoppa said.

Still higher water was on the way via the Animas River, a San Juan tributary that also flows south from rain-soaked Colorado, Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe said in the news conference.

“People are not believing that it’s going to be as bad as it is. But you can see the water flow coming, you can see the surge coming,” Hebbe said, calling it a “once in a generation” event.

Even worse than historic southern Colorado flooding a year ago

In southern Colorado, flooding was even worse than forecast and a full 3 feet (1 meter) higher than a 100-year flood on the San Juan River only a year ago. Rainfall topped 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) in the Pagosa Springs area of south-central Colorado, according to Frank Pereira, a National Weather Service forecaster in College Park, Maryland.

Colorado National Guard rescuers succeeded Friday in using a helicopter to hoist two people and their three dogs to safety from a partially submerged recreational vehicle. They had driven onto a flooded road while trying to escape the high water and got washed into a river, Archuleta County sheriff's officials said.

Authorities were assessing who else needed help, including many whose homes weren’t flooded but were cut off by floodwaters.

Sheriff Mike Le Roux said the amount of water was “unprecedented” and had caused a lot of damage, but he was not aware of any deaths or serious injuries.

Evacuees included the wife and three children of Tyler Scartaccini, who stayed behind to keep an eye on their property as water reached their porch and into their garages.

“I felt like we were in a very safe place and now I don’t feel that so much,” Scartaccini said.

In nearby Rio Grande County, trailers at a campground were surrounded by water. Trucks were partially submerged in other areas.

Colorado roads closed due to runoff damage included U.S. 550 between Silverton and Ouray, a scenic, high-elevation route known as the “Million Dollar Highway.”

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis had declared a disaster emergency in 11 counties.

In Utah, more flooding is possible while other areas dry out

In the city of Hurricane in far southwestern Utah, a shipping container drifting down a street gave way Friday to a mess of mud and debris to be cleaned up as people who had evacuated earlier in the week returned home.

The risk shifted to Utah's southeast, where streams ran fast and high. Flood watches were in effect into the weekend, said Alex DeSmet, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Salt Lake City.

Still, the Four Corners region could get more heavy rain this weekend, with up to half an inch (1 centimeter) forecast to fall in northwestern New Mexico.

While parts of the Southwest are rocky with little vegetation and are naturally prone to flash flooding, the recent rains had saturated the ground and made widespread flooding more likely. The moisture was from the remnants of Pacific tropical systems that had come ashore, forecasters said.

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McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press writers Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, and Wufei Yu and Josh Kelety in Phoenix contributed to this story.

The men took part in the Hollard Daredevil Race, an annual event highlighting what researchers describe as the most common cancer in South Africa. Organizers say the disease is rarely discussed openly among South African men.

A 2023 study of Black men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Free State province found that fewer than one in four had heard of the disease before their diagnosis.

Another study that year among men in Limpopo province found that almost two-thirds had inadequate awareness of prostate cancer, while more than 80% knew nothing about screening methods.

“Many men have never heard of it, don’t know about PSA (prostate-specific antigen) screening and only present when it is advanced. Caught early, more than 99% of men are alive five years later,” said Andrew Oberholzer, chief executive of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Some participants were prostate cancer survivors who encouraged other men to get screened.

“I’ve been running long distances for 45 years now and then I’ve also gone through a prostate cancer process. I’m a cancer survivor from prostate,” participant Riyaad Kriel said.

El umbral crítico, que es objeto de intenso debate entre los científicos, sería, en términos sencillos, el momento en que esta selva densa, húmeda y que genera vapor de agua, se transforma en un ecosistema más seco. Eso traería consecuencias irreversibles para la biodiversidad y el clima, ya que la selva absorbe enormes cantidades de dióxido de carbono, un gas de efecto invernadero que impulsa el aumento de las temperaturas globales. En Brasil se localiza cerca del 60% de la Amazonía, la cual se extiende por varios países de América del Sur.

Este es un vistazo a los dos candidatos presidenciales y a la forma en que sus distintas visiones sobre Amazonía podrían influir en la posible llegada a ese punto de inflexión:

Se prevé que ambos candidatos abordarán la política de la Amazonía de manera diferente

El presidente Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva, quien busca ser elegido para un cuarto mandato no consecutivo, ha buscado frenar la deforestación y financiar una economía sostenible mediante donaciones internacionales, además de fondos públicos y privados. Si es elegido, se prevé que continúe con estas políticas.

En contraste, el senador Flávio Bolsonaro, hijo del expresidente Jair Bolsonaro, ha dicho que no cree en el cambio climático, al tiempo que se presenta a sí mismo como un defensor del medio ambiente. Ha ofrecido pocos detalles sobre sus planes para la protección de la selva o su financiamiento. Ha pedido una “modernización” de las leyes ambientales y otorgar mayor poder de decisión a los propietarios de tierras en la Amazonía, una postura que, según los ecologistas, debilitaría las salvaguardas existentes y aceleraría la deforestación.

La deforestación aumentó drásticamente durante el mandato de Jair Bolsonaro, quien gobernó de 2019 a 2022, periodo en el que desmanteló organismos de control y flexibilizó las normas ambientales. En cambio, bajo el actual gobierno de Lula, la semana pasada se anunció la tasa de deforestación de la Amazonía más baja jamás registrada.

Los puntos de inflexión se aplican a muchos ecosistemas

Un punto de inflexión es un umbral crítico a partir del cual un pequeño cambio puede desencadenar una transformación enorme en un ecosistema o sistema climático. Los científicos estudian estos riesgos en regiones o sistemas como la Amazonía, las capas de hielo de la Antártida y los patrones de circulación del océano Atlántico.

En el caso de la Amazonía, algunas investigaciones sugieren que la pérdida de más del 20% de la selva, combinada con un calentamiento global de unos 2 grados Celsius (3,6 grados Fahrenheit) desde principios del siglo XIX, podría provocar cambios generalizados. Aproximadamente, el 17% de la Amazonía ya ha sido deforestado y el aumento de la temperatura global se sitúa actualmente en torno a los 1,4 grados Celsius (2,5 grados Fahrenheit).

Superar ese umbral podría desencadenar un ciclo de retroalimentación en el que distintas partes de la selva tropical pierdan su capacidad de recuperarse de las sequías, los incendios y otras perturbaciones, lo que daría paso a un ecosistema más seco.

“A medida que el clima cambia y ejerce una creciente presión sobre Amazonía, la selva resiste hasta que ya no puede más y colapsa, ya sea por partes o en su totalidad, un proceso que podría durar décadas o siglos una vez que se supera el punto de inflexión”, señaló Bernardo Flores, experto en resiliencia del sistema terrestre y miembro del Panel Científico por la Amazonía (SPA, por sus siglas en inglés), una iniciativa científica independiente dedicada a proteger la cuenca y orientar el desarrollo sostenible.

David Lapola, quien estudia la forma en que la Amazonía responde al aumento de los niveles de dióxido de carbono, se muestra más cauto. Es autor principal de un capítulo sobre puntos de inflexión en un próximo informe climático de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas, y explica que, aunque los modelos sugieren un riesgo de colapso, las observaciones y los experimentos aún no confirman que perder el 20% de la selva vaya a desencadenarlo.

“Eso no significa que debamos dejar de preocuparnos, que debamos olvidar este problema. Necesitamos investigarlo, tener a un grupo de trabajo científico que llegue al fondo del asunto”, agregó.

Qué tan cerca podría estar Amazonía de un punto de inflexión

En un estudio de 2024, dirigido por Flores, el experto en resiliencia del sistema terrestre y publicado en la revista científica Nature, se calcula que entre el 10% y el 47% de la Amazonía podría enfrentar múltiples amenazas para el año 2050, lo que podría convertir diferentes partes de la selva en ecosistemas distintos y agravaría el cambio climático en la región.

No obstante, Flores refirió que no es posible determinar con precisión qué tan cerca está la Amazonía de un punto de inflexión, aunque la degradación forestal podría significar que se encuentra más próxima de lo que los modelos sugieren. “Creo que la principal señal sería que la Amazonía comenzara a volverse muy seca y a experimentar incendios generalizados”, añadió.

La degradación forestal, impulsada por los incendios, la tala y las sequías, afecta a cerca del 40% de la Amazonía y ha superado a la deforestación por tala rasa en los últimos años.

Cómo ha cambiado ya la selva tropical

El climatólogo Carlos Nobre, uno de los primeros en advertir que una deforestación a gran escala podría llevar a Amazonía a superar un punto de inflexión, dijo que los cambios que ya están en marcha muestran que el bosque se aproxima a ese umbral.

“Actualmente, sabemos que el sur de Amazonía es particularmente vulnerable”, afirmó. “La temporada seca es ahora entre cuatro y cinco semanas más larga. Las condiciones son aproximadamente entre un 20% y un 30% más secas, y las temperaturas son entre 2 y 3 grados Celsius (3,6 y 5,5 grados Fahrenheit) más altas”.

El aumento de las temperaturas y la mayor frecuencia de las sequías someten a los árboles a un estrés que incrementa su mortalidad, lo que debilita incluso la capacidad de los bosques y las selvas intactos para absorber más carbono del que liberan, expuso Lapola, el autor del informe de la ONU. Dichos bosques y selvas podrían dejar de actuar como sumideros netos de carbono hacia mediados de la década de 2030 si esta tendencia continúa, aunque esta proyección es aún incierta.

Algunas zonas de la Amazonía ya emiten más dióxido de carbono —un gas de efecto invernadero que impulsa el calentamiento global— del que absorben, según investigaciones de Luciana Gatti, del Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Espaciales de Brasil.

En su estudio más reciente, publicado el miércoles en la revista Nature, se encontró que Amazonía liberó un promedio anual de 1.170 millones de toneladas métricas más de dióxido de carbono de las que absorbió desde 2010 hasta finales de 2024. Los incendios, agravados por el cambio climático, fueron la principal fuente de las emisiones.

Nobre dijo que, para evitar mayores daños, es necesario reducir de forma sostenida las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y ofrecer alternativas económicas a la tala de la selva para quienes se dedican a la ganadería y la agricultura, que son los principales motores de la deforestación.

“Debemos alcanzar cero deforestación, degradación forestal e incendios”, agregó.

Durante las conversaciones de la ONU sobre el clima en 2023, Brasil presentó su “Arco de Restauración”, una iniciativa destinada a la reforestación y al fomento de prácticas agroforestales para recuperar 24 millones de hectáreas (unos 59 millones de acres) en el sur de la Amazonía brasileña: 6 millones de hectáreas (14 millones de acres) para 2030 y otros 18 millones de hectáreas (44 millones de acres) para 2050. No obstante, el cumplimiento de esos objetivos podría depender de a quién eligen los brasileños este domingo.

“Si tenemos éxito, podremos salvar la Amazonía, la selva tropical más grande del mundo y una de sus mayores reservas de biodiversidad”, dijo Nobre.

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France is bracing for more demonstrations Saturday against the high cost of living, with museums closing and the government deploying a larger security presence to prevent a repeat of last week’s violent unrest.

The game Sunday — the first regular-season NFL game in France — is being held at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just north of the capital.

“I think maybe it’s looking like tomorrow is going to be a bad day in France, so you worry about it,” Trump told reporters. “I would have said the NFL could have probably postponed that match ... because France is really in trouble.”

The U.S. State Department late Thursday issued a security alert, saying: “Numerous groups submitted plans for protests on Saturday, October 24. Americans in Paris for the NFL game on Sunday, October 25 should also exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings. While permits may be filed for demonstration routes, last-minute changes can happen and protests can occur outside planned routes.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said this week that preparations were made in consultation with U.S. and French authorities. Street protests, he said, “are not unusual in France.” The league did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's remarks.

Soccer team Paris Saint-Germain’s game against Lyon has been moved from Sunday to Monday evening at the request of Paris police, the French soccer league said. The game was scheduled for Sunday night in Parc des Princes.

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Friday that “the NFL is alert to what’s going on.”

“This game means a lot to the NFL. If it was unsafe, then I’m sure we wouldn’t be here,” Rodgers said at the team’s hotel in Paris.

A weekend event for Steelers fans was canceled Thursday because of security concerns.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

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Miami returned to practice after losing its opener 131-106 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. With several new faces on the roster, Spoelstra said challenging moments can help players learn more about one another and establish a collective identity.

“We can all talk, we can all communicate, we can all be on the same page when things are flowing, shots are going down, the game is kind of easy,” he said. “When it goes the other way, that’s when we really introduce ourselves to each other.”

Spoelstra said learning how to respond to difficult stretches is an important part of the NBA season, even though losing is never enjoyable.

“I just like now that introduction to each other, how we handle adversity, how we collectively build a resolve,” he said. “And that will, will be something that we’re gonna work on and get better at.”

And don’t forget, you can also watch the majority of the Miami Heat’s regular season games, at least 68, on Local 10 next season as WPLG Local 10 and the Heat announced a newly expanded media rights agreement, making Local 10 the home of HEAT basketball across South Florida! CLICK HERE for more information on how to watch!

Miami regresó a los entrenamientos después de perder su primer partido 131-106 ante los Minnesota Timberwolves el miércoles. Con varias caras nuevas en la plantilla, Spoelstra señaló que los momentos difíciles pueden ayudar a los jugadores a conocerse mejor y establecer una identidad colectiva.

“Todos podemos hablar, todos podemos comunicarnos, todos podemos estar en la misma sintonía cuando las cosas fluyen, los tiros entran y el partido es relativamente fácil”, dijo. “Cuando ocurre lo contrario, es cuando realmente comenzamos a conocernos”.

Spoelstra afirmó que aprender a responder ante los momentos difíciles es una parte importante de la temporada de la NBA, aunque perder nunca es agradable.

“Me gusta que ahora estemos en esa etapa de conocernos, de ver cómo manejamos la adversidad y cómo desarrollamos colectivamente nuestra determinación”, dijo. “Y eso será algo en lo que vamos a trabajar y mejorar”.

Y no olvide que también podrá ver la mayoría de los partidos de la temporada regular del Miami Heat, al menos 68, en Local 10 la próxima temporada, luego de que WPLG Local 10 y el Heat anunciaran un nuevo acuerdo ampliado de derechos de transmisión, que convierte a Local 10 en la casa del baloncesto del HEAT en todo el sur de Florida. ¡HAGA CLIC AQUÍ para obtener más información sobre cómo ver los partidos!

Un agente encubierto de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade observó a Brenton Burke en una Chevrolet Silverado 1500 plateada alrededor de las 8:30 p.m. del jueves en Dadeland Mall, en Kendall, según el informe de arresto de un agente.

“Luego pasé junto a la camioneta, hice un giro en U dentro del estacionamiento y, cuando pasaba por segunda vez junto al vehículo, observé a [Burke] arrodillado en el suelo”, escribió el agente encubierto, según el informe.

Burke, residente de Miami Gardens, se encontraba en el estacionamiento de Saks Fifth Avenue, “debajo de la columna de dirección, jalando cables”, escribió el agente, según el informe.

Burke subió a la Chevrolet, que no tenía placa, y al salir del centro comercial ubicado en 7573 North Kendall Drive, giró hacia el oeste por North Kendall Drive, según el informe.

“Procedí a activar mi equipo de emergencia, intentando realizar una parada de tránsito, momento en el que se negó a detenerse”, escribió el agente, según el informe.

Burke continuó huyendo hacia el sur por Southwest 77th Avenue, y la persecución terminó después de que chocara contra una cerca alrededor de las 8:50 p.m. del jueves en Northwest 42nd Court y 18th Street, en la zona del Aeropuerto Internacional de Miami, según el informe.

La Chevrolet Silverado había sido robada de Bomnin Chevrolet en Dadeland, del estacionamiento del quinto piso, y Burke “había desconectado el sistema LoJack del vehículo” en el estacionamiento oeste del centro comercial.

Los agentes trasladaron a Burke a la estación del Distrito Kendall de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO) para interrogarlo y lo arrestaron. Los registros judiciales del condado Broward mostraron que Burke tiene un caso pendiente por un delito grave.

Las autoridades penitenciarias de Miami-Dade ingresaron a Burke al Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, cerca de Doral, poco después de las 2:45 a.m. del viernes, según los registros de reclusos.

En Miami-Dade, Burke enfrentaba cuatro cargos en dos casos nuevos y un caso relacionado con una orden de arresto.

En uno de los casos, enfrentaba cargos de agresión agravada contra un agente del orden público, huida y evasión de la policía, y daños a la propiedad por $1,000 USD o más. En un segundo caso, enfrentaba un cargo de robo mayor de vehículo. El caso de la orden de arresto estaba relacionado con abandonar la escena de un accidente con daños materiales.

En Broward, Burke, también conocido como Kareem Bell y Kareem Orien Bell, enfrentaba siete cargos en un caso del Departamento de Policía de Hollywood que permanecía activo la mañana del viernes.

“Se descubrió que Burke conducía un vehículo modificado que llevaba una placa de concesionario de Florida registrada a nombre de R.A. B. Auto… Se determinó que ese vehículo había sido robado en West Palm Beach… Había dos o más vehículos robados presentes”, escribió un oficial de policía sobre un incidente ocurrido el 1 de febrero de 2024 en Hollywood, según una declaración jurada de arresto del 16 de agosto de 2024, en un caso relacionado con un taller de desmantelamiento de vehículos robados.

Burke enfrentaba cinco cargos de comercialización de propiedad robada, un delito grave de segundo grado; un cargo de operar un taller de desmantelamiento de vehículos robados, un delito grave de tercer grado; y un cargo de posesión de un componente principal de un vehículo motorizado con un número de identificación vehicular alterado.

Los registros judiciales de Broward muestran que existía una orden de arresto en su contra desde el 7 de febrero de 2025. Fue arrestado el 20 de febrero durante un robo en el concesionario Infinity en Tamarac, según el informe de arresto. Fue liberado el 21 de febrero bajo una fianza de $17,500 USD. Su próxima audiencia en el caso está programada para las 9 a.m. del 16 de octubre ante el juez del Tribunal de Circuito del condado Broward, George Odom Jr.

Ubicación: Agentes arrestan a Burke después de un accidente en Northwest 42nd Court y 18th Street.

Hellebuyck finally has a new home with New Jersey after the Jets granted the three-time Vezina Trophy winning goaltender’s trade request on Friday.

The Devils sent forward Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, prospect Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick, a 2027 seventh-rounder and long-term injured forward Nick Bjugstad to Winnipeg for Hellebuyck.

“It really does come down to what teams are willing to do and willing to pay,” Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said at a news conference in Winnipeg. "It’s not necessarily what I got. It was more like what other teams were willing to pay.”

The long-awaited, blockbuster trade ends months of speculation, a failed bid to move the U.S. Olympic gold medal winner and 2024-25 NHL MVP in June, and the Jets' suspension of Hellebuyck for failing to report to training camp in a standoff that required the involvement of the league and the Players' Association.

“It certainly hasn’t been fun," Cheveldayoff said. “Connor made his choice to do how he chose to do it. And, as an organization, we had to act accordingly and we did. He asked for a trade. We told him we would do our best to make it happen. And if it happens whatever months ago when he first asked, we would have done it then. Unfortunately it took to this time now.”

The 33-year-old Hellebuyck, who backstopped the U.S. to Olympic gold at the Milan-Cortina Games in February, leaves Winnipeg after spending his entire 11-year career there. Hellebuyck joins Jack Hughes, who scored in overtime of the final to defeat Canada, with the Devils and immediately puts them closer to being a Stanley Cup contender.

When training camp opened, new Devils general manager Sunny Mehta said he was very comfortable with the team’s goaltending situation. Since then, Daws and Jake Allen combined for an .880 save percentage, which ranks 23rd among 32 teams.

“When Sunny got serious, he got serious real quick,” Cheveldayoff said. “There was no beating around the bush with each other. We kind of laid our cards on the table and said this is what it's going to take.”

It was not immediately clear how soon Hellebuyck might be ready to play for his new team. He has been skating in his home state of Michigan while trade talks were ongoing.

Hellebuyck has five seasons left on a seven-year contact with an annual salary cap hit of $8.5 million. He leaves the Central Division for the Metropolitan, much to the delight of rivals who will see him less often moving forward.

“I don't mind,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "You knew he was getting traded at some point. You just didn’t know where. To see him go to Jersey doesn’t hurt my feelings.”

He becomes the latest high-profile American to depart Canada for the United States. In June, Ottawa dealt captain Brady Tkachuk to Florida, where he joined his brother Matthew. In December, Vancouver traded star defenseman Quinn Hughes, a brother of Jake and teammate Luke, to Minnesota.

The process to trade Hellebuyck became messy, especially after the goalie went public with his request to leave Winnipeg in September. The Jets suspended the goalie for failing to report for camp in a disciplinary move that extended into the season with Hellebuyck not getting paid.

The length of suspension became an issue with the league and union determining Hellebuyck would be allowed to rejoin the Jets on Friday. Instead, a move to New Jersey materialized ahead of Winnipeg hosting the outdoor Heritage Classic this weekend.

“Certainly wish I could have done it five or four months ago — whatever when the opportunity first started,” Cheveldayoff said. “We were looking, but here we are.”

The post-Hellebuyck plans went into motion over the summer, signing Stuart Skinner in free agency. The Jets claimed Clay Stevenson off waivers before the season began, and their combined .907 save percentage is seventh-best in the NHL.

Cheveldayoff said the plan is to carry three goaltenders for now.

The Jets were second-guessed for not dealing Hellebuyck in June, when teams had more options to prioritize salary cap space to make room to acquire the goalie. The Sabres were among the teams expressing interest in Hellebuyck, and were preparing to package a deal that included swapping first-round draft picks — Buffalo had the No. 4 selection, and Winnipeg had the eighth.

The challenge for Winnipeg became finding a willing trade partner to acquire a goalie with a high price tag and a lengthy contract well after most teams had set their rosters and had little salary cap space to work with.

“A goalie market is a little bit of a different market,” Cheveldayoff said. “You find out who has legitimate interests. You find out who has legitimate needs. You go through the process of what assets they have within their organization, and more importantly, what assets they are willing to move.”

Another question mark involved Hellebuyck’s age and track record of following regular-season success with a spotty playoff record.

After Hellebuyck went 9-8 in leading the Jets to the Western Conference finals in his playoff debut in 2018, he has gone 15-26 since since, with the Jets advancing to the second round just twice in their next six playoff appearances. In four first-round exits, Hellebuyck had a combined 5-15 record.

The disparity of regular season vs. postseason success was evident in 2024-25. Leading Winnipeg to the Presidents’ Trophy and winning the Hart Trophy as MVP, Hellebuyck recorded a career-best 47 wins, then went 6-7 in the playoffs as the Jets were eliminated in Dallas in the second round.

With a 345-208-55 regular-season record, Hellebuyck ranks 27th in career wins on the NHL list, and fifth among U.S.-born players. Among U.S.-born goalies with 300 or more career starts, his .916 save percentage ranks fourth and 2.58 goals-against average ranks sixth.

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AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Agentes del Departamento de Policía de Sunrise informaron que el accidente ocurrió aproximadamente a las 4 a.m. en la cuadra 2000 de Nob Hill Road.

Indicaron que un hombre, cuya edad e identidad no han sido reveladas hasta el momento, fue declarado muerto en el lugar.

El otro conductor involucrado en el accidente recibió atención médica en el lugar por heridas leves, según la policía.

La policía indicó que las circunstancias del accidente continúan bajo investigación y no se divulgaron otros detalles de inmediato.

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Jail records show Avery Terrill Yarber was taken into custody Thursday by Hialeah police detectives and faces one count of third-degree grand theft and one count of mail theft.

Investigators estimated the value of the three phones and the ring at $6,597, before applicable taxes on the phones, the report states.

According to the report, a U.S. Postal Inspection Service special agent installed two surveillance cameras inside a company vehicle on Oct. 9. One camera recorded the driver’s area, while the other captured the rear interior of the vehicle.

A Hialeah Police Department Special Investigations Section sergeant monitored footage of Yarber’s delivery routes over multiple days, authorities said.

On Oct. 14, GPS data showed Yarber had parked the postal vehicle at 1555 W. 37th St. in Hialeah, according to the report.

Police said between 11:50 a.m. and 12:10 p.m., a sergeant observed Yarber opening four packages — three containing iPhone boxes and one Priority Mail package containing a ring.

“The sergeant observed the defendant remove the three phones and place them inside a bag,” the report states.

At approximately 12:30 p.m., Yarber was allegedly seen placing shipping labels inside a Fanta Ghost Face Punch soda can, according to the report. Special Investigations Section detectives later retrieved the opened packages and discarded labels at approximately 1:27 p.m., authorities said.

Phones, ring valued at nearly $6,600

The three phones were identified as two iPhone 18 Pro devices with 512 gigabytes of storage and one iPhone 18 Pro Max with 256 gigabytes of storage, the report states.

Investigators said they valued the two iPhone 18 Pro devices at approximately $1,399 each and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at $1,299, for a combined phone value of $4,097 before taxes.

The ring was valued at approximately $2,549, according to the report.

An investigator who examined the recovered property described a black ring box containing a ring marked “14K.” The report also described an engraving inside the ring that read “M-[infinity symbol]-A” and “Smiling Rocks.”

Police said the opened and damaged packaging, shipping labels and related evidence were impounded in the Hialeah Police Department property room.

Investigators say packages were outside suspect’s assigned route

According to the report, postal investigators determined that Yarber worked out of the Promenade Postal Store at 3690 W. 18th Ave. in Hialeah.

He would travel to a processing and distribution center in Doral to collect Priority Mail for delivery to the Promenade location, where the mail would be assigned to delivery carriers, the report states.

A postal investigator told Hialeah police that Yarber was not authorized to take the packages involved in the investigation because they were “out of his normal daily work route,” according to the report. He also was not authorized to open the packages or keep their contents, the report states.

Police said Yarber was transported to HPD headquarters on Thursday for an interview, where he was read his Miranda rights, waived those rights and continued speaking with detectives.

Police said Yarber provided a statement, but that statement was redacted in his publicly released arrest report.

USPS responds

In a statement provided to Local 10 News, A USPS spokesperson said its Office of Inspector General generally does not confirm or deny information about ongoing investigations unless the details become public record.

“The USPS OIG considers the allegations of theft of U.S. Mail by any Postal Service employee to be a very serious issue,” the statement said. “When such allegations are made, USPS OIG special agents vigorously investigate those allegations.”

The agency also encouraged customers who suspect mail theft by a postal employee to report their concerns through the USPS Office of Inspector General hotline at https://www.uspsoig.gov/hotline.

As of Friday, Yarber was being held on a $3,500 bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Avery Terrill Yarber fue detenido el jueves por detectives de la policía de Hialeah y enfrenta un cargo de robo mayor en tercer grado y otro de robo de correspondencia.

Los investigadores estimaron el valor de los tres teléfonos y el anillo en $6,597 USD, antes de los impuestos aplicables a los teléfonos, según el informe.

De acuerdo con el informe, un agente especial del Servicio de Inspección Postal de Estados Unidos instaló dos cámaras de vigilancia dentro de un vehículo de la compañía el 9 de octubre. Una cámara grababa el área del conductor, mientras que la otra captaba el interior de la parte trasera del vehículo.

Un sargento de la Sección de Investigaciones Especiales del Departamento de Policía de Hialeah supervisó las grabaciones de las rutas de entrega de Yarber durante varios días, indicaron las autoridades.

El 14 de octubre, los datos del GPS mostraron que Yarber había estacionado el vehículo postal en 1555 W. 37th St., en Hialeah, según el informe.

La policía indicó que entre las 11:50 a.m. y las 12:10 p.m., un sargento observó a Yarber abriendo cuatro paquetes: tres que contenían cajas de iPhone y un paquete de Priority Mail que contenía un anillo.

“El sargento observó al acusado sacar los tres teléfonos y colocarlos dentro de una bolsa”, señala el informe.

Aproximadamente a las 12:30 p.m., Yarber fue visto presuntamente colocando etiquetas de envío dentro de una lata de refresco Fanta Ghost Face Punch, según el informe. Detectives de la Sección de Investigaciones Especiales recuperaron posteriormente los paquetes abiertos y las etiquetas desechadas alrededor de la 1:27 p.m., indicaron las autoridades.

Teléfonos y anillo valorados en casi $6,600 USD

Los tres teléfonos fueron identificados como dos dispositivos iPhone 18 Pro con 512 gigabytes de almacenamiento y un iPhone 18 Pro Max con 256 gigabytes de almacenamiento, según el informe.

Los investigadores indicaron que valoraron los dos iPhone 18 Pro en aproximadamente $1,399 USD cada uno y el iPhone 18 Pro Max en $1,299 USD, para un valor combinado de $4,097 USD antes de impuestos.

El anillo fue valorado en aproximadamente $2,549 USD, según el informe.

Un investigador que examinó los artículos recuperados describió una caja negra para anillos que contenía un anillo marcado con “14K”. El informe también describió un grabado en el interior del anillo que decía “M-[símbolo de infinito]-A” y “Smiling Rocks”.

La policía indicó que los empaques abiertos y dañados, las etiquetas de envío y las pruebas relacionadas fueron almacenados en la sala de evidencias del Departamento de Policía de Hialeah.

Investigadores afirman que los paquetes estaban fuera de la ruta asignada al sospechoso

Según el informe, los investigadores postales determinaron que Yarber trabajaba en la oficina Promenade Postal Store, ubicada en 3690 W. 18th Ave., en Hialeah.

Yarber viajaba a un centro de procesamiento y distribución en Doral para recoger correspondencia de Priority Mail y entregarla en la oficina de Promenade, donde se asignaba a los carteros para su distribución, señala el informe.

Un investigador postal informó a la policía de Hialeah que Yarber no estaba autorizado a llevarse los paquetes involucrados en la investigación porque estaban “fuera de su ruta habitual de trabajo diario”, según el informe. Tampoco estaba autorizado a abrir los paquetes ni a quedarse con su contenido, señala el documento.

La policía indicó que Yarber fue trasladado el jueves a la sede del Departamento de Policía de Hialeah para una entrevista, donde se le leyeron sus derechos Miranda, renunció a esos derechos y continuó hablando con los detectives.

La policía señaló que Yarber proporcionó una declaración, pero su contenido fue censurado en el informe de arresto divulgado públicamente.

USPS responde

En una declaración proporcionada a Local 10 News, un portavoz de USPS indicó que su Oficina del Inspector General generalmente no confirma ni niega información sobre investigaciones en curso, a menos que los detalles pasen a formar parte del registro público.

“La Oficina del Inspector General de USPS considera que las acusaciones de robo de correspondencia de Estados Unidos por parte de cualquier empleado del Servicio Postal son un asunto muy grave”, señala la declaración. “Cuando se presentan este tipo de acusaciones, los agentes especiales de la Oficina del Inspector General de USPS las investigan rigurosamente”.

La agencia también alentó a los clientes que sospechen de robo de correspondencia por parte de un empleado postal a reportar sus inquietudes a través de la línea de denuncias de la Oficina del Inspector General de USPS en https://www.uspsoig.gov/hotline.

Hasta el viernes, Yarber permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight bajo una fianza de $3,500 USD.

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Officers with the Sunrise Police Department said the crash occurred at approximately 4 a.m. in the 2000 block of Nob Hill Road.

They said a man, whose age and identity have not been released at this time, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The other driver involved in the crash was treated at the scene for minor injuries, according to police.

“This is not even an expressway, so like I wondered how it happened because the speed limit is really low here, said Mona, a Sunrise resident.

Police said circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation and no other details were immediately released.

El accidente ocurrió alrededor de las 10:45 a.m. entre Oakland Park Boulevard y Northeast 26th Street, en el vecindario Coral Ridge de la ciudad, lo que llevó a las autoridades a cerrar los carriles en dirección sur entre ambas intersecciones.

Un video mostró una motocicleta con graves daños y un Hyundai Kona blanco en el lugar.

Según el Departamento de Policía de Fort Lauderdale, los paramédicos trasladaron al motociclista al Broward Health Medical Center con heridas que ponen en peligro su vida.

Hasta alrededor de las 11 a.m., la policía no había proporcionado un plazo estimado para la reapertura de los carriles en dirección sur de la US 1.

Las autoridades indicaron que todas las personas involucradas permanecieron en el lugar, aunque no precisaron si alguien recibiría una multa o enfrentaría cargos.

With the backing of Vice President JD Vance and at President Donald Trump's urging, Ramaswamy has continued a $4 million campaign to air the ad on streaming platforms and TV. During stops on the tour Friday, he defended it against criticism that he characterized as concocted by Democrats and the news media.

“The irony is they’re lying about an ad that is about lying,” he told a crowd in suburban Cleveland Friday morning. “They’re changing the subject because they don’t want to answer for their own failures.”

The 60-second spot features Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, calling her daughter “a liar” who “needs help” due to a “a serious problem” being honest about her past. But Arthur hasn't seen her daughter in nearly 50 years. She lost custody of her children after her husband, the children’s stepfather, was indicted for raping Acton when she was 12. Acton, Ohio's former state health director, says she hasn't seen her mother since 1978.

By Friday, every living full-term governor of Ohio — two Democrats and three Republicans — had spoken out against the ad. GOP former Gov. Bob Taft told Marion radio show host Scott Spears that his great-grandfather, President William Howard Taft, “is probably rolling over in his grave” at the negativity of this year's elections.

He urged Ramaswamy to cease airing the ad, as another fellow Republican, Gov. Mike DeWine, had done a day earlier. “It really exceeds the bounds of human decency,” he said.

Sen. Husted forced to navigate GOP feuding

U.S. Sen. Jon Husted — who, like Ramaswamy, is locked in an unexpectedly tight race against his Democratic opponent, former Sen. Sherrod Brown — shared a stage with Vance on Wednesday without mentioning the controversial ad, and then issued a statement shortly afterward saying he would not have run it. Other statewide candidates have drawn the same careful line, without raising the issue when on the same stage with Ramaswamy.

Husted, whose name is emblazoned on the side of the bus along with all the other statewide candidates, did not participate in the first two stops of the tour Friday.

The difference of opinion with Ramaswamy over the ad is not the first awkward Republican family feud Husted has had to navigate this cycle, as he works to retain the seat won by Vance in 2022.

In August, Husted called on GOP U.S. Rep. Max Miller to resign and drop out as the northeast Ohio congressman faces a congressional ethics investigation related to domestic abuse allegations leveled against him by his ex-wife. Husted's decision came after Miller's former father-in-law, U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, also a Republican, said his wife's former husband was not fit to hold elected office.

Democrat Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker and local councilman seeking to unseat Miller, has used Moreno's interview about Miller in attack ads against his Republican opponent. Meanwhile, Miller was quoted in The Wall Street Journal blasting Husted — fighting for one of the GOP's most critical Senate seats of the cycle — as “as smart as a box of rocks” and “as entertaining as a two-by-four.”

At a campaign rally in Iowa on Thursday, Trump told the crowd Ramaswamy called him to ask for advice about the ad.

“You’ve got to ride with it,” Trump recalled telling Ramaswamy, a former 2024 presidential candidate. Trump expressed jealousy that he didn’t have such a strong ad to run during his own campaigns. He said it was like “hitting pay dirt.”

Acton has made no secret of facing homelessness and abuse as a child. She has condemned Ramaswamy for the ad.

“I won’t normalize somebody who has said that my childhood is just something I’m complaining about.” she told Spectrum News, a cable news outlet in Ohio.

According to police and court documents obtained by The Associated Press, Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged with the rape of his stepdaughter, then 12, in July 1978, after Acton’s biological father reported him to authorities. The abuse allegedly happened from December 1976 to April 1978.

Cledith Arthur pleaded not guilty. He was indicted by a grand jury that September, but failed to show at a court hearing and remained a fugitive until at least 1981. He has since died.

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Catalini reported from Morrisville, Pa.

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The crash happened at around 10:45 a.m. between Oakland Park Boulevard and Northeast 26th Street in the city’s Coral Ridge neighborhood, leading authorities to shut down the southbound lanes between those two intersections.

Video showed a heavily-damaged motorcycle and a white Hyundai Kona at the scene.

According to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, medics took the motorcyclist to Broward Health Medical Center with “life-threatening” injuries.

As of around 11 a.m., police hadn’t given a timeline as to when the southbound lanes of U.S. 1 may reopen.

They said everyone involved remained at the scene, though they did not indicate whether anyone would be cited or charged.

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Deputies said they responded to the area just before 9 a.m. after receiving a report of “a sick or injured person.”

Sky 10 flew over the scene just before 10:15 a.m., where deputies were present and crime scene tape had been set up. The man’s body was covered by a yellow tarp.

MDSO homicide detectives said they’re conducting an “unclassified death investigation,” authorities said.

They said the cause of death will be determined by the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office.

No additional information about the man involved was immediately available.

Here's a look at some of the companies that have announced layoffs or hiring reductions this year that are tied in some way to massive spending on AI.

Barclays

The U.K. bank and financial services company revealed in a quarterly financial report this week that it is looking to cut 5,000 jobs, or about 5% of its workforce.

The company said that it was seeking “organisational simplification and technology change efficiency driven by AI.” Approximately 60% of the cuts will be from support functions, including developers.

Financial institutions are among the most active in deploying AI, in many cases at the expense of workers. Norway's DNB and Commerzbank in Germany have also announced job cuts in parallel with a push into AI.

Kroger

Kroger said last week that it will lay off 3,000 corporate employees over the next three years as the national grocery chain ramps up its use of artificial intelligence.

“Technology is reshaping what’s possible,” CEO Greg Foran wrote in a memo to employees. “The way work gets done is changing across every industry; we must adapt and take advantage of technology. We need to adopt capabilities, reduce duplicative work and look closely at where work is best fit to be done.”

Kroger last month outlined its AI strategy, meant “to improve the customer experience, make work easier for associates and produce better business outcomes.”

The Cincinnati company is the largest standalone U.S. supermarket chain with 409,000 employees and more than 2,700 stores operating under various brands, including Ralphs, King Soopers, Smith’s and Fred Meyer.

Meta

The company that runs Facebook and Instagram said it would lay off about 8,000 workers, or about 10% of its workforce, as it continues to ramp up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and highly paid AI-expert hires.

The company said in April that it was making the cuts for the sake of efficiency and to allow new investments in parts of its business, as first reported by Bloomberg, which also said the company will leave about 6,000 jobs unfilled.

Meta had already warned investors that its 2026 expenses will grow significantly — to as much as $169 billion — driven by infrastructure costs and employee compensation, particularly for the artificial intelligence experts it’s been hiring.

Microsoft

Software giant Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to thousands of its U.S. employees.

The company planned to make the offers in early May to about 8,750 people, or 7% of its U.S. workforce, according to two people familiar with the plan who were not authorized to speak about it publicly.

Microsoft has spent billions of dollars operating an ever-expanding global network of data centers powering cloud computing services, AI systems and its own suite of productivity tools, including the AI assistant Copilot.

Standard Chartered

The U.K.-based bank is planning to cut more than 15% of its back office employees by 2030.

Standard Chartered said in May that it was “scaling practical uses of automation, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to streamline processes, improve decision‑making and enhance both client service and internal efficiency.”

Coinbase

The cryptocurrency trading platform is cutting approximately 14% of its workforce partly due to AI.

In a blog post, CEO Brian Armstrong said that AI was changing the way that Coinbase worked.

“Over the past year, I’ve watched engineers use AI to ship in days what used to take a team weeks,” he wrote. “Non-technical teams are now shipping production code and many of our workflows are being automated. The pace of what’s possible with a small, focused team has changed dramatically, and it’s accelerating every day.”

Armstrong said that the company needed to take action.

“We are adjusting early and deliberately to rebuild Coinbase to be lean, fast, and AI-native,” he wrote.

Pinterest

Pinterest announced in January that it planned to lay off under 15% of its workforce as part of a broader restructuring as the image-sharing platform pivots more of its money to artificial intelligence.

In a securities filing, the company said that it was making the cuts to support “transformation initiatives” — which include reallocating resources to AI-focused roles and prioritizing AI-powered products. It said it was also working to reshape its “sales and go-to-market approach.”

Snap

The owner of social media platform Snapchat is eliminating about 16% of its global workforce, or about 1,000 jobs.

“The headcount reduction is designed to further streamline our operations and reallocate resources toward our highest-priority initiatives, leveraging increased operational efficiencies to accelerate our path toward net-income profitability,” the company said in a regulatory filing.

CEO Evan Spiegel said in a letter to staff in April that another 300 open roles would not be filled.

Block

Financial technology company Block is laying off more than 4,000 of its 10,000 plus employees, reconfiguring to capitalize on its use of artificial intelligence.

“The core thesis is simple. Intelligence tools have changed what it means to build and run a company,” Jack Dorsey said in a letter to shareholders in Block, the parent company to online payment platforms such as Square and Cash App. “A significantly smaller team, using the tools we’re building, can do more and do it better,” he said.

Dorsey’s comments explicitly naming AI as a key driver behind the decision were also posted on X, or Twitter, a company he co-founded.

The announcement has sent shares of the company sharply higher this year, up 19%, reversing a 12% decline in the previous year.

Woodruff took the place of Chad Patrick on Milwaukee's 13-man pitching staff as the Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays submitted their World Series rosters Friday before playing Game 1 in Milwaukee.

This is the latest step in a remarkable comeback for Woodruff, a two-time All-Star who had expected to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery this past summer. Woodruff said he got the news from manager Pat Murphy and president of baseball operations Matt Arnold while driving home Thursday.

“I didn’t want this to be a charity pick,” Woodruff said Friday. “That was important to me. ... I wanted to be on the roster because I felt like I could help win.”

Woodruff's potential role hasn't been specified. Although he has started in all but 15 of his 151 career regular-season appearances, four of his eight playoff outings have come in relief.

Woodruff, 33, went on the injured list in early May after a reduction in his velocity prompted him to leave a game in the second inning. He returned in late June, dealt with another velocity dip during a July 4 start at Arizona and hasn’t pitched since.

He expected to undergo anterior capsule surgery, a procedure similar to one he had three years ago. Woodruff then learned the surgery wouldn’t be necessary, and he has been trying to work his way back ever since in hopes of pitching again in October.

Woodruff said he felt good after throwing 23 pitches in a live batting practice session Tuesday.

“We know who the kid is,” Murphy said. "We know that it’s not going to be too much for him. This is what this kid’s all about. He’s been around here for 10 years or whatever, and we’ve understood it. We feel like there’s a window where he can help us.

"That was the whole decision. This isn’t a, ‘Wow, we love Woody, he’s great for the organization.’ Because he already said to us, ‘I don’t want to be a sympathy pick. I want to be a pick because I can help the team.’ Then you go through all the things and say, ‘Can he help us?’ The answer is ‘Yes, he can definitely help us.’"

Even so, this move represents a major gamble.

A club may request permission from the commissioner to replace a player on the active roster for the remainder of a series if he sustains an “acute, non-chronic injury or ailment (not recurring soreness over time).” That means the Brewers likely wouldn't be able to fill Woodruff’s spot if they include him on the roster and he has a recurrence of the shoulder issue.

“I expressed how I felt about things and kind of where I was, and I was very truthful and very open,” Woodruff said. “It came down to I want one thing, whether I was on the roster or not, and that’s to win. So whatever was decided, I was good with. Obviously I love to compete and I want to pitch, but I understood the other side of it. Yeah, excited. I’m ready to go. My message was help in any capacity Murph needed me to get outs. I didn’t really care what that looked like.”

Woodruff’s 3.10 career ERA is the best in Brewers history for anyone who has pitched at least 500 innings for the team. Even while dealing with his drops in velocity this season, Woodruff went 2-2 with a 2.98 ERA in nine starts.

He has a 1-3 record and 3.18 ERA in eight career playoff appearances.

Although the Brewers have reached the postseason eight times in the last nine seasons, Woodruff's last playoff appearance came way back in 2021 because of a variety of injuries. He underwent shoulder surgery in the fall of 2023 and didn’t pitch again until July 2025. A lat strain prevented him from pitching in last year’s playoffs.

Patrick had been on Milwaukee's roster for their NL Division Series victory over the San Diego Padres and their NL Championship Series sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he hadn't pitched in either series. Patrick went 9-4 with a 3.40 ERA during the regular season.

Tampa Bay altered its pitching roster by including left-hander Garrett Cleavinger rather than right-hander Brody Hopkins. The Rays have the same roster they used for their AL Division Series victory over the New York Yankees.

Hopkins had taken Cleavinger's spot for Tampa Bay's AL Championship Series matchup with the Cleveland Guardians. Although Cleavinger was on the ALDS roster, he didn't actually pitch in that series.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Sgt. Hunter Foster, 33, had been cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the Mississippi Attorney General's office earlier this week after its monthslong probe concluded his use of force had been justified.

On Thursday, the state released videos of the fatal shooting of Kohen Wiley, including Foster's body-worn camera footage of the June 14 encounter in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of Memphis, Tennessee.

Senatobia Mayor Greg Graves confirmed Foster’s resignation Friday.

Foster's attorney Martin Zummach declined to comment when reached Friday. Zummach has said Foster had ‘no choice’ but to fire his weapon at the vehicle because it was moving at him.

Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, has disputed that her friend, who was driving, headed toward the officers.

Videos show the fatal shooting in a Walmart parking lot

Ben Crump, an attorney for Kohen's family, said the footage shows the fatal shot came from the side of the car, disputing that Foster was in imminent danger. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family concluded the same. An image of the vehicle shows its shattered right front passenger window. The family’s legal team called for the federal government to investigate the shooting.

“Officer Foster’s resignation is hardly a step toward accountability, and it is certainly not justice,” Crump said in a statement. "Turning in a badge does not erase responsibility for taking a life, and it will not end our fight for justice for Kohen and his family.”

The family's legal team has called for Foster to be decertified as a police officer so that he cannot be hired by another law enforcement agency.

Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesperson Alex Gibert said Friday that Foster remained certified as a police officer.

Kohen would have celebrated his second birthday in early November.

The group of officers were at the Walmart store in response to an unrelated incident, according to a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation report. A Walmart employee then alerted them of two women running from the store.

The videos show Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, holding Kohen as she and her friend run across the parking lot and enter their vehicle. Five officers approach the parked car with guns drawn. The car reverses away and crashes into a parked vehicle nearby as officers yell for it to stop.

The vehicle then accelerates forward as Foster steps toward it, directly in front, with his gun drawn. The wheels turn away from him, and he appears to put his hands on the hood as he jumps out of the way. He fires his gun, shattering the window of the front passenger side, where Kohen was seated on his mother’s lap. The car continues to drive away.

Vellesiya Wiley has denied that she and her friend stole diapers from the store and they have not been charged, according to state and county court records.

Former Senatobia officer was sued over alleged civil rights violations

Foster has worked for two other agencies in Mississippi since 2019 after becoming certified as a law enforcement officer there.

He worked for the police department in Southaven, a city in DeSoto County that’s part of the greater Memphis area, for two years and then was employed with the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office until October 2024. About five months later, he was hired by the police department in Senatobia, a city of about 8,000, according to state records obtained by the AP.

A lawsuit filed in federal court in Mississippi in 2021 accused Foster and a group of 12 other Southaven police officers of civil rights violations during a 2019 arrest of two Black men outside a Waffle House. The two men said they had been searching for a lost set of keys when they were violently arrested and beaten by several officers.

They alleged that Foster submitted a report falsely stating that they tried to run over another officer with their vehicle. Foster and the other officers denied wrongdoing. The Southaven police department agreed to settle the case in 2022 for an undisclosed amount, court records show.

Last month, Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford was fired by the city’s board of aldermen, after reporting by The New York Times, Mississippi Today and Verite News alleged he used racist slurs in private text messages.

Lana Nusseibeh brings Palestinian roots and defense of the UAE’s historic relations with Israel to her candidacy, but she faces sharp criticism over her country's alleged role in backing paramilitary fighters who have killed thousands in Sudan’s civil war. The Gulf nation has denied the claims.

Nusseibeh, who has a master’s in Israeli and Jewish Diaspora Studies, declared her candidacy this week in a race that had largely stalled. No woman has ever led the world body throughout its 80 years of existence.

Any leader succeeding Antonio Guterres in January would inherit a U.N. weakened by harsh criticism and steep funding cuts by the Trump administration. The U.N.’s role has perhaps never been more questioned as global powers create alternative bodies of influence, wars rage, hunger grows and epidemics like Ebola pose fresh challenges every day.

She will face questions from U.N. General Assembly members as part of the candidacy process on Tuesday.

Nusseibeh has been outspoken on aid to Gaza

Nusseibeh, who was nominated this week by the UAE government and has taken a leave of absence from the foreign ministry, spent over a decade as her country’s ambassador to the U.N., from 2013 to 2024. She has been outspoken on issues including aid for Palestinians in Gaza, the historic Abraham Accord with Israel in 2020 and the role of women on the international stage.

A request for an interview brought no immediate response Friday. Already, the six state members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which also includes Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have unanimously backed her.

“I will bring greater urgency to the work for peace,” Nusseibeh’s statement declaring her candidacy says. “I believe deeply in this institution because of where I come from. People in my region see what diplomacy and collective action can achieve. And they feel the consequences when it fails.”

Nusseibeh, born in 1978, wants to “rebuild trust” in the U.N. and says it should use “quiet diplomacy” to keep disputes from escalating. She also addresses a booming global issue, artificial intelligence, saying the U.N. should build “practical international cooperation before divisions harden, including voluntary incident reporting.”

Nusseibeh, whose uncle Sari Nusseibeh is a well-known Palestinian scholar, has family roots in Jerusalem and a long interest in the region beyond Gulf affairs. She is known for her advocacy for helping to get aid to the 2 million or so Palestinians trapped in Gaza.

“How did UAE become the largest global provider of humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to U.N. data? Because of Lana Nusseibeh — a diplomat who knows everyone and works with them to (get stuff done). She would be an inspired choice for this impossible job,” Brett McGurk, former White House envoy, said on X this week.

While holding the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council in 2023, several months before the war in Gaza began, Nusseibeh organized a special session on Palestine. And in 2025, she openly warned that Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank would be a “red line” for the UAE.

The UAE's role in Sudan will be questioned

But Nusseibeh could face what some believe is a conflict of interest over Sudan. The war and the UAE's alleged role in it has been explored by various arms of the U.N.

Rights groups and others have for years documented evidence of UAE backing for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that have been fighting Sudan's military in the civil war that erupted in April 2023.

The RSF has been accused of atrocities including the attack on the city of el-Fasher in October 2025 in which the U.N. said at least 6,000 people were killed.

“The U.N. has concluded, in part based on the evidence of our lab at Yale, that the massacre has the hallmarks of genocide,” Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, told the AP.

He said the el-Fasher massacre could not have happened without the UAE's provision of drones, mercenaries to operate them and artillery and mortars used in the siege of the city.

“An official of the government that did this cannot be allowed to lead the United Nations, especially when this conduct is under investigation by the ICC, a U.N. body,” Raymond said.

Last year, Sudan filed a case at the top U.N. court accusing the United Arab Emirates of breaching the genocide convention by arming and funding the RSF. The UAE asserted the case was “nothing more than a cynical publicity stunt.”

Nusseibeh was the UAE's point person on Sudan, according to Justin Lynch, managing director of the Conflict Insights Group research organization. “Throughout this war, she assured other governments that the UAE was not backing the RSF, even as Washington and other capitals knew internally that it was,” he told the AP.

The U.N. secretary-general's role is to protect civilians from horrors like el-Fasher, Lynch said. “Handing the job over to the diplomat who ran cover for it would be an insult to the survivors.”

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Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed.

El tribunal federal que encabeza el proceso busca determinar si los fondos otorgados a empresarios durante los mandatos de Fernández (2007-2015) y de su fallecido esposo Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007) retornaron al patrimonio familiar mediante el alquiler de habitaciones de hoteles que no fueron ocupadas y maniobras realizadas con otros inmuebles del matrimonio en la provincia de Santa Cruz y en la capital argentina.

La fiscalía acusa a Fernández —actual líder del peronismo opositor — de haber sido jefa de una asociación ilícita. A su hijo, el diputado peronista Máximo Kirchner, lo acusa de haber sido el organizador de esa estructura delictiva. Como partícipes fueron señalados exfuncionarios y empresarios. Sobre los acusados también pesa la imputación de lavado de dinero.

La máxima condena por esos delitos es de 10 años de prisión.

La casi veintena de procesados presenció el inicio del debate de forma virtual. Fernández, de 73 años, lo hizo desde el apartamento donde cumple desde 2025 una condena de cárcel e inhabilitación perpetua para ejercer cargos públicos por la concesión irregular de obras viales al empresario Lázaro Báez, quien está entre los acusados en el juicio actual.

Fernández y su hijo rechazan las imputaciones y sostienen que los hoteles y otros inmuebles eran negocios legítimos. La exmandataria afirma que es víctima de una persecución de sectores políticos contrarios que están confabulados con la justicia para desterrarla de la arena política.

Su defensa califica las acusaciones de "disparate jurídico”. En ese sentido destacó tiempo atrás la existencia de peritajes sobre dinero bancarizado que demostrarían la legalidad de los fondos, los cuales no fueron tenidos en cuenta por la justicia en el marco de la causa.

La dirigente política afronta además diferentes investigaciones por otros presuntos delitos.

Fiscalía apunta contra organización una delictiva

En el primer día del debate oral la Fiscalía expuso las imputaciones. Hizo alusión a “la existencia de una asociación ilícita de carácter estable y permanente” liderada por los dos expresidentes, varios exfuncionarios y otras personas de su confianza “montada en base a una división de roles definidos... dentro y fuera de la estructura administrativa del Estado destinada a cometer múltiples delitos" para “apoderarse” de millones de pesos provenientes de fondos públicos.

En el marco de esa asociación ilícita, las firmas Hotesur y Los Sauces, pertenecientes a los Kirchner, habrían sido parte de un único circuito de lavado de dinero para canalizar los fondos de origen ilícito a su patrimonio.

La investigación en torno a Hotesur puso la mira en el presunto lavado de activos mediante varios hoteles en Santa Cruz. La acusación apunta a que empresas de la construcción vinculadas a Báez simulaban la contratación de habitaciones que en realidad quedaban vacías o registraban una ocupación mínima, pagando a la firma hotelera con “fondos provenientes de la defraudación al Estado en la obra pública vial".

En tanto, la otra pesquisa sobre la inmobiliaria Los Sauces investigó las presuntas maniobras de lavado mediante “operaciones inmobiliarias y hoteleras, los contratos de locación y las transferencias provenientes de empresas” de Báez y de otros dos empresarios.

Fernández, activa pese a estar cercada por la justicia

Pese a estar confinada en su domicilio y afrontar este y otro juicio oral —que comenzó en 2025— la también exvicepresidenta (2019-2023) sigue activa políticamente y busca tener la última palabra en la definición del candidato presidencial del peronismo para los comicios de 2027, en los que mandatario de extrema derecha Javier Milei buscará la reelección.

En noviembre de 2025 Fernández comenzó a ser juzgada por supuestamente haber liderado una asociación ilícita que habría recaudado dinero de decenas de empresarios a cambio de beneficiarlos con contratos estatales en las áreas de la construcción, la energía y el transporte. La exmandataria ha negado los cargos.

En julio pasado Fernández denunció ante el Comité de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas a los jueces que la sentenciaron a seis años de prisión por haber defraudado al Estado. Los acusó de “machismo estructural” y persecución política.

Si gana la votación del domingo, convertir esas promesas en realidad tendría un alto costo para Brasil.

Lula, de 80 años, busca su cuarto mandato no consecutivo frente a Bolsonaro, de 45 años, un aliado del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump. Una derrota del mandatario en funciones supondría un gran impulso a la influencia de Trump en la región y el regreso al poder de la familia Bolsonaro, de tendencia derechista.

Entre las promesas de Lula para intentar reducir la distancia con Bolsonaro están:

Reducción de la semana laboral

Diez días antes de la segunda vuelta, el Congreso brasileño aprobó una legislación para reducir la semana laboral del país de seis días a cinco y las horas de trabajo semanales de 44 a 40 sin disminuir el salario. Bolsonaro respaldó la medida hacia el final de la campaña. Muchos líderes empresariales sostienen que recortar las horas de trabajo sin ganancias correspondientes de productividad eleva los costos laborales, perjudica a las pequeñas empresas y corre el riesgo de alimentar la inflación y el empleo informal.

Ampliación del programa insignia de asistencia social

Lula anunció en septiembre un aumento del 15% en los pagos del principal programa de asistencia social de Brasil, Bolsa Família, que calcula los beneficios según el tamaño de la familia y el número de hijos. El aumento entró en vigor esta semana, días antes de las elecciones, y beneficiará a casi 50 millones de personas. Los críticos describen las transferencias permanentes de ingresos financiadas por el gobierno como una herramienta populista clásica para garantizar la lealtad de los votantes. El gobierno indicó que el aumento costará a los contribuyentes 5.800 millones de reales (1.200 millones de dólares) por el resto del año.

Alivio de deudas para quienes ganan menos y exenciones fiscales para pequeñas empresas

Lula respaldó el miércoles un alivio crediticio e incentivos fiscales para pequeñas empresas, dándoles acceso a préstamos gubernamentales de bajo interés a través de bancos públicos y permitiéndoles renegociar parte de sus deudas. El gobierno calcula que el programa costará 3.000 millones de reales (600 millones de dólares) durante los próximos tres años.

También presentó un programa nacional de refinanciación de deudas destinado a borrar los registros de morosidad de millones de brasileños de bajos ingresos. Analistas de la oposición y comentaristas del mercado describen la condonación de deudas respaldada por el Estado y las renegociaciones subsidiadas como un alivio de corto plazo que no aborda las deficiencias de educación financiera.

Costos de transporte asequibles

Lula emitió algunas medidas ejecutivas destinadas a frenar los costos del combustible, incluido un decreto que elimina los impuestos federales a la importación y venta de gasolina por un periodo de 30 días, con la opción de nuevas prórrogas. Estas medidas incrementaron el alivio fiscal federal sobre la gasolina y subsidiaron los costos del diésel para los importadores. El gobierno también extendió las exenciones fiscales y amplió el apoyo al etanol para mantener la competitividad de los biocombustibles alternativos en los surtidores. El costo estimado de las medidas es de 5.200 millones de reales (1.000 millones de dólares), según el gobierno de Brasil.

Lula también envió al Congreso un proyecto de ley para establecer el transporte público gratuito los fines de semana. Los expertos señalan que el costo de una iniciativa de este tipo depende del modelo elegido y oscila entre 5.000 millones y 16.000 millones de reales (entre 1.000 millones y 3.200 millones de dólares).

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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.

“I'm the one that said do it,” Trump told reporters as he landed for a campaign rally in Florida.

The lawsuit, filed late Thursday, centers on one of the president's longstanding complaints in the Senate race — the presence of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan, who Republicans fear could siphon away votes from the incumbent in what's likely to be a photo-finish contest with Democrat Mary Peltola, the state's former congresswoman.

The second Sullivan, who is Daniel J. Sullivan from the tiny fishing community of Petersburg, has said he decided to run on his own, but Republicans have contended he is a Democratic plant to siphon votes away from their candidate.

The lawsuit by the Republican president's Department of Justice in federal court in Alaska demands that the state be blocked from certifying a Peltola win if Daniel J. Sullivan remains on the ballot. “The United States accordingly brings this lawsuit to protect the integrity of the 2026 Senate election in Alaska,” the lawsuit says.

The legal challenge came 11 days before the Nov. 3 election and months after the final ballot was set. It is the latest example of the Department of Justice bolstering Trump's political operation, targeting his enemies and suing Democratic-controlled states before the election.

Democrats and many voting rights advocates have long feared that the administration will try to block certification of elections that Trump’s party loses, much as he unsuccessfully tried to do when he lost the 2020 White House race to Democrat Joe Biden.

The Alaska Supreme Court rejected a previous Republican effort to remove Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot, and the state's Republican officials made the decisions about how to list him on the ballot. He will appear without a party designation next to his name, while the senator will be listed as the Republican incumbent. Alaska's ranked choice voting system also will allow voters to select both of the men if confused.

Peltola and Sen. Sullivan were top vote-getters in nonpartisan primary

The senator received more than 68,000 votes in the August primary, while the challenging Sullivan got 4,107, about 2% of the total vote. Peltola, who had previously served one term in the House, was the top vote-getter in the nonpartisan primary. Both parties expect that whoever wins in November will do so by a tight margin in a state of 738,000 people.

The campaign for Sen. Dan Sullivan did not address whether the senator supports the Department of Justice's intervention. “We'll let the DOJ complaint run its course,” campaign spokesman Nate Adams said in a text message. “Alaskans can tell the difference between a Democrat sideshow and Senator Sullivan's strong record of delivering for Alaska.”

Daniel J. Sullivan, whose presence on the ballot is at issue in the lawsuit, did not respond to a request for comment.

“Donald Trump knows that Dan Sullivan is going to lose the election, so now his Department of Justice is filing a sham lawsuit to overturn the will of Alaska voters and steal an election when he loses,” said Devan Barber, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Peltola, on her Substack, wrote, “This is a blatant, despicable political threat – all because a historically unpopular 12-year incumbent is scared that he’s going to lose the Senate seat that belongs to Alaskans.”

In a statement Friday, the Department of Justice noted that Alaska's election officials, who are Republicans, determined the other Sullivan's campaign was an attempt to “mislead” voters and wanted him removed from the ballot. Both a state court and Alaska's Supreme Court disagreed and kept the second Sullivan on the ballot.

"The Justice Department, consistent with the National Voter Registration Act enacted by Congress, is taking the necessary steps to ensure that this frivolous candidacy does not undermine the integrity of Alaska’s election or the will of its voters,” the department's statement said.

Concerns about the Department of Justice's role in the election had already reached a fever pitch this month after it filed an unusual, last-minute lawsuit demanding California segregate ballots from 20,000 voters who the Trump administration believed could be noncitizens. California said that it appeared many of those identified were indeed citizens and that they had no time to carefully investigate, as the administration threatened to prosecute the state's election workers if there was illegal voting.

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche denied the action was a prelude to challenging certification of the midterm results in that state, adding that such a move may happen under a “doomsday” scenario but was unlikely.

“It is not DOJ’s intention to, and it’s never our intention to, improperly interfere with elections or the state certification process," he told reporters Thursday in Virginia before the Alaska lawsuit was filed.

The lawsuit was signed by Associate U.S. Attorney General Stanley Woodward, who represented Trump allies and Jan. 6 defendants before becoming one of the top appointees at the department.

Constitution gives states the power to run elections

Derek Muller, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, said the lawsuit would likely only kick in if Republicans narrowly lose the Alaska Senate race and that it probably would not survive long. “The statute simply doesn't let the Department of Justice enjoin certification,” Muller said. “The lawsuit could well be mooted by a wide Democratic victory or a narrow Republican one, and if not, the court will likely dismiss it next month.”

The U.S. Constitution grants states the power to run their own elections. Elections for federal office like the Senate must comply with standards set by Congress. That division of power has frustrated Trump, who repeatedly has tried to seize control of election procedures through executive orders that courts have blocked.

The final step for a state election is formally certifying the winner, the act that the administration's lawsuit seeks to prevent, it requests, “pending an investigation to determine whether votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan were meant to be cast for Senator Sullivan."

The process in Alaska is complicated by the state's ranked choice voting system, which Trump opposes, and many expect it to take weeks before a winner is known. Also on the state's ballot is an initiative to repeal that system.

Trump has stepped up complaints about a ballot with dueling Sullivans

Trump has complained about Daniel J. Sullivan's presence on the ballot, making reference to it during a rally in Alaska this month and in repeated social media posts, including one this week where he called it “CHEATING.”

“We are looking at powerful legal options to remove the fraudulent Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. from the Ballot, and holding the Democrats accountable for their Election Interference, in the pursuit of Justice and Fairness,” the president wrote on Wednesday.

Clogging a ballot with third-party candidates to siphon off votes from the other major party is a long-standing tactic in the country's two-party system. Republicans have been linked to an effort to persuade Ohio voters to support a socialist in that state's Senate race, which could help Republican Sen. Jon Husted fend off a challenge from former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.

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Associated Press writers Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, Ali Swenson in New York and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.

Though Eleanor had made one of the great documentaries about the filmmaking process in “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” capturing the chaos of her husband Francis Ford Coppola’s film “Apocalypse Now,” she hadn’t come to “Marie Antoinette” to make her own film. She was there to help capture moments for marketing.

“She loved to show how things are made,” Sofia told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “The truth of what’s really going on behind that was always interesting to her.”

Eleanor Coppola had a vision for a documentary

The film's release came and went, and life moved on, but it frustrated Eleanor that her work was never put together the way she wanted, that Milena Canonero’s beautiful costumes that she so lovingly captured were never highlighted. Then one day during the COVID-19 pandemic, Eleanor decided to revisit the footage and started dreaming a little bigger: Maybe there was something there after all.

Though Eleanor wouldn’t live to see it finished, she was right: There was something there. And Sofia would see it to completion: “Making Marie Antoinette,” a luminous and intimate look at the creative process, is now playing in select theaters. On Nov. 6, it’ll be available to stream on Mubi.

“I always loved Frederick Wiseman’s films that don’t have any plot. They’re just like fly on the wall,” Sofia said. “And I thought, oh, maybe it’s cool for the movie just to feel like what it was like on the set. So that was kind of the starting point.”

Eleanor and Sofia worried early on about the lack of drama. There were no “Hearts of Darkness” crises. Sofia even finished “Marie Antoinette” on time and on budget.

“It’s like the opposite of ‘Hearts of Darkness,’” Sofia said. “In a way it’s sort of a nice counterpoint because that movie’s so macho and masculine and this is so feminine.”

And it's also true to what really happened. Going through the footage they discovered a trove of gems that Eleanor captured, including the first time she met Sofia’s then-boyfriend Thomas Mars, and the late Marianne Faithfull, in her beautiful costume, praising Eleanor’s films.

Sofia Coppola helped to finish what her mother started

Before Eleanor died in April 2024, she told her daughter that she wanted this film to be finished and her book, “Two of Me: Notes on Living and Leaving,” published. And, while grieving, Sofia, along with family friends and longtime collaborators, got to work to realize her vision.

“It was always kind of just finishing what she started out,” Sofia said. “Like any documentary, I’ve learned, you find the shape of it as you go. The hardest part was me being in it. Like, I would never in a million years think to show footage of me being vulnerable.”

In one moment, she’s sitting in a trailer with her mom and is visibly annoyed that she’s being filmed.

“Maybe I should rest so I can come onto set fresh and not having done a press junket in my trailer with my mom,” Sofia says.

Any mother and daughter, no matter their age, knows this kind of interaction well. But it didn’t make including it any easier.

“I’m like, oh, do we have to have that?” Sofia said. “It’s embarrassing that I’m being irritable and snotty with my mom. But it is real. So she would love that. I didn’t want it to be a puff piece. I wanted to show all the sides of that experience because that’s what she was looking for.”

The film also shows Sofia learning in real time to assert herself on a massive production.

“I hope that it’s helpful for people to see that there is evolution of people as, you don’t just walk on set and be this experienced person, like you have to find it,” Sofia said. “And you have to do things your own way, and it’s not always the way that everyone else does it.”

While it was coming together, they realized they had Eleanor’s words from that time to draw on as well from journal entries that they could overlay with the footage. In the film, they're read by Diane Lane, an actor who has known the Coppolas since she was young, having appeared in many of Francis’ films going back to “The Outsiders" and “Rumble Fish.” She also starred in Eleanor’s directorial debut, “Paris Can Wait."

“She really loved my mom,” Sofia said. “She knew her so well. So, she could kind of embody her, the feeling of my mom.”

20 years later, ‘Marie Antoinette’ has become beloved

“Marie Antoinette” had a rough entry into the world. It was infamously booed at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to receive mixed reviews from a pool of critics who were mostly male, but there were some outliers.

Roger Ebert, in a four-star review, wrote that, “every criticism I have read of this film would alter its fragile magic and reduce its romantic and tragic poignancy to the level of an instructional film.” At the box office, it wasn’t a disaster, but it wasn’t a hit either, with some $60 million in worldwide ticket sales.

But in the past 20 years, it’s undergone a significant cultural reappraisal. And thus its 20th anniversary year has become a big celebration, with “Making Marie Antoinette,” a 4K theatrical re-release of the film itself, a behind-the-scenes book with photographs from her friend Andrew Durham and an exhibition at Petit Trianon in the Palace of Versailles that runs through January.

But perhaps most importantly for Sofia, it’s a chance to remind (or show) the world who her mother was as an artist and a documentarian.

“It’s such a gift that she gave us this footage and that I got to kind of spend this year of grieving her in this way,” Sofia said. “She had such a specific way of doing things and seeing the world.”

The calls came nearly three weeks after rebels trying to overthrow the government lost control of Mekelle, Tigray's capital. Government-allied fighters entered Mekelle on Oct. 4 after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, withdrew.

Redae Halefom Woldeselassie, the caretaker administration’s chief executive for political and public mobilization, said rebel forces were collapsing and urged fighters to enter a disarmament and reintegration program.

“This is not the time for settling scores, I call upon you to return to your homes and continue your civilian lives,” he said in Mekelle.

He dismissed the prospect of the rebels retaking the city and portrayed the conflict as serving a small group of leaders rather than the people of Tigray.

Hours earlier, Lt. Gen. Fisseha Kidanu, who was identified in a television broadcast as commander of the Tigray army, pledged to reverse recent military setbacks.

“Local militias across the region — alongside all volunteers joining the resistance — are expected to engage the enemy,” he said Thursday on Tigray Broadcast Media, a new rebel television station. His location was not disclosed.

Fisseha urged attacks on government-held positions despite his opponents’ advantages in drones and heavy weapons. The TPLF has also claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on government forces. The Associated Press could not independently verify those claims.

Ethiopia’s government subsequently established a six-month caretaker administration promising to restore services, help displaced people return and prepare for elections.

The government’s allies include the Tigray Peace Force, comprising former members of the TPLF’s armed wing — a division within Tigrayan forces that has complicated the renewed conflict.

Redae said Ethiopian troops and allied forces were conducting joint security operations, including measures to prevent looting. He promised preparations for displaced residents to return but gave no timetable.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, speaking Monday to the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, accused the TPLF of acquiring weapons and forcibly recruiting young people instead of disarming under the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement. He said his government had done everything within its capacity to implement the accord.

Wounded men describe drone strike

At Ayder Hospital in Mekelle, Luel Berhanu, 22, and Samuel Belay, 20, said they were loading goats onto a truck in Finariwa, about 80 kilometers (49 miles) south of the city, when a strike hit around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

They said four civilians were killed and about six people wounded. The AP could not independently verify the casualties or establish who carried out the attack.

Luel said the truck’s headlights were on and a drone was hovering overhead shortly before the explosion. He said the blast severely injured his right eye and right arm, leaving him unable to see through that eye.

Samuel said they were working as day laborers loading the animals.

Hospital footage showed Luel with a bloodstained bandage covering his right eye and dressings around his shoulder and arm. Samuel lay on his side with an intravenous line attached to his arm.

A witness interviewed by the AP reported movements earlier that day by fighters identified as Agew Shengo, a militia that has previously fought alongside Tigrayan forces in neighboring Amhara region. Luel said rebel forces had been in the area several hours before the strike but none were present when it occurred.

Losing Mekelle may not end the war

The renewed fighting has effectively shattered the Pretoria agreement, which ended the region's devastating 2020-2022 war. That conflict caused an estimated 500,000 civilian deaths through violence, famine and collapsed health services, according to researchers at Ghent University in Belgium.

Magnus Taylor, deputy Horn of Africa director at the International Crisis Group, told the AP last week that controlling towns and roads would not necessarily secure rural areas where Tigrayan fighters regrouped during the previous war.

“We shouldn’t imagine that this conflict is completely over just because the TPLF has lost Mekelle,” he said.

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Amir Aman Kiyaro reported from Hamburg, Germany. Filmon Equar Hailu reported from Mekelle, Ethiopia.

Los agentes informaron que acudieron al área poco antes de las 9 a.m. después de recibir un reporte sobre “una persona enferma o herida”.

Sky 10 sobrevoló la escena poco antes de las 10:15 a.m., donde había agentes presentes y se había colocado cinta policial. El cuerpo del hombre estaba cubierto con una lona amarilla.

Los detectives de homicidios de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO) indicaron que están llevando a cabo una “investigación de muerte sin clasificar”, según las autoridades.

Señalaron que la causa de muerte será determinada por la Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado Miami-Dade.

No se disponía de información adicional sobre el hombre involucrado de inmediato.

Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, former leaders of a since-disbanded task force set up to counter foreign election interference, appeared in federal court in Washington, where their lawyers pressed for a speedy hearing to contest allegations their clients lied to lawmakers by saying that they did not participate in FBI investigations of Biden.

The prosecution, a rare Department of Justice criminal case against a former employee, revisits a tangled and peculiar saga that roiled the final weeks of the 2020 race. It also comes amid a broader, backward-looking effort by FBI Director Kash Patel, who before taking over the nation’s premier law enforcement agency was a harsh critic of it, to scrutinize high-profile episodes from the bureau’s recent past that for years have animated President Donald Trump’s conservative base.

Floris’ attorneys called her “a patriot” and said she has “served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years.”

“Yet today, the DOJ has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts,” her attorneys said in a statement. “It’s no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election.”

Attorneys for Benavides accused the government of bringing “baseless criminal charges against him in a transparently political complaint.”

“This is another sad day for the Department of Justice,” his lawyers said in an emailed statement. “But now we are in court, and the truth will come out: Brad Benavides is a true patriot who devoted his career to protecting this country and its people. These charges are a disgrace.”

A criminal complaint comes just before the midterms

The case was filed less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 elections via criminal complaint, which means prosecutors have not yet presented the allegations to a grand jury for an indictment. The Justice Department has repeatedly struggled in high-profile cases to convince grand juries in the nation’s capital to return indictments.

During the former FBI employees’ court appearance, both defense attorneys and the judge noted the unusual move to charge the case through a complaint, which is more often used by prosecutors when they have an urgent need to take people into custody because, for example, they present a danger or a risk of flight.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui remarked that it is “rare that we have charges this old coming in this nature," and over the objections of prosecutors who pushed for more time, set a preliminary hearing for next Tuesday, citing what he said was the “sword of Damocles” hanging over the defendants’ heads.

The laptop discovery created turmoil in 2020 election

The revelation of the laptop’s existence in October 2020 injected a thorny storyline in the race between Trump, the Republican incumbent, and Biden’s father, Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic challenger who went on to win the race.

The laptop were publicized by the New York Post, which said it had obtained from Trump ally Rudy Giuliani a hard drive of a computer dropped off by Hunter Biden at a Wilmington, Delaware, repair shop about a year earlier.

The criminal complaint aims to build on longstanding congressional Republican complaints about the FBI’s handling of the laptop, including allegations that the bureau was not forthcoming to the public that the materials on it — including emails that showed discussions of the younger Biden’s foreign business dealings — were authentic and not the product of Russian disinformation.

The curious circumstances of the laptop’s discovery raised concerns among Democrats and former intelligence officials about the possibility of Russian involvement, particularly at a time when the Trump administration’s own intelligence community had assessed that Moscow that Russia was attempting to interfere in Trump’s favor in the election and as Giuliani had traveled abroad looking for dirt on the Bidens. Dozens of former U.S. intelligence officials signed a letter saying that the laptop bore the "classic earmarks of an Russian information operation.”

But Trump’s then-director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, said in a letter to Congress that there was no proof foreign actors had anything to do with the laptop. The FBI under then-Director Chris Wray subsequently endorsed that position.

Hunter Biden was charged with, and convicted of, gun and tax offenses during his father’s administration. Joe Biden pardoned him in his final weeks in office.

The case shines a light on an FBI task force on foreign intelligence

The complaint alleges that in their capacity as leaders of the Foreign Influence Task Force, Floris and Benavides were deeply engaged in the investigations into Hunter Biden, and that Biden was a recurring subject at FITF meetings.

Yet, the complaint says, both downplayed their firsthand knowledge of the laptop or involvement in investigations during 2023 testimony to lawmakers who were doing their own Biden investigation.

It accuses Benavides of making a false statement by saying he learned through Wikipedia that the FBI was in possession of the laptop, and says Floris falsely claimed to have had no knowledge of Hunter Biden having been the subject of discussions at FITF.

“Lying to Congress by senior FBI officials strikes at the heart of our system. No one is above the law,” Patel said.

The case brings renewed attention to the work of the task force, which was established in the first Trump administration to police influence campaigns staged by Russia and other nations aimed at sowing discord, undermining democracy and spreading disinformation. The task force became a magnet of congressional Republican criticism in part because of the Hunter Biden investigation and was disbanded in February 2025 by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The Justice Department has made other splashy moves

As FBI director, Patel has presided over widespread firings of agents who were involved in investigations of Trump or who are perceived as being against the Republican administration's agenda.

He has also focused attention on years-old investigations like the Hunter Biden one that occurred before he became director and that have been the subject of grievances and complaints by Trump allies.

The Justice Department historically looks to avoid public and overt investigative acts in the direct lead-up to an election that involve candidates or that risk influencing a political outcome. But officials in the last two weeks have made a series of bold moves in cases with political undertones, including a search of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s house in an immigration fraud investigation and a corruption indictment unsealed Thursday against powerful Democratic Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas.

Omar and Lucas are both Trump critics. Omar, who's from Minnesota, has called the search of her Washington home an “attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement.” Lucas has said she won't be intimidated or bullied by the federal government in its case against her and “will not back down.”

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The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was involved in the case. Authorities confirmed the suspect, who has not yet been identified, allegedly threatened to slit Moskowitz’s throat in the voicemail.

The arrest comes just days after a suspicious letter containing white powder was delivered to the district office of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Sunrise.

The letter prompted a response from hazardous materials crews, police and the FBI. Later tests confirmed the substance was not hazardous.

Similar suspicious envelopes have been arriving in the mailboxes of federal lawmakers in Central Florida and several other states.

For Moskowitz, a two-term Democrat who represents Congressional District 23, the latest threat is at least the second in recent years.

In 2024, a man named John Kevin Lapinski Jr. was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison for creating a potential assassination plot targeting several people, including Moskowitz, as well as Jewish institutions.

Investigators found firearms, body armor and a manifesto containing antisemitic rhetoric at the time.

Moskowitz is Jewish, as is his Republican opponent, Scott Singer.

Authorities said the latest arrest took place in Boca Raton, within the congressional district Moskowitz currently represents.

El Departamento de Aplicación de la Ley de Florida (FDLE) participó en el caso. Las autoridades confirmaron que el sospechoso, cuya identidad aún no ha sido revelada, presuntamente amenazó con cortarle la garganta a Moskowitz en el mensaje de voz.

El arresto ocurre apenas unos días después de que una carta sospechosa que contenía un polvo blanco fuera entregada en la oficina distrital de la congresista estadounidense Debbie Wasserman Schultz en Sunrise.

La carta provocó la movilización de equipos especializados en materiales peligrosos, la policía y el FBI. Posteriormente, las pruebas confirmaron que la sustancia no era peligrosa.

Sobres sospechosos similares han estado llegando a los buzones de legisladores federales en Florida Central y varios otros estados.

Para Moskowitz, un demócrata que cumple su segundo mandato y representa al Distrito Congresional 23, esta es al menos la segunda amenaza que recibe en los últimos años.

En 2024, un hombre llamado John Kevin Lapinski Jr. fue declarado culpable y condenado a 25 años de prisión por elaborar un posible plan de asesinato dirigido contra varias personas, incluido Moskowitz, así como contra instituciones judías.

En ese momento, los investigadores encontraron armas de fuego, chalecos antibalas y un manifiesto que contenía retórica antisemita.

Moskowitz es judío, al igual que su oponente republicano, Scott Singer.

Las autoridades indicaron que el arresto más reciente ocurrió en Boca Ratón, dentro del distrito congresional que Moskowitz representa actualmente.

The song everyone was singing was about living life and measuring life, and there were a bunch of weird numbers — like 525,600. He wouldn't be the same after hearing it.

“I was like, ‘What is this?’” recalls Fisher. “That shifted things for me. I don’t think I’ll ever really be able to put a finger on it other than the fact that it was something that was supposed to happen.”

That song was, of course, the barn-burning Act 2 opener “Seasons of Love” from the landmark rock musical “Rent,” now celebrating its 30th anniversary of storming Broadway.

“'Rent' hit me. It just did,” says Fisher.

He's joining an astonishing list of Broadway's who's-who to celebrate the milestone Monday with a benefit performance of the show from the Richard Rodgers Theatre.

Stars from Broadway and beyond

Original cast members returning to their old roles include Tony-winner Idina Menzel, Tony-nominee Adam Pascal, Tony-nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega, Tony-winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Fredi Walker, Taye Diggs and Anthony Rapp.

Other “Rent” alumni include Tony-winner Natalie Venetia Belcon, Tony-nominee Nicholas Christopher , Tracie Thoms, Jose Llana, Tony-nominee Ephraim Sykes and Tony-winner Aaron Tveit.

Some Broadway celebs scheduled to take part include Tony-winner Neil Patrick Harris, Rachel Zegler, Tony-winner Norbert Leo Butz, Tony-nominee Will Chase, Telly Leung and Christopher J. Hanke. Fisher jokingly calls it “'Rent'-cella,” after Coachella.

Seats have been snapped up, but $30 livestream tickets are available. The stream will be accessible for 24 hours following the performance and proceeds go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

“It’s rare that a show has a life like this and is still exciting and inspirational enough to have a 30th festival, if you will. It’s a really, really special thing,” says Fisher.

‘Rent’ was a phenomenon

Jonathan Larson’s tale of free-spirited artists and street people in New York’s gritty drug- and AIDS-plagued East Village of the early 1990s was inspired by Puccini’s “La Boheme” and found a ready-made audience in young people, as it still does.

“He believed that going to musical theater didn’t just have to be an escape. It didn’t have to just be looking at phantoms and things that happened hundreds of years ago. It could be about the life we’re living right now,” says Rapp.

Rapp says it's appropriate that ticket sales will go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which has been offering meals, medication and healthcare to artists since the 1980s. “They can help make a difference to help people get direct aid and direct support in communities around the country.”

Rapp, who originated the role of the scarf-wearing Mark Cohen, was part of the workshop for the off-Broadway production and knew there was something special, if raw, in the fledgling show. “The soul of it was so powerfully there,” he recalls.

He also recalls hearing “Seasons of Love” — with its famous line “525,600 minutes/How do you measure a year in the life?” — for the first time when the cast, musical director Tim Weil and director Michael Greif gathered around a piano.

“I’ve never heard a song like it and certainly not in theater,” Rapp says. “We all leaned forward. Every single element of it was so etched deeply into my soul and my memory.”

He predicted the show might make a splash, but a smallish one: “I meant like the way that off-Broadway things over in the corner could make a bit of a splash and have some energy around it, but certainly never anticipated mainstream and never anticipated Broadway.”

The ripple effects of ‘Rent’

Rapp sees the rock and defiant snarl from “Rent” in the DNA of such shows as “Hadestown,” “Spring Awakening,” “Next to Normal,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Hamilton.”

“When you break a dam open, water rushes through. It’s like that,” he says. “Now, there’s a whole new universe of shows that have followed in our footsteps because we broke down the dam that seemed unbreakable.”

“Rent” won Tony Awards for best musical, score and book and a Pulitzer Prize. It lasted on Broadway for 12 years and more than 5,000 performances, launching the careers of its young original cast.

There was a 2005 film version, multiple tours, an off-Broadway revival, international productions, a Hollywood Bowl concert and a live staging on Fox in 2019, which starred Fisher in Rapp's old role.

Larson never lived to see his triumph: He died at age 35 of an aortic aneurysm after its final off-Broadway dress rehearsal in January 1996.

“The torch has been passed and carried by so many incredible artists over the years,” says Rapp. “I think it would thrill Jonathan Larson so much to know that so many wonderful human beings came through and kept his work alive and that they want to come back and celebrate it.”

The designation by the Energy Department means that more federal financing will be available for helium producers and that the government will monitor it more closely. Helium is primarily produced as a byproduct of natural gas processing. The United States is the world’s largest producer of natural gas and of helium. Qatar and Russia are the other top helium producers.

Exports of Qatar’s helium supply have been severely curtailed by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a result of its war with Israel and the U.S. Iranian strikes on Qatar’s infrastructure have also impacted supply. Russia imposed temporary export controls on helium in April to protect its domestic supply.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Trump administration is freeing America from reliance on foreign sources of critical materials, strengthening domestic manufacturing, supporting American jobs and securing the materials essential to U.S. economic and national security.

“President Trump is bringing back America’s manufacturing industry, and that means making sure we have the materials needed to build things in America again,” Wright said in a statement.

Helium is the 20th critical material identified by DOE

Metallurgical coal used for steelmaking was the last one to be added, in 2025. The only other gas on the list is fluorine.

To make the critical materials list, a non-fuel mineral element or substance must serve an essential function in one or more energy technologies and there must be a high risk of disruption to the supply chain.

Helium makes balloons rise, but that's not why the DOE is interested in it. Helium plays an important role in wind, solar and nuclear energy production, space exploration, medical imaging and research.

Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson said helium's unique properties make it irreplaceable, such as the fact that it's non-combustible and has the lowest boiling point of any gas. The nation needs an ample supply for semiconductors, quantum and super computing, and superconducting magnets, added Robertson, who oversees the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation.

“We need to make sure that we can build those here. And helium is one of those components that could be a single point of failure, where we cannot let that happen. That’s why we’re designating it within our statutory authority, but I think why it’s important is not necessarily for our birthday parties,” Robertson said in an interview. “It’s really towards the future of American competitiveness and energy security, which we believe is national security.”

David Isaacs, vice president of the Semiconductor Industry Association trade group, noted helium plays an essential role in the industry's cooling, photolithography, leak detection and more.

"We look forward to continuing to work with government and industry leaders in the U.S. and across the world to strengthen semiconductor supply chain resilience,” Isaacs said.

The United States designates both critical minerals and critical materials, and there is some crossover between them. The U.S. Geological Survey included helium on a 2018 list of critical minerals, but later lists omitted it because the domestic supply of helium was considered secure.

Despite environmental concerns with recovering helium from natural gas, there are also opportunities, said Greeshma Gadikota, director of the Lenfast Center for Sustainable Energy at Columbia University.

“If we burn the natural gas, there are a lot of CO2 emissions associated with that,” Gadikota said. "But if you just extract the helium and use it, the uses of it don’t contribute necessarily to greenhouse gas emissions.

“So from a climate standpoint, if we are going to continue down the line of extracting natural gas and recovering helium," she added, “I would prefer to see natural gas being used in a form where we directly produce hydrogen and we produce solid carbon.” Hydrogen is a clean burning fuel, and solid carbon can provide permanent carbon sequestration and can be used widely in industrial applications, including rubber and pigments.

U.S. production of helium is constrained

There used to be a strategic national stockpile in Texas for helium, much like America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Congress mandated in 2013 that it be privatized. The Bureau of Land Management completed the sale of the federal helium system to the industrial gas company Messer in 2024.

The U.S. produced 81 million cubic meters of helium in 2025, or 43% of the global supply. Of that, 38 million cubic meters of helium was exported. The U.S. has produced roughly 80 million cubic meters of helium annually since 2021.

There are large helium reserves in Wyoming, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Utah. Though there are abundant helium resources, helium extraction plants are at their limits and it takes years to permit and build new ones, which continues to constrain U.S. production, according to DOE.

The plants extracting the most helium, as of 2023, were located in Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma, according to federal data.

Some in the helium industry have urged the U.S. government to formally designate helium as a critical resource. The North American gas exploration company Avanti Helium Corp. says it’s urgent, and an increase in North American supply is needed to avoid becoming dependent on foreign sources.

“We are very pleased to have helium recognized as a critical material," said Avanti Helium CEO Chris Bakker. "The U.S. has the potential to remain self-sufficient in helium. However, this will require investment in exploration for new reserves and inclusion on the critical materials list will bring significant support to these efforts.”

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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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Shorty’s Bar-B-Q in Miami was hit with 55 violations during a Thursday inspection triggered by a complaint and the findings are downright disturbing.

Inspectors reported rodent droppings on the floor and on shelves where clean aprons were stored, flying insects landing on chicken wings and bread, food held at unsafe temperatures, and employees failing to wash their hands properly.

The inspection also uncovered a dishwashing machine that wasn’t sanitizing properly, mold-like buildup in the ice machine and iced tea dispenser, and filthy, deteriorating kitchen conditions.

Fifty-five violations are unacceptable, and customers deserve better.

Below is a list of some of their violations.

**SHORTY’S BBQ

11575 BIRD ROAD

WESTWOOD LAKES/WEST MIAMI

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 10/22

55 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed approximately 10+ rodent droppings on floor in dry storage area. Observed approximately 5+ rodent droppings near electrical box in dry storage area. Observed approximately 10+ rodent droppings on shelf where clean aprons are stored in dry storage area.”

“Live, small flying insects found. Observed three flying insects landing on chicken wings in back prep area. Observed four flying insects flying in the air near the ware washing area. Observed two flying insects landing on bread near cook line area. Observed approximately 10+ flying insects landing on kitchen prep table near back exit door.”

“Pesticide/insecticide labeled for household use only present in establishment. Observed household pesticide stored in dry food storage area, next to flour.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking and the time removed from temperature control cannot be determined. See stop sale. Observed baked potatoes (84F - Hot Holding); ribs (126F - Hot Holding); cooked chicken (104F - Hot Holding); wings (110F - Hot Holding) at the stream table with incorrect time marking.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed baked potatoes (84F - Hot Holding); ribs (126F - Hot Holding); cooked chicken (104F - Hot Holding); wings (110F - Hot Holding) at the steam table in the kitchen area.”

“Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed HWS by the dishwashing area have a knife inside of it.”

“Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin. Observed ice machine have slime and black mold like build up.”

“Accumulation of debris inside ware washing machine.”

“Accumulation of debris on exterior of ware washing machine.”

“Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. Observed reach in cooler door handles at the cook line with food debris build up.”

“Ceiling tile missing. Observed two ceiling tiles missing in kitchen area.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. Observed ceiling tiles in disrepair in kitchen and back storage area.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Observed ceiling vents soiled in kitchen area.”

“Cleaned and sanitized equipment or utensils not properly stored. Observed clean pot lids stored on floor in dishwashing area.”

“Cove molding at floor/wall juncture broken/missing. Observed cove molding on kitchen floor missing.”

“Employee drinking from an unenclosed beverage container in a food preparation/clean dishware area and the container does not have a dispensing mechanism to prevent hand contact with lip contact area of drink container. Observed employee drinking from an open container with no lid at the cook line.”

“Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Observed personal items stored on prep table in kitchen area.”

“Floor area(s) covered with standing water. Observed standing water on floor inside walk in cooler.”

“Equipment in poor repair. Observed chest freezer in kitchen area in disrepair. Observed walk in cooler door in disrepair.”

“Food storage container/container lid cracked or broken. Observed gray plastic container inside walk in cooler cracked.”

“Food stored on floor. Observed bucket of mayonnaise on floor.”

“Hole in or other damage to wall. Observed holes in wall in dry storage area by dish washer station.”

“Iced tea dispenser not cleaned at least once every 24 hours. Observed ice tea dispenser have mold like build up.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed hood filters at the cook line soiled. Observed reach in cooler gaskets at the cook line heavily soiled.”

“Old food stuck to clean dishware/utensils. Observed food debris on clean plates at the dry rack area.”

“Uncleanable knife block in use to store knives.”

“Utility lines are unnecessarily exposed. Observed utility lines in dry storage area exposed.”

“Dish machine not sanitizing properly. Discontinue use of dish machine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dish machine is repaired and sanitizing properly.”

“Employee began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands. Observed employee leave cook line station to clean dishes and then come back to cook line and begin food preparation with no hand washing.”

“Employee touched face/hair and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed employee touch face and a clean tong without proper handwashing.”

El restaurante Shorty’s Bar-B-Q en Miami recibió 55 infracciones durante una inspección realizada el jueves a raíz de una denuncia, y los hallazgos son realmente preocupantes.

Los inspectores reportaron excrementos de roedores en el piso y en estantes donde se almacenaban delantales limpios, insectos voladores posándose sobre alitas de pollo y pan, alimentos mantenidos a temperaturas inseguras y empleados que no se lavaban las manos adecuadamente.

La inspección también reveló una máquina lavavajillas que no desinfectaba correctamente, acumulación de sustancias similares al moho en la máquina de hielo y el dispensador de té helado, así como condiciones de suciedad y deterioro en la cocina.

Cincuenta y cinco infracciones son inaceptables, y los clientes merecen algo mejor.

A continuación, una lista de algunas de las infracciones.

**SHORTY’S BBQ

11575 BIRD ROAD

WESTWOOD LAKES/WEST MIAMI

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 10/22

55 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Presencia de actividad de roedores, evidenciada por excrementos encontrados. Se observaron aproximadamente más de 10 excrementos de roedores en el piso del área de almacenamiento de productos secos. Se observaron aproximadamente más de 5 excrementos de roedores cerca de una caja eléctrica en el área de almacenamiento de productos secos. Se observaron aproximadamente más de 10 excrementos de roedores en un estante donde se almacenan delantales limpios en el área de almacenamiento de productos secos”.

“Se encontraron insectos voladores pequeños y vivos. Se observaron tres insectos voladores posándose sobre alitas de pollo en el área trasera de preparación. Se observaron cuatro insectos voladores en el aire cerca del área de lavado de utensilios. Se observaron dos insectos voladores posándose sobre pan cerca del área de cocción. Se observaron aproximadamente más de 10 insectos voladores posándose sobre una mesa de preparación de alimentos cerca de la puerta de salida trasera”.

“Presencia de pesticida/insecticida etiquetado exclusivamente para uso doméstico en el establecimiento. Se observó un pesticida doméstico almacenado en el área de almacenamiento de alimentos secos, junto a la harina”.

“Los alimentos que requieren control de tiempo y temperatura por razones de seguridad, identificados en el procedimiento escrito como alimentos mantenidos mediante el uso del tiempo como medida de control de salud pública, no tenían una indicación de tiempo y no se pudo determinar cuándo fueron retirados del control de temperatura. Consulte la orden de suspensión de venta. Se observaron papas horneadas (84 °F, mantenimiento en caliente), costillas (126 °F, mantenimiento en caliente), pollo cocido (104 °F, mantenimiento en caliente) y alitas de pollo (110 °F, mantenimiento en caliente) en la mesa de vapor con indicaciones de tiempo incorrectas”.

“Alimentos que requieren control de tiempo y temperatura por razones de seguridad, distintos de los cortes enteros de carne asada, mantenidos calientes a menos de 135 grados Fahrenheit. Se observaron papas horneadas (84 °F, mantenimiento en caliente), costillas (126 °F, mantenimiento en caliente), pollo cocido (104 °F, mantenimiento en caliente) y alitas de pollo (110 °F, mantenimiento en caliente) en la mesa de vapor del área de cocina”.

“Lavamanos utilizado para fines distintos al lavado de manos. Se observó un cuchillo dentro del lavamanos ubicado junto al área de lavado de platos”.

“Acumulación de una sustancia negra y verde similar al moho en el interior de la máquina y el depósito de hielo. Se observó acumulación de una sustancia viscosa y residuos negros similares al moho en la máquina de hielo”.

“Acumulación de residuos en el interior de la máquina lavavajillas”.

“Acumulación de residuos en el exterior de la máquina lavavajillas”.

“Acumulación de restos de alimentos y suciedad en las manijas de las puertas de los equipos. Se observó acumulación de restos de alimentos en las manijas de las puertas de los refrigeradores del área de cocción”.

“Faltan paneles del techo. Se observó la ausencia de dos paneles del techo en el área de cocina”.

“Techo o paneles del techo dañados o en mal estado. Se observaron paneles del techo deteriorados en la cocina y en el área trasera de almacenamiento”.

“Techo, paneles del techo o conductos de ventilación sucios por acumulación de restos de alimentos, grasa, polvo o sustancias similares al moho. Se observaron conductos de ventilación sucios en el área de cocina”.

“Equipos o utensilios limpios y desinfectados almacenados incorrectamente. Se observaron tapas de ollas limpias almacenadas en el piso del área de lavado de platos”.

“Molduras de unión entre el piso y la pared rotas o faltantes. Se observó la ausencia de molduras en el piso de la cocina”.

“Empleado bebiendo de un recipiente sin tapa en un área de preparación de alimentos o de utensilios limpios, sin un mecanismo dispensador que evite el contacto de las manos con la zona del recipiente donde se colocan los labios. Se observó a un empleado bebiendo de un recipiente abierto y sin tapa en el área de cocción”.

“Artículos personales de empleados almacenados dentro o encima de un área de preparación de alimentos, alimentos, equipos y utensilios limpios o artículos de un solo uso. Se observaron artículos personales almacenados sobre una mesa de preparación en el área de cocina”.

“Áreas del piso cubiertas con agua estancada. Se observó agua estancada en el piso del refrigerador de acceso peatonal”.

“Equipos en mal estado. Se observó un congelador horizontal deteriorado en el área de cocina. Se observó la puerta del refrigerador de acceso peatonal en mal estado”.

“Recipiente de almacenamiento de alimentos o tapa del recipiente agrietados o rotos. Se observó un recipiente de plástico gris agrietado dentro del refrigerador de acceso peatonal”.

“Alimentos almacenados en el piso. Se observó un cubo de mayonesa en el piso”.

“Agujeros u otros daños en la pared. Se observaron agujeros en la pared del área de almacenamiento de productos secos, junto a la estación de lavado de platos”.

“Dispensador de té helado que no se limpia al menos una vez cada 24 horas. Se observó acumulación de una sustancia similar al moho en el dispensador de té helado”.

“Superficies que no entran en contacto con alimentos sucias con grasa, restos de alimentos, suciedad, sustancias viscosas o polvo. Se observaron filtros de la campana extractora sucios en el área de cocción. Se observaron empaques de las puertas de los refrigeradores del área de cocción extremadamente sucios”.

“Restos de alimentos viejos adheridos a platos y utensilios limpios. Se observaron restos de alimentos en platos limpios ubicados en el área de estantes de secado”.

“Uso de un bloque para cuchillos que no puede limpiarse adecuadamente para almacenar cuchillos”.

“Tuberías y líneas de servicios innecesariamente expuestas. Se observaron líneas de servicios expuestas en el área de almacenamiento de productos secos”.

“La máquina lavavajillas no desinfecta correctamente. Se debe suspender el uso de la máquina lavavajillas para desinfección y establecer un procedimiento de desinfección manual hasta que la máquina sea reparada y desinfecte adecuadamente”.

“Empleado comenzó a trabajar con alimentos, manipular equipos o utensilios limpios, o tocar artículos de un solo uso sin envolver, sin lavarse primero las manos. Se observó a un empleado salir del área de cocción para lavar platos y luego regresar al área de cocción y comenzar a preparar alimentos sin lavarse las manos”.

“Empleado se tocó la cara o el cabello y luego participó en la preparación de alimentos, manipuló equipos o utensilios limpios, o tocó artículos de un solo uso sin envolver, sin lavarse las manos. Se observó a un empleado tocarse la cara y luego tocar unas pinzas limpias sin lavarse adecuadamente las manos”.

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Deputies with the Broward Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect in an arrest report as Shadaryl Eddie.

The incident occurred in March 2025 at a rental property in the 2200 block of Northeast 12th Street in Oakland Park.

On March 12, Eddie presented the male victim with a Broward County Housing Authority voucher for the property, along with a birth certificate and Social Security card bearing the victim’s information, in an effort to gain entry into the residence, according to investigators.

Investigators said the man was the legitimate recipient of the housing voucher. However, Eddie allegedly used the identity of her deceased sister, who died in December 2024, to carry out the scheme, an arrest report states.

The Broward County Housing Authority uses taxpayer funds to help eligible individuals secure housing.

Authorities said the man initially received $8,357 from the housing authority. They said on July 3, 2025, he received a letter informing him that he owed the agency $8,357 because the housing voucher had allegedly been obtained fraudulently.

Investigators said Eddie was identified as the person living in the rental unit. The report states that the male victim’s housing authority account was credited $8,357, leaving him without those funds at the time of the investigation.

Authorities also said the male victim lost rental income and incurred expenses to evict Eddie from the apartment. The total financial loss was estimated to exceed $11,000, according to the report.

Jail records show Eddie faces one count each of fraudulent use of the personal identification information of a deceased person, involving a value of $5,000 or more, and grand theft of $5,000 or more but less than $10,000.

As of Friday morning, Eddie was being held at BSO’s North Broward Bureau. Her bond had not been immediately set.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward identificaron a la sospechosa en un informe de arresto como Shadaryl Eddie.

El incidente ocurrió en marzo de 2025 en una propiedad de alquiler ubicada en la cuadra 2200 de Northeast 12th Street en Oakland Park.

El 12 de marzo, Eddie presentó a la víctima, un hombre, un vale de la Autoridad de Vivienda del Condado Broward para la propiedad, junto con un certificado de nacimiento y una tarjeta del Seguro Social que contenían la información de la víctima, con el objetivo de obtener acceso a la residencia, según los investigadores.

Los investigadores indicaron que el hombre era el beneficiario legítimo del vale de vivienda. Sin embargo, Eddie presuntamente utilizó la identidad de su hermana fallecida, quien murió en diciembre de 2024, para llevar a cabo el fraude, según el informe de arresto.

La Autoridad de Vivienda del Condado Broward utiliza fondos de los contribuyentes para ayudar a las personas elegibles a obtener vivienda.

Las autoridades indicaron que el hombre recibió inicialmente $8,357 USD de la autoridad de vivienda. Señalaron que el 3 de julio de 2025 recibió una carta en la que se le informaba que debía $8,357 USD a la agencia porque el vale de vivienda presuntamente había sido obtenido de manera fraudulenta.

Los investigadores indicaron que Eddie fue identificada como la persona que vivía en la unidad de alquiler. El informe señala que se acreditaron $8,357 USD a la cuenta del hombre en la autoridad de vivienda, dejándolo sin esos fondos al momento de la investigación.

Las autoridades también indicaron que el hombre perdió ingresos por alquiler y tuvo que asumir gastos para desalojar a Eddie del apartamento. La pérdida económica total se estimó en más de $11,000 USD, según el informe.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Eddie enfrenta un cargo por uso fraudulento de información de identificación personal de una persona fallecida, por un valor de $5,000 USD o más, y otro cargo por robo mayor de $5,000 USD o más, pero inferior a $10,000 USD.

Hasta la mañana del viernes, Eddie permanecía detenida en la Oficina Norte de Broward de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward (BSO). Su fianza aún no había sido fijada.

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None of our long-range models show any development contenders into early November.

How common are tropical threats in November?

The hurricane season runs through the end of November, and November hits have happened on the U.S. mainland. But of all months of the six month hurricane season, November is the least likely month for a tropical storm or hurricane strike.

If tropical systems threaten the mainland U.S. in November, they’re most likely to threaten Florida. Of the 12 tropical storms and hurricanes to hit the U.S. mainland in November since recordkeeping began in 1851, every single one has passed through Florida, even if another state was also affected.

To be clear, these are uncommon events when they happen. A named storm impact stateside in November is about a once-in-every-15-year event. For hurricanes, it’s rare to see a November strike – about a once-in-50-year event – but not unprecedented.

Head to the western Gulf in November

Hurricane Nicole was the last November hurricane to hit back on November 10^th, 2022. The latest hurricane to hit the U.S. was Kate in 1985, which struck east of Panama City Beach on Nov. 21 with 100-mph (Category 2 strength) winds, the strongest November U.S. landfall on record.

For South Florida, our latest landfalling hurricane happened back in 1935 with the so-called “Yankee Hurricane” that came ashore near Miami as a Category 2 hurricane on Nov. 4.

Those looking for a November virtually guaranteed free of tropical threats should head west to Texas where no named storm has ever been recorded during the hurricane season’s final month.

The localized ceasefire is set to begin next week.

Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. negotiators reached a deal Friday to provide humanitarian relief to the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in the war-divided region of Kherson in southern Ukraine.

Melania Trump, who worked with officials from both countries on a separate matter, initiated talks about Oleshky after learning about the situation at one of her events during the U.N. General Assembly session in September, the White House said in announcing her involvement.

She and a representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms of the ceasefire, the White House said.

Ukraine’s top negotiator in the effort told The Associated Press that a local ceasefire with Russia will start Tuesday — two days before the mission begins — and last several days.

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian ombudsman and his country’s chief negotiator in the talks, said the ceasefire would take effect across the Kherson region and neighboring areas essential to the operation. He added the initiative could act as a model for future humanitarian missions.

Russian officials also confirmed the agreement.

Lubinets earlier Friday thanked Melania Trump and said the deal would be tough to accomplish. He said the agreement calls for a ceasefire, followed by the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid. Lastly, civilians will be allowed to leave Oleshky, he said in a video message posted online.

“The operation will be carried out gradually and is extremely challenging to implement," Lubinets said.

The removal of mines comes first

Lubinets said the operation would involve removing mines on the way to Oleshky before the physical delivery of humanitarian supplies and the arranging of evacuations.

He gave no further details on how the ceasefire or the aid mission would be monitored or implemented, citing the sensitivity of the negotiations. He declined to comment when asked if Melania Trump would travel to Ukraine.

“When Melania Trump learned about the situation in Oleshky, the negotiation process began under her coordination,” he said. “For several weeks, we discussed many questions, initiatives and ideas. We established new approaches, mechanisms and tools to do everything possible to help civilians in Oleshky survive.”

Russia’s chief of the general staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, said Russian forces “will cease fire on the Kherson axis” starting at 4 a.m. Tuesday in Moscow" — or late Monday in the United States — "in connection with the humanitarian operation near Oleshky.”

Russian forces will also carry out “engineering reconnaissance” and ensure “safe movement of the humanitarian convoy” into the city, Gerasimov said.

Russia’s human rights ombudswoman, Yana Lantratova, confirmed that Melania Trump had brokered an agreement on “organizing a humanitarian mission” in Oleshky. Lantratova, who said she participated in negotiations, said providing such assistance is Russia's priority.

The first step will be to clarify what people need and organize the delivery of food, medicine, hygiene products and other essentials, Lantratova said in an online statement. Safe passage will be guaranteed for anyone who wants to leave the combat zone, she said, adding that it will require abiding by the ceasefire and creating safe conditions for humanitarian vehicles.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was grateful to the first lady. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump had recently discussed the effort.

Peskov said "those who want to leave it would be able to do so.” He would not say whether they would be taken to Russia- or Ukraine-held territory. He also demurred when asked how long the evacuation will last, saying only it would most likely take several days.

Saving children is the first lady's focus, president says

Melania Trump has made helping children in conflict zones one of her signature issues in her husband's second term. She hosted a U.N. Security Council meeting on the issue earlier this year, and last year wrote Putin about efforts to reunite families with children who have been displaced by the war. She has helped reunite nearly three dozen children, according to her senior adviser, Marc Beckman.

“What she wants to do is save children, and that’s her focus,” the president told reporters at the White House.

Beckman portrayed the first lady's work on the ceasefire as an extension of her efforts to help reunite Russian and Ukrainian children with their families after they were separated by Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Tensions between Washington and Kyiv are rising

The development comes as tensions have increased to new highs between the Trump administration and Ukraine’s government. Kyiv has faced restrictions on the satellite internet system it relies on to knock down Russian attacks, with Trump and other top U.S. officials sending mixed messages about who was responsible for throttling the Elon Musk-made Starshield system.

Trump also recently waived new Russia sanctions, reached an agreement with Russia to import diesel fuel and pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a deal to end the war that Russia began in February 2022. In renewed efforts to revive the peace process, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Norway this week for talks with Zelenskyy before meeting Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Zelenskyy did not mention the ceasefire in Oleshky during a remote appearance at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank. He did note that American Patriot missile interceptors were still on hold and Starshield and Starlink speed limits were still in place.

He also spoke of the importance of the United States to renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war, including a possible joint meeting with Trump and Putin.

The situation in Oleshky is dire

Food and medical supplies have been scarce for months in Oleshky, which sits on the Dnipro River that separates Ukrainian forces from the city’s Russian occupiers. There is no electricity, heat or running water. Roads leading from town are mined and dotted with burned-out cars. Drones buzz overhead.

Once a city of about 24,000 residents, Oleshky was captured by Moscow’s forces on the first day of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Its buildings were shelled and burned, and its infrastructure damaged. In June 2023, floodwaters inundated the city after the Kakhovka Dam collapsed from an explosion that an Associated Press investigation found was likely caused by the Russian military. Hundreds of residents were killed.

Those left in the city along Ukraine’s southeastern front face death from hunger or disease as another harsh winter looms. Ukraine has appealed repeatedly for a local ceasefire to organize evacuations. Russia, as the occupying power, is obligated by international law to ensure civilians under its control have what they need to survive.

___

Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin and Darlene Superville in Washington, Volodymyr Yurchuk, Derek Gatopoulos and Susie Blann in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.

Ninguno de nuestros modelos de pronóstico a largo plazo muestra posibles sistemas en desarrollo hasta principios de noviembre.

¿Qué tan frecuentes son las amenazas tropicales en noviembre?

La temporada de huracanes se extiende hasta finales de noviembre, y se han registrado impactos durante ese mes en el territorio continental de Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, de todos los meses de la temporada de huracanes, que dura seis meses, noviembre es el mes con menor probabilidad de que una tormenta tropical o un huracán toque tierra.

Si los sistemas tropicales amenazan el territorio continental de Estados Unidos en noviembre, lo más probable es que afecten a Florida. De las 12 tormentas tropicales y huracanes que han impactado el territorio continental de Estados Unidos en noviembre desde que comenzaron los registros en 1851, todos han pasado por Florida, incluso si otro estado también resultó afectado.

Cabe aclarar que estos fenómenos son poco frecuentes. El impacto de una tormenta con nombre en Estados Unidos durante noviembre ocurre aproximadamente una vez cada 15 años. En el caso de los huracanes, es poco común que uno toque tierra en noviembre, aproximadamente una vez cada 50 años, pero no es algo sin precedentes.

Diríjase al oeste del Golfo en noviembre

El huracán Nicole fue el último huracán de noviembre en tocar tierra en Estados Unidos, el 10 de noviembre de 2022. El huracán que más tarde en el mes ha impactado Estados Unidos fue Kate en 1985, que tocó tierra al este de Panama City Beach el 21 de noviembre con vientos de 100 mph (intensidad de categoría 2), convirtiéndose en el huracán más fuerte registrado que haya tocado tierra en Estados Unidos durante noviembre.

En el sur de Florida, el huracán que más tarde en el mes ha tocado tierra fue el llamado “Huracán Yanqui” de 1935, que llegó a tierra cerca de Miami como un huracán de categoría 2 el 4 de noviembre.

Quienes busquen un lugar prácticamente libre de amenazas tropicales en noviembre deberían dirigirse al oeste, hacia Texas, donde nunca se ha registrado una tormenta con nombre durante el último mes de la temporada de huracanes.

In Ohio, the backlash over a campaign advertisement attacking Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor, has spread beyond the state’s borders. The ad features Acton’s estranged mother calling her “a liar.”

Trump posted on social media Thursday that Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad was “hitting pay dirt” and that Acton was “fair game.”

Trump’s aggressive defense of Ramaswamy practically guarantees that more of his party’s candidates will face questions about the issue. Acton's mother lost custody of her children after her husband was indicted for raping Acton.

Here’s the latest:

DCCC targets nonwhite voters with new digital ads across 42 districts

House Democrats’ campaign arm has unveiled five new digital ads targeting 42 districts across 20 states where nonwhite voters will help determine outcomes. The $1 million ad campaign, shared first with The Associated Press, hits Republicans on inflation, especially on gas and groceries, and on Trump’s aggressive immigration tactics.

Latino voters are seeing an add titled, “Pledge,” depicting federal agents’ mass deportation efforts and a voiceover saying, “Republicans broke their promise to America.”

Asian American and Pacific Islander voters are targeted with an ad about grocery prices, while young AAPI voters will see a distinct 15-second clip.

Black voters are seeing a spot on gas prices featuring Trump saying, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation.”

The ads will reach Republican-held and Democratic-held districts in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Trump exempts some Canadian products from tariffs as he looks to boost Susan Collins

Collins is the only Republican senator from New England and is running against Democrat Troy Jackson in Maine.

The White House said products including plywood sheets, packing crates and some kinds of machinery would be exempted from the 50% tariffs that were applied to Canadian products earlier this year.

Collins said in a statement that the exemption is important because many farmers in the state “rely on specialized equipment, packaging materials, and other products from Canada that are either unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant expense.”

Trump, Kennedy announce ‘America First Seafood’ initiative

The president called the health secretary on stage in Florida as he talked about what the administration calls its ‘America First Seafood Strategy’ intended to boost U.S. fisheries.

According to the White House, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will make $5 billion in guaranteed loans “to expand American dominance in modernized meat and seafood processing.”

The administration also is:

1. launching Seafood.gov as a “one-stop destination for U.S. fishermen and consumers.” 2. introducing a voluntary “U.S. Caught Seafood” label, accessible for download on the website, to identify seafood caught and harvested by U.S. fishers.

The White House specifically cited the intended boost to Maine’s lobster industry.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins is locked in a tight battle for reelection in Maine. The seat is critical to determining control of the Senate when the new Congress convenes in January.

Trump has wrapped up rally for Republican candidates in South Florida

For 90 minutes, the president rolled through a list of his administration’s accomplishments, imploring voters, “you must vote Republican” in the midterm elections.

He also called on the crowd to back GOP candidates in the state’s contests, particularly U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, and Sen. Ashley Moody.

This weekend, Trump’s midterm campaign blitz heads to Georgia and Michigan, home of two of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.

Moody, Donalds praise Trump--even as Donalds walks a fine line on the economy

Trump called Moody and Donalds to the stage separately and both praised the president for his job performance and his support for their campaigns.

Moody urged Floridians to help Republicans hold majorities on Capitol Hill to “continue that fight for you.”

“It’s like a UFC fight on the White House lawn,” she said.

Donalds told Trump he was proud to support his presidential campaigns.

The congressman has carefully navigated the economic realities of Trump’s second presidency. He hasn’t blamed Trump for inflation but he’s built his general election bid around a promise to address Floridians’ economic struggles.

Even standing next to the president, he promised to make Florida “more affordable.”

Trump hails spending to boost nursing home work force

The president says his administration will spend $250 million to boost the nursing home work force in underserved areas.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Friday that it would dedicate $100 million, less than the figure the president quoted, with states committing $175 million for total program of $275 million.

The initiative is expected to support 4,000 nurses nationwide. Nursing students and licensed nurses will qualify for up to $40,000 in student loan repayment or a $10,000 stipend in exchange for a three-year-commitment to serve in a qualifying nursing home in a rural area or another area with a nursing labor shortage.

The money will come from civil penalties collected by CMS and state Medicaid agencies from nursing homes.

The administration previously faced backlash for trying to cap student loan amounts for nurses, among some other professions. But a federal judge put those changes on hold in June.

Lawmakers push Pentagon to restore Ukraine Starshield access

A group of bipartisan lawmakers has urged the Pentagon immediately restore Ukraine’s access to the Starshield satellite internet system used to intercept Russian strikes.

In a letter released Friday, six Democrats and two Republicans told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that he should “ensure that Ukrainian forces maintain access to satellite communications at speeds and service levels.”

They said in the letter dated Thursday that it should include “connectivity over Russian territory where necessary to support Ukraine’s lawful military operations.”

The release comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was still experiencing Starlink and Starshield speed restrictions. The Trump administration has offered conflicting explanations as to who is responsible for the slowdown in the Elon Musk-built satellite internet system.

Trump on Friday brushed off questions about the role Musk played in the disruptions and declined to comment on who ordered the restrictions.

Newsom rallies California Democrats in push to claim 5 additional US House seats

California Gov. Gavin Newsom told fellow Democrats “it’s all on the line” as he urged party members to help win five additional U.S. House seats to allow Democrats to claim the majority next year.

President “Donald Trump’s presidency ends as we know it on Nov. 3, as long as we do our job,” Newsom, a likely 2028 presidential contender, said to cheers at a San Francisco rally.

State voters last year approved new congressional district boundaries intended to tilt five additional seats to Democrats to thwart Trump’s maneuvers in Texas and other Republican states to gain more seats and maintain the GOP’s fragile hold on House control.

Referring to Trump’s GOP, Newsom said, “These guys are not screwing around and nor can we.”

Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi told the crowd “we now have to work to elect those five seats.”

“We have to get out there,” she implored the crowd.

Trump repeats slur to describe Somalia

__ Please note: The following post contains profanity.

In a long diatribe against Rep. Ilhan Omar, Trump said the Minnesota Democrat who was born in Somalia came to the U.S. from “a shithouse country.”

Omar is a naturalized citizen whose family fled civil war when she was a child. They first went to Kenya and then came to the U.S. as refugees.

During his first presidency, Trump denied using the phrase “shithole countries” to describe Haiti and other African countries, as some of his former aides described.

He admitted in 2025 that he had, in fact, used the description for majority Black nations.

Trump has repeatedly disparaged Somali immigrants to the U.S., including Omar, and suggested she should be stripped of her congressional seat and her citizenship.

Under Trump, federal authorities are investigating potential fraud in her family’s immigration paperwork and have issued grand jury subpoenas to some of her relatives.

Trump suggests US can ‘take care of Cuba on our way back from Iran’

That came after someone in the south Florida crowd shouted a question about Cuba as Trump talked about his administration’s actions in Venezuela and Iran.

As U.S. ships eventually return from Iran, Trump suggested that one of them could “stop about 50 yards off the coast, they’ll raise up their hands, and then we’re going to send in (Secretary of State) Marco Rubio.”

Trump has previously said “Cuba’s gonna be next” in terms of intervention efforts abroad.

Earlier this week, the two countries clashed at the United Nations as the Trump administration sought once again to build opposition for an upcoming annual vote condemning Washington’s decades-long economic embargo against Havana.

Issues related to Cuba are particularly closely followed in South Florida, where Trump is speaking Friday.

Senior Ukrainian negotiator says local humanitarian ceasefire with Russia will start on Oct. 27

Ukraine’s top negotiator involved in a humanitarian mission led by U.S. first lady Melania Trump told The Associated Press late Friday that a local ceasefire with Russia will start Oct. 27 — two days before the mission begins — and last several days.

Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. negotiators reached a deal Friday to provide humanitarian assistance in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, in the war-divided region of Kherson in southern Ukraine.

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian ombudsman and his country’s chief negotiator in the talks, said the ceasefire would take effect across the Kherson region and neighboring areas essential to the operation. He added that the initiative could act as a model for future humanitarian missions.

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Trump opens Florida rally at Florida Gulf Coast University

“We love Florida,” Trump said as he opened an afternoon rally, celebrating that he’s back in his adopted home state.

He’s trying to boost Florida Sen. Ashley Moody as she seeks her first election after being appointed to the seat and Rep. Byron Donalds in his effort to be elected governor.

Trump opened by misrepresenting his 2024 vote totals, suggesting he got “millions and millions” more votes than any other candidate ever has.

Trump got more than 77 million votes in 2024. But Democrat Joe Biden got 81 million votes to defeat Trump in 2020.

Omar responds to Trump claim about her name

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar is responding directly to Trump claiming that she has an entirely different name and will not be allowed to be a member of the House.

“Whenever the news turns bad, this creep reaches for one name: mine. So let’s make it crystal clear. My name has always been Ilhan Omar,” the congresswoman said in a social media post on X. “Maybe you should focus on what your VP’s real name is.”

Trump’s comments came in a Truth Social post.

Omar’s name has been listed in court records as such for nearly two decades. She sought two marriage licenses under her name, twice filed for divorce under that same name and has numerous traffic and parking tickets under her name. She is also registered to vote under the name.

From 2009 to 2017 she was married to a man named Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. His last name is the one Trump now claims is her correct name. But in their marriage and divorce filings, she always used the name Ilhan Omar and did not adopt his name.

Greeting Trump, DeSantis says midterms ‘all about the turnout’ for Republicans

On the Southwest Florida International Airport tarmac as Trump landed Friday, GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis predicted wins for Republicans in tight Senate races as long as turnout is robust.

“If people come out, if our people vote, I think we’ll win, not just in Florida, but some of these other Senate races that are close,” DeSantis said, welcoming the president “back to his home state.”

As the president brings his midterm blitz to Florida, DeSantis said “no one does it better” than the president when it comes to energizing voters.

“If they vote, we’re going to win big,” Trump said.

According to an Associated Press analysis of early voting two weeks before Election Day, voter turnout is soaring compared with the last midterm election in many of the states expected to decide control of the U.S. Senate.

Trump says he ordered the Justice Department lawsuit over Alaska’s US Senate race

President Donald Trump said he told his administration to file a lawsuit to block certification of the U.S. Senate race in Alaska if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses, kicking off what many fear could become a lengthy battle between the government and states over certifying an election where the president’s party is struggling.

“I’m the one that said do it,” Trump told reporters as he landed for a campaign rally in Florida.

The lawsuit centers on one of the president’s longstanding complaints in the Senate race — the presence of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan who Republican fear could siphon away votes from the incumbent in what’s likely to be a photo-finish contest with Democrat Mary Peltola, the state’s former congresswoman.

The second Dan Sullivan, who is Daniel J. Sullivan from the tiny fishing community of Petersburg, has said he decided to run on his own, but Republicans have contended he is a Democratic plant to siphon votes away from their candidate.

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Republican congressman from Iowa releases new video featuring Democratic supporters

U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, a Republican, is emphasizing his bipartisan support in the final week of his reelection campaign. His new political advertisement includes some Democrats saying directly to camera that they’re backing Nunn over Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott, a state senator.

Nunn is seeking his third term representing the district that includes Des Moines, the fast-growing suburbs to the city’s west, and rural counties in southern Iowa. While Republicans outnumber Democrats in each of the three targeted House races in Iowa, Nunn’s has the smallest GOP advantage.

One member of the Des Moines city council identifies himself in the ad as a moderate Democrat who is ticket-splitting this year.

“I’m supporting Rob Sand, and I strongly support Zach Nunn,” Mike Simonson says in the ad. Sand is the Democrat running for governor.

Trump says Musk should not be blamed for Starshield disruption in Ukraine

Trump brushed off questions about the role Elon Musk played in disruptions to service between the satellite system he owns and the drones Ukraine uses to fight Russia.

“Elon will never do anything wrong,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “I know him very well. He’s a fair person.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that service remained slow from Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade version of the Starlink satellite internet service. The disruption produced speed restrictions on Ukrainian drones, which have been unable to intercept Russia’s jet-powered drones.

Trump said he hadn’t heard that there are still problems with the service, and declined to comment on who ordered the restrictions to Starshield, telling a reporter, “I wouldn’t tell you if I did know.”

Trump suggests NFL should postpone this weekend’s Paris game because of unrest

“The NFL could have probably postponed that match if you want to know,” Trump told reporters. “France is really in trouble, that’s what happens when you go left.”

Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints is scheduled to go ahead despite recent civil unrest in Paris and other cities in France. More demonstrations are planned for this weekend.

The protests in France were originally sparked by high school and university students demanding better school funding, smaller class sizes, and other reforms to the country’s education system, but have morphed into a broader outlet for public anger about rising costs and the government’s effort to tighten its budget.

While tens of millions have taken to the streets, some rioters have used the demonstrations as cover for looting and destroying government property.

Vivek Ramaswamy defends ad accusing Amy Acton of lying

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy accused his opponent in the Ohio governor’s race, Democrat Amy Acton, of lying about the ad he’s running, which features her mother calling her “a liar.”

“The irony is they’re lying about an ad that is about lying,” Ramaswamy said.

Speaking at a campaign stop in Strongsville, Ohio, he added that the ad had “nothing to do” with childhood abuse. Acton’s mother lost custody of her children after her husband was indicted for raping Acton.

“They’re changing the subject,” Ramaswamy said, “because they don’t want to answer for their own failures.”

The advertisement also includes Acton’s mother insinuating her daughter has mental health issues. Acton is Ohio’s former public health director and has made no secret of facing homelessness and abuse as a child.

Acton has condemned Ramaswamy for the ad.

“I won’t normalize somebody who has said that my childhood is just something I’m complaining about,” she told Spectrum News, a cable news outlet in Ohio.

Judge allows Trump’s tree cutting at a historic DC golf course to resume

The historic public golf course at East Potomac Park is one of several Trump projects in D.C. that are embroiled in lawsuits challenging the president’s remake of the city. Trump wants to turn it into a professional-level course.

On Thursday evening, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes denied a request to extend her temporary order that had stopped the National Park Service from cutting more trees at the park.

Reyes ordered the halt on Oct. 13, after a holiday weekend when the government, with little notice, cut down more than 400 trees with plans to cut hundreds more. The actions led to eight hours of court hearings.

Plaintiffs in a lawsuit trying to block Trump’s renovation had sought to extend the stoppage. The order lapses Oct. 26, and Trump has said work would begin “immediately” on the course.

Trump doubles down on support for Ramaswamy on ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother

Leaving the White House Friday, Trump said “no” when asked if he had reconsidered his support for the Ohio campaign advertisement attacking Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton, following criticism from other Republicans.

The president engaged in a heated exchange with a reporter asking if the president knew about the backstory behind the ad from Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. The spot features Acton’s mother, who lost custody of her children decades ago after her husband was indicted for raping Acton as a child.

“You don’t know that,” Trump said, of the abuse allegations, adding that Acton’s mother had an “obligation” to tell voters “that her daughter is a liar.”

Zelenskyy urges trilateral talks with Trump and Putin

The Ukrainian president said he spoke with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner just before appearing remotely for an address at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank.

Witkoff and Zelenskyy met earlier this week in Oslo, Norway, about ways to end Russia’s war in Ukraine before Witkoff went on to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.

Putin says he agreed to trilateral talks next month with Trump and Zelenskyy, who on Friday said “we need these meetings, and we need diplomacy to move forward.”

Zelenskyy says we “cannot have these meetings without America” and that Ukraine was counting on the U.S. to “give this priority at every level.”

He said reaching a “ceasefire is point number one” and then after that would be sorting out security guarantees. Russian officials have resisted a ceasefire and said they want to broker a comprehensive settlement to end the war.

Trump says Republicans aren’t losing in Mississippi

The president has a rather eyebrow-raising addition to his midterm travel schedule: a stop Monday in deep-red Mississippi, where GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is up for reelection.

Asked about the visit Friday, Trump said he won the state by 32 points and “they’ve asked me to go,” without specifying who “they” were.

“I look forward to it. And Cindy Hyde-Smith, you know, Cindy Hyde is fantastic,” Trump said. “She’s very popular. She’s up in the polls. She’s not losing.”

Trump to vote this weekend in Florida

The president is an early voter.

“I think we’re voting tomorrow in Florida,” Trump told reporters as he was preparing to depart for a rally in Fort Myers and a weekend in Palm Beach, where his club is located.

Early voting in Palm Beach County began Monday and runs through Nov. 1.

At another point in the gaggle with journalists, Trump was asked about this year’s early voting figures and which party that benefited.

“Nobody knows,” he responded.

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This post has been corrected to show that early voting in Trump’s home county runs from Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, not Oct. 24 through Oct. 31.

Trump administration sues to block possible Democratic win in Alaska Senate race

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit to block certification of the U.S. Senate race in Alaska if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. Another candidate with the same name is on the ballot.

This move has sparked concerns about a lengthy battle between the U.S. government and states over election certification. The Department of Justice filed the lawsuit Thursday, demanding Alaska be blocked from certifying a win for Democrat Mary Peltola if the other Sullivan remains on the ballot.

The Alaska Supreme Court previously rejected efforts to remove the other Sullivan.

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Vance tenía vientos máximos sostenidos de 170 km/h (105 mph), y se ubicaba a unos 685 kilómetros (425 millas) al sur-suroeste de Acapulco, según un aviso del NHC.

Podría convertirse en un huracán de categoría 3 antes de que termine el viernes, señaló el NHC.

Se desplazaba hacia el noroeste a cerca de 8 km/h (5 mph) y se prevé que este movimiento continúe durante el fin de semana, acercándose a la zona de Puerto Vallarta para el lunes. Las bandas exteriores del huracán ya estaban canalizando vientos y fuerte oleaje hacia el golfo de Tehuantepec, en México, indicó el NHC.

Ha sido una temporada de huracanes intensa en el océano Pacífico, ya que ha habido tormentas formándose en cadena cerca de Hawai y México, mientras las condiciones de El Niño, agravadas por el calentamiento global, generan fenómenos meteorológicos inusuales, como las graves inundaciones y los tornados de esta semana que azotaron el suroeste de Estados Unidos y la prolongada sequía en el Corredor Seco de Centroamérica.

Vance sería el séptimo huracán consecutivo de categoría 3 al menos en el Pacífico este año, después de Nolo, Odalys, Polo, Rachel, Simon y Trudy. El Comité de Huracanes de la Organización Meteorológica Mundial no utiliza nombres que comienzan con Q y U.

___

Esta historia ha sido corregida para eliminar una referencia errónea a nombres de tormentas que comienzan con X, Y y Z.

___

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

The building was under construction when it collapsed at about 1 p.m. along a busy commercial street in Nairobi's Eastleigh area, which is often crowded with thousands of traders and residents.

Nairobi police chief Issa Mohamud said the building had more than 10 upper floors under construction. Rescue operations were complicated, with police firing tear gas at people who had begun looting neighboring shops, as officers sought to clear the area and provide access to emergency response teams.

Joseph Kaula made it out just in time. A plasterer working on the fifth floor, he said he heard screams and spotted other workers rushing outside, shouting that the building was collapsing.

“I was the last person to walk out before it collapsed and the whole area was filled with dust,” Kaula said.

Kaula suspects a few of his colleagues were trapped in the basement.

One injured woman was rescued and hospitalized, and another person who was crying for help had gone silent, the police chief said.

Mohamud also warned of a possible secondary collapse, as the collapsed building was leaning on its neighbor.

There was little in the way of heavy equipment immediately available. Hours later, a group of rescuers in hard hats were using poles stripped from trees to poke at the huge pile of rubble. One excavator began to move concrete bound with steel away. By evening, at least two more back shovels arrived.

Rescuers were hoping to reach into any spaces left in the basement and the ground level, which had been rented out for an electronics shop, a butchery and a grocery while construction continued on the upper floors.

Residents said some of their loved ones who were trapped had made phone calls calling for help immediately after the collapse, but that their phones later became unreachable. A tent was set up where people could report the missing. How many might be inside the wreckage wasn't known.

Building collapses are a recurring problem in Nairobi. County officials responsible for issuing building permits have been accused of failing to conduct adequate inspections to ensure developers comply with safety guidelines and construction standards.

“Investigations will be carried out,” Mohamud said. “We’ll make sure people face the law for any negligence.”

Nairobi Gov. Johnson Sakaja said the building had been approved for construction, but did not have a certificate of occupation, so opening shops on the ground floor was against the law. Kenya's county governments need stronger enforcement powers, he said, arguing that lenient penalties for non-compliance are just a “slap on the wrist” for developers that violate regulations.

The shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of the capital, Amman.

Footage broadcast on Jordanian state television showed two gunmen who appear to be holding pistols approaching the church and firing shots. A third man who appears to be holding a semiautomatic rifle then approaches and opens fire, and all three then run toward the church.

Video footage taken by witnesses shows broken glass and pools of blood on the floor of the church.

Dorgham Halasa, who was among the mourners inside the church, said intense gunfire erupted 15 minutes after the funeral had started, and then people started running. “It was a weird situation, and heavy gunfire,” Halasa said.

He did not see the gunmen, but said other people reported seeing four of them. The Associated Press could not independently verify the number of assailants, and Jordan’s security services did not immediately release details.

A government statement said that the attack was “carried out by unknown assailants,” but didn't say whether any gunmen were captured or killed. It said that “investigations are underway at full speed.”

Jordan declared three days of national mourning, according to the kingdom’s Petra News Agency.

Karak is home to a minority Christian population.

In 2016, gunmen ambushed police in a series of attacks in Karak, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing 10 people, including seven officers, and wounding dozens. Jordanian security forces killed those gunmen after a long standoff.

Jordan’s Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of those wounded are in critical condition.

King Abdullah II said on X that Jordan “will confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties” and offered his “deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs, and our wishes for recovery to the wounded.”

Jordan’s Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said during a security meeting in Karak on Friday evening that the attack was a result of terrorist ideology and blind extremism. He said the assailants will be punished and legal measures taken against those who seek to introduce extremism.

Condemnation of the slayings came from around the region, including from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Oman.

Ahmed al-Tayeb in Cairo, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim world’s foremost religious institution, offered his condolences to the families of victims in Friday’s shooting, calling it a “heinous terrorist attack.”

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein called his Jordanian counterpart and “affirmed Iraq’s solidarity with Jordan in the face of terrorism,” Hussein’s office said in a statement.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack during a funeral as “especially heinous,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. “The secretary-general also calls for all those responsible to be found and to be held to account.”

The Oklahoma City star’s run of 141 consecutive regular season contests with at least 20 points ended Thursday night when he subbed himself out toward the end of a game against the Denver Nuggets.

Gilgeous-Alexander had just hit a 3-pointer, pushing his total for the night to 17 points and giving the Thunder a 17-point lead when Denver called timeout with 1:43 remaining. Gilgeous-Alexander initially was going back onto the floor when play resumed, but as he walked onto the court he noticed that the Nuggets had subbed out their entire starting lineup.

The outcome of the game had been conceded, and realizing that, the two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player returned to the bench and knew the streak was ending. The Thunder won the game 96-84, improving to 2-0 for the season.

“I feel like you always treat the game with respect,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters in Oklahoma City after the game.

The 141-game streak — which started on Nov. 1, 2024 — topped the previous mark held by Wilt Chamberlain. He scored 20 or more points in 126 consecutive regular season games spanning from Oct. 19, 1961 through Jan. 19, 1963.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was willing to give Gilgeous-Alexander at least one more possession to try and hit the 20-point mark on Thursday. It was a difficult decision for Daigneault; in the NBA, when the outcome is decided and one team empties its bench, typically the other does as well.

“He’s got a historic streak going, which is a remarkable streak, obviously,” Daigneault said. “And I just think for the class that it shows and the perspective that it shows for him to say, ‘Hey, I’m out now. The game’s calling for me to be subbed out of the game.’ ... Of all the things that I admire about him, that’s towards the top of the list in terms of moments that I appreciate about him. It shows tremendous class as a competitor.”

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.1 points per game during his record streak, and the Thunder went 116-25 in those 141 games.

He scored at least 30 points in 92 of those 141 games, reaching 40 points on 21 occasions and scoring 50 or more points five times. There were only six games where he finished with exactly 20 points.

Thursday’s game was a rare struggle for Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed all seven of his shots from the field in the first half and went into the break with just two points — his lowest first-half total since the streak started. He had 15 points after halftime, and another 3-pointer in the final 1:43 would have given him 20 points once again.

But Daigneault said Gilgeous-Alexander’s “competitive class” was proved by the star guard electing to call it a night.

“It’s a historic record,” Daigneault said. “It’s a little bit of a dilemma if you’re in my position. But he put me in a great position there. I would have left him. I was going to leave him.”

Gilgeous-Alexander will hold this record for some time.

The longest current run of consecutive 20-point regular season efforts is now held by Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard — who has done it each of his last 58 games. The next longest streak of 20-point games is held by Phoenix’s Devin Booker, who has 10 in a row.

“God willing, I have many more games to start another streak,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s not the end of the world.”

___

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

The company also announced its first major job cuts in roughly a decade, telling investors it plans to cut its workforce by 5%, or about 3,500 employees.

The New York company reported a profit of $3.71 billion, up 28% from a year ago, or $5.42 a share. Excluding a one-time gain from AmEx's sale of its stake in Global Business Travel Group, the company earned a quarterly per—share profit of $4.68. That figure beat Wall Street estimates.

AmEx's revenue and profits rose as customers both charged more on their cards and paid more to hold an AmEx card.

Last year, AmEx updated its Platinum Card, adding several new perks for cardmembers while raising the annual fee from $695 to $895. Reviews of the update were generally positive at the time.

However, the biggest question for Wall Street was whether AmEx cardmembers, even given the company's wealthier customer base, would stomach a $200 price increase.

So far, AmEx says that nearly all of the customers who have been moved to the higher fee Platinum Card have decided to keep it. Net card fees, which include the annual fees on cards like Platinum, rose by more than $400 million from a year earlier.

The company also continues to see increases in spending on its cards. The average AmEx customer spent $6,735 on their cards last quarter, or $2,245 a month. That's up 5% from a year earlier.

Some of that higher spending is likely tied to inflation, said Chief Financial Officer Christophe Le Caillec in an interview.

Le Caillec pointed to the the fact the company saw a 10% increase in travel and entertainment spending, compared to a year earlier. A portion of that growth was a 13% in dollars spent on airline tickets. Airlines tickets have risen this year, due to higher fuel costs and other inflationary pressure.

But the growth in spend is also because cardmembers are simply using their cards more, with the number of transactions per cardmember rising.

AmEx CEO Steve Squeri told investors that layoffs were about making the company more efficient, not a reflection of any downturn in business. One concern among investors had been AmEx's rising operating costs, as the company has had to compete with other credit card companies, including Capital One and JPMorgan Chase on perks and rewards that are costly to manage.

The company now forecasts it will earn an adjusted profit of between $17.60 and $17.90 per share for the full year, raising the lower end of its previous forecast of $17.30 to $17.90 per share.

Now, the U.S. Senate contest between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton is another tantalizing opening, and as the long race enters its final few days, the contest could well turn on its unusual points of friction.

Can a campaign rooted in hope douse one of fear? Will Paxton’s embrace of President Donald Trump propel or cost him? Can the world’s richest man tip the scales? And is Talarico his party’s salvation or just another expensive mirage?

The answers will have echoes beyond Texas and not just by helping decide which party controls Congress in Trump’s final two years in office. A Talarico victory in a Republican state could signal a redrawing of the national political map. A win by Paxton would extinguish a dream by Democrats that the state's shifting demographics would eventually prevail after decades of Republican dominance.

“We’re going to shock the world when we take back Texas,” Talarico told a crowd this week. Hours later, Paxton, at his own rally, told an energized crowd: “If we lose Texas, we lose America.”

Paxton paints a dark picture

As Paxton describes it, this election is like a drop of water above the Continental Divide — the line running down the spine of the Rocky Mountains where, on one side, the drop flows to the Pacific Ocean and, on the other, the Atlantic.

“They end up 3,000 miles apart. That’s what our elections are like now,” he explained to a crowd near the U.S.-Mexico border. “It’s the America our founders gave us versus something they wouldn’t recognize.”

But a Senate seat that seemed like a Republican lock when the year began has instead become a referendum on Paxton's fraught background that includes being impeached by his own party over corruption accusations and a very public divorce. Still, he was able to win the coveted endorsement of Trump and defeat the incumbent, Sen. John Cornyn, in a primary.

Now, in the campaign's closing days, he is casting Talarico as an extreme liberal out of step with the state.

A vote for Talarico “is a vote for every dangerous idea that Democrats across the country are putting forward,” he said, which means violent criminals will destroy the country and the U.S. Supreme Court will become a radical liberal rubber-stamp.

Earlier that day, Talarico's rally had a different tenor, and without one direct attack on the Republican Party in a race in which he will need GOP voters to win.

“We have an affordability crisis because we have a corruption crisis,” he told a revved-up crowd at the University of Houston. “But we can change that in this election, in this state, in this race, if we come together not as Democrats or Republicans but as Texans.”

That reminds him, he often says these days, of David locked in a battle against Goliath, or, in this case, billionaire megadonors.

“(David) may not have had as many weapons, but he had faith, he had hope and he had a slingshot,” said Talarico, a Presbyterian seminary student. “You are my slingshot.”

His strategy? Stir every Texan's hopes despite the “D" beside his name.

Is Talarico the Democrat to win Texas?

Texas Democrats have had their hopes dashed before, notably when former congressman Beto O'Rourke lost a race to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018 by less than 3 percentage points.

Talarico has generated at least as much enthusiasm, has amassed more money and has a less formidable opponent in Paxton.

Supporters who lived through O'Rourke's and others' attempts often hold contradictory feelings: a confidence that Talarico can win in such a deeply conservative state and a nagging suspicion that he, like many before him, will fall short.

Paxton has tried to leverage cultural issues against Talarico, emphasizing his support for transgender rights and previous statements such as “God is nonbinary.”

But Talarico has proved to be a nimble counter puncher, hammering Paxton about corruption and tying him to the struggling economy while also trying to sidestep partisanship and proffering a positive agenda.

In a state with a majority of Republican voters, Paxton is betting on the partisan loyalties holding.

"It's simple math,” said Carmen Calderone, the Nueces County GOP chair, in his warm-up speech at Paxton's rally. "We can win if we turn out the vote."

Paxton's campaign slogan for his final bus tour sledgehammers that point home: “Come and take it.”

Elon Musk and the most expensive Senate race

Total ad spending sits just under $340 million since each candidate locked up his nomination, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.

While Talarico's campaign outpaced Paxton's, big donors, including the world’s richest man, have come to the Republican's aid via super PACs. Musk has headquartered his companies Tesla and SpaceX — as well as himself — in Texas, and he has staked millions of dollars to defend its Republican monopoly in Congress. Trump, too, has flown to Texas several times and praised Paxton's work as attorney general, if not his appearance and attire.

To Talarico, it's a trifecta of Goliaths — “the richest man in the world, the most powerful man in the world, the most corrupt politician in Texas” — and plays into his own campaign message.

Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, said Talarico's more forward-looking message can meet an electorate weary of partisan politics as “high-stakes drama,” while Paxton's message of doom if Talarico wins may struggle with voters dissatisfied with the economic status quo in a state — and a nation — led by Republicans.

“The fact that people are shocked into reassessing their own partisan beliefs is because of a sour economy," he said.

Paxton, who has never wavered in his public fealty to Trump, is now hoping that Texas will be a place where the president's presence, in person and on camera, will help deliver a victory. While Trump's poor approval ratings might dampen that advantage, Paxton just needs to motivate enough Republicans to turn out.

His challenge is that there is ample evidence that Talarico has won over independents and even several better-known Republicans. Neil Bush, the brother of Republican President George W. Bush, endorsed the Democrat this week, along with a few others from an older guard of the Republican Party.

While Trump's influence on the race is less clear, Musk's isn't.

He's contributed a total of $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund. The fund gave $158 million to Texas PAC, the largest contributor to Paxton’s campaign. Musk also gave $10 million to the Paxton-supporting Lone Star Liberty PAC.

Paxton, now with an advantage in total spending, doesn't talk about Musk. But it's played into the hands of Talarico's corruption spiel.

“Ken Paxton is funded by one dude," he told supporters at the rally. “He wants his very own personal United States senator.”

“The first oil tanker has sailed off to customers, and regular supplies will continue,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said without elaborating.

The diesel deal was seen as an attempt by Trump to address high fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections.

It caused alarm and dismay in Ukraine, which has pleaded with foreign countries to tighten sanctions on Moscow and deny it revenue for the invasion launched in February 2022. In the U.S., the agreement was also criticized by both Republicans and Democrats for violating American laws and drawing the country closer to Russia. The deal joins a growing list of actions in which the Republican president has sided with Putin, often at Ukraine’s expense.

Marine intelligence firm Kpler said the vessel signaled that it was headed to New York to arrive Nov. 7 and would be the first Russian diesel delivery to the United States since July 2023.

The import agreement, which Trump says foresees millions more tons of Russian diesel reaching the U.S. in the coming months, is unlikely to make a dent in painfully high prices at the pump or elsewhere, energy policy experts say.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said earlier this week that the first shipment would amount to 40,000 tons of diesel, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency. That’s around 300,000 barrels, or about 7% of the roughly 4 million barrels of diesel the U.S. economy consumes in a single day.

Russia’s diesel production has come under strain from repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on its oil refineries. The attacks caused fuel shortages, which now have eased. Trump last month asked Kyiv to stop the attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump’s deal “a weak decision by strong partners.”

The diesel agreement was a sudden policy reversal, coming just weeks after Trump signed into law a sweeping sanctions package that called for up to 100% tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas. He later put the measures on hold.

The development is the latest twist in the at times volatile relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy, which in recent weeks has sunk to a new low.

Starlink still isn't back to normal despite US promises, Zelenskyy says

Zelenskyy said he spoke Friday with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, after they consulted with Putin in St. Petersburg. They also spoke with the Ukrainian leader earlier this week in Norway.

Kyiv is keen to add momentum to peace efforts in a planned three-way meeting between Ukraine, Russia and the United States that may take place next month at a venue to be decided, Zelenskyy said in comments via video link to the Hudson Institute research organization in Washington.

"We need diplomacy to move forward,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine's pressing issues are protecting its power grid from Russian attacks ahead of winter, getting more U.S.-made Patriot air-defense interceptors to counter Russia's ballistic missiles and finding more financial support from foreign countries, Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine is still experiencing Starlink and Starshield speed limits that are choking its drone operations, Zelenskyy said. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this week that the satellite internet service would be fully restored within 72 hours, according to the Ukrainian leader.

Moscow airports temporarily close for security reasons

Meanwhile, Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said Friday afternoon that all four Moscow airports — Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky — stopped flights arriving and departing for security reasons.

At Sheremetyevo airport, passengers were told to take shelter, Russian news agency Interfax reported. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that air defenses downed 21 Ukrainian drones targeting the Russian capital in the afternoon.

The airport restrictions were lifted three hours later.

In other developments, the White House announced that first lady Melania Trump brokered an upcoming ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the war-ravaged Ukrainian city of Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians.

The first lady said in a news release that the situation there is “on the brink of disaster.”

Ukraine’s top negotiator involved in the humanitarian mission told The Associated Press that the local ceasefire would start Tuesday — two days before the mission begins — and last several days.

Also Friday, Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war for the first time since August.

The Russian Defense Ministry said each side released 270 prisoners. Ukraine said 270 of its soldiers and civilians were freed, most of them held in captivity since 2022.

Elsewhere, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said a Russian embassy staff member has been declared persona non grata after a Russian drone violated the country's airspace and crashed near homes.

Police said a local resident discovered a drone in the village of Chistelnita in Telenesti District, less than 100 meters (330 feet) from a home. Specialists were sent to investigate. No one was reported hurt.

“Russia’s war keeps putting Moldovan lives at risk," Sandu wrote on X. "Today, a Russian Geran attack drone violated our airspace and fell near family homes and an energy facility.”

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Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England, contributed.

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

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• Arizona surgeon among at least 3 accused of trying to bring drugs aboard cruise at PortMiami
• Man dead, woman critical after apparent murder-suicide attempt in Country Walk: MDSO
• Broward County starting to crack down on jury duty no-shows
• Lauderhill police officer accused of taking over dead man’s home, using his identity in alleged scheme
• ‘Celebrity’ chef’s South Florida restaurant ordered shut
• Lauderhill police officer accused of taking over dead man’s home, using his identity in alleged scheme
• Skin longevity: Dermatologist shares tips for keeping skin healthier as you age
• Man accused of stealing $135K Cadillac Escalade from Kendall driveway
• Woman accused of shooting man in groin after she claims he punched her mother in Florida City, police say
• Woman arrested following deadly hit-and-run in Dania Beach

In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott argued that the $46 billion wall project was justified despite a bipartisan coalition of landowners, local businesses and environmentalists who view it as a waste of taxpayer money that could be destructive to a region with historically low migrant crossings.

“Our number one goal right out the gate is we have to know who and what is coming into the United States,” Scott said on Thursday. If the Big Bend region were left without a wall or other border infrastructure while other areas along the border get those fortifications, he said, “I am 100% convinced it will be completely overrun and destroyed.”

The fight over Big Bend has become a major test for how far the Republican administration is willing to go for the border wall, President Donald Trump's signature infrastructure project.

Scott, a former Border Patrol agent, was tapped by Trump to complete it.

His agency is responsible for executing a plan funded last summer by Republicans in Congress to line the roughly 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) border with Mexico with a mixture of 30-foot-tall (9-meter-tall) steel walls, vehicle barriers, new roads and surveillance technology to prevent illegal immigration and smuggling.

The Trump administration says it is building about 12 miles (19 kilometers) a week. Scott, who gets daily progress updates, said it will be complete by the end of Trump's second term. The primary border wall — some areas also get a secondary layer — will be done by the end of December 2027.

“We’re actually ahead of schedule,” Scott said.

Big Bend is a test for the Trump administration's plans for the wall

The wall plan has run into resistance in places like Big Bend. The Trump administration suffered a major setback earlier this month when a judge ordered a pause on border wall construction in the region, citing what could be a likelihood that plaintiffs “will suffer serious, irreparable harm without an injunction.” The administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift the order.

The ruling included any construction in Big Bend National Park, an area that has seen a loud bipartisan outcry, including from some Republican lawmakers.

After bulldozers were spotted in the park tearing up ground in August, Scott ordered a pause on all construction-related activity there while he went to talk to people in the region. He said the agency is making other outreach to locals to discuss how to build projects so they don’t mar the park.

“We’re talking through and figuring out what is the right solution for that area,” he said.

Scott said he can’t get into specific details on what the agency’s plans are for the park due to the numerous ongoing lawsuits, but he reiterated that the project won't include tall steel walls.

He also said that the agency’s stated goal of protecting the country and knowing what’s coming in and going out is “non-negotiable.”

He said the region's formidable natural barriers were not enough to prevent people from entering the country illegally through other more navigable points. And he expressed concern that cartels that control smuggling from Mexico into the U.S. would exploit any opening.

CBP has come under fire for immigration enforcement tactics

Scott leads an agency of 67,000 employees responsible for controlling who and what comes into the country through official border crossings like airports or seaports and stopping illegal smuggling and migration outside those official border crossing points.

The agency came under heavy scrutiny last year when its officers were sent into cities deep inside the country to help carry out Trump's immigration crackdown alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

As protests against an operation rocked Minneapolis, a Border Patrol officer and a CBP officer both fired shots in an encounter that killed a U.S. citizen, Alex Pretti. The shooting eventually prompted the Trump administration to wind down high-profile city-based crackdowns. A CBP officer who was the face of the missions, Gregory Bovino, who led a helicopter raid at a large apartment building and used chemical agents to confront demonstrators, retired earlier this year.

Scott said while CBP still helps ICE, it's now less involved in immigration enforcement far from the country's borders because ICE has since hired more officers to its ranks. Scott wouldn't comment on the investigation into the Pretti killing, saying that it was being handled by the FBI and was ongoing. And when asked about Bovino's tactics, he said the officer didn't report to him during the operations.

Scott spoke to the AP just outside the border with Canada, where he met with border security representatives from other countries to share information about threats and trends. During his trip, he visited an operations center where he said Canadian and American law enforcement work together, and he accompanied a CBP unit tasked with patrolling the waterways off the coast of Washington state to understand the challenges of stopping smugglers in the network of islands and inlets.

“We have this massive marine environment where you have legitimate boats floating around, you have fishing vessels floating around, and we’re trying to ... find the criminal needle in a whole bunch of needles,” Scott said.

The commissioner also met with CBP staffers at the border crossing point overseeing traffic between Canada and the small community of Point Roberts, Washington. The station’s location on a peninsula means that CBP staffers who work there have to drive from the mainland through Canada to get to work every day.

That border has far fewer threats than the U.S. border with Mexico. Scott said cartels in Mexico are increasingly sending drones into the United States to move contraband and keep tabs on Border Patrol agents. In Mexico, the cartels have been using drones to attack each other or Mexican law enforcement.

The Department of Homeland Security, which includes CBP, recently announced temporary flight restrictions targeting unauthorized drone activity in a zone extending a mile (1.6 kilometers) north of the U.S.-Mexico border as a way to counter cartels.

“We want to make sure," Scott said, “that threat does not come into the United States.”

The key threshold, heavily debated among scientists, in simple terms would be when the dense, humid, moisture-generating forest shifts to a drier ecosystem. That would come with irreversible consequences for biodiversity and the climate, as the forest absorbs massive amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that drives global temperature to rise. Brazil contains about 60% of the Amazon, which is spread across several countries in South America.

Here is a look at the two presidential candidates and how their different visions of the Amazon may intersect with a potential tipping point:

Both candidates expected to handle Amazon policy differently

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, trying to win a fourth nonconsecutive term, has sought to curb deforestation and finance a sustainable economy through international donations and public and private funding. If he wins, he is expected to continue such policies.

Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has said he doesn't believe climate change is real while casting himself as an environmental defender. He has offered few details on his plans for forest protection or financing. He has called for a “modernization” of environmental laws and giving landowners in the Amazon more decision-making power, which environmentalists say would weaken safeguards and allow deforestation to accelerate.

Deforestation surged under Jair Bolsonaro, who governed from 2019 through 2022, as he dismantled enforcement agencies and loosened environmental norms. Meanwhile, under Lula's current government, the lowest Amazon deforestation rate on record was announced last week.

Tipping points could apply to many ecosystems

A tipping point is a critical threshold beyond which a small change can trigger a major shift in an ecosystem or climate system. Scientists study such risks in regions or systems like the Amazon, Antarctic ice sheets and circulation patterns of the Atlantic Ocean.

For the Amazon, some research suggests that losing more than 20% of the forest, combined with global warming of around 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) since the early 1800s, could trigger widespread changes. About 17% of the Amazon has already been cleared and temperature rise is currently at about 1.4 C (2.5 F).

Crossing that threshold could set off a self-reinforcing cycle in which parts of the rainforest lose their ability to recover from drought, fire and other disturbances, giving way to a drier ecosystem.

“As the climate changes and puts increasing stress on the Amazon, the forest holds until it can’t anymore and collapses, either in parts or all at once, a process that could take decades or centuries once the tipping point is crossed," said Bernardo Flores, an Earth system resilience expert and member of the Science Panel for the Amazon, an independent scientific initiative dedicated to protecting the basin and guiding sustainable development.

David Lapola, who studies how the Amazon responds to rising carbon dioxide levels, is more cautious. A lead author of an upcoming U.N. climate report chapter on tipping points, he said models suggest a risk of collapse, but observations and experiments have yet to establish that losing 20% of the forest would trigger it.

“That doesn’t mean we should stop worrying, that we should forget about this problem. We need to investigate it, to have a scientific task force to get to the bottom of it,” he said.

How far away the Amazon may be from a tipping point

A 2024 study led by Flores, the resilience expert, and published in Nature, estimated that 10% to 47% of the Amazon could face multiple threats by 2050, potentially turning parts of the forest into different ecosystems and worsening climate change in the region.

Still, Flores said that we cannot know precisely how closely the Amazon is to a tipping point, and forest degradation could mean its closer than models suggest. “I think the main sign would be the Amazon starting to become very dry and experiencing extensive burning,” he said.

Forest degradation, driven by wildfires, logging and drought, affects about 40% of the Amazon and has outpaced clear-cutting in recent years.

How the rainforest has already changed

Climate scientist Carlos Nobre, among the first to warn that extensive deforestation could push the Amazon past a tipping point, said changes already underway show the forest is approaching that threshold.

“Today, we know that the southern Amazon is particularly vulnerable,” Nobre said. “The dry season is now four to five weeks longer. Conditions are approximately 20% to 30% drier, and temperatures are two to three degrees Celsius higher.”

Rising temperatures and more frequent droughts are stressing trees and increasing mortality, weakening even intact forests’ ability to absorb more carbon than they release, Lapola, the U.N. report author, said. Those forests could cease to be a net carbon sink by the mid-2030s if the decline continues, though the projection remains uncertain.

Parts of the Amazon already emit more carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that drives global warming, than they absorb, according to research by Luciana Gatti of Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research.

Her latest study, published Wednesday in Nature, found that the Amazon released an annual average of 1.17 billion metric tons more carbon dioxide than it absorbed from 2010 through 2024. Fires, worsened by climate change, were the main source of emissions.

Nobre said preventing further damage requires sustained cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and economic alternatives to clearing forests for cattle ranching and farming, the leading drivers of deforestation.

“We must achieve zero deforestation, forest degradation and fires,” he said.

At the U.N. climate talks in 2023, Brazil launched its “Arc of Restoration,” an initiative to replant and foster agroforestry practices to restore 24 million hectares in the southern Brazilian Amazon: 6 million by 2030 and another 18 million by 2050. But meeting such goals could depend on who Brazilians elect on Sunday.

“If we succeed, we can save the Amazon, the world’s largest tropical rainforest and one of its greatest reservoirs of biodiversity,” Nobre said.

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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.

Enjoy Friday, because the chance for heavy rainfall is increasing this weekend across the East Coast metro areas. This will also increase the potential for flooding in the metro areas of Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Strong wind gusts of 35 mph or higher on Sunday could also cause minor wind damage, primarily near coastal areas.

We’re also entering the next phase of king tides, bringing the potential for saltwater flooding. King tides through the weekend will reach moderate flood levels along the East Coast, with saltwater flooding possible on streets and in communities.

Champi alcanzó a principios de esta semana un máximo de 298 km/h (185 mph) de vientos sostenidos, pero se ha debilitado a 155 km/h (96 mph) al acercarse a Taiwán desde el suroeste. Se prevé que su centro permanezca mar adentro cuando pasa por el extremo noreste de la isla antes de girar hacia el norte, rumbo a las islas del suroeste de Japón.

La Administración Central de Meteorología de Taiwán instó a los residentes de las zonas costeras a evitar actividades al aire libre y conducir, y a tener cuidado con la caída de objetos.

Una persona murió tras ser arrastrada por las olas en Liuqiu, una pequeña isla frente a la costa sureste de la isla principal de Taiwán, informó el Departamento de Bomberos. Más de otras 170 personas resultaron heridas por la tormenta.

Más de 2.600 personas han sido evacuadas de zonas montañosas vulnerables, indicó el gobierno.

Se cancelaron los 262 vuelos nacionales de Taiwán, junto con 669 vuelos internacionales, según el Ministerio de Transporte. Los servicios de tren de alta velocidad en la costa occidental operaban con normalidad.

La capital, Taipéi, en el norte de Taiwán, registró lloviznas y ráfagas de viento. Los servicios de transporte, incluido el metro, permanecieron abiertos.

El presidente taiwanés Lai Ching-te visitó el Centro Central de Operaciones de Emergencia de la isla en New Taipéi City, que se extiende desde cerca de la capital hasta la costa norte de Taiwán.

Champi tiene un enorme radio de alrededor de 320 kilómetros (200 millas), lo suficientemente grande como para cubrir la mayor parte de Taiwán. Los expertos esperan que su máximo impacto en Taiwán se prolongue hasta el sábado y que llegue al sur del territorio principal de Japón el lunes.

En el suroeste de Japón, el tifón ha herido a una persona, dejó vuelos en tierra y provocó cortes de electricidad.

En la isla de Ishigaki, casi 2.000 viviendas se quedaron sin electricidad.

Se han cancelado decenas de vuelos de entrada y salida de las islas del suroeste, incluidas Miyako, Ishigaki y Okinawa.

En Filipinas, la Guardia Costera prohibió el viernes que barcos y ferris se aventuraran en las aguas cada vez más agitadas frente a varias localidades y ciudades del norte.

El principal aeropuerto nacional de Batanes, en la capital provincial de Basco, fue cerrado el viernes y se cancelaron dos vuelos locales, informaron funcionarios de aviación filipinos. Las ventanas del aeropuerto fueron tapiadas como medida de seguridad.

En la provincia de Cagayan, casi 200 personas fueron evacuadas a lugares más seguros como precaución. Se suspendieron las clases en todos los niveles en la localidad insular de Calayan, frente a Cagayan, debido al tifón, señalaron funcionarios provinciales.

A principios de este mes, Champi pasó por varias islas del Pacífico, incluida Guam, donde se declaró una zona federal de desastre.

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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.