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Investigators said the arrest of Kimeridze Giorgi, 43, of Staten Island, New York, comes as South Florida experiences “a rash of schemes” by thieves who “utilize a fraudulent transportation company to acquire luxury vehicle transportation ‘jobs’ by legitimate auto dealerships.”

In the arrest report, BSO Detective Christopher Anca described how the scheme works.

“Essentially, the seller/buyer will solicit a vehicle for transportation, and will unknowingly be contracting a thief, utilizing a fraudulent transportation business, to transport their newly sold/purchased luxury vehicle,” Anca wrote. “Once the thief is in possession of the vehicle, the thief will completely cut ties with the victim, depriving the victim (of) their vehicle, essentially stealing it.”

In this case, deputies said Giorgi was trying to take a 2024 Ferrari Purosangue that was supposed to go from a dealership in Pompano Beach to a Maserati dealer in Monmouth, New Jersey.

Deputies said on Friday morning, they saw the ultra-luxury SUV “being loaded by a transporter, who was subcontracted by the thieves.”

Authorities said suspects frequently sublease the jobs on purpose to “create confusion and layers to protect themselves and thwart law enforcement investigations.”

“In most cases, the subcontracted drivers are innocent and do not realize they are transporting and dropping off a luxury vehicle to a thief, posing as a legitimate car carrier/transport company,” Anca wrote.

Authorities said they followed the transporter to a shopping plaza in Hallandale Beach.

While at the plaza, located at 1039 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd., they said they saw Giorgi approaching the driver and, after some time, the driver handed him the Ferrari’s key fob.

“Giorgi was extremely nervous as he paced around the parking lot and was on the phone with someone the entire time,” Anca wrote. “Once the transport company completed the transaction, he loaded his truck and drove away.”

Authorities said they took Giorgi into custody on a first-degree grand theft charge. They said he couldn’t come up with a valid explanation of how he obtained the Ferrari, only referencing “someone on Telegram,” a messaging app.

BSO records show Giorgi, a native of the former Soviet country of Georgia, was released from jail on Saturday after posting a $5,000 bond.

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Roaches were discovered in kitchens, inside equipment, and around food preparation areas. In a separate and equally serious category, El Gallito Grill in Miami was shut down after inspectors found that essentially all of its food was being held out of proper temperature, a major food safety risk that can lead to rapid bacterial growth.

No places in the Florida Keys were ordered shut last week.

All the places mentioned were allowed to re-open following an ordered clean up and then a re-inspection.

**HAPPY HOUSE

4089 ANDREWS AVE

OAKLAND PARK

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 4/24

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 1/23/2015 (RODENT ISSUES)

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 10/6/2014 (RODENT ISSUES)

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed 1 live roach in door hinge to reach in section of flip top cooler on cook line in kitchen. Observed approximately 5 live roaches inside of gasket to combo reach in cooler/freezer on cook line in kitchen. Observed 2 live roaches in gasket to reach in freezer on cook line in kitchen. Observed approximately 4 live roaches in gasket to walk in cooler on cook line in kitchen.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed 1 dead roach on ground in back hallway outside of employee rest room. Observed approximately 7 dead roaches inside compressor area of combo reach in cooler/freezer on cook line in kitchen Observed 2 dead roaches inside compressor area of reach in freezer on cook line kitchen. Observed 2 dead roaches on ground under cook line flip top in kitchen.”

“Food stored in a location that is exposed to splash. Rice holder stored on chair next to hand wash sink on cook line exposed to splash.”

“Raw animal foods not properly separated from one another based upon minimum required cooking temperature when stored in a freezer - not all products commercially packaged. Pans of raw chicken not in original packaging stored above raw shrimp in reach in freezer.”

**GRACE RESTAURANT

2710 WEST ATLANTIC BLVD.

POMPANO BEACH

ORDERED SHUT 4/22

13 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed 1 live roach on cutting board to cook line flip top in kitchen. Observed 1 live roach on prep table on cook line in kitchen Observed 1 live roach in gasket at cook line flip top in kitchen Observed 3 live roaches on ground in kitchen Observed 2 live roaches on door frame leading to office area from kitchen. Observed 2 live roaches on ground under dry storage rack next to office door in kitchen. Observed approximately 5 live roaches on and under plastic covering of bottom shelf to prep table in kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed 1 dead roach on wood board stored stored on top of box of quart containers in kitchen. Observed approximately 3 dead roaches on ground under three compartment sink in kitchen. Observed 2 dead roaches on ground next to cook line flip top in kitchen Observed 1 dead roaches on ground outside of walk in freezer in kitchen Observed 1 dead roach on shelf holding oil on cook line in kitchen. Observed 4 dead roaches on bracket/shelf above steam table on cook line in kitchen Observed approximately 2 dead roaches in gasket at cook line flip top cooler in kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Cutting board at cook line flip top stained/soiled Repeat Violation.”

“No proof of required state approved employee training provided for any employees.”

“No soap provided at handwash sink. Observed at bar hand wash sink.”

**UNIQUE PARK RESTAURANT

3521 NW 8TH AVE.

POMPANO BEACH

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 4/22

15 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. 1. One live roach observed crawling under food prep table in kitchen.. 2. Approximately four live roaches on floor next to brooms and reach in freezer in kitchen. 3. One live roach observed crawling on floor under triple sink in kitchen. 4. Observed two live roaches crawling in and out of opening in wall behind triple sink in kitchen. 4. Observed three live roaches on wall coving and floor in kitchen.”

“Dead roaches on premises. 1. Observed two dead roaches in Bain Marie used for storage and next to single service bowls in kitchen. Operator discarded single service bowls. 2. Observed approximately seven dead roaches under food storage rack in kitchen. Operation cleaned during inspection. 3. Observed two dead roaches on kitchen floor near reach in freezer.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust behind steam table in kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed on heavily soiled can opener blade at prep table in kitchen.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed container of green bananas 81F - Hot Holding stored on storage shelf in kitchen under no temperature control.”

**INKAS GRILL CORP.

250 E. PALM DR.

FLORIDA CITY

ORDERED SHUT 4/21

21 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed 1 live roach inside reach in freezer in the kitchen. Observed 2 live roaches crawling on rice bin in front of the triple sink. Observed 1 live roach crawling on wall near triple sink next to storage shelves. Observed 4+ live roach at food storage shelves under microwaves above white sugar container.”

“Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Observed dead insect debris inside sugar bin stored at white food storage shelve under microwaves in back preparation area.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed approximately 6+ dead roaches inside reach in coolers sliding doors at preparation area. Observed approximately 8+ dead roaches on floor behind cooking equipment at front counter cook line. Observed approximately 8+ dead roaches on floor at preparation area.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food reheated in a microwave oven for hot holding not covered during reheating process. Observed cook chicken in microwave near vegetable reach in cooler in the back kitchen.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. Observed ceiling tiles near front counter handwash sink in disrepair.”

“Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. Observed oven door handle soiled at cook line.”

“Reach-in cooler interior/shelves have accumulation of soil residues. Observed at reach in coolers at the preparation area. Repeat Violation.”

“Employee began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands. Observed employee began plating food to serve to customers no handwash.”

“Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Observed food employee put on gloves to start plating to serve to customers. No handwash.”

“Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Observed raw chicken stored over cook pasta at reach in freezer near front counter entrance.”

FOLLOW UP INSPECTION 4/23

“Observed 1 live roach crawling on floor underneath oven at front cook line. Observed 1 live roach crawling on shelf above stove at front cook line.”

“Observed approximately 5 dead roaches underneath hand sink at kitchen area.”

**EL TORO LOCO RANCH(MOBILE)

16901 SW 177TH AVE

MIAMI

ORDERED SHUT 4/17

10 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Live, small flying insects found. Observed 4 live flies flying on an open pack of bread near service window. Observed 4 live flies landing on paper towel dispenser. Observed 3 live flies landing on clean metal container used for pepper. Observed 4 live flies landing on reach in cooler door. Observed 5 live flies landing on single service container. Observed 2 live flies landing on clean cooking pans above handwash sink. Observed 2 live fly landing on clean plastic container and cutting board above the triple sink.”

“Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Observed 4 live flies landing on an open pack of bread near service window.”

“Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed cook ground beef (50F - Cold Holding) at reach cooler dated 4-16-26.”

“Mobile food dispensing vehicle service opening not kept closed except during food service. Observed service window open at time of inspection. Also observed back door open at time of the inspection.”

“Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. Observed handwashing sink used to stored buckets and other utilities.”

FOLLOW UP INSPECTION 4/18

“Call back inspection observed 2 lives flies flying and landing on cooking fryers. Observed 1 live fly landing on reach in cooler. Observed 1 live fly landing on top of the handwash sink. **

**EL GALLITO GRILL

205 SW 8TH ST

MIAMI

ORDERED SHUT 4/24

29 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Inadequate number/capacity of cold holding units to maintain time/temperature control for safety food at proper temperatures. Observed the only 2 reach in coolers in the establishment are not working properly. All food is out of temperature."

“Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Observed sausage (53 F - Cold Holding); cabbage (51 F - Cold Holding); sour cream (49 F - Cold Holding); raw shell eggs (69°F - Cold Holding). As per employee food was placed around 6:00 AM this morning. Stop sale was issued.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed sausage (53 F - Cold Holding); cabbage (51 F - Cold Holding); sour cream (49 F - Cold Holding); raw shell eggs (69°F - Cold Holding). As per employee food was placed around 6:00 AM this morning. Stop sale was issued. Also observed milk (53 F - Cold Holding)inside the reach in cooler at the cook line. As per employee milk was placed inside the reach in cooler 2 hours ago.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed yuca (105 F - Hot Holding)inside the steamer at the kitchen. Employee reheated the yuca. Repeat Violation.”

“Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. Observed handles on reach in cooler at cook line soiled with food debris. Also oven handle with accumulation of grease. Repeat Violation.”

“Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. Observed white and green cutting boards no longer cleanable. Repeat Violation.”

“Equipment in poor repair. Observed reach in cooler door gaskets torn at the cook line.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed reach in cooler door gaskets soiled. Repeat Violation.”

“Required employee training expired for all employees.”

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Smith said he walked outside of his apartment to investigate when he saw smoke coming out of his neighbor’s window.

Smith’s neighbors in the one-story building with seven units at 4451 NE 19 Terrace said his quick action saved lives and minimized damage.

“I grabbed my phone and ran around to start waking up people,” Smith said.

According to Oakland Park Fire Rescue, firefighters responded to the fire shortly after 5:30 a.m., and a man had suffered second-degree burns and smoke inhalation.

Smith said the man who was hospitalized was his neighbor, “Woody,” who didn’t respond when he called him to get out of the apartment.

“I said, ‘Oh! He is probably passed out from the smoke!”

From the outside, the trail of damage appeared to indicate that the fire had started in the kitchen, by the stove. Firefighters had yet to release information.

There was also a wheelchair and a walker left behind in the unit. Neighbors said “Woody” had survived a motorcycle crash and lived with disabilities.

Wayne Grabiec, a neighbor, said his unit was barely damaged.

“Luckily, no fire got into the roof for us and didn’t spread,” Grabiec said.

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

Location

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Investigators said the killing happened on April 18 at the Antigua at Country Club of Miami townhomes in the 17500 block of Northwest 67th Place.

Detectives said Jose Vidal got into an argument with his stepson, who accused him of stealing a large amount of money and was planning on evicting Vidal from the home.

Investigators said the two got into a fight, things turned violent and Vidal stabbed his wife and stepson.

A Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrest report states that it wasn’t until the following Monday, two days later, that Vidal rode his bicycle to purchase a lottery ticket, then rode to Memorial Hospital West six miles away in Pembroke Pines, claiming that he was attacked by two men who stabbed him, knocked him unconscious and then awoke to find his relatives dead.

Detectives said surveillance video showed Vidal walking through the community wearing specific sandals that left footprints in blood that was found inside of the home. They said there was no evidence of anyone matching the descriptions of the supposed suspects Vidal gave.

The Spanish-born Vidal was arrested Friday on two second-degree murder charge and appeared in Miami-Dade bond court on Saturday, where a judge ordered he be held without bond.

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The dog owners, Angela Taylor and Mykel Jones, had abandoned both dogs in the house with fire damage along Northwest 54 Terrace, near 14 Place, according to police.

When the police officer found them on May 18, 2022, one of the dogs, named “Secret,” a female, was infected with fleas, her bones were showing through her skin, and her hind legs had an infection, according to the police officer’s report.

The other dog named “Smoke,” a 15-year-old male, was in a more stable condition, although suffering from a hematoma on both ears, according to the police officer’s report.

The Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Division reported euthanizing both dogs “due to significant medical conditions identified at intake.”

Taylor, 60, was arrested on Sunday, and corrections booked her at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale, according to inmate records.

Taylor appeared in court on Monday, facing charges of aggravated animal cruelty and tormenting, depriving, mutilating, or killing an animal. Her bond was $5,000.

This is a developing story. Local 10 News Assignment Editor Mariana Ortiz contributed to this report.

Los investigadores dijeron que el arresto de Kimeridze Giorgi, de 43 años, oriundo de Staten Island, Nueva York, se produce mientras el sur de Florida experimenta una oleada de esquemas de ladrones que utilizan empresas falsas de transporte para hacerse con trabajos legítimos de traslado de vehículos de lujo contratados por concesionarios.

En el informe de arresto, el detective del BSO Christopher Anca describió cómo funciona el esquema.

“Básicamente, el vendedor o comprador solicita el transporte de un vehículo y, sin saberlo, contrata a un ladrón que utiliza un negocio de transporte fraudulento para trasladar su vehículo de lujo recién vendido o comprado”, escribió Anca. “Una vez que el ladrón tiene el vehículo en su poder, corta todo contacto con la víctima y le roba el automóvil”.

En este caso, los agentes dijeron que Giorgi intentaba llevarse un Ferrari Purosangue 2024 que debía ser trasladado desde un concesionario en Pompano Beach hasta un distribuidor de Maserati en Monmouth, Nueva Jersey.

Los agentes dijeron que el viernes por la mañana vieron el lujoso SUV siendo cargado por un transportista subcontratado por los ladrones.

Las autoridades dijeron que los sospechosos subarrendan los trabajos a propósito para crear confusión y capas de protección que dificulten las investigaciones policiales.

“En la mayoría de los casos, los conductores subcontratados son inocentes y no se dan cuenta de que están transportando y entregando un vehículo de lujo a un ladrón que se hace pasar por una empresa legítima de transporte”, escribió Anca.

Las autoridades dijeron que siguieron al transportista hasta una plaza comercial en Hallandale Beach.

En la plaza ubicada en el 1039 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd., dijeron que vieron a Giorgi acercarse al conductor y, tras unos momentos, el conductor le entregó el llavero del Ferrari.

“Giorgi estaba extremadamente nervioso mientras deambulaba por el estacionamiento y estuvo en el teléfono con alguien todo el tiempo”, escribió Anca. “Una vez que la empresa de transporte completó la transacción, cargó su camión y se fue”.

Las autoridades arrestaron a Giorgi por cargos de robo mayor en primer grado. Dijeron que no pudo dar una explicación válida de cómo obtuvo el Ferrari, y solo mencionó a “alguien en Telegram”, una aplicación de mensajería.

Los registros del BSO muestran que Giorgi, oriundo de la ex república soviética de Georgia, fue liberado de la cárcel el sábado tras pagar una fianza de $5,000.

Los dueños de los perros, Angela Taylor y Mykel Jones, habían abandonado a ambos animales en la casa con daños por incendio en Northwest 54 Terrace, cerca de 14 Place, según la policía.

Cuando el oficial los encontró el 18 de mayo de 2022, uno de los perros, llamado “Secret”, una hembra, estaba infestada de pulgas, sus huesos sobresalían a través de la piel y sus patas traseras presentaban una infección, según el informe policial.

El otro perro, llamado “Smoke”, un macho de 15 años, se encontraba en una condición más estable, aunque sufría de un hematoma en ambas orejas, según el mismo informe.

La División de Cuidado y Adopción de Animales del Condado de Broward informó que ambos perros fueron sacrificados debido a las graves condiciones médicas detectadas al momento de su ingreso.

Taylor, de 60 años, fue arrestada el domingo y registrada en la Cárcel Principal del Condado de Broward en Fort Lauderdale, según los registros de reclusos.

Taylor compareció ante un tribunal el lunes, enfrentando cargos de crueldad animal agravada y tormento, privación, mutilación o muerte de un animal. Su fianza fue fijada en $5,000.

Esta es una historia en desarrollo. La editora de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Mariana Ortiz, contribuyó a este reportaje.

Members of the National Science Board received an email on Friday sent from the Presidential Personnel Office “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump" stating that their position was “terminated, effective immediately.”

“I wasn’t entirely surprised, to be honest,” said dismissed board member Keivan Stassun in an email. Stassun, who works at Vanderbilt University, added that the decision was “enormously disappointing.”

The National Science Board was created in 1950 to advise the president and Congress on science and engineering policy, approve major funding awards and guide NSF’s future.

It's typically made up of 25 members appointed by the president who serve staggered, six-year terms. The fired scientists hail from academia and industry and specialize in areas including astronomy, math, chemistry and aerospace engineering.

Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said in a statement the move was “a dangerous attack on the institutions and expertise that drive American innovation and discovery."

The Trump administration tried to cut the science foundation's $9 billion budget by more than half last year. Congress maintained NSF's funding, but a similar slash is once again on the table for the coming year.

Without an advisory board in the way this time, Stassun said, such cuts may be easier to execute.

It could “eviscerate investments in fundamental research and in the training of the next generation of scientists and engineers for our nation," Stassun said.

The science foundation's headquarters was also relocated to a smaller building. Last year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it would be moving into the NSF's former base in Alexandria, Virginia.

The National Science Foundation directed a request for comment to the White House. The White House did not immediately respond for comment.

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Los investigadores dijeron que el crimen ocurrió el 18 de abril en las casas adosadas Antigua at Country Club of Miami, en el bloque 17500 de Northwest 67th Place.

Los detectives dijeron que José Vidal tuvo una discusión con su hijastro, quien lo acusó de robar una gran suma de dinero y planeaba desalojarlo de la vivienda.

Los investigadores dijeron que ambos se enfrascaron en una pelea, la situación se tornó violenta y Vidal apuñaló a su esposa y a su hijastro.

Un informe de arresto de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade indica que no fue hasta el lunes siguiente, dos días después, que Vidal montó su bicicleta para comprar un billete de lotería y luego se dirigió al Memorial Hospital West, a seis millas de distancia en Pembroke Pines, alegando que había sido atacado por dos hombres que lo apuñalaron, lo dejaron inconsciente y que al despertar encontró a sus familiares muertos.

Los detectives dijeron que las cámaras de vigilancia mostraron a Vidal caminando por la comunidad con unas sandalias específicas que dejaron huellas en la sangre encontrada dentro de la vivienda. Señalaron que no había evidencia de ninguna persona que coincidiera con la descripción de los supuestos sospechosos que Vidal proporcionó.

Vidal, oriundo de España, fue arrestado el viernes con dos cargos de asesinato en segundo grado y compareció el sábado ante el tribunal de fianzas de Miami-Dade, donde un juez ordenó que fuera detenido sin derecho a fianza.

During an emotional hearing in a Queens courtroom packed by uniformed police officers and Officer Jonathan Diller’s family, the judge said Guy Rivera “most certainly will” die in a prison cell.

“Your sentence to me was determined the second you pulled that trigger,” Judge Michael Aloise told Rivera. “It took me five minutes to calculate the numbers. It’s going to take you a lifetime to calculate the damage you caused.”

A jury found Rivera guilty earlier this month of aggravated manslaughter and other charges in Diller's killing, but acquitted the 36-year-old Queens resident of murder.

The shooting happened on March 25, 2024, when Diller and other officers were on patrol in the Far Rockaway section of Queens. Authorities say one of the officers spotted a suspicious object bulging from Rivera’s hoodie as he and another man walked to a parked car and got in.

Police say the officers were questioning the driver when Rivera, who was in the passenger’s seat, suddenly pulled out a gun and shot Diller. The bullet struck the officer below his bulletproof vest, mortally wounding him. Another officer then shot and wounded Rivera.

At the time, Diller was the first NYPD officer to be killed in the line of duty in two years. The 31-year-old’s wake and funeral in his hometown on Long Island drew thousands of people, including President Donald Trump, and the case briefly became a focal point during his 2024 campaign to reclaim the White House on a message of “law and order.”

The Republican president hailed Diller an “unbelievably wonderful person and a great officer” in a March 2025 speech to a joint session of Congress.

Prosecutors had argued that Rivera was deserving of life behind bars because he was a “persistent felon” with prior criminal convictions who had made a “calculated, deliberate and evil choice” to inflict violence.

“This was not an accident,” Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Zawistowski said. “We ask that you honor Jonathan’s life. We ask that you honor his sacrifice."

Rivera's lawyer, Jamal Johnson, argued, as he did during the three-week trial, that Rivera was “not a murderer” because he did not intend to kill Diller.

He maintained the gun accidentally discharged as officers pulled the firearm from Rivera’s pocket. He pleaded with the judge not to issue a “sensational” sentence and complained that Rivera did not receive a fair trial.

Johnson, in a statement after the court hearing, said he intended to appeal his client's conviction.

“The fact that the court stated it had already made up its mind about sentencing well before the trial was conducted reveals the bias and uphill battle the defense faced throughout this case,” he said.

The second suspect, Lindy Jones, is due back in court Tuesday as he awaits trial on weapons charges.

On Monday, Rivera declined to address the court but members of Diller's family delivered tearful remarks.

Stephanie Diller, the officer's wife, said she and the couple's young son had been given a life sentence without their husband and father, so Rivera should also be given one.

“You took my husband and the life we were building,” she said speaking directly to Rivera through tears. “In a single moment, everything that was my life was gone.”

Fran Diller, the officer's mother, said she is haunted by her son's death every day.

“He had a future so incredibly bright,” she said. “My world has been completely shattered. Everything feels empty without him. All I feel is unbearable ache."

Patrick Hendry, president of the police officers’ union, said after the hearing that the manslaughter verdict “did not send the right message” to police officers but that the sentence had.

“He should never ever walk the streets again, and he won't,” Hendry said of Rivera.

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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

The Heat were knocked out in the play-in game by Charlotte, missing the Playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Riley said he’s not going to step aside, resign, or retire.

Riley added, “I want another parade down Biscayne Boulevard.”

If people think the Heat are going to tank moving forward, Riley said, “We’re always going to try to win. We’re not going to apologize for it. If we’re fighting for the final spot in the play-in, we will fight until our last breath.”

Yes, the Heat President did say he’s frustrated by where the Heat are at, saying “I’m really pissed. I’m disappointed, disgruntled.”

Riley also said, “I’m not going to apologize for being a play-in team.”

At the trade deadline, the Heat were not going to trade assets away, because they were competing for a playoff spot.

Riley acknowledged that star Bam Adebayo was frustrated with where the Heat are at.

Riley said he’s dealt with similar frustration from star players before.

Overall, Riley said “We’re just not good enough. We’re not happy with it.”

Riley said the team has flexibility to improve the roster.

Texas Tech and Sorsby announced the move in a statement released on Monday.

The school said it is “committed to supporting Brendan through his recovery process and to ensure his long-term health and well-being.”

Sorsby was one of the biggest names in this year’s transfer portal. He transferred from Cincinnati, which then announced on Feb. 26 it would sue the quarterback for breaching his name, image and likeness contract.

According to the lawsuit, Sorsby signed an NIL agreement in July 2025 covering the 2025 and ’26 seasons and that there would be a $1 million buyout if he transferred, payable within 30 days. Sorsby announced on Dec. 15 that he was entering the transfer portal and announced on Jan. 4 that he would play for Texas Tech.

Sorsby received the most lucrative deal of the portal period — a reported $5 million — to return to his home state for his final season.

It was not immediately known how Monday’s announcement could impact Sorsby’s availability for the season.

“We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said in a statement released by the school. “Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person. Our program is behind Brendan as he prioritizes his health.”

In the statement, Texas Tech said its “primary focus remains on fostering an environment where student-athletes feel empowered to prioritize their mental health and seek professional assistance.”

The school said it would have no further comment on Sorsby’s status “to protect the integrity of the recovery process.”

Sorsby began his career at Indiana before transferring to Cincinnati. In 35 career games, including 31 starts, he has passed for 7,208 yards and 60 touchdowns, along with 1,295 rushing yards and 22 TDs.

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“There are 29 victims who have been evacuated to three nearby hospitals,” Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri told reporters at the scene in the suburb of Bekasi.

An investigation is underway, he said.

The Argo Bromo Anggrek long-distance train crashed into the rear car of a commuter train that was stopped at Bekasi Timur Station, causing severe damage.

The car had been designated for women only, a common accommodation to help avoid harassment.

Local television footage and videos on social media showed passengers at the station panicking. First responders and residents tried to evacuate passengers from train cars, while dozens of people rushed to the station for news of family members.

The vice president for corporate communications of the state-owned railway company, PT Kereta Api Indonesia, issued an apology to customers.

“At this time, all efforts are focused on evacuating passengers and crew, as well as assisting victims at the scene, with safety as the top priority,” Anne Purba said in a statement.

Purba said commuter rail service in the area was disrupted.

Accidents are common on Indonesia’s aging railroad network. In January 2024, two trains collided in West Java province, killing at least four people,

In October 2013, a passenger train slammed into a minibus at an unguarded crossing in West Java, killing 13 people. A train from Jakarta, in 2010 plowed into the rear of a train that was sitting at a station in Central Java province, killing 36.

The strikes were the first violent incident since Chinese-mediated peace talks between the two sides earlier this month.

Pakistan and Afghanistan had been embroiled in months of deadly fighting that has killed hundreds of people since late February, when Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan. Islamabad had declared it was in open war with Afghanistan, in an escalation of violence that alarmed the international community.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting dismissed Afghan media reports and official statements about the strikes on the university as “a blatant lie.”

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants that carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from, but allied with, the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.

Afghan and Pakistani officials met in Urumqi in western China in early April, and had agreed not to escalate their conflict and “explore a comprehensive solution,” China’s government had said after mediating the talks.

Monday’s strikes marked the first major attack since the talks, highlighting the tenuous nature of peace efforts mediated by the international community. Apart from China, other nations that have been involved in mediation between the two sides at various times include Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The fighting largely subsided in March, after the two sides declared a temporary truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The truce followed a deadly Pakistani airstrike on March 17 on a drug treatment facility in the Afghan capital, Kabul, that Afghanistan said killed more than 400 civilians. Pakistan denied targeting civilian facilities and disputed the death toll.

Still, sporadic cross-border fighting had continued even while delegations from the two sides were attending the talks in Urumqi.

Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said Monday’s mortar and missile attack struck the city of Asadabad, the capital of Kunar Province, as well as various areas in another district in the province on Monday afternoon.

Kunar Information and Culture Director Najibullah Hanafi said the death toll stood at seven, with 85 people wounded.

Fitrat said the wounded included women, children and students at the Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University, and described the attacks as "an unforgivable war crime, barbarity, and provocative act.”

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education said about 30 students and professors were injured in the strike on the university, which it said had caused extensive damage to the facility’s buildings and grounds.

In a statement, Pakistan's information ministry said that “Pakistan’s targeting is precise and intelligence based. No strike has been carried out on Sayed Jamaluddin Afghan University. The claims are frivolous and fake.”

On Saturday, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqi described the recent negotiations in China as “positive.”

“You are all aware of our recent problems with Pakistan. The latest negotiations were held in Urumqi under the mediation of China, and these negotiations were positive,” he said during a graduation ceremony at the foreign ministry’s Diplomacy Institute.

The issues between the two countries “are very sensitive between neighbors and between two Islamic neighboring countries and should not be treated irresponsibly,” he added.

Earlier this month, the United Nations’ office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in Afghanistan said the conflict had displaced 94,000 people overall.

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Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan and Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece contributed to this report.

El más letal se registró el sábado cuando detonó una bomba en una carretera en el departamento de Cauca, al suroeste del país. Al menos 20 civiles murieron y más de 30 resultaron heridos en el atentado presuntamente perpetrado por la disidencia Estado Mayor Central de la extinta guerrilla Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) que no se acogió al acuerdo de paz firmado en 2016.

La violencia en esa región del país no es nueva, los grupos ilegales han tratado de controlar la zona por décadas por considerarla estratégica para ilícitos como la minería ilegal y el narcotráfico, que incluye los sembradíos de hoja de coca, la materia prima de la cocaína.

El gobierno de Gustavo Petro, el primer presidente izquierdista en el país, ha intentado controlar la región con operativos militares y disminuir la violencia con su política de “paz total”, incluido un diálogo con el Estado Mayor Central que fue abandonado por la mayoría de sus integrantes en 2024.

“Es una ola de ataques que viene desde hace unos dos años, en un aumento de presión por parte del Estado Mayor Central por medio de ataques de tipo terrorista hacia la fuerza pública... una estrategia sistemática”, dijo a The Associated Press Elizabeth Dickinson, analista senior del International Crisis Group.

Las autoridades de seguridad colombianas cifraron en 26 los atentados en esa zona durante los últimos días.

Los ataques suelen ser dirigidos contra las fuerzas de seguridad en zonas urbanas y rurales, pero a veces terminan por afectar a civiles como el del sábado, generando un especial rechazo por parte de la sociedad y de organismos internacionales.

“Quiero la máxima persecución mundial contra este grupo narcoterrorista”, escribió el sábado Petro en X. Añadió que se dispondrá de “los mejores soldados para enfrentarlos” y pidió a la unidad de análisis financiero actuar sobre sus finanzas.

Dickinson aseguró que las fuerzas militares han intentado recuperar el control territorial en el suroeste “centímetro a centímetro”, pero no han logrado consolidarlo, especialmente por el “alto nivel de control social que manejan los grupos en esta zona del Cauca” al utilizar a los civiles como “escudos humanos”.

Violencia en época electoral

Los ataques han sacudido tanto al gobierno como a los candidatos presidenciales, que se han pronunciado sobre la estrategia de seguridad.

“Creo que los ataques contribuyen a agravar el malestar generalizado con la situación de seguridad en Colombia. Sin embargo, tanto el gobierno como la oposición los utilizarán para convencer a los votantes de que sus propuestas políticas son favorables”, dijo a AP Sergio Guzmán, analista de riesgo político basado en Bogotá.

El candidato oficialista Iván Cepeda, uno de los que encabeza las encuestas de intención de voto, lamentó los ataques y cuestionó que tuvieran lugar donde “existe un amplio respaldo ciudadano” al gobierno, por lo que podrían haber buscado “generar un clima de miedo que favorezca intereses de sectores de extrema derecha”.

En tanto, candidatos conservadores como Paloma Valencia y Abelardo de la Espriella cuestionaron la política de “paz total” del gobierno, al considerar que fracasaron las negociaciones con múltiples grupos armados ilegales y bandas criminales.

Javier Garay, doctor en Ciencia Política y docente de la Universidad Externado de Colombia, aseguró a AP que en medio de la campaña electoral se ha hecho un “uso político” de los ataques.

Para Guzmán, la disidencia de las FARC puede pretender “establecer una posición ventajosa de cara al futuro” mostrando que tiene la capacidad de realizar ataques letales y, en caso de luego declarar un alto el fuego, “mostrar disciplina” para que de le permita volver a negociar la paz.

Rivera is on trial on charges of acting as an unregistered agent for Venezuela, conspiring to commit money laundering, and tax evasion.

During his courtroom testimony, Sessions said that he met with the now-acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez in 2017 in New York.

The conversation focused on a path forward for Venezuela without the then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Sessions said Rodríguez was the one who raised the idea to find a way to welcome Exxon back to Venezuela.

Prosecutors filed the case on Nov. 16, 2022, over a $50 million consulting contract with Venezuela’s state-run oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., or PDVSA.

Rivera’s defense attorneys claim his work was legitimate. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013 and in the Florida House of Representatives from 2002 to 2010.

This is a developing story.

The 29-year-old Kenyan pulled off the feat that was long considered unthinkable when winning the London Marathon on Sunday in a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds.

There have been a slew of high-profile doping cases involving Kenyan runners in recent years, notably women’s marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepng’etich getting a three-year ban in October.

So, in agreement with his coaches and management team, Sawe said he volunteered to undergo “multiple” doping tests to dispel any suspicion around his own performances, including victories at last year’s marathons in Berlin and London.

“Doping has become a cancer in my country,” Sawe told reporters on Monday.

Sawe said he and his team decided to implement the stringent testing regime because the possibility of people looking at his results “with a lot of doubts was not good,” and he wanted to “show the world that we can run clean and also run fast.”

The BBC, which holds the broadcast rights for the London Marathon, reported that Adidas provided $50,000 to the Athletics Integrity Unit, track and field’s anti-doping body, to frequently test Sawe over a 12-month period, including 25 out-of-competition tests leading up to the Berlin Marathon in September and a similar number ahead of the London race.

The Athletics Integrity Unit didn't immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press for comment on Sawe's testing regime.

Sawe is urging other runners to volunteer for more doping tests.

“Everyone will feel comfortable running with his fellow athlete because there will be no doubt thinking (that) someone is using what he’s using," he said. “And so, it’s important to run clean and to show the world (that) talent, with hard work, discipline and patience,” can lead to big achievements.

Sawe also credited his footwear for helping him break the marathon record by an astonishing 65 seconds in Sunday’s race.

He wore an Adidas shoe that weighed less than half the weight of an average running shoe. After the race, he held up the shoe, which had his winning time written next to it.

“The shoe is very nice, very light, comfortable and so supportive,” he said, “and is pushing (me) forward.”

Sawe was already a superstar in marathon running but has suddenly become a global sensation, something the softly spoken Kenyan is going to have to get used to.

“Being in the history books is not something easy,” he said. “So it means a lot to me in my life and I’m so happy.”

Sawe said he kept things simple after his world-record run.

“I just celebrated in style — I just relaxed and slept well and woke up,” he said.

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Douglas reported from Sundsvall, Sweden.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

It happened around 7:10 a.m. Sunday in the area of Northwest 135th Street and 27th Avenue.

Deputies said Steven Hadley, who would have turned 36 on Monday, was speeding and crashed into several vehicles.

Investigators said Hadley was thrown from the vehicle in the fiery wreck.

Meanwhile, medics airlifted two women in the car with him to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition.

Neighbors say speeding and car crashes are a frequent problem in the area.

On Sunday, the state passed the threshold of 42 days with no new outbreak-related cases. In the end, 997 people were sickened by the vaccine-preventable disease since October and at least 21 of them were hospitalized, based on voluntary reports to the state. State health officials estimate the outbreak response cost $2.1 million.

“The outbreak was predominantly contained to one area of one county and never went statewide, thanks to timely investigations, identification of those exposed, and people’s willingness to stay home,” said Dr. Edward Simmer, interim director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to medicine. Most recover after a high fever, cough, runny nose and a telltale rash. But some, including very young children and people with weak immune systems, can get pneumonia, brain swelling or even die. Measles can also cause health problems later in life for those who recover. The vaccine is safe and 97% effective after two doses.

Outbreak spurred some to get vaccinated

Centered in northwestern Spartanburg County, the measles outbreak was the fastest-growing the U.S. has seen in decades, state health officials said. Public health officials confirmed more than 650 cases in January alone, and the outbreak quickly eclipsed the 2025 outbreak in West Texas that sickened at least 762 people and killed two school-age children.

But a sooner-than-predicted decline in cases came as welcome news to doctors and health workers. A few things may have helped, Dr. Brannon Traxler, chief medical officer for the state health department, said last week. To some extent, it's possible that the outbreak waned as more people got sick, she said, but more people also got vaccinated.

While uptake was slow to begin with, public health workers, doctors' offices and pharmacies administered nearly 82,000 measles vaccines from October to March. That was an increase of more than 30% from the same time period a year prior. Spartanburg County saw a 94% increase in vaccinations.

The public health department also worked to contain the spread, sending nearly 2,300 quarantine letters, making more than 1,670 case investigation calls and working across seven school districts to quarantine 874 students.

The US is on pace for more cases than last year

Measles continues to spread nationwide. So far this year, the U.S. has logged 1,792 cases — nearly 80% of 2025's record-breaking total — and 22 new outbreaks. Florida has confirmed 134 cases this year and Texas has 180, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of greatest concern now is an outbreak that started on the Arizona-Utah border and has since spread across much of Utah. Since August, 607 people have been sickened in Utah. Mohave County, Arizona, has also confirmed 282 cases. Genetic analysis indicates the outbreak could have started six weeks earlier and may have been much larger than reported, according to research presented at a CDC conference last week.

Cases have slowed a bit, but it’s still too soon to say an end is in sight, said Dr. Ellie Brownstein, a Utah pediatrician and president-elect of the state’s American Academy of Pediatrics chapter. State data show that southwestern Utah still has the most cases — 258 — but each of the state's 13 local health districts has logged at least one case.

“It has marched through the state and is everywhere,” Brownstein said.

South Carolina officials are still on guard

In South Carolina, the end of the outbreak has given health workers only a slight reprieve. Last week, a case linked to international travel in Saluda County, west of Columbia, led to 41 people having to quarantine.

“We are certainly not letting our guard down, and I don't think that South Carolinians who are still vulnerable to the virus, that don't have immunity, should let their guard down,” Traxler said.

The virus has resurged across the Americas since a major outbreak started in Canada in fall 2024. In the U.S., childhood vaccination rates against the measles have fallen for years, as more parents opt out of shots required for school. In November, international health officials will determine if the U.S. has lost its measles elimination status, which it has maintained since 2000.

Dr. Martha Edwards, president of the South Carolina chapter of the AAP, said the end of the outbreak brought a mix of gratitude and anger.

“I’m angry that many children and their parents had to worry about contracting or suffering through a disease that should have been nearly 100% preventable,” she said.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Cole Tomas Allen was taken into custody after the shooting on Saturday night and is being charged in federal court in Washington. Court papers laying out the charges were not immediately available, though authorities have said Allen will face charges including assault on a federal officer and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Authorities say an officer wearing a bullet-resistant vest was shot in the vest but is expected to recover.

It was unclear if Allen, of Torrance, California, had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. The Associated Press called multiple phone numbers listed for Allen and relatives in public records, and there was no answer when a reporter knocked on the door of his home.

Prosecutors have not revealed a motive, but in a message reviewed by the AP that authorities say was sent by Allen to family members minutes before the attack, Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin,” made repeated references to the Republican president without naming him and alluded to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions.

Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence of the suspect’s mindset and possible motives.

Allen, 31, is believed to have traveled by train from California to Chicago and then onto Washington, where he checked himself in as a guest at the hotel where the gala dinner was held with its typically tight security, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

Video posted by Trump shows a man, who authorities say was armed with guns and knives, running past a security barricade as Secret Service agents run toward him.

Records show Allen is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer. A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match that of the suspect show he worked part-time for the last six years at a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students.

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Associated Press writer Gary Fields contributed to this report.

Trump and other conservatives have made a renewed push for the ballroom in the wake of Saturday's media dinner shooting, arguing it exposed the difficulties in ensuring presidential security at large events outside the White House grounds, and urging the National Trust for Historic Preservation to drop its lawsuit.

Top Justice officials said the government would ask a court to dismiss the lawsuit “in light of last night’s extraordinary events" if the Trust did not voluntarily drop it.

Trust attorney Gregory Craig declined that request, writing to the Justice Department that the legal issues at the heart of the lawsuit are unchanged.

“What Saturday’s awful event does not change is that the Constitution and multiple federal statutes require Congress to authorize construction of a ballroom on White House grounds, and that Congress has not done so," Craig wrote.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

The preservation group sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing to make way for a ballroom that Trump said would fit 999 people. Trump says the project is funded by private donations, although public money is paying for a below-ground bunker and security upgrades.

In its lawsuit, the Trust argued that Trump had overstepped his authority by moving forward with the project without first getting approval from key federal agencies and Congress.

A federal appeals court has allowed Trump to continue the project, ruling a day after a lower court judge continued to block above-ground construction on the site and scheduling a June 5 hearing to review the case.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

A stomach virus or food poisoning has affected Coco Gauff, Marin Cilic and a few others, causing some concern.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka avoided an upset by Naomi Osaka on the court on Monday and said she's trying to avoid illness by sticking to a simple diet of chicken breast, rice and salad.

The rumor among the players was bad shrimp tacos were to blame.

Sabalenka knocked on wood and said, “So far, so good. I heard that I have to avoid those tacos (laughing). I stick to the same food, same meal that I’ve been having since the very beginning of the tournament.”

Sabalenka said she was spending as little time as possible on site at the Caja Magica tennis complex.

"I try not to stay for too long," she said. “Extra vitamin C, I guess, extra IM8, and I’m good to go, hopefully."

Gauff vomited on the court on her way to a victory over Sorana Cirstea on Sunday. The American didn't show signs of illness on Monday in her 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (5) loss to Linda Noskova, last year's runner-up to Sabalenka.

Cilic couldn't play his match against João Fonseca on Friday.

“Unfortunately, I got food poisoning,” Cilic said. “After trying to recover all night my body is unfortunately exhausted and not at the proper level to get into the battle.”

Sabalenka rallies

Sabalenka rebounded from a set and a break down against Osaka in their fourth round contest.

She prevailed against No. 15 Osaka 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-2 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to reach the quarterfinals and stay on track to defend her title.

“Oh my God, that was an incredible level,” Sabalenka said. “She played incredible tennis. I feel like I just got lucky in a couple of shots in the third set, that’s why it went that fast. I’m happy she brought that fight, I had to fight through to level up my game.”

Sabalenka won her 15th straight match and advanced to her 17th consecutive quarterfinal. She hasn't lost before that round since February 2025 in Dubai. The Belarusian said her team kept pushing her to “keep fighting, keep going.”

“I'm really happy that I didn't give up and I was pushing until the very last point,” Sabalenka said.

Longest tiebreaker since 2024

Sabalenka will next face American Hailey Baptiste, who defeated Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-7 (14), 6-3 after losing the second set in the longest tour-level regular tiebreaker since 2024, according to the WTA.

Baptiste broke the racket on her leg in frustration after the loss in a set in which she wasted six match points, including five during the tiebreaker.

The 32nd-ranked American was able to rebound and clinch the victory in 2 hours, 42 minutes.

Rybakina's line-calling frustration

World No. 2 Elena Rybakina said she has no trust in the electronic line-calling system in Madrid. She complained to the chair umpire after her opponent, Zheng Qinwen, was awarded an ace in the second set. Rybakina said the mark on the court was out. The umpire refused to inspect the mark and backed the system. Rybakina eventually won in three sets on Sunday.

“Well with this thing, I won’t trust it at all,” Rybakina said. “Because there was no mark even close to what the TV showed."

She felt it was a similar situation to what happened to men's player Alexander Zverev last year in Madrid, where he ended up grabbing his cell phone and taking a photo of a mark of an alleged wrong call. Zverev was warned for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“You can’t not see it,” Rybakina said. "It’s kind of a stolen point. I understand it was her serve and she was serving really well, but it’s really frustrating.”

Jódar only Spaniard left

Daniel Mérida lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-2 and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina lost to defending champion Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-1 on Monday, leaving 19-year-old Rafael Jódar as the only Spaniard left in the tournament.

Jódar, one of the promising stars on tour, needed three sets to get past Fonseca, another teen sensation.

World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, Spain's current top player, withdrew from the home tournament because of a right wrist injury.

Unusual rally

There was an unusually long rally in the Rudd vs. Davidovich Fokina match when the Spaniard resorted to 15 straight lob shots to the back of the court.

The high returns in the 32-shot rally kept Rudd from attacking until one shot came up a little short and allowed him to power a forehand and take the point.

In the match between Francisco Cerundolo and Luciano Darderi, Cerundolo won a point after reaching over the net to get to a high return that spun back into Darderi's side of the court. Cerundolo won the match 6-2, 6-3.

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

The digital portrait represents a man who was among two victims discovered as they attempted to flee the city toward the coast of what is now Italy during the volcanic eruption. Researchers believe the man died earlier in the disaster, during a heavy fall of volcanic debris.

The reconstruction was developed by the Pompeii Archaeological Park in collaboration with the University of Padua and is based on archaeological survey data from excavations near the Porta Stabia necropolis, just outside the walls of the ancient city.

Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Naples, was buried under ash and pumice when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago, preserving the city and the remains of thousands of its inhabitants in remarkable detail.

Archaeologists found the man holding a terracotta mortar, which they interpreted as an improvised attempt to shield his head from falling small volcanic stones that rained down during the eruption.

Ancient accounts — including those of Roman writer Pliny the Younger — describe Pompeii's residents using objects to protect themselves as ash and debris blanketed the city.

The man was also carrying an oil lamp, a small iron ring and 10 bronze coins, personal objects that offer insight into his final moments as well as into daily life in Pompeii before the catastrophe.

The digital portrait was created using AI and photo-editing techniques designed to translate skeletal and archaeological data into a realistic human likeness.

“The vastness of archaeological data is now such that only with the help of artificial intelligence will we be able to adequately protect and enhance them. If used well, AI can contribute to a renewal of classical studies,” Pompeii park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said in a statement.

The project aims to make archaeological research more accessible and emotionally engaging for the public while maintaining a scientific foundation, researchers said.

Happy House, ubicado en el 4089 Andrews Ave. de Oakland Park, fue cerrado el 24 de abril tras encontrarse cucarachas vivas en los enfriadores, congeladores y en la junta de la cámara fría de la cocina. El establecimiento había sido cerrado anteriormente en 2014 y 2015 por problemas similares con roedores.

Grace Restaurant, en el 2710 West Atlantic Blvd. de Pompano Beach, fue cerrado el 22 de abril con 13 violaciones. Los inspectores hallaron cucarachas vivas sobre la tabla de cortar, en la línea de cocina, bajo los estantes y en el marco de la puerta que da a la oficina. Además, no había jabón en el lavamanos del bar y ningún empleado contaba con la capacitación requerida por el estado.

Unique Park Restaurant, en el 3521 NW 8th Ave. de Pompano Beach, fue cerrado el 22 de abril con 15 violaciones, luego de una inspección por queja. Se encontraron cucarachas vivas bajo la mesa de preparación, cerca de los escobas y bajo el fregadero de triple compartimiento, además de cucarachas entrando y saliendo de una abertura en la pared.

Inkas Grill Corp., en el 250 E. Palm Dr. de Florida City, fue cerrado el 21 de abril con 21 violaciones. Los inspectores hallaron cucarachas vivas dentro del congelador, sobre el recipiente de arroz y cerca de los estantes de almacenamiento. También encontraron restos de insectos muertos dentro del recipiente de azúcar. En una inspección de seguimiento dos días después, aún había cucarachas vivas en la línea de cocina.

El Toro Loco Ranch, una unidad móvil ubicada en el 16901 SW 177th Ave. de Miami, fue cerrada el 17 de abril con 10 violaciones. Los inspectores encontraron moscas vivas posándose sobre pan abierto, utensilios limpios y el enfriador. También se detectó carne molida cocida almacenada a 50°F, por encima de la temperatura segura permitida.

El Gallito Grill, en el 205 SW 8th St. de Miami, fue cerrado el 24 de abril con 29 violaciones. Los dos únicos enfriadores del establecimiento no funcionaban correctamente, dejando todos los alimentos fuera de temperatura: salchichas a 53°F, repollo a 51°F, crema agria a 49°F y huevos crudos a 69°F. La yuca en el vapor fue encontrada a solo 105°F, muy por debajo de los 135°F requeridos.

Todos los establecimientos fueron autorizados a reabrir tras una limpieza ordenada y una reinspección.

Un motociclista murió y otro resultó herido en el accidente ocurrido el domingo por la noche en los carriles en dirección este de Alligator Alley, o Interestatal 75, en el marcador de milla 42.

La FHP cerró la autopista el domingo por la noche y la reabrió a tiempo para el tráfico del lunes por la mañana.

Most storms will develop too far inland, but a couple will make it into the metro area with brief heavy rain and gusty winds. High temperatures in the next couple of days will be near average in the middle 80s.

The hottest air of the year so far is on the way later this week. Starting Thursday, a shift in our winds from the south will give us a streak of 90s that will last into the weekend.

Según Oakland Park Fire Rescue, los bomberos respondieron al incendio poco después de las 5:30 a.m. en el 4451 NE 19 Terrace, cerca del Holy Cross Health Hospital.

Barry Smith dijo que vio salir humo por la ventana y los respiraderos de un apartamento en el edificio de una planta con siete unidades.

“Agarré mi teléfono y empecé a despertar a la gente”, dijo Smith.

Todo indicaba que el incendio se había originado en la cocina, cerca de la estufa. Había una silla de ruedas y un andador. Los vecinos dijeron que el hombre había sobrevivido un accidente de motocicleta.

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

Don’t leave home without your umbrellas, as afternoon inland storms are expected to develop later in the day.

Some storms could be strong like on Sunday, so remember, “When thunder roars, you go indoors.”

Highs will be reaching the upper 80s before the storms develop.

Looking ahead, an area of high pressure is building, providing for an ocean breeze to return starting tomorrow, with lower rain chances. Keep it tuned to Local10 for more.

The high court's ruling leaves in place a unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati last May. Householder and Borges had appealed to justices after the lower court denied their requests for an en banc hearing before all active judges.

The Department of Justice secured Householder's and Borges' convictions in March 2023 after a yearslong investigation and a more than six-week trial.

Householder, now 66, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for masterminding a scheme illicitly funded by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. to elect allies, secure power, pass a $1 billion bailout of two of its affiliated nuclear plants and then defend the bill, known as House Bill 6, from a repeal effort.

Borges, 53, got a five-year sentence for helping undermine the repeal effort. A former chair of the Ohio Republican Party, he was released to a halfway house in Cincinnati in October, from which he's to be released Nov. 12, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

More than 64 million people in the Midwest mostly are at risk of severe storms Monday afternoon and evening, with the St. Louis region at moderate risk for multiple long-track tornadoes and large hail, the National Weather Service Service said.

“The greatest area of concern is across central Missouri into southern Illinois and into southeast Missouri,” Evan Bentley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, said on X.

“We could have multiple supercells capable of all hazards, including tornadoes, large hail and wind gusts,” he said.

In Kansas City, Missouri, the local fire department responded to 11 water rescues from vehicles starting at shortly before 6 a.m. Monday, Battalion Chief Riley Nolan said in an email.

He said most “were in our typical ‘high-water’ areas following heavy rains.” Nolan said no boats were required and no injuries were reported.

The weather service reported that 3.2 inches (8.1 centimeters) of rain fell in a six-hour period ending shortly before 7 a.m. at the Kansas City International Airport.

The storms followed rounds of violent weather over the weekend.

In northern Texas, a tornado-producing thunderstorm left at least two people dead and displaced at least 20 families, with many homes sustaining major damage, authorities said Sunday.

National Weather Service teams confirmed that an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 135 mph (217 kph) touched down in the Runaway Bay area on Saturday. An EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 105 mph (169 kph) was confirmed in the Springtown area, the weather service said.

“Access has been difficult due to blocked roadways and downed utilities, but crews have continued pushing forward to reach those in need,” said Wise County Judge J.D. Clark, the county’s chief executive.

Rapid development has been shrinking the jungle habitat of the critically endangered species, and fatal conflicts with people have been increasing.

The fleeting scene, captured by a motion‑sensitive camera, showed a young Sumatran orangutan pause at the forest’s edge, grip a rope with deliberate care and step out into open air. Halfway across, it stopped, casting a glance down at the road below. Moments later, it crossed.

Conservationists said that it marks the first documented case of an Sumatra orangutan using an artificial canopy bridge to cross a public road that had divided its habitat.

“This was the moment we had been waiting for,” Erwin Alamsyah Siregar, executive director of Indonesian conservation group Tangguh Hutan Khatulistiwa, or TaHuKah, told The Associated Press. “We are very grateful that the canopy here provides benefits for orangutan conservation efforts."

He said that the bridge spans the Lagan–Pagindar road in Pakpak Bharat district, a vital corridor connecting remote villages to schools, healthcare and government services. But the road also cuts directly through prime orangutan habitat, splitting an estimated 350 orangutans into two isolated forest areas: the Siranggas Wildlife Reserve and the Sikulaping Protection Forest.

When the road was upgraded in 2024, the gap in the forest canopy widened, eliminating natural crossings for tree‑dwelling wildlife.

“Development was necessary for people,” Siregar said. “But without intervention, it would have left orangutans trapped on either side.”

TaHuKah, working with the Sumatran Orangutan Society, or SOS, and local and national government agencies, proposed a simple solution: rope bridges suspended between trees, allowing arboreal animals to cross above traffic.

Five canopy bridges were installed each with a camera trap, carefully positioned after surveys of orangutan nests, forest cover and animal movement. The structures were designed to support the orangutan’s weight — no small feat for the world’s largest tree‑dwelling mammal.

The program is closely monitored, with camera traps on every bridge and regular patrols to prevent forest encroachment. Conservationists hope more orangutans will follow the first pioneer.

They waited two years for the first orangutan to cross the bridge. Before the accomplishment, only smaller animals used it. Camera traps recorded squirrels, langur monkeys and macaques, followed by gibbons — a promising sign.

The orangutan’s approach was slower, building nests near the bridge, lingering at its edges and testing the ropes over time.

“They observe,” Siregar said. “They don’t rush. They watch, they try, they retreat. Only when they’re certain it’s safe do they move.”

Then, one day, he crossed fully — a first not just for Sumatra, but for the species globally on a public road, conservations say.

Similar bridges have been used by orangutans elsewhere, but usually over rivers or on private industrial forest road. Conservationists say public roads — noisy, busy and unpredictable — pose a far greater challenge.

For orangutans, the stakes are high. Isolation leads to inbreeding, genetic weakening and eventual population collapse. Restoring connectivity gives them a chance to survive.

Once widespread across southern Asia, the animal now only survives on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Fewer than 14,000 Sumatran orangutans remain in the wild, alongside just 800 Tapanuli orangutans and about 104,700 Bornean orangutans, according to conservation groups

“These bridges allow orangutans to move, to mix, to maintain healthy populations,” Siregar said. “It reduces the risk of extinction.”

“I was confident that this combination, which would have been about adding and not subtracting, creating a truly great airline that customers love, could get regulatory approval,” Kirby wrote in a press release. “I was hoping to pitch that story to American, but they declined to engage and instead responded by publicly closing the door.”

The stocks of both airlines soared two weeks ago when reports surfaced that Kirby had floated the idea of combining two of the biggest U.S. airlines to the White House. Kirby said Monday that he had approached American directly about a tie-up, but it's unclear whether that was before or after the White House meeting.

Days after the meeting in Washington, American shot down the idea of a merger.

“American Airlines is not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines,” the company said in an April 17 press release. Additionally, a combination of the two carriers “would be negative for competition and for consumers” and possibly raise antitrust concerns, the company said.

Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines is itself the product of a 2013 merger with US Airways Group.

President Donald Trump also said last week that he was against a merger of the airlines.

In his press release Monday, Kirby argued that a merger between the iconic airlines would expand service, create a globally competitive airline and boost the U.S. economy by creating millions of jobs and strengthening the aircraft manufacturing sector.

Shares of Chicago-based United shares fell 1.4% on Monday, to $91.72. They are down about 20% since the war in Iran began in late February, sending fuel prices soaring. American shares were down 2% in morning trading Monday, to $11.84. American is down about 15% since the war began.

Leslie John feared she had killed her career. Instead, it became an asset.

“Those two grand poo-bahs, they became my closest mentors,” said John, a Harvard business professor and author of “Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing.” “And it’s not in spite of my having shared my embarrassing story with them, because they’ve told me it’s because of it.”

John acknowledges that she may have gotten lucky, since her openness caused the professors to see her as different from other junior colleagues. But the experience illustrated a point.

Most people worry about the risks of oversharing, but in reality, opening up often builds trust and leads to stronger relationships, she said. (Her advice is for in-person relationships; sharing online is something different, carrying different risks.)

So, how do you know when it’s TMI or if you’re not sharing enough?

Context is key

Kathryn Greene, a communications professor at Rutgers University, has been studying what’s known in academia as "disclosure" since the 1980s. She said people may not realize how often they make decisions about whether to disclose something personal.

“We’re constantly making these evaluations in all of our relationships and reassessing as it goes along,” Greene said.

She said context is key. Telling your doctor about a sexually transmitted infection is clearly different from telling your boss.

Being open about personal aspects of your life can bring people together, but if you reveal too much too soon, it will turn people away.

Greene offered the example of when two people start dating. They first offer only a trickle of information to test if their values align.

“There’s a pretty predictable pattern as we test for a positive rather than neutral or negative reaction,” she said. “It’s going to lead to us potentially sharing more.”

Why you share is as important as what

John suggested analyzing why you want to share and questioning if it’s with the right person at the right time, which “requires a lot of self-honesty.”

When she was pregnant during the pandemic, she told her landlord because she was dying for connection. The landlord, apparently wary of tenants with children, put the place up for sale the next day, and she had to move.

“If I had been honest with myself, why do I want to reveal this? Because I want love and excitement,” she said. “Well, the landlord is not the right person to reveal to.”

When to share

People rarely think of the risks of revealing too little information, however, John said. Without opening up to acquaintances, they’ll never become close friends. If you don’t tell the love of your life that you love them, it’s a missed opportunity that’s hard to recover from.

On the other hand, revealing too much is recoverable. John argues that the answer to feeling like you’ve overshared is to share more, not less.

For instance, if you think you may have offended someone at work, it presents an opportunity to stop by their office to clear things up.

“What feels like overcommunicating is just communicating,” she said.

What not to share

Greene said one kind of oversharing won’t get you anywhere — the kind where someone dumps personal information on another person without letting them speak.

Over time, such an imbalance will degrade a relationship.

“Most people will try to distance themselves if they’re finding time after time that this balance doesn’t ever shift,” she said.

Gossip is another. John’s research includes examining what’s called “spontaneous trait transference.” Essentially, that means that when you share someone else’s personal information, or if you speak badly about someone, the recipient of the information will implicitly associate those negative things with you and your character, John said.

“It happens automatically, outside of conscious awareness,” she said. “Literally, it makes you look bad.”

But she said anything else is fair game, especially if the goal is to feel more known. Besides, sharing feels good.

John pointed to studies that have shown that pleasure centers in the brain light up when people self-disclose.

“Nature has a way of making what’s good for us pleasurable,” she said. “In moderation.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about wellness, travel and food. Find his work at https://www.albertstumm.com

Although the rain helped the firefighting efforts, it wasn't “nearly enough to put the fires out" and crews responded to 10 new blazes throughout the drought-stricken state Sunday, the Georgia Forestry Commission said Monday.

The biggest blaze, the Pineland Road Fire, has scorched more than 50 square miles (130 square kilometers) and at least 35 homes in a sparsely populated and heavily wooded part of the state about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of Florida, which is also dealing with wildfires. The area has been full of highly combustible dead trees and other vegetation since Hurricane Helene carved a destructive path northward in September of 2024.

The second-biggest, the Highway 82 Fire, has been burning since April 20 about 60 miles (97 kilometers) to the northeast. It has destroyed at least 87 homes and torched more than 35 square miles (90 square kilometers), according to figures released Monday. It is only 6% contained.

“The fire basically doubled last night in size,” Brantley County Manager Joey Cason said in a Facebook post Sunday. “It is a dynamic fire event that will be impacted by the wind.”

Authorities believe the Highway 82 blaze was sparked by a foil balloon hitting live power lines. That created an electrical arc that ignited combustible material on the ground. They think the Pineland Road fire was started by sparks from a welding operation.

An unusually large number of wildfires are burning this spring across the Southeast. Firefighters have been battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida alone.

Scientists say the threat of fire has been amplified by a combination of extreme drought, gusty winds, climate change and dead trees and other vegetation.

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

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Martin reported from Atlanta.

Más de 64 millones de personas en el centro-occidente están en riesgo de tormentas severas principalmente la tarde y noche del lunes, y la región de San Luis enfrenta un riesgo moderado de múltiples tornados y granizo grande, indicó el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional.

“La mayor área de preocupación se extiende por el centro de Missouri hacia el sur de Illinois y hasta el sureste de Missouri”, escribió en X Evan Bentley, meteorólogo del Centro de Predicción de Tormentas del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional en Norman, Oklahoma.

“Podríamos tener múltiples supercélulas capaces de generar todo tipo de peligro, incluidos tornados, granizo grande y ráfagas de viento”, agregó.

En Kansas City, Missouri, el departamento local de bomberos respondió a 11 rescates acuáticos de personas atrapadas en vehículos a partir de poco antes de las 6 de la mañana del lunes, señaló el jefe de batallón Riley Nolan en un correo electrónico.

Indicó que la mayoría “ocurrieron en nuestras zonas típicas de ‘aguas altas’ tras las fuertes lluvias”. Precisó que no se requirieron botes y no se reportaron heridos.

El servicio meteorológico informó que cayeron 8,1 centímetros (3,2 pulgadas) de lluvia en un periodo de seis horas que terminó poco antes de las 7 de la mañana en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Kansas City.

Las tormentas se produjeron después de varias rondas de clima violento durante el fin de semana.

En el norte de Texas, una tormenta eléctrica que generó un tornado dejó al menos dos personas muertas y desplazó al menos a 20 familias, y muchas viviendas sufrieron daños importantes, informaron las autoridades el domingo.

Equipos del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional confirmaron que un tornado EF-2, con vientos máximos de 217 km/h (135 mph), tocó tierra en el área de Runaway Bay el sábado. El servicio meteorológico indicó que también se confirmó un tornado EF-1, con vientos máximos de 169 km/h (105 mph), en el área de Springtown.

“El acceso ha sido difícil debido a carreteras bloqueadas y servicios públicos caídos, pero los equipos han seguido avanzando para llegar a quienes lo necesitan”, declaró el juez J.D. Clark, el principal funcionario ejecutivo del condado Wise.

___________________________________

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

The 7-footer from Cameroon became so debilitated by the ailment that he struggled walking, stayed awake deep into the night and even going to the bathroom became a chore. Embiid was finally forced to tell team officials this sickness was worse than food poisoning or any other malady he suspected, and he required a hospital visit.

The test results almost seemed preordained for bad news for Embiid around NBA playoff time.

One of the dominant big men of his era when healthy, Embiid has had a postseason career curtailed by a cornucopia of injuries — sprains, fractures, even facial paralysis — and this April was no exception.

Embiid had an appendectomy in Houston on April 9 after the two-time NBA scoring champion was stricken with appendicitis overnight and sidelined indefinitely.

No Sixers' stretch run. No play-in tournament game. He watched from the bench as the Sixers went down 2-1 to Boston in their first-round series.

“You probably go through a couple of days where you feel bad for yourself,” Embiid said late Sunday. “Then it’s right back to it. Are you going to give up or are you going to try and come back as early as possible?”

Embiid indeed returned early and was welcomed by a roaring ovation in Game 4 only 17 days after having surgery, desperate to give the Sixers the punch — scoring, rather than gut — needed to try to upset a Celtics team that beat the Sixers by 32 points in a Game 1 victory.

The result was familiar, the 76ers again lost by 32, 128-96 on Sunday night and now trail the series 3-1 headed into Game 5 on Tuesday night in Boston.

Embiid had 26 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes, a gutsy effort in his latest return from injury that the Sixers otherwise did little to suggest they could win the next three games. The numbers were brutal: Boston hit 24 3-pointers to the 76ers' nine; the Celtics won the rebounding battle 51-30; and Boston at one point had a 13-0 edge in second-chance points to build a 21-point lead.

Give the Sixers this much: They know how to get blown out.

With All-Stars in Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George on the roster, the Sixers this season were the first team in NBA history to lose three home game by 40-plus points. Throw in two 32-pointers (one each at home and the road) in the playoffs and team president Daryl Morey and coach Nick Nurse figure to sit on the hot seat if the Sixers can't recover and win this series.

“I think those are going to kind of happen a couple of times a year,” Nurse said. “Listen, our kind of MO all year was to have a lot of things thrown at us, pick ourselves up and fight back. We're just going to have to do it again.”

To have any chance at resuscitating their chances, the Sixers need ruthless aggression and production from Maxey and rookie standout VJ Edgecombe. The Sixers have muddled roster construction in trying to win with two young, speedy, flashy guards while at the same time trying to force an aging, brittle, big man the ball.

Sure enough, Embiid sank two free throws for the Sixers’ first points of the game, added a monster two-handed jam and scored the team’s first eight points.

Maxey took a backseat to Embiid and took only three shots in the first half. He scored 22 points for the Sixers in 40 minutes.

“That can’t happen,” Maxey said of the slow start. “That’s on me. That’s just unacceptable by me. I was playing within the flow of the game. It kind of happened that way. It wasn’t meant to happen that way.”

Maxey and Edgecombe combined for 23 shots. Embiid attempted 21.

“There's a couple of times when he had opportunities to shoot the ball, but he's got to take them,” Embiid said of Maxey. “You've got to want it.”

Embiid said he had unspecified complications after the surgery but still went out “to do the best job possible with the conditions.” He was limited to 38 games this season, sitting out primarily to manage injuries to his knees, and hasn’t appeared in as many as 40 games in a regular season since 2022-23, when he averaged a career-best 33.1 points and earned MVP honors.

Embiid said he no choice but to push through his latest setback and try to salvage the Sixers' season. It's a familiar refrain in Philadelphia. While anything can happen, the final result for the Sixers seems as inevitable as Embiid pulling up lame — no NBA title since 1983, no conference final since 2001.

“I just told them again, way out of character,” Nurse said. “We played another, about as bad as we could play, game. That's two in the series.”

The third one ends another empty postseason.

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

OpenAI relied exclusively on Microsoft's investments in cloud computing services to build the technology that helped make ChatGPT a household name. Microsoft, in turn, relied on OpenAI's technology to build its own AI assistant Copilot.

But the partnership has evolved as San Francisco-based OpenAI, founded as a nonprofit, has shifted to a capitalistic enterprise on a path toward an initial public offering on Wall Street and has balanced its reliance on Microsoft with other cloud partners like Amazon, Google and Oracle.

OpenAI said Monday it will continue to pay Microsoft a share of its revenue through 2030.

The two companies said Microsoft remains the primary cloud computing partner for OpenAI, and products made by the AI company will ship first on Microsoft's cloud platform, called Azure, “unless Microsoft cannot and chooses not to support the necessary capabilities.”

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors Monday that the new agreement “puts OpenAI on a strong path forward to going public through IPO given its clearer opportunity in the cloud environment while reducing significant barriers from its original partnership with Microsoft.”

Ives said it's also important for Microsoft as it “looks to develop tech independence from OpenAI” in advancing Copilot's capabilities and partnering with other AI providers such as OpenAI rival Anthropic, maker of the chatbot Claude.

Ross died at home Sunday, according to the singer's daughter, Nedra K. Ross, and the Ronettes' official Instagram account. “Nedra’s voice, style and spirit helped define a sound that would change music. Her contribution to the group’s story and their defining influence will live forever,” a statement read.

The Ronettes’ sexy look and powerful voices — plus songwriting and producing help from Phil Spector — turned them into one of the premier acts of the girl-group era, touring England with The Rolling Stones and befriending the Beatles.

“Show business is a thing that can be great, but it can be bad, too,” Ross said during her acceptance speech to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. “For us, we had a family that gave us a core to help stabilize us in a very difficult crazy world. It was a fun time. I thank God truly for it.”

Ross, born and raised in New York City, together with sisters Veronica “Ronnie” and Estelle Bennett, released their debut album in 1964, “Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes, Featuring Veronica.” Five of its 12 tracks had made it to the U.S. Billboard charts, and it was listed in Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest albums of all time. It was the only studio album for the trio.

They also did a memorable version of “Sleigh Ride” that appeared on Spector’s “A Christmas Gift for You” album and was recently highlighted in the “Roofman” soundtrack and on “The Bear.” But their string of hits had tailed off by the time they split around 1967.

In March 1963, Estelle Bennett managed to arrange an audition in front of Phil Spector, known for his big, brass-and-drum style dubbed the “wall of sound.” They were signed to Philles Records in 1963. After being signed, they sang backup for other acts until Spector had the group record “Be My Baby” and “Baby I Love You.”

Martin Scorsese used “Be My Baby” to open his 1973 film “Mean Streets,” and the song appears in the title sequence of “Dirty Dancing” and the closing credits of “Baby Mama.” It also appeared on TV in everything from “Moonlighting” and “The Wonder Years” to “How I Met Your Mother” and “Money Heist.”

When the Ronettes were inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones remembered opening for the trio in England in the mid-1960s. “They could sing all their way right through a wall of sound,” Richards said. “They didn’t need anything. They touched my heart right there and then and they touch it still.”

After the Ronettes disbanded, Ross turned to Christian music, including the album “Full Circle” in 1978. Ross was married to DJ and television personality Scott Ross from 1967 until his death in 2023.

For nearly 15 years, the women waged a lengthy, and ultimately unsuccessful, court battle with Spector over royalties. A judge ordered Spector to pay $2.6 million in past royalties and interest, but New York State’s highest court threw out that ruling on appeal in 2002.

Ronnie Spector died at 78 in 2022. Bennett died at 67 in 2009. Ross is survived by four children.

Voters are choosing an increasing number of nonwhite Hispanic leaders to local elective office — and many of the leaders are the first Latinos to hold their seats. Some political science experts attribute the rise of Latino leadership to years of grassroots organizing, coupled with ongoing demonization of their communities by Trump administration officials and conservative activists.

“That's the difference now, is that there's this extra incentive of an unrelenting attack on Latinos across the country,” said Anna Sampaio, an ethnic studies professor at Santa Clara University who specializes in race and gender politics.

There are currently an estimated 7,700 Latino elected officials nationwide, according to data from the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. That's up from 6,883 officials in 2020.

Estimated to number as many as 55 million people — 16% of the U.S. population — Latinos are the largest ethnic minority in the country, with politics, interests and priorities as diverse as the national origins represented within their population. But Latinos also are underrepresented as a demographic across elective offices.

Since the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term, Latino communities have been a target of his hard-line immigration tactics. The feeling of attack doesn't stop there. From memes shared from the official White House page perpetuating Hispanic stereotypes, a federally led English-only initiative and an anti-diversity, equity and inclusion push have painted a target on Latinos across the country.

It's all led to more Latinos seeking office to defend their communities and give voice to those who may be afraid to speak out in the current political climate. As a result, legislators have proposed measures that include providing community members with protections against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, halting the approval of ICE detention centers in their cities, and calling for a stop to ICE funding, among other actions.

Pennsylvania Latino mayor makes history

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with a roughly 40% Hispanic population, recently elected Jaime Arroyo their first Latino mayor. Arroyo took office in January, after being elected with 85% of the vote.

“I think being the first Latino to be in this role and the first person of color to be mayor of Lancaster City has been exciting,” Arroyo told The Associated Press, adding that he finds it “extremely exciting to lead and represent our community in this role.”

With rhetoric and national policies — such as heightened immigration enforcement — hurting the Latino communities, Arroyo said, diverse representation in government is more important than ever. He also believes that the rise of elected Latino officials over the last couple of years is the result of generations of Latinos being politically active fighting for civil rights.

“We're starting to see a lot of the fruits of that labor come to fruition,” Arroyo said. “There's never a perfect time to serve your community, there's the right time. And I think right now is the right time for a lot of Latinos to step up into these roles, especially with everything that is going on.”

Latino representation expanding in city councils

Many more Latinos made history when they took office in earlier this year.

In Iowa, Rob Barron was sworn in Jan. 12 as the first Latino representative on the Des Moines City Council. Antonio Pacheco was sworn on Jan. 7 to be the first Latino member of the city council in Conyers, Georgia. In Ohio, Eileen Torres became the first Mexican American women to win a city council seat in Lorain. Sabrina Gonzalez also took office there as the first Puerto Rican women to serve.

And in Michigan, Clara Martinez and Deyanira Nevarez Martinez were sworn in Jan. 1 to the Lansing City Council, making the city the first in the U.S. to have a council with majority Latino representation.

Martinez said her election, and that of Nevarez Martinez, makes a bit statement about “what people are truly open to despite the national rhetoric.”

“I think because of the rhetoric that we are having to face and some of the backlash on the national stage, I think that’s just fueled the fire for so many people,” she said.

The Salt Lake City Council also has a Latino majority, with four of seven seats, after Erika Carlsen, the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, was sworn in on Jan. 5. Carlsen said her success is possible because of current and previous generations that put in the work to create spaces where Latinas were encouraged to take leadership positions.

“I feel like I'm building on early generations of leadership,” Carlsen said. “That's both an honor and responsibility to improve Salt Lake City for the people who live here.”

Carlsen said even if representation at the federal level is not high or visible she said having representation at the local level can have a huge impact.

“I think that it's critically important that we continue to build on this momentum,” Carlsen said. “The majority of change that can happen starts locally, it doesn't start in Washington but in City Hall, school boards and neighborhoods conversations. That's the kind of momentum I'd love to see all across the United States.”

Carolina Welles, executive director of The First Ask, an organization that supports first-time female candidates at the state level, said the reason why Latino representation is more visible at the local level is because those leaders are able to built trust with their community much easier given their proximity.

“They actually know what people care about,” Welles said. “They have a stake because they are facing similar things.”

Local level Latino leadership builds on state and federal representation

It's not just at the local level. Latinos are making inroads at the federal level too.

The 119th Congress has 56 Hispanic or Latino members. That shakes out to 10.35% of total membership, according to the Congressional Research Service.

For comparison, there were only 14 Hispanic or Latino members and all were male in the 99th Congress, 40 years ago.

At the start of 2025, there were seven Hispanic U.S. senators. That number decreased to six when then Sen. Marco Rubio resigned to become the Secretary of State, the first Latino to hold the position.

Last year also marked a record for Latinas at the state level. Latinas held 214, or 2.9%, of seats in state legislatures, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. That was up from 192 seats in 2024.

Currently, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is the only active Latina governor in the U.S. Only two Latinas have been elected governor in U.S. history, and both were in New Mexico.

In March, Gina Hinojosa won the Democratic nomination for governor, making her the second Latina to win a major party gubernatorial nomination in Texas.

Latinos saw the biggest rise in elected officials during the Trump administration in response to attacks on their fundamental rights, said Sampaio, the Santa Clara University professor. She said that trend is likely to continue as the administration continues its attacks on immigrant communities.

“We’re likely to see more Latinos run for office at the local level, at the state level and even at the national level in response to the attack on simply their existence,” Sampaio said. “It is unwittingly both terrorizing the Latino community as well as mobilizing communities.”

Such is the promise sung by the artist known as Melanie C, or Mel C and Sporty Spice of the game-changing ‘90s girl group Spice Girls, in the lead single from her ninth album of the same name. Atop a sample of Diana Ross’ “Work That Body” and sleek house-pop production, it is equal parts club banger and workout anthem, something for the DJ booth and a runner's playlist.

Surprised? Don't be. Eight or so years ago, Melanie C began deejaying, reinvigorating her love of rave and dance music — early loves that predate her girl group days. “Deejaying is so much fun, and it’s brought so much joy into my life that it made it really important that this album, as an artist, was a lot closer to what I love to play as a DJ,” she told The Associated Press.

It might come as a surprise to some of her fans, but the truth is, this musical world has always held a special place in her heart. “Before I was part of the Spice Girls, I discovered rave culture,” she explains. “I was 19. I went into this nightclub. I was on holiday with some friends. I heard this music. I saw people dancing. It was like this utopia I’d never experienced.”

Then superstar fame happened, which makes “Sweat” an unusual release for her in at least one very specific way: “I feel like I brought some of my life pre-Spice Girls into this album,” she said. “Which is something I haven’t really done before.”

Dance floor therapy

Melanie C was hard at work on “Sweat” for two and a half years, writing and recording across London, Stockholm and Los Angeles, a period that proved to be uniquely transformative. “My life had twists and turns. You know? I had a long-term relationship that ended. I had a management change. I’m back with Virgin Records,” she lists. “I’m in a new relationship. So, there’s been difficult moments within it and there’s been great times. And all of that is reflected in the album.”

Appropriately, catharsis appears to be a major theme. Like on the song “Attitude” — with its sample of Inner Life's ’80s disco classic, “Moment Of My Life” — where she cheers, “Every night’s a Friday!”

Or, even more directly, the song “Pressure.”

“Under the pressure,” she sings on the explosive electronic track, before offering a one-word solution: “Release.”

“We’re under such incredible pressure and I think we put ourselves under it, too. And that’s why I’ve loved bringing in this joy of, you know, the club,” she said. “For me, as a human, that is the release.”

There has long been a connection between dance music, joy and resiliency — particularly in queer club culture. Melanie C says honoring her LGBTQ+ audience has always been key to her work.

“It’s a community that’s been important to myself and the Spice Girls for such a long time,” she said. “It's always going to be a big part of the music that I make.”

From Sporty Spice to Melanie C

If “Sweat” is an album about the freedom of a dance floor, it's a destination Melanie C has worked hard to arrive at— particularly considering her life now, three decades removed from the Spice Girls' heyday. For many, she is still Sporty Spice. And she understands that.

“I’m not Sporty Spice or Melanie C; I’m both of those things. And not just some of the time, but all of the time,” she said. “I think it’s really important to acknowledge that,” to embrace her legacy and build a new one.

“I want to make people feel good,” she says of this new musical era. “I want to empower them. I want to motivate people.”

But she also hopes they use “Sweat” as a break, an escape, some downtime.

“Recovery is a really important part of working out,” she laughs.

Spoken like Sporty Spice — and Melanie C.

The body was recovered from waterways in the area of Interstate 275, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Sunday night. The body had not been identified, the sheriff’s office said.

Zamil Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, but Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said later that day that they were still searching for Limon’s girlfriend, Nahida Bristy. Law enforcement dive teams were searching the bay near the bridge as part of those efforts, the sheriff’s office said.

Limon’s roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, was charged with two counts of premeditated murder in the first degree with a weapon in the deaths of Limon and Bristy, the sheriff’s office announced Saturday. The 26-year-old former University of South Florida student was ordered held without bond on Saturday. A hearing is set for Tuesday.

USF students Limon and Bristy, both 27, were considering getting married, a relative said. They disappeared from campus on April 16. Limon was last seen at his home in an off-campus apartment complex where he lived with Abugharbieh. Bristy, who lived off campus, was last seen an hour later at a campus science building.

Limon was studying geography, environmental science and policy, and Bristy was studying chemical engineering. She was a graduate of Noakhali Science and Technology University. The school, which spelled her last name as Brishti, said in a statement Saturday that she was a Ph.D. candidate and described her as a talented and promising student.

Abugharbieh, a native-born U.S. citizen, was initially taken into custody on Friday at his family’s home on preliminary charges that include unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery. Online court records do not list an attorney for him. Messages were sent via email and phone to the public defender’s office in Hillsborough County.

Officers encountered Abugharbieh as they responded to a report of domestic violence at his family’s home, just north of the campus, and were able to move his relatives to safety. But then he barricaded himself inside and refused to come out. A SWAT team responded — along with a drone, a robot and crisis negotiators — before Abugharbieh came out with his hands up, apparently wearing nothing but a blue towel.

Abugharbieh had been a USF student but was not currently enrolled. University records showed he had attended the school from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023, and had pursued a BS in Management, a university spokesperson said.

For filmmaker Christopher Nolan, “The Odyssey,” out July 17, isn't just a story. It's the story: A foundational piece that deserved to be done on the biggest possible scale, with all the resources modern Hollywood had to offer.

“There’s a massive amount of pressure,” Nolan told The Associated Press. “Anyone taking on ‘The Odyssey’ is taking on the hopes and dreams of people for epic movies everywhere and that comes with a huge responsibility.”

It's a familiar feeling, though. He did three Batman films after all.

“What I learned from that experience is that what people want from a movie about a beloved story, a beloved set of characters, is they want a strong and sincere interpretation,” Nolan said. “They want to know that a filmmaker has gone to the mat for it. I really tried to make the best film possible.”

Three summers ago, “Oppenheimer” made nearly a billion dollars. “The Odyssey” has battles, gods, creatures and an army of movie stars — Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and Tom Holland included. It's also the first movie shot entirely on IMAX film. Tickets for some IMAX 70 mm showings sold out in under an hour a full year in advance.

“The Odyssey” will be shorter than “Oppenheimer”; Three hours is the longest they’ve been able to get onto an IMAX film projector, after all.

“It’s an epic film, as the subject matter demands,” Nolan said. “But it is shorter.”

Summer movie season's fashionable kickoff

Hollywood may not save all its blockbusters for the hottest months anymore, but the 18 week corridor running from the first weekend in May through Labor Day remains the industry’s most important, accounting for around 40% of the year’s box office. And it's only surpassed $4 billion once since the pandemic, in 2023.

Marvel movies often kick off the season, but last year filmmaker David Frankel got a call from Disney: “Avengers: Doomsday” wasn’t going to be ready by the first weekend in May; Could “The Devil Wears Prada 2” step up?

May 1 is just days before the Met Gala and it would give the movie a long runway to play, he figured. It would also require a bit of a sprint — they finished the film just weeks ago. But the enthusiasm was motivating, from fans snapping photos of Hathaway and Meryl Streep on the New York streets, to support from Anna Wintour.

Love for “Prada” isn’t the only thing that’s changed in 20 years; Magazines have also become an endangered species.

“How does Miranda Priestly deal with this changing world and what’s her future?” Frankel said. “The same with Andy Sachs: If all your ambition has been funneled in this one direction, what happens when you have to pivot and how do you adapt?”

The $4 billion question

The movie industry is also adjusting to a new paradigm. Box office is down over 20% from pre-COVID levels. The rise in streaming, the pandemic and shifting theatrical windows altered people’s moviegoing habits, perhaps permanently. And there may be one less major studio if Paramount acquires Warner Bros.

But, as James Cameron said, “hope springs eternal.

“We still have a very robust theatrical industry at a time when it was kind of almost pronounced dead,” Cameron said.

The gap is not widening. Studios are committing to longer exclusive theatrical windows. Original movies and premium formats are drawing crowds. And the market continues to expand globally.

Cameron is behind one of those only-in-a-theater experiences with the 3D Billie Eilish concert film (May 8). Using new technology, they used 17 camera systems to capture four nights of her Manchester shows last year.

“Seeing it in 3D is astonishing,” Cameron said. “You really feel an intimacy with her and yet you feel the scale of the spectacle.”

A summer for heavyweights

Nolan isn’t Universal’s only giant of cinema on its summer roster: Steven Spielberg is also returning to one of his most beloved genres with “Disclosure Day” (June 12). There are superhero movies as well, with “Supergirl” (June 26), which DC Studios co-head Peter Safran said is “is something cool and original and we haven’t seen before,” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (July 31). The last Spidey film, which made over $1.9 billion, ended with Holland’s Peter Parker erasing himself from everyone’s memory.

“This is a blockbuster action movie with all the humor and emotion we love about Spider-Man,” director Destin Daniel Cretton said. “But at its heart, it’s a story about learning how to reconnect with the ones you love.”

A lot of power recently has shifted to PG-rated offerings. This summer has “Toy Story 5” (June 19), “Minions & Monsters” (July 1) and a live action “Moana” (July 10), which could all very well hit a billion dollars each.

One non-franchise family friendly film is “The Sheep Detectives” (May 8), in which the animals (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston) investigate the death of their beloved owner (Hugh Jackman). Writer Craig Mazin understands the hurdle: There have been a lot of stupid talking animal movies. But this one is different, he said, it's not just silly sheep doing silly things.

“There are some really beautiful moments and themes and things that parents can talk about with their kids,” Mazin said. “And most importantly, it is legitimately a movie that is meant for everyone.”

Then there's “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” (May 22), which is rated PG-13 but has an impossibly cute alien going for it. It’s also one of several made for IMAX.

“People have got great TVs at home,” said director Jon Favreau. “You’ve got to give them a reason to go out.”

The scary movies

Movie studios also continue to lean into horror and this summer has both franchises, like “Evil Dead Burn”(July 10) and “Insidious: Out of the Further” (Aug. 21) and unnerving indies, including the “conversion therapy” horror “Leviticus,” “Rose of Nevada” (both June 19), “Backrooms” (May 29) and a new Jane Schoenbrun, “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” (Aug. 7).

And then there is “Scary Movie 6" (June 5), which sees the return of Regina Hall and Anna Faris, as well as Marlon and Shawn Wayans, who haven't been involved in the franchise they helped create since the 2001 sequel. And there were so many movies ripe for parody, like “M3GAN,” “Get Out,” “Weapons,” the just-released “Michael,” and “Sinners,” which Marlon Wayans was most excited about.

“Mockery is the greatest form of flattery,” Wayans said. “Sending up their movie was definitely tipping our hat to them.”

The festival darlings and other gems

Audiences want more than brands and blockbusters though. This year moviegoers have already proven they’ll turn out when the buzz is right, whether it’s for a big crowd pleaser like “Project Hail Mary” or for something more challenging like “The Drama.”

One that has the potential to break through is Olivia Wilde’s “The Invite” (June 26), a chamber dramedy about two very different couples (Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton) over one wine-filled night that sparked a bidding war at the Sundance Film Festival. Wilde was heartened that most studios were offering theatrical releases, and ultimately chose A24. They’ve even made a 35 mm print.

“The whole project for me is really tipping my hat to Mike Nichols,” Wilde said. “We thought of the audiences that have always loved those films.”

There are plenty of indies and originals to choose from throughout the summer, including Daniel Roher’s “Tuner,” about a piano prodigy turned safecracker, Boots Riley’s colorful shoplifting movie “I Love Boosters,” (both May 22) a John Carney musical with Paul Rudd (“Power Ballad,” June 5) and David Wain’s wholesomely raunchy comedy “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” (July 10).

As Wilde said, there’s room for both originals and franchises.

“The audience really likes to recognize risk,” she said. “There’s something exciting about that.”

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For more coverage of this summer’s upcoming films, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/movies

The central African country's General Inspectorate of Mines said in a statement the new unit would be deployed gradually, with an initial 2,500 to 3,000 personnel expected to be operational by December following six months of training in military collaboration.

The paramilitary force is projected to have more than 20,000 personnel across all of Congo's 22 mining provinces by the end of 2028, with the aim of boosting investor confidence and strengthening state oversight of mineral production.

The $100 million program is funded through partnerships with the United States and United Arab Emirates, the statement said.

Congo is a major supplier of coltan, a metallic ore that contains the rare metal tantalum, a key component in the production of smartphones, computers and aircraft engines.

The vast country has long struggled with illicit mineral trafficking and chronic insecurity, particularly in its eastern provinces, where fighting between government forces and Rwanda-backed rebels has killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Congo's president aims to "clean up the entire mining sector, by eliminating practices that run counter to good governance, transparency and the traceability of minerals,” the inspector general of mines, Rafael Kabengele, said in the statement.

The paramilitary guard will take over security duties currently performed by conventional military forces. Its mandate includes securing mine sites, escorting mineral shipments to processing facilities and border crossings and protecting foreign investments.

Washington is trying to reduce China’s dominance over critical mineral supply chains. Congo and the U.S. signed a minerals partnership last year under which American firm Virtus Minerals has taken over copper-cobalt miner Chemaf. Other Western companies have expressed interest, including some assets located in rebel-held territory.

Congo produced about 40% of the world’s coltan in 2023, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. More than 15% of the world’s supply of tantalum comes from the rebel-controlled Rubaya mines in the east.

Eastern Congo has been in and out of crisis for decades, with dozens of armed groups active.

Last year, the Congolese and Rwandan governments signed a peace deal brokered by the U.S., which also opened up access to critical minerals for the U.S. government and American companies.

Negotiations continue between M23 rebels and Congo. However, fighting continues on several fronts in the east.

___

Mwanamilongo reported from Bonn, Germany.

Are prediction markets safe places for news junkies to bet on events — or dens of insider trading?

A lot is at stake as states vow to heavily regulate or even ban what they view as illegal gambling operations. Even the Trump family could be impacted as it lays plans to open its own prediction market.

Just how fair prediction markets are now depends partly on the trading venue. They all have different internal policies and different rules, though recent headlines suggest they are all going through adolescent growing pains — and the adults are worried.

Part of the problem is no one on the outside can tell who exactly is placing the winning bets, fueling suspicion some participants are trading on non-public information and triggering demands for Washington to crack down.

“There has been very much a laissez-faire” attitude toward the industry, said Richard Warr, professor of finance at NC State University. “Regulation always takes time to catch up.”

Polymarket versus Kalshi

They’re the two dominant players in the industry but approach the business differently.

Polymarket operates primarily outside the U.S. and gives the impression of being a no-holds-barred wild child. It was even banned for a time from operating in the U.S. after the Biden administration ruled it wasn’t complying with regulations.

Polymarket uses cryptocurrencies to settle bets, allowing customers to use pseudonyms and remain anonymous. Critics say that encourages people with inside information to take a chance, though experts note that Polymarket should know who such people are from when the accounts and payments were verified.

Kalshi has been a U.S.-regulated exchange since 2020. By contrast, it requires its customers to show ID and so knows all their names on the back end, though it is shields their identities from other bettors on its site. And since it operates onshore, it also has to follow U.S. “Know Your Customer” rules to make sure money launderers and other assorted crooks are not using its market for criminal activities.

In the competition for customers, Kalshi is seeking to portray itself as the responsible, clean actor.

“Not all prediction markets are the same,” said Kalshi spokesperson Elisabeth Diana as calls grew for a crackdown earlier this month following the ceasefire bets. She added, “We support Congress and regulators taking action to police insider trading.”

Capturing Maduro, and making a killing

The latest news of alleged insider trading came this past week after the arrest of an army special operations soldier accused of using inside information to bet in Polymarket before the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Polymarket emphasized that it had alerted federal authorities that something was awry with the soldier’s account, though it’s not clear whether customers view this as evidence the company is a good policeman or just overwhelmed by too many bad actors. “We flagged this, referred it, and cooperated throughout the process,” Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan posted on X. “This happens constantly behind the scenes, despite what many are led to believe.”

Kalshi took a different take and seized upon the news to say the same soldier — Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who had netted $400,000 on his trades — had tried to make a Maduro bet earlier on Kalshi but didn’t pass muster and was turned down.

“Unlike competitors whose trading activity is mostly offshore and unregulated, we ban and police insider trading and don’t allow war markets,” a Kalshi spokesperson told the AP.

Israeli soldiers, and congressmen

Earlier this year, Israeli authorities arrested two soldiers for allegedly trading on secret information on its country’s operations against Iran last year among other things.

On Wednesday, Kalshi announced that three politicians running for federal office had gambled on their own elections. The candidates, one running for the Senate in Virginia and two congressional hopefuls from Texas and Minnesota, were fined and banned from Kalshi for five years.

The industry is scrambling to clean things up.

Last month, Kalshi said it would ban political candidates from trading on their own campaigns, and it would preemptively block anyone involved in college or professional sports from trading contracts related to the sports they play or are employed by.

Polymarket also recently rewrote its rules to say clearly that users cannot trade on contracts where they might possess confidential information or could influence the outcome of an event.

State crackdown

The federal government maintains that oversight belongs to one of its agencies, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and prediction markets are not under the purview of state gambling laws. After all, it argues, the CFTC already oversees financial derivatives sold by banks to companies as a hedge against risks, and these prediction market bets are similar.

Some states fervently dismiss that argument.

“Gambling by another name is still gambling,” said New York state attorney general Letitia James after suing two new players — Coinbase and Gemini — for allegedly operating illegal gambling businesses. “It is not exempt from regulation.” In big states like California and Texas where bettors are using the markets to get around sports betting bans, the pushback to the CFTC’s support for prediction markets has been especially fierce. “I don’t remember the CFTC having authority over the ‘derivative market’ of LeBron James rebounds,” Republican Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah wrote in response to a social media post from CFTC chairman Michael Selig in February. Cox vowed to use “every resource” to block the market from his state.

Congress is vowing a crackdown, too.

Members on both sides of the aisle are pushing for more oversight of bets on war, assassinations, terrorist attacks and a person’s death. Federal law already gives the CFTC the authority to bar some of these so-called event contracts, but some lawmakers are seeking an outright ban. “There is no justification for gambling on lives,” said Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff last month, noting that bets on war could also tip off U.S. enemies and therefore are national security risks.

What Trump thinks

Trump’s family stands to profit if the industry grows, yet another conflict in a presidency rife with them.

His oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has a stake in Polymarket through a venture capital fund in which he is a partner. He is also an adviser to both Polymarket and Kalshi. And the Trump business that runs the social media platform Truth Social has plans to build its own prediction market, called Truth Predict.

As for the president himself, its not clear if he’s going push for more regulation, though he has turned somewhat critical.

“I was never much in favor, and I don’t like it conceptually, but it is what it is,” he said Thursday, referring to the online bests. ”Now, I think that I’m not happy with any of that stuff.”

The writings, sent shortly before shots were fired Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, made repeated references to President Donald Trump without naming him directly and alluded to grievances over a range of administration actions, including U.S. strikes on boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence yet of the suspect’s mindset and possible motives.

Authorities uncovered what one law enforcement official described as numerous anti-Trump social media posts linked to the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California man accused of trying to breach a security checkpoint at the dinner while armed with multiple guns and knives.

Suspect’s brother reached out to Connecticut police

Allen’s brother contacted police in New London, Connecticut, after receiving the writings, according to the law enforcement official, who was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The New London Police Department said in a statement it was contacted at 10:49 p.m., about two hours after the shooting, by an individual who wanted to share information related to it. The police department said it then immediately notified federal law enforcement.

Allen’s sister, who lives in Maryland, told investigators her brother had legally purchased several weapons from a California gun store and kept them at their parents’ home in Torrance without their knowledge, according to the official. She described her brother as prone to making radical statements, the official said.

The writings examined by the AP ran more than 1,000 words and read as a rambling, deeply personal message, opening almost jarringly with a casual “hello everybody!” before shifting into apologies to family members, co-workers and even strangers he feared could be caught in the violence. The note moved between confession, grievance and farewell, with Allen thanking people in his life even as he sought to explain the attack.

Elsewhere, he veered between political anger, religious justifications and rebuttals to imagined critics. He also made a taunting critique of security at the Washington Hilton, mocking what he described as lax precautions and expressing surprise he was able to enter the hotel armed without detection.

The AP limits the use of attackers’ writings and social media posts to avoid amplifying their views or encouraging copycat actions. The AP chooses to summarize their words and focus mainly on the victims and investigations.

Allen legally bought a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol in October 2023 and a 12-gauge shotgun two years later, according to the law enforcement official and another one who also spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Acting head of Justice Dept. says Trump officials were targets

Allen is believed to have traveled by train from California to Chicago and then onto Washington, where he checked himself in as a guest at the hotel where the gala dinner was held with its typically tight security, said acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. He is believed to have acted alone and is set to face criminal charges Monday.

Authorities say Allen attempted to charge toward the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground in a violent scene that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being hurried off the stage unharmed and guests ducking for cover beneath their tables.

“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

A profile of the shooting suspect emerges

Social media posts that appear to match the suspect show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.

A May 2025 profile photo of Allen appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted Saturday night by Trump. The photo, posted to the social networking site LinkedIn, shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.

A local ABC station in Los Angeles included an interview with Allen during his senior year of college as part of a story about new technologies to help people as they age. He had developed a prototype for a new type of emergency brake for wheelchairs.

Allen contributed $25 to a Democratic Party political action committee in support of Kamala Harris for president in 2024, according to federal campaign finance records.

Chaotic scene unfolded minutes after gala began

The shooting at the security barricades happened minutes after the event got underway.

The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening. Hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.

“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.

After an initial attempt to resume the event, it was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.

Trump was unusually conciliatory after what he saw as a third attempt on his life in less than two years. He suggested that his personal politics had made him a repeated target, but he also called for unity and bipartisan healing in an increasingly violent world.

“It’s always shocking when something like this happens. Happened to me, a little bit. And that never changes,” Trump told reporters in a hastily organized news conference at the White House late Saturday.

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich on Tuesday pairs two easy-on-the-eye attacking teams playing arguably the highest quality technical soccer in the world today.

Atletico Madrid vs. Arsenal on Wednesday is a clash of traditionally durable styles with tight defenses.

Titleholder PSG and Bayern each has won the Champions League in the past six seasons.

Atletico and Arsenal never have been European champion and are a combined 0-for-4 in finals.

PSG and Bayern have a total of 24 domestic league titles between them in the last 14 seasons. Bayern is already Bundesliga champion this season and another French title is likely coming to Paris next month.

Atletico was twice Spanish champion in that period, while Arsenal is in a duel with Manchester City to earn a first English title in 22 years.

What the semifinals have in common is being rematches from this season’s league phase, which were won by Bayern and Arsenal.

The real final?

PSG vs. Bayern would be many people’s choice of the ideal final, after their majestic displays in the quarterfinals to eliminate, respectively, Liverpool and Real Madrid. They are the tournament joint top scorers this season, each with 38 goals.

It was the final in 2020 when Bayern became European champion for the sixth time and PSG lost its first title match appearance.

That game in Lisbon was the strange climax to the delayed, pandemic-affected season — played in an empty stadium in mid-August. It was decided by Kingsley Coman, the former PSG trainee who eventually starred in Munich.

It was also the only time Bayern advanced to the final in its last six semifinal appearances. The five losses were against Spanish opponents and the one victory was against a French team. Lyon was beaten in a single-leg game at the lockdown Lisbon mini-tournament.

Bayern won on its trip to Paris in November. Luis Díaz scored twice then was sent off before halftime for a tackle on Achraf Hakimi.

Still, PSG under coach Luis Enrique peaks in the second half the season, finding a new level since signing Georgia winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January last year.

The return game is on Wednesday next week in Munich, where PSG routed Inter Milan to win its first European title.

A-game in Madrid

Arsenal’s record as the only unbeaten team in this season’s Champions League will be tested in the intense atmosphere of the Metropolitano Stadium.

Arsenal has conceded just five goals in 12 games so far, the kind of record associated with Atletico during coach Diego Simeone’s long reign of mostly feisty soccer.

This is a more expansive Atletico version, with a surprising 26 goals conceded in 14 Champions League games this season. Julián Alvarez has got nine of the 34 scored at the other end.

The semifinal pairs two of Europe’s long-serving top-tier coaches: Simeone in a remarkable 15th season — often described as the highest paid club coach in world soccer, earning about $35 million — and Arteta in his seventh with Arsenal.

Still, Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Atletico in October feels a long time ago. A four-goal burst in 15 second-half minutes, including two from Viktor Gyokeres, showed a freedom Arteta’s team has found hard to recapture in a tense second half the season.

Atletico’s path to the semifinals has been taking first-leg leads — ambushing Tottenham at home then winning at Barcelona — before riding out severe pressure in the return game. That will be in London on Tuesday of next week.

Rwanda partners

All four semifinalists have a sponsor deal with the same nation state in Africa.

Arsenal led the way with a “Visit Rwanda” sleeve patch deal eight years ago that ends after this season. The club posts annual messages on its social media account marking the genocide there three decades ago.

The sponsorships with Arsenal, Bayern and PSG were criticized last year by neighboring Congo because of Rwanda’s backing for the M23 ­militia in conflicts in the eastern part the country.

Weeks later, Atletico announced a three-year deal with Rwanda, noting “the club’s values of resilience, discipline, and excellence closely align with Rwanda’s national ethos and transformation journey.”

When the Congolese government’s request for European soccer clubs to end the sponsorships — worth tens of millions of dollars — had no effect, it started a similar strategy. Congo now sponsors Barcelona, AC Milan and Monaco.

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

Federal prosecutors have been conducting a preliminary investigation since mid-February 2026 into alleged cyberattacks on Signal accounts, a spokesperson for the federal prosecutors confirmed on Saturday.

Among other things, the investigation involves an initial suspicion of espionage, she added, without specifying which country might be involved.

The German government has still not officially attributed the attacks to Russia.

Germany and other European countries have been under increased pressure from cyberattacks and other malign activity linked to Russia by Western officials since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Around 300 Signal accounts belonging to individuals within the political sphere were compromised in the attacks, German magazine Der Spiegel reported, quoting governmental sources.

There is no official confirmation of the names of the victims.

According to Der Spiegel, the targeted users received messages from a fake Signal security chatbot that informed them of suspicious activity on their accounts and asked them to take immediate action. If the user followed the instructions, including entering a PIN or scanning a QR code, their Signal accounts were linked to an external device controlled by the hackers.

This allowed the attackers to read past chats, follow ongoing conversations and even see address books and other data stored by the users.

In February, Germany's domestic intelligence service BfV and the federal cybersecurity authority BSI had issued a public warning about such a phishing campaign, saying it was “likely being carried out by a state-controlled cyber actor.” According to the German press agency dpa, German authorities also contacted several politicians personally to warn them such attacks may have happened.

In March, Dutch intelligence and security services also warned that “Russian state hackers are engaged in a large-scale global cyber campaign to gain access to Signal and WhatsApp accounts belonging to dignitaries, military personnel and civil servants.”

Targets include Dutch government employees, the Dutch authorities warned at the time, and journalists may also have been targeted.

The Russian embassy in Berlin did not respond to an AP request for comment. Moscow has repeatedly ​denied ⁠it is spying on other countries.

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, the German ambassador to Russia, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday morning, dpa reported, regarding alleged contacts between German politicians and terrorist organizations. No connection has been made between the summons and the German media revelations about the Signal phishing attacks.

“I will, of course, comply with the summons. I consider it unlikely that the Russian side will be able to substantiate its accusations,” Lambsdorff said in advance. Relations between the two countries have been tense for years.

———

Ciobanu reported from Warsaw, Poland.

One motorcyclist died, and another was injured after the crash on Sunday night on the eastbound lanes of Alligator Alley, or Interstate 75, at mile marker 42.

FHP closed the highway on Sunday night and reopened it in time for Monday morning traffic.

For a map with live traffic updates, visit this page.

Morning traffic report

Luke’s father, Rev. Ezra Tillman, who was born in Michigan, is the senior pastor at First Baptist Church Piney Grove, in Lauderdale Lakes.

“When I was three, I had a dream that God called me to preach,” Luke said.

Luke isn’t waiting to make his dreams come true.

“Every single time I preach, I shake,” Luke said. “My mom said when I shake, that means the holy spirit is in me.”

Luke’s new 90-day devotional book is also inspired by family videos that have gone viral over the years.

In late 2022, after his father performed baptisms, his mother, Catrina Tillman, recorded Luke at five, baptizing his Paw Patrol toy.

“That inspired me to be like, ‘Hey! I want to start baptize somebody,” Luke said.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Luke (@according_2luke)

Luke is excited about helping others with his book, which will be released on Sept. 8.

“The book is about how kids like me can find God through our daily life experiences,” he said. “You can find God through different things in this book. Like brushing your teeth, cleaning your room.”

Luke has been making the rounds around the country and on national TV for years. Jennifer Hudson has had him on her show several times.

“It’s not being lucky, it’s being blessed,” Luke said.

His goal with the book is to get more pre-orders and go on the New York Times bestseller list.

“I want to make my Father, not my biological father, my Father that’s in heaven, pleased, so I can make this big goal,” Luke said.

For information about how to pre-order his book, visit this page.

More related social media

The club did not give details on the severity of the injury or when Mbappé is expected to return. It said his recovery will depend on how the injury progresses.

Spanish media said the injury was not expected to sideline the France star for too long.

Madrid will play the clasico against Barcelona on May 10 at the Camp Nou stadium. Madrid trails its Catalan rival by 11 points with five matches remaining in the season.

Mbappé had to be replaced in the 82nd minute of the team's 1-1 draw at Real Betis on Friday.

The France striker had already lost playing time this season because of a knee ailment. The World Cup begins in June.

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It’s the third time in less than two years that a gunman has come uncomfortably close to Trump, renewing the central tension over how to accommodate the public-facing demands of the president's office while minimizing the risk of an attack.

Saturday’s episode, in which a man armed with guns and knives tried to storm the Washington hotel ballroom where the president was set to address the White House Correspondents’ Association, comes ahead of Trump’s expected participation in a stretch of large, high-profile events indoors and outdoors in the months ahead. Among them, he’s set to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, oversee the U.S. co-hosting the World Cup and lead rallies meant to galvanize support for Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles will hold a meeting this week with officials from the White House operations team, the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security to discuss security protocol at events with the president, according to a senior White House official. The meeting will examine security steps that were successful on Saturday while “exploring additional options” for future events, said the official, who insisted on anonymity to confirm private discussions.

Separately, a person familiar with the matter said the U.S. Secret Service was already reevaluating its security footing for the upcoming events. The agency’s posture was already elevated due to the extraordinary number of threats facing Trump — including two back-to-back assassination attempts in 2024 — and the realities of recent events such as the U.S.-Iran war.

“I can’t imagine that there’s any profession that is more dangerous,” Trump said of the presidency Saturday night from the White House.

Inside the Secret Service, agents on protective intelligence and threat assessment teams are also reexamining threats made against Trump in recent months. Copycat violence can follow high-profile attacks, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security planning.

The White House and Buckingham Palace said King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit Monday is going ahead as planned. Still, organizing around large-scale events deeper in the future — including the UFC bout on the White House lawn marking Trump’s 80th birthday in June, World Cup matches and the IndyCar race past the White House — could get more complicated.

An inherent tension in presidential protection is exposed

Lawmakers, event attendees and some allies of the president saw fault in the correspondents’ dinner security planning, questioning why someone like the shooter could reserve a room at the hotel to sneak in weapons around the outermost layer of security.

Republican Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman emeritus of the House Homeland Security Committee, said security protocols for Trump and Vice President JD Vance may need altering.

“I think the Secret Service needs to reconsider having both the president and vice president together at something like that,” McCaul told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Kari Lake, a former unsuccessful Republican gubernatorial candidate in Arizona and Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, complained about not having to show a photo ID to match her ticket to the event when entering the hotel for the correspondents’ dinner. “I can’t believe how lax the security was,” Lake wrote on X.

The Secret Service is charged only with the safety of its protectees, not of the event itself, and the agency immediately celebrated its response, drawing a high-profile endorsement from Trump himself.

“Our multilayered protection works,” director Sean Curran said Saturday.

“Those guys did a good job last night. They did a really good job,” echoed Trump on Sunday in an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes.”

Garrett Graff, author of “Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die,” wrote in an analysis of the multiple layers of security around Trump during the dinner, “Seems like the system basically working as designed, amid the always necessary trade-offs of security in a free society.”

Retired Secret Service Agent Thomas D. Quinn, who helped pioneer Secret Service counterassault teams, posted on X that “the Secret Service security plan for the WHCD worked and the assailant was stopped.” He continued, “As long as we are a free people in a freedom loving Nation, the Secret Service responsibilities will continue to be immense.”

More security changes ahead

Ronald Kessler, author of “In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect,” said authorities are likely to consider placing bulletproof glass around where Trump speaks outside and inside — not unlike after the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt during the heat of the 2024 presidential campaign.

Attendees, Kessler said, will likely be more thoroughly screened going forward — exacerbating lines at entrances that can already take hours to clear. An example of what might happen came last fall, when Trump attended the men’s final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament and triggered massive security lines.

Such events underscore the complicated security questions surrounding presidential protection in a country where citizens expect their leaders to move through public spaces, hold rallies, attend events and appear before crowds.

“Presidents don’t like to have too much protection,” Kessler said. “I think, by their nature, they’re very outgoing. They want to meet people. They don’t want to be accused of being prisoners of the White House. And so, they’ll try to get around some of these improvements.”

Presidents can have love-hate relationships with security details

The Secret Service took over full-time responsibility for protecting the president during the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt, who came to office after an assassin killed William McKinley in 1901. Roosevelt found the constant security presence tiresome, however, and would sometimes slip away for unprotected hikes or horseback rides in Washington’s Rock Creek Park, according to the White House Historical Association.

Security personnel wanted President Ronald Reagan to exit the building where Saturday night’s shooting occurred, the Washington Hilton, through a covered garage in 1981, Kessler said. Reagan’s staff worried the optics would be bad, however, and the president was shot as he left an open-air exit, ultimately surviving.

After shots were fired Saturday, Secret Service agents surrounded Trump, who appeared to slip slightly as he was whisked away. Another team moved Vance so quickly it seemed as if it might haul him out while still seated in a banquet chair.

Trump told “60 Minutes” on Sunday that he “wasn’t making it easy” for the Secret Service by being “a little bit me.”

“I wanted to see what was happening,” the president said Sunday. “And by that time we started to realize maybe it was a bad problem — different kind of a problem — bad one.”

“I probably made them act a little bit more slowly. I said: ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute. Lemme see. Wait a minute,’” Trump said. He said he started walking out but: “They said, 'Please go down. Please go down on the floor.′ So I went down, and the first lady went down also.”

Trump repeatedly praised the Secret Service and his detail, and he has pushed the correspondents’ association to reschedule the dinner. He said it would have “even more security.”

“And they’ll have bigger perimeter security,” he said. "It’ll be fine.”

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Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim in Washington and Mike Balsamo in New York contributed.

A sheep owned by O'Connor, who runs Clover & Bee Farm in Underhill, Vermont, with her husband, Gunnar, gave birth to a rare batch of six lambs earlier this month. The sextuplets and their mother are all doing well, making the lamb windfall even more remarkable.

The same ewe previously had quadruplets, and while a recent checkup indicated she would have two lambs this time, O'Connor suspected more. When the big day came, the baby lambs seemed to have kept coming and coming, she said.

“I was a little bit suspicious, just given how big she was and that she was going a little earlier, that she might have more than two,” she said. “Six is great, but it's definitely — it's plenty.”

Sources differ on how uncommon sheep sextuplets are, with O'Connor putting the number around 1 in 1,000 and some agricultural websites placing it at one in a million or higher. O'Connor said she has been in touch with the Vermont Sheep & Goat Association about the births, and the group found only one other shepherd had a sheep give birth to so many lambs.

“They do take longer to reach full body weight, but most do just fine,” said Kristen Judkins of Gilead Fiber Farm, who owned a ewe that had sextuplets three years in a row, in an email. “You have to keep an eye on them for the first few weeks to make sure they are getting enough to eat.”

The lambs, which are partially the Finnsheep breed, are named the numbers one through six in Finnish. Their mother is named Teemu after Finnish hockey player and Hockey Hall of Famer Teemu Selänne. The O'Connors plan to keep the four ewes and find homes for the two male lambs.

The farm raises sheep for wool and also grows herbs and berries. It's headed for its fifth summer raising sheep. The flock is booming — along with two other recent babies, the six new lambs have brought the total up to 21. And five ewes are currently pregnant.

Teemu's breeding days are likely not over. She'll be allowed a respite, but odds are good she'll have more lambs in the future, O'Connor said.

“She’s a great mom, she’s doing awesome with this,” O'Connor said. “She’s still very much in her reproductive years, so probably a year or more and she’ll just, you know, be able to put her hooves up.”

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Whittle reported from Portland, Maine.

“May the Lord bless from his height, the meal our belly will take with delight,” they chanted in unison before beginning their lunch, a ritual that takes place three times a week in the dining hall adjacent to the church.

Among the nearly 50 elderly people was Carmen Casado, an 84-year-old retired chemical engineer who attends without fail. Her monthly pension of 2,000 Cuban pesos is equivalent to $4 at the informal exchange rate that people use on a daily basis. She lives alone, has no children and does not receive remittances from relatives abroad.

She says the church meals are a needed supplement to the meager rations, such as bread, rice and beans, that she can obtain for free from state-run stores, or bodegas.

“This is a lifeline for us retirees with small pensions,” said Casado, speaking in a rapid-fire tone. “What we get from the bodegas alone is not enough.”

The elderly are among the hardest hit by the severe economic crisis on the island, which has worsened dramatically since the beginning of the year following an oil embargo imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Most are former government employees — teachers, doctors, nurses, technicians, custodians, lawyers — whose pensions are usually less than $10 a month and who must face cuts to the basket of goods that have been subsidized for decades, as well as the loneliness brought on by the growing emigration of young people.

They were young when Fidel Castro entered Havana and lived through all the major events on the island, from the Bay of Pigs invasion to U.S. President Barack Obama shaking the hand of Raúl Castro in 2016.

Now, their revolutionary spirit is being tested in the latest crisis, which is forcing them to sell cigarettes on the streets, line up for a loaf of bread and seek free meals offered by churches and some state institutions.

An aging country

After lunch, Casado walked the four blocks home to tend to household chores she still performs without assistance. Her home is on the second and top floors of a 19th-century building that, like many in the capital, is falling apart.

Born in 1942, Casado was a teenager when the revolution led by Castro triumphed. Her life has spanned the island’s most defining moments, from the 1962 Missile Crisis to the so-called Special Period following the collapse of the Soviet Union. She also lived through the 1970s and 80s, when the island’s economy was heavily subsidized by the Soviets and when the Cuban system seemed to promise a brighter future.

“This is our life; we were born and raised here,” she said.

Even before the economic crisis worsened and before the wave of emigration over the past five years, Cuba was already one of the countries with the oldest populations in Latin America, a trend nudged further by high life expectancy and low birth rates.

According to Cuba’s National Bureau of Statistics, by the end of 2024, almost 26% of the population was aged 60 or older. That is almost twice the regional average of 14.2% in the same year, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, CEPAL.

The last five years have seen a population decline in Cuba of nearly 1.5 million, primarily due to migration. The number of Cubans residing on the island, which stood at 11.1 million, has fallen to just 9.7 million.

The impact of the crisis and the exodus of youth is visible at a glance. Elderly people walk the streets alone —some rummaging through trash, others standing in long lines for the bread and rice provided by the ration book, the basic subsidized foods the state guarantees to every Cuban.

The plight of the elderly is so critical that the government recently authorized private entrepreneurs to operate elder care services and residential facilities, a move marking a significant departure from the island’s traditional model of total state control.

Casado insists that she is still privileged. She is mentally sharp and has no physical impairments — she doesn’t even use a cane — and manages entirely on her own. Her only medication is half a tablet for blood pressure, which, “so far,” remains available at the state-run pharmacies.

Despite the poverty and loneliness, she continues to have faith in the government and blames the country’s woes on the United States.

“We’re doing everything we can here to move the country forward,” she said. “But the thing is, we have a very powerful enemy, and he’s right there, right on our doorstep.”

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

The trial, which is scheduled to begin Monday with jury selection, centers on the 2015 birth of ChatGPT maker OpenAI as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion.

The trial’s outcome could sway the balance of power in AI — breakthrough technology that is increasingly being feared as a potential job killer and an existential threat to humanity’s survival.

Those perceived risks are among the reasons that Musk, the world’s richest person, cites for filing an August 2024 lawsuit that will now be decided by a jury and U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California.

The civil lawsuit accuses Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, and his top lieutenant, Greg Brockman, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the San Francisco company’s founding mission to be an altruistic steward of a revolutionary technology. The lawsuit alleges they shifted into a moneymaking mode behind his back.

OpenAI has brushed off Musk’s allegations as an unfounded case of sour grapes that’s aimed at undercutting its rapid growth and bolstering Musk’s own xAI, which he launched in 2023 as a competitor.

Trial promises clashing testimony from two tech titans

Musk, who invested about $38 million in OpenAI from December 2015 through May 2017, initially was seeking more than $100 billion in damages.

But any damages now are likely to be much smaller after a series of pre-trial rulings that went against Musk. Musk has since abandoned a bid for damages for himself and instead is seeking an unspecified amount of money to be paid to fund the altruistic efforts of OpenAI’s charitable arm. The money would be paid primarily by OpenAI’s for-profit operations, and Microsoft, which became the company’s biggest investor after Musk cut off his funding.

Musk’s lawsuit also seeks Altman’s ouster from OpenAI’s board. Musk’s decision to stop funding the company contributed to a bitter falling out between the former allies. Musk says he was responding to deceptive conduct that OpenAI’s board picked up on when it fired Altman as CEO in 2023 before he got his job back days later.

But the trial also carries risks for Musk, who last month was held liable by another jury for defrauding investors during his $44 billion takeover of Twitter in 2022. Any damaging details about Musk and his business tactics could be particularly hurtful now because his rocket ship maker, SpaceX, plans to go public this summer in an initial public offering that could make him the world’s first trillionaire.

However it turns out, the trial is expected to provide riveting theater, with contrasting testimony from two of technology’s most influential and polarizing figures in the 54-year-old Musk and the 41-year-old Altman.

“Part of this is about whether a jury believes the people who will testify and whether they are credible,” Gonzalez Rogers said during a court hearing earlier this year while explaining why she believe the case merited a trial. The judge will make the final decision on the case, with the jury serving in an advisory role.

Evidence has included glimpses of the AI race’s early days

Musk, whose estimated fortune stands at about $780 billion, has long been hailed as a visionary for his roles creating digital payment pioneer PayPal, electric automaker Tesla and rocket ship maker SpaceX. But he has also provoked backlashes with his social media commentary, unfulfilled promises about Tesla’s self-driving technology and his cost-cutting role last year in President Donald Trump’s administration.

Some of Musk’s erratic behavior has been tied to allegations of taking hallucinogenic drugs, but Gonzalez Rogers ruled that he can’t be asked during the trial about his suspected use of ketamine. But the judge is allowing Musk to be questioned about his attendance at the 2017 Burning Man festival in Nevada, a free-wheeling celebration known for widespread drug use. The judge is also allowing Musk to be questioned about his relationship with former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis, the mother of several of his children.

Altman, currently sitting on a roughly $3 billion fortune, didn’t emerge in the public consciousness until the late 2022 release of ChatGPT. The tech boom triggered by that conversational chatbot has led some to liken Altman to a 21st-century version of the nuclear bomb inventor, J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Although Altman was initially hailed as trailblazer he is now facing blowback amid worries about AI’s potential dangers. Earlier this month, the New Yorker magazine published a profile that painted him as an unscrupulous executive. Days later, a 20-year-old man worried about AI’s effect on humanity was arrested on attempted murder charges after throwing a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s San Francisco home.

The dueling testimonies of Altman and Musk are expected to open a window into some of the thinking that helped trigger the AI race, as well as the unraveling of their friendship. The kinship was forged in 2015 when they agreed to build AI in a more responsible and safer way than the profit-driven companies controlled by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, according to evidence submitted ahead of the trial.

Details of the bitter break between the two men were captured in a February 2023 email exchange that surfaced as part of the evidence leading up to the trial.

After letting Musk know “you’re my hero,” Altman tells him: “I am tremendously thankful for everything you’ve done to help —I don’t think OpenAI would have happened without you — and it really (expletive) hurts when you publicly attack OpenAI.”

Musk’s response: “I hear you and it is certainly not my intention to be hurtful, for which I apologize, but the fate of civilization is at stake.”

Venezi was due to take up the role this coming October.

But general manager Nicola Colabianchi cited her “repeated and serious public statements that were offensive and harmful” to the theater and its orchestra for the decision to cancel future collaboration, the theater’s foundation said Sunday.

They included an interview with Argentine daily La Nación, in which she accused the theater of nepotism, saying that “positions were handed from father to son.”

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said that he hoped the move would “clear misunderstandings, tensions and manipulations” that had surrounded Venezi’s selection.

La Fenice's unions welcomed the decision to part ways with Venezi, calling it “a necessary act of respect” and underlining that the theater's professionalism had been “subject to serious, unfounded public statements damaging to the dignity of labor.”

Musicians, singers and backstage hands had vociferously opposed her appointment, citing a lack of transparency and lack of experience necessary to lead the theater.

Their escalating protests included a strike that forced the cancellation of a performance and a march through Venice joined by workers from other opera houses, reflecting concerns of political interference in artistic decisions.

The audience and orchestra erupted in applause during a performance Sunday night at the news that Venezi’s appointment had been blocked, according to video circulated by Italian media.

Colabianchi, who appointed Venezi on Sept. 22, initially defended the move, saying her youth and dynamism would attract a younger audience to the theater. Giuli had also supported hiring her.

Venezi, 36, was appointed as an adviser to the culture minister after Meloni came to power in 2022. She previously was principal conductor of the Nuova Orchestra Scarlatti Young and guest conductor of the Orchestra della Toscana, and has conducted internationally, including in Armenia, Uruguay and Argentina.

The deal comes as New Delhi moves to diversify export markets to offset the impact of steep tariffs imposed by the United States and instability in shipping and energy routes due to the Iran war. For New Zealand, the agreement is part of a broader push to reduce reliance on China, its largest trading partner.

The agreement was signed in New Delhi by India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and visiting New Zealand Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay.

Negotiated over nine months and agreed in December, the deal will cut or eliminate tariffs on 95% of New Zealand’s exports to India, while making all Indian exports to New Zealand duty-free. Wellington has also committed to invest $20 billion in India over the next 15 years.

McClay said the deal marked a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to deepen economic ties at a time of rising global trade tensions and uncertainty. India is New Zealand’s 12th-largest export market, with bilateral trade valued at $2.15 billion in the year through June 2025, according to official data.

“This agreement is also being concluded at a time of heightened global and regional uncertainty. In this context, strong, reliable partnerships matter more than ever before,” McClay said.

Goyal called the deal a “defining milestone” and said India and New Zealand had “chosen each other” at a time ”when the world economy is being recast.” He said the agreement offers market access across sectors and creates frameworks for investment and regulatory cooperation.

Indian sectors expected to see expanded market access include textiles and apparel, engineering goods, leather and footwear, and marine products. New Zealand is likely to register increased exports in horticulture, timber, coal, wool and meat.

India has excluded dairy and certain agricultural products from the deal to protect its farming sector.

Indian exporters have been under pressure from higher U.S. tariffs since August last year, particularly in labor-intensive sectors such as textiles, auto components and metals, even as New Delhi continues negotiations with Washington on a separate bilateral agreement.

New Zealand’s trade deals are usually bipartisan. The agreement now requires ratification by parliament and is expected to pass after the opposition New Zealand Labour Party backed it, despite resistance from coalition partner and populist minor party New Zealand First.

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Graham-McLay reported from Wellington, New Zealand.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike killed two people in the Russia-occupied part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, Moscow-installed Gov. Vladimir Saldo said Monday. A man and a woman in their 70s died in the village of Dnipriany, he said.

In Odesa, drones hit residential neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure, said Serhii Lysak, the head of the city’s administration. Russia has repeatedly targeted Odesa, a key Black Sea port for Ukraine, since Moscow launched the war more than four years ago on Feb. 24, 2022.

Five of the wounded, most of them with shrapnel wounds, were hospitalized, according to Oleh Kiper, the head of the regional military administration.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Russia has fired approximately 1,900 attack drones, nearly 1,400 powerful guided aerial bombs and around 60 missiles of various types at Ukraine over the past week.

Ukraine’s wartime development of cutting-edge military technology means that it's intercepting more than 90% of the drones that Russia launches, Zelenskyy said in an X post. However, Ukraine needs more American-made Patriot air defense missiles, which are able to shoot down Russia’s ballistic missiles.

Ukraine has recently been helping Middle Eastern and Gulf region countries counter attacks on their territory by Iranian drones.

Norway is the latest European country to enter into a joint drone manufacturing agreement with Kyiv, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Monday.

In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that his government plans to build a “drone armada” with Ukraine’s help, to defend both itself and the rest of Europe.

Zelenskyy also announced that Ukraine is massively scaling up the production of ground robots that can deliver supplies, evacuate injured soldiers and fire automatic weapons. The uncrewed vehicles can help to ease the pressure on Ukraine's short-handed infantry along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (770-mile) front line.

Ukraine has ordered 25,000 ground robots for this year, twice as many as in 2025, and the number is set to grow, he said in a separate post on X.

Zelenskyy noted a recent raft of good news for Ukraine: NATO partners, excluding the United States, have contributed to a financial arrangement to buy American weapons; the European Union has approved a 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) loan to Ukraine; and the EU intends to place more sanctions on Moscow.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been assailing oil terminals and refineries deep inside Russia with long-range drones and missiles, aiming to disrupt Moscow’s economy.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said late Sunday it has seen geolocated evidence that Ukrainian forces conducted at least 10 strikes against Russian oil and gas infrastructure in the past two weeks.

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Claudia Ciobanu contributed to this report from Warsaw, Poland.

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

In a one-line statement, China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top planning agency, said it was prohibiting the foreign acquisition of Manus and had required all the parties to withdraw from the deal. It did not specifically name Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram.

Manus, which has Chinese roots but is based in Singapore, provides a general-purpose AI agent that can autonomously carry out sophisticated tasks like coding an app, doing market research or preparing quarterly budgets.

The decision was made by the commission’s Office of the Working Mechanism for Security Review of Foreign Investment in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations, the statement said. It came after Chinese authorities said they were looking into the deal earlier this year.

The commission did not elaborate on the reasons for the ban. The announcement came less than a month before U.S. President Donald Trump's planned visit to Beijing to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May.

Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, on Monday said in a statement that the Trump administration “will continue defending America’s leading and innovative technology sector against undue foreign interference of any sort.”

Meta announced in December that it was acquiring Manus, in a rare case of a major U.S. tech group buying an AI company with strong links to China. Its deal with Manus was expected to help expand AI offerings across Meta’s platforms.

Meta had said there would be “no continuing Chinese ownership interests in Manus” and that Manus would discontinue its services and operations in China. But China said in January that it would investigate whether the acquisition would be consistent with its laws and regulations.

China’s commerce ministry said at the time that any enterprises engaging in outward investment, technology exports, data transfers and cross-border acquisitions must comply with Chinese law. Meta had said most of Manus’ employees were based in Singapore.

Before the deal, Manus’ parent was Singapore-based Butterfly Effect Pte, but the AI startup traces its roots back to Beijing-registered entities with similar names that were established several years earlier.

Manus did not respond to a request for comment. Its website says the company “is now part of Meta," indicating that the deal had already been completed.

Meta said on Monday that the Manus transaction “complied fully with applicable law.”

“We anticipate an appropriate resolution to the inquiry,” the California-based company said in a statement.

Analysts said the decision is a sign that China’s communist leaders are tightening scrutiny of the AI industry amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry with the U.S. over the technology.

“China is showing the world that it is willing to play hardball when it comes to AI talents and capabilities, which the country views as a core national security asset,” said Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at the technology research and advisory group Omdia. “It is strongly indicative of what Chinese authorities may do going forward regarding acquisitions involving Chinese deep-tech companies.”

Beijing’s acquisition ban could deter similar acquisition plans by U.S. tech giants going forward, he said. “In the context of rivalry, it mirrors U.S. export controls, entity lists, and investment curbs on China,” said Su.

Meta’s interest in Manus reflects a broader tech industry race to lead in the development of AI agents that can go beyond a chatbot’s capabilities to take computer-based actions on people’s behalf.

Meta last month acquired Moltbook after it attracted viral attention as a social network built for AI agents to make posts and interact with each other. That was after OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, hired the creator of AI agent OpenClaw, formerly called Moltbot and the technology upon which Moltbook was built.

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Chan reported from London. AP Technology Writer Matt O'Brien in Providence, Rhode Island, and writer Didi Tang in Washington contributed to this report.

Tokyo Electron was also fined 150 million new Taiwan dollars ($4.8 million) and four other people were sentenced to up to six years in jail.

The heavy sentencing under Taiwan’s national security act and other statutes underscores Taiwan's efforts to protect the self-ruled island’s advanced technology and semiconductor sector, which are vital for its export-oriented economy as artificial intelligence booms.

TSMC, or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., is one of the world’s most valuable companies and counts Nvidia and Apple as key customers.

In handing down the 10-year sentence at Taiwan’s Intellectual Property and Commercial Court, Judge Chang Ming-huang said Chen Li-ming, who worked at TSMC before moving to Tokyo Electron's subsidiary in Taiwan, was believed to have used his relationships with his former TSMC colleagues to illegally access and collect the chip maker's trade secrets.

Chen photographed, copied and passed along the materials to help Tokyo-based Tokyo Electron improve its bids as a TSMC supplier, according to the court.

Chen's motivation was mainly to “improve his personal work performance,” Chang said, but he jeopardized the competitiveness and economic security of Taiwan and its chipmaking industry.

Taiwan’s prosecutors indicted Chen and others in August on alleged trade secret theft. Tokyo Electron said in a statement at the time it had dismissed an employee involved in the case but also said its internal investigation had not confirmed evidence of the relevant confidential information being leaked.

The Japanese company said Monday that it takes “the court’s finding with the utmost seriousness” and will strengthen its "information management systems and other relevant measures.” But it stressed that the court and its own probe had not found any organizational involvement by Tokyo Electron.

TSMC said in a response that it “maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward any actions that compromise the protection of trade secrets or harm the company’s interests” and that such kinds of violations “are dealt with strictly and pursued to the full extent of the law.”

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Chan reported from Hong Kong.

Isle Royale is a 134,000-acre (54,200-hectare) national park in far western Lake Superior between Grand Marais, Minnesota, and Thunder Bay, Canada. The island is a natural laboratory, offering scientists a rare opportunity to observe wolves and moose largely free from human influence.

Researchers have conducted wolf and moose population surveys on the island since 1958. The surveys had been an annual winter event when the roadless island is closed to visitors, but researchers have run into obstacles in recent years.

The pandemic in 2021 forced scientists to cancel the survey for the first time. The National Park Service ordered researchers to evacuate the island during their 2024 winter survey after weeks of unusually warm weather left the ice surrounding the island unsafe for ski-plane landings. Researchers rely on the planes for easier wildlife tracking but the island has no runway, forcing them to land on iced-over Lake Superior. Things didn't go much better last year when researchers were forced to scrap the effort after their pilot suffered a last-minute medical issue.

But this year a team of researchers led by scientists from Michigan Tech University were able to conduct a survey from Jan. 22 through March 3. Their findings led them to estimate the island's wolf population at 37 animals. Data gathered before researchers evacuated in 2024 showed the population at 30.

The 2026 estimates are the highest since the late 1970s and represent a marked improvement since the population dwindled to just two wolves a decade ago. Researchers believe inbreeding led to depressed survival rates in pups.

The island's moose population, though, is declining dramatically. This year's survey put the population at 524 moose, down 75% from a high of 2,000 in 2019. Wolves likely killed almost a quarter of the moose population over the last year, scientists estimated. For the first time in almost 70 years, researchers observed no moose calves during the winter survey.

Sarah Hoy, a Michigan Tech researcher who specializes in predator-prey interactions and one of the survey's co-leaders, said scientists had to brave wind chills that dipped to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 45.5 Celsius) and it was difficult to keep warm with the woodstoves in their cabins.

But clear skies facilitated exceptional observations. The scientists spotted wolves on all but one survey flight, she said. One of the highlights was watching a pack snuggle up together on the ice on Valentine's Day, she said.

“It's always such a privilege to get to see wolves interacting, witnessing courtship behavior, pups playfully tugging on each other's tails, or a pack working together to take down a moose,” she said.

Scientists plan to conduct summer research on the island with an eye toward how the burgeoning wolf packs can maintain balance with the rest of the ecosystem.

Chad's deputy prime minister, Limane Mahamat, said another 10 people were wounded in Saturday's clashes in Igote village in Wadi Fira province near the border.

The situation is under control after the army intervened, Mahamat said Sunday, adding that a mediation process in the village had begun, as well as judicial proceedings to determine criminal responsibility.

Such clashes over resources are common in the Central African country. Last year, clashes between farmers and herders in southwestern Chad left 42 people dead and homes burned.

Mahamat said the government will take “all necessary measures” to prevent a destabilization of the border area.

In February, Chad closed the border with Sudan until further notice, calling it an attempt to limit the spread of that country's war into its territory after multiple crossings by fighters with warring Sudanese factions.

Now, her stove is often cold as she crouches over a charcoal burner, coaxing a smoky fire to cook for her family outside her tin-roofed home in Kibera in Kenya's capital Nairobi, one of Africa’s largest informal settlements. Cooking gas is too expensive and often unavailable. Charcoal is always there.

“We don’t have many options,” she said. “You use what you can afford.”

Stories like hers are becoming more common because of the energy disruptions caused by the Iran war. Governments had promoted cleaner fuels like LPG for health and conservation reasons, but rising costs are undermining those gains.

The impacts are spreading beyond gas pumps to kitchens, forests, and wildlife habitats. Across Africa and South Asia, governments have spent years trying to shift households away from burning charcoal and firewood to cleaner fuels like liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG.

That push was driven by concerns over risks from air pollution, which killed 2.9 million people in 2021, according to the World Health Organization. But it also was focused on conservation, since use of firewood or charcoal increases pressure on forests and wildlife. Cutting trees faster than they grow back accelerates deforestation.

As more people search for fuel in the forest, they are encountering wildlife. At the same time, economic pressures can drive more poaching and bushmeat hunting, increasing the chance of diseases spreading from animals to people. Falling tourism means less funding for conservation, while high fuel costs make it harder for field teams to operate and respond quickly when wild animals enter human areas.

“The longer this debacle runs, the harder it is going to hit conservation,” said Mayukh Chatterjee, the International Union for Conservation of Nature's co-chair for its conflict and co-existence specialist group.

Rising costs push families into forests for fuel

When LPG, kerosene or electricity become too expensive or unreliable, many families turn to firewood and charcoal because they are easier to get in cash-poor settings, even though they harm the environment, said Paula Kahumbu, a wildlife conservationist, and CEO of Nairobi-based WildlifeDirect.

"The first conservation risk from an energy shock in Africa is not abstract. It is household fuel switching,” she said.

Rising demand for biomass fuels also degrades watersheds and wildlife habitats as people go deeper into previously undisturbed areas, increasing pressure on ecosystems and the species that depend on them.

Experts fear that rising diesel prices and higher fertilizer costs will also hurt farm productivity, reducing yields and increasing food insecurity.

“The crisis is impacting more than forests,” Kahumbu said.

Charcoal, made by slowly burning wood in kilns, is one of the most widely used cooking fuels in sub-Saharan Africa and a major driver of deforestation. Demand is climbing among customers in Nairobi’s low-income settlements, according to charcoal seller Munyao Kitheka.

A similar shift is underway in India, the world’s second-largest LPG importer, with about 60% of its supply coming from the Gulf region, according to S&P Global.

Rama, a social worker who goes by only one name, spent years encouraging waste-picking families in Bhalswa, a poor neighborhood in the outskirts of the capital New Delhi, to adopt LPG. But with incomes below $3 a day, many can no longer afford pricier LPG cylinders and are reverting to stoves that burn firewood, or returning to villages where wood is easier to find.

“Things are very, very bad,” she said.

The shift places a heavier burden on women and girls who end up spending hours each day hunting for fuel, limiting their time for work or school, said Neha Saigal, a consultant with the environmental and social justice startup Asar Social Impact Advisors.

“Years of work went into making LPG aspirational. But a global issue like this can reverse some of those gains,” she said.

Reducing pressure on habitats by reducing fuelwood use has been central to conservation efforts in Asia, said Chatterjee, the conservationist. He cited an elephant conservation project in India's northeastern Assam state where eateries had reduced wood use, but warned those gains could unravel as households shift back from LPG, which is produced from refining oil or natural gas.

“That all risks going back to square one,” he said.

Broader ripple effects on conservation

Experts warn that the war in Iran and the resulting fuel shocks can strain funding and disrupt field operations, hindering global conservation.

Airlines are cutting routes to Africa, potentially hitting tourism as rising fuel prices raise travel costs. Disruptions to aviation routes through Middle Eastern hubs make access to some destinations more difficult.

Even a modest drop in visitor numbers can have outsized effects in countries that rely on wildlife tourism to fund protected areas.

Tourism contributes about 14% of the GDP in countries like Kenya and Tanzania, where it underpins park management, anti-poaching patrols, and community conservation initiatives.

“Less tourism means less income for conservation initiatives, fewer rangers and more opportunistic poaching," Kahumbu said, adding that rising food and fuel costs could also push more people toward bushmeat as an affordable source of protein, increasing pressure on wildlife populations.

Moreover, conservation work in remote areas requires extensive and regular travel, often by motorbike or other vehicles. Higher fuel prices can disrupt that movement.

Chatterjee pointed out that in cases of conflict between wildlife and people in South Asia, rapid deployment of forest staff and conservation teams is critical to secure the area, manage crowds, and safely guide or tranquilize animals before situations escalate.

Delays increase the risk of injury or death on both sides, and fuel shortages can slow response times.

African governments have options to cushion the impact, but action has often lagged. Kahumbu called for protecting households from reverting to polluting fuels through targeted subsidies and stronger local supply chains and by backing local energy sources such as biogas, solar, and geothermal.

“Treat conservation as essential infrastructure during economic shocks,” she said.

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Ghosal reported from Hanoi, Vietnam.

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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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This version corrects the name of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and corrects to say India is the world’s second-largest LPG importer.

U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan and would leave unresolved the disagreements that led the U.S. and Israel to go to war on Feb. 28.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s national security team met Monday and was discussing Iran’s proposal. But she offered no detail about the discussion or how the proposal was received. She said Trump would address it later.

With a fragile ceasefire in place, the U.S. and Iran are locked in a standoff over the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passes in peacetime. The U.S blockade is designed to prevent Iran from selling its oil, depriving it of crucial revenue while also potentially creating a situation where Tehran has to shut off production because it has nowhere to store oil.

The strait’s closure, meanwhile, has put pressure on Trump, as oil and gasoline prices have skyrocketed ahead of crucial midterm elections, and it has pressured his Gulf allies, which use the waterway to export their oil and gas.

Renewed demands to end blockade

Frustration among many nations is mounting, with renewed demands Monday to end the blockade that has had far-reaching effects throughout the world economy, including raising the price of fertilizer, food and other basic goods.

The Iranian proposal would push negotiations on the country's nuclear program to a later date. Trump said one of the major reasons he went to war was to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons.

The two officials with knowledge of the proposal spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations between Iranian and Pakistani officials this weekend. Iran's proposal was first reported by the Axios news outlet.

The offer emerged as Iran’s foreign minister visited Russia, which has long been a key backer of Tehran. It’s unclear what, if any, assistance Moscow might offer now.

Iran’s ability to choke off traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, has proved one of its biggest strategic advantages in a war that has often boiled down to which side can take more pain.

Oil prices have risen steadily since the war began, and tankers full of crude became stranded in the Gulf, unable to safely pass through the strait to reach global distribution points.

On Monday, the spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at around $109 per barrel, about 50% higher than when the war began.

Dozens of nations push for reopening of strait

Dozens of nations repeated calls to open the critical waterway in a joint statement led by Bahrain.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Monday that the humanitarian toll is mounting.

“These pressures are cascading into empty fuel tanks, empty shelves — and empty plates,” he said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the U.S. for going into the war with what he said was no strategy. “The problem with conflicts like these is always the same: It’s not just about getting in. You also have to get out,” Merz said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot blasted all sides. He said the crisis began after the U.S. and Israel struck Iran without clear goals "in a manner that flouts international law.”

But he said Iran is responsible for closing the passageway. “Straits are the arteries of the world. They are not the property of any individual. They are not for sale, therefore, they cannot be impeded by any obstacles, tolls, nor bribery,” he said.

Top Iranian diplomat meets Putin in Russia

Trump last week indefinitely extended the ceasefire the U.S. and Iran agreed to on April 7 that has largely halted fighting. But a permanent settlement remains elusive.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, Russian state news agency Tass said. Putin praised the Iranian people as “bravely and heroically fighting for their sovereignty,” and he said Russia would do everything possible to bring peace to the Middle East, Tass reported.

Araghchi told a Russian state TV reporter that the U.S. and its leaders “have achieved none of their goals” in the war. “That’s why they ask for negotiation,” he said. “We are now considering it.”

Iran’s top diplomat said Iran and Russia “are strategic partners” and that their “cooperation would continue.”

The meeting came as Pakistan has been seeking to revive stalled talks between Iran and the U.S., and negotiations had been expected in Islamabad over the weekend. Instead, Trump called off a trip by his envoys and suggested the talks could take place by phone instead.

Iran wants to persuade Oman, which shares the strait with Iran, to support a mechanism to collect tolls from vessels passing through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.

Oman’s response was not immediately clear.

The official, who is involved in mediation efforts, also said Iran insisted on ending the U.S. blockade before new talks and that Pakistan-led mediators are trying to bridge significant gaps between the countries.

Trump says Iran offered a ‘much better’ proposal

Trump told journalists Saturday that after he called off a trip by his envoys to Pakistan, Iran sent a “much better” proposal.

He did not elaborate but stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran “will not have a nuclear weapon.” Iran insists its program is peaceful, but the U.S. wants to remove Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which could be used to build a bomb, should Tehran choose to pursue one.

Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,521 people in Lebanon, where fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group resumed two days after the Iran war started. Another 23 people have been killed in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 U.S. service members in the region and six U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have been killed.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been extended by three weeks. Despite the truce, both sides continue to strike each other.

Hezbollah has not participated in the Washington-brokered diplomacy.

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

That news could have come from any of three major markets.

The Red Sox actually took two of three at Baltimore, but they're still in last place in their division at 11-17. The New York Mets have been even worse, scoring one run Sunday while getting swept in a home doubleheader against lowly Colorado. The Mets have lost 15 of 17 to fall to 9-19.

And they actually have company in the NL East cellar, because the Philadelphia Phillies have dropped 11 of 12 and have the same 9-19 record.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was still employed as of Sunday night, and so was Philadelphia's Rob Thomson. And all three of these big-market teams can take solace in the notion that it's hard to play your way out of contention before the end of April — if you have enough talent to recover.

Right now, FanGraphs still gives the Red Sox a 34% chance of making the playoffs, and the Phillies and Mets each a 33% chance. That means there's a decent shot one of those three teams will turn it around and reach the postseason.

But so far this season has been dire for each of them. The Mets and Phillies have the two worst run differentials in baseball, and New York will be without shortstop Francisco Lindor for at least a few weeks because of a calf injury. That won't help an offense that has scored the fewest runs in baseball.

Ace Zack Wheeler finally made his 2026 debut for Philadelphia on Saturday, and the Phillies snapped a 10-game skid, but a loss Sunday dropped them to 10 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta.

The Red Sox are a little closer to first place, trailing the Yankees by only seven, but their run differential (minus-11) looks tolerable only because of a 17-1 win Saturday in which the Orioles brought in a position player to pitch during a 10-run ninth inning.

The next month is critical for these three teams. If they keep playing like this through Memorial Day, then it really might be too late to come back.

Trivia time

Both the lowest batting average in the National League and the highest ERA — among qualifying players — belong to members of the Phillies. Who are they?

Unfriendly schedule

The Milwaukee Brewers had to face each of last year's Cy Young Award winners in back-to-back games Thursday and Friday. Tarik Skubal took the mound for Detroit against Milwaukee, and the Tigers eventually won 5-4 on a home run by Spencer Torkelson. Then Paul Skenes took a perfect game into the seventh against the Brewers in a game Pittsburgh won 6-0.

Slugfests

The most surprising pitchers' duel of the week may have occurred Sunday, when the Nationals and White Sox played nine scoreless innings before Washington won 2-1 in 10. The Nationals are averaging 5.38 runs per game, the fourth-most in the major leagues. They've allowed 5.9, the second-most in baseball. Washington was actually leading the majors in both runs scored and runs allowed entering Wednesday's action.

The pitching was expected to be bad. The offense has made the team watchable thanks to James Wood (10 homers), CJ Abrams (.897 OPS) and a good start from Joey Wiemer (.320 average).

In 14 of Washington's 29 games, at least one team has scored eight runs.

Performance of the week

Milwaukee's Kyle Harrison struck out 12 in six one-hit innings in Sunday's 5-0 win over Pittsburgh. That prevented the Pirates from sweeping a series at Milwaukee for the first time since 2016.

Comeback of the week

Kansas City was down by three with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth before rallying to tie it Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels. The Royals eventually won 11-9 in 10 innings.

The Angels actually led 6-0 in the fifth, and it was 8-5 in the ninth before a triple by Vinnie Pasquantino, an RBI single by Salvador Perez and a two-run homer by Jac Caglianone sent the game to extra innings. Kansas City's win probability had been 0.5%, according to Baseball Savant.

The Royals were down to their last out again in the 10th when Lane Thomas' three-run homer won it.

Trivia answer

Alec Bohm is batting .143, and Jesús Luzardo has a 6.91 ERA.

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

Jeffrey Viel tied it with 6:29 left in regulation for the Ducks, who rallied from an early two-goal deficit and another third-period hole before taking a 3-1 series lead with their third consecutive victory over the back-to-back Western Conference champion Oilers.

The Ducks completed their NHL-best 10th multi-goal comeback of the season when Poehling’s sharp-angled shot hit an Edmonton skate in front and reluctantly trickled under goalie Tristan Jarry, who had played well in his first playoff start for his new team. Poehling celebrated immediately, even though he wasn't totally sure the game was over.

“I thought I saw some white (between the puck and the goal line) when I was behind the net,” Poehling said. “Then everyone was celebrating. Did it go in? I'm like, ‘I think so?’ But yeah, I thought so right away."

An extensive video review revealed no reason to overturn the judgment on the ice that the puck had barely crossed the goal line underneath Jarry’s skate. Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch was unconvinced.

“I can’t see it going in,” Knoblauch said. “I can’t see the line. ... The (initial) goal call on the ice was probably about 60 to 90 seconds after (the shot), maybe even more. They huddled when they got to center ice and then they made the (initial) call that it was a good goal. I don’t know. Wasn’t very definitive.”

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Edmonton.

Cutter Gauthier and Mikael Granlund scored power-play goals in the second period for the Ducks, who have scored 20 goals in four games to begin their team's first Stanley Cup playoff series in eight years. Lukas Dostal stopped 24 shots and made a pair of spectacular saves on McDavid in the final minutes.

“We're just playing so connected right now, and we're doing a good job of doing the right things,” said Anaheim defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who leads the NHL in postseason scoring with eight points after recording two assists in Game 4. “We're all just feeling great, and I think we're all competing to the best of our ability, and it's just paying off right now.”

Evan Bouchard scored a tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Jarry made 34 saves for the Oilers. Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored first-period goals.

Edmonton nearly won it late in regulation, but Dostal made a sprawling pad save to deny McDavid on a late breakaway — and Dostal added another big stuff of McDavid in the final minute. The Oilers’ superstar center, who is suspected to be dealing with an injury, had two assists in Game 4.

Jarry struggled for Edmonton right after arriving in a midseason trade with Pittsburgh, losing his job to Connor Ingram. But with the Oilers struggling mightily to stop the fast, exciting Ducks, Knoblauch made the switch and got a solid effort from Jarry, who hadn’t played since April 8.

The Oilers also improved their defensive structure after a shambolic Game 3 – and yet the energetic, hungry Ducks still pumped in four more goals despite never leading.

Kapanen silenced the raucous sellout crowd at Honda Center 38 seconds after the opening faceoff with his fourth goal in four games. Nugent-Hopkins then scored just Edmonton’s second power-play goal of the series.

The Ducks began yet another comeback with vicious wrist shot from Gauthier, their 22-year-old top scorer. Anaheim’s once-awful power play has scored in eight consecutive games.

Granlund and Leo Carlsson then teamed up for a fluid give-and-go to tie it.

Bouchard ripped a wrist shot for a tiebreaking goal just 4 seconds into an Oilers power play, but the Ducks’ fourth line tied it again, with Viel punching home a rebound of John Carlson’s shot for his second career playoff goal.

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

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

The Rockets got their first win in the series after falling into an 0-3 hole despite missing Kevin Durant for a third game thanks to a balanced scoring attack. Durant sat out a second straight game with a sprained left ankle after missing Game 1 with a bruised right knee.

Houston’s entire starting lineup scored at least 16 points with Alperen Sengun adding 19, Reed Sheppard 17 and Jabari Smith Jr. 16.

The Lakers were led by Deandre Ayton, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds before being ejected with about 5½ minutes left in the third quarter for a flagrant foul 2 on a hit to Sengun’s head. His output wasn’t nearly enough to allow the Lakers to close the series out on a night when LeBron James didn’t have his best game.

He had 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting with nine assists and eight turnovers before sitting with about 7½ minutes to go after scoring 19, 28 and 29 points in the first three games. But he wasn’t the only Laker who struggled. Los Angeles made just five 3-pointers after combining for 35 through the first three games.

James was 0 for 3 from long range, Marcus Smart missed both of his attempts and Luke Kennard was 0 for 3.

Houston looked good from the start in this one after squandering a six-point lead in the final 26 seconds of regulation in a devastating 112-108 overtime loss Friday night.

The Rockets led by nine at halftime and used a 12-4 run to start the third and make it 68-51 with about 8½ minutes to go in the quarter.

Sheppard had two 3-pointers in that stretch and Thompson added four points.

The Rockets led by 19 later in the quarter before going on a 9-3 run to end the quarter and push the lead to 90-65 entering the fourth.

Houston led by 23 with about 7½ minutes remaining when coach JJ Redick cleared the Lakers' bench.

Ayton was ejected with about 5½ minutes left in the third quarter after receiving a flagrant foul 2 for hitting Sengun in the face with his elbow and forearm. The referee announcing the foul called the contact “unnecessary and excessive.”

Durant was on the bench Sunday night to support his team after he was absent Friday night because coach Ime Udoka said he was receiving treatment on his injured ankle.

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

But the rise of artificial intelligence has scrambled those calculations. The basic skills she was learning in things like statistical analysis and coding can now easily be automated. “Everyone has a fear that entry-level jobs will be taken by AI,” said the 20-year-old at Miami University in Ohio.

A few weeks ago, Timperman switched her major to marketing. Her new strategy is to use her undergraduate studies to build critical thinking and interpersonal skills — areas where humans still have an edge.

“You don’t just want to be able to code. You want to be able to have a conversation, form relationships and be able to think critically, because at the end of the day, that’s the thing that AI can’t replace,” said Timperman, who is keeping analytics as a minor and plans to dive deeper into the subject for a one-year master’s program.

Today’s college students say that picking a major that’s “AI-proof” feels like shooting at a moving target as they prepare for a job market that could be fundamentally different by the time they graduate.

As a result, many are reconsidering their career paths. About 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a 2025 poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, while recent Gallup polling finds U.S. workers are increasingly concerned about being replaced by new technologies.

Students seeking majors that teach ‘human’ skills

The uncertainty appears most concentrated among those pursuing degrees in technology and vocational areas of study, where students feel a need to develop expertise in AI but also fear being replaced by it. A recent Quinnipiac poll found the vast majority of Americans believe it’s “very” or “somewhat” important for college and university students to be taught how to use AI, as Gallup Workforce polling finds AI is getting adopted in technology-related fields at higher rates. Meanwhile, students studying healthcare and natural sciences may be less impacted by AI overhauls, Gallup found.

“We see students all the time change majors. That’s not new or different. But it’s usually for a ton of different reasons,” said Courtney Brown, a vice president at Lumina, an education nonprofit focused on increasing the number of students who seek education beyond high school. “The fact that so many students say it’s because of AI — that is startling.”

A recent Gallup poll of Generation Z youth and adults, between the ages of 14 and 29, found increasing skepticism and concerns about AI. Although half of Gen Z adults use AI at least “weekly,” and teenagers report higher use, many in this generation see drawbacks to the technology and worry about AI's impact on their cognitive abilities and job prospects. About half — 48% — of Gen Z workers say the risks of AI in the workforce outweigh the possible benefits.

Part of the challenge for college students is that the experts they would typically turn to for advice, like advisers, professors and parents, don’t have any answers. “Students are having to navigate this on their own, without a GPS,” says Brown.

That uncertainty was evident last month at Stanford University, where the leaders of several prominent universities gathered for a wide-ranging panel discussion on the future of higher education. Topics of concern included the AI revolution that is transforming how students learn and forcing educators to rethink pedagogy.

“We need to think really hard about what students need to learn to be successful in the job market in 10, 20, 30 years,” said Brown University President Christina Paxson.

“And none of us know. We don’t know the answer to that,” Paxson said. “I think it’s communication, it’s critical thought. The fundamentals of a liberal education are probably more important than learning how to code in Java right now.”

Anxiety also reaches computer science majors

Computer science major Ben Aybar, 22, graduated last spring from the University of Chicago and applied for about 50 jobs, mostly in software engineering, without getting a single interview. He pivoted to a master’s degree in computer science and meanwhile has found part-time work doing AI consulting for companies.

“People who know how to use AI will be very valuable,” said Aybar, who sees new jobs emerging that require AI skills, particularly for people who can explain the complexities in layman's terms. “Being able to talk to people and interact with people in a very human way I think is more valuable than ever.”

At the University of Virginia, data science major Ava Lawless is wondering if her major is worthwhile but can’t get concrete answers. Some advisers feel that data scientists will be safe because they’re the ones building AI models, but she keeps seeing gloomy job reports that indicate the contrary.

“It makes me feel a bit hopeless for the future,” Lawless said. “What if by the time I graduate there’s not even a job market for this anymore?”

She is considering switching to studio art, which is her minor.

“I’m at a point where I’m thinking if I can’t get a job being a data scientist, I might as well pursue art,” she said. “Because if I’m going to be unemployed, I might as well do something I love.”

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

A shooting at a Washington dinner attended by President Donald Trump on Saturday sparked a last-minute security review of the four-day state visit, intended to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary, and the U.S.-U.K. “special relationship.”

Buckingham Palace said the king “is greatly relieved to hear that the president, first lady and all guests have been unharmed.” After a security review, the palace said the trip “will proceed as planned.”

Trump praises the king but derides Starmer

A rift between the U.K. government and Trump over issues including the Iran war had already raised the political stakes for the British monarch's visit.

In recent weeks, Trump has lambasted Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his unwillingness to join U.S. military attacks on Iran, dismissing Britain’s leader as “not Winston Churchill,” the World War II prime minister who coined the phrase “special relationship” for the U.K.-U.S. bond.

It's part of a wider rift between Trump and the United States’ NATO allies, whom he has called “cowards” and “useless” for not joining action against Iran. A leaked Pentagon email suggested the U.S. could reassess support for the U.K.'s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic. Britain and Argentina fought a 1982 war over the islands, also known as the Islas Malvinas.

The president insists the political chill won’t affect the royal visit. Charles “has nothing to do with that,” Trump said in March, meaning NATO.

The president has spoken in glowing terms about Charles, repeatedly referring to the monarch as his “friend” and a “great guy.”

He also continues to mention his “amazing” trip to the U.K. in September with first lady Melania Trump for an unprecedented second state visit. Starmer hand-delivered the invitation from the king in the Oval Office five weeks after Trump returned to office, in a very public attempt to woo the Republican president.

The U.K. royal family laid on pomp and pageantry for the Trumps, with scarlet-clad guardsmen, brass bands and a sumptuous banquet at Windsor Castle.

“President Trump has always had great respect for King Charles, and their relationship was further strengthened by the president’s historic visit to the United Kingdom last year,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Associated Press. “The president looks forward to a special visit by Their Majesties, which will include a beautiful state dinner and multiple events throughout the week.”

Trump, meanwhile, told the BBC that the king’s visit could “absolutely” help repair the trans-Atlantic relationship.

“He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes,” the president said.

Some have called for the trip to be canceled

Kristofer Allerfeldt, a University of Exeter professor specializing in American history, said the two governments have very different objectives for the trip.

He said that for Charles, the trip is about “reinforcing long-term ties, showcasing the monarchy’s soft power and reminding the world that Britain still carries diplomatic weight.”

For Trump, it’s more about “a media event,” with emphasis on the optics of a visit that resembles a meeting of “two gilded monarchs.”

Some U.K. politicians worry that the trip is fraught with opportunities for embarrassment. Trump’s recent broadsides at Pope Leo XIV have heightened those concerns.

Ed Davey, leader of the U.K. centrist opposition Liberal Democrats party, earlier this month called Trump “a dangerous and corrupt gangster” and implored the government to cancel the trip.

“I really fear for what Trump might say or do while our king is forced to stand by his side,” Davey said in the House of Commons. “We cannot put His Majesty in that position.”

Starmer defended the visit, saying “the monarchy, through the bonds that it builds, is often able to reach through the decades” and bolster important relationships.

Andrew and Epstein cast a shadow

Raising the stakes is the shadow of the king’s younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has been stripped of his royal title of Prince Andrew, exiled from public life and put under police investigation over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. He has denied committing any crimes.

Epstein victims have urged the king to meet with them and other sexual abuse survivors. It's unlikely he will do so.

Charles has visited the U.S. 19 times, but this is his first state visit to the country since becoming king in 2022. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the U.S.

The king, who is 77 and was diagnosed in early 2024 with an undisclosed form of cancer, will spend four days in the U.S. accompanied by Queen Camilla.

In Washington, the king and queen will have a private tea with the Trumps and attend a garden party and a formal White House state dinner. The president and the king will also have a one-on-one meeting.

The royal couple will also visit the Sept. 11 memorial in New York and attend a 250th birthday block party in Virginia, where Charles will also meet Indigenous leaders involved in nature conservation — a favorite cause of the environmentalist king.

Three centuries after Britain’s kings and queens gave up any real political power, the royals remain symbols of soft power, deployed by elected governments to smooth international relationships and send messages about what the U.K. considers important.

A key moment will be the king’s speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday. It’s only the second time, after Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, that a U.K. monarch has addressed a joint meeting of both houses.

Elizabeth praised liberalism on that trip, spoke against the idea that “power grows from the barrel of a gun” and praised the “rich ethnic and cultural diversity of both our societies.”

The king’s treasured causes, including the environment and harmony among religious faiths, are in contrast to Trump’s. He's unlikely to accentuate differences, but Allerfeldt said that, in the monarch’s subtle way, the king could use his speech to send a message.

“He does have an unorthodox way of looking at the world, and I think maybe he can actually have something valid to say when he addresses Congress,” Allerfeldt said.

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Jill Lawless reported from London.

The new districts, which could net Democrats four additional seats, won narrow voter approval last week. But a Republican legal challenge contends the General Assembly violated procedural rules by placing the constitutional amendment before voters to authorize the mid-decade redistricting. If the court agrees that lawmakers broke the rules, it could invalidate the amendment and render last week's statewide vote meaningless.

The Virginia court proceedings mark the latest twist in a national redistricting battle between Republicans and Democrats seeking an advantage in a November midterm election that will determine whether Republicans maintain their narrow majority in the U.S. House.

President Donald Trump kicked off a tit-for-tat round of gerrymandering last summer when he urged Texas Republicans to redraw districts to their favor in an attempt to win several additional House seats. That set off a chain reaction of similar moves in other states, leading to the voter approval last week of Virginia's new map.

Next up is Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed a congressional redistricting plan that could essentially cancel out Virginia's changes by giving Republicans an improved chance of winning additional seats. The redistricting is on the agenda for a special session of the GOP-controlled Legislature beginning Tuesday.

Virginia arguments focus on what counts as an 'election'

During Monday's arguments, the Virginia Supreme Court focused on whether the new congressional districts should be invalidated because of the process used by lawmakers. The justices issued no immediate ruling.

Because the state’s redistricting commission was established by a voter-approved constitutional amendment, lawmakers had to propose an amendment to redraw the districts. That required approval of a resolution in two separate legislative sessions, with a state election sandwiched in between, to place the amendment on the ballot.

The legislature's first vote occurred last October — while early voting was underway but before it concluded on the day of the general election. Judicial questioning focused on whether that was too late, because early voting already had begun.

Attorney Matthew Seligman, who defended the legislature, argued that the “election” should be defined narrowly to mean the Tuesday of the general election. In that case, the legislature's first vote on the redistricting amendment occurred before the election and was constitutional, he told judges.

But an attorney arguing for the plaintiffs, Thomas McCarthy, said “election” means the entire period during which people can cast ballots, which lasts several weeks in Virginia. If that's the case, then the legislature's initial endorsement of the redistricting amendment came too late to comply with the state constitution, he said.

Attorneys argue over the rights of voters

The purpose of Virginia's two-step amendment process, with an intervening election, is so voters can know whether legislative candidates support or oppose a proposed constitutional amendment, McCarthy said.

He pointed to the case of Democratic voter Camilla Simon, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit alongside Republican state lawmakers, who cast an early vote last fall for Democratic Del. Rodney Willett. After she voted, Willett sponsored the Democratic redistricting amendment, and Simon wished she could have undone her vote, McCarthy said.

“None of these voters had any idea this was coming, and that’s not how this process is supposed to work,” McCarthy told the justices.

Those defending the Democratic redistricting plan also contend that the voters' will should be respected.

The people voted to ratify the constitutional amendment, “and the challengers are asking to overturn that democratic result,” Seligman told reporters after the arguments.

Nationwide redistricting battle has no clear winner so far

So far, the two major parties have battled to a near draw in the states that have redrawn their congressional maps for this year's midterms.

Republicans think they could win up to nine more seats under revised districts in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. Democrats think they could win as many as 10 additional seats under new districts in California, Utah and Virginia. But legal challenges remain in both Virginia and Missouri.

Virginia currently is represented in the U.S. House by six Democrats and five Republicans who were elected from districts imposed by a court after a bipartisan redistricting commission failed to agree on a map after the 2020 census. The new districts, which won voter approval last Tuesday, could give Democrats an improved chance to win 10 districts.

Some candidates already have begun campaigning based on the new districts in advance of the state's Aug. 4 primary election.

More court battles could remain in Virginia

In January, a judge in rural Tazewell County, in southwestern Virginia, ruled that lawmakers failed to follow their own rules for adding the redistricting amendment to a special session last fall. Circuit Judge Jack Hurley Jr. also ruled that lawmakers failed to initially approve the amendment before the public began voting in last year’s general election and that the state had failed to publish the amendment three months before the election, as required by law. As a result, he said, the amendment is invalid and void.

The Virginia Supreme Court placed Hurley's order on hold and allowed the redistricting vote to proceed before hearing arguments on the case.

During Monday's arguments, justices also raised questions about the ability of lawmakers to expand the agenda for their special session and whether the three-month public notice requirement was important enough to thwart a voter-approved amendment.

Republicans have filed at least two additional legal challenges, which also are winding their way through the courts.

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Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed in Richmond and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer. The existing ceasefire keeps the U.S. and Iran in a fragile standoff over the strait.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Russia Monday for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin as part of a trip that included two stops in Pakistan, where leaders are scrambling to reignite stalled talks between Tehran and Washington.

Airlines worldwide have begun canceling flights as the war in the Middle East strains jet fuel supplies and pushes up oil prices. Here’s what to know if your flight is canceled.

Here is the latest:

Trump national security team met and discussed Iranian proposal on Strait of Hormuz

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s national security team met Monday and was discussing Iran’s proposal on reopening the key waterway. But she offered no detail on what came of the discussion and how the proposal was being received. She instead said that Trump would address it later.

Israel cancels major holiday gatherings over fears of a Hezbollah attack

Typically, around 100,000 mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews would gather next week on Mount Meron in northern Israel to celebrate the Lag BaOmer holiday.

However, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the large festival will replaced with a smaller symbolic ceremony, citing concerns about the gathering being attacked by Hezbollah. Similar restrictions were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and previous wars.

Mount Meron is only about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from the border with Lebanon. People normally light bonfires, dance and have large meals there in honor Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a 2nd-century sage and mystic who is believed to be buried on the mountain.

Across Israel, even in secular areas, people often celebrate Lag BaOmer with barbecues and bonfires in parks and forests.

US and Iranian officials clash during a UN nuclear weapons conference

Officials from the United States and Iran clashed over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions at the opening of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty review, a dispute almost certain to continue during the four-week meeting.

At issue was the election of Iran as one of 34 vice-presidents of the conference. Iran was a candidate of the Nonaligned Movement, comprising 121 mainly developing countries.

The United States was backed by Australia and the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, France and Germany also expressed “concern.” Russia objected to singling out Iran.

The U.S. representative, whose name was not immediately available, said the Trump administration was “deeply shocked” that a country that has demonstrated “contempt” for the treaty is now a vice-president.

Iran’s Ambassador to the U.N. in Vienna, Reza Najafi, categorically rejected the U.S. statement, calling the allegations “baseless and politically motivated.”

Iran’s top diplomat says the US wants to negotiate because it failed to achieve its war aims

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a Russian state TV reporter on Monday that despite the U.S. being a superpower, its leaders “have achieved none of their goals” in the war against his country.

“That’s why they ask for negotiation,” Iran’s top diplomat said. “We are now considering it.”

Araghchi was in St. Petersburg on Monday, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials.

Asked by another reporter about Russia’s support, the minister said only that “Iran and Russia are strategic partners,” and that the two counties “have always supported” each other. “Our cooperation would continue,” Araghchi said.

French FM says international waterways are ‘not for sale’ while blaming the US, Israel and Iran for Hormuz crisis

At a U.N. Security Council meeting on maritime security, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the energy and humanitarian crisis caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz began after “operations launched by the United States and Israel without a clearly set of goal, which were conducted in a manner that flouts international law.”

But Barrot added that Iran now holds responsibility for what it is doing with the critical waterway.

“Straits are the arteries of the world. They are not the property of any individual. They are not for sale, therefore, they cannot be impeded by any obstacles, tolls, nor bribery, neither by Iran, nor by any other party, and under no pretext,” he said.

UN officials and dozens of countries call for immediate action in releasing Iran’s hold over the Strait of Hormuz

In a joint statement led by Bahrain, dozens of countries reiterated their weekslong “call for the urgent and unimpeded opening” of the critical waterway as negotiations between the U.S. and Iran remain stalled.

Antonio Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, told the Security Council on Monday that given the impasse in the negotiations, the world body should support an emergency framework in the meantime put forth by the International Maritime Organization.

The U.N. chief warned about the consequences of waiting to address the “worst supply chain disruption since COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine.”

“These pressures are cascading into empty fuel tanks, empty shelves — and empty plates,” he told the 15-member council. “The humanitarian toll is mounting.”

UK doesn’t support US blockade of Iranian ports, deputy minister says

Stephen Doughty, minister of state for Europe and North America, said that while the U.K. doesn’t support the U.S. blockade, it supports working with the United States and others to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — where he said the Iran is holding “the rest of the world to ransom.”

Maritime traffic must flow safely and unimpeded through the strait, he said, “and that includes no tolls, no security risk and, of course, adherence to the international laws on freedom of navigation.”

Diplomacy is crucial, Doughty told a small group of U.N. reporters ahead of a Security Council meeting Monday on the safety of navigation in the critical waterway, through which around 20% of the world’s crude oil normally passes.

He said de-escalation and a ceasefire are also crucial, stressing that Iran can’t be allowed to block the strait, attack its Gulf neighbors and civilian infrastructure, and develop nuclear weapons.

Rubio says a purported Iranian offer on the Strait of Hormuz is not acceptable

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a purported offer from Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under strict conditions is not acceptable to the United States or others.

Speaking in a Monday interview with Fox News, Rubio said Iran has a different view of the strategic waterway than most of the rest of the world.

“What they mean by opening the straits is, yes, the straits are open, as long as you coordinate with Iran, get our permission, or we’ll blow you up and you pay us,” Rubio said.

“That’s not opening the straits. Those are international waterways. They cannot normalize, nor can we tolerate them trying to normalize, a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use

Lebanon’s Health Ministry raises death toll there to 2,521

The ministry added Monday that 7,804 people were wounded since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war started March 2.

Despite a ceasefire that’s been in place since April 17, there have been repeated violations by both sides.

Merz says the American nation ‘is being humiliated’ by the Iranian leadership

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday criticized the U.S. for going into the Iran war without any strategy, saying this also makes it harder to end the conflict.

“The problem with conflicts like these is always the same: it’s not just about getting in; you also have to get out. We saw that all too painfully in Afghanistan, for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq,” the chancellor said while speaking Monday to students in Marsberg in the Sauerland region of Germany.

The lack of U.S. strategy and the fact that the Iranians are stronger than previously thought made it hard to end the conflict now, he said.

“Especially since the Iranians are negotiating very skillfully — or rather, very skillfully not negotiating,” he added. “And then letting the Americans travel to Islamabad, only to send them back without any results. An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards.”

Germany, he said, maintains its offer to send minesweepers in order to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but only after the fighting is over.

Pakistan clears transit of third-country goods to Iran

Pakistan has cleared the way for Iran to import goods from third countries through its territory by opening new transit routes.

According to a government notification issued Saturday, six routes have been designated linking ports including Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar with key border crossings in southwestern Balochistan province.

The notification was issued during a visit to Islamabad by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who met Pakistani officials for talks amid tensions between the United States and Iran.

The order took immediate effect.

Analysts said Monday the new policy allows cargo bound for Iran to move across Pakistan swiftly without facing delays due to bureaucratic hurdles. They said it could also help Pakistan strengthen its role as a regional transit route and improve connectivity with Iran and beyond the region in future.

Iran turns to the Caspian Sea for food with Persian Gulf routes choked by the US blockade

With the United States trying to squeeze Iran by blockading goods from entering or exiting its ports, food suppliers are rerouting imports via the Caspian Sea to ensure food keeps getting into the country.

The head of the Association of Iran’s Food Industries said Monday that alternative import routes are being “incorporated into the supply chain for essential goods.”

“At present, there is no problem with the country’s food security, but maintaining this situation requires careful planning,” Mohammad Reza Mortazavi said, according to the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

The Caspian is the world’s largest inland body of water and its southern coastline stretches more than 430 miles (700 kilometers) in northern Iran. Iran is a net importer of food staples like grain and cooking oil.

US stocks are mixed as their record-breaking rally slows, while oil prices rise

The U.S. stock market’s record-breaking rally is slowing Monday after uncertainty rose over the weekend about what will happen next in the Iran war, while oil prices are rising.

The S&P 500 edged down by less than 0.1%, coming off its latest all-time high driven by strong profit reports from U.S. companies and hopes that the United States and Iran can avoid a worst-case scenario for the economy because of their war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 86 points, or 0.2%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq was 0.3% lower after setting its own record.

The moves were stronger in the oil market, where prices climbed more than 1.5% as tankers still find the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed. That’s keeping crude stuck in the Middle East and away from customers worldwide, including crude produced by Iran that’s being blockaded by the U.S. Navy.

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Israeli military videos show weapons discovered and homes leveled as fighting in Lebanon grinds on

It released videos Monday showing troops operating in Lebanon, including coordinated explosions in unnamed villages, toppling homes it said were infrastructure used by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Footage also showed a brigade discovering a cache of rifles and missile launchers stashed in a children’s room, which it said were hidden beneath toys, beds and elsewhere in kids’ rooms.

Despite a ceasefire nominally in place in Lebanon, both Israel and Hezbollah continue to strike each other, while Israeli forces occupy a buffer zone in Lebanon and have been demolishing neighborhoods in towns and villages in that area.

The military says it destroys buildings that were used as outposts by the Iran-backed militant group, but the wide scale of destruction has Lebanese officials and residents increasingly worried that displaced people will have nowhere to return.

Bahrain strips 69 people of citizenship

The island kingdom’s interior ministry said it revoked citizenship rights “of those who expressed sympathy and praise for Iran’s hostile and criminal acts.” It noted the move also applied to the families of individuals accused.

Bahrain is among several countries in the region that tightly controlled information about Iranian strikes during the war, arresting residents and foreigners who filmed them. The Sunni-ruled monarchy, like Iran, has a majority Shiite population and saw pro-Iran demonstrations early in the conflict. Authorities arrested protesters and those who filmed demonstrations en masse, charging dozens with misusing social media, inciting hatred or treason, an offense that can carry the death penalty.

The country is also one of several in the Gulf with laws allowing courts to strip citizenship from people convicted of certain crimes, potentially rendering them stateless. Such measures in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have drawn criticism from rights groups, which say the laws are tools of repression, used to squash and punish dissent.

For ships stuck in the Gulf, crew changes are difficult

Fleet Management Limited usually communicates multiple times a day with dozens of stranded ships that are staffed by more than 400 seafarers, its CEO Capt. Rajalingam Subramaniam said.

Stock checks are regularly maintained for food supply, and pickups have been arranged to ensure availability by moving vessels to the nearest points where they can pick up fresh and dry provisions, he said.

Some crew changes were still happening, but in limited numbers. “Who wants to go on the ship?” Subramaniam said. “The inbound crew has the right to refuse and we respect (that).”

Most of the stranded mariners have been in the Gulf since the war began. “(For) mariners who did not sign up to be in warlike area, they also (need) to be respected so that they do not become the unintended collateral,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

The meeting happened Monday in Saint Petersburg, Russian state news agency Tass said.

Putin praised the Iranian people as bravely fighting for their sovereignty and said Russia would do everything possible in the interest of Iran and other countries in the region to bring peace to the Middle East, Tass reported.

Tired and worried, seafarers have been stranded in the Persian Gulf for weeks

Around 20,000 seafarers on hundreds of vessels, including oil and gas tankers and cargo ships, have been stuck in the Gulf, unable to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Normally about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas transits the waterway.

Roughly 80 vessels passed through the strait in the week of April 13-19, according to the maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence, compared to approximately 130 or more transits per day before the war. Dozens of ships have come under attack since the war started, and the U.N. says at least 10 seafarers were killed.

Even as U.S. President Donald Trump last week extended the ceasefire indefinitely, the U.S. kept the blockade of Iranian ports. In response, Iran fired on ships in the strait and seized two.

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Israel and Iran spent less on defense in 2025 than 2024, tracker says

Military spending in the Middle East plateaued in 2025, even as it climbed in other parts of the world, according to a report released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The think tank, which goes by the acronym SIPRI, said regionwide spending increased 0.1% but actually fell in both Israel and Iran.

Israel’s military spending fell 4.9% to $48.3 billion, reflecting a less intense year of fighting than in 2024 after it entered ceasefires in Lebanon in November 2024 and in Gaza in October 2025. Even as large-scale combat subsided, Israel continued carrying out lethal strikes and maintained a ground presence in both. Spending remains sharply elevated — up 97% compared with 2022 — and the war has strained public finances, with Israel reporting wider deficits and increased borrowing since it began.

Iran’s spending fell 5.6% to $7.4 billion. SIPRI attributed that to inflation and broader economic strain, though researchers warned that government reports are likely understated.

“Iran also uses off-budget oil revenues to finance its military, including the production of missiles and drones,” SIPRI researcher Zubaida Karim said.

Lebanon president blasts Hezbollah for rejecting talks

Lebanon President Joseph Aoun blasted militant group Hezbollah on Monday over its rejection of direct talks with Israel.

Lebanon’s decision to hold negotiations with Israel is not “treason,” Aoun said in a statement, adding that treason is when “someone takes the country to war to achieve foreign interests.”

Harshly criticizing Hezbollah without naming it, Aoun asked whether there was a “national accord” when the Iran-backed group took Lebanon to war last month.

Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel on March 2, two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. The fighting has killed over 2,500 people, wounded more than 7,000 and displaced over 1 million people.

Aoun asked how long people in south Lebanon will pay for the wars of other nations or groups, “the latest of which was the war for backing up Gaza and the war for backing up Iran.”

“I totally reject this war” when the goal is to benefit others, he said.

Aoun said he wants to end the state of war with Israel in the manner of the 1949 Armistice Agreements that brought calm along the border for years without normalizing relations.

“Was the armistice agreement humiliation? I will not accept reaching a humiliating deal,” Aoun said.

French airline Transavia cancels flights over fuel costs

Transavia France said late Sunday it is canceling some flights in May and June because of rising fuel costs.

The low-cost airline, part of the Air France-KLM group, said in a statement “the current geopolitical context in the Middle East and its repercussions on the price of aviation fuel” forced the cancellations.

French media reported the cancellations represented less than 2% of the company’s May and June flight program.

Transavia said affected passengers would be able to choose between a voucher, full refund or free rebooking, which will be offered within 24 hours for the majority of canceled flights.

China opposes US sanction on oil refinery

China said Monday it opposed a decision by the United States to sanction one of its refineries for purchasing Iranian crude oil shipments.

The U.S. announced Friday it would sanction Hengli Petrochemicals in China’s northeastern port city of Dalian.

The measure blocks the company and others that transport Iranian oil from accessing the U.S. financial system.

Hengli Petrochemicals is among dozens of Chinese buyers of Iran’s oil. China is Iran’s largest overall oil customer.

“China always opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law and urges the U.S. to stop its wrong practices of abusing sanctions and exercising long-arm jurisdiction,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian said.

“We will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies,” Lin said.

World’s largest condom company raising prices due to strait closure

Karex, the world’s largest manufacturer of condoms, said it has raised prices by up to 30% to cope with escalating costs due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is a vital channel for petrochemical supplies.

CEO Goh Miah Kiat said the company has little choice but to pass higher costs to customers for condoms, personal lubricants, probe covers and catheters as raw materials, logistics and production expenses surge.

Karex produces 5 billion condoms annually, or about a fifth of global market share, with its biggest market in the United States, according to company data.

The Malaysian firm believes demand will rise at least 30% this year as “people use more condoms during periods of economic uncertainty,” Goh said.

Karex faces rising costs for nitrile latex, silicone oil and lubricant materials, natural rubber latex and aluminum foil packaging, Goh said, adding that freight costs and supplier delays have forced Karex to hold larger inventories of key materials.

Iran offers proposal to US to reopen Strait of Hormuz without nuclear agreement

Iran is offering to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear program, two regional officials with knowledge of the proposal said Monday.

Iran also wants the United States to end its blockade of the country as part of its proposal, according to the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.

The new proposal, passed onto the U.S. by Pakistan, is not likely to receive the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, who wants to end Iran’s atomic program as part of an overall deal including the Strait of Hormuz to make the ceasefire permanent.

“We have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us,” Trump told Fox News Channel on Sunday.

Axios first reported Iran’s proposal.

— By Samy Magdy

Iran’s foreign minister says Russia trip an opportunity to coordinate after war

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that his trip to Russia offered an opportunity to coordinate with Moscow after the war with Israel and the United States.

Araghchi made the comments in a pretaped interview posted by the state-run IRNA news agency.

“It is a good opportunity for us to consult with our Russian friends about the developments that have occurred in relation to the war during this period and what is happening now,” he said.

Araghchi said it was America’s approach that “caused the negotiations to be delayed” that had been planned in Islamabad.

“The previous one, despite the progress that had been made, could not achieve its goals,” he said, blaming what he called Washington’s “excessive demands.”

Trump has questioned who is in charge in Iran at the moment and said confusion within its theocracy made it difficult to reach a deal.

Iran’s foreign minister arrives in Russia

Iran’s top diplomat arrived Monday in Russia ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The state-run IRNA news agency said Abbas Araghchi landed in St. Petersburg for his meeting with Putin.

Araghchi has visited Islamabad twice and Muscat, Oman, on the foreign trip as negotiations with the U.S. appear stalled over the Iran war.

The S&P 500 was mostly unchanged, coming off its latest all-time high driven by strong profit reports from U.S. companies and hopes that the global economy can avoid a worst-case scenario because of the war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 87 points, or 0.2%, as of 12:44 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq was also mostly unchanged from its own record.

The moves were stronger in the oil market, where prices climbed roughly 3% as tankers still find the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed. That’s keeping crude stuck in the Middle East and away from customers worldwide, including oil produced by Iran that’s being blockaded by the U.S. Navy.

Iran has offered to reopen the strait if the United States ends its blockade, while proposing that discussions on the larger question of its nuclear program would come in a later phase. But U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan.

Over the weekend, Trump told U.S. envoys not to go to Pakistan, which has been playing a crucial mediating role. By saying the Iranians could call Washington with any proposal, Trump appeared to signal he’s content to try to continue to squeeze Iran with the blockade.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June climbed 2.9% to $108.36. Brent to be delivered in July, which is where more of the trading is happening in the oil market, rose 2.4% to $101.42 per barrel.

Brent prices were at only about $70 per barrel before the war and have briefly shot to nearly $120 a couple times when fears about the war have hit their heights.

Most big U.S. companies have nevertheless been reporting profits for the start of 2026 that have topped analysts’ expectations. That’s helped the S&P 500 jump nearly 13% since hitting a low in late March.

Verizon Communications joined the list, and its stock climbed 3% after the company said it added more postpaid phone customers than it lost during a first quarter for the first time since 2013. It also raised its forecast for profit growth this year, even though its revenue for the first quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations.

Domino’s Pizza helped drag on the market and fell 9.5% after it reported weaker profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Several of Wall Street’s most influential stocks are scheduled to deliver their own profit reports this week, including Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft all on Wednesday. Apple will report on Thursday.

In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher with the rise in oil prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 4.33% from 4.31% late Friday.

The Federal Reserve will announce its latest move on interest rates Wednesday, and the consensus expectation among traders is that it will hold rates steady. Lower rates would give the economy a boost, but they would also threaten to worsen inflation when oil prices are in flux and tariffs are also threatening to raise prices for all kinds of products.

Wednesday will likely be the final meeting where Chair Jerome Powell will lead the Fed. His term as chair is scheduled to expire next month, and Trump has already named a nominee for his replacement, Kevin Warsh.

The European Central Bank, Bank of Japan and Bank of England will also be announcing their own interest-rate decisions this week.

In stock markets abroad, indexes slipped in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.2%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.4% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

A foul was called after Ayton hit Sengun when he had the ball and was heading toward the basket with about 5½ minutes left in the third quarter. The play was reviewed and upgraded to a flagrant foul 2 and Ayton was ejected.

The referee announcing the foul called the contact "unnecessary and excessive.”

“We’re both sweaty guys,” Ayton said. “I just slipped off his shoulder and literally my elbow hit him right there above his shoulders and it looked crazy on camera. But I’m not no guy who’s a dirty player or plays like that. ... I just hope he’s all right and didn’t think it was intentional.”

Players and coaches from both teams questioned whether Ayton should have been ejected.

“It looked intentional, but I was surprised at the flagrant 2,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “But that’s the NBA nowadays and they call it a little softer than they used to.”

Sengun was glad that they called it, but wasn't sure if it was worthy of an ejection.

“I don’t want to make the officials crazy, but I didn’t expect him to get ejected, to be honest,” he said. “I think it was a little bit soft.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick said Ayton would never do something like that on purpose.

“He’s got such a sweet, kind soul, and no, that wasn’t dirty or intentional,” he said. “It looked from our vantage point like he was trying to brace himself with that off arm ... and it looked like his arm just kind of slipped and obviously hit him in the head.”

The Lakers trailed 76-57 at the time of the foul and lost 115-96 to send the series back to Los Angeles Wednesday night. Ayton led the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds despite the ejection.

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

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office responded to a traffic crash around 6:14 p.m. in the area of Southwest 127 Avenue.

According to investigators, a man traveling north on Southwest 127th Avenue struck a tree.

The driver was taken to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in critical condition, where he was later pronounced dead.

The sheriff’s office’s Traffic Homicide Unit has taken over the investigation, and the circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation.

No other information was immediately released.

“Everyone is here together hoping for the same thing and praying for the same thing,” said Valeria Barraza, a Cuban American.

The event, hosted by the City of Miami and local community groups, is drawing support and prayers from outside of the Cuban community.

“These people here are interceding. They’re praying. They’re praying for their families,” said Julio Santa, who supports Cuban freedom.

Santa, who is Mexican, said his connection to Cuba runs deep because of his stepfather.

“It’s a privilege. It’s an honor to be here from another nationality to support the Cuban people,” he said.

The gathering comes as people in Cuba continue to face severe economic hardship, amid an ongoing energy crisis, limited resources and political tensions with the U.S. government.

“My mom still has a cousin over there and things are not good, at all. It’s pretty bad,” said Cuban American Nataly Fernandez.

For families like the Fernandezes, the moment is personal, with hopes their prayers will be answered.

“We’re hoping so because my grandfather died last year waiting for it to be free,” Fernandez said.

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Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol said one person was killed, while at least one other motorcyclist was injured.

There was no word on their condition.

Just after 9 p.m., one lane on Interstate 75 reopened, allowing traffic to begin flowing again.

FHP is investigating.

Agentes de la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida informaron que una persona murió y al menos otro motociclista resultó herido.

No hubo información sobre su estado de salud.

Poco después de las 9 p.m., un carril de la Interestatal 75 fue reabierto, lo que permitió que el tráfico comenzara a fluir nuevamente.

La FHP investiga el caso.

The Trump administration's campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has gone on since early September and killed at least 186 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea.

The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.

After Sunday's attack, Southern Command posted a video on X showing a boat moving swiftly in the water before an explosion left it in flames. It repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.

The attacks began as the U.S. built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.

Bauer (1-0) allowed just one baserunner in seven innings and struck out seven on 84 pitches, 54 strikes. The 35-year-old right-hander retired the first 15 batters he faced.

Bauer gave up a one-out walk to Kevin Watson Jr., and he followed by retiring the next five hitters to finish off the third no-hitter in Ducks' history.

The Ducks won, 13-0.

Bauer has been trying to revive his big-league career after serving a 194-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. He was never charged with a crime in the matter, and civil claims against him were settled.

Bauer was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers in January 2023. He pitched in Japan in 2023 and ’25, sandwiched around one season with Diablos Rojos in the Mexican Baseball League in ’24.

Bauer was 4-10 with a 4.41 ERA with Yokohama last year. He was named the Mexican Baseball League’s pitcher of the year in 2024.

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

Riegle, who began his career as a Republican and later became a Democrat, died Friday of cardiac arrest at his home in San Diego, according to a family statement.

“The cornerstone of our family, Don was a kind, loving, courageous leader who taught us to stand up for justice, economic opportunity, and fairness for everyone,” the statement said.

His family said Riegle was proud of fighting for the rights of working people and leading the Senate opposition to NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement that resulted in the loss of many jobs in his home state. He pushed for economic development and the expansion of health insurance in Michigan.

The native of Flint, Michigan, was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in 1966 at age 28. As a congressman, he challenged President Richard Nixon's policies on the Vietnam War and crossed the aisle to join the Democratic Party in 1973. Three years later, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served until 1994.

As chair of the Senate Banking Committee, Riegle pushed for financial reforms of the savings and loan industry. Later he was instrumental in getting treatment for Gulf War syndrome for military veterans who fought in the Persian Gulf in 1991.

Riegle was caught up in the Keating Five controversy, when he and four other senators faced Ethics Committee hearings in 1990 about whether they pressured federal regulators to go easy on savings and loan kingpin Charles Keating after receiving campaign contributions from him. The committee found Riegle did not break any federal laws or Senate rules, but determined his conduct gave the appearance of being improper.

In 2001, Riegle became chairman of government relations for public relations firm APCO Worldwide.

In retirement, he spent time with his grandchildren and other family at his homes in Michigan and California, his family said. His wife of 48 years, Lori Hansen Riegle, was by his side when he died, the statement said.

Memorial services are pending.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Boston.

“It's going to have to be a big pick-up mentally,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.

Jaylen Brown scored 20 points for the Celtics, who thumped the Sixers by 32 points for the second time in the series. The Celtics outrebounded the Sixers 51-30.

Embiid scored 26 points in 34 minutes just 17 days after having an appendectomy. Embiid wasted little time scoring in his first game since April 6. The two-time NBA scoring champion sank two free throws for the Sixers’ first points of the game, added a monster two-handed jam and scored the team’s first eight points.

Embiid withered after the fast start and missed seven straight shots before he converted a three-point play in the third quarter. That cut the Sixers' deficit to 23.

The Celtics hardly needed much production from Brown or Tatum — they combined for 50 points in a Game 3 win and only 13 in the first half of Game 4 — and used a whopping 14-rebound edge in the first half that sparked a 13-0 shutout in second-chance points to build a 21-point lead.

All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey took a backseat to Embiid and took only three shots in the first half. He scored 22 points for the Sixers.

“That can't happen," Maxey said of the slow start. “That's on me. That's just unacceptable by me. I was playing within the flow of the game. It kind of happened that way. It wasn't meant to happen that way.”

Maxey and the Sixers largely tried to get Embiid rolling early.

Embiid had an appendectomy in Houston on April 9 after Philadelphia’s star big man was stricken with appendicitis overnight. He returned to the court Sunday wearing a protective brace around his midsection and was cleared to play about 40 minutes before the scheduled tipoff.

“What am I going to do? Cry about it?” Embiid said of his latest postseason malady.

Whatever emotional lift he provided lasted only minutes into the first quarter.

Pritchard buried a long 3 on one leg to end the first quarter and give Boston a 34-18 lead.

“He’s just a guy that finds the game. He dictates the pace for us,” Celtics coach Joe Mazulla said. "He did a good job of that for himself and others tonight. When we’re at our best, he’s aggressive.”

Embiid shot 3 of 5 in the first quarter while the rest of the Sixers missed 10 of 13 shots.

There were some questions about how Tatum’s return in early March from the ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in the playoffs last May would affect the flow of a group that had learned to adjust and thrive without the six-time All-Star.

Instead, Tatum has reacclimated himself in short order and the Celtics are dominating like a team that feels as though the East will go through Boston.

Embiid's gutsy return mattered little, and now the Celtics can clinch the series at home and wait for the winner of the Atlanta Hawks-New York Knicks series.

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

Cale Makar also scored and Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves as the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avs advanced to face the winner of the heavyweight first-round series between Dallas and Minnesota.

Colorado coach Jared Bednar praised his team's defensive acumen after holding the defense-first Kings to five goals in four games, noting that his high-powered lineup would probably prefer to emphasize offense.

“It's not as fun to commit on the defensive side and really dig in there and spend a bunch of energy there to chip away at the game, but I think they bought into the way we needed to play the LA Kings,” Bednar said. “And that may change a little bit for the next opponent ... but they did a heck of a job playing the right way in order to win it.”

Colorado also ended the 20-year career of Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who announced his pending retirement in September.

The Slovenian center is the top scorer in franchise history and a two-time Selke Trophy winner, and he was a star on the Kings’ two Stanley Cup championship teams in 2012 and 2014 before spending the past decade as their captain. The Kings crowd repeatedly chanted “Kopi! Kopi!” in the final minutes of the blowout, and he got standing ovations when he came out for his final two shifts.

With a masterful four-game demonstration of the roster-wide talent on a team ready to win it all, Colorado earned at least five consecutive days off before the second round, and quite possibly more. The Wild and Stars are tied heading to Game 5 on Tuesday.

“(A sweep) just shows that we stuck to the details this entire series,” Makar said. “I felt like they were pushing us at times, and we were able to weather it. It's a good test for us. That's a stingy defensive team over there that has a lot of offensive threats, and we found different ways to shut them down.”

Joel Edmundson scored and Anton Forsberg stopped 27 shots for the Kings, whose fifth consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs ended with their eighth consecutive postseason defeat over the past two years and their seventh straight first-round exit since hoisting the Cup 12 years ago.

Although interim coach D.J. Smith was able to extend his team’s streak of postseason appearances with a late surge into the last wild-card spot, Los Angeles has not won a playoff round since raising the Stanley Cup for the second time.

“We fought hard, there's no doubt about that, but they're the best team in the league for a reason,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. “We were in games, but didn't ultimately get the job done. Proud of our effort.”

After scoring 53 goals in the regular season, MacKinnon got his first goal of these playoffs in the first period on a power play, ending the Avs’ 0 for 9 start to the series with the man advantage. Colorado never trailed in Game 4, putting it away with two goals in less than three minutes early in the third.

Although Los Angeles began the series by slowing down the powerhouse Avs and even holding MacKinnon to one assist in three games, the Kings scored just four goals while being pushed to the brink.

Makar glided past Taylor Ward early in the second period and fired a beautiful wrist shot for the Conn Smythe Trophy winner’s second goal in two games.

MacKinnon added an empty-net goal, giving him 57 goals in 99 career playoff games.

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

Udoka said Durant has a bone bruise on his ankle that is painful and he has limited his mobility, but didn't rule out his return this season.

“Yeah, a possibility, for sure,” Udoka said. “I didn’t know how bad it was initially and then we got that prognosis. But he’s doing what he can to get swelling out and mobility back. And just like the knee, we weren’t sure when he was going to come back, but he snapped back pretty quickly to be available for Game 2. So it is a true game-to-game, day-to-day thing.”

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

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

Sunday's 115-96 win was the third game of the series that Durant has missed after he sat out the opener with a bruised right knee. He returned for Game 2, scoring 23 points in 41 minutes of the 101-94 loss, during which he injured his ankle late in the game.

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

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

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After outdueling Chris Buescher with a last-lap pass Sunday, Hocevar celebrated with one of NASCAR’s most unconventional victory laps. While sitting on the windowsill of his No. 77 Chevrolet to salute the crowd with fist pumps and waves, the lanky Hocevar managed to keep his left hand on the wheel while driving down the frontstretch.

He steered the car nose-first into the outside wall to perform a burnout before climbing onto the roof.

“He looked like Shamu hanging out the window,” said Jeff Dickerson, a co-owner of Hocevar's Spire Motorsports car.

The unique revelry was appropriate for the rising star who has made headlines by angering veterans with aggressive moves.

“I’ve had this thought up for a while,” Hoecvar said after becoming the 13th driver to earn his first Cup win at Talladega. “I’ve messed it up every which way to not be able to do it. I was going to figure out how to do it. It took me a while.

“I’m so thankful. This is the biggest dream I’ve ever thought of. Thank you, everybody. I couldn’t have done it any better way.”

Hocevar joined Ty Gibbs ( who won two weeks ago at Bristol Motor Speedway ), as the second first-time winner this season by winning his 91st start in NASCAR’s premier series.

The 23-year-old from Portage, Michigan, used a drafting push from Alex Bowman's No. 48 Chevrolet to edge past Buescher’s No. 17 Ford by 0.114 seconds.

Buescher had been getting drafting help from Erik Jones, who spun after contact from Hocevar while battling for second with seven laps remaining. Jones’ No. 43 Toyota stalled to bring out the final yellow and set up a three-lap shootout in which Buescher and Hocevar ran side by side virtually all the way to the checkered flag.

“That was a fun race,” Buescher said. “I felt really good where we were at coming off Turn 4. Felt like we were in a spot to take this Ford Mustang into victory lane. Man, it was close."

Bowman finished third (his best finish since missing four races with vertigo ), followed by Chase Elliott and Zane Smith.

“To be blunt, it just feels good to get out of here without crashing,” Bowman said. “I’m getting old and don’t have much of that left in me. Glad to get out of here clean.”

Big wreck

With tight packs at nearly 200 mph, Talladega is known for massive wrecks, and some contact at the front involved 26 of the 40 cars in the field.

Bubba Wallace was leading on Lap 115 when he lost control of his No. 23 Toyota on a push by the No. 1 Chevrolet of Ross Chastain. Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson were among those eliminated from contention in the crash, along with Wallace, who finished outside the top 30 for the third time in five races.

“It’s a bummer,” said the 23XI Racing driver, who was making his 300th Cup start. “But we’ve got to figure out how to be pushed better, so I take responsibility on that. And we’ll have a good debrief and figure out what we can do to make our Toyotas a little bit better at being pushed and maybe not have that happen.”

Mileage still matters

In an attempt to blunt the fuel conservation strategies that have become prevalent at superspeedways, NASCAR instituted a 98-lap first stage that covered more than half the race distance (which is typically the length of the final stage). The change resulted in an opening segment that ran for 85 minutes under green as drivers cautiously raced well below their maximum speeds to achieve optimum mileage.

They opened the second stage at full throttle, and the big pileup erupted only 10 laps later.

“It’s frustrating,” Logano said. “What do you want? Save fuel or crash? Pick one. That’s what it feels like right now. You’ve got round bumpers on these things. The cars are unstable. And once everyone starts pushing and racing aggressive, it’s going to happen. So until we fix that stuff, we’re going to continue seeing it, unfortunately.”

New deal

Points leader Tyler Reddick announced on the Fox prerace show that he had finalized a multiyear contract extension with 23XI Racing. Team co-owner Denny Hamlin recently had guaranteed the return of Reddick, who has 10 of his 13 career wins (including five this season) since joining 23XI Racing in 2023.

“Excited to have it all done and be able to continue building on what we’ve done,” Reddick said. “Just really glad that myself and 23XI were able to get to a good place and get the deal done. So I’ll be here for hopefully a long time.”

Up next

The NASCAR Cup Series will race May 3 at Texas Motor Speedway, the lone stop this season at the 1.5-mile oval near Fort Worth. Joey Logano won at Texas last year, the most recent Cup victory for the three-time series champion.

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

Este domingo en North Miami, una gran cantidad de haitianos beneficiarios del TPS que viven en el sur de Florida hicieron escuchar su voz, con muchos expresando ansiedad por la decisión del miércoles.

“Por favor, por favor, si nos escuchan, luchemos juntos por Haití”, dijo Nicole Miniviel, asistente a la manifestación. “Necesitamos el TPS para los haitianos, por favor”.

La manifestación fue organizada por Family Action Network y sus socios, con el llamado a los legisladores de extender el TPS.

Paul Namphy, de FAN, dijo que Haití no es seguro y que los haitianos que regresan enfrentan condiciones devastadoras.

“Merecen respeto, aportan más de lo que reciben, y creemos que es cruel amenazar con deportarlos a un Haití que se encuentra en una situación extremadamente incierta, donde sus vidas estarían en riesgo”, dijo.

Haití se encuentra actualmente bajo una advertencia de viaje de Nivel 4, con una alerta de No Viajar, ya que el Departamento de Estado ha advertido sobre crimen, terrorismo, secuestros e inestabilidad en la nación isleña.

La alcaldesa de Miami-Dade, Daniella Levine Cava, asistió a la manifestación del domingo y habló sobre los peligros que enfrentan los haitianos.

“No es momento de enviarlos de regreso a Haití”, dijo. “No es momento de separar familias, y debemos asegurarnos de que estén seguros”.

Un tribunal federal bloqueó la cancelación del TPS.

Según el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de EE.UU., más de 330,000 haitianos pueden mantener su protección y autorización de empleo hasta el 1 de julio.

El abogado de inmigración Ronald Surin dijo que sus clientes están angustiados.

“Hoy pueden tener un permiso de trabajo y al día siguiente puede que ya no sea válido”, dijo. “La gente tiene una sensación real de inestabilidad que les genera problemas incluso con sus empleadores”.

Namphy dice que los haitianos están siendo tomados como rehenes por fechas que cambian constantemente, agobiados y estresados por una posible deportación futura.

“Este es un juego cruel con las vidas de las personas”, dijo. “Con las personas más importantes de esta economía se están jugando con sus vidas”.

La administración Trump argumentó que las condiciones en Haití habían mejorado.

Un grupo de republicanos de la Cámara de Representantes recientemente se opuso al presidente y apoya permitir el TPS para los haitianos por tres años más.

La Cámara aprobó un proyecto de ley para extender el TPS a los haitianos, y ese proyecto está pendiente en el Senado.

Este domingo en Haulover Park, el Comité Anfitrión de Miami organizó la clínica de fútbol juvenil One Game One Future.

Los participantes disfrutaron de un taller para entrenadores que incluyó todo tipo de ejercicios de fútbol.

Grassroots Soccer formó parte del evento. La organización de salud utiliza el fútbol para ayudar a los jóvenes a aprender información que puede salvarles la vida y a llevar una vida más saludable.

La organización indicó que el enfoque del día fue la salud mental y, por supuesto, el fútbol.

“Estamos muy emocionados de participar con la FIFA y el Comité Anfitrión de Miami para llevar a cabo programas de fútbol y salud mental llamados Mind Skills”, dijo Ethan Zohn, cofundador de Grassroots Soccer. “Usamos metáforas del fútbol para transmitir información de salud muy importante, proteger a estos niños y concientizarlos sobre la salud mental y los peligros y problemas que la rodean”.

Monday will feature above normal temperatures in the upper 80s. With the heating of the day, additional showers will fire off by the afternoon. Expect storms to bring gusty winds and moments of heavy rainfall.

Showers will give way to hot highs by the middle and end of the week. Highs will soon soar to 90 degrees. The last time South Florida experienced temperatures this hot was back in October 2025.

El accidente ocurrió alrededor de las 7:10 a.m. en el área de Northwest 135th Street y 27th Avenue.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, un vehículo circulaba a alta velocidad cuando impactó contra varios autos estacionados.

El hombre que conducía fue expulsado del vehículo y fue declarado muerto en la escena por los primeros respondedores, según las autoridades.

Dos mujeres que viajaban como pasajeras en el vehículo del hombre fueron trasladadas en helicóptero al Centro de Trauma Ryder del Jackson Memorial Hospital en estado crítico, de acuerdo con la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade.

La Unidad de Homicidios en Tráfico del departamento investiga las circunstancias que llevaron al choque.

Matt Fitzpatrick and younger brother Alex combined for a 1-under 71 in alternate-shot play Sunday to pull out a dramatic, single-stroke victory in the Zurich Classic team event and usher the younger Fitzpatrick onto the PGA Tour.

“To win a team event on the PGA Tour with my brother — I don't know if it does gets better than that," said 31-year-old Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the US Open in 2022. “That's how special it feels. To get in over the line the way we did and to hang in there on the back nine is incredible.”

The Englishmen finished with a tournament-record 31-under 257 total, but only after losing a four-stroke lead on the back nine.

They recovered when Matt Fitzpatrick, the third-ranked player in the world, stuck a bunker shot on the par-5 18th a foot from the hole. Alex Fitzpatrick, a 27-year-old European tour regular, smiled and put his hand on his head as he went to mark the ball, knowing that all he had to do to earn a two-year exemption on PGA Tour was sink a virtual gimme.

As his putt dropped, he crouched and put one hand over his face, and then rose to embrace his approaching older brother.

“I couldn’t feel my hands. I couldn’t feel my legs. I couldn’t feel anything,” Alex Fitzpatrick said. “It’s a pretty life-changing thing.”

Watching from the clubhouse tied at 30 under were the teams of Americans Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer and Norwegians Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura. All four players' bids for a first PGA Tour victory had come up just short.

Matt Fitzpatrick arrived in New Orleans as arguably the hottest player in golf with two previous wins since March, including last weekend at Harbour Town.

Now he's won three of the last four PGA Tour events he's entered, starting with the Valspar.

Having shot a tournament record 57 in better ball play Saturday, the Fitzpatricks began the final round with a four-shot lead which stood on the back nine until a near collapse, starting with a double-bogey on No. 12 that ended a 47-hole streak of bogey-free play.

Just after making am 11 1/2-foot bidie putt on the par-5 11th, Matt Fitzpatrick sliced his tee shot on 12 into a cluster cypress trees. Alex tried to punch out from a awkward lie, but hit another tree, and the ball came to rest on the edge of the cart path, still 209 yards away. They double-bogeyed from there, shrinking their lead to a single stroke.

Matt made another error when his short approach shot from the 13th fairway went off the back of the green. Alex’s flop from next to a television camera tower helped them save par.

Matt pulled his tee shot on the par-3 14th into a greenside bunker, and after Alex’s shot skipped 24 feet past the hole, Matt missed the par putt, and they lost the lead.

A week after facing down World No. 1 and crowd favorite Scottie Scheffler in a playoff hole on Hilton Head Island, Matt Fitzpatrick experienced a new kind of pressure, understanding how consequential it would be for his brother if they failed to capitalize on their final-round lead.

“Certainly today I didn’t expect to be as nervous as I was,” Matt Fitzpatrick said about his back-nine stumbles. “I kind of felt like, ‘What the hell is going on here?’ I felt like I lost my swing.”

But as he made his way up the 15th fairway, Matt caught sight of his father, Russell, walking along the ropes and gesturing at him.

“That was a really nice moment for me personally,” Matt said. “It was, like, ‘Yeah, come on, mate. Let’s keep going here.’”

Moments later, Matt stepped up to an 8-footer to save par and keep the Fitzpatricks at 30 under — where they remained as they walked to the 18th tee — tied with two teams in the clubhouse.

It's rare for brothers to win in tandem on the PGA Tour. There haven't historically been many team events, but brothers Danny and David Edwards did it at the Walt Disney World Team Championship in 1980.

“Amazing to have them win together. It’s been brilliant,” mother Sue Fitzpatrick said as she walked from a post-tournament concert toward the clubhouse. “What a great finish.”

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

Embiid had 26 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes, a gutsy effort in his latest return from injury that wasn't enough to overcome the Celtics in their 128-96 Game 4 win Sunday night for a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

“You try to do the best job possible with the conditions,” Embiid said. “You've still got to go out there and try and play and win a basketball game. We didn't do that tonight. We didn't play well.”

Embiid — who received a roaring ovation in pregame introductions — wasted little time scoring in his first game since April 6. The two-time NBA scoring champion sank two free throws for the Sixers' first points of the game, added a monster two-handed jam and scored the team's first eight points.

Embiid withered after the fast start and missed seven straight shots before converting a three-point play in the third quarter. That cut the Sixers’ deficit to 23 points.

Embiid was listed as doubtful to start the day and was upgraded to questionable about 90 minutes before the scheduled tipoff. Embiid returned to the court wearing a protective brace around his midsection, and was cleared to play about 40 minutes before the start of Game 4.

The 32-year-old Embiid averaged 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds this season after playing in only 19 games in 2024-25. He hasn’t appeared in as many as 40 games in a regular season since 2022-23, when he averaged a career-best 33.1 points and earned MVP honors.

Embiid had an appendectomy in Houston — he said he had unspecified complications after the surgery — on April 9 after Philadelphia’s star big man was stricken with appendicitis overnight.

Embiid provided nothing more than an early emotional lift to a Sixers team that was a 7 1/2-point home underdog to the Celtics, according to oddsmakers.

“I thought he had a lot of good looks,” coach Nick Nurse said. “A lot of them went in and out. That wasn't certainly helping our offense.”

The Celtics won Game 1 by 32 points and the Sixers responded with a surprise 111-97 win in Boston in Game 2. Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points and shot the Sixers into a fourth-quarter lead in Game 3 before Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown took over down the stretch for the Celtics in a 108-100 victory.

Embiid joined Maxey, rookie standout VJ Edgecombe, Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. in the starting lineup.

Embiid's absence in the play-in tournament win over Orlando and the first three playoff games against Boston continues a trend of injury-plagued postseasons.

Such as:

In 2024, Embiid played in the playoffs through a bout with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis. He wore sunglasses to the podium after he scored 50 points in the Sixers’ Game 3 win over the Knicks and said at the time he was dealing with various symptoms such as blurred vision and dry eyes.

A year earlier, Embiid missed a playoff game in two series because of a sprained right knee.

In 2022, the Sixers won 51 games under coach Doc Rivers and had a great chance at a deep playoff run until Embiid suffered a right orbital fracture and a concussion when he was hit in the face by Toronto’s Pascal Siakam. He also suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb. Embiid missed two games in a second-round series against Miami. The Sixers lost both games and the series, 4-2.

Embiid missed one game in the 2021 playoffs with a torn meniscus in his right knee.

He missed one playoff game in 2019 and two in 2018 with injuries.

Embiid said he no choice but to push through his latest postseason malady headed into Game 5 Tuesday night in Boston.

“You probably go through a couple of days where you feel bad for yourself,” Embiid said. “Then it's right back to it. Are you going to give up or are you going to try and come back as early as possible?”

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

Now, his legacy will forever be etched onto his hometown baseball diamond.

Flamingo Park Baseball Field on Michigan Avenue in Miami Beach was officially renamed this week to Stanley Skip Bertman Field.

Bertman, who turns 88 next month, graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School in 1956, later returning to the school as a coach and winning a state championship.

He also played on the field growing up.

“I’m proud of the name of this field in particular because I was here so often and played so often here. I had so many friends,” Bertman said.

He later led the LSU Tigers baseball to five national championships.

To this day, he has the highest winning percentage in postseason play.

“Here in Miami Beach, he represents a legacy of excellence, leadership and lasting impact on generations of athletes in our community,” said Miami Beach City Manager Eric Carpenter.

“I’m so happy and so lucky,” Bertman said.

Bertman smiled as he met friends old and new in the hometown he’ll always treasure.

De'Aaron Fox added 28 points for the Spurs, who will return home for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

The Spurs announced about an hour before the game that Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 Defensive Player of the Year, would play after clearing the league's concussion protocol.

After the game, he indicated that the way his return to play was handled was “very disappointing” but emphasized that he was treated well by the Spurs’ medical staff. He would not elaborate, saying he did not want to be a distraction.

The Spurs trailed the Blazers by 17 points at the half, but the game was knotted at 74 going into the fourth quarter. Fox and Keldon Johnson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Spurs up 90-77 with 7:14 left.

Johnson's dunk with 4:31 remaining made it 101-81 for San Antonio and all but sealed the win.

“We need to find the answers before having our back against the wall,” Wembanyama said about the second-half comeback. “But that also shows the strength of our team in adversity. We stick together. We get closer to each other, we feed off of each other's energy.”

Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 26 points. There was tense moment with 2:13 left when Avdija and Stephon Castle exchanged shoves. They were given offsetting technical fouls.

“You can be tough, you can be, you know, physical, but there’s a level of disrespect that I’m not gonna accept,” Avdija said about the dustup.

Wembanyama sustained a concussion in the first half of San Antonio's 106-103 loss on Tuesday and was unavailable Friday night for Game 3. But the Spurs rallied in the third quarter and won 120-108 to take the series lead.

Wembanyama, who was listed as questionable going into Sunday's game, started and drew gasps from the crowd at the Moda Center with an emphatic dunk with 9:58 to go in the first half.

Portland went ahead 45-28 in the first half on an 18-3 run. Robert Williams III dunked before a pair of quick 3-pointers from Jerami Grant and Scoot Henderson. Avdija capped the run with a fadeaway jumper.

The Blazers led by as many as 19 in the half and were ahead 58-41 at the break.

Stephon Castle, who had 33 points in San Antonio’s Game 3 win, appeared to injure his left hand in the first half but returned.

The Spurs went on a 13-0 run to open the second half and closed the gap to 58-54 as the Blazers went cold. Devin Vassell's jumper with 4:38 tied it at 62 for the Spurs. He hit another to put San Antonio in front.

“I think there's no useless drama in between us,” Wembanyama said. “We thrive when we do the invisible efforts that benefit others. There’s no jealousy. There’s nobody who cares about their stat line. So it’s our greatest strength.”

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

“It’s time to build the ballroom,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said plainly Sunday on X, posting a letter in which Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate gave the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which has sued to block construction, until 9 a.m. Monday to dismiss its lawsuit.

If it doesn't do so, Shumate wrote, the government would ask a court to do so “in light of last night’s extraordinary events," calling the Washington Hilton — the site of Saturday's gala — “demonstrably unsafe” for events with the president “because its size presents extraordinary security challenges for the Secret Service."

The White House ballroom, Shumate wrote, “will ensure the safety and security of the President for decades to come and prevent future assassination attempts on the President at the Washington Hilton.”

Asked about the letter, Elliot Carter, spokesperson for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said Sunday the group would review it with legal counsel.

The preservation group sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing to make way for a ballroom that Trump said would fit 999 people. Trump says the project is funded by private donations, although public money is paying for the bunker construction and security upgrades.

A crowd of 2,300 attended Saturday night's event at the Hilton, home to one of the few rooms in Washington large enough for the event. It packs in attendees at round tables whose chairs are back to back, and room to move around is tight. The dinner is not a White House event — it is run by the White House Correspondents’ Association, a nonprofit organization of journalists from media outlets that cover the president.

Republicans amp up their push for White House ballroom

For months, Trump has mentioned the ballroom project at nearly every chance, often talking about the lawsuit or his desire to construct the space during events on a number of other topics. As he addressed tuxedo- and ball gown-clad reporters who scurried from the Washington Hilton to the White House for a Saturday night news conference, Trump called for tougher security measures and pointed to the incident as a reason his ballroom is needed.

In the wake of the shooting, Trump, Blanche and a number of supporters of the administration have taken the opportunity to push for the project across social media platforms and news programs. Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan said he agreed with Trump “100%” on the massive White House construction project, which Jordan said on Fox News Channel “obviously would be much safer location for these type of events.”

Sunday morning on X, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said he agreed with Trump that the White House ballroom “is a national security necessity" that would give the Secret Service “immense control over the security environment of future events with a very hardened facility.”

Even some Democrats agreed. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who attended Saturday’s dinner, said on X that the proposed White House space should be used “for events exactly like these.” On CNN later Sunday, Fetterman said attendees and Americans overall were in a “vulnerable” position during Saturday's event, in part because many in the presidential line of succession were present and could have been harmed

Fetterman responded, “I certainly hope so” when asked if the incident would spark more support for the White House project.

Gate crashers, party crashers, a plane — security breaches at the White House

In the century-plus since its grounds were largely closed to the public, dozens of events are evidence that even the White House complex is not impervious to intrusion.

There have been a number of documented incidents in which people have scaled security barriers around the White House. One of them, a disturbed Army veteran carrying a knife, jumped the fence in 2014 and raced into the White House, making his way into the East Room before heading back down a hallway on the State Floor deep within the mansion.

A Homeland Security Department review of the case determined that lack of training, poor staffing decisions and communication problems contributed to the embarrassing failure that ultimately led to the resignation of the head of the Secret Service.

In 1994, a pilot died when he crashed a small stolen plane on the South Lawn, hitting a tree and a first-floor corner of the building. And in 2009, uninvited guests Tareq and Michaele Salahi crashed a state dinner, passing through security checkpoints and meeting President Barack Obama in an incident that sparked security investigations.

How is the White House ballroom project going?

In litigation since December, work is ongoing, although there have been recent hiccups.

Trump tore down the East Wing last fall to build the massive ballroom in that space. In its lawsuit, the National Trust for Historic Preservation argued that Trump had overstepped his authority by moving forward with the project without first getting approval from key federal agencies and Congress.

Earlier this month, a federal appeals court allowed Trump to continue construction of the $400 million project, ruling a day after a lower court judge continued to block above-ground construction on the site and scheduling a June 5 hearing to review the case. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon's ruling had blocked above-ground construction of the 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom addition, while allowing only below-ground work to continue on a bunker and other “national security facilities” at the site.

On Fox News Channel on Sunday, Trump forecast that, by the end of his current term, his project would be complete.

“In the year '28 you’re going to have something, you’re going to have a ballroom, the top of the line, security,” Trump said. “You’re not going to have problems.”

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Sunday at Haulover Park, the Miami Host Committee put on the One Game One Future youth soccer clinic.

Participants enjoyed a coach’s workshop that included all kinds of soccer drills.

Grassroots Soccer was part of the event. The health organization uses soccer to help yougsters learn more about life-saving information and how to live a healthier life.

The organization says today their focus was mental health and, of course, soccer.

“We are so excited to be involved with FIFA and the Miami Host Committee to run some mental health soccer programs here called Mind Skills,” said Grassroots Soccer co-founder Ethan Zohn. “We’re using metaphors from the sport of soccer to deliver some really important health information to protect these kids and make them aware about mental health and the dangers and issues around mental health.

Sunday in North Miami, a large turnout of Haitians receiving TPS living in South Florida made their voices heard, with many saying they are anxious for Wednesday’s decision.

“Please, please, if you listen, let’s fight together for Haiti,” said rally attendee Nicole Miniviel. “We need the TPS for the Haitian, please.”

The rally was organized by Family Action Network and their partners, calling on lawmakers to extend TPS.

Paul Namphy with FAN said Haiti is not safe and Haitians going back face dire conditions.

“They deserve respect, they put in more than they get, and we believe that it is cruel to threaten to deport them to a Haiti, which is in an extremely uncertain situation right now where their lives would be at risk,” he said.

Haiti is currently at a Level 4 travel advisory, with a Do Not Travel warning, as the Department of State has warned of crime, terrorism, kidnapping and unrest on the island nation.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava attended Sunday’s rally, touching on the dangers Haitians face.

“It’s not the time to send them back to Haiti,” she said. “It’s not the time to separate families, and we need to make sure that they are safe.”

A federal court blocked termination of TPS.

According to U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, more than 330,000 Haitians can maintain protection and employment authorization until July 1.

Immigration attorney Ronald Surin said his clients are anxious.

“They may have a work permit today and the next day may not be valid,” he said. “So people really have a sense of instability that create problems to them even with their employers.”

Namphy says Haitians are being held hostage by ever changing dates, burdened and stressed by possible future deportation.

“This is cruel game with people’s lives,” he said. “The most crucial people of this economy, games are being played with their lives.”

The Trump administration argued conditions in Haiti had improved.

A group of house Republicans recently went against the president, and are supporting allowing TPA for Haitians for three more years.

The House passed a bill aiming to extend TPS for Haitians, and that bill is now pending in the Senate..

Korda was so untouchable at The Chevron Championship that no one got closer than four shots of her the entire weekend. She played her last 29 holes at Memorial Park in even par and still won by five, the largest margin at this major in 18 years.

And it was one of the toughest times she ever had.

“It's not easy going in with that big of a lead,” said Korda, “I think that was the challenging point with like, where do I still play like Nelly and where do I play a little defensive?”

That's why where was much relief as joy when she holed a 7-foot par putt to close with a 2-under 70 to capture her third major championship and return to No. 1 in the women's world ranking for the first time since August.

She celebrated in the best manner possible — a cannon ball into the 4 1/2-foot pool built to the right of the 18th green to keep with the tradition at this major that dates to 1988 when the winner jumped into Poppie’s Pond at Mission Hills in the California desert.

“Feet first,” she said with a smile, dressed in the winner's white robe. “I knew it was 4 feet, so I was expecting to hit the ground very fast.”

No one else expected anything else.

Staked to a five-shot lead at the start, Korda was efficient as ever with two early birdies, and two more on the back nine that put the final touches on this masterpiece.

Playing it safe left her a couple of par putts in the 6-foot range, the ones that had given her fits in the third round. She made one on the 11th. She left the next one short, and her lead was down to four shots.

Time for Nelly golf.

Her caddie told her she should play well short of the pin on the heavily contoured green at the 13th. Korda had other ideas.

“I actually just sent it at the pin and I had a tap-in birdie,” she said.

Korda followed by hammering a 3-wood to just short of the green for a simple up-and-down for birdie. And then it was back to playing it safe — so conservative that instead of hitting a mid-iron onto the par-5 16th over water, she opted to lay up with a gap wedge and then hit lob wedge to 25 feet for a two-putt par.

The victory was her 17th on the LPGA and 21st worldwide. Not since Meg Mallon in 2000 had an American reached three majors in her career, and the 27-year-old Korda is just getting started.

She doesn't care for comparisons with her 2024 season when she won seven times, including that record-tying streak of five in a row that was capped off at The Chevron.

But it's the start to a season that will get everyone's attention. She has played in the final group in all five of her tournaments, winning twice and being runner-up the other three times. And then she won a major by leading the final 57 holes of the tournament.

Korda joined Juli Inkster (1989) and Amy Alcott (1991), both at Nabisco Dinah Shore, as the only players in the last 50 years to win LPGA majors when leading by multiple shots after each round.

About the only drama in the final hour — all weekend, really — was whether Korda could break Dottie Pepper's 72-hole scoring record that has stood since 1999. Korda was playing it safe with a big lead, hitting to the fat of the green and settling for pars, along with another three-putt bogey.

She finished at 18-under 270, one short of Pepper's record at Mission Hills.

Korda made a 25-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole Friday, and didn't make another putt over 10 feet the rest of the week. That included a trio of 4-foot misses that kept it from being a blowout, and it stayed in her heard.

But that was part of Korda's new outlook. Don't worry about mistakes, knowing she could make up for them, and she did.

‘What I was telling myself was I really want to hoist this trophy because I want to show the kids at home that it’s OK to miss short putts and still win a major championship," she said with a laugh. "You’re going to make mistakes. You have to mentally still be in it 100%, and that’s really what I wanted show.

“I wanted to show it to myself and I wanted to show it everyone looking up to me.”

Ruoning Yin (69) and Patty Tavatanakit (70) tied for second. They were the only ones who could even think about having a chance on Sunday.

Tavatanakit walked in a 25-foot birdie on the sixth hole to get within four shots, only to make bogey with a wedge on the par-5 eighth. Yin went 56 consecutive holes without a bogey until making one on the 17th.

Korda won $1.35 million for a victory that puts her back as the best in women's golf without any debate. And now it's off to the Gulf Coast of Mexico for the next LPGA event, taking Monday to celebrate and getting back to work on Tuesday.

She loves competition. In this case, she was competing mainly against her herself. It was a big win in many ways because she had self-doubts when she missed those short putts Saturday. Korda told her caddie she did not want those thoughts to creep in during the final round.

"I want to go out and play golf. Whatever happens — if I jump into that pond, if I have the trophy in my hands at the end of the day — then great. I gave it 100%. If I don’t, then I have next week. I have the week after.

“That's going to be my mindset for the rest of the year.”

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

Refsnyder was initially called out by plate umpire John Bacon on an 0-2 pitch that the replay showed was outside. After two more balls, he hit a 412-foot blast into the left-field bullpen off JoJo Romero (0-1) to give the Mariners their first lead.

Jose Ferrer retired the Cardinals in order in the ninth for his first save of the season.

Each team successfully challenged four ball-strike calls by Bacon during the game, all during Mariners plate appearances, before JJ Wetherholt had an unsuccessful bid in the ninth.

During J.P Crawford’s eighth-inning plate appearance, each team had a successful challenge. Crawford had a strike overturned early in the at-bat, and then had ball four changed to the third strike on a challenge by catcher Iván Herrera. Herrera also secured a strikeout against Randy Arozarena in the second inning with a challenge.

Eduard Bazardo (1-1) got four outs in relief to record the victory.

Wetherholt led off the third inning with a line drive that traveled 375 feet into the right-field bullpen for the rookie's fifth home run.

Cal Raleigh answered in the fourth with a 401-footer that also landed in the Cardinals' bullpen.

Nathan Church added a 407-foot home run down the right-field line in the sixth to put St. Louis up 2-1.

Emerson Hancock gave up seven hits, including the Cardinals' two solo home runs, in six innings for Seattle. He walked two and struck out four.

Michael McGreevy allowed one run and five hits in six innings while striking out six and walking none.

Up next

Seattle: RHP Luis Castillo (0-1, 5.01 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game set Monday at Minnesota against LHP Connor Prielipp (0-0, 4.50).

St. Louis: RHP Dustin May (3-2, 5.84) takes the mound Monday at Pittsburgh to open a four-game series. The Pirates had not yet announced a probable starter.

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

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It happened around 7:10 a.m. in the area of Northwest 135th Street and 27th Avenue.

According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, a vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when it slammed into several parked cars.

Resident James Moyer said he walked outside of his home to see a vehicle engulfed in flames.

“When the car hit, it blew up right here and became a fireball,” he said. “It was a fireball straight down the curbside.”

The man driving was ejected from his car and pronounced deceased at the scene by first responders, authorities said.

Two women who were passengers in the man’s vehicle were rushed to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital via helicopter in critical condition, according to MDSO.

“The girl was still close by, I pulled her away from the car with my wife,” said Moyer. “Broken bones, barely breathing, trying to fight for her life at that moment.”

The department’s Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating the circumstances that led up to the crash.

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It happened around 8:41 a.m. Sunday in the area of Northwest 17th Street and Third Avenue in Miami.

According to Miami Fire Rescue, first responders arrived to the scene to find a 77-year-old man pinned underneath a trolly.

Authorities said the Miami Technical Rescue Team worked quickly and used an air bag system to raise the trolly and remove the man from underneath.

That man was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition, according to authorities.

There has been no word on the circumstances that led to the man being trapped under the trolly.

Gauff, a finalist in Madrid last year, rallied to beat Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 on Sunday.

The American threw up on court in the middle of the second set.

“When I actually threw up on the court, that was like a little bit embarrassing," Gauff said. “Then after that first game and the second, I was like that took everything out of me."

On Saturday, fourth-ranked Iga Swiatek withdrew due to an unspecified illness while playing her round-of-32 match against American Ann Li.

Gauff said she was determined to carry on her match.

“I’m someone who doesn’t like to pull out. I don’t like to do that unless I really feel like I have no other options,” Gauff said. "So the plan was to always just try to finish, even if it ended up with me just playing just to get through it.”

She recovered from a break down three times before winning the set 7-5.

The third-ranked Gauff said she doesn't know how she “got through that," and said she almost threw up in the middle of a point.

“I felt fine all this morning. I felt a little weird last night, but I was OK. Woke up this morning, felt fine. And mid-first set, I was feeling like I was going to throw up. And then I did," she said. "They gave me some pills and that definitely helped. After that, once I felt the feeling of throwing up, then I just felt nauseous and tired. I just didn’t want to throw up in the middle of the point, which I almost did at one point.”

Gauff will next meet No. 13 seed Linda Noskova.

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

In the aftermath, safety and coverage blended as some of the nation's most powerful reporters and editors tried to figure out what was unfolding in front of them.

Or in many cases, above them. Many of the journalists, clad in tuxedos and gowns, had ducked for cover in fear, bewilderment or just plain instinct. “We were under the table before we knew what was happening,” The Atlantic magazine journalists Missy Ryan, Matt Viser and Michael Scherer wrote of their experience.

When they emerged, mobile phones were the tools of their trade — to shoot pictures or video, record interviews or keep a phone line open to describe the scene to colleagues working the story off-site.

“For many people who have either been in a war zone or in the midst of a crisis, I don't think there was any fear,” said former CBS News president Susan Zirinsky, who was attending. “It was get it, find it, shoot it, report it. But it was very frustrating not getting a signal out of the room.”

Struggling to get the news out of the room

She added an expletive. Cellphone service at the Washington Hilton is notoriously spotty.

The bad service, however, was a key factor in Alex Brandon, a photographer for The Associated Press, securing one of the night's most memorable images: shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen on the ground and in custody outside the ballroom, his shirt stripped off.

Brandon, who was attending as a guest and didn't have his usual gear, stood up at his table after hearing the shooting and trained his mobile phone camera on Trump, capturing photos of him as he was surrounded by Secret Service agents and then hustled off the dais.

He knew he had significant photos and had to transmit them to the world. But he had no cell service. He rushed to a doorway to leave the ballroom and outside that, spotted a person lying on the ground being watched by authorities. Brandon immediately sensed it was the suspect and began taking more pictures.

“Frankly, it was muscle memory,” the veteran photographer said. “The whole thing was muscle memory.”

Moments earlier, CNN's Wolf Blitzer got uncomfortably close to the shooter before he was in custody, when Blitzer was returning to the ballroom following a bathroom break. A police officer threw Blitzer to the ground and later hustled him back into the men's room for safekeeping, he described on the network.

“I happened to be a few feet away from him as he was shooting and the first thing that went through my mind was, ‘Is he trying to shoot me?’” said Blitzer, a veteran of conflict reporting. “I don't think he was trying to shoot me but I was very close to him as the shots were fired and it was very, very scary but I'm OK now.”

Because it was a room full of journalists, “most of the crowd immediately began to cover the story,” wrote The Washington Post's Maura Judkis, who was there documenting the social scene. “Print journalists interviewed eyewitnesses. Television reporters shot selfie-style video, angled so that the now-empty dais was in the background. Non reporters reached for the wine on the tables, hoping to steady their nerves.”

After diving under her table, Judkis sent a Slack message to colleagues: “shots fired.” In retrospect, she said she should have noted that those reports were unconfirmed. Did she really hear shots or was it something else?

In a fast-developing story, getting news out fast while being careful that it is solid information is a journalist's biggest test. At one point, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, reporting live, said the alleged shooter “is confirmed dead.” She cited a security official working for the nation’s education secretary, who had been seated near her, as her source. But it was wrong.

A change in attitude for administration at odds with reporters?

Hours earlier, the biggest concern for many of the journalists as they prepared for the party was whether they would be subject to a tongue-lashing from Trump, whose animus for the press — expressed in words, policies and legal action — has been a hallmark of his second term. It was his first time attending the correspondents' dinner as president.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a particularly ill-timed comment to Fox News' Jimmy Failla on the event's red carpet, previewed the president's speech. “It will be funny,” she said. “It will be entertaining. There will be some shots fired in the room.”

The speech never came. Trump and the correspondents have expressed interest in rescheduling the event, but it's not clear whether that will happen. The logistics of such a rescheduling after Saturday's events would be daunting, to say the least.

Trump, in remarks at the White House after the incident ended the evening prematurely, said he saw “a tremendous amount of love and coming together” after the shooting.

“This was an event dedicated to the freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press and in a certain way it did,” he said. “I saw a room that was totally united — in one way, it was a very beautiful thing to see.”

Trump praised CBS News' Weijia Jiang, president of the correspondents' association, who had been sitting next to him Saturday night. Like with many reporters, Trump has had contentious exchanges with Jiang, but he said she had done a “fantastic job” with the correspondents event. He gave her the first question at his news conference.

In a interview that aired Sunday night on “60 Minutes,” Trump told CBS’ Norah O’Donnell: “I hope we’re going to do it again. Norah, tell ’em to get it going, and we should do it within 30 days, and they’ll have even more security, and they’ll have bigger perimeter security. It’ll be fine.”

Not all of Trump's supporters were generous of spirit. Kari Lake, who has been overseeing the U.S. Agency for Global Media and faces legal action for her work in that role, wrote on social media that she berated CNN's Jake Tapper when she saw him leaving the dinner. “These reporters have spent a decade spreading absolute lies about President Trump,” she wrote. “They share some of the blame for what happened tonight.”

But CBS' Zirinsky said she sensed, in Trump's remarks, a new sense of respect. They now had something in common, as CNN's Brian Stelter noted in his newsletter Sunday. “Thousands of media and political elites now have gone through what countless millions of other Americans have experienced in their schools, offices, malls and churches,” Stelter wrote.

“I felt it,” Zirinsky said. “I may have been the only one. But I was literally sensing when I was listening to him at the White House that there was this shared experience and the relationship, is this a change? Is this the mark of a change of a relationship?”

Still, the combative Trump came through clearly on "60 Minutes." After O'Donnell quoted a sentence from a message written by the alleged gunman, the president responded: “You shouldn’t be reading that on ‘60 Minutes.’ You’re a disgrace.”

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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.