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Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, is set to take a plea deal in July and will not go to trial, his defense said during a federal court proceeding on Tuesday.

“The case will be worked out,” said Walter Reynoso, Insua’s defense attorney. “My client will not put the families through a trial and expose them to relive this terrible tragedy.”

Lopez Insua has been charged with seaman’s manslaughter in connection with the July 28, 2025 collision off Hibiscus Island that killed three children aboard a youth sailing camp vessel — Mila Yankelevich, 7, Erin Ko Han, 13, and Arielle Buchman, 10.

A 19-year-old camp counselor and two children, one of whom was identified as Calena Areyan Gruber, 7, survived.

Federal prosecutors allege Lopez Insua was operating a tug pushing a construction barge when it struck the stalled sailboat in Biscayne Bay. Investigators said the sailboat had lost wind and drifted into the barge’s path.

Authorities have said Lopez Insua was using his cellphone around the time of the crash and that data indicated activity on internet marketplaces.

Prosecutors also allege the tugboat’s pilothouse view was obstructed by a deckhouse and crane on the barge, and that the vessel lacked adequate lookout systems such as cameras or radar.

Court filings previously stated Lopez Insua had operated the vessel for years and had prior near-misses in the same area.

The crash is also the subject of at least one lawsuit in Miami-Dade County court.

Jena-Lisa Jones, Dani Bensky, Courtney Wild, Maria Farmer, and Roza, who asked not to be identified by last name, were among the witnesses.

Virginia Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law, Sky and Amanda Roberts, and attorneys Spencer Kuvin and Lauren Hersh also testified.

House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., presided over the hearing.

U.S. Reps. Lois Frankel, Ayanna Pressley, Melanie Stansbury, Emily Randall, Yassamin Ansari, and James Walkinshaw also participated. Watch the hearing

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The fire near Florida City was 50% contained after burning about 300 acres, according to the Florida Forest Service.

Miami-Dade firefighters were also assisting and warned people with respiratory conditions to keep their windows and doors closed and set their air conditioning systems to recirculate.

The fire “danger” was moderate and the “potential” high on Tuesday in Miami-Dade, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ fire danger index report.

Related reports

• Wildfire burns 300 acres in southern Miami-Dade
• Brush fire causes closure of U.S. 1 heading in, out of Florida Keys
• Brush fire ignites in western Broward County

Related social media post

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews continue assisting @FlForestService (FFS) in containing the 172 Ave brush fire in Southeast Miami-Dade near SW 344 Street & S Dixie Hwy. Currently, no structures nearby are affected.

As per FFS, the fire is 210 acres, with 30% contained.

Commuters… pic.twitter.com/rnWGLpcNf5

— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) May 11, 2026

El incendio cerca de Florida City estaba contenido en un 50% tras haber quemado aproximadamente 300 acres, según el Servicio Forestal de Florida.

Bomberos de Miami-Dade también estaban ayudando y advirtieron a las personas con problemas respiratorios que mantuvieran sus ventanas y puertas cerradas y configuraran sus sistemas de aire acondicionado en modo de recirculación.

El “peligro” de incendio era moderado y el “potencial” alto el martes en Miami-Dade, según el informe del índice de peligro de incendios del Departamento de Agricultura y Servicios al Consumidor de Florida.

Reportes relacionados

• Incendio forestal quema 300 acres en el sur de Miami-Dade
• Incendio forestal provoca cierre de la U.S. 1 en dirección hacia y desde los Cayos de Florida
• Incendio forestal se desata en el oeste del condado Broward

Publicación relacionada en redes sociales

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews continue assisting @FlForestService (FFS) in containing the 172 Ave brush fire in Southeast Miami-Dade near SW 344 Street & S Dixie Hwy. Currently, no structures nearby are affected.

As per FFS, the fire is 210 acres, with 30% contained.

Commuters… pic.twitter.com/rnWGLpcNf5

— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) May 11, 2026

Yusiel Lopez Insua, de 46 años, aceptará un acuerdo de culpabilidad en julio y no irá a juicio, indicó su defensa durante una audiencia en una corte federal el martes.

Lopez Insua enfrenta un cargo de homicidio involuntario marítimo en relación con la colisión del 28 de julio de 2025 cerca de Hibiscus Island que mató a tres menores a bordo de una embarcación de un campamento juvenil de vela: Mila Yankelevich, de 7 años; Erin Ko Han, de 13; y Arielle Buchman, de 10.

Una consejera del campamento de 19 años y dos menores, una de ellas identificada como Calena Areyan Gruber, de 7 años, sobrevivieron.

Los fiscales federales alegan que Lopez Insua operaba un remolcador que empujaba una barcaza de construcción cuando impactó el velero averiado en Biscayne Bay. Los investigadores dijeron que el velero había perdido viento y quedó a la deriva en la trayectoria de la barcaza.

Las autoridades han indicado que Lopez Insua estaba usando su teléfono celular alrededor del momento del choque y que los datos mostraban actividad en mercados por internet.

Los fiscales también alegan que la vista desde la cabina del remolcador estaba obstruida por una estructura y una grúa en la barcaza, y que la embarcación carecía de sistemas adecuados de vigilancia como cámaras o radar.

Documentos judiciales previamente indicaron que Lopez Insua había operado la embarcación durante años y que tuvo incidentes previos de casi colisión en la misma área.

El choque también es objeto de al menos una demanda en una corte del condado Miami-Dade.

1. Your own emergency fund/short-term securities

Emergency funds should be held outside of tax-sheltered wrappers and include highly liquid investments like bank savings accounts, money market accounts, and so on. If you’re working, your emergency fund would ideally hold a minimum of three to six months’ worth of living expenses; retirees should target one to two years’ worth of anticipated portfolio withdrawals.

2. Low-risk assets in taxable account

Your next source of cash is other taxable holdings: investments in brokerage accounts, outside tax-sheltered vehicles. When identifying securities you could sell, focus on liquidity, tax consequences, and transaction fees.

In a best-case scenario, you’d have a short- or intermediate-term bond fund to sell. It’s reasonably liquid, and you’d already have paid taxes on most of your gains.

3. Roth IRA contributions

You can withdraw any Roth IRA contributions (the amount you put in, not investment earnings) at any time, without penalties or tax. The big downside, of course, is that you’ll have fewer retirement funds working for you.

4. Life insurance cash values

You can withdraw money outright from your whole life insurance or variable universal life insurance policy and have it deducted from the face value. Those withdrawals are tax-free, assuming they don’t exceed the amount you’ve put in.

A less attractive option is to borrow from the cash value of your life insurance. You’ll owe interest, payable to the insurance company, and the loan may come with additional costs. You will not owe taxes, but the interest is not tax-deductible.

5. 401(k) loan

Even though you’ll pay interest on a 401(k) loan, it gets paid back into your account. And the interest rates can be reasonable. But you’ll shrink your retirement savings. If you lose your job, you’ll be required to pay the loan back sooner, usually in 90 days. If you can’t, you’ll owe taxes and a 10% penalty, unless you’re 59½ or older.

6. Home equity line of credit

The interest rates for borrowing against your home equity are usually reasonable, particularly if you maintain a good credit rating.

But if you’re not a perfect borrower, you could be denied or get an unfavorable rate. And if you end up borrowing more than your equity and have to sell in a hurry, you’d have to cough up the difference. Finally, the interest on HELOCS is no longer tax-deductible unless the funds are used for home improvements.

7. Hardship withdrawals

Funds you take out of a 401(k) via a hardship withdrawal cannot be paid back and you’ll owe taxes on any untaxed dollars you pull out. You’ll also owe a 10% penalty unless you’re 59½ or older or  your situation meets one of several exceptions. Those taxes can take a big bite out of the amount that you remove from your account.

8. Reverse mortgage

A reverse mortgage allows homeowners 62 or older to receive a pool of assets that represents equity in their homes. They don’t have to repay the loan as long as they’re in their homes, but when they leave, the borrowed amount, plus interest, is deducted from the home’s value.

Rates can vary widely, so shop around and read the fine print; the loans can be costly and complicated.

9. Margin loans

A margin account allows you to borrow against the value of the securities in your brokerage account. You might do this if you don’t want to sell the assets at a bad time or incur tax consequences.

Interest rates aren’t always attractive, plus margin loans are risky because the securities’ value can fluctuate with the market. If your collateral drops below a certain level, your brokerage firm will require you to deposit more money or sell the securities. If you don’t have the cash, you can end up in an even bigger financial bind.

10. Credit cards

Some consumers have been able to play credit cards like a fiddle, shifting balances among cards with ultralow teaser rates and incurring little interest. For the rest of the world, credit cards are the single easiest way to wreck your financial standing. Rates are high, and credit card companies want to keep you paying for as long as possible. Thus, the minimum payments they require don’t make a dent in your loan’s principal.

_____

This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance.

Christine Benz is director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar and co-host of The Long View podcast.

Related Links

6 Tax Tips You Should Start Thinking About Now

https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/6-tax-tips-you-should-start-thinking-about-now

The IRA Decision That Affects Your Kids

https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/ira-decision-that-affects-your-kids

How Much Should You Allocate to Safer Assets?

https://www.morningstar.com/portfolios/how-much-should-you-allocate-safer-assets

Putin said that the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service at the end of the year. It was built to replace the aging Soviet-built Voyevoda.

“This is the most powerful missile in the world,” Putin declared, adding that the combined power of the Sarmat’s individually targeted warheads is more than four times higher than that of any Western counterpart.

The Russian leader has repeatedly brandished the nuclear sword after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to try to deter the West from ramping up support for Ukraine.

After overseeing a military parade on Red Square on Saturday commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, which for the first time in nearly two decades didn’t include heavy weapons, Putin declared the conflict in Ukraine is coming to an end.

Since coming to power in 2000, Putin has overseen efforts to upgrade the Soviet-built components of the Russian nuclear triad — deploying hundreds of new, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, commissioning new nuclear submarines and modernizing nuclear-capable bombers.

Russia’s effort to revamp its nuclear forces pushed the United States to launch a costly modernization of its arsenal.

The last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the U.S. expired in February, leaving no caps on the world's two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century and fueling fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race.

The Sarmat — designated “Satan II” in the West — is meant to replace about 40 Soviet-built Voyevoda missiles. Its development began in 2011 and before Tuesday, the missile had only one known successful test and reportedly suffered a massive explosion during an abortive test in 2024.

Putin said Tuesday that the Sarmat — part of a slew of new weapons that Putin revealed in 2018, claiming they would render any prospective U.S. missile defenses useless — is as powerful as the Voyevoda but with a higher precision. It is capable of suborbital flight, he said, giving it a range of more than 35,000 kilometers (21,700 miles) and an extended capability to penetrate any prospective missile defenses.

Moscow's new weapons include the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, capable of flying 27 times faster than the speed of sound. The first vehicles have already entered service.

Russia has also commissioned the new nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, and used its conventionally-armed version twice to strike Ukraine. Oreshnik's range of up to 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) makes it capable of reaching any target in Europe.

Putin also announced Russia was in the “final stages” of the development of the nuclear-armed Poseidon underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile powered by miniature atomic reactors.

The Poseidon is designed to explode near enemy coastlines and cause a radioactive tsunami. The Burevestnik has virtually unlimited range thanks to nuclear propulsion, allowing it to loiter for days, circling air defenses and attacking from an unexpected direction.

Putin has described those new weapons as part of a Russian response to the U.S. missile shield that Washington developed after its 2001 withdrawal from a Cold War-era U.S.-Soviet pact that limited missile defenses.

Russian military planners have feared a missile shield could tempt Washington to launch a first strike that would knock out most of Moscow’s nuclear arsenal in hopes of intercepting a small number of surviving missiles fired in retaliation.

"We were forced to consider ensuring our strategic security in the face of the new reality and the need to maintain a strategic balance of power and parity,” Putin said.

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According to deputies with the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the shooting occurred around 1 a.m. Friday near the 7900 block of Southwest Seventh Court.

Investigators said 19-year-old O’Mari Doe was inside a 2020 Ford Mustang when gunfire erupted. Deputies said Doe suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was airlifted to Broward Health North, where he was later pronounced dead.

They said a second victim, 20-year-old Maurice Vorroto, of Coconut Creek, was found outside the Mustang suffering from a gunshot wound. Authorities confirmed that his injuries were not life-threatening.

Deputies said Doe, Vorroto, and two other victims were sitting inside the Mustang when Aamir Dennard Adams, 19, Anthony Adams, 18, and two boys, ages 15 and 16, arrived in a black Honda Accord.

According to investigators, witnesses told detectives the suspects got out of the car armed with handguns and fired multiple shots into the Mustang before fleeing the area.

Authorities later identified the suspect vehicle and issued a be-on-the-lookout alert to surrounding law enforcement agencies.

Investigators said a Fort Lauderdale police officer later spotted the Honda Accord, prompting a pursuit that ended near the 900 block of Southwest 13th Street in Fort Lauderdale after the suspects bailed out of the vehicle.

Detectives said all four suspects were located and arrested, and guns were recovered from inside the car.

Aamir Adams, Anthony Adams and the two boys who have not yet been identified each face one count of first-degree premeditated murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder, along with criminal attempt to solicit or conspire and resisting an officer without violence, according to BSO.

The investigation remains ongoing.

El incendio fue reportado alrededor de las 3:30 a.m. en la cuadra 300 de Northwest Fifth Street.

Un equipo de Local 10 News estuvo en la escena más tarde en la mañana y observó ventanas rotas y cinta de escena del crimen alrededor de la vivienda.

Los residentes dijeron que no están seguros de cómo comenzó.

Bomberos de Pompano Beach y una ambulancia despejaron la escena antes de las 5 a.m.

La Oficina del Sheriff de Broward luego tomó control de la investigación, colocando cinta de escena del crimen mientras investigaban qué provocó el incendio.

Los residentes dijeron que no les han permitido regresar al interior y que ahora tienen muchos niños pequeños que necesitan ayuda.

La Cruz Roja confirmó que está asistiendo a cuatro adultos afectados por el incendio con ayuda financiera de emergencia, servicios de salud y salud mental, y asistencia para la recuperación.

No está claro si se reportaron personas heridas.

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The BMW driver struck Ascent Audiology & Hearing, located at 1005 N. Federal Highway, according to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials.

Officials said there was visible damage to the storefront, but the building itself was not structurally compromised.

They said at least one employee inside the business was evaluated at the scene but refused transport to a hospital.

Sky 10 flew over the business around 12:30 p.m., showing damage to the front entrance area following the collision. Fort Lauderdale police officers were seen inspecting the area.

Authorities said no further injuries were reported and the circumstances leading up to the crash were not immediately released.

El conductor del BMW chocó contra Ascent Audiology & Hearing, ubicado en 1005 N. Federal Highway, según funcionarios de Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue.

Las autoridades dijeron que había daños visibles en la fachada del negocio, pero la estructura del edificio no sufrió daños comprometedores.

Indicaron que al menos un empleado dentro del negocio fue evaluado en la escena, pero rechazó ser trasladado a un hospital.

Sky 10 sobrevoló el negocio alrededor de las 12:30 p.m., mostrando daños en el área de la entrada principal tras la colisión. Agentes de la Policía de Fort Lauderdale fueron vistos inspeccionando el área.

Las autoridades dijeron que no se reportaron más personas heridas y que las circunstancias que provocaron el accidente no fueron divulgadas de inmediato.

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According to the Florida Forest Service, the Max Road Fire, which has burned 11,339 acres in the Everglades, was at 70% containment as of Tuesday morning.

It broke out on Sunday.

“We feel a lot better now,” west Broward resident Terri Castro said. “We don’t see any smoke and it’s not dark anymore, so we can’t even smell it. So, we feel better. We feel a lot of relief.”

With dry conditions, the Florida Forest Service is encouraging residents to “see something, say something” and to not burn outside or carelessly dispose cigarettes.

Having spent the previous eight months under college football's media microscope, the sixth-year senior smiled when reporters asked about his summer plans once spring practice wrapped up.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

For Chambliss, the spring session finished with a weekend meet-and-greet fan function before a weeklong session of spring drills that were closed to reporters.

Chambliss planned to return with family to his childhood hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was expected to make personal appearances and speeches at school functions. Chambliss regularly touts his hometown roots, his experience at Division II Ferris State and an opportunity to “give back and tell (schoolchildren) if I can make it, you can make it.”

Coach Pete Golding said he encouraged all Ole Miss players to give themselves a break from football following spring football and exams.

“I told them I didn’t want to see them for a few weeks,” said Golding, who is heading into his first regular season as a head coach after going 2-1 in the College Football Playoff last season as current LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s successor.

“I do think it’s really important for them to get away from it,” Golding said. “They need a reset.”

Perhaps no player could appreciate a break more than Chambliss, who'd won a Division II national title in 2024 but remained relatively unknown before Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons was sidelined by an ankle injury. Elevated into a starting role, Chambliss debuted by leading the Rebels to a 41-35 home win over Arkansas.

By the time the season ended in a last-second, CFP semifinal loss to Miami, the dual-threat Chambliss had totaled more than 3,900 yards and accounted for 30 touchdowns.

The Rebels finished 13-2 and ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press Top 25. Along the way were a handful of victories over ranked teams, including Tulane and Georgia in the CFP. Chambliss routinely produced explosive, clutch plays, overcoming his less-than-ideal size (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) and emerging from a relative obscurity in ways that captured fans' imagination.

NIL endorsements, estimated at $1.5 million by On3, followed. AT&T, for example, traded off Chambliss' transfer story, stylish demeanor and puckish smile.

Another big win for Chambliss came off the field after a three-month legal challenge that resulted in an additional year of eligibility. The ruling became a big win for Ole Miss when Chambliss opted to stay in Oxford.

“It was very stressful,” Chambliss said shortly after the Mississippi Supreme Court denied the final appeal by the NCAA in March. “I knew I was going to play football somewhere, either the NFL or here (Ole Miss), but not knowing was tough. I knew whatever happened was in God’s hands, but it was still tough.”

The decision to remain at Ole Miss was less difficult.

“You know, when I visited Oxford from Ferris State, I really liked it here and wasn’t promised anything about being the quarterback,” Chambliss said. “The thing that helped was my parents really liked it here, too, on the visit. We’ve been treated great and once Ole Miss decided to go with PG (Pete Golding), we wanted to stay.”

While Chambliss takes his hiatus from Oxford, the Ole Miss media department intends to organize a Heisman Trophy campaign. Chambliss finished eighth in last year’s voting and has been listed with preseason front-runners Arch Manning of Texas and C.J. Carr of Notre Dame.

Ole Miss has a solid track record with quarterbacks in the Heisman Trophy race, with five – Charlie Conerly, Jake Gibbs, Archie Manning (twice) and Eli Manning — finishing in the top five.

The Rebels also have produced other prominent NFL quarterbacks, including 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants.

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Según el Servicio Forestal de Florida, el incendio Max Road Fire, que ha quemado 11,339 acres en los Everglades, estaba contenido en un 70% hasta la mañana del martes.

El incendio comenzó el domingo.

“Nos sentimos mucho mejor ahora”, dijo la residente del oeste de Broward, Terri Castro. “No vemos humo y ya no está oscuro, así que ni siquiera podemos olerlo. Así que nos sentimos mejor. Sentimos mucho alivio”.

Debido a las condiciones secas, el Servicio Forestal de Florida está exhortando a los residentes a “si ven algo, decir algo” y a no quemar al aire libre ni desechar cigarrillos de manera irresponsable.

“I even picture the scenario in my head: I’m sitting out there alone, and a beam of light comes down,” he says. “It’s not a spacecraft that’s hovering over me. It’s just a beam of light from space. And I just get lifted up into that beam of light, and I appear in a new place.”

America’s favorite astrophysicist has turned that lifelong fascination into a book, “Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter,” which — like that beam of light — illuminates what we know about possible space critters and what we can anticipate if they ever come calling.

“Even if it doesn’t actually happen, there’s value to going through the thought experiment of what could happen,” he says. “Maybe there’s some takeaways that offer insights into how you think about the world, how we think about each other and the future of our civilization.”

The book, out Tuesday, is a unique road map into the prodigious brain of Tyson, who has an ability to blend pop culture with quantum physics. Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

“Take Me to Your Leader” references evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould and Cartoon Network’s “Rick and Morty” and weaves ideas from both the French philosopher Voltaire and lyrics by Katy Perry. It mixes the physics of invisibility with “Star Trek” and has digressions into multispectral vision, how Superman — an alien, remember? — could kill us all just by farting and why supersonic planes “look badass.”

They're going to be smart

Tyson concludes that if aliens were to arrive on Earth, they are likely to be much more advanced than humans. He writes it would be like trying to teach a chimp long division.

“They’ll not only be brilliant, but they’ll be way more powerful than us in practically any way that matters, which is why it’s so laughable when you see in Hollywood movies some mothership arrives and people pull out their pistols and start shooting guns at it. Like, ‘Really? Have you thought this through?’”

During first contact, he advises against trying to shake hands or raising a hand in a sign of hello. “Leave all your habits at home, until you learn a thing or two about theirs,” he writes.

The book arrives during a spasm of interest in aliens. The Pentagon has begun releasing a new batch of files on UFOs, “Project Hail Mary” was a smash and Steven Spielberg prepares his alien movie “Disclosure Day,” while former President Barack Obama declared on a podcast that aliens are real. (He later clarified that he had seen no evidence but that “the odds are good there’s life out there.”)

Tyson decided to write his book after watching recent congressional hearings on UFOs, noting that both Republicans and Democrats seemed unified in finding the truth.

“They had a common subject that they’re both interested in,” he says. “When I saw it hit that level, I realized I have something to contribute.”

A book of etiquette

It is the first book under Simon & Schuster's new Simon Six imprint led by Jonathan Karp, Tyson's editor, who called the scientist “the Bruce Springsteen of astrophysicists.”

“You name a respected scientist who has ever written a book of etiquette on how to meet aliens. It hasn’t been done. This is truly terra incognita,” Karp says.

The aliens will, of course, not speak any Earth languages, but Tyson thinks we can still communicate via science — universal constants like the speed of light, Newton’s laws of motion and gravity and Einstein’s relativity. The aliens may even recognize our periodic table — not the names or symbols — but the simple organization, which they may likely also have done.

He also concludes that they won't be tiny or enormous, citing brain-to-body-weight ratios. Too big and they collapse under their own body weight. Too small and they couldn’t construct a spaceworthy vehicle. “The laws of physics greatly restrict the likelihood of Earth being visited by, much less invaded by tiny aliens,” he writes.

If they're monitoring us, though, there's a good chance they'll want to be taken to our apparent leader — Taylor Swift. Instead, Karp says Tyson should be the point man for the human race and the book is his calling card.

“I think this is the funniest factual book that anyone will ever read on aliens and that’s quite a statement,” says Karp. “There’s so much chaos and conflict in the world, and it's a book on aliens that has the potential to bring us all together. He’s clearly been thinking about aliens his entire life, and he’s managed to write about them with the acuity of a scientist and the appeal of an entertainer. That’s a powerful combination.”

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According to the spokesperson, the fire was reported at about 3:15 a.m. in the 300 block of Northwest Fifth Street.

City officials said 14 adults were inside the building’s four units when the fire erupted.

“One adult male suffered a laceration after jumping from a window to escape the flames, while another individual experienced a seizure,” the news release stated. “Both patients were transported to Broward Health North for treatment. The remaining 12 residents escaped without injury.”

A Local 10 News crew was at the scene later in the morning and saw broken windows and crime scene tape around the home.

Residents said they’re unsure how the fire started.

Pompano Beach firefighters and an ambulance cleared the scene by 5 a.m.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office then took over the investigation, putting crime scene tape up as they investigated what led up to the blaze.

City officials confirmed that two of the four units were deemed “uninhabitable,” leaving six residents displaced.

The American Red Cross is providing temporary housing to those affected.

It’s unclear whether any injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by BSO, Pompano Beach Fire Rescue investigators and the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.

“It’s just not true,” lawyer Marc Agnifilo said as closing arguments began in the retrial of an allegation that Weinstein raped hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in a New York hotel in 2013. “She has taken on a false narrative about all of this.”

Prosecutors will get their turn later Tuesday to make their case to the jury, which will have to sift through the complexities of a yearslong relationship between Weinstein and Mann.

They met in early 2013, when she was trying to make it big in Hollywood. She testified that she anticipated a professional connection, was taken aback when he started making sexual advances but decided to have a relationship with the then-married, Oscar-winning producer.

A few weeks later, according to Mann, Weinstein abruptly took a room at a hotel where she and a friend were staying. When she accompanied Weinstein upstairs to tell him she didn't want a sexual interlude, she testified, he trapped her in the room, grabbed her arms, insisted she undress, went into the bathroom for a time, and then raped her.

“He just treated me like he owned me,” she testified last month.

Weinstein didn't testify, but his defense contends the encounter was consensual and part of a caring relationship that Mann fostered and leaned on until Weinstein’s #MeToo downfall in 2017, when news reports about allegations against him propelled a global campaign against sexual assault and sexual harassment. He has said he behaved “wrongly” but never assaulted anyone.

He was convicted in 2020 of raping Mann, got the conviction overturned, then saw a jury deadlock on it at a retrial last year.

In summations Tuesday, Agnifilo suggested that parts of Mann's account were ill-supported and implausible, and he underscored the warm email exchanges and continued get-togethers she had with Weinstein before and after the alleged rape.

“Throughout the four years, she is going to Harvey Weinstein for things that she needs, and Harvey Weinstein is doing the best that he can,” by supporting her acting ambitions and giving her emotional support, Agnifilo said. “They are emotionally close. She relies on him. He is a very important person in her life, and she lets him know that.”

Whatever the outcome of the trial, the former movie producer and studio boss still will stand convicted of other sex crimes in New York and California, though he is appealing those convictions.

The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they agree to be named, as Mann has done.

To mark the 30th anniversary, Helene McDowell and Christen Cherry were among the grieving relatives who met for a ceremony at the ValuJet 592 Memorial off Tamiami Trail.

“I think being here has been very cathartic ... I was the one that dropped her off at the airport that day, and it has always been a source of guilt for me,” McDowell said about her late mother.

The Value Jet pilot of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, a short-range jet airliner, was attempting to return to MIA after a fire, and the plane crashed just about 10 minutes after takeoff, records show.

“It was negligence that killed all of our families,” said Cherry, who was grieving her mother and stepfather.

Federal investigators would later learn that “improperly packaged chemical oxygen generators” in the cargo compartment “quickly burned through flight control cables,” records show.

This prompted federal officials to enforce new mandatory safety standards for cargo holds, hazardous material regulations, and contractor oversight.

THE 110 VICTIMS

The passengers

Saeeda Alihassan, Atlanta

James Allaway, Miami

Isabel Anderson, Cookeville, Tenn.

Leslie Archibald, Opa-Locka, Fla.

Rizwan Arshad, Philadelphia

Giuseppe Bafunno, Blackwood, N.J.

Marlo Balandran, Topeka, Kan.

Thomas Balandran, Topeka, Kan.

Jen Barreiro, Bloomington, Ind.

Herbert Bell, Elkwood, Va.

Peggy Bell, Elkwood, Va.

Terri Bell, The Colony, Texas

Anthony Brown, Rose Hill, N.C.

Frances Brown, Baltimore

Lynn Brown, Rose Hill, N.C.

Joe Burnett, Shawnee Mission, Kan.

Cecelia Cabrera, Miami

Ronald Carpenter, Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Lisa Carleton, Conyers, Ga.

Ninon Corneille, Lynn, Mass.

Edna Crye, Richmond, Ind.

Ken Crye, Richmond, Ind.

Karen Culver, Woodstock, Ga.

Rodney Culver, Woodstock, Ga.

Mansor Darbor, Atlanta

Bradley Ehrlichman, Indianapolis, Ind.

Betsy Favero, Duluth, Ga.

Franco Favero, Duluth, Ga.

Laura Favero, Duluth, Ga.

Charles Fluitt, Miami

Elizabeth Gabriel, Mooresville, N.C.

Deana Gabr, Conyers, Ga.

Pamela Gabr, Conyers, Ga.

Carlos Gonzalez, Alpharetta, Ga.

Angie Green, Nashville, Tenn.

Mark Griner, Marietta, Ga.

Steve Guiler, Buford, Ga.

Conway Hamilton, Miami

Laurie Hamilton, Miami

Carol Hanchey, Conyers, Ga.

John Hanchey, Conyers, Ga.

Elaine Hayman, Columbus, Ohio

Robert Hayman, Columbus, Ohio

Susan Heffernan, Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Michael Howard, Hialeah, Fla.

Walter Hyatt, Nashville, Tenn.

Dan Jarvis, Gastonia, N.C.

Linda Jarvis, Gastonia, N.C.

Kathleen Kessler, Atlanta

Ison Kim, Shawnee Mission, Kan.

Rafael Lameda, Cookeville, Tenn.

Aliyagi Landry, Hollywood, Fla.

Dana Lane, Alpharetta, Ga.

Roger Lane, Alpharetta, Ga.

Ray Lathem, Alpharetta, Ga.

Andrew Leonard, Cloverdale, Ind.

Jeremy Leonard, Cloverdale, Ind.

Tabitha Leonard, Cloverdale, Ind.

Jimmy Lewis, Fayetteville, Ga.

Devlin Loughney, United Kingdom

Roger Loughney, United Kingdom

Philmore Marks, Miami

Betty McLemore, Tybee Island, Ga.

Clark McNitt, Powder Springs, Ga.

Judy McNitt, Powder Springs, Ga.

Laura McNitt, Powder Springs, Ga.

Lindsey McNitt, Powder Springs, Ga.

Neil McNitt, Powder Springs, Ga.

Judy Medeiros, Rex, Ga.

Robert Medeiros, Rex, Ga.

Ella Mitchell, Miami

Andrew Nevil, Raleigh, N.C.

Lucille Newbold, Nassau, Bahamas

Maxwell Newbold, Nassau, Bahamas

Whilhelmina Oliver, Athens, Ga.

Lisa Pearson, Kansas City, Mo.

Laurese Perkins, Miami

David Quinones

Elida Ramirez, Dunwoody, Ga.

Donna Rennolds, Whittaker, Mich.

Kim Rennolds, Ypsilanti, Mich.

Howard Rietz, Mt. Juliet, Tenn.

Terri Rugg, Richmond, Ind.

Dennis Sabo, Auburn, Ala.

Ana Sanchez, Metairie, La.

Karin Shier, Savannah, Ga.

Vi Shier, Fayetteville, Ga.

Ailven Shotwell, College Park, Ga.

Jarvis Shotwell, College Park, Ga.

Joyce Simonton, Macon, Ga.

Paul Smith, Montgomery, Ala.

Joulaun Snowden

Hugh Stanley, Gainesville, Ga.

Louise Stanley, Gainesville, Ga.

Fred Steinbrener, Acworth, Ga.

Jerrold Thompson, Kansas City, Mo.

Roosevelt Tillman, Lynchburg, Va.

Lila Viloleta, Alpharetta, Ga.

Delmarie Walker, Erie, Pa.

James Weimer, Cloverdale, Ind.

Janice Weimer, Cloverdale, Ind.

Teresa Wilson, Tybee Island, Ga.

Ruth Wolfe, Gainesville, Ga.

Robert Woodus, Upper Marlboro, Md.

The crew

Captain: Candalyn Kubeck, Bedford, Texas

First Officer: Richard Hazen, Mineola, Texas

Flight Attendant: Lori Cushing, Austin, Texas

Flight Attendant: Jennifer Stearns, Farmers Branch, Texas

Flight Attendant: Mandy Summers, Irving, Texas

Location

“No fue un hecho aislado, se enmarcó en un deterioro progresivo de la situación humanitaria que el CICR ha venido advirtiendo desde 2018”, aseguró en un video difundido a la prensa Olivier Dubois, jefe de la delegación regional del CICR en Bogotá. “Los conflictos armados persistieron, se volvieron más complejos y sus efectos sobre la población civil se profundizaron”, explicó.

Colombia sigue lidiando con violencia armada pese a que hace una década el Estado firmó un acuerdo de paz con las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), lo que significó el fin de la que fuera la guerrilla más antigua de Latinoamérica. Sin embargo, otros grupos armados —incluyendo disidencias de las FARC que se rearmaron— coparon el territorio y ahora se disputan su control, estratégico para dominar las economías ilegales.

Los indicadores muestran un deterioro de la situación en 2025 particularmente en el aumento del desplazamiento, que creció un 100% con respecto al año anterior, lo que impactó a más de 235.600 personas en todo el país. Así como el confinamiento, que restringe el movimiento bajo amenaza, aumentó en un 99% impactando a 176.730 personas en la mitad del país.

El CICR registró 965 afectados por artefactos explosivos durante 2025, incluidos 75 civiles afectados por minas antipersonales. Se trata de un peligro latente sobre las comunidades dado que incluso en el camino de acceso a escuelas hubo presencia de explosivos, así como en los alrededores de viviendas y cultivos.

El informe también advierte sobre la transformación de las dinámicas de los conflictos armados, incluido el uso de drones con explosivos.

“El uso de drones de origen comercial modificados para el lanzamiento de artefactos explosivos se ha intensificado en el contexto de los conflictos armados en el país y ha generado temor, incertidumbre y daños graves entre las comunidades afectadas”, indicó el CICR.

Los drones son usados por grupos armados ilegales para lanzar explosivos y atacar objetivos militares y a la población civil. En febrero, tres integrantes de una misma familia murieron y uno más resultó herido tras un ataque con explosivos lanzados con un dron en el noroeste de Colombia.

El CICR instó a los grupos armados a cumplir el Derecho Internacional Humanitario y también llamó la atención sobre la desaparición el año pasado de 308 personas, de las cuales 226 son civiles, incluidos 77 niños y adolescentes. Advirtió que en muchos casos no se garantizó que las personas que murieron en contextos de conflicto fueran recuperadas.

The collision underscores the longstanding challenge of keeping intruders out of major airports such as Denver's, which sprawls across 53 square miles (138 square kilometers), twice the size of Manhattan.

The trespasser triggered an alarm as he crossed into the airport in a remote area about 2 miles from the terminal late Friday night. But security personnel mistakenly attributed that alarm to a herd of deer that was nearby.

No note from the victim was recovered and officials determined the cause of death to be suicide based on their postmortem examination, said Sterling McLaren, chief medical examiner for the city and county of Denver. She did not provide further details.

The collision involving the Frontier Airlines plane sparked an engine fire that forced passengers to evacuate. Twelve people sustained minor injuries and five were taken to hospitals. Four have since been released, said airport Chief Executive Officer Phillip Washington.

A black-and-white video released by the airport shows, from a distance, a tiny figure walking toward the runway with arms swaying. The person crosses onto the runway at a slight angle and seconds later the plane is seen speeding past. It strikes the person with its right engine, which bursts into flame upon impact.

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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

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Passengers were evacuated via slides.

Federal officials notified the airport

A few minutes before the man scaled the fence, a ground-based radar system activated in the area, triggering an alarm. An airport worker checked a surveillance camera and saw a herd of deer in the same area but did not initially see the trespasser, Washington said.

"The camera view was alternating between the wildlife and the individual. There are some ditches in the area, so the person was out of view before the hit as well,” Washington said.

He said federal officials notified the airport about the trespasser minutes later. But because of the location and short time period between the man scaling the fence and crossing the runway, Washington said airport personnel were not able to intervene.

The man crossed about 650 feet (200 meters) from the fence to the runway before being struck and killed by the Frontier Airlines plane traveling at 150 mph (240 kilometers per hour) on takeoff.

The plane’s engine caused the man’s death, McLaren said.

Trespassers breaching airport perimeters is a longstanding and regular problem, with perhaps dozens annually nationwide, said security expert Jeff Price, who was assistant director of security at the Denver airport in the 1990s. Denver International Airport is located northeast of the city center and surrounded by about 36 miles of perimeter fence, which airport officials say is continuously inspected.

The vast majority of airport trespassers are intoxicated or simply “messing around just to see if they could do it,” said Price, adding that they typically don't pose a real threat. Denver also gets the rare individual who will jump the fence seeking to prove a long-running conspiracy theory about a UFO base being based at the airport, he said.

The Transportation Security Administration oversees airport security programs, including perimeter security requirements.

“It's really not that difficult to jump an airport perimeter fence,” Price said. “They meet the standards for TSA, but the standards are not that robust.”

The fences are typically 6 to 8 feet tall with barbed wire at the top, he said. They must be approved by federal inspectors, but there are no set rules on their construction. Major airports such as Denver also have intrusion detection systems that include cameras and motion sensors. he said. Some systems detect the seismic impact of people dropping to the ground, Price said.

Security program will be reviewed

The person was killed on the airport’s easternmost north-south runway and at least 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) from any airport buildings. Empty fields and croplands surround Denver International Airport in most directions. Distant trees and structures in the video showed that the person was headed toward the airport when they crossed the runway.

The Transportation Security Administration has regulatory oversight of airport security programs, including perimeter security requirements.

Though the man’s death was ruled as suicide, the circumstances leading up to his death remained unclear.

“As we speak, investigators are out continuing to contact family and others who knew him to see if there are additional information that we can learn about these motivations,” Denver police Chief Ron Thomas said at the news conference, adding that anyone with information about him should call police.

Washington said the breach and the airport’s perimeter security program would be reviewed as part of the investigation.

Evacuation under scrutiny

Separately, the National Transportation Safety Board on Sunday said it is gathering information about the evacuation.

An agency spokesperson said an investigation would be launched if it's determined the injuries meet the agency's definition for “serious." That can include a person requiring hospitalization for more than 48 hours, suffering a broken bone or second- or third-degree burns affecting more than 5% of their body.

Frontier representatives declined to answer questions about the accident and evacuation submitted by email. The company referred The Associated Press to airport authorities.

The plane, en route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff. The pilots aborted takeoff and smoke was reported in the cabin, Frontier Airlines said at the time.

Some people on board expressed concern about the evacuation, including being stuck in the plane for several minutes as smoke filled the cabin and left on the tarmac in the cold once they were out. Video also showed some passengers coming down the slide with what looked to be their carry-on bags.

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Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

Room bookings have been lighter than expected in most of the 11 U.S. cities hosting the world’s most watched sporting event, according to an April survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

In several cities, including Kansas City, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle, a majority of hotel operators said bookings were actually running behind typical seasonal demand. In others, including New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston, demand was flat so far compared with a regular spring and summer, according to the association.

The hotel association blamed travel concerns from international fans, worries about wait times for a U.S. visa and the cost of attending the tournament — including high ticket prices and transit costs in some cities— as major factors in the softer-than-expected demand.

“I think everyone had hoped the games would lead an influx of bookings, but with all going on in the world and the USA’s involvement, events are playing out differently for everyone,” said Michael Black, general manager at the Cloud One hotel in Manhattan.

Concerns about softer-than-expected bookings extend to Mexico, which is co-hosting the games with the U.S. and Canada. Hotels in Mexico City, which hosts the tournament’s opening match on June 11, are about 30% to 36% booked, according to the Asociación de Hoteles de Ciudad de México.

High prices may be a factor

Many hotels jacked up their prices after the tournament's schedule was announced, anticipating that soccer fans would pay exorbitant rates if they were able to score tickets to a match.

Near MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, for example, one hotel that normally charges around $200 a night was advertising a rate of $800 on nights around June World Cup matches. The costs soar to more than $1,300 a night ahead of the July 19 final.

Many seasoned fans are probably still waiting for those prices to drop, said Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, a Germany-based fan advocacy group.

“Fans that are used to traveling for tournaments know that this price will always go down,” Evain said. “There are many examples of hotel owners regretting that they priced too high and then panicking at the last minute and reducing prices.”

Others have already likely secured cheaper lodging farther from the stadiums or through Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms, he added.

Indeed, the metropolitan regions around Kansas City, Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale are all enjoying an uptick in short-term rental bookings compared with the same period last year, according to a recent report from AirDNA, a rental data firm that tracks bookings on Airbnb and Vrbo.

Airbnb said last week that the number of guests expected to stay at its rental listings during the tournament is expected to exceed earlier estimates and even end up surpassing the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris as the biggest hosting event in the company’s history.

Unrealistic expectations

More than 5 million tickets have been sold for the tournament so far, out of the more than 6 million expected to be offered for all 104 matches, according to FIFA.

While many of those attending the tournament will be travelers who need hotel rooms, global events like the World Cup also tend to discourage other types of visitors, said Andrew Zimbalist, a Smith College professor who also specializes in the economics of sports.

“The general problem is that soccer tourists — and expected congestion, high prices and security concerns — push away normal business travel and tourism,” he explained.

Vijay Dandapani, president of the Hotel Association of New York City, said city hotels are seeing a modest upswing in summer bookings -- around 10% compared with the previous year — but nowhere close to the windfall promised by FIFA and other tournament boosters.

In Toronto, Canada, which will host six matches, demand for rooms is up about 28% over June 2025, said Sara Anghel, president of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association.

In Kansas City, where some 90% of respondents to the American Hotel & Lodging Association survey reported bookings below expectations, tourism officials are still holding out for a record-breaking number of visitors.

“While hotel occupancy in Kansas City has not followed the trajectory originally predicted by FIFA, there are positive indicators for Kansas City on the horizon,” said Derik Detter, market research director at Visit KC.

Jon Bortz, CEO of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, a real estate investment company that owns dozens of hotels nationally, is equally positive.

Overall, he said, occupancy rates are up at its many host city properties compared with last year, though he acknowledged cities like Boston with more marquee matchups are performing better than cities like San Francisco that host less in-demand games.

“We haven’t seen anything that would cause us to think it’s going to be less than what we were expecting,” he said. “Maybe other people had much grander expectations.”

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Associated Press reporters David Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, Carlos Rodriguez in Mexico City and Jim Morris in Vancouver contributed to this story.

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

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Diego Fernandez-Delgado suffered a heart attack after getting a flat tire and running out of phone battery near the 5900 block of South Flamingo Road. He later said he prayed for help.

“God didn’t send angels with wings. He sent those boys,” Fernandez-Delgado’s son Cristian said in a statement.

Three Cooper City High School students, 16-year-old Logan Royer, 16-year-old Cody Magrone, and 17-year-old Brody Murray, were at McDonald’s at 5986 S. Flamingo Road.

The boys saw Fernandez-Delgado from a distance and decided to walk over to help him. Fernandez-Delgado complained of difficulty breathing and chest pains. One of the boys decided to call 911, follow instructions, and wait for fire rescue.

Fire rescue personnel took Fernandez Delgado to Memorial Hospital West. He underwent several procedures and was released to go home.

Broward Sheriff’s Fire Rescue planned to have a ceremony on Tuesday evening to present them with a proclamation.

Diego Fernandez-Delgado sufrió un ataque cardíaco luego de sufrir una llanta pinchada y quedarse sin batería en su teléfono cerca de la cuadra 5900 de South Flamingo Road. Posteriormente dijo que rezó por ayuda.

“Dios no envió ángeles con alas. Envió a esos muchachos”, dijo el hijo de Fernandez-Delgado, Cristian, en un comunicado.

Tres estudiantes de Cooper City High School, Logan Royer, de 16 años, Cody Magrone, de 16, y Brody Murray, de 17, estaban en el McDonald’s ubicado en 5986 S. Flamingo Road.

Los adolescentes vieron a Fernandez-Delgado desde la distancia y decidieron acercarse para ayudarlo. Fernandez-Delgado se quejaba de dificultad para respirar y dolor en el pecho. Uno de los adolescentes decidió llamar al 911, seguir las instrucciones y esperar a los rescatistas.

El personal de rescate trasladó a Fernandez-Delgado al Memorial Hospital West. Allí fue sometido a varios procedimientos y posteriormente fue dado de alta para regresar a casa.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue tenía previsto realizar una ceremonia la noche del martes para entregarles una proclamación.

It's the second rule change officials have made since the series moved to Indianapolis for the month of May, though this one won't affect the series biggest race — the Indianapolis 500 on May 24 — since there are no local yellows on oval courses.

The move comes three days after an angry Alexander Rossi criticized race officials for not immediately throwing a full-course caution when his No. 20 car stalled on the front straightaway next to a concrete wall and out of the standard racing line on Lap 21 of the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Rossi, the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner, eventually climbed out of the car and over the wall separating pit lane from the race track and walked to his pit stall.

Race officials initially responded by throwing a local yellow to alert other drivers to the stalled car near the track's start-finish line before throwing a full-course caution on Lap 22.

Series officials said Tuesday the initial decision was based on a standard set of considerations that will remain in place and two that will not — pit windows and running order — moving forward.

“The Lap 21 incident on Saturday made clear there needs to be a cleaner standard for how race control moves from a local to a full course yellow,” said Raj Nair, chairman of the series' Independent Officiating Board. “IndyCar Officiating, with IndyCar’s full support, has made this change of approach to ensure that the only inputs to the full course yellow escalation are safety ones.”

The decision came just hours before Rossi and 32 other drivers were to begin practice for this month's Indianapolis 500.

“The most important job in race control is to ensure the safety of our drivers, crews, safety workers and fans,” IndyCar President Doug Boles said. “Saturday highlighted that we must not waver from that central mission and aligning everyone on that philosophy was critical to discuss over the last 48 hours.”

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

Reed died at his Manhattan home after a short illness, publicist Sean Katz said on behalf of Reed’s friend William Kapfer.

In a career spanning more than six decades, Reed became one of the most well-known voices in cultural criticism. He published eight books, acted in movies (playing himself in “Superman”), counted movie stars like Angela Lansbury as friends and often found himself in the spotlight for controversial comments. Most infamous among them was his assertion that Marlee Matlin’s Oscar win for “Children of a Lesser God” was a pity vote, and, decades later, comments about Melissa McCarthy’s weight and size in a review for “Identity Thief.” He also perpetuated a false conspiracy theory that Marisa Tomei’s 1992 Oscar win for “My Cousin Vinny” was fake.

When it came to the movies, he had a reputation for being a bit of a crank as well, often bemoaning the old days and feeling out of step with the next generation of film critics.

“I like just as many films as I dislike,” Reed told The New York Times in 2018. “But I think we’re drowning in mediocrity. I just try as hard as I can to raise the level of consciousness. It’s so hard to get people to see good films.”

Reed was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 2, 1938, and spent his childhood moving around the South for his father’s job. He told the New York Times in 2018 that his origin story as a “controversial writer” began in the eighth grade, when he started writing a gossip column in the school paper and plotted his exodus to a more cosmopolitan life.

One of his first jobs was in the publicity department at 20th Century Fox, during the making of “Cleopatra,” but he was laid off due to budget cuts. The way he told it, he faked his way into film journalism while gallivanting around Europe with friends and looking for ways to fund a ticket home, including writing a Buster Keaton story for The New York Times. In the 1960s and '70s, he established himself as an in-demand magazine and newspaper writer and became a television staple, appearing on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson and “The Dick Cavett Show.”

One of his most famous profiles was of Ava Gardner in 1967 for The New York Times (“There Is Nothing Like This Dame”), which was included in his collection “Do You Sleep in the Nude?” with profiles of Barbra Streisand, Lucille Ball, Warren Beatty and others. His work appeared in Vogue, Esquire, GQ and Women’s Wear Daily. He spent nearly four decades writing about films for the Observer.

Reed also acted occasionally, playing the pre-transition Myron in “Myra Breckinridge” and appearing alongside Laurence Olivier in the Korean War movie “Inchon.” He never married and has no immediate survivors. It was his writing that was his legacy.

“I’d like to be remembered as someone who really tried to make things better,” Rex told his Observer editor earlier this year. “Or at least respected what was good when it happened. Not as a curmudgeon. That’s not what I am in real life.”

Según agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward, la balacera ocurrió alrededor de la 1 a.m. del viernes cerca de la cuadra 7900 de Southwest Seventh Court.

Los investigadores dijeron que O’Mari Doe, de 19 años, estaba dentro de un Ford Mustang 2020 cuando se desató la balacera. Los agentes indicaron que Doe sufrió múltiples heridas de bala y fue trasladado en helicóptero a Broward Health North, donde posteriormente fue declarado muerto.

Indicaron que una segunda víctima, Maurice Vorroto, de 20 años y residente de Coconut Creek, fue encontrada fuera del Mustang con una herida de bala. Las autoridades confirmaron que sus lesiones no ponían en peligro su vida.

Los agentes dijeron que Doe, Vorroto y otras dos víctimas estaban sentados dentro del Mustang cuando Aamir Dennard Adams, de 19 años, Anthony Adams, de 18, y dos menores de 15 y 16 años llegaron en un Honda Accord negro.

Según los investigadores, testigos dijeron a los detectives que los sospechosos salieron del vehículo armados con pistolas y dispararon múltiples veces contra el Mustang antes de huir del área.

Las autoridades posteriormente identificaron el vehículo sospechoso y emitieron una alerta para que otras agencias policiales estuvieran atentas.

Los investigadores dijeron que un agente de la Policía de Fort Lauderdale posteriormente vio el Honda Accord, lo que provocó una persecución que terminó cerca de la cuadra 900 de Southwest 13th Street en Fort Lauderdale después de que los sospechosos abandonaran el vehículo y huyeran.

Los detectives dijeron que los cuatro sospechosos fueron localizados y arrestados, y que se recuperaron armas dentro del vehículo.

Según la BSO, Aamir Adams, Anthony Adams y los dos menores, cuyos nombres no han sido divulgados, enfrentan cada uno un cargo de asesinato premeditado en primer grado y tres cargos de intento de asesinato en primer grado, además de intento criminal de solicitar o conspirar y resistirse a un agente sin violencia.

La investigación continúa en curso.

El vehículo fue avistado en el agua poco después de las 7 a.m. en el área de West 16th Avenue y 68th Street, al este de la Palmetto Expressway.

Funcionarios de Hialeah Fire Rescue dijeron a Local 10 News que la policía de Hialeah Gardens los notificó y la agencia envió a sus buzos al lugar.

Residentes del área dijeron a Local 10 News que están preocupados por la posibilidad de que alguien haya estado dentro del vehículo cuando cayó al canal; sin embargo, funcionarios de HFR dijeron que no encontraron a nadie dentro del vehículo.

Dijeron que la escena fue entregada al departamento de policía para continuar la investigación.

Según un informe de arresto obtenido el lunes por Local 10 News, Janice Garcia, de Miami, se entregó el domingo en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Enfrenta cargos de conducir bajo la influencia del alcohol (DUI) y DUI con lesiones corporales graves.

Según el informe, el choque ocurrió poco después de las 3:30 a.m. del 11 de abril cuando el detective Josh Brown y otro detective patrullaban el Distrito de Kendall en una unidad de dos oficiales.

Los detectives dijeron que Garcia golpeó a Brown con su Mazda MZ3 azul cuando él estaba fuera de su patrulla en el bloque 8500 de Southwest 99th Court.

Brown le dijo a los detectives que Garcia le encendió las luces largas y su compañero dijo que Garcia conducía muy cerca del borde de la calzada.

Según el informe, Brown intentó apartarse del camino del auto, pero fue golpeado y lanzado por los aires.

El personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transportó al detective al HCA Florida Kendall Hospital con heridas que ponían en riesgo su vida.

Las autoridades confirmaron que Brown sufrió una conmoción cerebral y numerosas otras lesiones en todo el cuerpo, y tuvo que recibir un injerto de piel y someterse a una cirugía de tobillo.

Según el informe, Garcia parecía angustiada tras el choque y tenía “el habla arrastrada, ojos enrojecidos y llorosos”, y su aliento olía a bebida alcohólica.

Un miembro del Escuadrón de Control de Conductores Bajo los Efectos del Sheriff le dijo que Garcia le dijo “Dígame cuáles son mis derechos” antes de aceptar participar en las pruebas de sobriedad de campo, que reprobó.

También aceptó proporcionar muestras de sangre, que mostraron que su nivel de alcohol en sangre era de .156% y .154%, por encima del límite de .08% de Florida para conductores, según el informe.

Se espera que Garcia comparezca ante un juez en la audiencia de fianza el lunes.

La Asociación de Oficiales de Policía Hispanos publicó una foto de Brown en su página de Instagram tras el arresto de Garcia, mostrando algunas de sus lesiones.

“Para quienes han preguntado cómo pueden apoyar al detective Brown y a su familia durante este momento difícil, la asistencia a la audiencia ciertamente no pasaría desapercibida”, decía en parte la publicación. “Por favor continúen teniendo al detective Brown y a su familia en sus pensamientos y oraciones.”

Residentes como Audrey Gonzalez, quien ha vivido en el área durante 35 años, estaban en alerta máxima, preparándose para evacuar si fuera necesario.

“Estoy muy, muy preocupada”, dijo, añadiendo que ha estado “saliendo en medio de la noche, solo para asegurarme de que no se estuviera acercando hacia donde vivimos.”

El fuego podía verse desde West Broward High School, aunque los estudiantes permanecieron en clases.

La residente de West Broward Roxanne Gill dijo: “Podíamos escuchar el crepitar. Así de malo estaba. Tuve que mojar mi casa con la manguera.”

“Todo el mundo estaba mojando sus tráilers antes de que llegara el departamento de bomberos”, dijo.

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According to an arrest report, the incident happened on May 2 at Bora Bora Market, located at 3296 Palm Ave. in Hialeah.

Hialeah police identified the suspect as 50-year-old Alejandro Izaguirre, of Miami’s West Little River neighborhood.

Officers responded to the market around 3:15 p.m. in reference to a grand theft and criminal mischief investigation.

A Bora Bora employee told police that he reviewed surveillance footage and saw an unknown man damaging a slot machine with what appeared to be a metal rod.

According to investigators, the footage showed the suspect entering the business around 1:30 p.m. to play the slot machine before later leaving and returning to his vehicle.

Police said the man was then seen opening the trunk and driver-side door before returning to the market carrying the metal object.

They said the suspect then broke the slot machine, causing more than $1,000 in damage, and removed about $2,000 in cash before fleeing in a vehicle.

The victim told police the suspect had visited the business before and may have been named Alejandro, according to the report.

The report states that an officer reviewing the surveillance footage on Monday recognized the suspect as Alejandro Menendez Izaguirre, whom the officer had previously arrested in connection with a similar incident last year.

Investigators later responded to Izaguirre’s home and took him into custody.

According to the report, while officers were at the home, Izaguirre spontaneously told his girlfriend “it was because of the slot machines” after she asked why he was being arrested.

Jail records show Izaguirre is facing one count each of third-degree grand theft and criminal mischief causing $1,000 or more in damage.

As of Tuesday, his bond was listed as “to be set” in online Miami-Dade inmate records. Additionally, the Cuban national remained in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on an immigration hold.

Según un reporte de arresto, el incidente ocurrió el 2 de mayo en Bora Bora Market, ubicado en 3296 Palm Ave. en Hialeah.

La Policía de Hialeah identificó al sospechoso como Alejandro Izaguirre, de 50 años, residente del vecindario West Little River de Miami.

Los agentes respondieron al mercado alrededor de las 3:15 p.m. en referencia a una investigación por hurto mayor y daños criminales.

Un empleado de Bora Bora dijo a la Policía que revisó las cámaras de vigilancia y observó a un hombre desconocido dañando una máquina tragamonedas con lo que parecía ser una barra de metal.

Según los investigadores, las grabaciones mostraban al sospechoso entrando al negocio alrededor de la 1:30 p.m. para jugar en la máquina tragamonedas antes de salir y regresar a su vehículo.

La Policía indicó que luego se observó al hombre abriendo el maletero y la puerta del lado del conductor antes de regresar al mercado cargando el objeto metálico.

Indicaron que el sospechoso posteriormente rompió la máquina tragamonedas, causando más de $1,000 USD en daños, y robó aproximadamente $2,000 USD en efectivo antes de huir en un vehículo.

La víctima dijo a la Policía que el sospechoso había visitado anteriormente el negocio y que posiblemente se llamaba Alejandro, según el reporte.

El reporte indica que un agente que revisaba las grabaciones de vigilancia el lunes reconoció al sospechoso como Alejandro Menendez Izaguirre, a quien el agente había arrestado previamente en relación con un incidente similar el año pasado.

Posteriormente, los investigadores acudieron a la vivienda de Izaguirre y lo arrestaron.

Según el reporte, mientras los agentes estaban en la vivienda, Izaguirre le dijo espontáneamente a su novia “fue por las máquinas tragamonedas” después de que ella preguntara por qué estaba siendo arrestado.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Izaguirre enfrenta un cargo de hurto mayor en tercer grado y otro de daños criminales que causaron $1,000 USD o más en daños.

Hasta el martes, su fianza figuraba como “pendiente por establecer” en los registros de reclusos de Miami-Dade en línea. Además, el ciudadano cubano permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight bajo una retención migratoria.

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Andrelio Castano Rojas, 54, was booked into the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale over the weekend after his arrest by federal agents.

Federal prosecutors in Norfolk, Virginia accuse Castano Rojas of working with co-conspirators as part of an entity dubbed the “Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Organization” to launder proceeds “from the sale of illegal drugs, which included cocaine” from cities in South Florida and across the country, including Sunrise; Boston; San Antonio; Anaheim, California and Richmond, Virginia.

Undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agents posing as money launderers ended up infiltrating the organization, according to a federal grand jury indictment handed down on Oct. 8, 2025 and filed publicly on Monday.

The indictment states that the organization “accepted what are known as ‘money contracts’ to arrange for the drug trafficking proceeds” to be delivered by couriers and deposited in bank accounts across the U.S., then wire transferred to various businesses “to conceal their nature, location, source, ownership and control.”

Investigators said Castano Rojas used electronics companies ― including at least two that he owned ― and purchases to conceal the drug money as part of a scheme that ran from at least 2018 through 2025.

According to the indictment, Castano Rojas owned two electronics companies, Administracion Y Servicios G Asociados SAS LLC and Acron Technology LLC, both registered to a home in Palmetto Bay.

Each was described in the indictment as a “computer parts import/export company.”

Investigators said Castano Rojas funneled at least $2 million through those companies and then “arranged” for an unnamed electronics firm in Doral “to receive drug trafficking proceeds for the purchase of consumer electronics that were then shipped to and sold” in the Colombian capital of Bogota.

That Doral company received at least $1.8 million in cash deliveries from 2021 to 2025, according to the indictment.

The indictment lists a web of transactions involving Castano Rojas and various banks.

He’s now facing four money laundering charges in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, as well as one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Agents arrested him Sunday and as of Tuesday, Castano Rojas remained in the Broward Sheriff’s Office Main Jail facility, being held on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service. It wasn’t immediately clear when he would be extradited to Virginia.

Andrelio Castano Rojas, de 54 años, fue ingresado durante el fin de semana en la cárcel principal del condado Broward en Fort Lauderdale tras ser arrestado por agentes federales.

Fiscales federales en Norfolk, Virginia, acusan a Castano Rojas de trabajar con co conspiradores como parte de una entidad denominada “Organización de Narcotráfico y Lavado de Dinero” para lavar ganancias “provenientes de la venta de drogas ilegales, incluida cocaína” desde ciudades del sur de Florida y otras partes del país, incluyendo Sunrise; Boston; San Antonio; Anaheim, California y Richmond, Virginia.

Según una acusación de un gran jurado federal emitida el 8 de octubre de 2025 y divulgada públicamente el lunes, agentes encubiertos de la Administración para el Control de Drogas (DEA) que se hacían pasar por lavadores de dinero lograron infiltrarse en la organización.

La acusación indica que la organización “aceptaba lo que se conoce como ‘contratos de dinero’ para coordinar que las ganancias del narcotráfico” fueran entregadas por mensajeros y depositadas en cuentas bancarias en todo Estados Unidos, para luego ser transferidas electrónicamente a varias empresas “con el fin de ocultar su naturaleza, ubicación, origen, propiedad y control”.

Los investigadores dijeron que Castano Rojas utilizó empresas de electrónicos, incluidas al menos dos de su propiedad, y compras para ocultar el dinero del narcotráfico como parte de un esquema que operó al menos desde 2018 hasta 2025.

Según la acusación, Castano Rojas era propietario de dos empresas de electrónicos, Administracion Y Servicios G Asociados SAS LLC y Acron Technology LLC, ambas registradas en una vivienda de Palmetto Bay.

Cada una fue descrita en la acusación como una “empresa de importación y exportación de piezas de computadoras”.

Los investigadores dijeron que Castano Rojas canalizó al menos $2 millones USD a través de esas compañías y luego “coordinó” que una empresa de electrónicos no identificada en Doral “recibiera ganancias del narcotráfico para la compra de electrónicos de consumo que posteriormente eran enviados y vendidos” en Bogotá, Colombia.

Esa empresa de Doral recibió al menos $1.8 millones USD en entregas de efectivo entre 2021 y 2025, según la acusación.

La acusación enumera una red de transacciones que involucraban a Castano Rojas y varios bancos.

Ahora enfrenta cuatro cargos de lavado de dinero en el Tribunal de Distrito de Estados Unidos para el Distrito Este de Virginia, además de un cargo de conspiración para cometer lavado de dinero.

Los agentes lo arrestaron el domingo y hasta el martes, Castano Rojas permanecía detenido en la cárcel principal de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward bajo custodia del Servicio de Alguaciles de Estados Unidos. No estaba claro de inmediato cuándo sería extraditado a Virginia.

Their record at the playoffs' halfway point disagrees.

The Thunder completed their second straight series sweep of the spring Monday night when they held off the resilient Lakers 115-110 in Game 4 of the second round. Oklahoma City went 8-0 against LeBron James and the Lakers this season — and the defending champs are also 8-0 in these playoffs after back-to-back routs of Phoenix and Los Angeles.

Sure, coach Mark Daigneault can see areas for improvement and problems to be solved. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander warns that the job is far from finished.

Yet the Thunder are unquestionably the class of the sport with this playoff streak following their dominant regular season as they seek the NBA's first back-to-back championships since Golden State did it 2017 and 2018.

General manager Sam Presti's merciless machine is looking fairly unbeatable as it heads to the Western Conference finals for the second straight year and the sixth time in the past 16 seasons.

“We’ve done our job so far, that’s all it really means,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We’ve gone out there, we’ve executed, we played at a high level and we’ve been able to win eight tough games against really good opponents. That’s all it really means. And nothing is guaranteed. In the playoffs, no two games are the same, especially when you change opponents. So the challenges are all coming up, I guess you can say.”

The next challenge is a date with either the San Antonio Spurs or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference finals — after several more days of rest than those teams, which are tied heading to Game 5 on Tuesday night.

But whoever emerges from that rock fight of a series will face the NBA's biggest challenge in the smooth, relentless Thunder, who appear to be operating on an even higher level than they reached last season while winning the title.

“We’ve been very, very good,” Daigneault said. “I thought we had more lapses tonight than we had had in previous games, so we have to learn from that. Obviously we have to play better in more of the 48 minutes, but I also think the wind is going to be in your face in a playoff game for different reasons at different times, and you’ve got to be able to recenter. I thought we did that exceptionally well.”

The Thunder had never swept back-to-back playoff series, and neither did the Seattle SuperSonics before them.

The Lakers got blown out by Oklahoma City three times before managing one close game. The Thunder trailed in a fourth quarter for the first time in these playoffs, and their five-point win was the smallest of the spring.

But the Thunder rallied, as they almost always do.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine of his 35 points in the fourth quarter. Ajay Mitchell, the backup guard who has become a star in Jalen Williams' injury absence, poured in 10 of his career playoff-high 28 in the same period. Chet Holmgren had arguably the biggest baskets of all, including a go-ahead dunk with 32.8 seconds left.

The Thunder celebrated a closeout quarter that seemed to feature a big play from everybody who touched the court. A few minutes later, they were back to business.

“Everything that we’ve done so far is behind us,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We still have a huge target on. We have two more series to win to reach our ultimate goal, and that’s what we’re focused on.”

Los Angeles coach JJ Redick and his staff appeared to have a surprising, effective game plan to harass the Thunder’s scorers — and yet it didn’t make much of an impact on the scoreboard at all.

Daigneault found teachable moments during his team's demolition of the Lakers, who sent double-teams at Gilgeous-Alexander and other ball-handlers at a rate they hadn't seen since the Thunder's playoff series with Denver a year ago.

In perhaps the most dismaying aspect of this series for the Thunder's future opponents, they've learned and improved from the Lakers' meager successes.

“It really had us having to sharpen our attacks, but I thought we did a great job of that,” Daigneault said. "Down the stretch, we had some big-time plays (with) high-lows, traps, and we had a dunk for Chet. That was a great attack, and I just thought we showed great execution of that. So I think we’re a lot better in that area than we were coming into the series.”

___

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

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Xavier Mojica, of Tamarac, was originally arrested on an attempted murder charge after the May 3 shooting that occurred in the 7600 block of Northwest 74^th Terrace, where both Mojica and the victim lived.

The victim was identified by authorities as 66-year-old Vernon Roe.

The relationship between the two has not been released, however deputies said Mojica shot Roe shortly after 6 p.m. on May 3 after the two got into a verbal dispute regarding rent payment issues.

According to an arrest report, during the argument, another person, identified as Freddy Cora, grabbed a knife from the kitchen, placed it in his pocket and returned to the patio area where the suspect and victim were arguing.

Mojica told detectives that Cora later threw the knife back into the home, the report stated.

According to the report, Mojica claimed that he tried to enter the home and pushed past the victim, but Roe, who was standing near the doorway, pushed him, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

Deputies said Mojica claimed that he then saw Roe and Cora motion as if they were going to walk toward him, at which point he fired at them because he didn’t know if they were going to “help him up, beat him up or stab him.”

The victim was struck in the torso, authorities said.

According to the report, Mojica admitted that neither Roe nor Cora were armed at the time of the shooting.

Roe was hospitalized in critical condition after the shooting and died on Friday, the report stated.

Mojica now faces a second-degree murder charge.

As of Tuesday morning, he was being held at the Broward County Main Jail without bond.

Xavier Mojica, de Tamarac, fue arrestado originalmente por un cargo de intento de asesinato tras la balacera del 3 de mayo ocurrida en la cuadra 7600 de Northwest 74th Terrace, donde tanto Mojica como la víctima vivían.

La víctima fue identificada por las autoridades como Vernon Roe, de 66 años.

La relación entre ambos no ha sido divulgada, sin embargo los agentes dijeron que Mojica le disparó a Roe poco después de las 6 p.m. del 3 de mayo luego de que ambos sostuvieran una discusión verbal relacionada con pagos de renta.

Según un reporte de arresto, durante la discusión, otra persona identificada como Freddy Cora tomó un cuchillo de la cocina, lo guardó en su bolsillo y regresó al patio donde el sospechoso y la víctima discutían.

Mojica dijo a los detectives que Cora posteriormente lanzó el cuchillo nuevamente dentro de la vivienda, indica el reporte.

Según el reporte, Mojica afirmó que intentó entrar a la casa y empujó a la víctima para pasar, pero Roe, quien estaba cerca de la puerta, lo empujó, provocando que perdiera el equilibrio y cayera al suelo.

Los agentes dijeron que Mojica afirmó que luego vio a Roe y a Cora hacer movimientos como si fueran a caminar hacia él, momento en el que les disparó porque no sabía si iban a “ayudarlo a levantarse, golpearlo o apuñalarlo”.

Las autoridades dijeron que la víctima recibió un disparo en el torso.

Según el reporte, Mojica admitió que ni Roe ni Cora estaban armados al momento de la balacera.

Roe fue hospitalizado en condición crítica tras la balacera y murió el viernes, indica el reporte.

Mojica ahora enfrenta un cargo de asesinato en segundo grado.

Hasta la mañana del martes, permanecía detenido en la cárcel principal del condado Broward sin derecho a fianza.

Amnesty International in a statement Monday said a military airstrike on Sunday hit a market in Tumfa in Zamfara state. A Red Cross official in the state, Ibrahim Bello Garba, confirmed the strike to The Associated Press and said “multiple civilians” were killed.

"In one village alone, 80 people were buried and there is no evidence that any of those people killed is a bandit. They are all civilians. The majority of them are young girls and small boys,” Amnesty International Nigeria director Isa Sanusi told the AP.

Nigeria's military confirmed an airstrike to the AP but said “no verifiable evidence of civilian casualties as being suggested in the media has been established.”

“Civilians are not the target, and everything is being done to avoid civilian casualties,” said a spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, who said military operations continued in the area.

The Amnesty allegation is the latest related to an accidental military airstrike hitting civilians in the West African nation that faces threats from militant groups including Boko Haram.

Last month, an accidental strike by Nigeria's air force killed 100 people.

Analysts blame a lack of coordination between the air force and personnel on the ground for such strikes, which have killed hundreds of civilians. Nigerian officials have maintained that targets are members of armed groups.

Armed groups often mix with locals in areas where they operate, complicating efforts to target them.

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Omolehin reported from Sokoto, Nigeria.

On Tuesday, researchers said a single dose of those revved-up cells strongly suppressed HIV in two people — one for nearly a year and the other for nearly two years — without requiring their usual medicines.

Larger and longer studies are needed to prove if what's called CAR-T cell therapy might really offer long-lasting help for HIV, cautioned Dr. Steven Deeks of the University of California, San Francisco, who led the research.

“We find the fact that two people have had such a really sustained response provocative,” he said. “There is a real need for a one-and-done, safe and scalable cure ... and this is one of the strategies that we’re pursuing.”

The data is being presented at a meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy in Boston.

There are nearly 40 million people living with HIV around the world. Today’s medicines have turned the virus that causes AIDS from a fast killer into a manageable chronic disease, often keeping the virus at undetectable levels, but only if people can afford the drugs and stick with them. The virus hides out in reservoirs in the body and rebounds fast if people stop treatment.

Researchers have long hunted an elusive cure, pursuing such clues as a rare gene mutation that makes some people naturally resistant to HIV or how a handful of HIV patients who also had certain cancers were declared cured or in long-term remission after receiving a stem cell transplant, something too risky for most people.

CAR-T therapy involves taking immune soldiers called T cells out of a person’s blood, genetically engineering them into “living drugs” and infusing them back into the patient. They’re widely used to cure certain types of cancer and are being studied for other diseases.

For HIV, scientists at the nonprofit drug developer Caring Cross created CAR-T cells with dual features. They're programmed to better find and kill HIV-infected cells — and engineered with protection against infection by the very virus they’re supposed to fight.

With that added armor, they should be able to reproduce enough to keep HIV in check, said Caring Cross executive director Boro Dropulić.

Deeks’ early-stage experiment tested different dosing strategies in people who stopped their HIV medicine the day they received their CAR-T cells. There were no serious side effects. The first three recipients showed no response and resumed their usual medicines.

Six others received a small amount of chemotherapy to make space for the new T cells. Those two strong responders saw their HIV drop to undetectable levels, inching up only occasionally when the CAR-T cells presumably got to work again. A third patient had a temporary response and resumed regular HIV treatment.

Those three patients all had started their original HIV treatment soon after they'd been infected, Deeks said. That makes sense because people treated early tend to have less HIV hiding in the body and a healthier immune system.

“This is certainly very fascinating that they’ve had this positive response,” said Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem, a gene therapy expert at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center who wasn’t part of the new study. He cautioned that it will take additional research to prove if CAR-T really works.

But the strategy is exciting because it’s “boosting what our body, our immune system, can already do,” said Andrea Gramatica, vice president for research at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, which is funding some work to create easier-to-use versions.

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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.

Surveillance video shows Alejandro Izaguirre shortly after 3:10 p.m. on May 2, at 3296 Palm Ave., “breaking the machine with a possible metal stick,” a police officer wrote, according to an arrest report.

Izaguirre had been “previously arrested for a similar incident” on Sept. 18 in Hialeah, and when he was arrested on Monday, he told his girlfriend, the arrest “was because of the slot machines,” according to police.

Izaguirre faced charges of criminal mischief and grand theft. His bond was $5,000.

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According to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrest report, deputies responded around 6:10 p.m. Monday to the 13000 block of Southwest 207th Avenue following reports about someone threatening to harm another person.

Investigators said the victim told deputies he was involved in an argument with Isaac Morejon regarding utilities being shut off.

During the argument, deputies said Morejon exposed his penis to the victim about three times before continuing the dispute.

They said Morejon then grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it toward the victim while the victim was on his property.

According to the report, the victim showed deputies a photo depicting Morejon exposing himself.

Morejon‘s arrest report states that he was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Jail records show he is facing one count each of throwing or shooting a deadly missile and indecent exposure.

As of Tuesday morning, Morejon was no longer listed in online Miami-Dade inmate records.

Según un reporte de arresto de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, los agentes respondieron alrededor de las 6:10 p.m. del lunes a la cuadra 13000 de Southwest 207th Avenue tras reportes sobre una persona amenazando con hacerle daño a otra.

Los investigadores dijeron que la víctima indicó a los agentes que estuvo involucrada en una discusión con Isaac Morejon relacionada con el corte de servicios públicos.

Durante la discusión, los agentes dijeron que Morejon expuso su pene ante la víctima aproximadamente tres veces antes de continuar la disputa.

Indicaron que Morejon luego tomó una piedra del suelo y la lanzó hacia la víctima mientras esta se encontraba en su propiedad.

Según el reporte, la víctima mostró a los agentes una foto que supuestamente mostraba a Morejon exhibiéndose.

El reporte de arresto de Morejon indica que fue detenido sin incidentes y trasladado al Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que enfrenta un cargo por lanzar o disparar un proyectil mortal y otro por exhibición indecente.

Hasta la mañana del martes, Morejon ya no aparecía en los registros de reclusos de Miami-Dade en línea.

Según un reporte de arresto obtenido el martes por Local 10 News, Aubrey Hackett Hunter, de 41 años y residente de Miami, fue detenido tras una investigación de varios meses sobre depósitos de efectivo desaparecidos del cine ubicado en 300 SE Third St.

La investigación comenzó el 19 de enero, cuando un supervisor del cine descubrió que aproximadamente $21,921.23 USD en depósitos de la empresa nunca fueron ingresados en la cuenta bancaria del negocio, indica el reporte.

Una revisión de registros supuestamente mostró que el 22 de diciembre de 2025, Hunter salió del cine llevando depósitos en efectivo por un total de $10,803.77 USD. Los investigadores dijeron que él era responsable de llevar el dinero al banco, pero solo depositó $2,736.47 USD, dejando $8,067.31 USD sin justificar.

El supervisor posteriormente descubrió que el 30 de diciembre de 2025, Hunter nuevamente salió del negocio con aproximadamente $13,852.92 USD destinados a ser depositados. Según el reporte, nada de ese dinero fue depositado.

La Policía indicó que el dinero no había sido devuelto hasta el 19 de enero y que Hunter había renunciado a su cargo antes de que el robo fuera reportado a las autoridades.

Durante la investigación, los detectives revisaron registros de la empresa, intercambios de mensajes de texto y videos de vigilancia. Los investigadores dijeron que los mensajes mostraban al supervisor pidiéndole repetidamente a Hunter que devolviera el dinero, mientras que Hunter supuestamente respondió que lo devolvería “en sus propios términos”.

Los detectives también revisaron grabaciones de cámaras de seguridad del 22 y 30 de diciembre que supuestamente mostraban a Hunter saliendo del negocio con una bolsa que contenía los depósitos.

El supervisor lo identificó mediante una foto de su licencia de conducir y las grabaciones de vigilancia, según los investigadores.

Posteriormente, la Policía contactó a Hunter por teléfono. Durante la conversación, los investigadores dijeron que Hunter se identificó y admitió que aún tenía el dinero, diciéndoles a los detectives que lo devolvería “cuando tuviera tiempo”.

Según el reporte de arresto, un agente localizó a Hunter el lunes cerca de Brickell Avenue y Southeast 12th Street y lo trasladó a la División Central de Investigaciones para interrogarlo.

Un detective le leyó sus derechos Miranda antes de realizar la entrevista, según el reporte. Los investigadores dijeron que Hunter inicialmente renunció a sus derechos antes de invocarlos poco tiempo después.

Hunter fue arrestado posteriormente por un cargo de hurto mayor en segundo grado y trasladado al Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Hasta la mañana del martes, permanecía detenido en TGK. Los registros carcelarios en línea indicaban que su fianza estaba “pendiente por establecer”.

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According to an arrest report obtained Tuesday by Local 10 News, Aubrey Hackett Hunter, 41, of Miami, was taken into custody after a months-long investigation into missing cash deposits from the theater, located at 300 SE Third St.

The investigation began on Jan. 19, when a supervisor at the movie theater discovered that approximately $21,921.23 in company deposits had never been placed into the business bank account, the report stated.

A records review allegedly showed that on Dec. 22, 2025, Hunter left the theater carrying cash deposits totaling $10,803.77. Investigators said he was responsible for taking the money to the bank, but only deposited $2,736.47, leaving $8,067.31 unaccounted for.

The supervisor later discovered that on Dec. 30, 2025, Hunter again left the business with approximately $13,852.92 intended for deposit. According to the report, none of that money was ever deposited.

Police said the money had not been returned as of Jan. 19, and that Hunter had resigned from his position before the theft was reported to authorities.

During the investigation, detectives reviewed company records, text message exchanges and surveillance video. Investigators said text messages showed the supervisor repeatedly asking Hunter to return the money, while Hunter allegedly responded that he would return it “on his terms.”

Detectives also reviewed CCTV footage from Dec. 22 and Dec. 30 that reportedly showed Hunter leaving the business carrying a bag containing the deposits.

The supervisor identified him from both a driver’s license photo and the surveillance footage, according to investigators.

Police later contacted Hunter by phone. During the conversation, investigators said Hunter identified himself and admitted he still had the money, telling detectives he would return it “when he had the time.”

According to the arrest report, an officer located Hunter Monday near Brickell Avenue and Southeast 12th Street and transported him to the Central Investigations Division for questioning.

A detective advised Hunter of his Miranda rights before conducting an interview, according to the report. Investigators said Hunter initially waived his rights before invoking them a short time later.

Hunter was subsequently arrested on a second-degree grand theft charge and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

As of Tuesday morning, he remained held at TGK. Online jail records listed his bond as “to be set.”

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Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was asked about what district she will choose to run for.

“I’m reaching out to leaders across our community and talking to them about how they feel to about what they think about the idea of who represents them,” she said.

It’s possible she runs in District 20, which has historically had an African-American representative.

VOTER GUIDE: Here is how to prepare for Florida’s Aug. 18 primary election

Tension was seemingly already building as former District 20 Rep. Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick, who was at Monday’s event, said she is running once again for the seat she resigned from in April, just prior to an Ethics Committee hearing amid allegations of stealing.

“There’s a fight in the entire south to make sure Black voices are not diluted and Black representation is being held,” Cherfilus-McCormick said.

The discussion comes as voters of District 20 made their stance clear, some of whom were wearing shirts that read “Protect Black Representation.”

“For 34 years, we’ve had Black representation and I think we should keep it that way,” said Lauderhill resident Herbert Waters.

The conversation is taking focus as Florida’s new congressional districts, drafted by Gov. Ron DeSantis, are expected to give Republicans better odds of winning four more seats in the House this November.

Wasserman Shultz has yet to officially announce which district she will be vying for.

“I’m not on anyone’s timetable,” she said. “I’ll have the conversations that I need to and will reach a decision on short order.”

Qualifying closes June 12, which is when voters will know who is running for their district.

A la congresista Debbie Wasserman Schultz le preguntaron en qué distrito planea postularse.

“Estoy contactando a líderes de toda nuestra comunidad y hablando con ellos sobre cómo se sienten y qué piensan sobre la idea de quién los representa”, dijo.

Es posible que se postule en el Distrito 20, que históricamente ha tenido representación afroamericana.

La tensión aparentemente ya comenzaba a aumentar, ya que la ex representante del Distrito 20, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, quien estuvo presente en el evento del lunes, dijo que volverá a postularse para el escaño al que renunció en abril, justo antes de una audiencia del Comité de Ética en medio de acusaciones de robo.

“Hay una lucha en todo el sur para asegurar que las voces negras no sean diluidas y que la representación negra se mantenga”, dijo Cherfilus-McCormick.

La discusión surge mientras votantes del Distrito 20 dejaron clara su postura, algunos de ellos usando camisetas que decían “Protejan la representación negra”.

“Durante 34 años hemos tenido representación negra y creo que debemos mantenerla así”, dijo Herbert Waters, residente de Lauderhill.

La conversación cobra relevancia mientras se espera que los nuevos distritos congresionales de Florida, redactados por el gobernador Ron DeSantis, den a los republicanos mejores posibilidades de ganar cuatro escaños adicionales en la Cámara de Representantes este noviembre.

Wasserman Schultz aún no ha anunciado oficialmente en qué distrito competirá.

“No estoy siguiendo el calendario de nadie”, dijo. “Tendré las conversaciones que necesito y tomaré una decisión en poco tiempo”.

El período de calificación cierra el 12 de junio, fecha en la que los votantes sabrán quién se postula en su distrito.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called it a “preventable tragedy of enormous consequence.”

The indictment names Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., based in Chennai, India. Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who was technical superintendent for the Dali container ship, was also charged.

The Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, lost power twice in a four-minute span as it moved to sea from the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge on March 24, 2024. Investigators say a loose wire in a switchboard likely caused the first power loss that caused its steering to fail.

After regaining power, the ship found itself in trouble again. The Dali turned to a certain pump to supply fuel to two generators but the pump was not designed to automatically restart after the first blackout, so a second blackout occurred, the indictment says.

The ship crashed into a supporting column of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m.

If the Dali had used the proper fuel pumps, according to the indictment, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely get under the bridge. It crashed instead, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes.

“As alleged, the bridge was struck and collapsed because those who were responsible for the ship’s operation deliberately cut corners at the expense of safety,” said Jimmy Paul, head of the FBI’s Baltimore office.

The companies and Nair are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstructing an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and making false statements. Messages seeking comment about the indictment were not immediately returned.

The Synergy companies are also charged with misdemeanors for the release of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including shipping containers and their contents.

The FBI's investigation focused on the vessel’s operations and whether the crew knew of critical systems issues before leaving port. The NTSB found that the two electrical blackouts disabled the controls of the huge cargo ship before it crashed into the bridge.

The ship had experienced two blackouts in port a day earlier, but Synergy didn’t investigate or report those as required and provided false information to the NTSB, the government alleges.

Maryland officials estimate it could cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion to replace the bridge, which is expected to be open to traffic in late 2030.

“The altered skyline is a constant reminder of this tragedy,” Paul said.

But the true cost of the collapse was far greater, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. It halted shipping at the Port of Baltimore, disrupted the livelihoods of thousands, rerouted road traffic through communities already bearing disproportionate burdens and triggered economic problems statewide.

The indictment comes on the heels of a settlement in principle between the State of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore-based ship owner, Attorney General Anthony Brown announced in April.

That lawsuit alleged the crash was the result of negligence, mismanagement and the reckless operation of a vessel that was not seaworthy and should never have left port. Plaintiffs include the families of the six construction workers who died, owners of cargo that was on the ship and local governments seeking damages for economic losses. The details of the settlement haven’t been disclosed and some portions of the lawsuit remain unresolved.

The state sought damages on behalf of its agencies for the destruction of the bridge, harm to the Patapsco River and surrounding environment, lost revenues and economic losses to Maryland and its residents.

The settlement does not resolve any claims the state has against the shipbuilder, Hyundai, the attorney general’s office said in April.

The bridge, a longstanding Baltimore landmark, was a vital piece of transportation infrastructure that allowed drivers to easily bypass downtown. The original 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) steel span took five years to build and opened to traffic in 1977.

___

White reported from Detroit.

The 18-year-old winger, who is already widely regarded as one of the best soccer players in the world, held the flag as the team bus drove through the streets of Barcelona on Monday. Yamal, who is Muslim, also posted pictures of him holding the flag on his Instagram account.

Nearly 750,000 people are estimated to have taken to the streets to celebrate Barcelona's La Liga title parade.

There has been a global backlash against Israel over the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza, which has spread to sport and culture. Protests have been seen in soccer, cycling and basketball. Spain is one of five countries boycotting this year’s Eurovision song contest to protest Israel’s inclusion.

Coach defends Yamal

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Yamal, whose father is Moroccan, is old enough to make his own decisions.

During a news conference on Tuesday, Flick was questioned about the teenager's decision to wave the flag.

“This I don’t normally like," he said. “I spoke with him. I said if he wants this, it is his decision. He is old enough. He’s 18 years old."

Flick said celebrations with fans after back-to-back titles was his priority.

“We are playing football and you can see what the people expect from us," he said. "We are playing football to make the people happy. This is for me the first thing we have to do.”

Spain international Yamal is one of the leading contenders to take over from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer's biggest star.

He is expected to be one of the stars at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico held in June and July.

___

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

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Officials said 11 people were hospitalized following the sudden explosion that occurred around 2 p.m.

Jim Scott said getting the call that his wife Paola had been rushed to the hospital was unnerving, and the reason why was unexpected.

“Wy wife has burns on over 50% of her body, on her stomach, and both legs, and right arm,” he said. “I am thinking car accident -- last thing on my mind is a boat blew up. One of my wife’s friends doesn’t know how to swim, so she helped her to shore.”

That friend, 62-year-old Ruth Gutierrez, has since been discharged from the hospital.

Gutierrez returned to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital with her daughter, Samantha Peña, Monday to visit her friends who are still recovering inside.

“She said her injury is minor compared to the rest. Her right arm, a part of her body, back and hair was burned as well. She thinks the hat she was wearing covered and saved her face,” Peña said. “Her whole body hurts.”

Gutierrez credits her friend, Paola, with saving her life.

“Her friend who is worse off than her helped her come back up to the boat,” said Peña, adding that her mother mentioned that she smelled gasoline before the explosion. “The only thing she remembers is that they were singing happy birthday, she said about the smell, and then a couple of minutes after, everything exploded. She remembers that someone replied and said that was a normal thing, but she doesn’t know who was it.”

Added Scott: “They went to light a candle on the birthday cake and struck the match and then woo, it blew up.”

Seasoned boat captain Patrick Lee says he witnessed the explosion.

“A gasoline explosion is just, whoosh, quick and it is just terrible,” he said. “When we looked back out, we saw three people flying off the boat and a puff of smoke.”

Jackson Memorial Hospital staff are also caring for Adriana Rojas.

Her husband, Anthony Torres, said she is suffering from severe burn injuries.

“I know nine of them were submitted here, two of them got away without a scratch, which is a miracle and it is a miracle that no one was killed,” he said. “She was screaming, ‘Help me! Help me! I’m burned! The boat blew up! Help me! Help me!’”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the cause of the explosion.

There has been no word on whether the boat captain or charter company will face any citations or charges.

Las autoridades dijeron que 11 personas fueron hospitalizadas tras la repentina explosión ocurrida alrededor de las 2 p.m.

Jim Scott dijo que recibir la llamada informándole que su esposa Paola había sido trasladada de emergencia al hospital fue angustiante, y la razón fue inesperada.

“Mi esposa tiene quemaduras en más del 50% de su cuerpo, en el estómago, ambas piernas y el brazo derecho”, dijo. “Estoy pensando en un accidente de auto, lo último que imaginaba es que un bote explotó. Una de las amigas de mi esposa no sabe nadar, así que ella la ayudó a llegar a la orilla”.

Esa amiga, Ruth Gutierrez, de 62 años, ya fue dada de alta del hospital.

Gutierrez regresó el lunes al Centro de Trauma Ryder del Hospital Jackson Memorial junto a su hija, Samantha Peña, para visitar a sus amigos que continúan recuperándose.

“Ella dijo que su lesión es menor comparada con la del resto. También sufrió quemaduras en el brazo derecho, parte de su cuerpo, espalda y cabello. Cree que el sombrero que llevaba puesto cubrió y salvó su rostro”, dijo Peña. “Le duele todo el cuerpo”.

Gutierrez atribuye a su amiga Paola haberle salvado la vida.

“Su amiga, que está peor que ella, la ayudó a volver a subir al bote”, dijo Peña, agregando que su madre mencionó haber olido gasolina antes de la explosión. “Lo único que recuerda es que estaban cantando cumpleaños feliz, ella comentó sobre el olor y luego, un par de minutos después, todo explotó. Recuerda que alguien respondió y dijo que eso era algo normal, pero no sabe quién fue”.

Scott agregó: “Fueron a encender una vela en el pastel de cumpleaños, prendieron el fósforo y luego boom, explotó”.

El experimentado capitán de bote Patrick Lee dijo que fue testigo de la explosión.

“Una explosión de gasolina es simplemente, whoosh, rápida y terrible”, dijo. “Cuando miramos hacia atrás, vimos a tres personas salir volando del bote y una nube de humo”.

El personal del Hospital Jackson Memorial también atiende a Adriana Rojas.

Su esposo, Anthony Torres, dijo que ella sufre graves quemaduras.

“Sé que nueve de ellos fueron admitidos aquí, dos salieron sin un rasguño, lo cual es un milagro, y es un milagro que nadie haya muerto”, dijo. “Ella estaba gritando: ‘¡Ayúdenme! ¡Ayúdenme! ¡Estoy quemada! ¡El bote explotó! ¡Ayúdenme! ¡Ayúdenme!’”

La Comisión de Conservación de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida investiga la causa de la explosión.

No se ha informado si el capitán del bote o la compañía de alquiler enfrentarán citaciones o cargos.

“Ha sido un infierno”, dijo la residente Michele Swan.

“Es un desastre”, agregó William Swan.

“Hay ruido, la casa tiembla”, dijo el propietario Mark Gilden.

“Pensé que mi casa se iba a derrumbar”, dijo Sara Albornoz, de 83 años.

Los residentes, muchos retirados y de entre 70 y 80 años, viven justo al este del Hospital Memorial Regional, a lo largo de las calles Grant, Hayes y Garfield. Durante años, el Distrito Hospitalario South Broward ha comprado viviendas en el vecindario como parte de los enormes planes de expansión del Hospital Memorial Regional. Muchas de esas viviendas ya fueron demolidas.

Los residentes que permanecen dicen que los lotes vacíos a su alrededor ahora están siendo utilizados para estacionamiento, áreas de construcción, almacenamiento de equipos y oficinas temporales relacionadas con el proyecto de expansión del hospital. Solo queda un pequeño grupo de propietarios.

Algunos residentes pensaban pasar el resto de sus vidas allí.

En cambio, dicen que su vecindario ha desaparecido lentamente a su alrededor.

“Estoy lidiando con mi esposo que está muy enfermo”, dijo Albornoz.

Alexandra Grada dijo que la actividad de construcción ha cambiado la vida diaria de su familia.

“Ahora tengo un niño pequeño y un recién nacido y ni siquiera hemos podido caminar por nuestro propio vecindario”, dijo.

“¿Es justo quitarnos lo que hemos trabajado toda nuestra vida?”, preguntó Michele Swan.

A pesar de sus frustraciones, los residentes insisten en que no intentan detener la expansión del hospital.

“El hospital tiene que expandirse. Lo entiendo”, dijo Gilden.

Aun así, los residentes dicen que el proceso para comprar sus propiedades se ha vuelto injusto.

“Vamos a perder esta casa”, dijo William Swan.

Los residentes dijeron a Local 10 que se hicieron ofertas hace años, pero aseguran que las negociaciones luego se estancaron.

“No, no he escuchado nada más, ni del distrito hospitalario ni de la ciudad”, dijo Gilden.

Siete propietarios ahora han contratado al abogado Kyle Teal, quien se especializa en derechos de propiedad y asuntos de dominio eminente.

“Están viviendo en medio de una zona de construcción”, dijo Teal.

“Ha habido algunas negociaciones, pero no es lo que considero de buena fe”, agregó.

Teal dijo que los residentes quieren que el distrito hospitalario inicie formalmente procedimientos de dominio eminente en lugar de continuar con lo que él describe como negociaciones voluntarias fragmentadas.

“Eso garantiza un proceso justo. Los propietarios están protegidos”, dijo Teal.

Teal asegura que el distrito hospitalario se ha negado a iniciar ese proceso y en su lugar ha intentado negociar directamente con los propietarios de manera individual.

“No soy capaz de negociar con el distrito hospitalario por mi cuenta”, dijo Gilden.

“No quieren que esta sea una historia sobre quitarle la propiedad a la gente, pero la realidad es que eso es lo que está pasando”, dijo Teal.

Los residentes también dicen que no pueden permitirse mudarse con las ofertas que han recibido.

“Recibimos una oferta que era el valor de mercado en ese momento, pero ahora ni siquiera podemos comprar una vivienda equivalente con esa cantidad de dinero”, dijo Grada.

“No podría pagar los impuestos ni el costo de vida en otro lugar”, dijo William Swan.

“Nos están quitando nuestra propiedad y no quieren compensarnos por la expansión de donde tenemos que ir”, dijo Michele Swan.

“Lo único que tenemos es nuestra seguridad”, dijo. “Esto ya está pagado para que podamos vivir, podamos sobrevivir con nuestros dos cheques”.

“Incluso si compráramos una casa, no podemos pagar los impuestos hoy según lo que nos dicen otras personas que están pagando”, agregó.

Los residentes también cuestionan cómo y por qué la Ciudad de Hollywood ha permitido áreas de construcción y estacionamiento en un vecindario zonificado para viviendas unifamiliares mientras todavía hay personas viviendo allí.

La Ciudad de Hollywood dijo a Local 10 que el uso fue permitido porque el terreno es propiedad de Memorial y está ubicado cerca del área de construcción.

“Ellos dijeron que querían habilitar esto para estacionamiento y almacenamiento de equipos, y nosotros lo permitimos”, dijo Joann Hussey, portavoz de la Ciudad de Hollywood.

“Pensamos que esto tendría el menor impacto posible”, dijo Hussey.

Los residentes que viven allí no están de acuerdo.

“Tuve que pedirle a un camión de volteo que se moviera para poder salir de mi entrada”, dijo William Swan.

“El ruido despertó a mi bebé dos veces a las 7 a.m.”, dijo Grada sobre su hija recién nacida.

Russell Long, principal funcionario de construcción de la ciudad, reconoció que algunas quejas eran legítimas.

“Algunas están justificadas”, dijo Long.

Teal cree que las condiciones actuales alrededor de las viviendas restantes están influyendo en las decisiones de los residentes sobre quedarse o vender.

“Francamente, están tratando de desgastarlos”, dijo Teal.

Una carta de noviembre de 2025 obtenida por Local 10 informó a los propietarios sobre interrupciones relacionadas con el proyecto de expansión y ofreció tasaciones independientes a los residentes interesados en vender.

En una declaración escrita a Local 10, el Distrito Hospitalario South Broward indicó que todas las compras de viviendas en el vecindario son voluntarias y que a los propietarios interesados en vender se les ofrece el valor justo de mercado respaldado por tasaciones independientes.

El distrito también indicó que continúa abierto a negociaciones con los propietarios y sus abogados y que sigue comprometido a ser “un vecino receptivo y transparente” durante la expansión del hospital.

El distrito indicó que el proyecto de expansión del Hospital Memorial Regional representa una de las mayores inversiones en atención médica en la región en años y ampliará el acceso a servicios de salud para los residentes del sur de Florida.

Local 10 News también preguntó al Sistema de Salud Memorial por qué no se han iniciado procedimientos de dominio eminente relacionados con las viviendas restantes.

El distrito hospitalario indicó que está eligiendo intencionalmente no recurrir al dominio eminente, argumentando que las negociaciones voluntarias brindan a los propietarios más flexibilidad, más control sobre los tiempos y la posibilidad de decidir si desean vender y cuándo hacerlo.

Memorial indicó que el dominio eminente podría obligar finalmente a los propietarios a enfrentar largos procesos judiciales y eliminar su capacidad de decisión por completo.

Teal argumenta que el proceso voluntario actual deja a los residentes en desventaja.

“Su único comprador potencial tiene toda la ventaja y ellos no tienen ninguna”, dijo.

Teal dijo que está evaluando opciones legales adicionales para sus clientes.

Los residentes dicen que lo que finalmente quieren es algo simple.

“Todo lo que queremos es honestidad y justicia”, dijo Michele Swan.

“Solo quiero un acuerdo justo negociado por un profesional que vele por mis intereses y estoy listo para irme”, dijo Gilden.

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“It’s been hell,” said resident Michele Swan.

“It’s a disaster,” added William Swan.

“There’s noise, the house shakes,” said homeowner Mark Gilden.

“I thought my house was going to cave in,” said 83-year-old Sara Albornoz.

The residents, many retired and in their 70s and 80s, live just east of Memorial Regional Hospital along Grant, Hayes and Garfield streets. For years, the South Broward Hospital District has been buying homes in the neighborhood as part of Memorial Regional Hospital’s massive expansion plans. Many of those homes have already been demolished.

Residents who remain say vacant lots around them are now being used for parking, construction staging, equipment storage and temporary offices tied to the hospital’s expansion project. Only a handful of homeowners remain.

Some residents thought they would spend the rest of their lives there.

Instead, they say their neighborhood has slowly disappeared around them.

“I’m dealing with my husband that is very ill,” Albornoz said.

Alexandra Grada said construction activity has changed daily life for her family.

“I now have a toddler and a fresh newborn and we now have not even been able to walk in our own neighborhood,” she said.

“Is it fair to pull out of the bottom of us what we work all our life for?” Michele Swan asked.

Despite their frustrations, residents insist they are not trying to stop the hospital’s expansion.

“The hospital has to expand. I understand that,” Gilden said.

Still, residents say the process of buying them out has become unfair.

“We’re gonna lose this house,” William Swan said.

Residents told Local 10 offers were made years ago, but they claim negotiations later stalled.

“No, I haven’t heard anything else -- not from the hospital district or from the city,” Gilden said.

Seven homeowners have now hired attorney Kyle Teal, who specializes in property rights and eminent domain issues.

“They’re living in the middle of a construction zone,” Teal said.

“There’s been some negotiating, but it’s not what I consider to be in good faith,” he added.

Teal said residents want the hospital district to formally begin eminent domain proceedings rather than continue what he describes as piecemeal voluntary negotiations.

“It ensures a fair process. Property owners are protected,” Teal said.

Teal claims the hospital district has refused to begin that process and instead has attempted to negotiate directly with homeowners individually.

“I’m not capable of negotiating with the hospital district on my own,” Gilden said.

“They don’t want this to be a story about taking people’s property, but the reality is that’s what’s happening,” Teal said.

Residents also say they cannot afford to relocate using the offers they have received.

“We got an offer that was market value at the time, but now we can’t even buy an equivalent home with that amount of money,” Grada said.

“I couldn’t afford the taxes or the cost of living someplace else,” William Swan said.

“You’re taking our property and you don’t want to compensate for the expansion of where we have to go,” Michele Swan said.

“We only have our self security,” she said. “This is paid off so we can live, we can survive on our two checks.”

“Even if we got the house, we can’t afford the taxes today according to people that are telling us how much they’re paying in taxes,” she added.

Residents are also questioning how and why the City of Hollywood has allowed construction staging and parking areas in a neighborhood zoned single-family residential while people are still living there.

The City of Hollywood told Local 10 the use was permitted because the land is owned by Memorial and located close to the construction area.

“They said we are looking to do this enabling, parking, equipment storage, and we permitted it,” said Joann Hussey, a spokesperson for the City of Hollywood.

“We thought this would be the least amount of impact,” Hussey said.

Residents living there disagree.

“I had to ask a dump truck to move out so I could get out of my driveway,” William Swan said.

“The noise woke her up twice at 7 a.m.,” Grada said of her newborn child.

Russell Long, the city’s chief building official, acknowledged some complaints were legitimate.

“Some of them are justified,” Long said.

Teal believes the current conditions surrounding the remaining homes are influencing residents’ decisions about whether to stay or sell.

“Frankly, they’re trying to wear them down,” Teal said.

A November 2025 letter obtained by Local 10 informed homeowners of disruptions tied to the expansion project and offered independent appraisals for residents interested in selling.

In a written statement to Local 10, the South Broward Hospital District said all home purchases in the neighborhood are voluntary and that homeowners who wish to sell are offered fair market value supported by independent appraisals.

The district also said it remains open to negotiations with homeowners and their attorneys and remains committed to being “a responsive and transparent neighbor” during the hospital’s expansion.

The district said Memorial Regional Hospital’s expansion project represents one of the largest healthcare investments in the region in years and will expand healthcare access for South Florida residents.

Local 10 News also asked Memorial Healthcare System why eminent domain proceedings have not been initiated involving the remaining homes.

The hospital district says it is intentionally choosing not to pursue eminent domain, arguing voluntary negotiations give homeowners more flexibility, more control over timing and the ability to decide whether and when to sell.

Memorial says eminent domain could ultimately force homeowners into lengthy court proceedings and remove their choice altogether.

Teal argues the current voluntary process leaves residents at a disadvantage.

“Their only potential buyer holds all the leverage and they hold none,” he said.

Teal said he is weighing additional legal options for his clients.

Residents say what they ultimately want is simple.

“That’s all we want is honesty and fairness,” Michele Swan said.

“I just want a fair deal negotiated by a professional in my best interest and I’m ready to go,” Gilden said.

Ahora, tras una investigación de un año sobre otra balacera fatal en la que estuvo involucrado meses antes, la Fiscalía Estatal de Miami-Dade determinó que su uso de fuerza letal estuvo justificado.

El lunes, las autoridades divulgaron el video de la cámara corporal de ese caso.

Fue el 13 de abril de 2025 cuando Jaramillo respondió a una disputa doméstica que involucraba a Kelly Hudson y su esposa separada en una vivienda del suroeste del condado Miami-Dade.

Según los investigadores, la esposa de Hudson llamó al 911 varias veces, indicando que su esposo la había seguido desde Georgia hasta el sur de Florida.

Ella le dijo a los despachadores que intentaba esconderse en la casa de sus padres porque Hudson era violento, la había estado acosando y lastimando, y estaba armado.

El video de la cámara corporal muestra a Hudson saliendo de un vehículo mientras seguía las órdenes del agente. Cuando le preguntaron si estaba armado, Hudson levantó su camisa, revelando un arma en la cintura.

Los investigadores dicen que Hudson luego llevó la mano hacia el arma, lo que provocó que Jaramillo abriera fuego.

La Fiscalía Estatal indicó que el agente le ordenó repetidamente a Hudson que no tomara el arma, pero cuando Hudson continuó moviéndose hacia ella, el agente disparó varias veces.

Hudson fue trasladado al hospital, donde posteriormente murió.

Tras revisar el video de la cámara corporal, declaraciones de testigos y evidencia, la Fiscalía Estatal concluyó que el uso de fuerza letal por parte de Jaramillo estuvo legalmente justificado.

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Now, after a year-long investigation into another deadly shooting that he was involved in months earlier, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office found his use of deadly force was justified.

On Monday, authorities released the body-worn camera video from that case.

It was on April 13, 2025, when Jaramillo responded to a domestic dispute involving Kelly Hudson and his estranged wife at a southwest Miami-Dade County home.

According to investigators, Hudson’s wife called 911 multiple times, saying her husband had followed her from Georgia to South Florida.

She told dispatchers she was trying to hide at her parents’ home because Hudson was violent, had been stalking and hurting her, and was armed.

Body camera video shows Hudson stepping out of a car while following the deputy’s commands. When asked if he was armed, Hudson is seen lifting his shirt, revealing a gun in his waistband.

Investigators say Hudson then reached toward the weapon, prompting Jaramillo to open fire.

The State Attorney’s Office says the deputy repeatedly ordered Hudson not to reach for the gun, but when Hudson continued moving toward it, the deputy fired several times.

Hudson was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

After reviewing the body camera video, witness statements, and evidence, the State Attorney’s Office concluded Jaramillo’s use of deadly force was legally justified.

Según el informe, Leroy Wright Jr., de 46 años y residente de Miami, fue arrestado el viernes por cargos de delitos contra estudiantes por parte de figuras de autoridad, actividad sexual ilegal con un menor y representación de material obsceno que involucra a un menor.

La policía dijo que la directora de Miami Jackson Senior High School recibió un correo electrónico el 28 de abril de una persona que le informó que Wright, maestro de lectura en la escuela, tenía “una relación” con un estudiante.

La directora presentó finalmente un “informe del modelo de investigación de personal” ante la Oficina de Estándares Profesionales de M-DCPS el jueves pasado, y el informe fue luego remitido al Departamento de Policía Escolar de Miami-Dade, según el documento.

Según el informe, la policía entrevistó el jueves a la persona que envió el correo electrónico a la directora, y esa persona identificó a la víctima.

La policía dijo que luego entrevistó a la víctima en su hogar, en presencia de su madre, y el estudiante les contó que conoció a Wright al inicio del año escolar cuando el maestro se le acercó y le pidió unirse al Club de Primer Año, del cual Wright era el patrocinador adulto.

La policía dijo que el estudiante se unió al club.

Según el informe, la víctima declaró que el primer incidente sexual ocurrió el 29 de abril cuando abrazó a su maestro al salir del salón de clases de Wright.

La policía dijo que el estudiante afirmó que Wright le devolvió el abrazo y luego lo besó durante aproximadamente 6 minutos mientras lo manoseaba.

Wright también besó al estudiante el 1 de mayo y lo manoseó ese día y mientras lo llevaba a casa en su auto el 4 de mayo, según las autoridades.

Según el informe, Wright renunció a sus derechos Miranda y proporcionó algún tipo de admisión, aunque su declaración exacta ante los detectives fue redactada del informe divulgado públicamente.

La policía dijo que Wright fue informado antes de su arresto de que el teléfono celular de la víctima había sido “examinado forenses.”

Fue ingresado al Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight el viernes y permanecía allí el lunes por la mañana sin fianza.

El distrito escolar publicó un comunicado el fin de semana confirmando que Wright sería despedido.

“El tipo de comportamiento del que se acusa a este individuo no será tolerado, ya que va en contra de la conducta profesional que esperamos de todos nuestros empleados”, decía el comunicado. “El Distrito ha iniciado procedimientos de terminación de empleo y se asegurará de que el individuo no pueda buscar empleo futuro en el Distrito. En M-DCPS, la seguridad y el bienestar de todos los estudiantes siguen siendo nuestra máxima prioridad.”

On the last Friday of every month, Calle Ocho transforms into a celebration of music, dancing, art and culture for Viernes Culturales — a monthly event designed to bring people together while keeping the neighborhood’s identity alive.

“We are having a wonderful time. We are old people but we are enjoying life,” said Elena Estopinai, who visits Viernes Culturales.

Estopinai said the city of Hialeah buses her group to the event every month from a community center.

“Things are less expensive. That’s a big plus. And we can sing, dance and enjoy the friendship,” she said.

“Viernes Culturales is the one event that unites us all,” said Viernes Culturales interim Director Denise Galvez Turros.

Galvez Turros said the monthly gathering is rooted in connection through culture — bringing awareness to the area, its rich history and the ongoing effort to protect it. The event has long brought together the neighborhoods surrounding Little Havana, connecting not just Cuban communities, but people and traditions from across Latin America and beyond — reflected in the food, art and music on display.

“Developers are calling it West Brickell. We’re like, ‘No, this is Little Havana and what unites us is the neighbors and the businesses that care about that. That care about preserving the community,’” said Galvez Turros. “We decided we’re gonna do this. We’re gonna make sure to give first dibs to the local artists -- the local residents of the neighborhood, so that they can show their artistry.”

The plaza outside Domino Park fills with live music, dancing, local vendors and artists during the event.

Annie M, of Futurama Gallery, said the neighborhood’s roots are personal to many who participate.

“I was born and raised in this area. I went to school around here. It’s my home. It’s the heart -- you know what I mean?” Annie M said.

Viernes Culturales also features a free monthly walking history tour focused on the neighborhood’s landmarks, stories and cultural significance.

Organizers said the tours help younger generations stay connected to Little Havana’s identity and traditions.

“We’re sharing those stories. Making people care,” Galvez Turros said. “The next generation -- my children, my grandchildren -- are gonna care because of those stories we share and that only happens because of Viernes Culturales.”

To submit an idea for What Connects Us, email whatconnectsus@wplg.com.

A fisherman on the island of Lefkada found the craft inside a coastal cave on May 7 and towed it close to a nearby harbor. It was moved a day later to a naval base on the mainland for inspection and the explosives were later destroyed, according to Greece’s public broadcaster, ERT.

“We have certainty now that it is a Ukrainian USV,” Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said, referring to the drone as an unmanned surface vehicle.

Ukrainian authorities didn’t immediately return a request seeking comment.

Dendias made the remarks in Brussels at a meeting of European Union defense ministers, saying that he would raise the issue with his European colleagues and with the Ukrainian officials directly.

“You understand that the presence of that USV — the drone, the sea drone — affects the freedom of navigation and affects also the security of navigation,” Dendias said. “This is an extremely serious issue.”

Ukraine has used surface drones to attack Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea, and more recently to target tankers used to transport Russian oil as part of an illicit network when returning empty as part of a campaign to hammer Moscow's energy exports.

Greek authorities gave no further details of the drone, while Greek naval experts said that its features resemble Ukrainian Magura-type craft — a platform developed by Ukraine's intelligence service.

Lefkada, off the west coast of the Greek mainland, is on a busy waterway between Greece and Italy, and is popular with tourists traveling by yacht or ferry, as well as commercial vessels. “It appears that the (drone) suffered some malfunction and was moving in an uncontrolled way,” Stefanos Gikas, a Greek deputy minister for maritime affairs, told public television on Monday. “So this craft — a black thing without navigation and carrying explosives — could have struck a tourist vessel.”

The heightening drone-led confrontation between Ukraine and the invading Russian military has led to multiple incidents on the territory of NATO and EU member states — the incursions mostly involving suspected Russian drones entering their airspace.

“They are violating our airspace. And it’s very clear that inside the European Union we should rearrange our capacities, our capabilities, in order to decrease this type of violations,” Romanian Defense Minister Radu-Dinel Miruța said in Brussels on Tuesday.

“It is very important to understand that this is a common threat,” he said. “It is happening on the entire eastern flank.”

___

Lorne Cook reported from Brussels. Theodora Tongas contributed to this report.

’’Children crying, and even babies,” said Ross, the French widow of a U.S. military veteran, whose arrest last month as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown made international headlines.

Ross spoke to The Associated Press on Monday about her 16 days in federal immigration custody after being arrested on April 1 in Alabama following an alleged visa overstay, and the late-in-life love story that brought her to the United States. She has been released and returned to France.

The experience in detention, she said, changed her and her view of politics.

She was held in a dormitory-style room with 58 other women, mostly mothers. ‘’Some of them didn’t know where their children were,'' she said. ‘’I think it’s terrible for a woman not to know where her children are.”

Her arrest in Alabama unfolded so quickly that she barely understood what was happening. Five men, who identified themselves as immigration officers, banged on her door and windows at 8 a.m. before handcuffing her and placing her in a vehicle, she said. She was still wearing her bathrobe, slippers and pajamas.

She was transferred two days later to a facility in Basile, Louisiana. Later that month she was freed. She is now recovering in a suburb of Nantes in western France with her family. The French foreign minister had publicly called for her release, saying that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement methods are “not in line” with French standards.

Ross had entered the U.S. to start a new life with William B. Ross, a retired U.S. soldier she had met decades earlier when he was stationed in France in the 1950s and she was a secretary at NATO. They married in April 2025.

After he died of natural causes in January, a dispute emerged over his estate. An Alabama judge found that Ross’ stepson, a U.S. federal employee, allegedly intervened to prompt her placement in immigration custody.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Ross had overstayed her 90-day visa at the time of her arrest. The AP on Tuesday sought comment from DHS, which previously didn’t respond to requests.

Ross described strict rules and constant shouting from guards and condescending treatment at the detention facility in Louisiana.

“The prison was clean, the food was okay, but it was the way they spoke to us,” she told the AP. “The guards could not speak without yelling.”

She described the place as noisy. ’’Everybody was talking loudly so everybody could hear what they were saying, but when silence came, you could hear children crying and even babies crying,″ she said. ’’There’s babies in this jail.″

Despite the conditions, Ross described moments of solidarity among detainees. “During the night, if my bed cover slipped away, I felt a small hand putting it back,” she said. “I didn’t know who it was, but they pampered me because I was older than them.”

She said the women called her “Grandma.” She kept a handmade friendship bracelet given to her by another detainee, a gift she wears today.

Family members said Ross is still struggling with memory gaps and emotional distress following her detention. She said she wants to seek medical follow-up in France to address symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress and is receiving support.

Ross said she continues to think about the women she met in custody, most of them from South America. Many were mothers separated from their children.

Her experience changed the way she sees the United States and its immigration policies, Ross said. Her husband was a Trump supporter and they used to watch Fox News together. But she was shocked to learn firsthand how immigrants are treated inside immigration facilities.

She used to view the U.S. as a “country of freedom, where people are not arrested based on how they look, and where those who are detained are treated fairly and with respect.” But the women she met did not deserve to be detained, she said. “Their only fault was to be South American.”

As she recovers in France, Ross still thinks about them: “When I left this jail in Louisiana, I told them that if I ever had the chance to speak about them, I would do it, to help them.”

From above, the plant forms dense, almost carpet-like mats that stretch across the surface. Up close, its long strands extend deep below the water, with roots reaching toward the lagoon bed, making it difficult to remove completely.

The scenes are unfolding in Colombia’s Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta, a vast coastal wetland on the Caribbean coast about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the city of Santa Marta. What was until recently a lifeline for fishing and transport is now being choked by dense vegetation, turning it into what he describes as an unfolding environmental crisis.

“What we’re seeing here today is a problem. One that affects not only movement or fishing, but the community as a whole,” said 32-year-old Cantillo, a local environmental and social leader from Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta.

Over the past year, residents say the fast-growing invasive plant native to Asia — Hydrilla verticillata — has spread rapidly across the wetland after first appearing around mid-2025. The dense vegetation, which some locals refer to as “horse tail,” is choking fishing routes, clogging waterways and restricting access to areas where residents collect water, while driving up costs in communities that rely almost entirely on the lagoon for their livelihoods.

The Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta is one of Colombia’s most important fishing ecosystems, serving as a nursery for many species.

In Nueva Venecia and Buenavista — two isolated fishing communities built almost entirely on wooden stilts over the water — large swaths of open water are now covered by the invasive plant. The communities themselves are largely informal and exist outside many basic state services.

Nueva Venecia — the older of the two, founded in 1847 as a fishing settlement — is home to roughly 4,500 people living in about 500 colorful houses. Buenavista, which emerged in the 1950s, has around 1,150 residents and 163 similarly vibrant homes, where residents travel between houses, shops and schools by small boats or canoes.

"A year ago, there were canoes fishing here. Teachers and students crossing the lagoon. Today, what we see is a problem,” Cantillo said.

A growing crisis for fishing communities

The impact is rippling through already vulnerable communities. Fish catches have dropped, transport has become more difficult and families are facing rising costs as they are forced to buy potable water.

In Nueva Venecia, one small-scale fisherman stood shirtless in the midday heat, pulling brittle strands of dried vegetation from his fishing nets, which he had laid out in the sun to make them easier to clean.

“We can’t work because of this plant,” said 61-year-old Santander Cueto. “It doesn’t let us cast our nets — everything gets tangled.”

What was once a routine task now takes significantly longer.

“The lagoon's completely covered. There’s nowhere left to fish,” said Demóstenes Guerrero, 58, a fisherman and representative of a fishing association in Buenavista.

In some areas, groups of residents head out in wooden boats to cut narrow “lifeline” passages through the thickest vegetation, allowing canoes to pass without getting their propellers tangled. These efforts are labor-intensive and largely driven by the community itself, and must be repeated every few days as the fast-growing plant quickly closes the routes again.

The wetland spans about 428,000 hectares (1,600 square miles) of lagoons, mangroves and marshes — roughly the size of Los Angeles — and has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2000.

Pollution and changing water flows fuel the spread

The Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta is fed by the Magdalena River — one of Colombia’s main waterways — which carries untreated wastewater from across much of the country, said Julián Arbelaez, a water and sanitation engineer working in the region.

That influx of nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, creates ideal conditions for invasive species when water slows in wetlands like this one.

“That load causes the river to enter a state of eutrophication,” Arbelaez said, referring to a process in which excess nutrients fuel rapid plant growth.

The vegetation is also cutting off access to cleaner water sources. Residents typically travel by boat to collect freshwater from channels connected to the Magdalena River, but many of those routes are now blocked. As a result, Arbelaez said, people are increasingly collecting water closer to their homes — often in areas contaminated by untreated sewage.

Residents say another invasive plant, Eichhornia crassipes, which floats on the water’s surface, has long been present in the lagoon and also disrupts fishing and transport, though its impact has been less sudden.

Local leaders say changes in water flow have also contributed to the crisis, with freshwater now dominating areas where saltwater once helped suppress or kill Hydrilla verticillata.

Sandra Vilardy, a professor at Universidad de los Andes who has a doctorate in ecology and who has worked in the region for about 20 years, said there is still limited research on how the plant arrived and that current explanations remain hypotheses.

She said one of the most likely pathways is maritime transport, with the plant potentially entering through major river systems before spreading into wetlands through smaller vessels and dredging activity. A second possibility, she said, is the release of aquarium plants into waterways, a common cause of biological invasions globally, though she noted that explanation appears less likely in this case given the region’s environmental conditions.

Communities say response has been slow and insufficient

“This is a monster in terms of growth,” Cantillo said, describing how it spread from a limited presence early last year to surrounding entire communities within months.

Even attempts to remove it can make the situation worse, as fragments can break off and spread further. Residents say efforts to remove the plant have largely been limited to small-scale manual clearing by fishermen and sporadic pilot efforts by authorities, with no effective large-scale solution in place.

The crisis is now pushing some residents to consider leaving altogether.

“We now face a risk that we didn’t have 20 or 25 years ago — the risk of mass displacement,” Cantillo said.

Protests and road blockades have already taken place as frustration grows over what locals describe as a slow and insufficient government response.

Alfredo Martínez, director of CORPAMAG, the regional environmental authority, said Hydrilla verticillata is not officially classified as an invasive species in Colombia and that national guidelines for its control are still pending. He said monitoring and removal efforts are underway with local community involvement, adding that no further expansion has been observed since March and that lower water levels may be slowing its spread.

César Rodríguez Ayala, a community leader in Nueva Venecia, said the crisis is affecting nearly every aspect of life.

“If the fisherman can’t work, the shop doesn’t sell,” he said. “We are living a very difficult situation, economically and environmentally.”

While mechanical removal methods exist, complete eradication is unlikely in the short term due to high costs and limited capacity, according to Cantillo.

“We are part of Colombia too,” Rodríguez said. “We live on the water, but we also deserve to be seen — and helped — in a moment like this.”

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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.

The Associated Press was allowed to witness the Swedish-led military exercise this week as Europe faces not only the threat of Russia but the wavering of NATO’s most powerful member, the United States.

The war game that also involved U.S. forces played out with a real threat in mind. For months, Russia has ramped up sabotage including cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and disinformation against countries across Europe, as detailed by an AP investigation.

The war game scenario — with the Swedish island of Gotland in theory facing power outages and food shortages because of sabotage — tested what NATO members might do before NATO’s collective defense clause, Article 5, has been invoked.

“In theory, it could happen tomorrow,” said Rear Adm. Jonas Wikström, director of the exercise.

Europe considers Trump's volatile approach to NATO

Sweden’s chief of defense, Gen. Michael Claesson, noted that the U.S. is Europe’s most militarily capable ally so “any change in the American presence” affects the overall dynamics. He told the AP that announcements by President Donald Trump of troop reductions in Europe are interpreted “as the Americans are leaving — and they are not.”

Europe’s military leaders, however, are watching closely how Trump and his administration treat NATO, which Trump has described as a “paper tiger.” Most recently, he has ordered the withdrawal of at least 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany and threatens to remove more.

Trump also has criticized allies, and NATO, for not coming to the aid of the U.S. in the Iran war, while U.S. air defense systems and missiles have been moved toward the Middle East from Europe, raising concerns about gaps in protection. Some European nations have been told they will face delays to their orders of U.S. weapons.

Claesson denied that recent announcements — including that of a “hybrid navy” by a group of Nordic and Baltic nations, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands — was a hedge against a possible future where the U.S. does not come to the aid of NATO allies.

But, he said, “everything that offers European allies freedom of action is good.”

The U.K. and Norway also aim to build a combined frigate fleet, said Marte Gerhardsen, state secretary at the Norwegian Ministry of Defense.

Ukrainian drone forces destroy Swedish troops in exercise

Since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, he also has paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine and at times aligned with Moscow in negotiations to end the war.

In the war game scenario this week, Ukrainian forces had a chance to demonstrate what they have learned on the battlefield and why their country might be a worthy NATO member.

A group of Ukrainian drone pilots, invited to teach Western forces how to win at drone warfare, destroyed Sweden’s troops in an exercise, a 24-year-old drone pilot told the AP.

“They stopped the training three times” for troops to work out what to do better, but if it were real life they would have been dead, he said, giving his call sign Tarik in line with Ukrainian military regulations.

Swedish troops have potential but need to improve their drones and tactics and commanders need a deeper understanding of drone warfare, said another pilot with the call sign Karat.

He described flying small, first-person-view attack drones on the front line against Russian forces. Sometimes drone pilots are supported by reconnaissance drone teams but other times they are “working blindly.”

Western forces cannot understand what it is like, he added: “You need to see this with your own eyes.”

All Western forces need to “learn rapidly” how to perform drone and counter-drone operations, and the “fastest” way is to listen to the Ukrainians, Claesson said.

“What they’ve taught us is you have to really focus on your survivability and how you can’t be detected,” said Brig. Gen. Curtis King with the U.S. military. At the same time, he said, Western nations need to focus on “deep” detection capabilities to spot drones from far away.

Such knowledge is desperately needed along Russia’s border with NATO where there has been a spate of drone incursions in recent months, including from Ukrainian drones sent off course by Russian jamming.

The goal is to have systems that work together so that radar made by different companies in different countries can be integrated to share data and track threats, King said. That process has started but, “we’re not there yet.”

Putin could use Gotland to test the alliance

The war game exercise focused on the Swedish island of Gotland because it is strategically located in the Baltic Sea between the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad – where Moscow has stationed missiles – and Sweden.

“If you control Gotland, you pretty much control the central part of the Baltic Sea,” Claesson said.

The Baltic Sea is a financial lifeline for Russia as vessels with its “shadow fleet” carry oil and liquefied natural gas that Moscow uses to fund its war in Ukraine.

After the Cold War, Sweden effectively abandoned its military presence on Gotland but Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 prompted a rethink and a strengthened military presence there. And Sweden, along with Finland, decided to join NATO in 2024.

“A very reasonable scenario” is that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use Gotland to test NATO by trying to take a thin sliver of alliance territory to probe the collective reaction, Claesson said.

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Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed.

Random House Children's Books announced Tuesday that Riordan is collaborating with different co-authors on each of four “Camp Half-Blood” middle-grade novels set during the time between Riordan's first two Percy books, “The Lightning Thief” and “The Sea of Monsters.”

Since “The Lightning Thief” was published in 2005, Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” novels have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide and have been translated into dozens of languages. His books feature such beloved characters as Percy, the boy whose father is the Greek god Poseidon; best friend Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. Riordan said in a statement that working on the Emmy-winning Disney+ adaptation of his work stirred his curiosity about Camp Half-Blood.

“It made me wonder what was happening back at camp between the books of the original series, when Percy, Annabeth, and Grover weren’t around,” he said. “This new series gives me a chance to explore that idea, while opening up Percy’s world by introducing a new group of demigod heroes, co-created with amazing authors who can write authentically about those heroes’ backgrounds. It’s been an incredible thrill!”

The first installment, “The Wild Zone,” was written with Annebelle Oh and comes out Sept. 29. Kyle Lukoff, Jade Adia and Pablo Cartaya are working with Riordan on the second, third and fourth books, respectively. Each will be published six months apart.

According to Random House, “The Wild Zone” tells of “ancient threats and long-buried secrets” and how “campers begin to disappear, unlikely new heroes must face monsters, curses, and impossible choices, all while discovering what it truly means to belong.”

The Labor Department's consumer price index rose 3.8% from April 2025, the biggest jump in three years, and up from a 3.3% year-over-year gain in March. On a month-to-month basis, April prices rose 0.6% from March as gasoline prices rose 5.4%, according to the data released Tuesday. The month-over-month gain was down from a 0.9% increase in overall prices from February to March, when the initial financial shock from the war hit the U.S. economy.

Labor Department figures showed that gasoline prices are up more than 28% compared with a year ago. However, the AAA motor club listed the average regular gallon of gasoline above $4.50 on Tuesday, about 44% more than it cost last year at this time.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called consumer core prices rose 0.4% last month from March and 2.8% from April 2025, relatively modest readings that suggest the energy price burst has yet to spill over more broadly into prices for other goods.

Grocery prices rose 0.7% from March to April as meat prices rose after they had declined slightly in the month before.

Prices are rising at a time when Americans are already frustrated by the high cost of living. Affordability is likely to be a key issue when voters go to the polls Nov. 3 to determine whether President Donald Trump's Republican Party maintains control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

“Inflation is the key drag on the U.S. economy now,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote. “There is a real financial squeeze underway. For the first time in three years, inflation is eating up all wage gains. This is a setback for middle-class and lower-income households and they know it. They are having to cut back on spending and stretch every dollar.”

In April, average hourly wages fell 0.3% from a year earlier after accounting for inflation – the first year-over-year drop in three years.

Inflation had been dropping more or less steadily since peaking with a 9.1% year-over-year spike in June 2022, a surge caused by supply chain bottlenecks at the end of COVID-19 lockdowns and a jolt for energy prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But inflation has remained above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

Then, the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and Tehran responded by shutting off access to the Gulf of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes. That has sent oil prices, and most visibly gasoline, racing higher.

The Fed, which had been expected to cut its benchmark interest rate in 2026, has turned cautious as it waits to see how long the conflict lasts and whether higher energy prices spill over into other products and cause a broader inflationary outbreak.

Trump has lambasted the Fed and its outgoing chair, Jerome Powell, for refusing to slash rates to boost the economy. Kevin Warsh, the president’s hand-picked choice to succeed Powell, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate this week; but it’s unclear whether Warsh would pursue lower rates given the uncertainties arising from the war — or whether he could persuade his colleagues on the Fed’s rate-setting committee to go along if he tried.

Some companies are also starting to feel the pain.

Whirlpool, which makes KitchenAid and Maytag appliances, reported last week that revenue dropped nearly 10% in its most recent quarter and said that the war has caused a “recession-level industry decline″ that has undermined consumer confidence.

Grace King of Ames, Iowa, said that higher prices in the food aisle and at the pump are making her cut back on spending for things like clothing. The administrative assistant, 31, used to spend $200 per month on clothing, mostly on Amazon, but not anymore.

“There’s pressure basically everywhere from the groceries that I buy to the gas to fill up the tank,” she said. “I’ve severely cut back on my frill spending.”

For example, King noted that while it’s only a five-minute drive to work, she makes the trip twice a day. And if she needs to do any big shopping, that’s a 40-minute drive to malls in Des Moines, Iowa.

____

AP Retail Writer Anne D'Innocenzio in New York contributed to this story.

Where that game will be played was not part of Tuesday morning's announcement. The location has not been determined yet with the NFL still finalizing things ahead of Thursday night's 2026 season schedule release.

Another unknown is whether two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes will be available for that season opener. His goal is to be ready for Week 1. The Chiefs quarterback tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee on Dec. 14 in the final minutes of a loss to the Chargers, which effectively eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention.

Quarterback Bo Nix is expected to be ready for training camp after breaking a bone in his right ankle on Jan. 18 during the AFC playoffs. Denver finished last season losing the AFC championship game to New England.

More matchups will be revealed in the coming days.

The trio of games announced Monday came as NBC, Fox and Prime Video made their upfront presentations to advertisers. The Buffalo Bills’ first regular-season game in their new stadium will be against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 17 and will kick off Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” schedule.

The Dallas Cowboys were part of the other two unveilings. The Cowboys will visit the New York Giants in the first NBC “Sunday Night Football” game of the season on Sept. 13 and they will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox on Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 26.

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

Hegseth has so far softened his tone from previous congressional hearings as he defended the Trump administration’s historic $1.5 trillion military budget request for 2027. The Pentagon’s top budget official told Congress the cost of the war has climbed to nearly $29 billion, up $4 billion from the price he provided nearly two weeks ago.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is facing increasing pressure from the economic shocks of Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor where 20% of the world’s oil normally flows.

Here's the latest:

Defense secretary tells senators Trump has authority to resume war

That posture has resulted in some tension between the Republican-controlled Congress and White House.

Presidents are required by law to gain authorization from Congress after 60 days of starting a war. However, the White House has argued that the 60-day deadline no longer applies because the war is currently in a ceasefire.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski voiced some skepticism to that argument. Pointing to the troops and warships deployed to the region, she said, “It doesn’t appear that that hostilities have ended.”

Murkowski has hinted she may bring legislation that would authorize the use of military force against Iran.

Hegseth claims the US controls the Strait of Hormuz

He claimed to senators that “ultimately we control the Strait, because nothing’s going in that we don’t allow to go in.”

It was a striking statement from the defense secretary at a time when Iran has seized control of the waterway, causing a global spike in fuel prices that’s rippled through other economic sectors. In response, the U.S. has tried to cut off all Iranian traffic through the strait as well.

Hegseth claimed “the economic pressure that creates on them greatly outstrips the pressure on us.”

Cuban diplomat slams Hegseth’s testimony that Havana poses a threat to the US

Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, the Cuban ambassador to the U.N., said Tuesday that it is the U.S., not the small island country, that poses “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to the world and international law.

“Its acts of aggression and threats against Venezuela, Iran, Greenland, Canada, His Holiness the Pope, Palestine, Mexico, Cuba — and an endless list of others — demonstrate this to be true,” Guzman said in a statement.

His comments came hours after Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Florida Republican, asked Hegseth in a congressional hearing whether he believed the Cuban government poses a national security threat to the U.S. The Pentagon chief responded, “I do.”

GOP senator pushes for the military to take a harder line on Iran

There are plenty of lawmakers, including Republicans, who are uneasy with President Donald Trump’s war with Iran. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham isn’t one of them.

He drew a tough line as he questioned the Trump administration’s efforts to draw down the conflict and questioned the decision to use China and Pakistan as intermediaries in peace negotiations with Iran.

Graham’s ire was mostly aimed at efforts by previous Democratic presidents to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He said those efforts had “failed.”

Graham praised the current war with Iran as “spectacular” and said there should be “more to come.”

White House holds off on beef executive orders

The president on Monday had planned to sign two directives meant to address short-term supply issues in the U.S. beef market.

But the White House is saying it’s reworking the orders a bit.

A White House official, noting that Trump is “committed” to lowering the cost of beef and other groceries, said Tuesday the administration is “accordingly finetuning potential executive actions.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

The two executive orders that had been on tap were meant to expand beef imports and support the renewal of America’s domestic cattle herd.

— Seung Min Kim

Hegseth offers no timeline on details for how Ukraine aid funds will be spent

The defense secretary wouldn’t offer lawmakers a timeline on delivering a plan for what the military will buy with the $400 million that was set aside for Ukraine aid by Congress at the start of the year.

Hegseth said he wanted to make sure U.S. European Command, which has been tasked with determining what the money will be spent on, “is fully informed in how they want to spend this.”

However, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons noted that “it’s May and this has been the law since January, and you or your representatives have been asked this repeatedly on a bipartisan basis by members of this committee.”

Hegseth has only publicly confirmed that he’ll spend the money about two weeks ago when he last appeared before Congress and just a day after Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell called out the Pentagon for withholding the funds in an editorial in The Washington Post.

Sen. Susan Collins critiques Trump administration’s shifting strategy on the Strait of Hormuz

The Republican, who’s in the midst of a reelection campaign for her Maine Senate seat, questioned whether the military anticipated Iran could take actions to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, told her the military’s briefings to the Trump administration “cover and consider the full range of things all the time in our careful consideration of military actions.”

But Collins, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, responded with criticism for the Trump administration’s current strategy.

“It seems there has been a different plan almost daily with dealing with this problem,” she said.

Collins late last month also joined Democrats to vote for failed legislation that would have forced Trump to halt the war with Iran.

Hegseth treads carefully on China but says the US works with regional partners

When pressed by Sen. McConnell about U.S.-China relations, the defense secretary said he wouldn’t speak for the president ahead of his Beijing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

But Hegseth said the U.S. has “worked very hard in that region, in the Indo-Pacific, with Japan, with the Philippines and others” to prioritize U.S. security and security for its allies around China.

Hegseth said U.S. interests are “amplified by burden sharing of partners who recognize the shared threats that we face and are willing to invest alongside us.”

He insisted that “every aspect” Trump does regarding China “is to ensure that American interests are advanced.”

McConnell had asked explicitly whether Trump is trying “to preserve American primacy or simply to accommodate China’s rise?”

The senator also asked about Trump’s commitment to navigational freedom in the South China Sea. Hegseth said, “Americans ships should — should sail freely. So should others.”

McConnell warns against the administration’s budget approach

The Kentucky Republican got into the weeds on the president’s budget request, noting it’s not a $1.5 trillion annual baseline. Instead, he noted it’s a roughly $1.1 trillion request plus a supplemental bill.

The latter can be passed by “reconciliation,” a process that allows the Republican majority the easiest way to bypass Democrats’ objections. But McConnell suggested the White House think about future years when Republicans may not have the Senate majority.

He said the Pentagon’s approach means it’s putting necessary ongoing funding requests in the supplemental, one-time measure.

McConnell alluded to “continuing resolutions” that have become a common budget device for a divided Congress to extend agencies’ funding even without a larger budget deal. But one-time funding, McConnell noted, cannot be included in those CRs.

“I’m confused by the administration’s failure to prioritize” ongoing funding, the senator said.

Anti-war protester interrupts Hegseth’s opening statement

As Hegseth started his opening statement, a woman stood up and pronounced, “I am an Iranian American and against this war of aggression.”

Within moments, she was removed from the hearing room by Capitol police officers , but she continued to tell the hearing room she was opposed to the war with Iran.

There are a handful more anti-war protesters wearing pink shirts sitting in the back row of the Senate hearing room, but they remained silent. Several of them stood and walked out while Hegseth was talking.

Senate Democrat overseeing defense spending says administration ‘distracted’ from military priorities

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons launched into a wide-ranging critique of how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is leading the military and raised concerns that his decisions are undermining U.S. military priorities.

“I am concerned that we have a distracted administration and a distracted department,” Coons said, adding that “We have a president who seems more focused on a $1 billion ballroom and a victory arch, rather than achieving actual victory.”

Coons also questioned why the administration has withdrawn support from allies in Europe, including Ukraine, at a time when their drone defenses could aid U.S. efforts to counteract drone attacks from Iran.

Sen. Mitch McConnell emphasizes the need for US alliances in a rebuke of Trump’s approach

Without naming Trump, McConnell sternly critiqued the president’s belligerent approach to traditional U.S. allies and he advocated for NATO and defending Ukraine.

The former Republican Senate leader now chairs the Senate’s Appropriations subcommittee. McConnell told Hegseth that strained relationships with democratic allies “only serves our adversaries’ interests and limits our capacity and deterrent power globally.”

McConnell, who voted against Hegseth’s confirmation in 2025, said he wanted to see U.S. assistance previously approved for Ukraine “reach their destination without further delay.”

The senator said such aid is not “charity,” but part of cultivating relationships that can benefit the U.S. in the future.

“I want to hear about the future of capacity building with committed allies and partners,” he said.

“We have things to learn from our friends,” McConnell added, alluding to Ukraine’s success in drone warfare.

Hegseth’s Senate hearing gets underway

The defense secretary has started his hearing before a Senate appropriations panel after spending several hours Tuesday morning testifying before House lawmakers.

The hearing room is packed and there are a handful of anti-war protesters in the audience as well.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy greeted Hegseth with some friendly advice before the hearing got underway. “Don’t let them get you down,” Kennedy told Hegseth.

House panel adjourns with a final push for more information from the Pentagon

The budget subcommittee adjourned with a final bipartisan push for the Pentagon to provide more details about its $1.5 trillion budget request for the coming year.

The leading Democrat and Republican also noted the more professional tenor of the hearing, which did not feature the name-calling and other tense exchanges that have defined Hegseth’s previous Hill appearances.

“This is the way these hearings should be conducted, especially when it’s dealing with national defense,” said McCollum, the ranking Democrat, after urging Hegseth to answer the panel’s questions by the end of next week.

“I thank everyone for a respectful hearing, but we need the information, Mr. Secretary,” she added.

Rep. Ken Calvert, the Republican chair, clarified that the committee wants details both for the Pentagon’s more immediate supplemental funding request and the larger proposal for fiscal 2027.

The subcommittee plans to more formally consider the administration’s requests on June 11.

Hegseth says ceasefire with Iran remains in effect despite exchange of fire

He said “it’s evident” the ceasefire remains in effect in response to questions from lawmakers Tuesday.

“Cease fire means the fire is ceasing and we know that has occurred while negotiations occur,” Hegseth said even as the U.S. military said it intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz last week.

Hegseth also said restarting military escorts of merchant shipping known as Project Freedom “could always recommence should the commander in chief want us to.”

As Trump heads to Beijing, Caine and lawmakers make clear China is a main focus

Caine told the panel the Pentagon wants “a range and mix of capabilities that create outsized dilemmas for XI Jinping and others that are out there, to ensure that we maintain and sustain deterrence.”

He added that it’s “our primary focus” to assess the risks and ensure that Trump and Hegseth can always consider “a range of military options across the world.”

Caine’s statement comes hours before Trump departs for a summit with Xi.

The Joint Chiefs chair was responding to Rep. Hal Rogers. The Kentucky Republican is among several lawmakers raising concerns about China.

Earlier, the chairman of the full Appropriations Committee, Tom Cole, said “China is modernizing its military at a pace and scale that is alarming.”

Rogers, in his questioning of Caine, said he appreciated the administration’s push for more money to bolster U.S. manufacturing for weaponry but cautioned that “we’re competing against the speed” at which China can build up its military.

The cost of the Iran War climbs to nearly $29 billion

The Pentagon’s top budget official told Congress the Defense Department now believes the cost of Operation Epic Fury is “closer to $29 (billion).”

Jules Hurst, the Pentagon comptroller, told Congress in testimony Tuesday that the estimate has climbed from the $25 billion he provided lawmakers nearly two weeks ago “because of updated repair and replacement of equipment ... and also just general operational costs.”

Hegseth claims reports of munition shortages are ‘overstated’

In response to lawmakers arguing the U.S. military is facing issues in replenishing the bombs and missiles it has expended in the war with Iran, Hegseth said the Pentagon is “well aware of all those dynamics.”

“The munitions issue has been foolishly and unhelpfully overstated,” Hegseth claimed before adding “we know exactly what we have, we have plenty of what we need.”

The comments come just days after Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly told “Face the Nation” on Sunday that it’s “shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines.”

Hegseth fired back on social media saying Kelly was “blabbing on TV (falsely & dumbly) about a (asterisk)CLASSIFIED(asterisk) Pentagon briefing he received.”

Hegseth sidesteps question about scaling back the Iran war

The defense secretary wouldn’t say anything specific about the next steps in Iran.

“We have a plan to escalate if necessary. We have a plan to retrograde if necessary. We have a plan to shift assets,” Hegseth told the subcommittee.

He was responding to Rep. Betty McCollum, the panel’s ranking Democrat, asking whether the administration has a “Plan B” to scale back operations.

US consumer prices rise 3.8% as Iran war sends energy prices higher

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that its consumer price index rose 3.8% from April 2025. On a month-to-month basis, April prices rose 0.6% from March as gasoline prices rose 5.4%.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called consumer core prices rose 0.4% last month from March and 2.8% from April 2025, relatively modest readings that suggest the energy price burst isn’t spilling over much yet into other prices.

Inflation had been dropping more or less steadily since peaking with a 9.1% year-over-year spike in prices in June 2022, a surge caused by supply chain bottlenecks at the end of COVID-19 lockdowns and an energy price shock following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But inflation remained above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

Then, the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and Tehran responded by shutting off access to the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes. Energy prices rocketed in response.

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Defense Secretary Hegseth defends ‘historic’ budget request

Hegseth said the “admittedly a historic budget” the Pentagon is requesting from Congress is “a fiscally responsible budget, and it is a warfighting budget.”

Hegseth argued that the Trump administration inherited a defense industrial base that had been “hollowed out by years of America last policies, resulting in a diminished capability and capacity to project strength.”

However, in contrast with his Congressional testimony two weeks ago, Hegseth struck a much softer tone and did not personally criticize lawmakers in his initial remarks.

Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat from Minnesota, specifically noted that “it was disappointing that you referred to members of both parties as defeatist” in previous testimony.

“I will not question your patriotism, nor will you question mine,” she added.

The defense secretary said the $1.5 trillion request also includes a large troop pay increase and “eliminates all poor or failing barracks” while investing heavily in projects championed by President Trump such as the Golden Dome and Golden Fleet.

House Appropriations Committee chair subtly pushes against Trump approach

Rep. Tom Cole, the top Republican on the powerful House money committee, added his concerns about Trump’s approach on the world stage, saying “America First has never meant American alone.”

“American power is most effective when it’s exercised in concert with like minded nations who share our interests and our values,” the chairman said in his opening remarks.

He added an endorsement of NATO as a “critical pillar of collective defense” in the world.

“American strength is not diminished when allies shoulder their share,” he said. “It’s multiplied, and we must continue to sharpen our strategic advantages.”

Cole, an Oklahoma Republican, did not explicitly mention the president or his criticism of NATO and traditional U.S. allies. But his remarks stood as a clear contrast to Trump’s statements and approach.

Top Republican and Democrat open with concerns about Pentagon strategy

Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert, a California Republican, and Ranking Member Betty McCollum, a Democrat from Minnesota, opened the hearing expressing bipartisan worry over the Pentagon’s budget requests, especially to fund the Iran war.

They repeated their request that the Trump administration offer a more detailed breakout of what the war costs and how the Pentagon would spend any budget increase.

“The subcommittee needs to understand how the resources requested in this budget translates into real, measurable improvements in warfighting capability,” Calvert said, adding that he has “serious concerns” about the request.

“Questions persist about whether we are building the depth and reliance required for a high-end conflict,” he said.

McCollum noted that lawmakers have “asked several times for a complete update on ammunition levels, and it has not been provided.”

Lawmakers begin hearing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine

The House Appropriations’ defense subcommittee has opened its Tuesday session to hear from President Trump’s top advisers on the Iran war.

The hearing is part of a series of congressional budget deliberations. The Pentagon is asking for $1.5 trillion for fiscal 2027, a roughly 44% increase from the current U.S. defense budget.

Hegseth has had contentious exchanges with Democrats in recent appearances on the Hill. But he’s been a staunch defender of the Iran war even as public opinion sours on the conflict.

Ryan Cohen’s GameStop disclosed earlier this month that it was pursuing a takeover of eBay, seeing it as a vehicle to compete with online retail giant Amazon.

The national gaming retailer said at the time that its approximately 1,600 U.S. stores could become drop-off and shipping locations. One proposal included live sales broadcasts from GameStop locations featuring eBay products.

GameStop’s bid is worth $125 per share in cash and stock. The equity value of the proposed deal is $55 billion on paper. The company previously said that it started accumulating shares in eBay beginning in February and currently has a 5% stake.

In a letter from eBay Chairman Paul Pressler sent to Cohen, eBay's board said that it had completed its review of GameStop's offer and believes that eBay is a “strong, resilient business.”

“With its differentiated global marketplace and a clear strategy, eBay’s board is confident that the company, under its current management team, is well-positioned to continue to drive sustainable growth, execute with discipline, and deliver long-term value for our shareholders,” the letter said.

GameStop did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company's stock fell 4% before the market open on Tuesday.

Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, said in an online post that it “reached an agreement with the unauthorized actor involved in this incident.”

The company didn’t provide any details on the agreement, including whether it involved a payment, and didn’t elaborate who was behind the hack. Instructure temporarily took the system offline while it investigated, locking out students and faculty.

A hacking group named ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for last week’s breach, threatening to leak data involving nearly 9,000 schools worldwide and 275 million individuals if schools did not pay a ransom by May 6. The group then extended the deadline, indicating some schools had engaged with them to negotiate.

As part of the deal, the data was returned to Instructure. The company said Monday that it also received “digital confirmation” that the hackers destroyed any remaining copies, in the form of ”shred logs.”

The company acknowledged that there was no way to be sure that the data was erased for good, and said it took action because of concerns about potential publication of the data.

“While there is never complete certainty when dealing with cyber criminals, we believe it was important to take every step within our control to give customers additional peace of mind, to the extent possible,” Instructure said.

The data breach appeared to involve student ID numbers, email addresses, names and messages on the Canvas platform, Instructure’s chief information security officer, Steve Proud, said earlier this month. The company found no evidence that passwords, dates of birth, government identification or financial information were compromised, it said.

The company said it was working with “expert vendors” to do a forensic analysis, “further harden” its systems, and carry out a “comprehensive review of the data involved.”

The disruption caused panic last week among students and faculty members when they were locked out of a platform they rely on to manage grades and access course notes and assignments.

Schools and universities use Canvas to manage nearly all aspects of instruction. The platform acts as a gradebook, a hub for digital lectures and course materials, a discussion board for classroom projects, and a messaging platform between students and instructors.

Some courses also give quizzes and exams on the platform, or use it as a portal where final projects and papers are submitted on deadline.

According to police, the victims arrived Thursday afternoon at the McDonald’s located at 17730 Collins Ave. to pick up DoorDash delivery orders when one of them accidentally brushed Clifford Atis, 36, of northwest Miami-Dade, with his elbow.

Police said Atis immediately punched the victim in the face and when the second victim attempted to intervene to defuse the situation, Atis said, “I’m going to shoot you guys” before leaving the restaurant and heading toward his vehicle.

After Atis retrieved a gray item from his car, the victims, who went outside to tell him to wait for police to arrive, ran back inside the restaurant after seeing him holding what they believed to be a gun, police said.

Police said they later found the weapon inside Atis’ vehicle.

Officers took Atis into custody on two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and one count of battery.

As of Monday afternoon, Atis remained behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $10,000 bond.

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According to an arrest report obtained Monday by Local 10 News, Janice Garcia, of Miami, surrendered herself Sunday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

She faces charges of DUI and DUI causing serious bodily injury.

According to the report, the crash happened just after 3:30 a.m. on April 11 as Deputy Josh Brown and another deputy were patrolling the Kendall District as a two-officer unit.

Deputies said Garcia struck Brown with her blue Mazda MZ3 as he was outside his patrol car in the 8500 block of Southwest 99^th Court.

Brown told detectives that Garcia flashed her vehicle’s high beams at him, and his partner said Garcia was driving very close to the edge of the roadway.

According to the report, Brown tried to move out of the car’s path, but was struck and propelled through the air.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel transported the deputy to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Authorities confirmed Brown suffered a concussion and numerous other injuries throughout his body, and had to receive a skin graft and undergo ankle surgery.

According to the report, Garcia appeared to be distraught after the crash and had “slurred speech, bloodshot, watery eyes” and her breath smelled like an alcoholic beverage.

A member of MDSO’s Impaired Driving Enforcement Squad said Garcia told him “Tell me what my rights are” before agreeing to participate in field sobriety tests, which she failed.

She also agreed to provide blood samples, which showed her blood-alcohol content level was .156 percent and .154 percent, above Florida’s .08% limit for drivers, the report stated.

The Hispanic Police Officers Association posted a photo of Brown on its Instagram page after Garcia’s arrest, showing some of his injuries.

“Please continue keeping Deputy Brown and his family in your thoughts and prayers,” the post read in part.

Garcia appeared in bond court on Monday where her attorney told the judge that his client has no prior criminal record and works as a mental health counselor for kids.

He asked for the standard bond, but the judge went with the state’s request for an elevated bond of $15,000.

If she posts bond, she will be placed on house arrest and will not be allowed to drive.

“Deputy Brown is very seriously injured as a result of a careless and reckless driving behavior by a DUI (driver),” David Greenwell, of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association said. “He will probably never be the same and he’s lucky he’s alive today.”

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Online jail records show Cira Quinones Lewis, 60, faces charges of driving with a suspended license and failing to return driver’s license or register with insurance company. She is also being jailed on an immigration hold.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash occurred late Sunday morning along the westbound lanes of I-75 to the west of Indian Trade Road.

Lewis was driving a black Ford Fiesta and was there to assist her son, whose vehicle had become disabled on the side of the road due to a flat tire, according to an arrest form.

Police said Lewis came to a stop in the outside lane of I-75, which caused a pileup after the vehicle behind her stopped, but the vehicle behind that one did not.

Authorities confirmed that two people have died from their injuries, while three others were injured, including a 1-year-old girl who was hospitalized in critical condition.

One of the deceased victims has been identified as Lucia Casco, 58, who was a passenger in the vehicle that was directly behind Lewis.

All of the injured victims were taken to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.

First responders closed all westbound lanes of I-75 while processing the scene. The highway fully reopened shortly after 4 p.m.

As of Monday morning, Quinones Lewis remained held at the Broward County Main Jail.

The circumstances leading up to the crash remain under investigation, and it’s unclear which driver was at fault.

Officers took Fabrice Jack Janvier into custody on Friday along the 900 block of Northwest 196th Terrace.

According to authorities, an Amazon driver was attempting to deliver a package when Janvier came out of the home next door and threw a machete in her direction.

Police said Janvier then picked up the machete, “raising it as if he intended to strike her with it,” causing the Amazon driver to run to her vehicle and drive away while Janvier, “chased after her with the machete,” according to an arrest form.

Responding officers went to Janvier’s home and spoke with him there, where officers saw the machete in his possession, authorities said.

With the help of Janvier’s father, officers were able to have him safely exit the home, police added.

Janvier is facing a charge of attempted aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and as of Monday morning, he remained behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $10,000 bond.

Investments worth 23 billion euros ($27 billion) will fund various sectors in Africa including, energy, AI and agriculture, Macron said, adding that 14 billion euros ($16.4 billion) will come from French companies and 9 billion euros ($10.5 billion) from African entities.

Macron said the summit marks a financial shift in relationships between the European nation and African countries, including those that once were its colonies.

President William Ruto of Kenya, which is co-hosting the summit with France, referred to sovereignty eight times in his speech on the summit's final day. He reiterated that the days of European dependency were over for Africa in favor of mutual respect between cooperating nations.

New partnerships between the African nations and France “must not be built on dependency but on sovereign equality, not on aid or charity but on mutually beneficial investment, and not on extraction or exploitation but on win-win engagements," Ruto said.

The event, which is set to close Tuesday with a declaration that is expected to be signed by all 30 heads of state and government, comes at the height of a fallout between France and its former colonies, mostly in West Africa.

France has long maintained a colonial policy of economic, political and military sway dubbed Françafrique, which included keeping thousands of troops in the region it controlled.

After years of criticism from leaders and opposition parties in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso over what they described as a demeaning and heavy-handed approach, France has withdrawn most of those troops. It completed the withdrawal of troops from Senegal in July.

Macron said Paris will be respectful of each African country's independence, adding that “sovereignty and autonomy is shared, and your success is our success.”

France’s new strategy, according to Macron, is based on a shared agenda and the “days of offering assistance are behind us.”

“I’d like to focus on co-investment,” he said.

Macron hailed a strong show of unity from the African heads of state and governments as “an image of a united continent with a shared agenda.”

The ICC in The Hague unsealed Monday an arrest warrant for Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former national police chief who first enforced then- President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drugs crackdowns that left thousands of mostly petty suspects dead.

Originally issued in November, the warrant charges dela Rosa with the crime against humanity of murder of “no less than 32 persons” allegedly committed between July 2016 and the end of April 2018 in the Philippines.

“If I have something to answer for, I will face those in our local courts and not before foreigners,” dela Rosa told reporters in the Senate, which took him into “protective custody” Monday when he reappeared after months of absence.

“I will avail of all legal processes,” he said, and pleaded to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.: “Don’t bring me to The Hague.”

After winning the presidency in 2016, Duterte designated dela Rosa, a loyal ally, as head of the national police force, which enforced the brutal campaign against illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa also once headed the police force in the southern city of Davao, where Duterte served as a longtime mayor and built a political name for his extra tough approach to crimes.

“My role was to lead the war on drugs, and that war on drugs was not meant to annihilate people,” dela Rosa said when he was asked about the huge death toll.

“When the lives of police officers came under threat, of course they needed to defend themselves,” dela Rosa said.

Duterte’s six-year term ended in mid-2022. He was arrested in March last year and detained by the ICC in the Netherlands, where he is now awaiting trial for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with several killings under his crackdowns.

Duterte withdrew the Philippines in 2019 from the ICC, in a move human rights activists say was aimed at escaping accountability. The court, however, said it retained jurisdiction over crimes committed when the Philippines was still a member.

Asked if the Philippines will enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant against dela Rosa, officials suggested they were ready and could surrender him to the global court’s jurisdiction like Duterte under a Philippine law enacted to address crimes against humanity like genocide.

“We have an obligation that all those who should be held to account should be held responsible,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a news briefing.

Dela Rosa cannot invoke a privilege of immunity from arrest while attending formal sessions or staying within the Senate because the crimes he allegedly committed were serious and punishable by a long prison term, Castro said.

Police have deployed nearly 350 law enforcers outside the Senate, sparking concerns from dela Rosa and allied senators, but officials said they were assigned to keep order and not to eventually help arrest the senator.

Three people on the cruise died, including a Dutch couple that health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America.

The passenger with the latest confirmed hantavirus case was in quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid. Other Spanish nationals taken from the cruise ship to the same hospital have all tested negative for the virus, the health ministry said.

With the evacuation of all passengers and many crew members completed, the MV Hondius is now sailing back to the Netherlands, where it will be cleaned and disinfected.

The director of the World Health Organization, who was in Madrid, said confirmed and suspected cases have only been reported among the cruise ship's passengers or crew.

“At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general. He added: “But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”

Meanwhile, a dozen staff members at a Dutch hospital where a hantavirus patient is being treated were told to quarantine after incorrectly handling bodily fluids.

A French woman evacuated from the stricken ship and taken to a Paris hospital remained in intensive care in stable condition, according to the French government.

Health authorities say it’s the first hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. While there is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus, the WHO says early detection and treatment improves survival rates.

Argentina sending experts to investigate source of outbreak

Argentina’s health ministry said Tuesday a team of scientific experts will be dispatched in the coming days to investigate the origin of outbreak.

A Dutch couple, identified by the WHO as the first cruise passengers infected with hantavirus, spent several months in Argentina and neighboring South American countries before boarding the cruise ship. The husband and wife later died.

Argentine officials have said the couple took a bird-watching tour that included a stop at a garbage dump where they may have been exposed to rodents carrying the infection. The health ministry said its team will investigate the landfill and other locations the couple visited where rats known to carry the virus are found.

The evacuation of the MV Hondius is complete

A total of 87 passengers and 35 crew were escorted from the ship to shore in Tenerife by personnel in full-body protective gear and breathing masks in a carefully choreographed effort that ended Monday night.

Two aircraft arrived in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven overnight carrying Dutch nationals as well as passengers from Australia and New Zealand and crew members from the Philippines. All were placed into quarantine, according to the Dutch government.

Some crew stayed aboard the ship and set course for the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, said ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions.

Hantavirus usually spreads from rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people. But the Andes virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases. Symptoms — which can include fever, chills and muscle aches — usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.

WHO chief Tedros has advised that returning passengers should stay in quarantine, either in their homes or in other facilities, for 42 days. He added that WHO cannot enforce its guidance, and that different countries may handle the monitoring of passengers without symptoms in different ways.

Dutch hospital staff quarantined

Twelve employees at a Dutch hospital where a passenger from the Hondius is being treated have to quarantine for six weeks after improperly handling bodily fluids, Radboud University Medical Center said in a statement Monday night.

The “risk of infection is low” the hospital said, but was requiring the dozen employees to go into preventive quarantine as a “precaution.”

The hospital in the eastern city of Nijmegen received a passenger last week from one of the evacuation flights that landed in the Netherlands and the person has since tested positive for hantavirus.

Blood and urine from the patient should have been handled “according to a stricter procedure,” the hospital said.

___

This story has been corrected to show that the WHO says nine hantavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide. Two suspected cases have been reported but not confirmed. ___

Bynum reported from Savananh, Georgia. Associated Press writers Suman Naishadham in Madrid; Molly Quell in The Hague, Netherland; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Isabel DeBre in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

The company, which revolutionized online shopping in 2005 with two-day deliveries for Prime members, is rapidly opening small order-processing hubs in dozens of U.S. and foreign cities to cater to shoppers who can't or don't want to wait for cough medicine to relieve flu symptoms or tomatoes for tonight's dinner salad.

The ultrafast service, called Amazon Now, first launched in India last June. Amazon says 30-minute deliveries now are also available in urban areas of Brazil, Mexico, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The mini-warehouses devoted to Amazon Now are about the size of a CVS drugstore. They stock about 3,500 products for expedited delivery, including beer, diapers, pet food, meat, nonprescription medications, playing cards and cellphone charging cables.

“We know that customers love speed and always have,” Beryl Tomay, Amazon’s head of transportation, told The Associated Press on Monday. “What we see customers doing, when we offer faster speeds, are they purchase more from Amazon. And Amazon becomes more top of mind for that or other types of items as well.”

In the U.S., the company first tested Amazon Now in Seattle, the home of its headquarters, and in Philadelphia. Most residents of Atlanta and the Dallas-Fort Worth area now have access as well. The service also is live or expected to land by year-end in Houston, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Florida, and dozens of other cities, Amazon said.

The service charges for Amazon Now start at $3.99 for Prime members, who pay an annual fee of $139, and $13.99 for non-members. A $1.99 small basket fee applies to orders under $15, Amazon said.

The company's bet on a need for speed also comes as some consumers are rebelling against rushed deliveries as they weigh the potential impact on the environment and the workers tasked with preparing orders at a rapid rate.

Amazon’s approach

A relentless focus on speed helped Amazon build a logistics and e-commerce empire. After it made two days the new delivery time normal, Amazon moved into one-day and same-day deliveries for its Prime members. This spring, the company began making 90,000 products available in one hour or three hours at an extra cost.

The scaled down and sped up microhubs that are designed to handle 30-minute orders represent another step in Amazon's pursuit.

Only a handful of people prepare orders from aisles of shelves in the 5,000- to 10,000-square-foot facilities, unlike the sprawling fulfillment centers storing millions of items where Amazon employs a mix of human workers and robotics to pick and pack orders.

Amazon tailors the product inventory to each location and uses artificial intelligence and other technology to analyze what customers buy, as well as when and how often. The most popular U.S. purchases so far include soap, toothpaste, mouthwash, toilet plungers, bananas, limes and wireless earbuds, Amazon said.

The competition

Amazon’s attempt to up the instant gratification ante provides direct competition to on-demand food delivery platforms like Instacart, Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub, which don't have the scale of the e-commerce titan, according to independent retail analyst Bruce Winder.

“What Amazon brings is their prowess in supply chain,” Winder said.

These smaller companies said they don't see Amazon as a threat, though, citing the hundreds of thousands of items they are able to deliver to users' doorsteps by partnering with various merchants and restaurants.

“DoorDash has a mission to empower grocers and retailers and augment their existing footprint, not to replace them,” DoorDash spokesperson Ali Musa said in an emailed statement. “We win only when they win, which is how we can offer over half a million grocery and retail items in under an hour across the country.”

Amazon also is in a race with Walmart to become the retailer that reliably gets orders to online shoppers in under an hour.

For an additional $10 on top of standard delivery charges, shoppers can place Walmart Express Delivery orders from among more than 100,000 products that are guaranteed to arrive in an hour. Many customers, however, are receiving the items under 30 minutes, Walmart CEO John Furner told analysts in February.

Domino's cautionary tale

Companies have promised deliveries in 30 minutes or less before, but the landscape also is littered with failed attempts to break the speed barrier.

The COVID-19 pandemic produced a flurry of companies that promised 10- to 15-minute grocery deliveries from microwarehouses in dense neighborhoods, according to Sucharita Kodali, an analyst at market research firm Forrester Research.

But soaring operating costs, low customer loyalty and the drying up of investor money ultimately caused most to fail before the pandemic was over, analysts said.

Domino’s in 1984 pushed a guarantee that customers would receive their pizzas for free if they weren't delivered in under a half-hour. The company amended the “30 minutes or it’s free” policy after two years, providing only a $3 discount for late deliveries.

The promotion helped Domino’s win market share, but it ended up tarnishing the company's reputation. It dropped the guarantee in December 1993 after a string of crashes and lawsuits involving drivers racing to meet the deadline.

Brad Jashinsky, a retail analyst at information technology research and consulting firm Gartner, said he thinks Amazon should take the pizza chain's experience as a cautionary tale.

“You get in trouble when you start overpromising something like that,” he said.

Amazon won't be making any time guarantees and instead plans to keep customers who chose the 30-minute delivery option updated on the progress of their orders, Tomay said.

“There's no rushing either in our building workers or the gig workers,” she said.

Taking it slow

Kodali thinks Amazon will need a lot of people placing orders around the same time from the same or adjacent apartment buildings for the 30-minute service to be cost-effective.

Consumers may appreciate rapid receipt of products like toilet paper and batteries, but retailers and logistics experts said they also see some online shoppers, especially members of Generation Z, choosing no-rush shipping for products they don't need in a hurry.

Amazon for several years has invited customers to skip one- or two-day delivery and to receive their orders on the same day in as few parcels as possible. Consolidating orders into fewer packages by electing to have them delivered at the same time cuts down on boxes, shipping envelopes and fuel use, analysts said.

“The millennials who came to age in an era that was on fast delivery came to expect it de facto, whereas ... Gen Z is more accepting of a slower speed than previous generations before them,” said Darby Meegan, a general manager at Flexport, a supply chain and logistics company that fulfills orders for thousands of online merchants.

Still, Amazon executives have cited positive early results for Amazon Now in India, where they said Prime members tripled their requests for 30-minute deliveries once they started using the service.

Amazon Now also is attracting more repeat American customers, Tomay said.

“It’s in early days and time will tell,” she said. “I think that it will be interesting to see how it evolves.”

Dozens of Labour lawmakers are calling on Starmer to resign, though several ministers publicly spoke of their support for Starmer as they left a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

The prime minister has insisted he has no intention of resigning. Starmer could be forced out if one-fifth of sitting Labour lawmakers, or at least 80 or them, agree to back a lawmaker to challenge him. So far, no formal leadership challenge has been triggered.

In a blow to Starmer, a junior minister became the first member of his government to quit on Tuesday.

Here's the latest:

Deputy leader says Starmer has his full support

David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, has urged lawmakers to step back from calling for Starmer to step down and to stop benefiting their political rivals.

Starmer “has my full support, and what I say to colleagues is, look, let’s just step back. Take a breath,” Lammy told reporters. “Let’s get on with the business of running this country.”

“I urge colleagues to step back and not benefit Nigel Farage and Reform,” he added, referring to the hard-right, anti-immigration party that made major gains in local elections last week.

Starmer could be latest PM turned out by revolving door of British politics

If Keir Starmer steps aside, Britain could get its fifth prime minister in four years.

Starmer’s Labour Party ousted the Conservatives in 2024 following 14 years in power that saw a series of chaotic leadership changes.

Liz Truss replaced Boris Johnson in September 2022 but only lasted 45 days after announcing unfunded tax cuts that spooked markets.

The party elected Rishi Sunak to succeed her, but he failed to rally public support for the Tories who were badly beaten by Starmer’s party in the general election.

US ambassador to London speaks about ‘frequent turnover’ of British leaders

Ambassador Warren Stephens was asked about whether political instability in the U.K. makes it more difficult for Washington to work with the British government.

“I don’t really think so. I think the policies don’t really change that much so long as the party in power is still in power,” he told LBC Radio.

“But certainly the ability to have personal relationships matters, and to the extent that there’s frequent turnover, that’s a problem,” he said.

Stephens added that the special U.K.-U.S. relationship “goes on regardless of who our political leaders are.”

Doctor quits Starmer’s government

A junior health minister is the latest to quit Keir Starmer’s government, blaming him for massive election losses last week in Scotland.

In a letter to Starmer, Dr. Zubir Ahmed wrote that at “door after door your name was specifically cited as the driving reason” Labour voters in Scotland had turned away from the party.

“It is clear from recent days, that the public across the U.K. has now irretrievably lost confidence in you as Prime Minister,” Ahmed said.

He said the U.K. government had inadvertently been the “midwife” that delivered the Scottish National Party to a fifth term leading the parliament in Scotland, which he said was “as intolerable as it was avoidable.”

Ahmed said he was resigning with a “heavy heart” after his achievements were “dwarfed and undermined by a lack of values-driven leadership.”

More than 100 Labour lawmakers reportedly sign a statement rejecting a leadership contest

Amid a flurry of calls within Starmer’s Labour Party for him to step down, British media report that some 100 lawmakers signed a statement supporting the prime minister.

The BBC, Press Association and others reported that lawmakers urged party members to “work together to deliver the change the country needs” after Labour suffered heavy losses at local elections across the U.K. last week.

“We must focus on that. This is no time for a leadership contest,” the statement reportedly said.

Downing Street statement silent on political chaos

In a statement about the Cabinet meeting earlier Tuesday, Starmer’s office said senior ministers are focused on the conflict in the Middle East and getting the Strait of Hormuz reopened.

It made no mention of the growing calls from Labour lawmakers for Starmer to resign, or his pledge to “get on with governing.”

Starmer appeared to be carrying on with the business of government, chairing a committee on responding to the Middle East conflict around noon.

Another minister resigns

Alex Davies-Jones, the minister for tackling violence against women and girls, wrote in a letter to Starmer to “act in the country’s interest and set out a timetable for your departure.”

She called Starmer a “good and honest man,” but described the scale of Labour’s defeat at last week’s local elections as “catastrophic.”

“The country has spoken and we must listen,” she wrote. “We waited fourteen years to get into power and change the lives of those we represent. The time now is for bold, radical action.”

“We have needed to do more and therefore it is with a very heavy heart that I feel I have no choice but to resign,” she said.

Second minister resigns from Keir Starmer’s government

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has lost a second member of his government amid a growing chorus of Labour Party members to resign.

Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, announced her resignation in a letter Tuesday.

“I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things,” she wrote. “However I have seen first-hand how that is not enough.”

“I know you care deeply, but deeds, not words are what matter,” she added. “I want a Labour government to work and I will strive as I always have for its success and popularity, but I’m not seeing the change I think I, and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.”

The king’s speech

The political crisis engulfing Starmer’s government comes just hours ahead of the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday.

King Charles III will deliver the King’s Speech to mark the beginning of a new parliamentary year. The speech, which is written by officials but read out by the monarch, will set out the government’s legislative agenda for the coming months.

“As far as I’m aware, the King’s Speech is going ahead tomorrow,” Starmer’s chief secretary, Darren Jones, said.

Growing number of lawmakers demand Starmer stand down

At least 80 out of Labour’s 403 lawmakers have now demanded the prime minister stand down, or at least set out a timetable for his departure, after Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections last week.

However, so far no Labour lawmaker has announced they will challenge Starmer for the leadership.

What to know about contenders who could replace Starmer as Britain’s Labour leader

While there is no clear frontrunner to replace Starmer, here are some of the leading contenders for the top job:

1. Wes Streeting - The health secretary is widely regarded as one of the government’s best communicators and has led on one of its key pledges, improving the creaky National Health Service. 2. Angela Rayner - the formerdeputy prime minister has long set herself apart as a different kind of politician with a compelling personal story. She was brought up in social housing and left school at 16 as a teen mother. 3. Andy Burnham - The former cabinet minister has long been seen as a potential rival for Starmer. But his leadership prospects were dented after Labour blocked him from standing as the party’s candidate for Parliament. 4. Ed Miliband - The energy secretaryis a former Labour leader, but his five years at the top of the party ended in the party’s 2015 election defeat. 5. Shabana Mahmood - The home secretary has become a favorite of many on the right of the Labour Party with her moves to tighten border controls and crack down on immigration.

British minister says ‘cabinet united’ around Starmer

A cabinet member in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government said there was no direct challenge to his leadership at Tuesday’s meeting.

Jenny Chapman, minister of international development, said she did not think Starmer’s authority had been destroyed by dozens of Labour Party members calling for him to step down.

“That’s not what I have just seen around the Cabinet table,” she told reporters outside 10 Downing St. “I saw a Cabinet united and focused on dealing with the issues that are confronting the British people.”

UK health secretary ignores shouted questions

U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, long believed to be preparing for a leadership challenge against U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, didn’t comment as he left the Cabinet meeting at Downing Street.

“Wes Streeting, do you want the job, or not?” one person yelled from across the street. “Are you measuring the curtains?”

He was among senior ministers who dodged a barrage of shouted questions from a scrum of reporters gathered outside.

Starmer showing ‘steadfast leadership,’ Cabinet minister says

U.K. Business Secretary Peter Kyle has voiced support for embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer is showing “really steadfast leadership,” Kyle told reporters as he left the Cabinet meeting.

Kyle says the meeting discussed the economy and issues facing society. He said that he was on his way to Brussels to deepen the U.K. relationship with the European Union — one of the goals Starmer announced Monday as he delivered a speech aimed at winning back support.

No one has made a leadership challenge yet, official says

A U.K. official says that nobody had yet made a challenge to the leadership of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“The prime minister talked about the challenges we faced as a country, the crisis in the Middle East and the impact on the cost of living here,” Liz Kendall, the secretary of science, innovation and technology, told reporters as she left a Cabinet meeting.

“This government will do what we were elected to do, which is serve the British people. The prime minister has my full support in this,” Kendall said.

“There is a process to challenge the leader. Nobody has made that challenge,” she said.

Treasury chief pulls out of business event

U.K. Treasury chief Rachel Reeves won’t be taking part in a London risk summit that she was due to appear at after attending a Cabinet meeting.

Her place will be taken by Treasury minister Lucy Rigby.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is in turmoil as dozens of Labour Party lawmakers joined calls for him to quit, after poor local election results for the party last week.

UK housing secretary urges support for Starmer

Housing Secretary Steve Reed has urged Labour Party colleagues to support Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he faces calls to step down.

Reed posted a message on social media during a meeting of Starmer’s Cabinet.

“This is not a game,” Reed said on X. “This instability has consequences for people’s lives. The people who will be hurt most will be those that elected us less than two years ago. We must unite behind the Prime Minister.”

Treasury chief pulls out of business event

The Treasury confirmed that Rachel Reeves has pulled out of a London risk summit she was expected to take part in after attending a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Her place will be taken by Treasury minister Lucy Rigby.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is in turmoil as dozens of his Labour Party lawmakers joined calls for him to quit Tuesday.

Starmer resolves to stay in office

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer doubled down Tuesday on his resolve to stay in office, despite calls to step down.

Starmer told Cabinet ministers that he took responsibility for devastating losses that his center-left Labour Party suffered in last week’s local elections across the U.K., but he would fight on.

Starmer said there’s a process to oust a leader and that hadn’t been triggered.

“The country expects us to get on with governing,” he said. ”That is what I am doing and what we must do.”

Junior minister quits UK government

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer lost the first member of his government Tuesday as he faced pressure to step down following losses in local elections.

Housing, communities and local government minister Miatta Fahnbulleh stepped down and urged Starmer “to do the right thing for the country” and set a timetable to step aside.

Fahnbulleh, a junior minister who is considered to be on the left of the party, said that she was proud of her service, but that the government hadn't acted with the vision, pace and mandate for change it had been given by voters.

How Starmer could be replaced

The next U.K. national election doesn’t have to be held until 2029, but British politics allows parties to change leader midterm without the need for a general election.

If it comes to it, the simplest option would be for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to announce his intention to resign, triggering an election for the Labour leadership. A resignation announcement could possibly come if members of his Cabinet tell Starmer in their regular meeting on Tuesday that he has lost too much support within the party.

If Starmer doesn’t resign, he could face a challenge from one or more Labour lawmakers.

While the Pentagon chief softened his tone from hearings before Congress nearly two weeks ago, notably avoiding the same pointed criticism of lawmakers, he got far more pushback from members of his own Republican Party about the levels of the U.S. munitions used in the Iran war and President Donald Trump’s intense criticism of traditional allies, including NATO countries, for not taking part in the conflict.

“I take issue with the characterization that munitions are depleted in a public forum,” Hegseth told House lawmakers. “That’s not true.”

Even as he insisted that the U.S. military has plenty of missile defense systems and other munitions for the Iran war or future conflicts, Hegseth outlined the Trump administration’s efforts to ramp up production of weapons and other military capabilities in two hearings before Senate and House panels.

The cost of the Iran war has risen to about $29 billion, the vast bulk of which — $24 billion — is related to replacing and repairing munitions but also includes operational costs to keep forces deployed, Pentagon comptroller Jay Hurst told lawmakers. That's up from $25 billion that he told lawmakers nearly two weeks ago.

Republicans tout importance of American allies

Hegseth faced notable pushback from Republicans on the Trump administration's straining of relations with longtime allies, with Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell telling Hegseth that “NATO is the most important military alliance in world history.”

“It seems to me that a lot of the European countries think that we’re reducing our influence there, they’re sort of on their own,” said McConnell, the GOP chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense.

Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, voiced his concerns in a separate hearing, saying that “America First has never meant American alone.”

“American power is most effective when it’s exercised in concert with like-minded nations who share our interests and our values,” Cole said.

Hegseth and Caine face bipartisan pushback on munitions stockpiles

The powerful House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees that oversee defense spending held back-to-back hearings to review the Trump administration’s 2027 military budget proposal, which calls for a historic allocation of $1.5 trillion. But the discussions quickly veered into the handling of a war that appears locked in a stalemate as higher fuel prices pose political problems for Republicans in the midterm congressional elections.

Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, told Hegseth that the "question must be answered at the end of this crisis: What have we accomplished and at what cost?”

“This administration has not presented Congress with any kind of clear or coherent strategy week to week, day to day, hour to hour," DeLauro said. "The rationale shifts, the objectives change. The end game is ill-defined when it is defined at all.”

California Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, the House subcommittee's chair, also asked about the impact of the Iran war on military funding as well as the U.S. military's weapons stockpiles.

“Questions persist about whether we are building the depth and reliance required for a high-end conflict,” Calvert said.

Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum, the defense subcommittee's ranking Democrat, pressed Hegseth on whether the military has a plan to draw down troops in the Middle East if Congress passes so-far-unsuccessful efforts to end the Iran war.

“We have a plan to escalate if necessary," Hegseth said. "We have a plan to retrograde if necessary. We have a plan to shift assets.”

He said he would not reveal any next steps publicly. Noting repeated questions from lawmakers over the military's weapons stockpiles, drawn down from the Iran war, Hegseth said the concerns have been “unhelpfully overstated” and that "we have plenty of what we need.”

He said the defense industry has been told to "build more and build faster,” blaming the military industrial base's inadequate capacity on previous administrations and U.S. aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies has painted an alarming picture of U.S. stockpiles of munitions, including interceptors that can defend against incoming enemy missiles on land and sea.

The think tank said in an April analysis that American forces “expended more than half of the prewar inventory” on four key weapons systems and that rebuilding to adequate levels for a possible war with China “will take additional time.”

Trump administration faces pressure from impact of the Iran war

Trump is facing increasing pressure from the economic shocks of Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor where 20% of the world's oil normally flows. The U.S. military in turn has blockaded Iranian ports and the two sides have traded fire, with American forces thwarting attacks on their warships and disabling Tehran-linked oil tankers.

Trump said Monday that the ceasefire is on “massive life support” and criticized Iran for its latest proposal, pointing to his demands that Iran significantly limit its nuclear program.

“I would call it the weakest right now after reading that piece of garbage they sent us,” Trump said.

The Republican president also said he wanted to suspend the federal gas tax to help Americans shoulder surging fuel prices. He has previously said higher costs are worth it to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Tuesday's hearings were giving a mostly new group of lawmakers the chance to grill or applaud Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the planning and execution of the war.

——

Barrow reported from Atlanta.

Starmer tried to shore up support within his Cabinet following a feverish few days in the wake of hefty losses for the Labour Party in local elections last week, which if repeated in a national election that has to be held by 2029 would see it overwhelmingly ejected from power.

Though no one in his Cabinet has quit or publicly stated that the prime minister should set out a timetable for a change in leader, several junior ministers stepped down. The resignations stoked speculation that Starmer could suffer the fate of Boris Johnson in 2022 when dozens of ministers quit en masse and forced his departure.

Around 90 Labour lawmakers, or more than a fifth of the parliamentary party, have now said Starmer should stand down or at least set out a timetable for his departure.

That's not enough to trigger a leadership contest, though, as no candidate has issued a challenge to the prime minister. Under Labour party rules, a fifth of its lawmakers in the House of Commons, or 81 members, must publicly give their backing to a single candidate for a leadership election to take place.

First resignations

On Tuesday, several junior ministers, some of whom were only elected for the first time in Labour's landslide election victory of July 2024, resigned and urged Starmer to do the same for the good of the country as well as the party.

Miatta Fahnbulleh, minister of housing, communities and local government, became the first member of his government to step down, urging Starmer “to do the right thing for the country” and set a timetable for his departure.

She was followed by Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister and a prominent member of the Labour Party. In her resignation letter, she described Starmer as a “good man fundamentally” but unable to make bold changes.

“I know you care deeply, but deeds, not words are what matter,” Phillips said. “I’m not sure we are grasping this rare opportunity with the gusto that’s needed and I cannot keep waiting around for a crisis to push for faster progress.”

Despite winning a landslide election victory in July 2024, Labour’s popularity has sunk and Starmer is getting much of the blame.

The reasons are varied, including a series of policy missteps, a perceived lack of vision on the prime minister's part, a struggling British economy and questions over his judgment — especially over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to Washington despite the envoy’s ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Starmer defiant

At the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Starmer said he took responsibility for the losses in last week’s elections but that he would fight on.

Labour was squeezed from the right and the left, losing votes to both anti-immigrant Reform UK and the Green Party, as well as nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales. The result reflects the increasing fragmentation of U.K. politics, long dominated by Labour and the Conservatives.

Starmer told his Cabinet that there’s a process to oust a leader and that it hadn't been triggered.

“The country expects us to get on with governing,” Starmer said. “The past 48 hours have been destabilizing for government and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families.”

That cost was evident in financial markets on Tuesday, with the interest rate charged on British government bonds up by more than those of comparable nations. That shows that investors think it's increasingly risky to hold British government debt.

As Cabinet members left 10 Downing Street, some voiced their support for the embattled prime minister.

Works and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said nobody publicly challenged Starmer at the meeting, while Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the prime minister was showing “really steadfast leadership.”

Later, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy warned Labour lawmakers that the only beneficiary of the party's “navel-gazing” over Starmer's position is the populist right.

“He has my full support, and what I say to colleagues is, look, let’s just step back," he said. “Take a breath.”

Starmer's efforts to save his position as prime minister came a day ahead of the state opening of Parliament, when the government will present its legislative program for the coming year.

Potential candidates

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, long believed to be preparing for a leadership challenge against Starmer, was among senior ministers who dodged a barrage of shouted questions from a gaggle of reporters outside.

“Wes Streeting, do you want the job, or not?” a man yelled from across the street. “Are you measuring the curtains?”

The other two names often touted as possible successors are Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister who had to quit last year over an unpaid tax bill. She has long set herself apart as a different kind of politician with a compelling personal story, brought up in social housing and leaving school at 16 as a teen mother.

Andy Burnham, the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, is widely perceived to be one of the strongest candidates. but is not eligible to stand at present, because he’s not in Parliament. So to get in the race, he'll have to find a seat where he can be elected. That may involve a close ally of his in the northwest of England vacating his or her seat for him to stand. However, he may be blocked as was the case earlier this year or even if sanctioned, could lose, if last week's results are any guide.

___

Danica Kirka and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

The accusation brought Tuesday came just before U.S. President Donald Trump was to depart for Beijing where he'll meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a high-stakes visit over the war and other issues.

Iran didn't immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait, which came under attack by Iran in the war and during the shaky ceasefire still holding. But that allegation and ongoing attacks throughout the region have threatened to reignite open warfare.

The narrow Strait of Hormuz remains in Iran's chokehold, the U.S. is maintaining a blockade against Iran and negotiations between the two countries appear at a standstill.

With the risk of the conflict breaking out again, Israel has sent Iron Dome air-defense weapons and personnel to operate them in the United Arab Emirates to defend the country during the war, the U.S. ambassador to Israel said.

That underlined the growing relationship between Israel and the UAE, both long suspicious of Iran. It also represents the first publicly acknowledged deployment of Israel's military to the Emirates, home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Kuwait alleges Iran planned attack

Kuwait said a paramilitary Revolutionary Guard team tried to infiltrate Bubiyan Island in the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf near Iraq and Iran on May 1.

It accused the team of planning to carry out “hostile acts,” without elaborating.

Kuwait said it detained four men, and that two escaped when its forces disrupted the attack. Kuwait said one of its security officials was wounded.

Bubiyan Island is home to Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, which is under construction as part of China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. That project also came under Iranian attack during the war.

Kuwait provided no reason for why it delayed linking the attack to Iran after initially announcing it on May 3 without any details. Trump is traveling this week to China for a summit where Iran will likely be a main topic. Beijing long has been a buyer of sanctioned Iranian crude oil and has been hurt by the strait's closure, which has sparked a global energy crisis.

Huckabee says Israel deployed to UAE

U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a one-time presidential candidate, revealed at a conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, that Israel has sent Iron Dome air-defense to the UAE.

The United Arab Emirates diplomatically recognized Israel in 2020. That drew criticism from Iran, long Israel's main regional enemy. Iran didn't immediately respond to Huckabee's remarks, though it has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the Emirates.

The Israeli military declined to comment on Huckabee’s statement about the Iron Dome while the UAE didn't immediately respond.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, was quoted as making comments similar to Huckabee's during an event at the Israeli mission — suggesting the release of the information was intentional, likely with the Emiratis' and Israelis' blessing.

The UAE has faced Iranian missile and drone fire even after the ceasefire was reached last month. It has been trying to signal to nervous investors and the public that it remains open for business and safe.

Huckabee urges other Gulf states to recognize Israel

Huckabee added that he was “very optimistic” that additional countries in the region will soon join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 diplomatic recognition deal that also included the Gulf Arab kingdom of Bahrain, for formal relations with Israel.

However, many Arab states remain incensed by Israel's wide-ranging military campaigns after Hamas' 2023 attack on the country. The Gaza Strip has been leveled and Iran's allies have been attacked across the region.

Huckabee sought to shore up U.S. support for the recent war, suggesting that “Israel is the appetizer, America has always been the entrée" for Iran's theocracy.

“The Gulf states now understood they will have to make a choice — is it more likely they will be attacked by Iran or Israel?" Huckabee asked. "They see that Israel helped us and Iran attacked us. Israel is not trying to take over your land, and is not sending missiles to you.”

Hegseth tells Congress: ‘We have a plan’

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told members of Congress Tuesday that the military was not running low on bombs and missiles amid concerns about its stockpiles.

“We know exactly what we have, we have plenty of what we need,” he said while facing tough questions from Republican and Democratic lawmakers who oversee defense spending.

Hegseth avoided going into specifics about the next steps in Iran. “We have a plan to escalate if necessary. We have a plan to retrograde if necessary. We have a plan to shift assets,” Hegseth said.

The Pentagon’s top budget official told Congress that the cost of the war is close to $29 billion so far — that’s up from an estimate of $25 billion just two weeks ago.

Bahrain sentences two dozen over alleged Iran ties

Prosecutors in Bahrain said Tuesday that at least two dozen people were handed prison sentences on charges including espionage and conspiring with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. They said three were sentenced to life. Others received shorter Iran-related sentences.

Bahrain — an island nation ruled by a Sunni Muslim monarchy with a Shiite-majority population — has sentenced dozens on Iran-related charges since the start of the war. Prosecutors and the Interior Ministry have alleged that Iran maintains cells that carry out espionage and help identify targets there. Rights groups say the island nation has widened a crackdown on dissidents during the war, as well as on Shiites.

___

Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press reporters Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed.

Andriy Yermak is suspected in an alleged 460-million-hryvnia ($10.5 million) money-laundering scheme, the agencies announced late Monday.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy met with the CEO of Palantir Technologies, part of Ukraine’s growing cooperation with the U.S. defense sector, as a three-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire that decreased the fighting but failed to stop it altogether ended Monday.

Russia’s invasion of its neighbor is now in its fifth year, with no sign of a peace settlement within reach.

Graft investigation embarrasses Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said in a Telegram announcement that the investigation into Yermak is ongoing.

The move is a step short of formally charging Yermak, who resigned in November. He was the country’s lead negotiator in talks with the U.S and left during the scandal that brought the biggest threat to Zelenskyy’s government since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The investigation is deeply embarrassing for the Ukrainian leader as he pushes for his country’s admission to the European Union, a process that will likely take years. Endemic corruption is one of the obstacles slowing Ukraine’s admission.

Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council and a key negotiator in U.S. diplomatic peace efforts, has been questioned and is a witness in the case revolving around a luxury real estate development near the capital, prosecutors told a media briefing in Kyiv.

Several other senior officials, including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov, are “implicated” in the case, according to the prosecutors, as is prominent Ukrainian businessman Tymur Mindich.

The graft investigation also involves suspected wrongdoing in Ukraine’s energy sector, the defense industry, and the procurement of drones and other military equipment, they said.

Yermak was a trusted confidant of Zelenskyy, who resisted persistent pressure to replace him, and a powerful figure in the government. Investigators searched his home in November.

Zelenskyy made no public comment on the anti-graft agencies’ announcement, but his press officer, Dmytro Lytvyn, said: “The investigation is ongoing, it’s early to draw conclusions.”

Yermak’s attorney, Ihor Fomin, called the suspicion notice groundless and denied his client’s involvement in the alleged laundering of 460 million hryvnias ($10.5 million) through an elite construction project outside Kyiv.

“In my view, this entire situation has been provoked by public pressure,” Fomin said in an interview with Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.

A decision on whether to bring formal charges against Yermak could still take months.

Zelenskyy holds talks with CEO of US firm Palantir

Zelenskyy said Tuesday he met in Kyiv with Alex Karp, as part of Ukraine’s growing cooperation with the U.S. defense sector.

The Ukrainian leader said in a social media post that Ukraine and Palantir “can be useful to each other.”

“We discussed directions of technological development both in the context of combat operations and civilian needs,” Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messaging app.

Palantir Technologies is an artificial intelligence software company that helps global defense agencies. It specializes in software platforms that collate and analyze large volumes of data and has partnered with Ukraine for several years.

AI can help combatants quickly sift and decipher a huge volume of battlefield information, enabling more accurate attacks, among other things.

Ukraine Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said after meeting with Karp that cooperation with the company is giving Ukraine a technological edge in the war.

It has enabled detailed analysis of air attacks, AI solutions for handling large volumes of reconnaissance data, and the integration of technology in the planning of Ukraine’s deep-strike operations on Russian soil, Fedorov said on Telegram.

Also, Ukraine and Palantir have created a platform for developers to get battlefield data to train AI models, with more than 100 companies currently involved, he said.

Russia launches strikes on Ukraine after relative lull

Ukraine offered to extend the pause in hostilities, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said. But he reported Tuesday that Russia launched over 200 drones against Ukraine overnight, striking civilian infrastructure and killing at least one person and wounding another six.

“It is time to strengthen our positions and force Moscow to end the war,” Sybiha said on X. Russian President Vladimir Putin “must realize that it will only get worse for him.”

Western analysts and officials say Ukraine’s battlefield position has recently improved as it deploys cutting-edge drone technology to hold Russia’s bigger army at bay.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who visited the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions of Ukraine on Tuesday, said he thinks that “the Ukrainians really have momentum” at present.

“Russia is having a phase of weakness, economically as well as in domestic political terms and on the battlefield,” Pistorius said, according to German news agency dpa.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that its air defenses intercepted 30 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions on the border with Ukraine.

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Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

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

The attack took place in Lakki Marwat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police chief Azmat Ullah said. He said that two traffic police officers and a woman were among those killed.

Ullah provided no further details but said traffic police officers were apparently the target of the attack. The bombing also damaged nearby shops. Most of the dead and wounded were passersby, he said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Suspicion in such attacks often falls on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, which has intensified its campaign against Pakistani security forces in recent years. The group is separate from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban government.

However, the Pakistani Taliban denied involvement in Tuesday's attack, saying in a statement that it had learned about the bombing but was not behind it.

The latest attack came days after 15 police officers were killed in a suicide bombing and gun assault on a security post in the nearby Bannu district on Saturday, prompting Islamabad to summon a senior Afghan diplomat to lodge a formal complaint.

Pakistan on Monday blamed that attack on Afghanistan-based Pakistani Taliban.

On Tuesday, Afghan Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in a post on X, rejected Pakistan’s claim that the recent attack in the Bannu district was planned in Afghanistan, calling it baseless.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan believes that problems can be resolved through understanding, mutual respect and genuine cooperation, rather than accusations, threats and emotional reactions,” he said. Mujahid reiterated that Kabul’s position remains that Afghan territory will not be used against any country, and that no one will be allowed to engage in activities that undermine regional security and stability.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Tuesday's attack and conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims.

In a statement, he said the government and all relevant institutions were committed to eliminating terrorism and would not allow militants to obstruct peace and development in the country. He directed authorities to swiftly complete the investigation, identify those responsible and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Pakistani authorities have long accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of sheltering militants. Kabul has denied the allegation, saying it does not allow militants to use Afghan soil to launch attacks against other countries.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent years, straining relations with Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups have grown more emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have persisted, including fighting that has killed hundreds of people since late February. In early April, the two sides held peace talks mediated by China. However, sporadic cross-border clashes have continued, though at a lower intensity than before.

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Associated Press writers Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Abdul Qahar Afghan in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.

The top scorer in league history stuck to the strategy he has taken into the past several summers when he declined to announce his future immediately after the Lakers' final postseason defeat.

He hasn't ruled out retirement or a return to the Lakers, and he said nothing about the possibility of moving to another team as he contemplates an unprecedented 24th NBA season.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously, as it stands right now tonight,” the 41-year-old James said. “I’ve got a lot of time now. I think I said it last year after we lost to Minnesota. I’ll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them, and then obviously when the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do.”

James' record 23rd season ended with a heartbreaking 115-110 loss, completing a four-game sweep of the short-handed Lakers by the defending NBA champions. Los Angeles began the playoffs without NBA scoring champ Luka Doncic and second-leading scorer Austin Reaves due to injury, yet James led the Lakers to a first-round upset of Houston before running into the league's best team in the second round.

“It’s amazing what he’s doing out there at this age," Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It's very impressive. It's hard to put it to words. He's not very old in the grand scheme of life, but for the NBA, he's pretty old, and he doesn't seem like it out there. He was a force. He was the top of the scouting report all series. His size gave us issues at times. He was impressive out there. I'm not sure we'll see anything like that again, his longevity and his greatness.”

James has played in more games, won more games, scored more points and taken more shots than everybody else who ever put on a uniform, but he has never put a limit on his time in the game.

Instead, he repeated his oft-stated declarations that he'll figure it out with his family over a few glasses of wine in the next couple of months.

“Nobody has any idea what the future holds, and I don’t either,” James said. “I’ll take time to recalibrate and look over the season and see what’s best for my future, and when I get to that point, everyone will know.”

James showed only marginal signs of age's encroachment in his 23rd season, continuing to play versatile basketball at an elite level throughout the Lakers' successful regular season.

Injuries forced his largest compromises: He missed training camp and the first 14 games of the season with sciatica, and he missed eight additional games during the regular season, eliminating him from consideration for inclusion on the All-NBA teams for the 22nd consecutive time.

With Doncic winning the NBA scoring title and Reaves emerging as a legitimate top-level NBA scorer, James willingly assumed a supporting role as the No. 3 option in the Lakers' offense — and it worked.

His 20.9 points per game were his fewest since his rookie season, largely because his 3-point shooting accuracy declined to 31.7%, and his 33.2 minutes per game were his fewest ever. Yet he contributed 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds with another season of steady performances — and when the Lakers needed him to step up, he did it repeatedly.

“It was so many different seasons in one season with our ballclub,” James said. “Obviously injuries played a big part in it, but as far as our identity, I thought it was super-resilient.”

James was chosen for the All-Star Game for the 22nd time, and right before the midseason break, he became the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. He surpassed Robert Parish's record for the most regular-season games played in late March.

The Lakers picked up steam down the stretch in the regular season, winning 16 of 18 heading into April and kindling hope of being a dark-horse candidate to give trouble to the Thunder or Spurs in the playoffs. But that's when Doncic and Reaves both incurred major injuries, sidelining both indefinitely.

James handled the disappointment by stepping up and coolly taking charge of the Lakers' offense again. While nearly every NBA observer wrote off Los Angeles' chances of any playoff run, James and his supporting cast improbably knocked off the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets in six games in the first round, sending the Lakers into the second round for only the second time since 2020.

“For our group to have the moment that we had when Luka goes down with the hamstring and AR goes down with the oblique and we’re staring down the barrel of a playoff series with Houston, I thought our guys responded and were just super-resilient,” James said. “To win that series was big-time for the group that went out there.”

James' reasons to prolong his career in Los Angeles would be multifold.

He has spent the past two seasons playing alongside Bronny James, his oldest son and a backup guard for the Lakers. They even got significant playoff minutes together this season, allowing LeBron to live another dream.

His family loves living in Southern California — and while his sons are both out of the family home, he has spoken frequently of his desire to watch the progress of his 11-year-old daughter, Zhuri, a competitive volleyball player.

And the Lakers' outstanding play down the stretch suggested they could be among the NBA's best teams with full health for Doncic, James and Reaves — who is expected to sign a massive contract to stay with the Lakers this summer.

Whether the Lakers can actually contend for a championship next season will be one factor that James must weigh, but finding a true title contender to join at this stage of his career would be difficult even if the Thunder and the rising San Antonio Spurs didn't appear to be head and shoulders above the rest of the league.

For now, James will take time off to enjoy life away from the daily grind that has allowed his career to reach unprecedented lengths — and if he decides not to come back, he doesn't appear to have regrets about how this season ended."

“I left everything I could on the floor,” James said. “I control what I can control, and I can leave the floor saying even though I hate losing, I was locked in on what we needed to do.”

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

Under sunny French Riviera skies, strong breezes gusted though the resort town as Cannes unfurled the red carpet to launch 12 days of nonstop premieres that will culminate May 23 with the presentation of the prestigious Palme d'Or.

Inside the Palais des Festivals, winds of change were likewise blowing. At the introduction of the jury that will decide the Palme d'Or, Cannes' top honor, jury members spoke bluntly about holding a film festival during a time of geopolitical conflict.

Paul Laverty, the Scottish screenwriter known for his films with director Ken Loach, pointed toward this year's Cannes poster, of “Thelma and Louise,” while discussing attending Cannes during what he called “genocide in Gaza.” Quoting “King Lear,” he said: “Madmen lead the blind.”

“Cannes has a wonderful poster,” said Laverty. “Isn’t it fascinating to see some of them like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo blacklisted because of their views in opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza? Shame on Hollywood people who do that.”

The nine-member jury is being presided over by Park Chan-wook, the South Korean filmmaker of “Oldboy” and “No Other Choice,” who said that politics and cinema go hand in hand.

“Art and politics are not concepts that are in conflict with each other,” said Park. “One cannot disqualify a film on the pretext that it has a political message. Just as one cannot reject a film because it would not be political enough.”

Other jury members include Chloé Zhao, Stellan Skarsgård, Ruth Negga and Demi Moore, who two years ago was celebrated in Cannes for her comeback performance in “The Substance.”

Moore spoke about a topic that's already dominated conversation at this year's festival.

“AI is here, and so to fight it is to, in a sense, to fight something that is a battle that we will lose,” she said. “So to find ways in which we can work with it, I think, is a more valuable path,” she said. “Are we doing enough to protect ourselves? I don’t know. My inclination would be to say probably not.”

A Palme for Peter Jackson

The festival will kick off on Tuesday night with the opening-night film, “The Electric Kiss,” a French period-comedy, and the awarding of an honorary Palme d’Or to the “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson.

What isn’t at Cannes has been as buzzed about as much as what is. Hollywood is largely absent this year.

While recent blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Elvis” have touched down at previous incarnations, studio films this year have been either scared away by the possibility of a rocky reception or by the high cost of flying in A-listers to the Cote d’Azur. The closest thing in Cannes' slate is an anniversary celebration for “Fast & Furious.”

Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux said Hollywood “is reshaping” in the midst of Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

“I hope the studio films will come back,” Frémaux told a press conference on Monday.

Oscar season starts early

Cannes has become better known for its lengthy standing ovations than its boos.

This year, a long list of big-name filmmakers will have center stage. Among the filmmakers set to unveil new movies are Pedro Almodovar (“Bitter Christmas”), James Gray (“Paper Tiger”), Na Hong-jin (“Hope”), Pawel Pawlikowski (“Fatherland”) and Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“All of a Sudden”).

If Cannes has waned as a global launchpad for studio releases, it has grown as a breeding ground for Oscar contenders.

Two years ago, Sean Baker’s “Anora” won the Palme before winning best picture. Last year, Cannes selections like “Sentimental Value,” “The Secret Agent” and “It Was Just an Accident” went on to play prominent roles in awards season.

More often than not, the specialty distributor Neon has been at the forefront of the Cannes-to-Oscars pipeline. Neon has backed the past six Palme d’Or winners, an unprecedented streak that it may be poised to extend. The company is attached to more than a quarter of the 22 films in competition for the Palme d’Or.

While Cannes may be light on big Hollywood movies, it isn’t lacking in stars. Set to appear over the next two weeks are Kristen Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Adam Driver, Javier Bardem, Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Rami Malek, Sebastian Stan, Sandra Hüller and many others.

How much any of this will serve as backdrop for “The White Lotus” remains to be seen. The fourth season of Mike White’s acclaimed HBO series is based around a trip to Cannes. Last month, the show began shooting on the French Riviera.

He could stay with the Los Angeles Lakers. He could decide to join another team. He could even retire and end the longest career in NBA history. He knows all this.

He just doesn't know the answer.

“I don't know what the future holds for me, obviously,” James said.

His 23rd season ended Monday night when the Lakers were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder. At 41, James likely doesn't have many years left to play — if any. And now he'll start the process of figuring out what he wants to do, what his family wants him to do and what's best for all parties involved.

Dwyane Wade, James' longtime friend and former teammate, was on the Amazon Prime broadcast of Game 4 of the Thunder-Lakers series as an analyst. And when the conversation turned to what James is going to do, he had some thoughts.

“That’s the question," Wade said. "And I think if we all know LeBron James, he’s going to take some time off and go drink some wine, go yacht a little bit around the world. He’s going to spend some time with his family. He’s going to sit down and try to make the best decision for the James family at the end of the day.

“And then from there, you've got to look at the picture of the Lakers," Wade continued. "LeBron, Year 24 coming back next year if he does, he wants to play for something. So, are they in a position that he can play for something and compete for something?”

Salary will be another issue. He made nearly $53 million this season. He could command somewhere around $60 million next season if he wanted. If he gives a team a discount to preserve flexibility, he could certainly afford to do so.

Wade doesn't seem to think that's likely.

“History shows that Mr. James ain’t taking a lot of discounts, right? I don’t think no one knows," Wade said. “I think one of the things that him and his entire team have been great at is they hold their cards close to their chest. Decisions are made by LeBron, and they all respect it. And they wait on him to decide what he wants to do.”

A look at some of what James' next moves could be (and for purposes of this exercise, the realities of the salary cap, the aprons, tax ramifications and whatever James will command in salary if he decides to keep playing do not apply):

Retirement

This one doesn't seem likely even though James posted the lowest scoring average of his career — 20.933 points per game, down a teeny-tiny sliver from his 20.937 average as a rookie. Another made free throw this season would have been enough to keep this season's average from being his worst.

The pessimists, or the anti-LeBron crowd, can say — accurately — that his numbers are declining. They are. He averaged 30.3 points in 2021-22, and his per-game scoring average has fallen in every season since, going to 28.9 in 2022-23, 25.7 in 2023-24, 24.4 last season and 20.9 this season.

Of course, his role has changed as well and that has some effect on the numbers. James spent much of this season as the Lakers' third option behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and did so happily.

Stay with the Lakers

To be fair, this wasn't a bad season. Getting ousted in Round 2 by the overwhelming favorite to win the NBA title — the defending champion, too — isn't exactly a collapse, and Doncic not being able to play because of injury almost made the outcome expected.

The Lakers have the seventh-best record in the NBA during James' eight seasons there. Not great, not bad. But the playoffs, even with the run to the bubble championship in 2020, have not been to James' expectations. The Lakers went 32-31 in playoff games during these last eight seasons, and remember, 16 of those wins came in the bubble. Since then, the Lakers are just 16-26 in playoff games.

Good enough? It wouldn't seem so. The Lakers will have to give James reasons to stay. It's simple as that.

Return to Miami

James' jersey will sway from the rafters one day in Miami, assuming he ever actually retires and allows such tributes to finally take place. And there's no question that James still holds many people within the organization — Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra and more — in high regard.

But it's not like James has unfinished business in Miami. He became a champion in Miami; two of his four titles were won with the Heat. He'd be welcome, of course, but it's hard to envision James saying Miami would be the place for his final act.

Return to Cleveland

Northeast Ohio is home and will forever be close to James' heart. He's still (and forever will be) beloved there, and whatever anger existed over him leaving in 2010 was washed away forever when he delivered Cleveland's NBA title in 2016.

Time healed all wounds. If James wants to go the sentimental route, he might go home again. It would likely be contingent on the Cavaliers finding a way to keep a roster that's capable of contention.

He takes his talents to New York

The Knicks have tried and failed before to land James.

They have some serious selling points right now — among them, a good team and Madison Square Garden. That's a place James has always revered.

The bright lights of New York wouldn't scare him off. Then again, wherever James plays, the lights will be bright there, too.

Pair up with Stephen Curry again

James won Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 with Steve Kerr coaching and Stephen Curry starring at the end.

The respect James has for Curry is off the charts, and he's often raved about Kerr as well. Kerr's coming back to the Warriors, and you know Golden State will do anything it can to give Curry one more chance at a title.

Bear in mind, it's highly improbable that this would ever work financially. But if James wants to play there, the Warriors will surely find a way.

The wild scenario: James and Wemby?

The greatest scorer ever teaming up with the game's most prolific defensive player in San Antonio?

Now that would be fun.

James is one of the people who dubbed Victor Wembanyama as an “alien” and did so with the utmost of respect. James is unlike anyone the league has ever seen, and Wembanyama might be thought of in the same way.

And even though Gregg Popovich doesn't coach the Spurs anymore, he's still there and James has always had the utmost respect for the NBA's winningest coach. James would be accused of ring-chasing if he tried this one, but then again, he knows detractors won't like anything he does anyway.

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

“Here we go again,” Alex Fitzpatrick said with a laugh.

Hold up, the younger Fitzpatrick said.

Time to clear the air — and clean the room — it's actually big brother Matt who can be a bit unkempt, especially in the bathroom.

“I’m a normal brush my teeth at night guy,” Alex said after practice rounds Monday. “He's got all these different things on the side of the counter and stuff. I'm not as bad as what he makes it out to be. He's exaggerating a lot. He's a bit of a neat freak.”

The brothers out of Sheffield, England can agree more these days that it might be better to share a trophy — as they did in April when they won the Zurich Classic team event — than share a house.

Only one can win at the PGA Championship this weekend at Aronimink Golf Club and each brother is a strong contender to win the first major in the Philadelphia region since the 2013 US Open at Merion.

Matt Fitzpatrick has three PGA Tours wins this season while Alex shared one win with his brother and entered Sunday with the lead at Quail Hollow before a double bogey on 17 derailed his shot at winning the Truist Open.

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.

“I think a lot of people feel like that once they get to this stage or even to the DP World Tour that they need to change a bunch of things and that’s going to help success,” Alex said. “I just felt like I keep doing what I’m trying to do. I’ve got a circle around me that I really trust. All the advice that I get is great.”

Alex has finished tied for ninth and fourth in his first two signature events since the Zurich Classic and has won about $2.84 million over that span. Pretty good for a golfer who wasn't on the PGA Tour before that date.

A day later, Alex tried to put the late fade at Quail Hollow behind him as he practiced for the PGA.

“I think if I looked back two months ago and someone said you’d finish fourth at the Truist Championship, I’d have kicked myself," if he was crushed, Fitzpatrick said. “I was disappointed in just in that I wish I’d have scored a little better. Overall, it was a great week and I have no complaints.”

Little brother's recent hot streak has sparked a bit of a role reversal in their dynamic.

Alex Fitzpatrick is 27 — about 4 1/2 years younger than Matt — which has led to years of answering questions about his brother.

Matt Fitzpatrick was a U.S. Amateur champion in 2013 and the U.S. Open champion in 2022, both at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. He beat Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, in a playoff in April at Harbour Town.

“It can be such a blur at times, and I think it is trying to take a step back and kind of remember those moments, even on a week like this and think about, oh, yeah, I won the Valspar or I won Harbour Town, whatever it may be,” Matt said.

Fitzpatrick has enjoyed the roles this season of watching, winning — and analyzing — his younger brother.

“I have to get used to that now because he’s had it for much longer than me,” Matt said. “I’m probably known as Alex’s brother now, as opposed to him being Matt’s brother. I love talking about my brother. It’s an amazing position to be in to have that privilege to talk about how well he’s doing. I’d so much rather have these questions, conversations, than the opposite of, you know, why is he not playing well."

Maybe one of the brothers can talk Sunday about the feeling of winning a major.

“I’d say my head is still spinning and I haven’t woken up from the dream yet,” Alex said.

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

Ajay Mitchell scored 10 of his 28 points in the frantic final period as the Thunder overcame the Lakers' tenacious effort and improved to 8-0 in the playoffs with their toughest victory of the postseason.

“We've done our job so far, that's all it really means,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We've gone out there, we've executed, we've played at a high level and we've been able to win eight tough games against really good opponents. That's all it means. Nothing is guaranteed.”

LeBron James had 24 points and 14 rebounds in the final game of the unprecedented 23rd season for the top scorer in NBA history, but he missed a driving bank shot with 20 seconds left that would have put the Lakers ahead.

The 41-year-old James has repeatedly said he hasn’t decided whether to play next season, so there was no ceremony or momentousness around this game. Instead, the Lakers desperately tried to extend their year, only to lose to Oklahoma City for the eighth time this season.

“I don't know what the future holds for me, obviously, as it stands right now, tonight,” James said. “I've got a lot of time. I'll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, and when the time goes, obviously you guys will know what I decide to do.”

Austin Reaves scored 27 points before missing a tying 3-point attempt with eight seconds left for the Lakers, who advanced one round farther than almost anybody expected after losing NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and Reaves to significant injuries a month ago.

Los Angeles still lost six of its final seven playoff games and fell well short of the conference finals for the third straight season.

“I didn't want our season to end,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I wanted to keep this thing going. I enjoyed every bit of this year.”

Oklahoma City faced its first fourth-quarter deficits of the entire playoffs in Game 4 as the Lakers repeatedly refused to fold. The Thunder still got it done, and they've earned at least the rest of the week off before they open the conference finals against the winner of San Antonio’s second-round series with Minnesota. The Spurs and Timberwolves are even heading to Game 5 on Tuesday night.

“They won more of the minutes tonight than we did, and that hadn’t been the case (earlier in the series),” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “They outplayed us for stretches. They’re a really good team with prideful players. We did not expect them to give us an unearned win, and we went out and earned it.”

Oklahoma City went 8-0 against the Lakers this season, winning all four regular-season matchups as well — but this one was the toughest. The Lakers took the lead and kept it close down the stretch with big buckets from Reaves and Rui Hachimura, who scored nine of his 25 points in the fourth quarter.

Holmgren’s dunk with 2:03 left put the Thunder up 109-103, but Hachimura coolly converted a four-point play. Marcus Smart then drove the lane and hit a layup while being fouled in the final minute, converting a three-point play for a 110-109 Lakers lead.

But Holmgren got the ball inside and triple-pumped for a dunk with 32.8 seconds left, and James missed on his drive. After Gilgeous-Alexander hit two free throws, Reaves missed again, and the Thunder hung on to secure their sixth berth in the Western Conference finals in the last 16 seasons.

The Thunder won the first two games of the series at home by 18 points apiece, and they routed the Lakers 131-108 in Game 3.

Doncic missed the final 15 games of the Lakers’ season after incurring a grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2 in Oklahoma City, and he watched the season finale on the bench in a black sweatsuit. The Slovenian superstar apparently didn’t get close to returning from the injury, which often requires two months of recovery.

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

No problem. The All-Star guard followed it up with one of the best 24-minute stretches by a player in NBA playoff history Monday night.

After scoring only four points in the first half, Mitchell responded with 39 in the second half, tying the NBA playoff record for most points in a half as the Cavaliers rallied for a 112-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

“It’s pretty impressive. I'm not sure I’ve seen in the playoffs a turnaround like that where a guy is struggling and just absolutely turns the switch and complete opposite of the first half,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said.

Mitchell equaled Eric “Sleepy” Floyd's record on a free throw with 27.6 seconds remaining. He had a chance to break the record, set in 1987 when Floyd's Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals, but missed his second foul shot.

“Everybody let me know that I missed a free throw to break the record, though," Mitchell said. "I will say that, but we’re two and two headed to Detroit. That was what we came home to do and that’s all that matters.”

Mitchell didn't score until he made a free throw with 4:19 remaining in the second quarter. He also missed his first six shots from the field before hitting a 3-pointer from the left corner with 2:48 left in the first half.

Despite Mitchell's early struggles, the Cavaliers only trailed 56-52 at halftime. James Harden and Evan Mobley both kept Cleveland in the game in the first half as they combined for 26 points.

“I airball the first layup and was missing shots short," Mitchell said. "Sometimes it’s natural, right? I wasn’t really trying to get in there and force it and then just doubling down on the defensive end, trying to take whoever I’m guarding, take them out of the equation. I’m not tripping, we were down four at half.

"I always tell y’all it’s not just about the scoring, it’s about your overall impact on the game. And for me, it was just like, ‘OK, now I have an opportunity to try to get downhill’ and then started going in.”

Mitchell was 12 of 18 from the field in the second half, including three 3-pointers, and was 12 of 13 at the line. Cleveland's previous mark for most points in a half was 31 by Mitchell in Game 7 of its first-round series against Orlando in 2024.

Mitchell tied a franchise record for points in a quarter with 21 in the third as the Cavaliers seized control, outscoring the Pistons 38-21 in the quarter. He scored 15 during Cleveland’s 24-0 run that went from the last 12 seconds of the first half to the first six minutes of the third quarter.

The 24-0 run was the longest in an NBA playoff game since since Minnesota also scored 24 straight in Game 6 of its Western Conference semifinal series against Denver in 2024. It was also the longest spurt by Cleveland in a postseason game since play-by-play stats were kept in 1997-98. The previous high was 19 in an Eastern semifinal series contest against Boston.

“Donovan Mitchell was killing us, and that’s pretty much it," Pistons center Paul Reed said.

It was Mitchell's eighth playoff game with at least 40 points, his fourth with the Cavaliers. He has at least 30 points in three straight games as the series shifts to Detroit for Game 5 on Wednesday with it even at two games apiece.

Cleveland is still looking for its first road playoff win this season, and will need at least one if it hopes to make the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018.

“We’ve had two good games to build off of, but it’s going to be a hostile environment," Mitchell said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. And I think I know we’re ready for the challenge.”

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

The S&P 500 fell 1% from its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 77 points, or 0.2%, as of 1 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was down 2% from its own record.

Some of the sharpest drops hit chip companies and stocks that had been on electric runs because of the artificial-intelligence boom. Intel slumped 10.5% after its stock had more than tripled so far this year. Micron Technology dropped 9.8% after coming into the day with a gain of nearly 180% for the year to date, and CoreWeave sank 10.8% to cut into its gain of 60% for 2026.

The pullback for AI stocks began earlier in the day in Asia, where South Korea’s Kospi index sank 2.3% from its all-time high on worries that the government may redistribute windfall AI profits from companies to its citizens.

Also weighing on Wall Street was another rise in oil prices as the war with Iran threatens to drag on. The price for a barrel of Brent crude climbed 3.3% to $107.66 as a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire looks more tenuous. The war has essentially shut the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers, keeping them stuck in the Persian Gulf instead of delivering crude to customers worldwide.

The resulting leap for crude oil prices, with Brent up from roughly $70 per barrel before the war, caused inflation in the United States to worsen last month by more than economists expected, according to a report released Tuesday. In another discouraging signal, price increases accelerated by more in April than economists expected even after excluding gasoline and food costs.

That could be a result of tariffs and bad weather also pushing prices higher, according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management.

Treasury yields rose in the bond market following an initial zigzag, suggesting traders suspect the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates high to combat inflation.

The Fed has been keeping its cuts to interest rates on hold recently, as it waits to see how high inflation will go because of the war with Iran and the tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump. That’s because lower rates can worsen inflation at the same time that they give the economy a boost.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.45% from 4.42% late Monday and remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war.

Traders still largely expect the Fed to keep its main interest rate steady this year, but they're now betting on a better than 1-in-3 chance that it could hike rates by December, according to data from CME Group. Higher rates tend to push down on stock prices, while also slowing the economy.

Despite the climbs for Treasury yields, oil prices and uncertainty because of the Iran war, the U.S. stock market has remained remarkably resilient recently, in large part because companies keep producing bigger profits than analysts expected.

Zebra Technologies became the latest company in the S&P 500 to top analysts’ expectations for earnings, and its stock leaped 16.8%. The company, which helps customers digitize and automate their workflows with bar code scanners and other products, also gave a forecast for profit over the full year that topped analysts’ expectations.

But Under Armour sank 19.1% after reporting a worse loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Kevin Plank said the company is continuing steps to “reset the business and restore the discipline required to operate as a best-in-class brand.”

Outside of earnings reports, GameStop fell 1.5% after eBay rejected a buyout offer from the much smaller company, calling it “neither credible nor attractive.” It highlighted uncertainty about how GameStop would raise the money to pull off the purchases, among other challenges for the deal, and eBay's stock added 0.7%.

Beazer Homes USA fell 3.2% after likewise rejecting an unsolicited buyout offer. It said that Dream Finders Homes has repeatedly undervalued it in its attempts to buy the homebuilder, including with its latest bid, which offered less than prior offers.

Dream Finders dropped 14%.

In stock markets abroad, indexes mostly fell across Europe and Asia.

Besides South Korea’s tumble, losses of 1.6% for Germany’s DAX and 0,9% for France’s CAC 40 were some of the world’s sharpest.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.5%.

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AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

Host city Vienna has been bedecked in hearts and the contest’s “United by Music” motto for a week in which singers and bands from 35 countries will compete onstage for the continent’s musical crown. But five countries — Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland — are boycotting to protest Israel's inclusion.

Several pro-Palestinian demonstrations are planned in Vienna during Eurovision week, and security is tight, with police officers from across Austria deployed in the capital, and support from forces in neighboring Germany.

Last month a 21-year-old Austrian man accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group pleaded guilty to plotting to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024, and the head of Austria’s DSN intelligence service, Sylvia Mayer, said “the terror threat posed by Islamist terror groups, as well as Iran-affiliated groups, is still at a high level.”

Israel aiming for the Eurovision final

Israeli singer Noam Bettan is among 15 acts competing for votes from viewers and national juries in Tuesday’s semifinal at the Wiener Stadthalle arena. The top 10 will go through to Saturday’s grand final, along with 10 from Thursday’s second semifinal. The U.K., France, Germany and Italy automatically qualify because they are among the contest’s biggest funders. Austria, last year’s winner, goes through to the final as host country.

Bettan is seeking to get Israel, which came second in 2025, into Saturday’s final with the ballad “Michelle.” Like last year’s Israeli competitor, Yuval Raphael, he has practiced singing while being booed.

Hoping to cement its status as bookmakers’ favorite is Finland, with the intense “Liekinheitin” (“Flamethrower”) by violinist Linda Lampenius and pop singer Pete Parkkonen.

Other competitors in Tuesday’s semifinal include Greece’s Akylas with fan-favorite party-rap track “Ferto” (“Bring It”); Portuguese quintet Bandidos do Cante with the soulful “Rosa”; and singer Senhit, representing tiny San Marino with “Superstar,” a party anthem featuring a guest appearance by Boy George.

Long a forum for good-natured — and sometimes more pointed — national rivalries, Eurovision has found it hard to separate pop and politics in recent years. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden, and last year’s event in Basel, Switzerland, saw pro-Palestinian protests that called for Israel to be expelled over its conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza and allegations it ran a rule-breaking marketing campaign to get votes for its contestant.

The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, has toughened voting rules in response to the vote-rigging allegations, halving the number of votes per person to 10 and tightening safeguards against “suspicious or coordinated voting activity.”

But the EBU declined to kick Israel out, spurring five countries to announce in December that they would not participate this year.

Protesters urge artists to withdraw

At a press conference on Tuesday the group No Music for Genocide urged participants to pull out of the contest.

“Israel will not withdraw. The Austrian government will not have Israel removed from the competition, from the Song Contest. So I think it is a moral obligation for each and every artist to take action and step away from the competition,” said Congolese-Austrian activist Patrick Bongola, a member of the group.

Israel strongly denies committing genocide in Gaza. Demonstrations in support of the country's participation are also planned this week in Vienna.

The five-country boycott is a revenue and viewership blow to an event that organizers say was watched by 166 million people around the world last year. Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania have returned after skipping the event for artistic or financial reasons in recent years, but the number of participants, at 35, is still the lowest since 2003.

Jonathan Hendrickx, a media researcher at the University of Copenhagen, said any more boycotts will stress the structure of the contest and raise doubts if the very show can still go on as usual.

“They really are at their limits now, in terms of what they can handle with the current format,” Hendrickx said.

Dean Vuletic, the author of “Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest,” is confident Eurovision can weather the latest storms.

“We’ll see demonstrations, but we’ll also see a lot of colorful events going on which will really represent what Eurovision is about, which is bringing Europeans together,” he said.

“If you look at the history of Eurovision, it’s gone through so many crises, so many political challenges, so many geopolitical changes in Europe, and it’s always managed to survive.”

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Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed to this story.

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For more coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/eurovision-song-contest

Decades later, she’s still going to camp there. A separate band program was created for adults in 2013, where she felt encouraged to take up another instrument: trumpet.

“I was thrilled because I love this place,” said Guess, 71, of Baltimore, a retired lawyer for the U.S. Department of Defense who plans to return to the New England Adult Music Camp in August. “It is serene, beautiful, a perfect setting. And it’s not all that different from what it was 50-some years ago.”

Whether they are looking to make friends, improve their skills or just take some time out for themselves after sending their own kids to camp and college, adults can find a variety of summer music programs across the United States, ranging from electronic, folk, rock 'n' roll and jazz to chamber and opera.

For many campers, it offers a way to relive the nostalgic musical experiences of their youth and make new social connections.

“Emotionally, making music is good for the soul,” said Carole Lieberman, a California-based forensic psychiatrist who has played multiple instruments herself. “It makes you feel creative, allows you to provide the music you like for yourself and can boost your spirits."

“Cognitively, research demonstrates that learning to play a musical instrument and playing it helps your brain make better neurological connections,” she added. “It can help to ward off dementia.”

For Guess, playing music is about being “in that zone” with other musicians.

“When you’re playing music together, you rise above all the pettiness of life,” she said. “And it’s just the most spiritual thing I can think of.”

A camp for every playing level

The camps cover a range of playing abilities. Some listings specifying beginner, intermediate and advanced levels can be found in camp guides put out by organizations such Musical America Worldwide and The Instrumentalist.

The Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, where Guess attended band camp in middle school, branched out to offer a variety of summer musical programs for adults, including a weeklong Symphonic Band Camp for experienced players in August.

In Walla Walla, Washington, the Midsummer Musical Retreat has grown to include multiple performance groups, large and small, for varying levels since it began in 1983.

Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, hosts the Band Camp for Adult Musicians, where players at an intermediate level and beyond are coached by retired military members and college professors.

The camp's founder was inspired by his kids' experience at band camp, director Leigh Hurtz said.

Now in its 37th season, many players are retired and have attended the camp together for years. Some have come with their children and grandchildren.

“They were lawyers or doctors, or working full-time, mothers,” Hurtz said. “There are also people who sold their tuba for a couch in college so they could have a couch, and 20 years later, it’s like, ‘I need a tuba again!’”

In addition to putting on concerts, the camps have their own traditions. At the one in Pennsylvania, everyone gets together on the first night for a family dinner. Walla Walla has a camper-created sketch comedy night. New England has campfire gatherings and a lobster dinner. Campers often have access to other activities such as kayaking, yoga or cocktail hours, or in open-mics solo or with a small ensemble of fellow campers.

Camps also can offer special sessions covering certain genres or instruments such as jazz, drum circles, klezmer, German band and ukulele, and host talks about topics like performance anxiety and music theory.

Camps offer support and encouragement

Linda Haller, 70, of Laconia, New Hampshire, had retired as an obstetrician-gynecologist a few years ago when she learned about a community band for adults promoting “music for life” nearby. She felt motivated to try the clarinet again after last playing it in high school. So she joined.

“It hasn’t all come back, but I’m getting to the point where I think I’m playing almost as good as I did back then,” she said. Haller, who also plays piano, said the rhythms and counting came right back to her.

She attended the camp in Sidney, Maine, for two years, where she progressed from a beginner’s band to intermediate. She said she enjoyed the camaraderie.

“Returning to an instrument learned in childhood is powerful because it combines memory, discipline and renewed growth,” said Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist based in New York.

“It strengthens attention, fine motor coordination, and memory pathways while reducing stress and improving mood,” Alpert said. “But equally important is the emotional experience of reengaging with something that once required patience and repetition.”

The community band Haller plays with is affiliated with the New Horizons International Music Association, a nonprofit that provides entry points for adults to create music, including those who have no musical experience. The organization counts over 200 bands, orchestras and choruses worldwide for 10,000 adult musicians since 1991.

Its philosophy, also adopted by other programs for adult musicians, is "Your best is good enough.”

New Horizons also sponsors its own camps, including an “American Music Abroad” trip to the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary in June, and one near Cincinnati, Ohio, in July.

The programs are popular, said Russ Grazier of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who has taught at New Horizons camps and is the artistic director of the New England Adult Music Camp.

He notes that the ensemble participation rate for adults over age 60 has doubled from about 150 to 300 people at a local music and arts center he leads. He said he thinks the social connection is key.

“And that's something missing from a lot of people's lives these days," Grazier said. "So any time we have an opportunity to have a space outside of the home where we're connecting with new people and sharing a common interest, it has remarkable benefits for our health and our aging.”

The Omaha-area district, where Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon is retiring, is one of the Democratic Party's biggest targets this midterm season. It's also a national focus every four years in presidential contests because Nebraska is one of just two states that splits its electoral votes. The 2nd District has gone to Democratic presidential candidates three out of five times since 2008 — a “blue dot” in an otherwise sea of red.

Three Democrats are seen as the top contenders in Tuesday's primary: state Sen. John Cavanaugh, political activist Denise Powell and district court clerk Crystal Rhoades. Republican Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Council member endorsed by President Donald Trump, is running unopposed on the GOP side.

Cavanaugh, more than anyone else on Tuesday's ballot, has been under attack from both parties.

Some Democratic opponents argue that a primary victory for Cavanaugh would jeopardize the district's “blue dot” status because he'd be leaving his valuable state legislative seat, making it easier for Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature to change the law that allows the state to split its electoral votes.

The issue has defined the primary contest perhaps more than any other.

Opponents say the ‘blue dot’ is in danger

The Democratic argument against Cavanaugh has little to do with his politics or policies.

His opponents and groups backing them have flooded mailboxes, airwaves and social media warning that if he wins the congressional primary, Nebraska's Republican governor would appoint a conservative Republican to replace him in the Legislature.

That move, they say, could give state Republicans enough votes to enact a conservative wish list that includes stricter limitations on abortion and transgender rights.

It could also empower Republicans to enact midcycle redistricting or change the state's unusual system of splitting presidential electoral votes, some Democrats argue. Republicans failed in 2024 to pass a bill that would have made Nebraska the 49th state to award its Electoral College votes on a winner-take-all basis.

“Our Blue Dot. We fought hard for it. But if John Cavanaugh goes to Congress, it could all fall down,” cautions one TV ad by the super PAC New Democrat Majority.

EMILY’s List, a national group that supports women running for office, has put its reach and money behind Powell, calling Cavanaugh’s candidacy “a gift to MAGA Republicans.”

On Tuesday, Democrat Tony Vargas was out with his wife holding a large campaign sign and encouraging Omaha voters to support him in the county treasurer race. He also was supporting Powell in the congressional race, saying preserving the blue dot is important but not the only reason people might vote for Powell.

“I’m not voting for somebody for the blue dot loss. I’m voting for someone who I think is going to be the best leader in Congress,” Vargas said.

Republican groups also target Cavanaugh

Republican groups have sent out mailers and social media posts claiming Cavanaugh “is in agreement with President Donald Trump” and showing a photo of Cavanaugh overlaid on a photo of the president, making it appear as if the two are standing together.

“Clearly, the Republicans know that I’m the strongest general election candidate,” Cavanaugh said. “And so they’re trying to hurt me.”

The attacks on Cavanaugh show Democrats and Republicans believe he has the best chance of winning the general election, said Paul Landow, a former Nebraska Democratic Party executive director.

He called the “blue dot” attacks disingenuous, noting Republicans already have a filibuster-proof majority in the Legislature but have still failed to pass key elements of their agenda because it is unpopular even among GOP lawmakers. The argument that a Cavanaugh win could weaken the state’s “blue dot” also assumes Democrats won’t pick up additional legislative seats this year, he said.

“There’s so many things that have to fall into place for this alleged danger to the ‘blue dot,’” Landow said. “It’s just wild speculation.”

The Democratic primary grows contentious

While all the Democratic contenders cite affordability and opposition to Trump administration policies — from immigration and healthcare to military actions — the top three contenders began attacking one another more aggressively in the days leading up to the primary.

Candidates and allied groups have spent more than $2.6 million on TV and digital advertising since Jan. 1, according to the advertising tracking company AdImpact. Nearly all of that has been by or on behalf of Cavanaugh and Powell.

Cavanaugh has spent about $375,000. Powell's campaign has spent almost as much — $345,000 — but with the help of groups backing her, campaign advertising has been overwhelmingly pro-Powell.

Powell co-founded Women Who Run Nebraska, a political action committee that supports progressive female candidates, and she has a decade of Democratic political activism. She's never held office but said her deep connections have helped her with independents and third-party voters who make up nearly 30% of the district's electorate.

“My name recognition has increased dramatically,” Powell said, adding that "people are really connecting with my message.”

Rhoades carries her own name recognition after 20 years in public service and running a slew of successful local Democratic elections — including that of Omaha Mayor John Ewing, who unseated a longtime Republican last year. Rhoades has raised a fraction of what Cavanaugh and Powell have amassed, but said she's intentionally eschewing campaign ads and instead blanketing the city with door-knocking and personal contact with voters.

Both Powell and Rhoades have leaned heavily into the concern that Democrats' influence in the district will erode if Cavanaugh is elected to Congress.

The winner of Tuesday's primary will head to a highly competitive general election. Trump won the district in 2016, and the retiring Bacon, who has clashed with Trump, has held the House seat for five terms.

Other Tuesday contests

Also on Tuesday's ballot is the race for U.S. Senate, where Republican incumbent Pete Ricketts is seeking a full term, following his 2023 appointment and 2024 special election victory to replace Republican Ben Sasse.

Ricketts faces four Republican primary challengers, but he’s already looking ahead to an expected general election contest against independent candidate Dan Osborn, an industrial mechanic and military veteran who came within 7 points of defeating Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer in her 2024 reelection bid. Running in the Democratic primary are William Forbes and Cindy Burbank.

In the race for governor, incumbent Republican Gov. Jim Pillen faces five primary challengers, while former state Sen. Lynne Walz and frequent candidate Larry Marvin compete for the Democratic nomination. Marvin previously ran for U.S. Senate four times since 2012.

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Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writer Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.

Rather than waning, a national redistricting battle that began 10 months ago has intensified — inflamed by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the federal Voting Rights Act and provided grounds for states to try to eliminate voting districts with large minority populations.

Missouri was the second Republican state after Texas to heed Trump's call last year to redraw congressional districts to help the GOP win additional seats in the midterms. At issue before the Missouri Supreme Court is whether the new districts violate a state constitutional requirement to be compact, and whether they can remain in place for the midterms despite an initiative petition seeking to force a public referendum.

In South Carolina, the issue facing Republican lawmakers is whether redrawing the state's lone Democratic-held seat could open the door to a clean sweep for Republicans or backfire with losses by making more districts competitive for Democrats. State senators have yet to decide whether to allow consideration of a redistricting plan put forth in the House after the legislature's regular work ends Thursday.

Congressional redistricting also is under consideration in Louisiana, where the Supreme Court's recent ruling invalidated a majority-Black district as an illegal racial gerrymander. The state's May 16 congressional primaries already have been postponed. What remains undecided is how many seats Republicans will try to pick up while redrawing the districts.

Alabama also is poised to switch its congressional districts after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday overturned an order mandating use of a map with two largely Black districts. The high court sent the case back to a lower court, where plaintiffs quickly requested a new order stopping Alabama from switching U.S. House districts. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday set an Aug. 11 date for special congressional primaries in the four impacted districts — the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th.

The winner-take-all primaries will select nominees first in the midterms.

“For years, we have fought for this outcome, and I am proud to celebrate this win for Alabamians,” Ivey said.

Republicans think they could gain as many as 14 seats from new House maps enacted so far in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida and Tennessee. Democrats, meanwhile, think they could gain six seats from new maps in California and Utah. The Virginia Supreme Court last week struck down a redistricting effort that could have yielded four more winnable seats for Democrats.

South Carolina weighs political risks of redistricting

A South Carolina House committee is to consider Tuesday whether to send a congressional redistricting plan to the full chamber for debate. The House also appears poised to pass legislation that could delay the June 9 congressional primaries until August to allow time for new districts to be enacted. That comes even as some absentee and overseas military ballots already have been cast.

Any redistricting effort also must clear the Senate, where support is less certain. Two-thirds of senators have to agree before the regular General Assembly session ends Thursday to let the legislature take up redistricting later.

Trump said on social media Monday that he was closely watching the redistricting vote, urging South Carolina senators to “be bold and courageous” and to delay the House primaries so new districts can be drawn.

Although Republicans have a supermajority in the chamber, several senators aren’t sure the proposed map guarantees the GOP will win the seat long-held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. They also think enough Democratic voters could be pushed into other districts that the plan could backfire, resulting in a 5-2 or even a 4-3 Republican split.

Some also question whether it is fair for Republicans to get all the seats in a state where the Democratic presidential candidate has gotten at least 40% of the vote every election this century, even if Trump is asking for the new map.

Louisiana GOP looks to target one or two seats

State Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, a Republican who oversees the Louisiana Senate committee tasked with redistricting, said his panel plans to vote Tuesday on a U.S. House map, with a full Senate vote expected Thursday.

The committee has several options, including versions that would leave Democrats favored in one district or none. Kleinpeter said a map that eliminated all majority-Black districts would be difficult to defend in court.

Last Friday, dozens of people urged lawmakers to retain two majority-Black districts during a grueling nine-hour hearing that featured civil rights activists and the only four Black congressmen elected to represent the state since the end of Reconstruction.

Missouri map splits Kansas City district

Six Republicans and two Democrats currently represent Missouri in the U.S. House under a map passed by the Republican-led legislature after the 2020 census. But with Trump's backing, Republican state officials adopted a new map last September that improves their chances of winning an additional seat by targeting a Kansas City district held by longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who previously was the city's first Black mayor.

The new House map places portions of Kansas City in neighboring Republican districts and stretches the remainder of Cleaver's 5th District eastward into Republican-heavy rural areas. A state judge in March rejected an assertion that the map violates a constitutional compactness requirement, finding that the new districts on average are more compact — even if the 5th District is not. That was appealed to the state Supreme Court.

A separate case also being argued Tuesday at the state Supreme Court contends the new districts should have been automatically suspended in December when opponents submitted more than 300,000 petition signatures seeking to force a statewide referendum.

Republican Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins contend the new districts can be suspended only if — and after — Hoskins determines the petition meets constitutional requirements and has enough valid signatures. Hoskins has until Aug. 4, the day of Missouri's primary elections, to make that determination.

A state judge in March agreed with Republicans' position while also ruling that the plaintiffs lacked grounds to sue and had done so too soon.

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Brook reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Chandler from Montgomery, Alabama, Collins from Columbia, South Carolina, and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri.

Judge Darren Steele approved an agreement between Woods' defense attorney and prosecutors following a four-minute hearing in Martin County circuit court, just north of Palm Beach County.

Prosecutors had issued a subpoena seeking copies of all prescription medication records for the legendary golfer at a Palm Beach pharmacy from the start of the year through the end of March. Defense attorney Doug Duncan had previously argued that Woods has a constitutional right to privacy when it comes to his prescription medications, but he acknowledged during the hearing that the right is not absolute and that prosecutors could make a compelling argument for why they were needed.

Meanwhile, prosecutors agreed to Duncan's request for a protective order limiting the release of records only to prosecutors, law enforcement officers, state experts and Woods' defense team.

Woods has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence. A sheriff’s office report said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket, and he showed signs of impairment after his SUV clipped a truck's trailer and rolled onto its side.

Woods was traveling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island with a 30 mph (nearly 50 kph) speed limit when his Land Rover caused $5,000 in damage to the truck, according to an incident report. Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but refused a urine test, authorities said.

Woods has traveled outside of the United States to seek treatment at an inpatient treatment facility, according to court records.

Trump has veered between venting that China, the world’s biggest buyer of Iranian oil, hasn't done more to get the Islamic Republic in line and acknowledging that Xi's government helped de-escalate the conflict last month by nudging Tehran back to ceasefire talks when negotiations wobbled.

But ahead of the U.S. leader's high-stakes visit, the White House has set low expectations that Trump will be able to persuade Xi to change China's posture.

Instead, Trump's Republican administration seems determined not to let differences on Iran overshadow efforts to make headway on other difficult matters in the complicated relationship — ranging from trade to further Chinese cooperation to block exports of fentanyl precursors.

“We don’t want this to be something that derails the broader relationship or the agreements that might come out of our meeting in Beijing,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Bloomberg TV last week.

US administration sanctioned China ahead of the trip

Beijing publicly insists that it wants to see the war end and has been working diplomatically behind the scenes to help its ally Pakistan push to broker a peace agreement. It has also sent a “subtle message of discontent to Iran” for closing the Strait of Hormuz and to the U.S. for its blockade of Iranian shipping, said Ahmed Aboudouh, a specialist on China’s influence in the Middle East with the London-based Chatham House think tank.

“They are very cautious, risk averse, and they don’t want to be involved in anything that would drag them into something that they don’t consider their problem,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kuwait on Tuesday accused Iran of dispatching an armed paramilitary Revolutionary Guard team to launch a failed attack earlier this month on an island in the Middle East nation that is home to a China-funded port project. Iran didn’t immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait, which came under repeated attack by Iran in the war and even during the shaky ceasefire still holding in the region.

In recent days, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have stepped up their calls for China to use its influence to help reopen the strait, through which about 20% of the world's crude flowed before the war began.

The State Department announced on Friday it was sanctioning four entities, including three China-based firms, for providing sensitive satellite imagery that enables Iranian military strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East. Earlier, the Treasury Department moved to target Chinese oil refineries accused of buying oil from Tehran, as well as shippers of the oil. The sanctions cut off the companies from the U.S. financial system and penalize anyone who does business with them.

Beijing has called the sanctions “illegal unilateral pressure” and enacted a blocking statute — passed in 2021 and never used until now — that prohibits any Chinese entity from recognizing or complying with the sanctions.

Ahead of Trump's arrival, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week hosted his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Beijing. The Chinese foreign minister used the moment to defend Iran’s right to develop civilian nuclear energy.

Xi has also offered implicit criticism of the U.S. over the war. He has said that safeguarding international rule of law is paramount, adding it “must not be selectively applied or disregarded,” nor should the world be allowed to revert “to the law of the jungle.”

China and the US want to avoid a return to a tariff war

Trump on Monday downplayed differences with China over Iran and underscored that Xi wants to see the strait reopened. “He’d like to see it get done,” Trump said of the Chinese leader.

Like Trump, Xi also has plenty of reason to not let differences over Iran impact other facets of the relationship, analysts say. China imports about half of its crude oil and almost one-third of its liquefied natural gas from Middle Eastern countries affected by the closure of the strait, according to China’s General Administration of Customs.

Beijing wants to guard against further deterioration of the U.S.-China relationship — something that would add further challenges to its economy.

“(Xi) wants the summit to validate China’s superpower status, preserve the tariff predictability, and to reaffirm that Washington has to deal with Beijing on Beijing’s terms," said Craig Singleton, senior director for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ China program

Yet, since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February, there have been difficult moments between Trump and Xi that threatened to set back the relative stability in their relationship.

China has long supported Iran’s ballistic missile program and backed it with dual-use industrial components that can be used for missile production, according to the U.S. government.

Last month, Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on China after reports that Beijing was preparing to deliver a shipment of new air defense systems to Iran, but he later backed away from the threat, claiming that he had received written assurance from Xi that he would not provide Tehran with weaponry. Days later, Trump said cryptically that the U.S. Navy had intercepted a Chinese vessel carrying a “gift” for Iran. He has not offered further explanation.

Both Trump and Xi may be eager to avoid creating dark economic clouds, as they did last year, when the two powers appeared on the precipice of a massive trade war.

Trump had set tariffs on Chinese goods at 145%, and China announced a further tightening of rare-earth export controls that would have hurt U.S. industry — before the governments backed off from inflicting maximalist penalties on each other. The two sides reached a fragile truce in their long-running trade disputes in October.

Trump and other administration officials have made the case that the Iran conflict — particularly the closure of the strait — has caused greater harm to China and its Pacific neighbors than it has to the United States, which is far less dependent on Middle East oil and has an export-driven economy.

“You can’t buy from them if you can’t ship it there, and you can’t buy from them if your economy is being destroyed by what Iran is doing,” Rubio told reporters last week, making the case that it was in China’s interest for Iran to let traffic resume.

But for now, China has shown little interest in wading deeper into the conflict and has appeared reluctant to be seen siding with Washington.

“It will be difficult to get the Chinese deeply involved under any circumstances,” said Kurt Campbell, a former deputy secretary of state during President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and chair of The Asia Group. “They will want to be careful because they can see political quicksand as well as the next guy.”

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Associated Press writers Didi Tang in Washington, Adam Schreck in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this report.

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Residents like Audrey Gonzalez, who has lived in the area for 35 years, were on high alert, preparing to evacuate if necessary.

“(I’m) very, very concerned,” she said, adding that she’s been “coming out in the middle of night, just to make sure that it wasn’t coming towards our way.”

The fire could be seen from West Broward High School, though students remained in class.

West Broward resident Roxanne Gill said, “We could hear it crackling. That’s how bad it was. I had to hose down my house.”

“Everyone was hosing down all their trailers before the fire department came,” she said.

At long last, rain began to fall in the late afternoon, which was a welcomed sight for residents.

“This is amazing, we have been praying for this because it was very dry and the prediction was like it’s not gonna dry until tonight, so I’m super, super grateful right now,” said Elba Navarro. “I live nearby and honestly I didn’t sleep last night. I was waking up every two hours running to the window to see how close the fire was.”

As the fire moves deeper into the everglades, the concern for neighbors now is the displaced wildlife showing up at their front doors.

“Not just only something happened to them that of course I’m concerned but alligators, coyotes, snakes, they run and they run to our house because we have lakes,” said Navarro.

“It’s just about staying ready,” Kelly said, “and all these guys in here are ready.”

Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves in his first start this postseason after relieving Scott Wedgewood during a 5-1 loss in Game 3 on Saturday, and the Avalanche moved within one win of taking the first spot in the Western Conference finals. Game 5 will be in Denver on Wednesday.

“You’re never going to be perfect after 30 days off, so I just try to do my best to stay sharp,” said Blackwood, who learned the day before he would be starting.

Nazem Kadri scored on a power play in the second period, and Nathan MacKinnon — who had a brief absence to fix a bloody nose from a puck to the face — and Brock Nelson added empty-net goals in the final minute.

Nico Sturm tied the game at 2 for Minnesota with his first goal of the postseason about two minutes after Colton scored, but the Wild were outshot 20-4 over roughly the first half of the game by an energized Colorado offense.

Rookie Danila Yurov scored his first career postseason goal on a deflection midway through the first period for the Wild during a four-minute power play prompted by a double minor penalty on defenseman Josh Manson, but they failed to consistently get pucks deep into the offensive zone and allowed their crowd-noise advantage to all but disappear during their slog of a second period before coming to life down the stretch.

“The style of game that we needed to play to win the game, we didn’t,” coach John Hynes said. "We made the conscious choice not to play that way tonight, so we’ll readdress that and then we’ll get ready for Game 5.”

After leading the NHL in goals during the regular season while posting the league's best record, the Avalanche scored 14 times over the first two games before Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt stonewalled them in Game 3.

But Colton, whose wrist shot was set up by a slick across-the-slot pass by linemate Nicolas Roy, became the 15th player to score for the Avalanche in just eight postseason games this spring. Then Kelly made it 16.

“They were doing a lot of what we want to do — quick with the puck, get it down deep, work our players down low," Wallstedt said. “They got a lot of pucks to the net. They were creating rebounds. They were creating scoring chances. We want to do the exact same thing. It just took a little longer for us to get there.”

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

Trump, who turns 80 next month and was the oldest person elected U.S. president, will see his doctors at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on May 26, the White House said in a brief statement Monday evening.

The president's health has been the subject of tremendous scrutiny, so much so that Trump said he regretted getting imaging on his heart and abdomen last year because it raised public questions about his health.

Trump — who has been frequently critical of former President Joe Biden for age-related health and fitness issues — has recently remarked how good he feels despite his years. Earlier Monday, Trump that he feels the same as he did 50 years ago. “I feel literally the same,” he said at an Oval Office event. “I don’t know why. It’s not because I eat the best foods.”

Last week, he joked about his exercise regimen, saying that he works out “like about one minute a day, max.”

Presidents have wide discretion over what health information they choose to release to the public. Trump's doctor reported after an annual physical exam in April 2025 that the president was “fully fit” to serve as commander in chief.

His physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, said Trump was 20 pounds lighter since a 2020 checkup that showed him bordering on obesity.

Months after the visit reported last April, Trump had a checkup after noticing what the White House described as “mild swelling” in his lower legs. Tests by the White House medical unit found that Trump had chronic venous insufficiency, a condition common in older adults that causes blood to pool in his veins.

At the time, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also addressed bruising on the back of Trump's hands that has sometimes been covered by makeup. Leavitt said it was the result of irritation from frequent handshaking and aspirin use. Trump takes aspirin to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Trump went on to have an October medical exam that the White House called a “semiannual physical,” where he also got his yearly flu shot and a COVID-19 booster vaccine. He later told The Wall Street Journal that he underwent advanced imaging on his heart and abdomen in October as preventive screening.

In his first term, Trump had at least four medical exams in office, aside from a stay at Walter Reed when he got COVID-19 in October 2020.

His upcoming dental evaluation follows two other recent visits to a local dentist near his estate in Florida, where Trump often spends his weekends.

The checkup is scheduled to take place about 10 days after Trump is expected to return from a summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Mitchell tied an NBA playoff mark with 39 points in the final two quarters as he rallied the Cavaliers to a 112-103 victory Monday night.

“What a shift, right? Really struggled in the first half and then big-time, second-half performance by Don,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said.

The home team has won all four games in the series, which shifts to Detroit for Game 5 Wednesday night.

Mitchell matched the mark of Eric “Sleepy” Floyd on a free throw with 27.6 seconds remaining. He had a chance to break the record, set in 1987 when the Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers, but missed his second foul shot.

“Everybody let me know that I missed a free throw to break the record, though,” said Mitchell, who finished with 43 points. “I will say that, but we’re two and two headed to Detroit. That was what we came home to do and that’s all that matters.”

James Harden had his 40th playoff double-double with 24 points and 11 assists. Evan Mobley had 17 points as Cleveland remained unbeaten at home in six playoff games.

Caris LeVert had a season-high 24 points for Detroit. Cade Cunningham scored 19, the first time he has been held under 20 in 11 playoff games this season, and Tobias Harris added 16.

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who takes pride in the physical style his team plays, was not pleased with the free throw disparity. Mitchell had more trips to the foul line (15) than Detroit (12).

“There is no way one guy on their team should have more free throws than our team. We’re not a settling for jump shots team," he said. “We didn’t do enough to help ourselves, but ever since we came to Cleveland, the whistle has changed.”

Even though Mitchell struggled in the first half and the Cavaliers shot 15 of 38, with most of their shots being 3-pointers, the Cavaliers felt pretty fortunate to be down 56-52 at halftime.

Atkinson's message at halftime was to play with more pace and attack downhill, which opened things up.

Mitchell scored 15 during Cleveland’s 24-0 run that went from the last 12 seconds of the first half to the first six minutes of the third quarter. Cleveland trailed 56-52 at halftime before taking control.

The Cavs were 10 of 12 from the field and made three 3-pointers. They also converted five turnovers by the Pistons into nine points.

“When (Mitchell) sees a gap, he’s going to go. We’ve got to eliminate his touches and catches on the run,” Cunningham said. “That run, we just never caught our footing again. That was the first time they really got loose in the series.”

The 24-0 run was the longest in an NBA playoff game since since Minnesota also scored 24 straight in Game 6 of its Western Conference semifinal series against Denver in 2024. It was also the longest spurt by Cleveland in a postseason game since play-by-play stats were kept in 1997-98. The previous high was 19 in an Eastern semifinal series contest against Boston.

“We understood if we could just get some stops and get out in transition and get some easier looks, we’ll be in good shape. We were doing a solid job, we just weren’t scoring,” Mitchell said, “I think understanding that we were in a good spot and did a good job of weathering a storm.”

Mitchell and Harden accounted for 49 points apiece with their points scored and points off assists. Mobley was a force on both ends of the court with eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and five blocked shots.

“Don’s going to get all the flowers, but we should give a lot of flowers to Mobley for tonight’s performance,” Atkinson said.

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

Morton died Saturday in Mill Valley, California, the Broncos confirmed through his family.

Morton is one of only four QBs to start the NFL’s biggest game with two organizations. The other three — Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Kurt Warner — all ended up with at least one win. Morton's only Super Bowl ring came as a backup.

His first Super Bowl start was in a turnover-plagued Super Bowl V to end the 1970 season — a 16-13 loss by the Cowboys to the Colts. Morton threw the Cowboys’ first touchdown pass in a title game.

Seven years later, and after an unsuccessful stint with the New York Giants, Morton led the Broncos to a matchup against his former team. He threw for 39 yards and four interceptions before getting pulled for Norris Weese in a 27-10 loss, which marked the first of four straight Super Bowl defeats for Denver.

Known for his strong arm, Morton turned in a college football Hall of Fame career at California, where he played for coach Marv Levy and assistant Bill Walsh. Morton went fifth in the 1965 NFL draft to the Cowboys. Oakland also took him in the 10th round of the AFL draft.

He joined a Cowboys team coached by Tom Landry that had veteran Don Meredith at QB. Morton played in four games that season. He then split time with up-and-coming Roger Staubach in 1970-71, the year the Cowboys went to their first Super Bowl.

The next season, Morton and Staubach also split time — at some points, even alternating every play. But ultimately, it was Staubach who took over the starting job, then led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl and a 24-3 win over Miami. Staubach was the MVP of that game and it wasn’t hard to imagine the end of Morton’s time in Dallas.

The Cowboys dealt their backup to the Giants in 1974 for a package that included a pick Dallas would use to take defensive lineman Randy White, who became a Super Bowl MVP and Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Morton struggled in New York, but enjoyed a renaissance after getting traded to Denver before the 1977 season — the season that put the Broncos on the map.

The veteran QB became the final piece for a Broncos team under a new coach, Red Miller, who inherited a strong defense that would become known as the Orange Crush.

Morton led the Broncos to a 12-2 record and playoff wins over the Steelers and Raiders. He famously spent the week in the hospital with a hip injury before spearheading the win over rival Oakland.

Four years later — and after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves. In 1981, Morton threw for 3,195 yards and 21 TDs, both career highs (he matched his best mark in TDs).

He retired after starting three games in the strike-shortened 1982 season. Denver would trade for John Elway, who supplanted Morton as the franchise’s most famous and revered No. 7.

Morton threw for 27,908 yards over his career with 183 touchdowns and 187 interceptions. Morton ranked in the top 20 all-time in yards passing and TD passes when he retired following the 1982 season.

He was voted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1988, along with two other standouts from that ’77 team — Haven Moses and Jim Turner.

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AP National Writer Eddie Pells and AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.

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

Toews tried to send the ill-fated clearing attempt from the crease toward the corner, but it made a direct hit on MacKinnon's face instead. The league's leading goal scorer during the regular season collapsed to his knees in pain before an athletic trainer arrived to press a towel under his nose and help him skate off the ice.

Blood was all over, including streaming down the inside of MacKinnon's visor, and he went up the tunnel for further treatment shortly before the second intermission. MacKinnon returned in time for the third period and tacked on an empty-net goal in Colorado's 5-2 win.

“If he was going to be able to get out there, he was going to be out there," coach Jared Bednar said. “I just felt for him because I just went through that. It doesn’t feel very good.”

Bednar went to a hospital with facial fractures and a corneal abrasion in his eye last month, missing a two-game road trip after being hit with a puck on his right cheek that soared into the bench area during a game.

MacKinnon has six goals and six assists in eight playoff games this spring for the Avalanche, who lead the Wild 3-1 going into Game 5 on Wednesday.

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

Tras la lluvia de críticas que desató entre los padres y organizaciones civiles locales la iniciativa de recorte del ciclo escolar, la Secretaría de Educación Pública informó en un comunicado que luego de un análisis exhaustivo de impacto de las medidas y una deliberación colectiva se acordó “mantener el calendario escolar 2025-2026 en sus términos originales”, y que las clases culminarán el 15 de julio.

La polémica surgió luego de que el secretario de Educación Pública, Mario Delgado, informó el 7 de mayo en un video que se difundió en su cuenta de X que se adelantaría para junio el fin del período escolar por la “extraordinaria ola de calor” que se vive en el país, que aseguró que se extenderá por dos meses, y por el torneo mundialista que se desarrollará entre el 11 de junio y el 19 de julio.

Organizaciones civiles locales que defienden los derechos de los niños y adolescentes y agrupaciones de padres rechazaron la propuesta alegando que el recorte de más de un mes de clases afectaría el derecho a aprender de los infantes y complicaría la situación de los padres que no tienen quien cuide a sus hijos durante las vacaciones.

La Copa Mundial se disputará en 11 sedes en Estados Unidos, tres en México y dos en Canadá. Las sedes mexicanas de la justa deportiva serán la Ciudad de México, donde se jugará el partido inaugural, Guadalajara y Monterrey.