Trump bestowed the military's highest honor on Marine Corps Maj. James Capers Jr. and Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery. He also awarded it posthumously to Marine Corps Col. John W. Ripley, who died in 2008.

“These are great men, great people,” Trump said at the ceremony. “We thank you and we will never, ever forget you.”

Capers led a selfless rescue after a deadly ambush

Capers, 88, was honored for risking his life to ensure the safety of his fellow Marines after they were ambushed in Vietnam in 1967. What was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission to find a suspected North Vietnamese base camp turned into days of bloody fighting in dense jungle, according to his citation.

On the fourth day, his team was ambushed and outnumbered by Vietnamese fighters. A mine explosion left Capers with a broken leg and serious wounds to his abdomen.

“After a shot of morphine, Jim asserted command of the firefight,” Trump said, drawing on accounts of the mission. “He took over like nobody’s ever seen before.”

Capers called in air support to repel the ambush. When a rescue helicopter arrived, Capers loaded all the wounded men before climbing aboard.

Trump shared a moving moment with Capers as the president pinned the Medal of Honor around his neck, clasping Capers by the shoulders and pulling him forward to make sure the medal was straight and level against his chest. Capers had been keeping a straight face but broke into a smile when Trump grinned.

Ripley single-handedly laid explosives to destroy key bridge

Ripley was honored for a heroic effort to halt the advance of North Vietnamese forces by blowing up a crucial bridge in 1972.

A force of more than 30,000 North Vietnamese soldiers and 200 tanks was approaching the bridge in the village of Dong Ha when Ripley single-handedly placed 500 pounds of explosives to bring it down, according to his citation.

Over the course of five hours, Ripley climbed back and forth along the bridge's steel beams, exposing himself to enemy fire as he placed the charges.

“John completed not one, not two, but five such trips,” Trump said, calling him a “very strong guy.”

Ripley said a prayer, then detonated the bridge, sending it into the water below and halting the North Vietnamese advance, Trump said.

Ripley died in 2008. His three sons and other family members attended the ceremony.

Dockery rescued wounded soldiers before coordinating rescue

Dockery's platoon members were guarding a compound in Afghanistan's Kapisa Province in 2012 when they were ambushed by an estimated 150 Taliban fighters. He raced across open ground to rally his scattered team then set out to find missing soldiers, according to his citation.

After carrying a wounded soldier away from gunfire, he spotted two enemy fighters heading toward another wounded soldier in an alley. Dockery killed the two fighters before performing CPR on the American soldier to get him breathing again, his citation said. Dockery called in mortar support, then shielded the wounded soldier from the blasts with his own body.

After hours of fighting in the close urban setting, Dockery used smoke grenades to signal enemy positions for American gunships. He refused to leave the village until all the wounded soldiers were taken to safety.

“You were the last man to depart the battlefield that day," Trump told him, “and you left it a legend and a hero."

The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in Confederate territory on Jan. 1, 1863, but the news didn’t get to Galveston, Texas, until June 19, 1865.

Juneteenth, which commemorates the day, has been an official federal holiday since 2021, and North Miami has been celebrating it every year with a free festival.

“Juneteenth is not just for African Americans,” said Vincent Spence, who helps to organize the festival. “Juneteenth is more about like that road that has been paved for us.”

Spence, who co-founded Our Living Legends, a North Miami-based organization, was looking forward to the 5th annual festival at Griffing Park.

“Juneteenth is a powerful reminder of the resilience, strength, and contributions of generations who paved the way for future opportunities,” Councilwoman Mary Estimé-Irvin said in a statement.

A stage for live music, a kid zone, and a network of tents were near food trucks that were open for business on Thursday at 12220 Griffing Boulevard.

For more information about the community event, visit this page.

Related special report: The origins of Juneteenth

Friday will feature a sun/cloud mix, plus haze in some areas. Temperatures will make a run for the low 90s as southeast winds stir. Heat indices are likely to peak around 105 degrees. A few afternoon inland thunderstorms could develop.

The death of Kohen Wiley is the latest in a series of troubling encounters with police that have outraged community members in recent years. It has led to protests and calls for greater police accountability in the town of 8,000, with some civil rights activists pointing to Kohen's death as another example of a Black life lost over something of nominal value — in this case, allegedly stolen diapers.

“We are treating items on a shelf as more valuable than a child,” Bernice King, the daughter of civil right icon Martin Luther King, Jr., said in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “That is not just bad policing; it is a moral collapse.”

Differing accounts of what happened

There are still many unanswered questions about the shooting and what led up to it.

Senatobia police responded to the shoplifting call at a local Walmart on Sunday, where they found two women and a child leaving the store, getting into a car and driving away. According to a statement released by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation: “Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one. An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene.”

Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, said her son and her friend, who was driving, were hit by gunfire. In a video posted on social media Wednesday by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, Wiley said her friend was not driving toward the officers because they were “all on the right side and she was driving towards the left.”

She also disputes the shoplifting claim, saying in the video that she believes her friend paid for the diapers she was carrying.

Policing expert Ian Adams, who teaches criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, said regardless of the circumstances, the officer should not have fired at the car.

“Modern policing knows that shooting into a moving vehicle is a very bad idea and one to be avoided at almost all costs,′ Adams said. For one thing, ”vehicles have other occupants, which is obviously a concern here in the current case.”

Shooting revives racial justice concerns

Kohen was Black, as are his mother and her friend, and the circumstances leading to Kohen's death quickly drew comparisons to another Black mother shot during a response to a shoplifting accusation.

In 2023, Ta’Kiya Young, who was pregnant, was shot by police in a Columbus, Ohio, suburb, after they attempted to apprehend her. Police said Young, who was also the mother of two young sons, got into her car and accelerated in the direction of the officer who fired at her through the windshield. Both Young and her unborn daughter were killed.

The officer in that case was acquitted of criminal charges and found justified in his use of force by a review board.

The two deaths join a long list of other instances of Black Americans dying in interactions with police after accusations of petty criminal offenses. That list includes the murder of George Floyd in 2020, who was killed after police responded to a call that he used a fake $20 bill at a Minneapolis grocery store.

For some racial justice advocates, such cases serve as a constant reminder of the consequences of systemic racism in law enforcement.

“In the name of ‘law and order,’ a child was killed and family was shattered over items that could be restocked, written off, and replaced,” King wrote on Instagram. “Our charge is clear: until the sacredness of human life is the starting point of every police encounter, we must demand changes in training and work unrelentingly to reform policies around police accountability."

Tensions in Senatobia

Marquell Bridges, the president and founder of an advocacy group called the Building Bridges Coalition and who has been helping the Wiley family, said Kohen's death was “just the breaking point” after years of problematic interactions between Black residents and police.

Bridges pointed to an encounter last year in which an officer threatened Breshari Faulkner with a Taser, pulled her from her car onto the ground and arrested her during a confrontation over a handicapped parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.

Two years earlier, in 2023, a Senatobia officer was fired for his role in arresting a 10-year-old Black boy who had urinated in a different parking lot. The boy’s family settled a federal lawsuit with the city earlier this year.

“There is a culture there that they are above the law – just because they wear a uniform,” said civil rights attorney Carlos Moore, who has represented the 10-year-old boy and others accusing the department of misconduct.

Police did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. The mayor and city aldermen also did not respond to messages.

About 40% of the city’s population of approximately 8,300 is Black, according to 2020 Census data. Police did not respond to questions about the racial makeup of the department, but the mayor and a majority of the Board of Alderman members are white. The city has elected only three Black aldermen since it became a municipality in 1860, according to the Tate Record, a local newspaper.

A toy lawnmower that blows bubbles

The officer who shot Kohen and the woman driving the car he was in has been placed on administrative leave, a standard practice, while the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation looks into what happened. They have promised to release video of the shooting once the investigation is complete.

Kohen's grandmother, Veronica Roberson, was there when Kohen was born and babysat him often. She described him as a happy little baby with “the prettiest smile you could ever imagine.”

She said he was a sweet child and: “He just loved on me, and I loved on him. We loved each other.”

One of his favorite toys was a little lawnmower that would blow bubbles when pushed. Roberson would sit outside with him while he played with it. “He really thought he was mowing my yard,” she said, laughing a little at the memory. “That baby was my world."

___

Loller reported from Nashville, Tennessee. Jack Brook contributed from New Orleans. Aaron Morrison contributed from New York City.

The doctor, Andrew Sorial, a psychiatrist whose former office is in Boca Raton, was trusted to listen to people hurting in their mind. Now the state says he had an obsession with women’s breasts.

The alleged victim Donna — which is not her real name, asked Local 10 News to protect her identity.

“I had some mental health issues that I needed help with,” Donna said.

Local 10 News obtained the official notice from the state Department of Health.

The Health Department says that during telehealth sessions, Sorial would ask women to undress in good lighting and put on a sports bra.

The state says Sorial asked one patient to lower her waistband so he could view her midsection and pelvic area. Donna says he asked her to put on skimpy clothing. She refused.

“But to be clear, the issues were mental, not physical,” Donna said. “Absolutely — so no reason for him to ask about your body. None at all. To see anything.”

The Department of Health paperwork says Sorial had an obsession with women’s breasts and gave an instruction for patient L.P. to squeeze her breasts together and turn in different directions.

Donna told Local 10 News she had to switch to all-women doctors — and that Sorial should never see another patient again.

“I would tell him he is evil and vile and he deserves to go to jail for what he did,” she said.

At least one lawsuit has been filed. Attorney Adam Horowitz represents Donna, and he says he’ll be filing too.

“When he made these demands on them — take their clothes off, take pictures — some thought they had to comply, or lose the benefits of his treatments,” Horowitz said.

Donna says if you’re watching right now and have been victimized

“Come forward, say something. It’s not your fault. Not your fault. I can see this is tough. It affected my whole life.”

Local 10 News reached out to Sorial to get his side, but no response.

Local 10 News also confirmed he turned in his license in Massachusetts.

As of Thursday, no criminal charges have been filed against him.

Both sides made arguments about key phrases, down to individual words, they want the jury to have in front of them when they head into deliberations following Monday’s conclusion of closing arguments.

The voice of defendant George Pino joined the courtroom by Zoom on Thursday to address a critical question — whether he wanted a lesser included offense presented to the jury for consideration.

“The misdemeanor you were previously charged with,” defense attorney Srebnick Howard began.

“Do you continue to decline the lesser included offense instruction?” Srebnick asked.

“Yes I do,” Pino replied.

The hearing centered on preparing jury instructions in the manslaughter and vessel homicide case against the 55-year-old real estate mogul, in connection with the 2022 boating incident which killed 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez.

“It is the state’s burden to prove ― not us,” Srebnick said.

“This instruction comes straight from statute,” prosecutor Laura Adams said.

Arguments also touched on causation.

“The changing course did not cause her death,” Srebnick said.

“I can’t charge the water for causing her death,” Adams responded.

The judge pushed back, asking: “If there was no change of course there would be no allision?” ― to which she received confirmation.

Jury instructions serve as a road map for the jurors once they head into deliberations and the words in those instructions, the judge said, should focus them on clear statements of the law to guide their deliberations as they weigh the evidence presented at trial.

But what words are a pathway to clarifying a legal concept — as opposed to being confusing or even misleading — can be up for interpretation, which is why the state and defense spent the afternoon litigating specific phrasing.

“What are the acts…” Srebnick began at one point.

“I am not saying that,” Adams shot back.

The defendant was not in the courtroom. His attorney noted: “This is the crux of the case” and “a fundamental part of the proceeding,” adding, “I am sure he would rely on us without a doubt.”

Thursday’s hearing is crucial. The judge said she will check in with Pino on Monday morning ahead of the start of closing arguments.

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Police said the incident happened on May 4, 2025 in the 6800 block of Royal Palm Boulevard. Now, more than a year later, authorities took suspect Lois Helen Roeckelein into custody.

Residents in the 55-plus community describe Roeckelein, who turns 92 in July, as sharp as a tack and said that she was only trying to protect her property. But authorities said what she did was criminal.

Local 10 News spoke with the alleged victim, Marilyn Lopez, who said Roeckelein, then 90, fired at her while she was walking her dog, Cash, along a canal right behind Roeckelein’s home.

She said Roeckelein told her, “If you don’t get out of my property, I’m going to shoot you right now.”

Then, she said, “that lady started shooting.”

Lopez claims it wasn’t the first confrontation.

“That lady, two times before that, she said, ‘I will not rest until I see all of you immigrants go back where you belong,’” Lopez said.

Margate police responded to the incident last year and residents watched shocked to see their elderly neighbor taken into custody under the Baker Act. She was never officially arrested.

Another neighbor said, “So I said to Lois, ‘What happened?’ She said, ‘Well, that lady with the little dog keeps walking behind my property and the dog keeps messing and she doesn’t pick up the stuff.’”

Roeckelein was issued a notice to appear in court, but after more than a year, never showed.

Margate police only realized the senior had a warrant for her arrest after they began investigating a traffic crash she was in on Wednesday.

Lopez said she was concerned about Roeckelein’s mental state; she’s known to be caring for her 101-year-old husband.

“And I said, ‘You have to figure it out, what type of help they need, because they are seniors,’” Lopez said. “If she’s not well mentally, she’s not in the capacity to help (her) husband.”

Roeckelein would later be released from jail. She has reportedly moved to Port St. Lucie, where she’s receiving assistance from friends.

La policía informó que el incidente ocurrió el 4 de mayo de 2025 en la cuadra 6800 de Royal Palm Boulevard. Ahora, más de un año después, las autoridades detuvieron a la sospechosa, Lois Helen Roeckelein.

Residentes de la comunidad para mayores de 55 años describen a Roeckelein, quien cumplirá 92 años en julio, como una persona muy lúcida y dijeron que solo intentaba proteger su propiedad. Sin embargo, las autoridades afirmaron que sus acciones fueron delictivas.

Local 10 News habló con la presunta víctima, Marilyn López, quien dijo que Roeckelein, entonces de 90 años, le disparó mientras paseaba a su perro, Cash, a lo largo de un canal justo detrás de la vivienda de Roeckelein.

Según López, Roeckelein le dijo: “Si no sales de mi propiedad, te voy a disparar ahora mismo”.

Luego, dijo, “esa señora empezó a disparar”.

López asegura que no fue el primer enfrentamiento.

“Esa señora, en dos ocasiones anteriores, dijo: ‘No descansaré hasta ver que todos ustedes los inmigrantes regresen a donde pertenecen’”, relató López.

La policía de Margate respondió al incidente el año pasado y los residentes observaron sorprendidos cómo su vecina de edad avanzada era puesta bajo custodia bajo la Ley Baker. Nunca fue arrestada formalmente.

Otro vecino dijo: “Entonces le pregunté a Lois: ‘¿Qué pasó?’ Ella respondió: ‘Bueno, esa señora con el perrito sigue caminando detrás de mi propiedad y el perro sigue haciendo sus necesidades y ella no recoge nada’”.

A Roeckelein se le emitió una citación para comparecer ante el tribunal, pero después de más de un año nunca se presentó.

La policía de Margate solo se dio cuenta de que la adulta mayor tenía una orden de arresto pendiente cuando comenzó a investigar un accidente de tránsito en el que estuvo involucrada el miércoles.

López dijo que estaba preocupada por el estado mental de Roeckelein, quien es conocida por cuidar a su esposo de 101 años.

“Y yo dije: ‘Tienen que averiguar qué tipo de ayuda necesitan, porque son personas mayores’”, dijo López. “Si ella no está bien mentalmente, no tiene la capacidad para ayudar a su esposo”.

Posteriormente, Roeckelein fue liberada de la cárcel. Según informes, se mudó a Port St. Lucie, donde está recibiendo ayuda de amigos.

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According to a spokesperson for the Florida Forest Service, the man appeared to have suffered an allergic reaction while working as a firefighter near Krome Avenue’s Mile Marker 33.

The FFS firefighter was alert, and his vital signs were stable before Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel flew him to the HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, according to the FFS.

Patrick Mahoney, a wildfire mitigation specialist and spokesman for FFS, said the drought is mostly to blame for the triple trouble that firefighters faced.

TRIPLE TROUBLE

The wildfire, known as “Quarry 2,” east of Krome Avenue, has been the most damaging.

MDFR personnel reported it started with lightning on Sunday near the Metrowest Detention Center, west of Doral. As of Thursday afternoon, it had burned 15,900 acres and was 70% contained, according to FFS.

A wildfire, known as “Well,” also east of Krome Avenue, near the Florida Turnpike, had burned 500 acres and was 25% contained, according to FFS.

A wildfire, known as “Coptic,” was west of Krome Avenue and south of the Tamiami Trail, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. It had burned about 340 acres, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which monitors air quality.

HEALTH RISKS

Aside from the flames’ heat, firefighters were also dealing with a heat index of over 100 degrees and a heat advisory that increased the risks of outdoor activity on Thursday in South Florida.

While southeastern winds may have kept smoke away from the metro area, winds could veer more southernly from Thursday night to Friday morning — and push smoke pollution closer to the metro area, according to the National Weather Service.

MDFR personnel also warned that shifting wind conditions could cause smoke from the wildfires to drift into nearby communities and pollute air quality, so residents should “limit time outdoors, keep windows and doors closed,” and set air-conditioners to recirculate.

“It’s going to be a while before the smoke is gone because you need a ton of rain to come in,” Mahoney said.

The Local 10 News Weather Authority team forecasts a 40% chance of rain on Friday in South Florida.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

Related reports

• Florida’s new weapon against blazing brush fire season: Pellet-dropping drones
• Wildfires prompt evacuations and road closures in South Florida
• Fire chief warns Miami-Dade smoke pollution keeps moving to Broward
• 2 wildfires burn 16,400 acres in western Miami-Dade

Related social media posts

3 Wildfires are continuing to burn this afternoon across western Miami-Dade County with smoke visible on traffic cameras & radar.

SE winds have kept the smoke away from the metro today, however winds may veer more southerly overnight bringing smoke back closer to the metro. pic.twitter.com/rWG4Yo3jro

— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) June 18, 2026

As MDFR and @FlForestService continue battling the grass fires in West Miami-Dade, those in surrounding areas may see a large column of smoke. Stay updated on air conditions by monitoring air quality reports. If wind direction changes and smoky conditions affect your area, stay… pic.twitter.com/t7GW5HSC0f

— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) June 18, 2026

Un portavoz del Servicio Forestal de Florida informó que el bombero es un hombre que aparentemente sufrió una reacción alérgica cerca del marcador de milla 33 de Krome Avenue.

El bombero estaba alerta, hablando y sus signos vitales eran estables antes de que MDFR lo trasladara por aire al HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, según el Servicio Forestal de Florida.

Esta es una noticia en desarrollo. El editor de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Carson Merlo, contribuyó a este informe.

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A student and an instructor departed from the North Perry Airport and crashed at about 11:30 a.m. on May 29, outside of the South Florida State Hospital, at 800 East Cypress Drive, records show.

“I was in shock, but I ran toward the plane, and I pulled two girls out,” Nathan Gansert told a first responder, according to the video.

Vanessa Ledo, the instructor, and Earlene E. Clarke Thomas, the student, survived with back injuries, according to police.

After the crash, Pembroke Pines Mayor Angelo Castillo said engine failure was likely the cause of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration had yet to announce the findings of the investigation.

Related story: Small plane crashes on psychiatric hospital campus near North Perry Airport; 2 hospitalized

Una estudiante y una instructora despegaron del Aeropuerto North Perry y se estrellaron alrededor de las 11:30 a.m. del 29 de mayo, en las afueras del South Florida State Hospital, ubicado en el 800 de East Cypress Drive, según muestran los registros.

“Estaba en estado de shock, pero corrí hacia la avioneta y saqué a dos chicas”, le dijo Nathan Gansert a un socorrista, según el video.

Vanessa Ledo, la instructora, y Earlene E. Clarke Thomas, la estudiante, sobrevivieron con lesiones en la espalda, según la policía.

Tras el accidente, el alcalde de Pembroke Pines, Angelo Castillo, dijo que una falla del motor probablemente fue la causa del accidente. La Administración Federal de Aviación (FAA) aún no había anunciado los hallazgos de la investigación.

Historia relacionada: Avioneta se estrella en campus de hospital psiquiátrico cerca del Aeropuerto North Perry; dos personas hospitalizadas.

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Sunny Isles Beach police said they began investigating Lukas Nicolas Varela Torres, 23, of Miami Beach, on June 10 after “hotel management reported irregularities involving guest payment transactions” at the property, located at 18001 Collins Ave.

“A review of hotel records, transaction histories and audit reports revealed a recurring pattern in which guests initially paid for lodging and related services in cash,” detectives wrote in an arrest report. “(A) subsequent review determined that (Varela) later voided, reversed, canceled, or otherwise modified those cash transactions within the hotel’s property management system and replaced them with card-based payments associated with (himself).”

According to police, “the hotel incurred credit card processing fees that would not have been charged had the original cash transactions remained unchanged,” costing the Trump resort more than $3,100.

Police are asking anyone approached by Varela about paying cash for services to contact him. In addition, they said they are looking into the credit card that was being used for these transactions.

Varela, arrested on Wednesday, now faces charges of grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, offenses against computer users and unlawful use of a communications device.

According to jail records, the Chilean national also has an immigration hold and remained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Thursday morning.

La policía de Sunny Isles Beach informó que comenzó a investigar a Lukas Nicolas Varela Torres, de 23 años y residente de Miami Beach, el 10 de junio después de que “la administración del hotel reportó irregularidades relacionadas con transacciones de pago de huéspedes” en la propiedad ubicada en el 18001 de Collins Ave.

“Una revisión de los registros del hotel, historiales de transacciones e informes de auditoría reveló un patrón recurrente en el que los huéspedes inicialmente pagaban en efectivo por hospedaje y servicios relacionados”, escribieron los detectives en un informe de arresto. “Una revisión posterior determinó que Varela posteriormente anulaba, revertía, cancelaba o modificaba de otra manera esas transacciones en efectivo dentro del sistema de administración de la propiedad del hotel y las reemplazaba con pagos con tarjeta asociados a él mismo”.

Según la policía, “el hotel incurrió en cargos por procesamiento de tarjetas de crédito que no se habrían generado si las transacciones originales en efectivo hubieran permanecido sin cambios”, lo que le costó al resort de Trump más de $3,100 USD.

La policía solicita que cualquier persona a la que Varela haya contactado para pagar servicios en efectivo se comunique con los investigadores. Además, informaron que están investigando la tarjeta de crédito utilizada para estas transacciones.

Varela, arrestado el miércoles, ahora enfrenta cargos de robo mayor, esquema organizado para defraudar, delitos contra usuarios de computadoras y uso ilegal de un dispositivo de comunicación.

Según los registros carcelarios, el ciudadano chileno también tiene una retención migratoria y permanecía en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight hasta la mañana del jueves.

Una estudiante y una instructora despegaron del Aeropuerto North Perry y se estrellaron alrededor de las 11:30 a.m. del 29 de mayo, en las afueras del South Florida State Hospital, ubicado en el 800 de East Cypress Drive, según muestran los registros.

“Estaba en estado de shock, pero corrí hacia la avioneta y saqué a dos chicas”, le dijo Nathan Gansert a un socorrista, según el video.

Vanessa Ledo, la instructora, y Earlene E. Clarke Thomas, la estudiante, sobrevivieron con lesiones en la espalda, según la policía.

Tras el accidente, el alcalde de Pembroke Pines, Angelo Castillo, dijo que una falla del motor probablemente fue la causa del accidente. La Administración Federal de Aviación (FAA) aún no había anunciado los hallazgos de la investigación.

Historia relacionada: Avioneta se estrella en campus de hospital psiquiátrico cerca del Aeropuerto North Perry; dos personas hospitalizadas.

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The Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride — the biggest party in South Florida celebrating love, diversity, equality and inclusion — is happening this weekend, despite fears it may not even happen.

“It has been daunting,” said Stonewall Pride Producer Jameer Baptiste.

Legislation passed by the state of Florida earlier this year bars local governments from spending on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives or events like Pride. Soon after, many sponsors pulled out.

“There have been people that have backed out — businesses, companies,” Baptiste said. “You’ve been a sponsor with us over five years, over a decade, and now you’re pulling out — is it truly because your budget has shrunk or is it because of what’s going on politically?”

The city of Wilton Manors, where most of its elected officials are LGBT+, stepped in to provide safety.

in 2025, a man was detained after police say he tried entering the parade with a weapon, which is not allowed. It was the first time metal detectors were used — and they went off, helping police make the arrest. Organizers say they’re spending more on security this year than ever before.

Still, the spirit of the event is very much alive.

“It’s really reinvigorating our community to come together and show our strength and resilience,” Baptiste said. “So while you’re out having fun out there, remember that hard work, sweat and tears went into making this possible — that your light isn’t dimmed.”

The Saturday event features a glow night parade, entertainment and food.

“Everybody come out — make sure if you’re an ally, support, come out,” Baptiste said. “It’s all about that resilience and the definition of unity, community and belonging.”

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges at a news conference where he called Mencia “one of California’s biggest tax scofflaws.”

The 58-year-old stand-up comic was charged with six felony counts of failure to file personal income tax with the intent to evade taxes — one each for the years 2019 to 2024 — and six similar counts for corporate taxes.

Mencia owes more than $300,000 in state taxes on income totaling $8.7 million, Hochman said.

He has not entered a plea, and emails sent to his attorney seeking comment was not immediately answered.

Mencia was arrested at his Los Angeles home at about 7 a.m., authorities said. He remained in custody Thursday afternoon and was being held on $250,000 bail. He is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday. If he’s convicted of all counts he could get more than 11 years in prison, along with paying the tax bills and interest that will almost double the total.

The charges are the first filed under the new district attorney's new Business Tax Fraud Unit that was established in May by Hochman, a former longtime prosecutor of tax cases.

Mencia regularly paid taxes before 2019, Hochman said. He was sent 78 notices from the state about his delinquent bills, with no response. The charges deal only with state taxes. Hochman said the IRS has not informed his office of Mencia's federal tax status.

Born Ned Arnel Holness in Honduras and raised in East Los Angeles, Mencia began doing stand-up in LA clubs in the late 1980s. By the early 2000s, he became one of the most popular comics in the U.S. and also did some acting in film and television. He had his own TV series, “Mind of Mencia,” combining stand-up with sketches on Comedy Central from 2005 to 2008.

Hochman pointed out at the news conference that on the show in 2007, Mencia said, “Maybe I'm different, but I think taxes are a good thing.”

His comedy most often dealt with race, class and Latino culture. His career took a downward turn as he was hit with accusations from many fellow comedians of joke theft, which he always denied, from other comics. Joe Rogan, then best known as a stand-up comic, confronted him on a club stage on the issue in a video that went viral in 2007. Mencia had long discussions on Marc Maron's podcast on the alleged plagiarism, acknowledging that he may have absorbed others' material but denying outright theft.

He still does regular stand-up shows, touring clubs and small theaters. He's scheduled to do a series of dates in Southern California this week and Las Vegas next week.

The retraction came just a day after Mangione’s lawyers told Judge Gregory Carro that they planned to pursue a defense involving claims that the 28-year-old Ivy League graduate was suffering from extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the Dec. 4, 2024, killing.

A message seeking comment was left with a spokesperson for Mangione’s lawyers. The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the state case, declined to comment.

Mangione's lawyers had faced a deadline Thursday to provide prosecutors with information to support the emotional disturbance claim. Also Thursday, a transcript of a secret hearing held on the matter on June 3 was made public after Carro ordered it unsealed.

If Mangione were to have gone through with the extreme emotional disturbance defense, he would have effectively been admitting that he killed Thompson but did so because of mitigating circumstances. It wouldn’t have absolved him of responsibility, but could have led to less time in prison.

If a jury accepts the defense, it is obligated to convict a defendant of manslaughter, which is punishable by up to 25 years in prison, instead of murder, which carries a potential life sentence.

In a letter to Carro on Thursday, Mangione lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said the defense “respectfully withdraws” its notice under New York's psychiatric defense statute.

Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges. His state trial is scheduled to start Sept. 8. His federal trial, which involves stalking charges, is set to begin on Oct. 13.

At Wednesday's hearing, Friedman Agnifilo protested Carro’s decision to unseal materials related to his psychiatric defense, saying it will be “prejudicial to his defense to the exact same facts” in his federal case, where an extreme emotional disturbance defense isn’t allowed.

An emotional disturbance defense is not the same as a not guilty by reason of insanity defense, which would allow a defendant to go to a psychiatric facility instead of prison.

Thompson, 50, was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of Manhattan.

At a hearing last month, Carro ruled that a gun and notebook that prosecutors say link Mangione to the killing can be used as evidence against him.

The gun, a 3D-printed pistol, matches the one used to kill Thompson, prosecutors said. The notebook describes wanting to “wack” a health insurance executive and rebelling against “the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel.”

A few minutes later, everyone knew the answer. There was Scheffler jumping up and down in a bunker situated 150 yards shy of the green — and 10 feet lower than the fairway — to catch a glimpse of the flag on the putting surface ahead.

What resulted was a rare bogey 6 for the world's No. 1 player on one of those rare par 5s in pro golf that wasn't remotely reachable in two — thanks to it being uphill and dead into a 25 mph wind. The 16th played at 0.355 strokes over par midway through the first round, fifth-hardest hole on the course.

Welcome to Shinnecock.

“You had to be hitting a great shot if you wanted to avoid a punishment,” Scheffler said after walking off the windswept golf course at 2-over par, a reasonable four shots behind early leader Sam Stevens but feeling beaten up. “I think ‘good’ would put you in some tough spots.”

Scheffler, who needs this tournament to complete the career Grand Slam, found plenty of those tough spots in his 10th straight round at the U.S. Open in which he has failed to break par. It began in the morning but bled well into the afternoon — a 5 1/2-hour grind through the wind that started late because of a two-hour fog delay. One of his playing partners, defending champion J.J. Spaun, fared even worse. Spaun shot 77.

Scheffler made double bogey on No. 8 after teeing off into the rough, hitting his second into a bunker some 40 yards from the hole, then three-putting.

He hit a wedge from 110 yards to the middle of the 13th green, but the ball spun and rolled off the front. That led to a bogey; blame it on the soft conditions the USGA has been trying to hang on to in wake of the wind forecast.

“Overall, yeah, it was a really challenging day,” Scheffler said. “If you told me when I was staring at my par putt on 9 that I would post 2-over today, I would definitely have taken it at the time.”

He made that putt, a 6-footer, to make the turn at 3 over. He sank a 9-footer for a sand save on No. 18 to walk away with his 72. Three of his four birdies came on the back nine.

“I feel like this course can change pretty rapidly from day to day,” he said. “I think that’s also part of the challenge of the tournament is adjusting to those conditions.”

Some 90 minutes after the round, Scheffler was still on the driving range, having an animated conversation with his coach, Randy Smith, while the wind picked up for the second wave of players, many of whom would be on the course at twilight.

As much as his swing, Scheffler knows this tournament will come down to who can untangle the conditions, then deal with them the best. He walked off the course in a tie for 75th place — not out of it, but still looking for answers.

“I think it’s a little easier sometimes in a U.S. Open,” Scheffler said, “because it’s happening to everybody.”

___

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

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That’s despite several prominent South Florida figures, including current and former elected officials, willing to put their money and even homes on the line to help cover a proposed $7 million bond.

U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian wrote in her ruling that the 60-year-old “has not met his burden by clear and convincing evidence that he is not a flight risk if released pending sentencing.”

Damian wrote in the order that “all the letters submitted by reputable members of the South Florida community” were not enough to satisfy “his burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence that he does not pose a serious risk of non-appearance if released pending his sentencing.”

Prosecutors had argued that Rivera has significant foreign ties and assets, making him a threat to flee before his sentencing on July 20.

He’s now set to remain locked up, facing the possibility of a decade in federal prison.

Rivera was convicted alongside political consultant Esther Nuhfer of illegally lobbying for the Venezuelan government.

The two were also convicted of failing to register as foreign agents and conspiring to commit money laundering involving a consulting contract with $50 million.

Read the ruling:

David Rivera Document by Chris Gothner

Esto ocurre a pesar de que varias figuras prominentes del sur de Florida, incluidos funcionarios electos actuales y anteriores, estaban dispuestas a comprometer su dinero e incluso sus viviendas para respaldar una fianza propuesta de $7 millones USD.

La jueza federal Melissa Damian escribió en su fallo que Rivera, de 60 años, “no ha cumplido con su carga de demostrar mediante pruebas claras y convincentes que no representa un riesgo de fuga si es liberado mientras espera la sentencia”.

Damian escribió en la orden que “todas las cartas presentadas por miembros respetados de la comunidad del sur de Florida” no fueron suficientes para satisfacer “su carga de demostrar mediante pruebas claras y convincentes que no representa un riesgo serio de no comparecer si es liberado antes de su sentencia”.

Los fiscales habían argumentado que Rivera tiene importantes vínculos y activos en el extranjero, lo que lo convierte en un riesgo de fuga antes de su sentencia programada para el 20 de julio.

Ahora permanecerá detenido, enfrentando la posibilidad de hasta una década en una prisión federal.

Rivera fue condenado junto con la consultora política Esther Nuhfer por realizar actividades de cabildeo ilegalmente para el gobierno de Venezuela.

Ambos también fueron condenados por no registrarse como agentes extranjeros y por conspirar para cometer lavado de dinero relacionado con un contrato de consultoría de $50 millones USD.

Lea el fallo:

David Rivera Document by Chris Gothner

The letter from the Illinois senator, the top Democrat on the Senate's aviation subcommittee, adds to questions and concerns over Trump's proposed 250-foot (76-meter) arch for the nation's capital. Pushed by Trump to commemorate the country's 250th anniversary, it would be more than twice as tall as the Lincoln Memorial.

Duckworth wrote that the FAA’s initial review of the arch appears to have been expedited and raised questions about whether the president or his White House aides are “already improperly pressuring FAA to prioritize rubberstamping Trump’s vanity arch over public safety.”

Officials are looking to complete the towering edifice within three years, possibly requiring 20 hours of work per day and cranes up to 320 feet (106 meters) tall, according to a National Park Service preliminary report, which Duckworth cited in her letter to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.

The agency said it would respond directly to Duckworth.

The arch's close proximity to the complex airspace of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where a U.S. Army helicopter collided with a commercial jet last year, killing 67 people, was a key concern for Duckworth.

The crash “underscores the consequences of inadequate coordination and the need for extreme caution when evaluating any new obstruction in this environment,” she wrote. The FAA must be “firm in rejecting any improper or irresponsible pressure" from Trump on the matter.

In a previous statement, the FAA said that a preliminary feasibility study found “no adverse impacts to operations” at the nearby airport. The top of the structure, however, would need to be lit with red obstruction lights, which it called “a common safety tool.”

The agency said a full study in coordination with the park service would come next.

Duckworth added another concern in her letter, that the arch would interrupt the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, and thereby “offensively desecrate the hallowed symbolism.”

Según el informe de detención, los agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Miami-Dade arrestaron a Abdoul Haseeb el miércoles por la noche después de que respondiera a un anuncio.

Según el informe, una agente que se hizo pasar por madre le dijo a Haseeb que sus hijas “estaban disponibles para servicios sexuales a cambio de dinero”, y él llegó a una reunión en un Honda Accord gris.

“El agente encubierto, haciéndose pasar por la madre de los menores, se reunió con el acusado en el vestíbulo del lugar no revelado y cerró el trato”, escribió un agente, según el informe de detención.

Según el informe, Haseeb entregó entonces 200 dólares en efectivo al agente encubierto, quien a su vez le dio la llave de una habitación donde esperaban otros agentes.

Según los registros penitenciarios, el sistema penitenciario de Miami-Dade detuvo a Haseeb poco después de las 22:45 del miércoles en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde permaneció el jueves sin derecho a fianza.

Haseeb se enfrentó a tres cargos: trata de personas de una víctima menor de 18 años; uso de un ordenador o dispositivo electrónico para seducir, solicitar o atraer a un menor; y uso de un ordenador o servicio de internet para atraer, seducir o solicitar a un niño.

Un conflicto armado interno se puede declarar, de acuerdo con el decreto ejecutivo, cuando dentro de un país existen “hostilidades” entre las fuerzas de seguridad y grupos armados no estatales organizados, de “tal intensidad” que obligan a recurrir a las fuerzas armadas y policiales para enfrentarlos y “neutralizarlos”.

Con dicho reconocimiento el gobierno ecuatoriano blinda la acción de las fuerzas de seguridad ante posibles denuncias en su contra, para luchar contra las organizaciones criminales y narcos, y recuperar el orden público, la seguridad ciudadana y proteger a la población, enfatizó.

“Para preservar la seguridad integral, soberanía e integridad territorial, la protección interna y el mantenimiento del orden público, se reconoce la existencia de un conflicto armado interno en el territorio nacional”, precisa el documento.

El decreto añadió que el Estado recibirá cooperación internacional para neutralizar las amenazas que sostienen el conflicto y que el presidente “concederá indultos, rebajará o conmutará penas” en favor de personal militar, policial y de civiles que participen en tales acciones.

Durante un acto castrense en la costa central de Ecuador, Noboa indicó que “vamos a iniciar una etapa de guerra total” que requiere que las fuerzas armadas estén bien equipadas y trabajar en coordinación “con sistemas de inteligencia, con grupos de inteligencia internacionales”, en cooperación con varias naciones para “acabar con una amenaza que no es solo al Ecuador sino a la región”.

Ni el decreto ni el mandatario identificaron a los países de los que se espera colaboración, pero desde que Noboa asumió el poder Estados Unidos se ha convertido en un cercano aliado, así como Italia e Israel.

En enero de 2024 Noboa, quien había asumido la presidencia dos meses antes para completar el periodo del entonces presidente Guillermo Lasso, declaró por primera vez la existencia de un conflicto armado interno en el país y fijó como objetivo militar a 22 organizaciones criminales que denominó como “terroristas”.

La medida fue consecuencia de una alzada de la violencia sin precedentes tras la huida del cabecilla criminal Adolfo Macías, alias “Fito” -extraditado en 2025 a Estados Unidos- y que derivó en la toma violenta de un canal de televisión mientras transmitía en directo.

Desde que inició su gestión, Noboa -quien cumple su segundo mandato- ha proyectado una política de “mano dura” para contrarrestar a organizaciones criminales, dictando sucesivos estados de excepción para la acción conjunta de fuerzas militares y policiales tanto en las cárceles como en el territorio nacional.

Esas medidas han sido cuestionadas por organizaciones de defensa de derechos humanos que consideran dan apertura para un uso desmedido del poder del Estado, así como por sectores de oposición que cuestionan su eficacia. Ecuador cerró el año 2025 como el más violento de su historia con 9.216 homicidios.

También la Corte Constitucional cuestionó y echó abajo algunos de los estados de excepción dictados por el gobierno, argumentando que no ha justificado debidamente la existencia de un conflicto armado interno.

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Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Abdoul Haseeb on Wednesday evening after he responded to an advertisement, according to the arrest report.

A deputy posing as a mother told Haseeb that her daughters “were available for sexual services, in exchange for money,” and he arrived at a meeting in a gray Honda Accord, according to the report.

“The undercover deputy posing as the juveniles’ mother met the defendant at the lobby of the undisclosed location, and finalized the deal,” a deputy wrote, according to the arrest report.

Haseeb then handed $200 in cash to the undercover deputy, who then handed him a key to a room, where deputies were waiting, according to the report.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Haseeb shortly after 10:45 p.m. on Wednesday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he remained on Thursday without bond, according to inmate records.

Haseeb faced three charges: Human trafficking of a victim who is younger than 18; using a computer or electronic device to seduce, solicit, or lure a minor; and using a computer or internet service to lure, seduce, or solicit a child.

The iconic former headquarters of the gone-but-not-forgotten Pan American World Airways, better known as Pan Am, has been reimagined for a new generation of travelers.

The headquarters, dubbed the “Taj Mahal” after being built in 1963, has now been restored and transformed into a private terminal for luxury flyers. Pan Am went out of business in 1991.

Former Pan Am employees joined an opening ceremony for the swanky digs on Wednesday.

“I went through training here in the Taj Mahal, as we called it,” former flight attendant Renate Van Kempena said.

There’s a spa, nine private suites and a private Transportation Security Administration checkpoint. It definitely beats waiting in the terminal with everybody else.

When travelers are ready to go they put them on a BMW limousine and get driven straight to their plane.

Miami joins the ranks of Atlanta, Los Angeles and others to have these swank spaces for the rich and famous.

The developer P/S has a lease on this historic building.

“We definitely stayed true to the architecture that existed,” Amina Porter, P/S’s chief operating officer, said. “A lot of the historic elements were really architectural and on the outside, so the Brisolei, the terracotta tiles and there’s a few of them throughout the inside the courtyard and in the hallway.”

It costs $4,800 to be a member per year.

La policía investiga pagos sospechosos al senador Jaques Wagner, líder del Partido de los Trabajadores de Lula en el Senado, como parte de las pesquisas sobre el clausurado Banco Master y su desacreditado exdirector ejecutivo, Daniel Vorcaro.

Wagner es el primer aliado importante de Lula que resulta afectado por el amplio escándalo que ya ha tocado, entre otros, al senador Flávio Bolsonaro, aspirante a la presidencia. Se espera que el escándalo pese mucho en las próximas elecciones.

En un comunicado en el que no se mencionó a sospechosos, la policía informó la ejecución de 18 órdenes de registro e incautación en los estados de Bahía y Sao Paulo y en el Distrito Federal por hechos que podrían constituir los delitos de corrupción pasiva, corrupción activa y lavado de dinero.

En documentos judiciales firmados el miércoles por el juez del Supremo Tribunal Federal André Mendonça y obtenidos el jueves por The Associated Press —en los que se menciona a los sospechosos— se autorizaron los registros.

Los investigadores hallaron indicios de que el senador pudo haber recibido beneficios económicos indebidos, incluida la compra de un apartamento de lujo en Salvador, valorado en alrededor de 2,45 millones de reales (aproximadamente 470.000 dólares), según los documentos judiciales.

Los investigadores también examinan si Wagner utilizó su cargo en el Congreso para impulsar asuntos de interés para Banco Master, incluidos los préstamos con descuento por nómina y las normas de seguro de depósitos, de acuerdo con los documentos judiciales.

La policía incautó aproximadamente 50.000 dólares en Brasilia como parte del operativo del jueves. Medios locales informaron que esos fondos fueron hallados en una o varias direcciones vinculadas a Wagner.

El jueves, cuando se le preguntó sobre los fondos en una entrevista con Band, la principal cadena brasileña, el senador afirmó que no tenía nada que ocultar y que nunca había recibido dinero de nadie con vínculos con Banco Master.

Wagner también negó haber tenido tratos importantes con Vorcaro, el exjefe de Banco Master que actualmente está en prisión. “Mi relación con Daniel Vorcaro es prácticamente inexistente... Solo me reuní con Daniel dos veces”, afirmó.

En un comunicado emitido a última hora del jueves, el equipo de prensa de Wagner negó haber actuado en nombre de Banco Master, señaló que el dinero incautado se obtuvo legalmente y que el apartamento nunca formó parte del patrimonio del senador.

El Banco Central de Brasil clausuró en noviembre Banco Master, cuyos activos superaban los 16.000 millones de dólares.

Vorcaro, quien está en el centro de las investigaciones, fue detenido en marzo y desde entonces ha intentado alcanzar un acuerdo de colaboración con las autoridades.

La policía federal de Brasil estima el fraude total del banco en aproximadamente 12.000 millones de reales (2.300 millones de dólares). El caso sigue bajo investigación por parte de la policía federal del país y del Supremo Tribunal Federal.

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

Churchill Downs Inc., which runs the Kentucky Derby to open the Triple Crown, announced in April it was buying the branding rights to the second leg, as well as the race for fillies the precedes it by a day, from 1/ST Racing with the intent of licensing it back to Maryland annually to stage the races.

"The Preakness Stakes is more than just a race: It is a cornerstone of Maryland’s history, culture, and economy," Moore said in a statement. "This decision secures a vital asset for our state, allows Maryland to shape its horse racing destiny, and by leveraging the Preakness’s iconic status and partnering with industry experts to enhance the fan experience, preserve Maryland’s position as a key power player in the Triple Crown for generations to come.”

Moore said no general fund tax dollars would be used, with the $85 million cost instead being funded by a tax-exempt revenue bond issuance, which would be paid back by money generated by the race through ticketing, wagering and sponsorships. The state expected the fee paid to Churchill Downs Inc. would escalate over time.

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association President Katharine M. Voss called the decision a defining moment for Maryland racing.

"Ownership ensures that the decisions shaping the future of the Preakness are made in the interest of Maryland," Greater Baltimore Committee President and CEO Mark Anthony Thomas said.

It is Maryland's latest investment in the industry, in the middle of a massive reconstruction project at Pimlico Race Course, the traditional home of the Preakness and the Black-Eyed Susan in Baltimore. The races moved down the road to Laurel Park this year on a one-time-only basis while Pimlico work is being done.

“We plan to be back there next year,” Maryland Jockey Club president and general manager Bill Knauf told The Associated Press in an interview last month. The expectation is for the full grandstand to be ready by May 2028.

The Maryland Jockey Club is the nonprofit organization set to take over for 1/ST Racing, which is transferring control to the state. The plan is for year-round racing to take place at Pimlico.

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

Rubén Vargas scored in the 84th minute for the Swiss shortly after Tarik Muharemovic was sent off for a dangerous tackle, leaving Bosnia with 10 men. Manzambi scored again in the 90th on a pass from Vargas, and captain Granit Xhaka converted from the penalty spot with the final kick of the game in stoppage time.

Ermin Mahmic scored in second-half injury time for Bosnia, which still has a legitimate chance of reaching the knockout stage of only its second World Cup after hanging with higher-ranked Switzerland deep into the second half.

Switzerland followed up its disappointing 1-1 draw with Qatar last week by largely dominating play against the momentum-laden Dragons, who were unbeaten in their last nine competitive matches.

But the Swiss couldn’t break through until a moment of brilliance from Manzambi, a 20-year-old Geneva native who plays for German club Freiburg — and then Muharemovic’s red card changed the match.

Manzambi scored three minutes after coming on for standout winger Dan Ndoye. Manzambi jumped and connected perfectly on Amar Memic's attempted clearing header, setting off a wild celebration in the nervous Swiss section of SoFi Stadium.

Bosnia was backed by a raucous cheering section with tens of thousands of fans in the crowd of 70,026 celebrating their nation’s second World Cup appearance. The Dragons had less possession and fewer chances, yet every good moment was greeted by roars.

Four minutes after Muharemovic was sent off for taking down striker Breel Embolo one step outside the penalty area, Embolo got the ball from Manzambi and slipped a pass across the front to Vargas for a no-doubt goal. Xhaka then found Vargas in deep for another pass to Manzambi, who finished with aplomb.

Mahmic’s vicious goal in traffic salvaged some good feeling for Bosnia, which drew with co-host Canada last week.

Captain Edin Dzeko started and played 63 minutes for Bosnia, becoming the fourth outfield player to start at a World Cup in his 40s — a group joined by Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday.

Switzerland opened play last week by giving up the tying goal to Qatar in the fourth minute of second-half injury time, prompting immediate concern about the group favorite.

Bosnia impressively held Canada to a draw in Toronto, continuing a strong run by coach Sergej Barbarez’s team. The Dragons qualified in theatrical fashion by stunning Wales and Italy in qualifying playoffs.

Switzerland dominated possession in the first half, but struggled in the final third while Bosnia cagily hung in. The Swiss upped their attack after halftime, with Ndoye doing most of the work — including a spectacular bicycle kick that forced Nikola Vasilj to make an alert save over the bar.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/FIFA-World-Cup

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Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Jeremiah Armsey, of Mount Dora, on Wednesday morning at Mile Marker 106, records show.

Armsey faced two misdemeanor charges: Giving a false name or identification to a law enforcement officer and disturbing the peace.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Monroe arrestaron a Jeremiah Armsey, de Mount Dora, la mañana del miércoles en el marcador de milla 106, según muestran los registros.

Armsey enfrentaba dos cargos menores: proporcionar un nombre o identificación falsa a un agente del orden público y alterar el orden público.

McKenna Wendel was reported missing March 13 and last seen alive in her hometown of Sioux Falls early on March 14. Her body was found outside Brookings, an hour's drive north of Sioux Falls, on March 19.

Wendel's uncle, Mark Milk, 51, also of Sioux Falls, now faces five counts related to her death. Milk was almost three decades into a life term on a manslaughter conviction when Noem commuted his sentence in 2023.

Wendel was raised by her grandparents, loved animals and had a “vibrant personality and a zest for life,” according to her obituary. She and her grandparents were Rosebud Sioux Tribe members and attended powwows often.

“She loved the singing and the beautiful sounds of the drums,” her obituary read.

Details about Wendel's death remained thin as authorities who announced the charges in a Sioux City, Iowa, news conference Thursday kept close what they knew to protect their investigation.

Authorities have said an autopsy was done, but the findings have not been released. The cause and manner of Wendel's death would not be released yet per Justice Department policy, said Leif Olson, U.S. attorney for northern Iowa.

Milk faces five counts including possession with intent to deliver cocaine that caused Wendel's death. He is also charged with transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to court documents.

Jon Rogness, 38, of Brookings faces conspiracy and accessory charges in an alleged attempt to cover up the crimes. The counts against the men were the “most serious, readily provable” charges and all originated in Iowa, Olson said.

“This is a horrific case,” FBI special agent Gene Kowel said. “There are no cases that we investigate that are more heart-wrenching and more tragic than the ones that involve children or the death of a child.”

Court records showed no lawyers listed for Milk and Rogness, and no relatives could immediately be located through phone records and social media to speak on their behalf.

In February 2023, Noem commuted Milk’s life sentence for a manslaughter conviction in an October 1993 stabbing death. Milk, then 19, had been involved in several altercations in the city of Winner that ended with the death of Shawn Peneaux, according to records.

Milk was in jail on unrelated allegations of driving under the influence and eluding police when Wendel's body was found. His name came up in public discussion about the case from the start. But prosecutors, who finished their investigation in late May, did not formally link him to Wendel's death until filing charges Wednesday.

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said in a late March news conference the decision to commute Milk's life sentence was strictly Noem's.

“It is fairly often that you see law enforcement oppose commutations," Jackley remarked without commenting further on Noem's decision.

The commutation documents were sealed and even he had not seen them, he noted.

The Associated Press left a message Thursday for Noem on seeking comment through NovaRed Mining, a Canadian firm she recently joined in a “strategic advisory role."

A Republican, Noem, 54, was South Dakota's lone congressperson from 2011 to 2019 and governor from 2019 to 2025. She was Homeland Security secretary before being fired in March by President Donald Trump amid criticism of her handling of the administration’s immigration crackdown and disaster response.

Trump praised Noem's leadership and said he was making her special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas." The new organization of Western Hemisphere nations is focused on supporting democracy and security in the region.

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Gruver reported from Fort Collins, Colorado, and Billeaud from Phoenix, Arizona.

“A lot of things came to me from the past,” Díaz said after Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1 on Wednesday night. “I worked for this. I fought to be here at this moment.”

First, Colombia failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. Then his parents were kidnapped.

In late 2023, Luis Manuel “Mane” Díaz and his wife, Cilenis Marulanda, were captured by armed guerillas at the Colombia-Venezuela border. Marulanda was quickly rescued, but Mane Díaz was not.

Luis Díaz, playing for Liverpool at the time, missed two games to return home to Barrancas and advocate for his father’s freedom. Upon his return to the club, he scored and revealed an undershirt with the words “Freedom for Papa” printed in Spanish.

The gesture garnered international support and increased pressure on the Colombian government to act. Mane was released after being held for 12 days, and father and son had an emotional embrace when they reunited.

This week, Díaz’s father posted a viral video of himself praying over his son’s jersey ahead of his first World Cup game.

Díaz, who now plays for Bayern Munich, scored the go-ahead goal shortly after Uzbekistan equalized to lift Colombia to its first World Cup victory since 2018 while his father watched from the stands.

“I think there was always something that kept us from being at ease,” Díaz said. “I think that today, I am at my best.”

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Jack Little is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

“You guys were after me,” he told reporters. “I was the hunted. And now I’m the hunter."

The incident, recalled in “Regime Change,” New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan's new book on the first year of Trump's second term, encapsulates how different Trump's return to the White House in 2025 has been from his first term.

The book spells out a thesis that Trump himself believes: Had he not lost the 2020 election, he would not be as powerful in his second term as he is now — emboldening him to trample norms, dismantle established institutions and push the limits of presidential power.

Trump still falsely claims to have won in 2020. But a second term coming then might have been marred by pushback from members of his own administration, the coronavirus pandemic and the runaway inflation it caused, as well as an antagonistic Congress controlled by Democrats. He hasn't faced those issues this time.

Here are some takeaways from the book:

Vance or Rubio in 2028? Trump will loom large in the choice

The authors recount how Trump frequently quizzed aides about whether Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be better to succeed him.

Some donors promoted Rubio and some aides thought the secretary and the president had better personal chemistry than Trump and Vance. But Trump also indicated that he was impressed by Vance’s intellect and abilities during television interviews — particularly tough ones, the book says.

Trump is also said to be impressed by the background of Rubio, who is the son of Cuban immigrants. The book describes how, after Trump redecorated the Oval Office to fill it with gold flourishes, someone asked the president about the likelihood that the next president would undo all that he had done. Trump retorted: “Cubans love gold.”

But, Haberman and Swan write, Rubio and Vance are also friends. An example they offer is Rubio texting Vance after the 2024 Republican vice presidential nominee's comments about “ childless cat ladies ” became a scandal. Rubio offered to campaign with Vance to show his support.

As those two men jostle for position before 2028, it’s possible Trump won’t soon yield the spotlight to them.

The president frequently talks about the two and a half years left in his term, a timeline that carries him right up to Inauguration Day 2029 — suggesting that he's unlikely to let the Republicans running in the presidential race overshadow him.

A case in point occurred during an Oval Office meeting with Trump, Vance and Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, leader of the House Democrats. As Haberman and Swan recount, the president showed off “Trump 2028” baseball caps, prompting Jeffries to gesture at Vance and ask, “How does he feel about that?” Trump responded “Ah, he’s fine. He doesn’t care,” adding, “We’re giving him a little more training.”

Vance, speaking up for himself, offered, “No comment.”

Panic inside the White House over the Epstein files release

Haberman and Swan detail the deep level of alarm over the administration’s handling of the release of files from the investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. That included White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles convening a crisis response meeting in the Situation Room and Vance suggesting enlisting friendly interviewer Tucker Carlson to sit down with Epstein’s imprisoned former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

That revelation has now raised questions about whether the reporters got audio recordings of what was said in a secure area of the White House, which would be a security concern.

Trump redecorated while the first lady was away

The book details how the president and first lady are the first first couple to sleep in separate bedrooms since Richard and Pat Nixon, though Bill and Hillary Clinton slept apart briefly when his affair with Monica Lewinsky became public. First lady Melania Trump sleeps in the White House’s traditional master bedroom of the Executive Residence — Room 219 — while the president sleeps in Room 220, next to second-floor space known as the Yellow Oval.

The president fitted his bedroom with gold and other flourishes, carrying in some objects himself from the corridor where his wife had selected the decor during the first term, the book said. Because the first lady wasn’t in Washington much during the start of the second term, she wasn't there to stop the president from rearranging things.

Among the items moved was a gold-leaf-framed mirror that had been part of the first lady’s redesign of the second-floor Queen’s Bedroom. But that actually ended up outside, on the Colonnade outside the Oval Office, where it is used to facilitate selfies.

The first lady had also overseen first-term Rose Garden renovations and objected to Trump wanting to pave over the area for his patio space reminiscent of his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. The president relented, and the surrounding grass was covered, but not the roses. She lost a larger battle, the authors write, as the East Wing was demolished to make room for the $400 million ballroom her husband is building.

Trump long had a Venezuela fixation

The president began his second term talking frequently about seizing Greenland and making Canada the 51st state, but was privately more focused on Venezuela — even suggesting it could become a state where he'd be allowed to appoint the governor.

Initially, Trump allowed special envoy Ric Grenell to negotiate with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, but he was eventually sidelined as Rubio made the case that Maduro would string along the administration for years, in an attempt to wait until Trump was out of power in 2029, Haberman and Swan write.

Rubio told White House officials that Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was corrupt but serious and could most likely keep Venezuela together. Rubio spoke with Rodriguez on the night U.S. forces stormed into Venezuela and deposed its president. He told her she had to bring stability to her country and prevent mass migration and violence. Rodriguez remains head of Venezuela after Maduro's ouster.

Trump also told the authors during a March 2026 interview that he had a “love affair” with Venezuela that began with his years of owning the Miss Universe pageant and the beautiful women representing that country in it. That wasn’t enough to improve his opinion of Ukraine, though, which Trump said he didn't like, except for its women who kept winning Miss Universe, the book says.

Trump said he was talking to a historian. It was Gary Player's caddy

Haberman and Swan conclude with the president telling them about a historian introduced to him by golfer Gary Player who described the president as the most powerful man the planet had ever known — surpassing even Alexander the Great, William the Conqueror and Napoleon.

Trump, who promoted the anecdote himself on social media Thursday, was unable to recall the historian's name during that interview. However, a White House staffer later revealed to the authors who the golf legend actually had been talking about. It was Player's longtime caddy.

The phenomenon is particularly notable among Western European teams, which for most of soccer’s history were overwhelmingly white and Christian. As those societies have increasingly diversified, so have the national team rosters — featuring Christian and Muslim players who are open about their faith.

England’s national squad, for the first time, includes a Muslim player. France’s roster has multiple players from Protestant, Catholic and Muslim backgrounds. Spain’s emerging superstar, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, is a practicing Muslim. So is Sweden’s Yasin Ayari, who prostrated himself on the field to thank God after the first of his two goals in a victory Sunday over Tunisia — his father’s homeland.

All four of those nations — like several others in Europe — have experienced political polarization related to the arrival of large numbers of Muslim immigrants. Does the diversity of the World Cup teams send a potentially helpful message?

“Absolutely,” said Eboo Patel, who — as president of Interfaith America — advocates for religious pluralism and cooperation. “It is symbolic yet also substantive.”

He evoked the images of Christian players crossing themselves, and Muslim players cupping their hands in prayer. Their message, Patel said, is, “My identity really matters to me and it makes me a better soccer player.”

“They score, they each say their respective prayers, and then they’re hugging each other,” he added. “You’re cooperating to build a community and a team. … It’s not a contrived television ad or a condescending afterschool special. It’s the way you build an excellent soccer team.”

These are some of the World Cup players whose openness about their faith has drawn attention:

Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

By far the best known of Egypt’s players, Salah is a Sunni Muslim who practices his faith openly, on and off the field. After scoring goals, he often prostrates himself to give thanks to God. His positive impact has been tangible: After he joined Liverpool in the Premier League, researchers reported that anti-Muslim tweets by fans dropped by half.

Luka Modrić (Croatia)

Playing in his fifth World Cup, Modrić, 40, is set to surpass 200 international appearances during the tournament. A Catholic, Modrić has often worn shin guards depicting Jesus and the Virgin Mary. A few days before he and his teammates traveled to the United States, they gathered to celebrate Mass at a chapel in the Croatian town of Icici.

Djed Spence (England)

Although the Football Association has not kept records of players’ religions, the BBC — among other news outlets — has identified Spence as the first Muslim to play for the senior England team. A fullback with Tottenham, Spence played six times for England’s under-21 squad. “It’s good to make history and hopefully inspire young kids around the world that they can make it as well,” Spence told the BBC. “They can do what I am doing.”

Lamine Yamal (Spain)

Yamal, a Muslim whose father is Moroccan, attracted headlines worldwide when he waved the Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s celebrations after it won the Spanish league in May. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick questioned the decision at the time; Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, later criticized Yamal by saying he was inciting “hate.”

Marc Guéhi (England)

The son of a Christian minister in London, Guéhi, 25, is playing his first season with Manchester City and was selected to be one of England’s defenders for the World Cup. While captain at his previous club Crystal Palace, Guéhi defied the Football Association’s rules by writing religious messages on his uniform during a Premier League campaign celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion. Guéhi avoided punishment, though the FA prohibits players from displaying religious messages.

Aimar Sher (Iraq)

Religious minorities have long faced persecution in Iraq. Yet this year’s World Cup team includes Kurds, Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, and several Christians — notable since Iraq’s Christian population is estimated to have fallen from 1.5 million in 2003 to about 150,000 now. One of those Christians, midfielder Aimar Sher, has eagerly shared his faith, posting photos on social media of him wearing an “I Belong to Jesus” T-shirt.

Christian Pulisic (US)

U.S. forward Pulisic has spoken openly about his Christian faith and often wears a cross necklace given by his mother. He has led team Bible studies; his Instagram posts have included photos of the Bible, showing passages he has underlined. Several of Pulisic’s teammates also are open about their Christian faith, including Weston McKennie and goalkeeper Matt Freese. McKennie’s Instagram bio contains just four words: “All glory to God.”

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Here, The Associated Press runs you through some of the more compelling — and controversial — backstories from the kit designs on show in soccer’s biggest event, currently taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Cape Verde’s flight paths

For its World Cup debut, the smallest nation by population at the tournament is paying homage to the roughly 525,000 inhabitants who live on 10 volcanic islands off the coast of Africa. A geometric, triangular print across its blue (home) and white (away) jerseys represents the network of flight paths that connect the islands. The idea is that the people of Cape Verde are united behind the players at the World Cup — and that togetherness showed as the team held firm to seal an unlikely 0-0 draw with heavily favored Spain in their first match.

Belgium’s surrealism

“This is not a jersey,” reads a message on the collar of Belgium’s multicolor away shirt. No, the Belgians aren’t losing their minds. It’s just a nod to the European nation’s surrealist heritage — and notably the work of its master in this artistic movement from the early 20th century. Throughout his career, Belgian artist René Magritte questioned the enigmatic relationship of mind and eye, reality and language, writing under “The Treachery of Images” — his iconic painting of a pipe — the words: “Ceci n’est pas une pipe (This is not a pipe).” The light-blue jersey features pink patterns and black detailing, incorporating soccer-inspired motifs such as pitch lines and a ball. “True to the surrealism theme, the kit sparks the imagination and invites conversation,” the Belgian federation says.

Haiti’s battle scene

The original jersey submitted by this Caribbean nation included a depiction of the final battle of the Haitian War of Independence in 1803 on its front. In the words of Colombian sportswear manufacturer Saeta, it was a “tribute to the men and women who contribute every day to Haiti’s future.” It didn’t go down too well with FIFA, which rejected the image during its approval process, deeming it too political. So an updated blue soccer kit was needed, one that no longer includes the battle artwork.

Argentina’s swirling paint technique

The defending World Cup champion is mixing sporting heritage with artistic expression in its jerseys. The home kit — worn by Lionel Messi for his hat trick against Algeria on Tuesday — features three shades of blue on its stripes, an homage to the South American nation’s World Cup-winning uniforms from 1978, 1986 and 2022. As for its dark blue away jersey, that’s inspired by a traditional painting technique from capital city Buenos Aires — filete porteño — that’s used for ornamental design, combining brilliant, swirling colors with specific lettering styles.

France’s American connection

France arrived for the World Cup with an away kit that honors a gift the nation famously gave to the United States: the Statue of Liberty. The jersey has a green hue that resembles the oxidized color of the iconic sculpture designed by a Frenchman — Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi — and given to the United States in 1886 as a symbol of French-American friendship. On the jersey is a logo in copper — the original color of the statue — with the words “Nos différences nous unissent” (Our differences unite us).

Iran’s endangered Asiatic cheetah

The most striking imagery on Iran’s home (white) and away (red) kits is an Asiatic cheetah low across the front. There also are cheetah spots on the sleeves up to the shoulder. The Asiatic cheetah, an equally fast cousin of the African cat, is one of the world’s critically endangered species — one that Iran has long tried to save. There were as many as 400 in the 1990s but the numbers have dwindled to less than an estimated 70 remaining in Iran.

Norway’s runic font

Norway’s kit might be the sharpest at the World Cup — literally. The font used for the names and numbers of players is inspired by runic writing — characters in several Germanic alphabets used in northern Europe from ancient times until the adoption of the Latin alphabet. The writing is pointy, geometric and easily visible, representing the Norwegian team’s desire to embrace its centuries-old history. Flanking the large blue cross across the chest are Viking art patterns in an Urnes style.

Colombia’s yellow butterflies

Look closely at Colombia’s typically vibrant yellow jersey and you’ll notice a burst of butterfly patterns. That’s an homage to the classic novel by the nation’s Nobel Prize-winning author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” and the stories that made him literature’s best-known practitioner of magical realism — the blending of the everyday with fantastical elements such as a man trailed by a cloud of yellow butterflies.

Mexico’s Aztec calendar

Mexico’s home jersey brings back the Aztec calendar design that was popular in the 1990s. In the run-up to the World Cup, the team visited the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City and posed for a photo with the uniforms in front of the Aztec “Piedra de Sol” or Stone of the Sun, best known as the Aztec calendar.

Saudi Arabia’s architecture

Dotted across Saudi Arabia’s dark green home jersey are symmetrical lavender squares or diamond shapes, a tribute to doorway decoration — namely geometric, triangular architecture — commonly seen in homes in the kingdom. Wild lavender flowers fill Saudi’s desert landscapes in springtime, so purple is a celebrated color in the nation and regarded as a symbol of generosity.

Brazil’s Amazonian frogs

What might immediately jump out when looking at Brazil’s navy blue-and-black away jersey made by Nike is a yellow “Jumpman” logo synonymous with Michael Jordan-promoted sportswear. However, more closely linked to Brazilian culture is the color of the kit, inspired by the skin of the poison dart frog found in the Amazon. It’s a nod to the danger posed by Brazil, the record five-time world champion.

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This story has been corrected to remove a reference to Haiti as a World Cup debutant. This is Haiti’s second World Cup.

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Associated Press writer Luis Andres Henao contributed to this report.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

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Malaysia Edwards was last seen shortly after 1:15 a.m., near the 5800 block of Northwest 62nd Avenue, according to Claudinne Caro, a BSO spokeswoman.

Malaysia, who is about 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes, and was wearing a hoodie and shorts, according to Caro.

Deputies asked anyone with information about Malaysia’s whereabouts to call Detective Leonard Charla at 954-321-4274 or at 954-764-4357.

Malaysia Edwards fue vista por última vez poco después de la 1:15 a.m. cerca de la cuadra 5800 de Northwest 62nd Avenue, según Claudinne Caro, portavoz de la BSO.

Malaysia, quien mide aproximadamente 5 pies y 4 pulgadas y pesa cerca de 125 libras, tiene cabello negro y ojos marrones, y vestía una sudadera con capucha y pantalones cortos, según Caro.

Los agentes solicitaron a cualquier persona con información sobre el paradero de Malaysia que llame al detective Leonard Charla al 954-321-4274 o al 954-764-4357.

Even one of golf's elder statesmen and a three-time major champion could learn something from the way the 17-year-old played Thursday in the first round of the U.S. Open.

Russell rarely looked like a rookie while shooting a 2-over 72 that left him five shots ahead of his 54-year-old playing partner.

“He played lovely, 2-over par was the worst he could’ve shot,” Harrington said. “He hit it dead straight all day, didn’t really have himself in too much trouble at all. And then, you know, probably could have been a couple better.”

Russell is a Florida State-bound amateur who was making his U.S. Open debut. He is so young that he said this week he couldn't even remember if he watched when Shinnecock Hills last hosted the U.S. Open in 2018.

The left-hander has a thin build and could probably be mistaken for closer to 12 from far away. Harrington, with some grey hair showing from beneath his blue hat, looks every bit the age of someone who qualified for this event by winning the U.S. Senior Open championship last year.

So Russell wasn't surprised to hear that spectators were frequently asking each other how old he was.

“That was the first time I’ve played with somebody maybe that much older than me,” Russell said. “Usually I’m playing Korn Ferry events, so they’re not too much older, maybe a couple years.”

Harrington won his first major title at the British Open in 2007, then repeated and added the PGA Championship in 2008, a few months before Russell was born.

Harrington was a fair amateur himself. The native of Ireland played on three straight Walker Cup teams for Great Britain & Ireland, including one that beat a U.S. squad featuring Tiger Woods in 1995.

But he wasn't sure his game was as developed as Russell's is now.

“I can’t remember what I was doing when I was 17 years of age,” Harrington said. “But yeah, I’m sure it’s all ahead of him.”

Russell, ranked No. 1 in the American Junior Golf Association and No. 7 among all amateurs in the world, earned his spot in the U.S. Open through a 36-hole qualifier — where Charlie Woods, his future college teammate and Tiger's son, was his caddie.

He quickly was ahead of Harrington, who bogeyed six of the final seven holes on the front. Harrington said there wasn't much talk between them, even when they stood just a few feet from each other in the 10th fairway after both hit their tee shots 307 yards. He said the lack of conservation wasn't because of the age difference, but rather because the conditions made it tough to hear anything.

“It was very windy out there. Your head's down, getting your work done,” Harrington said. “There wasn’t a great deal of chat. A lot of good shots for him, as I said, but not a great deal of chat.”

Still, there was enough interaction that Russell was able to learn something from the owner of 43 worldwide victories.

“It’s always good to play with a guy like that and he’s done really well for himself,” Russell said. “He’s played a lot of good golf. So I mean, anything you can pick up from them, whether it’s just the way they act, or the way they walk, or the way they interact with people.”

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

Every Brazilian fan — in Philadelphia to watch their national team play Haiti on Friday at the World Cup — that stopped for a snapshot or a selfie with the 9-foot-11, 1,300-pound beast left the statue dressed in only his bronze trunks and boots.

No taking chances of getting hit by the Rocky curse.

Yes, the Rocky statue, long a symbol of resilience, heart and the unbreakable bond between Rocky and the people of Philadelphia, has taken a few more hits of late (even in retirement).

Visiting American sports fans have long learned the hard way that dressing the statue with colorful jerseys, scarfs, hats, anything found in your local Rally House, has only meant that team would suffer a knockout blow at the home of the local Philly team.

Scoff all you want.

The bad fortune stretched to soccer when fans of the Ecuador’s national team took over the Rocky steps and sang and danced and waved flags and ... dressed Rocky in a team jersey and tied the country’s flag around the fictional fighter’s neck.

It didn’t go well.

Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute to lift Ivory Coast to a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in its first World Cup appearance in a dozen years.

And there ain’t gonna be no rematch.

Brazil fans noticed the outcome and one of their fan groups, the Green and Yellow Movement, urged visitors to keep their clothing to themselves.

“ ANTENCAO TORCEDOR!” the Instagram post warned.

Everyone is paying attention.

The translated text read: “It’s totally forbidden to put a Brazil shirt on the Rocky statue in Philly!!!!!”

Even Visit PA cheekily got in on the fun and tried to warn foreigners that — just like Ivan Drago learned the hard way — Rocky was not to be messed with.

“Countless football teams (as in American Football, not Fútbol — same curse, different sport) have all dressed the Rocky Statue in their colors and gone on to lose,” the Instagram post said. “Ecuador dressed Rocky last weekend Coincidence? Sadly, history says no.

“Philadelphia can’t wait to host you! (but Rocky does not need your kit)”

Brazilian fans paid heed to the warning through Thursday afternoon, and scores of fans simply took the spot in front of the statue and raised their arms in triumph just as Rocky did after so many fights, and many, many movies.

“This is a moment in Brazil,” said Lorival Guerreiro, who traveled from Limeira, Brazil, for the World Cup. “They promote this place to celebrate before the game. The Brazilians come here to celebrate our team.”

When the bronze statue was left on the steps after filming the “Rocky” movies, the museum fought to have it removed. It was eventually relocated to South Philadelphia before returning to the bottom of the steps in 2006. The statue was a huge hit and became a point of pilgrimage for people around the world.

According to the Philadelphia Visitor Center, about 4 million people visit the steps each year — rivaling the nearby Liberty Bell in annual foot traffic. The pop culture icon was recently moved to the top of the steps.

Roberto De Freitas, a native of Porto Alegre who now lives in Florida and is attending his third World Cup, climbed the steps for a photoshoot with perhaps Philadelphia’s most famous landmark. He was dressed in Brazil’s colors — down to the green sneakers — and was set to attend Friday’s game.

He hoped five-time World Cup champion Brazil would take a page from Rocky’s corner and win some more.

“We have five titles,” De Freitas said. “We are trying to get that sixth one.”

De Freitas had not yet heard of the Rocky curse but had no plans to tempt fate once he learned of the potential consequences.

“That’s what they said,” he asked with a laugh. “I’m for sure not going to do it.”

For the record, De Freitas said “Rocky” was his favorite of all the movies in the series.

The Rocky Shop at the base of the steps was loaded with tourists who snaked their way through fighter T-shirts and plush offerings of Mr. T’s character, Clubber Lang. Peruvian sports journalist Jampool Cuadros Estrada tried on a Rocky robe as a cameraman followed him around the store for their latest World Cup report.

Philadelphia, home to nearly 6,000 Brazilian-born immigrants, has a bit of a recent connection with the South American country. The Philadelphia Eagles opened their Super Bowl championship season with a win over the Green Bay Packers in Brazil in 2024.

Facing pressure to win its first World Cup title since 2002, Brazil was outplayed early and needed Vinícius Júnior’s 32nd-minute goal to get a 1-1 draw with Morocco on Saturday.

Brazil now needs to beware Haiti — a noted heavy underdog, just like Rocky.

“Brazil has the pressure. Haiti has the freedom,” Haitian singer Wyclef Jean wrote on social media. “And sometimes freedom is the most dangerous thing on the pitch. I can’t wait!!!!”

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

The memorandum of understanding signed by President Donald Trump started a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear program. While Trump allies noted the agreement is not final, the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran’s sale of oil and the plan for a $300 billion fund to rebuild Iran and its economy were met with criticism from Republican leaders and conservative influencers, including some close Trump supporters.

“President Trump has pursued peace through strength. I hope the intermediaries working on this deal are not undermining that objective,” said Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who has urged Trump to keep up the pressure on Iran and last month warned against striking a bad deal.

“The $300 billion fund for the reconstruction and economic development of Iran — though not funded by U.S. taxpayers — would make Iran’s payoff under President Obama’s 2015 deal look like a pittance by comparison,” Wicker said, referring to the Democratic administration's Iran agreement that Trump withdrew from during his first term.

The criticism from within Trump’s own party — though hardly unanimous — comes as he is trying to bring an end to the unpopular war fewer than five months from midterm elections, where Republicans are facing headwinds in their effort to hold their narrow majorities.

Trump calls his critics ‘fools’

Wicker’s points were backed by a number of his colleagues, many of whom supported the war when it began.

“History demonstrates giving billions of dollars to the theocratic lunatics who want to kill you is an exceptionally bad idea," said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a staunch supporter of the war. “And so I hope we don’t do that.”

Trump on Truth Social called his critics “fools” and said the $300 billion payment to Iran by the United States is “fake news.” The interim pact promises a $300 billion fund for postwar reconstruction. It’s not clear where that money will come from — but Trump said, as Wicker noted, the U.S. would not contribute.

“All there is for the U.S. is Success, Lower Oil Prices, and Victory,” he posted.

Some senators question financial provisions

As the memorandum was released to Congress on Thursday, several Republican senators said it left them with questions, many of them about its financial provisions.

Majority Leader John Thune and South Dakota colleague Sen. Mike Rounds were seeking clarity on how financial incentives to Iran and conditions barring funding terrorism would be enforced, because “right now, a lot of money's going to go to Iran,” Rounds said.

To be sure, there were Republicans more closely aligned with Trump's America First policies in the Senate and elsewhere who were giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Sen. Roger Marshall stressed the point in the memorandum that supporters say gives the U.S. the upper hand. In a social media post, the Kansas Republican said one of the most important provisions “lays out a key commitment that strengthens regional security and ensures that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”

Louisiana GOP Senate candidate John Fleming, who has focused on Trump's most loyal supporters ahead of a June 27 Republican primary runoff, said that means Trump has suggested that the U.S. will strike Iran again if it does not live up to the agreement.

“The criticism may be worthy if there isn't follow-through,” Fleming said. “He's using the speak-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick in offering them plenty of help, but at the same time he's got that stick ready if they don't live up to their agreements."

MAGA voices send a warning

Still, some of Trump's strongest supporters in conservative media have warned against the agreement.

Conservative radio host Mark Levin suggested a strategic rethinking to hold off on an agreement with Iran until after the midterms.

“We should consider slow-walking the enemy, building up our munitions, our oil reserves, get the price of gasoline down, get through the midterms, then knock them out,” he said in a social media post. Instead, the U.S. seemed to be “rushing to a deal, building up their oil industry” and agreeing to governments “transferring billions to them.”

Right-wing social media influencer Laura Loomer, who has long supported Trump while also promoting conspiracy theories, was more pointed in her criticism.

“Who is giving the President tainted, pro-Islamic intel?” she posted on X.

What all the critics shared is an abiding distrust of the Iranian regime, no matter their relationship to Trump.

“It does smack of the kind of appeasement," said former Vice President Mike Pence, whose relationship with Trump was fractured after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. “Bottom line. I don’t trust the Iranians.”

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Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.

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Police officers arrested Julio Davila on Wednesday at the BBC Logistics, a freight forwarding service at 2016 NW 135 Ave., in Sweetwater, records show.

Davila allegedly stole iPhones on June 1 that were valued at $4,796 from a delivery table, according to the police officer’s arrest report.

Surveillance video shows Davila grabbing “a sealed package” and hiding it “inside his pants,” a police officer wrote, according to the report.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Davila on Wednesday afternoon at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to inmate records.

Davila appeared before Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer on Thursday, and she ordered him to stay away from BBC Logistics.

Davila faced three counts of third-degree grand theft. His bond was $7,500.

Local 10 News Photojournalist Bruno Giglio and Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

Los agentes arrestaron a Julio Dávila el miércoles en BBC Logistics, un servicio de transporte de carga ubicado en el 2016 de NW 135 Ave., en Sweetwater, según muestran los registros.

Dávila presuntamente robó iPhones el 1 de junio valorados en $4,796 USD de una mesa de entregas, según el informe de arresto policial.

Un video de vigilancia muestra a Dávila tomando “un paquete sellado” y ocultándolo “dentro de sus pantalones”, escribió un agente de policía en el informe.

El Departamento Correccional de Miami-Dade ingresó a Dávila el miércoles por la tarde en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, según los registros de reclusos.

Dávila compareció ante la jueza de circuito del condado Miami-Dade, Mindy Glazer, el jueves, y ella le ordenó mantenerse alejado de BBC Logistics.

Dávila enfrentaba tres cargos de robo mayor en tercer grado. Su fianza fue fijada en $7,500 USD.

El fotoperiodista de Local 10 News, Bruno Giglio, y el editor de asignaciones, Carson Merlo, contribuyeron a este informe.

The apportionment of funds, which the White House's Office of Management and Budget made late Friday, comes from two accounts that were intended to provide the U.S. Secret Service with extra money for hiring and training in the aftermath of last year’s assassination attempts on the president, according to Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee. The shift was made days after Congress rejected a $1 billion request for the White House in a Homeland Security bill that Trump signed law and as the ballroom project is tangled in legal challenges.

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, whose panel initially drafted the security funding, said Thursday he was unaware of the allocations.

“The president said that it was all going to be paid for with private money,” said Grassley, R-Iowa. “And that’s what the country expects."

Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, charged that Trump's actions are potentially illegal.

“After repeatedly telling the American people that zero taxpayer dollars would be spent on his gold-plated ballroom boondoggle, now Trump appears to be using a smoke and mirrors tactic,” Merkley said in a statement.

“Trump has proven that he can’t be trusted to follow the law," Merkley said. "He only cares about wasting taxpayer money on his vanity projects.”

Ballroom project hits setbacks

Trump has faced setbacks in his attempts to build the ballroom on the White House grounds, where he ordered the demolition of the storied East Wing to make way for it.

Touring the construction site last month, Trump called the development a “gift” to the American people. He has repeatedly said that is being paid for by donations – which has also run into ethics questions from watchdogs concerned about potential corruption and conflicts of interest.

Congress refused the Trump administration’s request for $1 billion for the ballroom last month. The administration wanted the money as part of a Homeland Security bill, but Republican and Democratic lawmakers rejected efforts to tack it on. It became politically toxic at a time when Americans are reeling from inflationary high costs of living.

The Washington Post reported earlier this week that the price tag for the project has ballooned to $600 million, according to a project summary prepared by the contractor, with more than half of that funding coming from taxpayers. Roll Call first reported on the apportionment of new funds for White House security.

At its core, arguments are swirling over how much of the White House project is to bolster security underground, with bomb shelters and a medical facility, and how much of the costs are related to the president's promised 999-seat ballroom on top.

White House says Trump and donors are paying for the ballroom

A spokesman for the White House said that Trump and donors are funding some $400 million for the ballroom development, and that the coordination with the Secret Service had been noted in the initial announcement of the project.

“The East Wing Modernization Project is inextricably tied to the security of the President, the White House grounds and the certain security infrastructure assets,” said White House spokesman Davis R. Ingle in a statement.

He said the events over the past weekend, including an alleged attack plan targeting the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, proves why the project is needed.

“President Trump and generous American patriots are funding the ballroom to the tune of approximately $400 million, which will be a secure and appropriate venue for Presidents for generations to come,” he said.

Government lawyers have argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of threats, such as drones and missiles.

The White House has said in court documents that the East Wing project would be “heavily fortified,” including bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility underneath the ballroom. The Secret Service told senators last month that $220 million of the White House's $1 billion request would go to harden the ballroom addition, with bulletproof glass, drone detection technologies, chemical and other systems.

The rest of the money would go for other security improvements, according to a document provided to Senate Republicans, including $180 million for a new, “long overdue” White House visitors screening facility.

Congress holds power of the purse

The shifting funds are certain to ignite growing concerns in Congress over the separation of powers, and the president’s use of federal funds allocated by lawmakers.

The money comes from Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts bill that the president signed into law last summer. It provided more than $1 billion for Secret Service resources, including “personnel, training facilities, programming, and technology; and performance, retention, and signing bonuses.”

The provision was uncontested at the time, even as Democrats voted against the broader bill. Democrats said they did not challenge this section or try to strip it out from the package.

Under the Constitution, only Congress has the specific authority to allocate funds across the federal government, including the executive and judicial branch operations.

While the president holds the power to sign – or veto – those appropriation bills, once the funding becomes law, it largely must stand.

Chase's father, John David Schwallier, confirmed to The New York Times she died from complications of bacterial meningitis and a blood infection. She had been homeless in Los Angeles with her boyfriend near the hospital where she died, he told the newspaper.

TMZ first reported Wednesday that Chase died Tuesday.

She voiced the lead role of Lilo in the 2002 animated film, a role she auditioned for at age 8. Years later, a Hawaiian actress was cast as Lilo for the live-action remake.

For her role as long-haired Samara in the 2002 horror film, Chase won an MTV movie award for best villain.

Chase also voiced another lead in the 2001 animated film “Spirited Away.” She had roles in the 2001 movie “Donnie Darko” and the 2003 show “Oliver Beene,” according to internet movie database IMDb.com.

She was born in Las Vegas and raised in Albany, Oregon. In her small hometown, she began singing and dancing at age 3, according to IMDb.

Chase struggled with drugs since she was 13 years old, Schwallier said in an interview with the Times. He said his daughter was estranged from her parents, who are divorced.

Schwallier said he was in touch with Chase's boyfriend, and just before she died, arrived at the Los Angeles hospital where she was being treated.

An online fundraiser by her boyfriend raised about $4,000 as of Thursday. “Many people know her as a talented childhood actor from ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ ‘Spirited Away,’ and ‘Donnie Darko,'" the fundraiser post said. “But behind the scenes, she’s faced more than her share of hardship.”

A continuación se ofrece un detalle de las más sobresalientes.

Descentralización y reducción del Estado

En el actual modelo cubano el gobierno central define qué se produce, quién lo hace, los precios de venta y la manera en que se asignan los recursos. Con las nuevas medidas se buscará conferir a los municipios el derecho de decidir qué empresas aprobar en sus territorios y su interrelación con compañías estatales, cooperativas y negocios privados.

También que tengan la facultad de importar y exportar y de gestionar sus ingresos en moneda extranjera.

En Cuba hay 168 municipios desplegados en 15 provincias.

Además ya se encuentra en la Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular —el Parlamento— un proyecto de ley que busca reducir de 27 a 21 la cantidad de ministerios.

Autonomía de las empresas estatales

Las empresas podrán diseñar sus sistemas de salarios y tendrán facultades sin límites para usar sus utilidades, además de potestad de importar y exportar y asociarse con privados o cooperativas. Cuba cuenta con unas 2.000 empresas estatales.

Comercio exterior

Actualmente los privados que importan y exportan –por ejemplo las pequeñas y medianas empresas (pymes)— tienen que hacerlo a través de una agencia estatal que maneja los tiempos e impone precios. Ahora se eliminaría esa intermediación.

También se darán beneficios a la importación de insumos y materias primas para procesos productivos.

Actividades privadas

Las medidas buscan acelerar el proceso de aprobación de pymes y fomentar su asociación con el Estado. Actualmente están aprobadas en la isla más de 9.500 pymes, un proceso que comenzó en 2021.

Inversión extranjera y de cubanos

Se eliminarán trabas al uso de cuentas bancarias y la aprobación de inversión extranjera directa. Cubanos residentes en el país y en el exterior podrán participar como actores económicos junto a inversores extranjeros, empresas estatales y cooperativas.

Eliminación de subsidios

Tras el triunfo de la revolución se instauró una libreta de abastecimiento que permite a los cubanos obtener casi cualquier producto a precios controlados y accesibles. A partir de ahora se eliminarían gradualmente los subsidios, por ejemplo a los alimentos, que se pagarán a precio de mercado.

Uso de la tierra

Se dará a los campesinos acceso a los mercados de insumos y al mercado cambiario. También se ampliarán los permisos para la inversión extranjera en la producción de alimentos.

At the Roots 101 Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, shackles made 400 years ago in Ghana are among the many relics of the African American experience on display. They were donated by a collector and activist. But Lamont Collins, who founded the museum in 2020, doesn’t just show them. He puts them on the wrists of willing visitors.

“It’s such a deep learning tool,” Collins says. “No matter how we hear people tell stories, how people try to change the story, the reality of the stories is in those shackles. Nobody can deny the reality of what you feel in those shackles.”

For European and American slave traders, iron shackles were seen simply as tools that helped run the transatlantic slave trade. Shackles were made for wrists, ankles, waist and the neck. They were even made in children's sizes. They were forced on kidnapped and sold Africans who were brutally crammed into ships as well as in slave markets in the Deep South. Seeing a coffle of enslaved people chained together in a line was commonplace.

Shackles reinforced to those enslaved that they could not even so much as dream of freedom. They were a punishment and a deterrent. A collar shackle even had bells or spiked ends to help slave catchers track runaways.

Last year, video of Collins placing shackles on a white woman's wrists at the museum gained attention on social media. He thinks it's because people want to talk about history through a racial lens as others continue to resist it.

“What I realized is sometimes that a lot of people think they want to know the story. But they want to know the story in their boundaries,” Collins says.

White men and women have cried after trying the shackles. Some decline just as Collins is about to cinch them on their wrists.

“I would say to them ‘Why I can't put these on you for two seconds and we had them on for 200 years,” he says. “It starts a conversation.”

___ This story is part of a recurring series, “ American Objects,” marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. For more stories on the anniversary, click here.

La fundación emitió un comunicado diciendo que “aprecia las preocupaciones planteadas por el abanico de partes interesadas” y que detendría los esfuerzos para retirar o inutilizar equipos. También indicó que volverá a desplegar el equipo que ya fue retirado del agua y que convocará a un panel de expertos para determinar el futuro de la red.

La Iniciativa de Observatorios Oceánicos es una red de más de 900 sensores oceánicos construida a un costo de 386 millones de dólares. Durante la última década ha seguido la circulación oceánica, los ecosistemas marinos, el cambio climático y el clima extremo, generando datos disponibles gratuitamente para el público e informando más de 500 publicaciones científicas. El proyecto está previsto a continuar otros 15 a 20 años.

La Fundación Nacional de Ciencias había ordenado retirar la mayoría de los instrumentos del sistema de aguas frente a Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Carolina del Norte y Groenlandia para 2027, una decisión que, según científicos, llegó sin aviso y sin revisión científica.

La agencia federal independiente, establecida por el Congreso, describió la medida no como una cancelación, sino como una “reducción de alcance” alineada con nuevas “prioridades científicas en evolución y tecnologías emergentes”. El presupuesto propuesto para 2026 por el gobierno de Trump incluía un recorte del 55% para la agencia.

Un grupo de senadores demócratas y un republicano, así como dos comités demócratas de la Cámara de Representantes, enviaron cartas a la fundación el lunes en las que le pidieron dar marcha atrás con su plan. Legisladores de la Cámara acusaron a la agencia de actuar ilegalmente.

“Desmantelar la iniciativa fue una estupidez suprema, y seguiremos luchando para garantizar que científicos, pescadores y comunidades costeras puedan seguir utilizando los datos críticos que proporciona la iniciativa”, expresó el senador demócrata Jeff Merkley, de Oregon, en un comunicado el jueves.

Los recortes al observatorio oceánico son vistos como parte de un repliegue más amplio de la ciencia bajo el gobierno republicano, que ha avanzado para reducir programas de investigación, recortar personal en agencias, incluida la Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica y la Agencia de Protección Ambiental, y flexibilizar las regulaciones sobre emisiones.

___________________________________

The Associated Press recibe apoyo de la Walton Family Foundation para la cobertura de políticas ambientales y sobre agua. La AP es la única responsable de todo el contenido. Encuentra los estándares de la AP para trabajar con organizaciones filantrópicas, una lista de las fundaciones y las áreas de cobertura que financian en AP.org.

__________________________________

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

Kean, who represents a battleground district in this year's midterms, has missed more than 100 votes and hasn't been spotted in Washington or his district, stirring a mystery that carries potential national consequences.

"Congressman Kean is eager to return to in person work on June 30 and resume a full schedule," said Kean political consultant Harrison Neely in a text. “He plans to be fully transparent regarding the nature of his health issue and you should expect to hear from him in person June 30th."

Kean’s office has said he is still running for reelection and is set to face Democratic Navy veteran Rebecca Bennett in the state's premier contest in November.

The district is among the most closely watched in this year's election. In the past two midterm elections, the seat changed party hands, with Kean winning in 2022 over Democrat Tom Malinowski, who had defeated Republican Leonard Lance in 2018.

Kean last voted in the House on March 5, but his absence wasn’t explained. In April, his social media account posted that he had been dealing with a personal medical issue and his doctors expected him to recover.

On Primary Day this month, President Donald Trump endorsed Kean’s reelection, without mentioning his absence, and the same day, Kean said in a statement he expected to return to work in a matter of weeks.

He hasn't explain what the medical issue was.

Kean comes from a long line of public servants, stretching 250 years to the country’s founding when one of his ancestors became New Jersey’s first leader since independence. His great-grandfather was a senator, his grandfather was a congressman and his father is the former two-term governor, Tom Kean Sr.

A 22-year-old male suspect, described as armed and dangerous, remained at large Thursday.

The five shootings occurred Tuesday between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m, in a 5-mile stretch of Kansas City, three of them on Interstates 70 and 670 as they cut through downtown. All of the shootings were at least 4 miles away from Arrowhead Stadium, where Argentina won its first match against Algeria.

Two American fans of Argentina's team, arriving for Tuesday's match, told Argentine outlet La Nación that someone in a car came alongside and fired two shots at the Uber they were riding in, hitting the driver in the leg. They said they first thought the sound was a car tire popping until they saw the driver had been hit.

They had to go to the police station to provide statements about what happened. Officers then took them to the stadium in patrol cars, they said. The driver's injuries were not life-threatening, police Capt. Jacob Becchina said.

That shooting and two others on the interstates occurred while cars were traveling east, one of them from neighboring Kansas, police said. The others occurred further east on Truman Road, a major thoroughfare through the city.

Police said three adults and a minor, a teenager, were injured, and all were hospitalized, though only one adult had life-threatening injuries, Becchina said.

About 6:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of a vehicle crashing into a pole along Truman Road, east of the other shootings. The driver was taken to a hospital, and workers there discovered what appeared to be a gunshot wound while treating him. He died of his injuries.

“Victims all indicated they were driving down the highway or roadway when one or more shots were fired into their vehicles,” Becchina said in an email.

Becchina said detectives believe the non-fatal shootings occurred “in close succession,” from west to east, connected by the one suspect.

Police later tracked the suspect to a home in the suburb of Independence, about 2 miles further east of where the fatal shooting victim was found, and a standoff ensued. But when police entered the home about 8 a.m. Wednesday, the suspect was not there.

Officials across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, also have a warrant out for the suspect over a June 11 incident involving an illegal discharge of a firearm, Nancy Chartrand, the spokesperson for its police department said.

Grupos de la sociedad civil, entre los que está una organización cristiana, se sumaron a la impugnación y argumentaron que la prohibición vulnera los derechos a la vida, la salud, la dignidad y la igualdad, y que esas protecciones deberían extenderse a niñas y mujeres embarazadas.

La impugnación se presentó el miércoles ante el Tribunal Constitucional del país.

República Dominicana tiene una de las prohibiciones del aborto más estrictas de la región, al penalizarlo sin excepciones y sin importar las circunstancias. Las mujeres enfrentan hasta dos años de prisión por practicarse un aborto, mientras que médicos o parteras podrían enfrentar de cinco a 20 años.

“Mi hija murió porque se le negó la atención médica que necesitaba. Ninguna otra madre debería tener que pasar por esto”, manifestó Rosa Herminia Hernández en un comunicado.

Rosaura Almonte murió en 2012 por leucemia cuando tenía tres semanas de embarazo. Tenía 16 años, según documentos judiciales.

La impugnación busca que se permita el aborto en casos de violación o incesto, cuando la vida o la salud de una mujer o una niña esté en peligro, o cuando un feto presente anomalías mortales.

“Esta acción busca algo muy simple: que ninguna mujer o niña tenga que elegir entre su vida, su salud y la ley”, señaló en un comunicado la abogada Patricia Santana Nina.

Según datos del gobierno, en el sector público de salud se registraron al menos 67.455 abortos desde 2019 hasta finales de 2024. La cifra no diferencia entre abortos espontáneos e inducidos.

Mientras tanto, desde junio de 2017 hasta octubre de 2022, los fiscales presentaron 62 causas penales por aborto y 16 por intento de aborto. La Procuraduría General de la República dejó de publicar esos datos desde noviembre de 2022.

“¿Es legitimo mantener una amenaza penal permanente sobre mujeres en situaciones de emergencia médica únicamente para expresar legalmente una postura moral?”, se indica en la impugnación presentada el miércoles.

En 2023, una mujer con tres hijos, uno de los cuales era producto de una violación, tuvo un aborto incompleto y espontáneo mientras estaba embarazada, se indica en la impugnación, donde también se señala que las autoridades la detuvieron durante 10 días en condiciones inhumanas pese a su estado, y se añade que no recibió atención médica adecuada.

“La mujer acudió a un centro de salud en busca de atención y terminó privada de libertad”, indicó.

Activistas de derechos humanos afirman que a menudo son los propios proveedores de salud quienes denuncian a las mujeres ante las autoridades.

No hay estadísticas confiables sobre cuántas mujeres en República Dominicana han muerto durante o después de un aborto clandestino.

En 2024, al menos 585 niñas de 11 a 14 años se convirtieron en madres, según datos del gobierno. Mientras tanto, se reportaron al menos 681 violaciones de enero a julio de 2025, y activistas señalan que los casos no denunciados son mucho más numerosos.

En la impugnación se indica que la prohibición agrava las desigualdades existentes: las mujeres con recursos pueden buscar atención médica privada dentro o fuera del país, mientras que quienes viven en la pobreza enfrentan mayores riesgos para la salud y están más expuestas a procesos penales.

“Las mujeres perseguidas comparten con frecuencia condiciones de vulnerabilidad socioeconómica, precariedad laboral, bajo nivel educativo o condición migratoria”, se lee en la impugnación.

___

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

GROUP STAGE MATCHES

JUNE 18: DAY 2

Mexico plays South Korea at 9 p.m. in Guadalajara.

South Africa and Czech Republic each get 1 point

• Game analysis: South Africa keeps its World Cup hopes alive with a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic

JUNE 11: DAY 1

Mexico’s “El Tri” wins 2-0 against South Africa

• After-game analysis of the opening match
• 3 red cards mar opening World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa
• Get a feel for celebrations in Wynwood and in South Beach
• FIFA game video: Goal by Julián Quiñones
• FIFA game video: Goal by Raúl Jiménez
• FIFA video: Game highlights
• FIFA post-match video: Interviews of Mexican players in Spanish and South African players in English
• FIFA post-match video: Interview of Mexico’s Coach Javier Aguirre in Spanish

South Korea wins 2-1 against Czech Republic

• After-game analysis of opening match
• FIFA Video: Goal by Oh Hyeon-gyu
• FIFA Video: Goal by Hwang In-beom
• Track standings tables on Google
• Track standing tables on FIFA

Next matches

June 24: Day 3 of Group A matches

The Czech Republic plays against Mexico at 9 p.m. on June 24 in Mexico City.

South Africa plays against South Korea at 9 p.m. on June 24 in Monterrey.

Track the groups

• Group B
• Group C
• Group D
• Group E
• Group F
• Group G
• Group H
• Group I
• Group J
• Group K
• Group L
• Track standings tables on Google
• Track standing tables on FIFA

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The police officer, who is a woman, was riding an ATV when she collided with a colleague, also riding an ATV, on Wednesday evening in South Beach, according to police.

A Nest surveillance video showed the crash and the response at Meridian Avenue and Ninth Street. Angel Urcola was among the witnesses who heard the loud collision and people screaming.

“I looked through the window, and I saw a motorcycle flipped,” Urcola said about the ATV that the police officer had been riding.

Miami Beach Fire Rescue personnel responded to the crash and rushed the police officer injured to JMH’s Ryder Trauma Center, according to police. The crash remained under investigation on Thursday afternoon.

The police officer remained and good spirits and doctors expected her to recover, according to police.

Related report: Miami Beach police officer critically injured in crash, officials say

La agente, una mujer, conducía un vehículo todo terreno (ATV) cuando chocó con un colega, que también conducía un ATV, la noche del miércoles en South Beach, según la policía.

Un video de vigilancia de Nest mostró el accidente y la respuesta de emergencia en Meridian Avenue y Ninth Street. Angel Urcola estuvo entre los testigos que escucharon el fuerte impacto y a personas gritando.

“Miré por la ventana y vi una motocicleta volcada”, dijo Urcola en referencia al ATV que conducía la agente.

Personal de Miami Beach Fire Rescue respondió al accidente y trasladó de emergencia a la agente lesionada al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital, según la policía. El accidente continuaba bajo investigación la tarde del jueves.

La agente permanecía de buen ánimo y los médicos esperaban que se recuperara, según la policía.

Informe relacionado: Agente de policía de Miami Beach resulta gravemente herida en accidente, informan autoridades.

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Sky 10 was above the area of Coral Ridge Drive and Wiles Road at about 2:15 p.m. as a yellow tarp covered a body in the roadway.

A maroon-colored SUV with its airbags deployed was spotted a short distance away in the intersection along with a motorcycle on its side.

Coral Springs police later confirmed that the crash was reported at about 1:44 p.m.

Police said the victim killed in the crash is a man, but his identity has not yet been released.

All westbound lanes on Wiles Road were shut down from Northwest 110^th Avenue to Coral Ridge Drive during the investigation.

No other details were immediately released.

But the brief document signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is vague on some of the major questions left by the three-month regional conflict that jolted the world economy. The U.S. says some outstanding issues will be worked out over the 60 days.

Here are some of the main questions, and the best answers available at the moment.

What will happen with Iran's nuclear program?

Trump says a key objective of the war was to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, something Tehran has long denied seeking. The U.S.-Israeli surprise attack that started the war on Feb. 28 came as Iran was engaged in nuclear talks, which are now set to resume.

It will be extremely difficult to reach a full nuclear agreement before the 60-day deadline, which could be extended. The 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump scrapped during his first term, took more than 18 months to negotiate and involved complex technical discussions among nuclear experts.

Iran has long insisted on its right to enrich uranium. The deal does not specify the level at which it would be allowed to enrich — the low levels required for power plants or the much higher level at which it had enriched before the war, which put the uranium a short, technical step away from weapons-grade.

Iran’s existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium is believed to have been largely buried by U.S. strikes last year. The agreement says at a minimum the stockpile will be diluted on site under U.N. supervision, without elaborating. Trump has long demanded that it be removed from the country.

When will the Strait of Hormuz reopen?

Iran's effective closure of the critical waterway — through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas passed before the war — caused a historic worldwide fuel shock, driving up the prices of everything from gas and groceries to fertilizer and airline tickets.

Lloyd's List Intelligence, a maritime data company, said Thursday that major shippers have begun moving vessels through the strait again.

Under the agreement, it will be fully reopened, with Iran to remove mines within 30 days and with no charges imposed on commercial vessels during the 60-day period.

Passage was free before the war, but Iran imposed tolls during the fighting and has said it will continue to charge fees.

Legal experts say that would violate international laws around freedom of navigation, and the U.S. has adamantly rejected it. Such fees could also run afoul of sanctions on Iran, making them problematic for shippers.

When will the fuel crisis end?

Even if the strait is fully reopened, it could take weeks or months for the normal flow of oil and gas to resume.

Ship captains and insurers will have to decide if it's truly safe. Hundreds of ships bottled up in the Persian Gulf for months will need to exit through the narrow, elbow-shaped waterway. Even a brief exchange of fire — which happened several times after a declared ceasefire in April — could halt traffic once again.

Major oil and gas producers in the Gulf, including Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, will also need time to repair critical infrastructure damaged by Iranian missile and drone attacks.

Will sanctions on Iran be lifted?

The U.S. says it has lifted its blockade under the agreement, which also calls for sanctions waivers that will allow Iran to export oil. That will provide a boost to Iran's wrecked economy and likely push world fuel prices down. The U.S. also commits to unfreezing Iranian funds held abroad.

A raft of international sanctions imposed over the years related to Iran's nuclear program, its support for militant groups and human rights violations are also to be lifted, but only as part of a final nuclear deal. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said sanctions relief would be “performance-based.”

The deal calls for the United States and its regional allies to develop a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran, but does not say who would pay for it.

Trump has said the U.S. won't contribute, and Vance has said it would be up to wealthy Gulf countries to fund it. But they are unlikely to want to help Iran at a time when their own economies are suffering from the war's fallout and the destruction of their infrastructure in Iranian attacks.

Will the war in Lebanon end?

The deal calls for an immediate halt to military operations “on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” where Israel has been battling the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, and for ensuring Lebanon's “territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

It does not say whether that means Israel would withdraw from the large swaths of southern Lebanon it has occupied since Hezbollah joined the war in its early days by firing rockets and drones at northern Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections later this year, has refused to withdraw, saying Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon until the threat from Hezbollah has been eliminated.

Hezbollah has refused to halt its own attacks while Israel is occupying Lebanese territory, and Iran has insisted Lebanon be included in any ceasefire.

Continued fighting there could unravel the deal if Iran or the U.S. believe the other is in breach of it.

What about Iran's ballistic missiles and its support for militants?

The deal says nothing about either, and Trump suggested this week that Iran is entitled to have some ballistic missiles in proportion to its neighbors.

Iran still has missiles capable of hitting Israel and has long backed militant groups like Hezbollah, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthi rebels in Yemen and militias in Iraq, which have also attacked it. Eliminating Iran's missiles and degrading its network of militant allies were among the main U.S. war goals.

Sanctions relief would potentially allow Iran to continue funding such groups, though it will have to balance that against its own economic crisis and reconstruction needs.

The comments deepened a rift that has emerged between the two allies over the interim deal reached by the United States and Iran to end their war.

“Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,” Vance said during a a news briefing at the White House. “The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump, and anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in.”

Israel and the U.S. jointly launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28, closely coordinating the more than monthlong military operation.

But disagreements quickly emerged following a preliminary April 8 ceasefire agreement, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushing to continue the campaign and Trump moving to wind down a war that was deeply unpopular in the U.S. and rattled the global economy.

While Netanyahu has been careful not to openly criticize this week’s ceasefire deal, some members of his Cabinet have been more outspoken. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who leads a small ultranationalist party, this week declared that Israel is not “bound” by Trump’s agreement and said it would not cave in to international pressure.

Vance noted that Netanyahu has not publicly criticized Trump, but he accused unnamed members of Netanyahu’s Cabinet of being ungrateful. He said Israel has few friends in the international community and protected itself with large quantities of weapons paid for by the United States.

Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on Vance’s statement.

In recent days, Trump has expressed frustration with Netanyahu, claimed credit for Israel’s existence and has described the Israeli leader as “ crazy.” He sidelined Israel throughout the negotiations, and criticized Israeli airstrikes in Beirut.

In his first comments on the newly signed memorandum of understanding, Netanyahu on Thursday said Israel’s military will stay in a zone of territory it is occupying in southern Lebanon “as long as Israel’s security needs require it.” The comments threatened to undermine the deal, which calls for a halt in all fighting and respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity.

Netanyahu, however, noted it was important “to maintain the important relationship with our American friends who fought shoulder to shoulder with us, and we greatly appreciate that.”

Talking to Orlando, he said, was different.

Sweeney was introduced Thursday as the new coach of the Magic, which was the obvious proof that he won them over by his answers during the interview process. Turns out, the Magic won him over with their questions as well.

“The Magic were the most thorough and they did the best job of asking questions and asking follow-ups to get to layers underneath the first answer," Sweeney said. “Some interviews that I’ve had in the past, I did not get that same level of detail. And given how I am and how I want to coach, that stood out.”

Sweeney and the Magic struck their deal for him to take over about three weeks ago; the formal welcome-to-Orlando event was put off until now because Sweeney has been a bit busy in his role as associate head coach of the San Antonio Spurs and their trip to the NBA Finals.

He stayed locked in on his tasks with the Spurs, even though the interview process started early in their postseason run. But with the finals over, Sweeney wasted little time in getting to Orlando and starting on the new job.

“When we finally did get in front of him, it was a long day and he had a lot going on," Magic President Jeff Weltman said. "It was during the playoffs and not only was he able to kind of compartmentalize his work with the Spurs and present well to us, but he really knocked our socks off. In Sean Sweeney, we have somebody who, in our minds, has the potential to be one of the elite coaches in this league.”

Sweeney said he fully believes this is the best situation for him.

Some first-time head coaches have to deal with a total rebuild; that's not the case in Orlando, where a young core led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner has made three consecutive playoff appearances — but three consecutive first-round exists essentially convinced the Magic that it was time for a change. Jamahl Mosley, now the coach in New Orleans, was let go after a successful five-year run and Sweeney was targeted as the replacement.

“I was fortunate this summer to have some different things to look at," Sweeney said. "But this is the only one I wanted to look at.”

Sweeney, who turned 42 earlier this month, comes to Orlando after basically spending half his life as an assistant.

He has come a long way from Anoka-Ramsey Community College and the Academy of Art University, two of his earliest stops. He started in the NBA as a video coordinator for the then-New Jersey Nets, and has since had assistant stints with the Nets, Milwaukee, Detroit, Dallas and San Antonio. He quotes the teachings of just about everyone he's worked for at every level, along with those he considers some of the greatest to ever blow a whistle in a basketball practice, names like Bob Knight, Tim Grgurich, Rick Majerus, Jason Kidd, Chuck Daly and his now-former boss with the Spurs, Mitch Johnson.

And then there was the guy who had the office next to him for the last year in San Antonio. That would be Gregg Popovich, the NBA's all-time coaching wins leader.

“Coach Pop’s office was right next to mine and I was very fortunate,” Sweeney said. "When you’re next to a guy who’s the greatest coach of all time daily, the fact that he even said hello and knew my name meant something to me. So yeah, Coach Pop, he built that program and guys like me are fortunate to be part of it. I'm very grateful and that’s part of the reason why I’m here now.”

Sweeney is blunt, focused and driven. He took a look at the handful of Magic players who attended the press conference introducing him as the team's new coach on Thursday, offering them his first message since taking the job.

Or, perhaps more accurately, it was part message, part warning.

“I'm going to listen to you guys as much as I talk to you,” Sweeney said. “Now, how I talk to you may be different than how I listen.”

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

The decision announced Thursday marks the third such fake elector case filed by states to be dismissed, though the Democratic attorney general is vowing to bring it back to a grand jury in hopes of securing another indictment.

The legal maneuver is aimed at getting around a Friday deadline for starting new grand jury proceedings after Mayes lost an appeal earlier this month. The appeal was filed after defense attorneys argued successfully that the original grand jury hadn’t been shown the relevant parts of a law that governs how presidential contests are certified.

“This case is complex and will require substantial presentation of evidence and time to accommodate defendants’ request to testify and present evidence,” prosecutors wrote, explaining the new presentation of the case to a grand jury won’t happen by the deadline. Mark L. Williams, an attorney for Giuliani, said his client and the others charged in the case did nothing wrong and were only exercising their rights to free speech and to petition the government.

“This action was brought to punish Mr. Giuliani and the other Republican defendants for exercising their constitutional rights,” Williams said. “It’s appropriate that it’s being dismissed.”

Kelli Ward, the state GOP’s chair during the 2020 election season and one of the 18 defendants in the case, wrote on social media that Mayes had damaged the reputations and finances of those charged and “certainly seems unwilling to admit her overreach & put this behind us. She wants to keep persecuting her political opponents.”

Mayes’ office has declined to comment on Ward’s criticism.

Courts have dismissed similar cases in Michigan and Georgia, and a special prosecutor dropped a federal case in late 2024 that charged Trump with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. Those cases ended after Trump defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Cases related to the fake elector scheme remain in Nevada and Wisconsin.

The Nevada charges were dismissed in 2024 after a judge concluded Clark County, the state’s most populous county and home to Las Vegas, was the wrong venue for the case. Later that year, though, the case was refiled in Carson City, Nevada’s capital.

The Arizona case had been stalled for well over a year while Mayes pursued the appeal.

In Arizona, defense lawyers argued the law allowed for multiple slates of electors to be submitted to Congress in case the results were disputed. Federal law was amended in 2022 to specify that any given state could put forward only one slate of electors and that state governors are responsible for signing off.

Joe Biden won Arizona in 2020 by 10,457 votes.

The state attorney general has faced steep challenges in making her case.

It was filed nearly three and a half years after the 2020 election and levels complicated conspiracy charges against the 18 defendants. A dozen dismissal requests filed by defense attorneys have slowed progress in court.

The first judge on the case recused himself in late 2024 after an email surfaced in which he told fellow judges to speak out against attacks on Harris’ campaign for the presidency. The next judge ordered the case to be sent back to a grand jury.

Of the 18 Arizona defendants, two were former Trump aides, five were lawyers working for Trump and 11 were Republicans who submitted a document falsely claiming Trump won Arizona.

Three defendants have resolved their cases, including one who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.

The rest pleaded not guilty. Some said they signed the certificate in case Trump won court challenges and a new slate of electors was needed urgently before Congress’ Jan. 6 deadline to tally votes.

The case has factored into Arizona’s attorney general race, where both Republicans vying to challenge Mayes in the Nov. 3 general election have publicly said they would dismiss the charges if they were elected to the post. Mayes is running unopposed in the July 21 primary.

Mike O’Neil, an Arizona pollster and political analyst, said he believes Mayes would face criticism from Democrats if she had decided to abandon the case altogether. “People who are upset about this aren’t the people who would vote for her anyway,” O’Neil said.

The expected motion for dismissal of the suit was filed Thursday by the 99th District Court in Lubbock County. That was three days after Texas Tech said he wouldn't play this fall, and exactly a month after Sorsby filed his lawsuit that set off a legal saga that rattled college sports.

That Texas court issued a temporary injunction June 8 that made the transfer quarterback eligible to play even after admitting that he placed bets on his own team while at Indiana as a freshman four years ago. Those were among thousands of impermissible bets he made while in college.

Sorsby had to be ineligible for NCAA play to be able to apply for the NFL's supplemental draft. The submission deadline for that rarely used draft is Monday, and the 22-year-old quarterback tentatively plans to work out for NFL teams on July 10.

The injunction last week by Judge Ken Curry had prevented the NCAA from enforcing its ruling that the quarterback was ineligible to play what would have been his final college season. Sorsby transferred to reigning Big 12 champion Texas Tech in January after the past two seasons at Cincinnati.

Cody Campbell, the billionaire booster who is chairman of the Texas Tech regents, announced in an open letter Monday night that Sorsby would not be part of the team this fall. He wrote that the decision was made with Sorsby and his family, with the draft deadline and ongoing legal process among the key factors.

That letter came on the same day the NCAA and Big 12 Conference had filings in separate courts related to the case.

Sorsby already faced a two-game suspension as part of the temporary injunction. The continued legal wrangling made uncertain what his status could be for Tech's remaining games.

The temporary injunction had cleared the way for Sorsby, after the first two games, to play despite being declared ineligible after he admitted making thousands of bets worth at least $90,000 while at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech. Those included at least 40 bets on Indiana while he was a freshman there in 2022, though none on the games in which he played for the Hoosiers that season.

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

Sky 10 sobrevoló el área de Coral Ridge Drive y Wiles Road alrededor de las 2:15 p.m., donde una lona amarilla cubría un cuerpo en la vía.

Una SUV color vino con las bolsas de aire desplegadas fue vista a corta distancia en la intersección, junto a una motocicleta caída sobre uno de sus lados.

Todos los carriles en dirección oeste de Wiles Road permanecen cerrados desde Northwest 110th Avenue hasta Coral Ridge Drive, confirmó la policía.

No se divulgaron de inmediato más detalles.

La investigación judicial al jefe de Gabinete Manuel Adorni golpea el corazón del relato de Milei, quien llegó al poder a fines de 2023 con la promesa de desterrar la corrupción y otros vicios de la “casta” política tradicional.

Milei ve ahora cómo el patrimonio de una de sus principales espadas políticas es escrutado. Viajes al exterior, adquisiciones inmobiliarias y costosas reformas edilicias encienden las alarmas por la aparente falta de correlación con sus ingresos formales.

Adorni quedó aún más expuesto cuando reconoció que ocultó alrededor de medio millón de dólares de sus declaraciones juradas patrimoniales.

El escándalo erosiona la imagen de Milei por negarse a echarlo del gobierno. La crisis estalló cuando los ingresos de muchos argentinos se licúan por el cierre de más de 20.000 empresas, masivos despidos y el tarifazo de los servicios públicos.

Al mismo tiempo unificó a la debilitada oposición, que el jueves próximo debatirá en el Senado si somete al funcionario a una interpelación el 2 de julio con vistas a evaluar su remoción, para lo cual deberán expedirse las dos cámaras.

En medio de esta polémica una pregunta se repite entre políticos, analistas y ciudadanos.

¿Por qué Milei sostiene la mano de su funcionario?

¿Quién es Adorni?

Fue analista económico en medios de comunicación y actualmente es una figura muy cercana al presidente y su hermana, la influyente secretaria general de la Presidencia Karina Milei. Ejerció de vocero presidencial y ahora es jefe del gabinete de ministros.

“Es un destacado ´tuitero' con un estilo provocador que conecta con ese estilo medio altanero de Milei”, señaló a The Associated Press Lucas Romero, director de la consultora Synopsis Consultores.

Polémicas confesiones

Además de la investigación por supuesto enriquecimiento ilícito, Adorni reconoció haber omitido en las declaraciones realizadas al Fisco desde que es funcionario 500.000 de dólares de “ahorros” que generó junto a su esposa en el sector privado.

“No lo declaramos porque la manera de escaparse de la vieja política era tener un ahorro en negro”, argumentó Adorni en una entrevista periodística. Dijo que fue un error involuntario y que pagará la multa.

Su explicación generó un sinfín de dudas. Sostuvo que invirtieron 200.000 dólares y ganaron otros 300.000 dólares en Bitcoin entre 2014 y 2018, un tipo de operaciones que criticó años después.

Milei lo defiende; costo político

“No voy a ejecutar en el altar del ego de los periodistas a una persona honesta”, afirmó el mandatario, cuyo enfrentamiento con los medios ha ido escalando en los últimos meses.

Pero el escándalo lo golpeó. El nivel de desaprobación de su gestión es de 58,1%, superando al de aprobación en 20,2 puntos, lo que supone el pico negativo más alto desde su asunción, según una encuesta de Management & Fit realizada entre el 11 y 22 de mayo, con un margen de error de 2,1%.

Mariel Fornoni, directora de esa consultora, señaló que “obviamente impacta” que mientras “a la gente no le alcanza para llegar a fin de mes” el mandatario se apropia de “un discurso de la ética y defiende al jefe de Gabinete, que se está incriminando en cada aparición pública".

Un gran interrogante; varias hipótesis

“Esta es la gran pregunta: por qué Milei sigue pagando un altísimo costo por sostenerlo cuando el beneficio es nulo", afirmó Romero. Cuestionó que Adorni “no tiene habilidades en el diálogo político con el resto de los actores”, como se espera de los jefes de gabinete.

La misma encuesta de Management & Fit reveló que 42,1% de los ciudadanos cree que Adorni sigue en el gobierno porque tiene información sobre irregularidades de la gestión. Un 21,9% lo atribuye a su cercanía a los hermanos Milei.

Romero apuntó que Adorni “puede ser alguien que sepa mucho” de la estafa millonaria en torno al lanzamiento en 2025 de LIBRA, la criptomoneda que promovió Milei en su cuenta de X. La justicia investiga el rol que cumplió el mandatario y sus allegados.

“Adorni estuvo en el Tech Forum, el evento cripto de 2024 que se indican como el origen de las conversaciones entre Milei y los promotores del token”, apuntó Romero.

Sergio Berensztein, de la consultora Berensztein, indicó que si Adorni siente que lo abandonan “tendría incentivos para cooperar con la justicia en algunas causas que preocupan al gobierno, sobre todo la de LIBRA".

El analista apuntó que además “las cuestiones institucionales son secundarias” para el mandatario y está convencido de que si lo remueve “aparecería respondiendo a una agenda más bien mediática”.

Romero agregó que “es una dinámica muy propia de este tipo de liderazgo; no quiere darle al periodismo lo que entiende que quiere, que es correrlo a Adorni". Acotó que con esa postura el presidente "no está teniendo un correcto diagnóstico del problema”.

The amateur draft for players residing in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico would be cut from 20 rounds to 12 beginning in 2027 under the proposal Major League Baseball made during a bargaining session with the players' association. An identical 12-round draft would be started for international prospects, a proposal the union has rejected in the past.

Starting in 2028, a prospect for the amateur draft would have to be at least 20 years old by the Sept. 1 of his signing year and two years removed from the graduating year of his high school class — a restriction that also would eliminate players who completed their first year of junior college.

The amateur draft started in 1965, high schoolers have been eligible along with college players who are in or have just finished their junior years.

Raising signing ages would likely lead to players being older when they become eligible for free agency, which currently requires six years of major league service.

MLB cited increased revenue in college baseball as reasoning. In addition, MLB said 75% of high schoolers signed from 2012-19 did not reach the major leagues.

“Expanded scholarships, NIL opportunities, revenue sharing and significant investments in facilities and player development have made college baseball an increasingly important pathway that is producing major league-ready talent at an accelerated rate," MLB said in a statement. “By creating a draft system centered around college-aged players and making most college players eligible one year earlier, more players will benefit from both a college education and an elite development environment while reaching professional baseball — and ultimately the major leagues — more quickly.”

The players' association claimed the plan would decrease compensation by $1 billion over five years, including $400 million from this year to 2027.

“MLB made another set of proposals that are flat-out bad for baseball, ones that would cripple the next generation of players and damage the future of our game,” the union said in a statement.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips supported keeping more prospects in college longer. He said in a statement that improvements in facilities, technology and scholarships “are creating more opportunities for student-athletes and providing additional pathways to develop at the collegiate level before taking the next step to the professional ranks.”

MLB said it will not seek to reduce the 120 minor league teams in the top four levels when it negotiates new professional development licenses in 2030 to replace expiring 10-year deals. It would cap bonuses for undrafted players at $10,000 — Middle Tennessee two-way player Trace Phillips was bypassed in the draft last July and signed with Tampa Bay for $629,200.

For international amateurs, the age to sign would be raised to 18 on the Sept. 1 of their signing year, up from 17.

“The game's greatest stars are precocious talents. We always want to have a great window for them,” said Scott Boras, baseball's most high-profile agent. “International markets recognize this, as well. When you bar a labor force from opportunity in America, it is not an American concept.”

Each separate draft would have $200 million in signing pools in 2027. There would be hard caps for each draft.

Teams would be able to trade draft picks but a club couldn't trade its first-round pick in consecutive drafts. A team couldn't acquire more than three additional selections among the first three rounds. In addition, MLB proposed requiring up to 10 prospects to attend the draft, and each would get a $50,000 draft attendance bonus.

Spending on signing bonuses for players eligible for the 2025 amateur draft have totaled $401.81 million and signing bonus pools for 2026 increased by 2.5%.

Each team would have the same amount to spend under the proposal rather than the current system which gives higher pools to teams with poorer records in the previous year. Pittsburgh is at just over $19 million this year and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at slightly under $4 million. Teams currently can go over their pools and often do as much as 5%.

Teams have spent $196.38 million on signing bonuses for international amateurs in 2026. The current signing period runs from Jan. 15 to Dec. 15 each year, but the initial international draft would be no earlier than September 2027 and no later than March 2028.

MLB proposed eliminating competitive balance round picks that began in 2023 and cutting the draft lottery that started in 2023 from the top six picks to four.

Bargaining began May 13 and the sides exchanged initial proposals two weeks later as management proposed a salary cap for the first time since 1994, which resulted in a 7 1/2-month strike and the first cancellation of the World Series in 90 years.

Baseball's five-year collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1 and management is expected to immediately impose a lockout, as it did in December 2021. An agreement was reached on the 99th day of the lockout, preserving a slightly delayed 162-game schedule.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Thapelo Maseko’s long range shot late in the match caught the hand of Czech opponent Pavel Sulc in the area.

Mokoena, who was shown on camera with tears rolling down his cheeks during the pre-game national anthem, stepped up to the penalty spot and sent his shot low past Czech Republic goalkeeper Matej Kovar in the 83rd minute.

The South Africa midfielder said he was overwhelmed before kick off, thinking about his late grandfather.

“I know, wherever he is, he would be proud of me," Mokoena said. "I just felt his presence in that moment. I thought if he was here, he would be proud of me because I know he believed in me when nobody believed in me.”

Michal Sadilek had given the Czechs the lead in the sixth minute at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Alexandr Sojka played in Sadilek and he slid a shot past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

Both teams lost their opening matches, and both knew another setback would seriously hinder their chances of reaching the round of 32.

South Africa faced some strong criticism following its 2-0 loss to World Cup co-host Mexico, which raised the prospect of the country extending its run of never having advanced to the knockout phase of a World Cup — even as host in 2010.

“If we go on like that and if we can make another performance like today I think we have a chance to go in the second round,” South Africa coach Hugo Broos said.

South Africa will next face South Korea on Wednesday in Group A, but will be without Mokoena, who is suspended after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament.

The Czechs lost to South Korea 2-1 in their opening match and will likely need to beat Mexico in their final game on Wednesday to advance.

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Associated Press writer R.J. Rico contributed to this report.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Civil society groups including a Christian organization joined the challenge, arguing that the ban violates the rights to life, health, dignity and equality, and that such protections should be extended to pregnant girls and women.

The challenge was filed Wednesday in the country’s Constitutional Court.

The Dominican Republic has one of the strictest abortion bans in the region, criminalizing it without exception and regardless of circumstance. Women face up to two years in prison for having an abortion, while doctors or midwives could face five to 20 years.

“My daughter died because she was denied the medical care she needed. No other mother should have to go through this,” Rosa Herminia Hernández said in a statement.

Rosaura Almonte died in 2012 from leukemia while three weeks pregnant. She was 16 years old, according to the court filing.

The challenge seeks that abortions be allowed in rape or incest cases; when the life or health of a woman or girl is in danger; or when a fetus has fatal abnormalities.

“This action seeks something very simple: that no woman or girl should have to choose between her life, her health and the law,” attorney Patricia Santana Nina said in a statement.

At least 67,455 abortions were recorded from 2019 through late 2024 in the public health sector, according to government data. It did not differentiate between spontaneous and induced abortions.

Meanwhile, from June 2017 to October 2022, prosecutors filed 62 criminal cases for abortion and 16 cases for attempted abortion. The Prosecutor General’s Office has stopped publishing such data since November 2022.

“Is it legitimate to maintain a permanent criminal threat against women in medical emergencies solely to legally express a moral stance?” the challenged filed Wednesday stated.

In 2023, a woman with three children, one of whom was product of a rape, had an incomplete and spontaneous abortion while pregnant, according to the challenge. It noted that authorities detained her for 10 days in inhumane conditions despite her condition, adding that she did not receive adequate medical care.

“The woman went to a health center seeking care and ended up being deprived of her freedom,” it stated.

Human rights activists say that it’s often health providers who report women to authorities.

There are no reliable statistics on how many women in the Dominican Republic have died during or after a clandestine abortion.

In 2024, at least 585 girls from 11 to 14 years old became mothers, according to government data. Meanwhile, at least 681 rapes were reported from January to July 2025, with activists noting that unreported cases are much higher.

The challenge noted that the ban worsens existing inequalities: women with resources can seek private medical care in or outside the country, while those who are impoverished face higher health risks and are more exposed to criminal prosecution.

“The women who are persecuted often share conditions of socioeconomic vulnerability, job insecurity, low educational level, or migratory status,” the challenge read.

“Esta tregua tiene que permitirnos ya habilitar los corredores para que se normalice la circulación”, dijo el ministro José Luis Lupo en conferencia de prensa.

Tras casi 50 días de bloqueos —que han afectado principalmente a La Paz y a su vecina ciudad de El Alto—, el presidente Rodrigo Paz se reunió con la dirigencia de la Central Obrera de Bolivia (COB), el sindicato que lidera las protestas y que reclama al gobierno la liberación de manifestantes detenidos durante choques con la policía a cambio de negociar el fin del conflicto.

El ministro de Gobierno, Marco Antonio Oviedo, dijo a radio Panamericana que la Fiscalía revisa los casos, pero advirtió que “una cosa es que una persona sea detenida protestando, pero otra cosa son los delitos que se cometen”.

En las protestas se han registrado unos 17 fallecidos, en su mayoría por falta de asistencia médica debido a los bloqueos que también han causado escasez de alimentos y oxigeno medicinal.

Las protestas comenzaron el 1 de mayo con demandas salariales de la COB y quejas por gasolina de mala calidad que había importado el gobierno y fueron escalando hasta pedir la renuncia de Paz. Los movilizados acusan al mandatario, que asumió en noviembre, de dilatar las soluciones para resolver la peor crisis económica en 40 años e inclinarse a favor de sectores conservadores en detrimento de los populares.

Los bloqueos se han ido reduciendo, pero las carreteras a La Paz y a la región altiplánica de Oruro, por donde se importa el combustible, permanecen bloqueadas. El departamento de Cochabamba, en el centro del país, es la segunda región con más cortes por afines al expresidente Evo Morales (2006-2019).

En varios puntos se observan kilométricas colas de vehículos alrededor de estaciones de servicio debido a la escasez de combustible y muchos conductores de transportes de carga deben dormir en la fila para abastecerse.

Sectores productivos reclaman a Paz que evalúe un estado de excepción, pero el mandatario conservador ha descartado aplicar esa medida o utilizar la fuerza para despejar los cortes para evitar que el conflicto se profundice.

La Cámara Nacional de Industrias estimó que las pérdidas por los bloqueos y protestas ascienden a 2.000 millones de dólares.

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

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

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

No se reportaron heridos.

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

La Cruz Roja Americana asistirá a los residentes desplazados.

He’s intent on becoming the best. He already may be there.

The 24-year-old is hitting unprecedented velocities for a starter in MLB's pitch-tracking era that began in 2008. Over the last month, he's dominated unlike any pitcher in the last century.

Misiorowski has allowed just one run over his last eight starts heading into his Friday matchup with the Atlanta Braves. He says he can’t come up with a specific moment or decision that sparked this surge.

“It’s more that it finally clicked,” said Misiorowski, who is 8-2 with a 1.34 ERA and 131 strikeouts to lead the majors in the latter two categories. “Everything started settling in and feeling good.”

The fact Misiorowski used the word “finally” to describe an emergence in his first full major league season underscores his exacting standards.

Misiorowski's rise has Brewers manager Pat Murphy comparing him to Forrest Gump, which prompted a social media post by the pitcher his own face over the Tom Hanks movie character’s body.

“It’s for sure meant to be a compliment for a guy who didn’t put in limits on himself and his naiveté,” Murphy said. “It was a factor in a positive way, where he went out and achieved whatever he set his mind to, and didn’t let the outside forces, weren’t even aware of the outside forces, and didn’t let anything hold him back.”

Misiorowski was selected to the All-Star Game last season after only five starts. He struggled late last year before producing a 1.50 postseason ERA during Milwaukee’s run to the NL Championship Series. Now he’s a Cy Young Award favorite.

Misiorowski is more than just a hard thrower

The eye-popping numbers most associated with Misiorowski come from the radar gun. He reached 104.5 mph — the fastest velocity by any starter in the pitch tracking era — and got to 100 mph on a record 58 pitches during the Brewers’ 6-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.

He's thrown 460 pitches at least 100 mph this season, already surpassing the record for a starter set by Cincinnati's Hunter Greene with 337 such pitches in 2022.

But his most impressive statistics have more to do with results than velocity.

According to MLB.com, Misiorowski’s 0.17 ERA since May 1 is the best in an eight-start stretch for any pitcher since earned runs became an official statistic in 1913. Against Philadelphia, he became the third pitcher since 1900 to throw a shutout while striking out 15 and allowing no more than one baserunner.

Opponents are batting just .140 against Misiorowski this season. SportRadar says no starting pitcher has allowed an opponent batting average of .166 or below over a full non-pandemic season since at least 1910. Boston’s Pedro Martinez had batters hitting .167 against him in 2000. Opponents hit .168 against Cleveland’s Luis Tiant in 1968.

Misiorowski’s development into a complete pitcher should come as no surprise, considering who he grew up watching.

The pitchers Miz admires most aren't necessarily smoke throwers

The list of pitchers he admired growing up includes Adam Wainwright, Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale. While Sale is a hard thrower and Kershaw also had outstanding velocity early in his career, Wainwright and Greinke succeeded without overpowering fastballs.

They had one thing in common.

“Every game, you felt like they could trust them to get a win,” Misiorowski said. “That was the big thing. You looked at those guys and they were going out there and going to perform for seven or eight innings to secure the team a win.”

His appreciation for baseball history includes a baseball card collection he says numbers in the thousands, though he probably owns even more Pokemon cards.

“Since I was a kid, my dad got me into it,” Misiorowski said of his baseball card collection. “It’s huge right now. I think I need to downsize it a little bit, but it’s fun.”

His enthusiasm shows on the mound and in his work ethic. He devoted the offseason to upgrading his leg strength to withstand the rigors of a full season and results are showing in his improved endurance and command.

“He could rest on his laurels. ‘Hey, I was an All-Star in my first year. I pitched in the playoffs. I pitched well. I can do it. I’m fine. I’ll be all right,’“ Murphy said. “Or you can say, ‘I’m going home. I’m going to get stronger. I’m going to do whatever I can do to come back and dominate.’ That’s what he’s done.”

He's stabilizing an injury-riddled rotation

Misiorowski’s growth has helped the Brewers overcome numerous pitching injuries to build a comfortable NL Central lead. With Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison (8-1, 2.47) leading the rotation, the Brewers rank fourth in the majors in ERA.

Over his last eight starts, Misiorowski has struck out 80 while allowing nine walks and 14 hits over 54 1/3 innings. The only extra-base hit he’s allowed over his last nine starts was a double by Houston’s Isaac Paredes on May 31.

The low walk totals are notable after Misiorowski battled control issues as a rookie. He walked 31 batters in 66 innings last year, but now constantly gets ahead of hitters.

“He’s winning the 0-0 and the 1-1 (counts) a lot,” pitching coach Chris Hook said. “When he doesn’t, it stands out to be like, ‘Oh, God, he didn’t win the 0-0. He didn’t win the 1-1.’ Like that’s weird, for him to go to a two-ball count.”

Once hitters fall behind in the count, they have little chance.

After facing him for the first time last month, New York Yankees slugger and three-time MVP Aaron Judge noted that “he’s almost basically releasing it in the catcher’s glove” due to the extension Misiorowski gets with his 6-foot-7 frame.

MLB Network analyst and two-time All-Star pitcher Ryan Dempster says Misiorowski reminds him of 6-10 Hall of Fame lefty Randy Johnson in that regard because their hands seem right in front of the plate to the batter when they let go of the ball.

“You can tell yourself to swing, but your brain doesn’t quite compute until it’s out of the hand,” Dempster said. “By the time it’s out of his hand, it’s already on you. I haven’t seen a fastball like this since Kerry Wood.”

Wood’s career was derailed by injuries, leading to worries of hard throwers being susceptible to blowing out pitching arms. Dempster notes Misiorowski is playing in an era with lower pitch counts. Misiorowski also produces elite velocity without overthrowing.

“He sure is repeating his delivery, and when you repeat your delivery, you tend to stay healthy,” Dempster said. “Guys who don’t repeat deliveries and get out of whack and something’s a little off, they struggle with that. I really think he will stay healthy, just me personally.”

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AP freelance writers Jack Albright and Rich Rovito contributed to this report.

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

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Detectives listed eight surveillance videos that showed Ivis Aceituno’s obsessive three-day focus on parked cars that didn’t belong to him, according to incident and arrest reports.

Records show six of the surveillance videos were recorded on May 30 in Coral Gables, one on June 5 in Miami’s Coral Way neighborhood, and another on June 9, also in Coral Gables.

A May 30 video shows Aceituno trying to break into a black 2026 Cadillac Escalade ESV and a gray 2025 Subaru Crosstrek near Sevilla Avenue and Segovia Street, according to police.

A May 30 video show him trying to break into a dark 2024 Ferrari SF90, a red 2025 Lamborghini Urus, and a red 2026 Ferrari 12Cilindri near Sevilla Avenue and Anderson Road, according to police.

In the area of Palermo Avenue and Segovia and Hernando streets, May 30 videos show Aceituno breaking into a silver Chrysler and a black Volkswagen, and trying to break into a Ford Mustang and a green Mercedes-Benz, according to police.

A May 30 video near Northwest 15 Avenue and 19 Street in Allapattah showed Aceituno “exiting” a 2026 Dodge Durango that had been stolen from a driveway near Aledo Avenue and Anderson Road in Coral Gables, according to police.

“The bicycle that Aceituno utilized for multiple vehicle burglaries, that was captured on CCTV, was located in the rear cargo area of the Durango,” a deputy wrote, according to an arrest report.

The June 5 video shows Aceituno breaking into a parked car near Southwest 16th Avenue and 22 Terrace “and taking a set of” Airpods that later pinged in the area of Northwest 18 Avenue and 19 Street in Allapattah, according to police.

The June 9 video shows Aceituno trying to break into cars near to where a 2024 Ford Mustang was stolen near Savona Avenue and South Le Jeune Road before it was abandoned near Northwest 19 Avenue and 16 Terrace in Allapattah, according to police.

Records show Aceituno was living near Northwest 19 Avenue and 19 Terrace in Allapattah, and his alleged crime spree involved the Miami and Coral Gables police departments and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

The Coral Gables Police Department had issued a “Be-On-the-Look-Out” alert for a suspect when a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy recognized Aceituno after an arrest on Monday, records show.

On Tuesday, a Coral Gables detective contacted the MDSO deputy, who “provided a positive ID” for Aceituno, who was at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to a police report.

In the 12 cases prosecutors filed, Aceituno faced four counts of grand theft vehicle, five counts of burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, two counts of attempted burglary of an occupied conveyance, five counts of attempted burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, one count of trespass in an unoccupied structure or conveyance, and one count of petit theft.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

Los detectives enumeraron ocho videos de vigilancia que mostraban el enfoque obsesivo de Ivis Aceituno durante tres días en vehículos estacionados que no le pertenecían, según informes de incidentes y arresto.

Los registros muestran que seis de los videos de vigilancia fueron grabados el 30 de mayo en Coral Gables, uno el 5 de junio en el vecindario Coral Way de Miami y otro el 9 de junio, también en Coral Gables.

Un video del 30 de mayo muestra a Aceituno intentando entrar a la fuerza en una Cadillac Escalade ESV negra modelo 2026 y una Subaru Crosstrek gris modelo 2025 cerca de Sevilla Avenue y Segovia Street, según la policía.

Un video del 30 de mayo lo muestra intentando entrar a la fuerza en una Ferrari SF90 oscura modelo 2024, una Lamborghini Urus roja modelo 2025 y una Ferrari 12Cilindri roja modelo 2026 cerca de Sevilla Avenue y Anderson Road, según la policía.

En el área de Palermo Avenue y las calles Segovia y Hernando, videos del 30 de mayo muestran a Aceituno entrando a la fuerza en un Chrysler plateado y un Volkswagen negro, e intentando entrar a la fuerza en un Ford Mustang y un Mercedes-Benz verde, según la policía.

Un video del 30 de mayo cerca de Northwest 15 Avenue y 19 Street en Allapattah mostró a Aceituno “saliendo” de una Dodge Durango modelo 2026 que había sido robada de una entrada residencial cerca de Aledo Avenue y Anderson Road en Coral Gables, según la policía.

“La bicicleta que Aceituno utilizó para múltiples robos a vehículos, y que fue captada por cámaras de vigilancia, fue localizada en el área de carga trasera de la Durango”, escribió un agente, según un informe de arresto.

El video del 5 de junio muestra a Aceituno entrando a la fuerza en un vehículo estacionado cerca de Southwest 16th Avenue y 22 Terrace “y tomando un par de” AirPods que posteriormente emitieron una señal en el área de Northwest 18 Avenue y 19 Street en Allapattah, según la policía.

El video del 9 de junio muestra a Aceituno intentando entrar a la fuerza en vehículos cerca de donde un Ford Mustang modelo 2024 fue robado cerca de Savona Avenue y South Le Jeune Road antes de ser abandonado cerca de Northwest 19 Avenue y 16 Terrace en Allapattah, según la policía.

Los registros muestran que Aceituno vivía cerca de Northwest 19 Avenue y 19 Terrace en Allapattah, y que su presunta ola de delitos involucró a los departamentos de policía de Miami y Coral Gables, así como a la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade.

El Departamento de Policía de Coral Gables había emitido una alerta de búsqueda para un sospechoso cuando un agente de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade reconoció a Aceituno tras un arresto el lunes, según los registros.

El martes, un detective de Coral Gables contactó al agente de la MDSO, quien “proporcionó una identificación positiva” de Aceituno, quien se encontraba en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, según un informe policial.

En los 12 casos presentados por los fiscales, Aceituno enfrentaba cuatro cargos de robo mayor de vehículo, cinco cargos de robo en vehículo desocupado, dos cargos de intento de robo en vehículo ocupado, cinco cargos de intento de robo en vehículo desocupado, un cargo de ingreso ilegal a una estructura o vehículo desocupado y un cargo de hurto menor.

El editor de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Carson Merlo, contribuyó a este informe.

The unanimous ruling by the three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a lower court judge wrongly interpreted Philadelphia's contract claims involving Independence National Historical Park, saying the city merely having standing to sue did not mean its arguments had merit. The panel also praised the plans for the replacement installation, writing that they were “full of historical context,” despite objections from historians and city officials that the content appears whitewashed.

The ruling comes a week after a Massachusetts federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore sites changed under an executive order calling for the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks to not display elements that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.” The federal government has asked for a stay on that ruling while it appeals.

It was unclear how the Massachusetts ruling would affect the restoration or replacement of the panels at the President's House Site. About half the large panels at the outdoor exhibit had been restored before a February pause in the work.

Messages to spokespeople for the Department of Interior and the National Park Service were not returned.

In a statement on Instagram late Thursday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker vowed to pursue legal avenues to reverse the decision.

“We cannot and WILL not rest until the full story of American history – including the existence of Slavery at the President’s House here in Philadelphia – is told, for our Nation and the World to see,” she wrote.

Dawn Chavous, a volunteer for Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, one of the advocacy groups that helped develop the site in the 2000s, said they are disappointed with the decision but are speaking to their attorneys and considering options.

“For decades, ATAC has worked to ensure that the stories of the enslaved African descendants who lived and labored at the President’s House are not erased, overlooked, or misrepresented,” the group said in an emailed statement. “That commitment remains unwavering. We believe that historical truth matters, and we will continue to advocate for the protection, preservation, and accurate interpretation of this important chapter of American history.”

The city of Philadelphia sued in January after the National Park Service, in response to President Donald Trump's executive order, removed the explanatory panels from the President’s House Site, where George and Martha Washington lived with nine of their slaves in the 1790s, when Philadelphia was briefly the nation’s capital.

The city had worked in tandem with the federal government, historians and private partners to create the exhibit in the early 2000s — as part of a longstanding cooperation agreement over the downtown historical park — and contributed $1.5 million toward its creation.

The city argued that the federal government must consult with the city before making changes to the President's House Site. Justice Department lawyers argued the administration alone can decide what stories are told at National Park Service properties.

In its ruling Thursday, the appeals panel said the maintenance portion of the contract between the city and the federal government could not be interpreted to mean the site would remain as it was when it was completed.

“The duty to ‘maintain’ is better understood as a general management obligation that accompanies ownership, not a promise that the exhibits will forever remain in place regardless of the owner’s wishes,” the opinion said.

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Casey contributed from Boston.

Guthrie se encontraba en North Miami para una mesa redonda sobre preparación ante huracanes en el campus Biscayne Bay de la Universidad Internacional de Florida (FIU).

El traslado se produce a pesar de que Guthrie y otros funcionarios habían afirmado previamente que el centro de detención para inmigrantes podría resistir una tormenta débil.

“Así que tendrían que preguntarle a ICE qué ha cambiado”, dijo Guthrie. “Al final del día, el gobernador siempre ha dicho que la instalación de inmigración es temporal”.

Añadió: “Siempre fue diseñada para ser temporal. ICE tomó una decisión. Emitieron ese comunicado. Yo no vi ese comunicado antes de que llegara a los medios”.

Guthrie sostuvo que las estructuras del lugar siguen siendo lo suficientemente resistentes para soportar una tormenta.

“Las estructuras en sí, las estructuras de vigas en I y las estructuras de lona pueden resistir vientos de hasta 74 millas por hora, lo que equivale a una tormenta tropical o un huracán de categoría 1”, dijo Guthrie. “Nunca existió la intención de dejar personas en esa instalación, ni siquiera durante una tormenta tropical. Íbamos a evacuar y teníamos planes de evacuación”.

Anteriormente había dicho que la instalación podía soportar un huracán de categoría 2.

Guthrie agregó que el lugar permanecerá tal como está por ahora y que aún podría volver a recibir detenidos en el futuro.

“En este momento no se nos ha indicado que suspendamos operaciones, por lo que seguimos preparados para recibir detenidos nuevamente, si eso es lo que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional desea hacer”, afirmó.

El centro de detención improvisado, ubicado en lo profundo de los Everglades, fue construido rápidamente el verano pasado y ha recibido fuertes críticas de varios grupos ambientalistas, que posteriormente presentaron una demanda solicitando su cierre.

Sky 10 sobrevoló la instalación a principios de esta semana y mostró que las estructuras continúan en el lugar, aunque con menos actividad de la que se había observado anteriormente.

Hasta ahora, ni Guthrie ni el DHS han comentado exactamente a dónde fueron trasladados los detenidos que estaban en Alligator Alcatraz.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Guthrie was in North Miami for a hurricane preparedness roundtable at Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay campus.

The transfer comes despite Guthrie and other officials previously stating the immigration detention facility could survive a weak storm.

“So you would need to ask ICE what’s changed,” Guthrie said. “At the end of the day, the governor has always said that the immigration facility is temporary.”

He added, “It was always designed to be temporary. ICE has made a decision. They came out with that statement. I did not see that statement prior to it hitting the media.”

Guthrie maintained that the structures on the site are still sturdy enough to survive a storm.

“The structures themselves, the I beam structures, the soft-sided structures can withstand up to 74 mile-an-hour winds, that is a tropical storm, (Category 1) hurricane,” Guthrie said. “There was never ever an intent to leave individuals at that facility, even in a tropical storm. We were going to evacuate, we had evacuation plans.”

He previously said that the facility could handle a Category 2 storm.

Guthrie added that the site will stay as it is for now and could still receive detainees again in the future.

“At this point in time, we have not been told to stand down, so we are still in a posture to receive detainees again, if that’s what the Department of Homeland Security wants to do,” he said.

The makeshift detention center, deep in the Everglades, was constructed quickly last summer and has received sharp criticism from several environmental groups who later filed a lawsuit arguing for its closure.

Sky 10 flew over the facility earlier this week, showing structures are still in place but not as busy as they’ve been in the past.

So far, neither Guthrie nor DHS have commented on exactly where those detainees from Alligator Alcatraz have been transferred.

Luego de reunirse con el pontífice en el Vaticano, el mandatario señaló que el pontífice planea un viaje que incluiría las ciudades de Puno, Iquitos, Cusco, Pucallpa, Piura y Chiclayo, ésta última ubicada en la costa norte del Pacífico y donde el papa ejerció su trabajo pastoral por casi dos décadas.

“La primera quincena de noviembre estará en Perú", dijo Balcázar a la radio local RPP desde el Vaticano tras salir de una reunión de dos horas con el papa. Indicó que los detalles de su itinerario se darán más adelante debido a “razones de política religiosa y seguridad”.

El Vaticano no ha confirmado ningún viaje próximo, pero se rumorea ampliamente una visita a Perú para fines de año con posibles paradas en otros países sudamericanos. El propio León XIV ha expresado su deseo de realizar dicho viaje.

“Argentina y Uruguay esperan la visita del papa. Creo que Perú también me recibiría con los brazos abiertos y, si voy a Perú, también visitaría muchos países vecinos, pero el plan aún no está definido”, declaró el pontífice a la prensa en diciembre a su regreso del Líbano.

Chiclayo, a 14 kilómetros del Pacífico, es una ciudad con más de 800.000 habitantes y desempeña un papel vital como eje comercial de la costa norte de Perú. Sin embargo, también enfrenta problemas sociales y alrededor del 20% de su población vive en la pobreza.

Ése fue el hogar de León XIV durante casi una década antes de que partiera a Roma en 2023 cuando el entonces papa Francisco le pidió asumir la presidencia de la Comisión Pontificia para América Latina.

Los habitantes de Chiclayo celebraron emocionados cuando en sus primeras palabras como pontífice, León XIV dijo en castellano a la a multitud que lo vitoreaba en la Plaza de San Pedro: “mi querida diócesis de Chiclayo, en el Perú, donde un pueblo fiel ha acompañado a su obispo, ha compartido su fe”.

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La periodista de AP Nicole Winfield contribuyó con este despacho desde el Vaticano.

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

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

“It was huge -- it was a big tiki hut,” a neighbor identified only as Gigi said.

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

No injuries were reported.

“It’s very sad, you know,” Gigi said. “Imagine it was your house that catches on fire.”

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

The American Red Cross will assist the displaced residents.

But that wasn't the only memorable moment Macron had this week at a G7 summit where the experience and networks he has built over nearly 10 years as president bore fruit.

Perhaps the most remarkable feat was getting Trump to more forcefully back Ukraine in its war with Russia — a win for European leaders and for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following his diplomatic disaster at the White House in March 2025.

“Bravo,” Macron said after Trump signed the Iran war agreement. The signing came as a surprise to most of the officials and other guests at the Versailles Palace dinner, and they responded with a round of applause.

Macron had said the dinner was intended as a celebration of French-American friendship. The unannounced signing ceremony transformed it into a symbolic finale to Macron’s weeklong effort to get Trump more aligned with Europe — perhaps his last big achievements before the end of his term next spring.

Macron used Versailles as an ‘instrument of influence’

Macron had presented Versailles as an “instrument of influence” and suggested the invitation could help keep Trump engaged through the end of the G7 summit held in Evian. Trump left last year’s gathering in Canada before it had concluded.

The Palace of Versailles, which Trump praised as “not gold leaf,” has been a venue for French leaders to honor visiting guests for more than three centuries.

After the signing, Macron praised the Iran agreement as one that “allows for putting an end to the conflict, that allows peace, that allows the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz" and will likely result in lower oil prices.

Macron, who was not involved in the Iran war negotiations, cannot claim success for Trump deciding to sign the deal. But he secured the historic location, helping to put Europe back into the frame of a war that the U.S. and Israel jointly launched without consulting Western allies.

French Economy Minister Roland Lescure, who attended the dinner, described the signing as largely improvised.

Trump said in his remarks that he was going to sign the agreement, Lescure said. Asked whether Macron knew in advance, Lescure said he believed Trump had informed the French president shortly beforehand.

“But for us, ministers in the French government, it was a surprise,” he told French radio RTL.

Trump received backing from European leaders

Trump arrived in France facing pressure at home over Iran, including criticism from some allies about his handling of the conflict and the emerging agreement. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Trump’s closest allies and a longtime Iran hawk, had expressed skepticism.

As negotiations with Iran advanced, Trump sought backing from leaders at the G7 meeting, according to a European diplomat briefed on the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The G7 includes the U.S., France, the U.K., Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan.

“We certainly gave him some reassurance on the Middle East,” the European diplomat said. “And President Trump, for his part, delivered for us on Ukraine.”

The G7 statement on geopolitical issues referred to a “breakthrough” in the Middle East and mentioned Trump by name three times, praising what it called his “strong leadership.”

Trump has had friction with Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over failing to consult them before the decision to go to war. He has pushed back on the four members of NATO for their lack of support for the U.S. in the conflict.

Macron, whose bumpy relations with Trump started with an awkwardly long handshake nearly a decade ago, prepared for the G7 summit for months via frequent phone calls focusing on both Iran and Ukraine.

Trump met on the sidelines of the summit with Zelenskyy, who showed Trump photos of the damage caused by Russian bombing of the Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv.

Americans and Europeans align views to support Ukraine

Macron has at times expressed caution about Trump’s shifting positions, particularly regarding Russia and President Vladimir Putin. But European officials argued that this week’s written commitments represented a more durable position because the language had been approved by Trump himself.

“America is with us on Ukraine. That is very important,” Macron said after Trump joined a three-way phone call with Zelenskyy from Versailles.

G7 leaders agreed in a joint statement to increase deliveries of air-defense systems and long-range weapons for Ukraine. They also pledged to increase pressure on Russia through stronger sanctions, including measures targeting the country’s oil and gas sectors.

Macron also used the summit to raise Lebanon’s future with Trump. France has longstanding historical ties to Lebanon and has sought to keep support for Lebanese sovereignty high on the international agenda. During discussions in Evian, Trump repeatedly expressed sympathy for Lebanon while criticizing Israel and describing tensions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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AP reporters Angela Charlton and Thomas Adamson in Paris contributed to the story

Romanch Mahajan, 18, died after he got off of the four-wheeled carriage as its horse sprinted through the park without the driver.

He is believed to be the first person to die in a horse carriage accident since they were introduced in Central Park more than 150 years ago, according to the labor union representing the industry and the Central Park Conservancy, which manages the 843-acre (341-hectare) park.

The conservancy was among those arguing Thursday that the carriage industry should be suspended until more protections can be put in place. Mahajan’s death was the eighth horse-related incident in the park over the past 13 months, the group said.

“The record is undeniable: crashes, runaways, horse deaths, injuries, and now a devastating loss of human life,” said Edita Birnkrant, head of the animal welfare group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets.

Animal rights activists have long claimed the carriage horses are overworked, can get easily spooked on city streets and live in inadequate stables while their drivers regularly flaunt city rules. All of those allegations have been denied by the horse and carriage owners, who say the animals are well cared for and the stables are fine.

The conservancy has argued that horses can no longer safely share park roads teeming with joggers, cyclists, pedestrians and motorized scooters, noting that other U.S. cities, including Chicago and San Antonio, have also recently done away with the nostalgic rides.

But carriage industry leaders said the fatal crash underscores the need for better protections, not outright elimination of the quaint attraction that harkens back to a romanticized, bygone New York.

“We’re absolutely gutted and stunned by this tragedy,” said Alexander Kemp, a vice president with the Transport Workers Union Local 100, the labor union representing carriage drivers and owners. “We have shuttered the stables and ceased operations today while we have extensive internal discussions of safety protocols and how they can be improved.”

Horse carriages weren’t running Thursday and it was not immediately clear when the rides, which cost about $72 for the first 20 minutes, would resume.

The owner of the carriage involved in the fatal crash also suspended the driver indefinitely, and has plans to retire the horse from the business, according to the union. It said the driver improperly dismounted to take a photograph of his passengers.

Celebrating a high school graduation turned tragic

Mahajan had been on a family trip celebrating his recent high school graduation when the family decided to take a ride on one of the park’s often photographed, richly decorated carriages.

His father, Deepak Mahajan, told The New York Times the family had arrived from India on Monday, the same day Romanch learned he had been accepted to a university in Jaipur.

They had spent the trip visiting many of the city’s popular tourist attractions, including the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge.

The carriage driver hopped off to take a photograph of the family near a fountain when the horse suddenly bolted, Mahajan said.

Romanch’s mother fell out of the carriage, and the teen jumped out in an attempt to save her, according to his father.

“He was screaming, ‘Mom!’” Deepak Mahajan recounted to the Times.

But Romanch hit his head on the ground before the carriage clipped another horse-drawn vehicle and eventually toppled over. The father, his wife and younger son escaped with minor injuries.

“This incident should be taken very seriously,” Mahajan said. “It took my son’s dream away.”

Carriage owners and drivers fear end to livelihood

New York City leaders vowed to work swiftly to end the industry in the wake of Romanch's death.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin said the legislative body would hold a hearing next month on a long-simmering bill that would ban horse carriages and help drivers transition into new jobs.

Last year, the park conservancy revived debate over the carriages when, for the first time, it threw its support behind what’s known as Ryder’s Law.

“The time to act is now,” she wrote on the social platform X.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani also reiterated his support for ending the industry, saying he’d work with the council, the industry and animal welfare advocates to “deliver a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all.”

Other recent mayors have made similar pronouncements. Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to shut down the industry “on Day One" in office, only to come up against years of council opposition. Mayor Eric Adams, Mamdani’s predecessor, came out against the industry near the end of his single term.

Onur Altintas, who owns four horses and a carriage operating in Central Park, was among those worried about an end to their livelihood. He said the industry provides hundreds of jobs to drivers, stable hands, farriers, and others in horse-related trades.

“We are sad about what happened. Nobody wants that. But it’s not like this is happening every day,” said Altintas. “Car crashes and plane crashes are happening every single day. One horse makes an accident, and the world is destroyed? Come on.”

The longtime owner and driver said the industry needs better regulations to make it safer. He said “90%” of horse-related accidents could be avoided simply by installing hitching posts throughout the park so drivers could safely tether and secure their horses, including at popular tourist photo stops.

The Transport Workers Union on Thursday said legislation recently introduced into the council would do just that.

“Drivers can’t leave their carriage. They have to be on it all the time,” Altintas said. “But it’s impossible. We have to go to the restroom. We have to eat. We have to do things.”

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Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire.

The league launched an investigation at the request of the NHL Players’ Association in light of the Edmonton Oilers’ interest in hiring Babcock. The league in a statement said even in the least favorable light, there was no basis to restrict Babcock’s employment.

It was not immediately clear if or when the Oilers would name Babcock coach. They have been looking for a replacement since firing Kris Knoblauch following a first-round playoff exit that came after back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final.

Babcock, 63, has not coached in the NHL since 2019, when he was fired by Toronto 23 games into his fifth season in charge. The Blue Jackets hired him on July 1, 2023, and Babcock resigned in September after his requests for personal photos from players in an attempt to get to know them drew criticism as an invasion of privacy.

A statement from the NHLPA called the allegations very concerning and said, "Moving forward, we expect that Mr. Babcock will uphold the high standards required of NHL head coaches.”

The NHL dropped its planned investigation at the time because Babcock stepped down. It got underway this week after the final ended

Babcock coached Detroit to the Stanley Cup in 2008 and has made two other trips to the final, along with guiding Canada to Olympic gold medals in 2010 and ’14.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

The document, which has not yet been made public, will be submitted Thursday to Cuba’s National Assembly. It envisions expanding opportunities for private enterprise, greater autonomy for municipalities and state-owned companies and measures to attract additional foreign investment, including from Cubans abroad.

In recent days, residents in several Havana neighborhoods staged protests, banging pots and pans as power outages spread across the island.

“Cuba resists heroically and creatively, but has endured for too long a barbaric, undeserved and unbearable punishment, to which is now added the threat of military aggression,” President Miguel Díaz-Canel said late Wednesday in the closing speech of the Communist Party session. The speech was published Thursday.

The announcement comes after months of increasing pressure from the U.S. and high-level talks between the two countries that have included Raúl Castro’s grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro. The U.S. has levied numerous sanctions against Cuba and has indicted Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of two civilian planes operated by Miami exiles.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said at a White House press briefing that the administration is watching the island's actions to determine how to respond.

“We’re going to see what they do. And obviously, if they do one thing, we’re going to do something,” Vance said. "If they make smart decisions, we’re going to have a much better relationship with that island.”

Pressure from the European Union also ratcheted up Thursday, with lawmakers passing a resolution condemning “the systematic repression” by the Cuban government and demanding “profound economic and political change.” The resolution also called for EU sanctions targeting Díaz-Canel and the leadership of Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA), a business conglomerate operated by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces. Both have already been sanctioned by the U.S.

Díaz-Canel said the emergency plan and the policy document prepared by the Communist Party’s Central Committee were shaped by the experiences of China and Vietnam, two communist countries that have introduced market-oriented economic reforms while maintaining one-party rule.

The document will be submitted to the National Assembly for debate during a special session that, like the recent party meeting, was convened without prior public notice.

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Seung Min Kim in Washington and Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed to this story.

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

Although the official certification of the primary race is continuing, McDuffie said in a statement that “it is clear that the voters have chosen a different path.” The former member of the D.C. council said he had contacted Lewis George and congratulated her. He thanked his supporters and urged them to continue working for the city.

"The campaign may be over, but the work of building a safer, more affordable, more prosperous city continues.”

The Associated Press has not declared a winner in the race. Lewis George had a little less than 53% of the vote Thursday morning, which is just a few percentage points above the 50% threshold to avoid ranked choice voting.

The city is scheduled to release preliminary ranked choice voting results on Sunday. AP will call the race before then if it is clear that the ranked choice process will be avoided.

Lewis George has pledged to aggressively stand up to federal intervention into Washington, D.C.’s, affairs, setting up a potential showdown with President Donald Trump over his administration's moves to challenge the city’s limited autonomy.

If the results stand, Lewis George is likely to win November’s general election in the heavily Democratic city. The winner in the general election will replace Muriel Bowser, who decided not to run again after three terms.

Lewis George would join Robert White Jr., who won the Democratic primary for the district’s delegate to Congress, as the top local officials who likely will contend with the federal government’s intentions for the city. They each campaigned on a promise to take a harder line than their predecessors against the Trump administration’s moves on the district, including its deployment of the National Guard on an ongoing, open-ended mission meant to fight crime.

“As mayor, I will work with anyone who makes D.C. safer,” Lewis George told a crowd of cheering supporters Tuesday night, “but I will also stand up to Trump.”

Washington has limited autonomy and federal leaders retain significant control over local affairs, including approval of the budget and laws passed by the D.C. Council.

Trump further encroached on that autonomy last year when he briefly federalized the city’s police force and deployed an ongoing law enforcement surge that included the National Guard. His efforts to downsize the federal government also roiled the capital region, costing thousands of people their jobs. And he has been reshaping the city by renovating storied landmarks and putting his name or image on buildings.

Lewis George, a self-described democratic socialist and a member of the D.C. Council, has already come under fire from Trump, who last week threatened to place the city under federal control if she won.

“Maybe we’d take back Washington, run it on the federal basis,” he said.

Lewis George, 38, and a third generation Washingtonian, has vowed to overrule an executive order by the city’s police chief permitting local law enforcement to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Lewis George argued the order “hurt the trust of our community.”

She also pledged to use any levers available to her through the city’s home rule compact to resist what she called authoritarian infringements on the district’s local governance.

“We have legal tools we can use to fight back,” she told the AP in an interview before the vote. “And we know that when we have gone to court, we’ve won.”

Bowser found herself walking a fine line between staying in Trump’s good graces and responding to the concerns of constituents, many of whom said she didn’t push back hard enough on Trump’s actions. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the 18-term, 89-year-old delegate to Congress, meanwhile, faced mounting concern from critics who said she wasn’t forcefully pushing back on the Trump administration’s moves against the city.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A military judge at Fort Stewart handed down his verdict in the court-martial of Sgt. Quornelius Radford, local news outlets reported. Army prosecutors accused Radford of targeting leaders of his supply unit when he opened fire with a personal handgun last August.

Radford, 29, wounded four fellow soldiers and his then-fiancé, Raekwon Smith, who testified during the two-day trial that he had followed Radford onto Fort Stewart fearing the soldier was suicidal. Smith said Radford shot him in the torso before entering his unit's office building and shooting others.

Radford admitted to carrying out the shootings in March when he pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault and domestic violence. But he insisted he never intended to kill anyone, and Army prosecutors pressed ahead with trying Radford on charges of attempted murder.

Trial witnesses described how Radford walked to two offices and a conference room as he shot four soldiers, but he told others he encountered to leave, WSAV-TV reported. He was apprehended by military police after being restrained and disarmed by fellow soldiers.

A radiologist who examined X-rays of the soldiers' injuries testified one was shot in the face and another in the chest, while bullets stuck other victims in the back and abdomen. Dr. Morgan Williamson said any of those wounds could have been fatal, WTOC-TV reported.

Prosecutors argued that Radford knew from his military firearms training never to shoot at anyone unless he meant to kill them.

Defense attorneys said Radford was suicidal and opened fire to provoke a showdown with police, hoping they would kill him.

“Radford only wanted one person to die that day, himself,” said Lt. Col. Dylan Mack, one of Radford's Army lawyers.

Radford opted for his trial to be decided by a military judge rather than a jury of soldiers. The judge scheduled a sentencing hearing for Monday. Under military law, attempted murder carries a potential penalty of life imprisonment.

The largest Army post east of the Mississippi River, Fort Stewart is home to thousands of soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division. It is located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Savannah.

Radford served as a supply sergeant in the division’s 2nd Armored Brigade. Army records show he enlisted in 2018.

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Authorities said it happened just after 11:45 p.m. near Ninth Street. An arrest report from the Miami Beach Police Department states that a worker at Mango’s nightclub reported that a man, later identified as Juan Luis Rivera Jr., was exhibiting the threatening behaviors.

Police said they were able to track down two victims, who said Rivera approached them, lifted his jacket to show a pocketknife in his waistband and was “mumbling incoherently.”

According to the report, Rivera then followed the victims and was eventually “flanking” them, asking them, “Why y’all walking so fast?” while holding the knife in his hand.

Authorities said after noticing police officers in the area, Rivera took off. They said two witnesses later flagged down two police officers and pointed out Rivera, who was walking nearby.

Police said they detained him and found the folding knife. The report states that Rivera told the officers, “I didn’t do anything. I was just trying to get girls’ numbers.”

Police arrested Rivera, who has an address in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood, on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon just after midnight on Wednesday.

As of Thursday morning, he was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $5,000 bond.

Las autoridades indicaron que ocurrió poco después de las 11:45 p.m. cerca de Ninth Street. Un informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Miami Beach señala que un empleado del club nocturno Mango’s reportó que un hombre, posteriormente identificado como Juan Luis Rivera Jr., estaba mostrando un comportamiento amenazante.

La policía indicó que logró localizar a dos víctimas, quienes dijeron que Rivera se les acercó, levantó su chaqueta para mostrar una navaja plegable que llevaba en la cintura y estaba “murmurando de manera incoherente”.

Según el informe, Rivera luego siguió a las víctimas y finalmente comenzó a caminar a su lado, preguntándoles: “¿Por qué caminan tan rápido?”, mientras sostenía el cuchillo en la mano.

Las autoridades señalaron que, al notar la presencia de agentes de policía en el área, Rivera huyó. Posteriormente, dos testigos alertaron a dos oficiales y señalaron a Rivera, quien caminaba cerca del lugar.

La policía indicó que lo detuvo y encontró la navaja plegable. El informe establece que Rivera les dijo a los agentes: “No hice nada. Solo intentaba conseguir números de teléfono de mujeres”.

La policía arrestó a Rivera, quien tiene una dirección registrada en el vecindario Overtown de Miami, por un cargo de agresión agravada con un arma mortal poco después de la medianoche del miércoles.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza de $5,000 USD.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.47% from 6.52% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the average rate was 6.81%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often sought by borrowers refinancing a home loan, also came down this week. That average rate fell to 5.81% from 5.84% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.96%, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

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

A number of Fed policymakers said they are actually willing to consider at least one interest rate hike this year.

Rates have been mostly trending higher since the conflict between the U.S. and Iran began in late February, disrupting the flow of crude oil from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide. That’s sent oil prices sharply higher, helping drive up inflation, bond yields and mortgage rates.

However, earlier this week, the U.S. and Iran came to a tentative agreement to end the war and allow Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and sell its oil freely.

That sent the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note down from 4.53% last week to 4.44% Thursday. It was just 3.97% in late February, before the war broke out.

As recently as late February, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage had slipped just under 6% for the first time since late 2022. It’s hasn’t fallen below that threshold since. Two weeks ago, it climbed to 6.53%, its highest level since Aug. 28.

While average long-term mortgage rates remain lower than they were at this time last year, their mostly upward trajectory and uncertainty over how much higher they may go has kept many would-be homebuyers on the sideline.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes declined in the first three months of the year compared to a year earlier, extending a nationwide housing slump that dates back to 2022 when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales were essentially flat in April, but accelerated in May to their fastest pace since December.

Still, sales of existing U.S. homes continue to hovering close to a 4-million annual pace, far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2-million.

Though mortgage applications fell according to the most recent Mortgage Bankers Association survey, they jumped 10.8% the week before.

Pending home sales also rose last month, an encouraging sign for the housing market heading into the second half of the year after a lackluster spring homebuying season.

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

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

The forum took place in Congressional District 20, where roughly half of the constituents are Black. The seat was formerly held by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat, who is seeking the seat after resigning under the cloud of an ethics investigation and criminal indictment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A spokesperson for WDFL-TV, which organized and produced the forum in partnership with the Urban League of Broward County, disputed Campbell’s claims to Local 10 News and provided a copy of an email from a man named Kevin Harris, who said he was “helping to support the Luther Campbell for Congress campaign” and confirmed that Campbell would be participating in the forum.

The email was dated April 28.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democrat, said Wednesday night that petitioners have collected more than the roughly 875,000 signatures needed to place the proposed tax before voters. It will qualify June 25 unless proponents pull the measure.

The proposal, backed by the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Workers West, would impose a one-time, 5% tax on individuals whose net worth exceeds $1 billion and who were living in the state as of Jan. 1, 2026. The goal is to generate $100 billion in revenue, mainly to fund the state’s Medicaid system with some money going to food assistance and education programs.

The union didn't respond Thursday to a request for comment on the announcement that the proposal has secured enough support to qualify for the ballot.

States have been debating how to respond to the major tax breaks and spending cuts legislation President Donald Trump signed last year. The proposal has already divided Democrats and major labor unions and triggered an expensive campaign to defeat it. The proposed tax is backed by prominent progressives including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The measure has faced staunch pushback from Silicon Valley tech moguls as well as Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and prominent players in Sacramento. They include the California Medical Association and California School Boards Association, which helped launch a committee this week to oppose it. Newsom also opposed a ballot measure in 2022 to increase taxes on the wealthy, which would have funded programs that help people buy electric cars or install more chargers. Voters rejected it.

Critics say the measure would decrease state revenue over time by pushing the ultrawealthy to leave, taking the money they would contribute in income taxes with them. That would deal a huge blow to a state that relies on its top 1% of earners for nearly half of its personal income tax revenue.

“This flawed measure is the wrong approach for California’s small businesses and working families,” said Roger Salazar, a spokesperson for Golden State Promise, a political committee fighting the tax.

The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that the proposal would generate tens of billions of dollars in the first few years, but that income tax revenues could subsequently decline by hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Since the proposal was announced in October, Google co-founder Sergey Brin has donated $82 million to a political committee called “Building a Better California” that backs a variety of initiatives designed to blunt the billionaire tax proposal. It has raised more than $118 million, counting Brin’s contributions, from fewer than a dozen donors.

State lawmakers passed budget bills this week that aim to raise revenue in other ways, including by extending a tax on healthcare providers. Newsom and legislative leaders agree to this approach, Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón said.

“The budget, as approved by the Legislature and now being negotiated with the Governor, does not include the billionaire’s tax,” the Democrat said in a statement. “Instead, it reflects additional revenues to address our long-term structural deficit.”

In a media briefing, Richard Meade, editor in chief of Lloyd’s List, said for the first time in 110 days, ships owned by major companies were crossing the strait after effectively being marooned there since February.

The strait is a critical passageway for the world’s oil and natural gas. Before the war, the waterway off Iran's coast carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil. Its closure during the war has created a historic energy crisis.

Lloyd’s List did not say how many ships were transiting through or had passed through the strait as of Thursday. It said tankers controlled by major ship owners Grimaldi Group, Cosco, Knutsen and NYK had passed through the strait. Two Iran-flagged, National Iranian Tanker Company-owned, sanctioned crude oil tankers entered the strait, according to Lloyd’s List.

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the U.S. Navy lifted its blockade of the strait to allow some ships through Iranian ports.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on X that an Italian merchant ship owned by the Grimaldi Group was among the first vessels to transit the strait after the agreement’s signing.

Maritime data and tracking company Kpler said it observed six verified ship crossings on Wednesday and another 11 on Thursday.

Phillip Belcher, marine director of Intertanko, a trade group for global independent tanker owners, said the main central route of the Strait of Hormuz was still closed and has an estimated 80 mines that need to be cleared. But ships have been passing through the smaller northern route, which goes through Iranian waters, and the southern route, which goes through Omani waters.

“Those two routes now seem to be fully open,” Belcher said.

However, it will take weeks or months to fully reopen the strait, and the two alternative routes don't have as much capacity as the central passage in the Strait of Hormuz.

“This is like a highway where the road in the middle is closed and you’re using that hard shoulder,” Belcher said. “That’s now being used as the main route. We need to get back to having the highway open.”

Lloyd’s List estimated that 550 merchant ships will need to prepare to exit the Persian Gulf, including 160 tankers, 200 bulk carriers, 60 container ships and 10 vehicle carriers.

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According to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Jasper Frohock was found by deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies did not immediately confirm where in the Keys Frohock was located at.

Investigators said Frohock was reported missing on Monday after last being seen in the 1900 block of Crestview Drive in Fort Pierce.

“Throughout his journey, he was traveling several miles each day by bicycle and camping overnight in a tent, often staying at local parks,” an SLCSO news release states.

It’s unclear why Frohock’s loved ones were unable to get in contact with him.

El documento, que no ha sido difundido públicamente, será enviado el jueves a la Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular, el Parlamento cubano, y contempla mayor espacio para la iniciativa privada, incremento de la autonomía de los municipios y las empresas estatales y reglas beneficiosas para atraer inversión extranjera. La víspera se informó que el expresidente Raúl Castro aprobaba las medidas.

“La realidad nos impone cambios urgentes y necesarios. Y cuando la vida del pueblo se vuelve tan dura, el primer deber del Partido Comunista y del gobierno revolucionario no es explicar mejor la crisis, sino cambiar lo que haya que cambiar”, expresó el presidente Miguel Díaz-Canel en el discurso de cierre de la sesión del PCC en la noche del miércoles y que fue publicado el jueves.

Cuba se encuentra bajo un cerco energético y financiero de Estados Unidos que ha agravado la crisis que padece desde hace cinco años y ha tenido un fuerte impacto en la vida diaria, con apagones de hasta 20 horas por día y limitaciones en los servicios de salud, el transporte, la industria y la educación.

En las últimas jornadas se registraron manifestaciones barriales con golpes de cacerolas a medida que la luz se cortaba y la gente se desesperaba, constató The Associated Press.

Díaz-Canel dijo que para el plan de emergencia y el documento elaborado por el PCC se tuvieron en cuenta experiencias como las de China y Vietnam, países comunistas con economías de mercado.

El documento será entregado a los parlamentarios para su debate en una sesión especialmente convocada de manera tan sorpresiva como el llamado al plenario del PCC.

La semana pasada, y sin ofrecer plazos, Díaz-Canel había informado que las reformas contemplarían la ampliación de autorizaciones para la creación de empresas privadas —recién permitidas este lustro—, que se admitirá a cubanos residentes en la isla y el exterior como inversores en el sector del turismo y una mayor libertad a las empresas estatales que incluye su asociación con privados.

También anticipó modificaciones en el mercado cambiario y la posibilidad de que negocios privados puedan importar y exportar sin intermediación estatal –como se hace actualmente--.

El PCC, cuyo primer secretario es Díaz-Canel y el único con reconocimiento legal, no es un partido electoral –no se presenta a comicios--, sino que por la Constitución orienta a los otros poderes, incluido el Legislativo, sobre la dirección del país.

El presidente estadounidense Donald Trump y su secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, han dicho que buscan un cambio de gobierno y modelo económico en la isla. Cuba respondió que podría encarar aperturas económicas, pero que no discutirá su modelo político y social.

El jueves, periodistas preguntaron al vicepresidente JD Vance sobre la situación en Cuba.

“Fundamentalmente, en Cuba el sistema no ha funcionado", respondió Vance sin mencionar las sanciones impuestas por su propio gobierno y el impacto en la economía de la isla. "Veremos qué hacen. Y, obviamente, si hacen algo, nosotros haremos algo. Si toman decisiones acertadas, tendremos una relación mucho mejor con esa isla”, agregó.

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Siga a Andrea Rodríguez en X: https://x.com/ARodriguezAP

Según la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado St. Lucie, Jasper Frohock fue localizado por agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Monroe.

Los agentes no confirmaron de inmediato en qué lugar de los Cayos fue encontrado Frohock.

Los investigadores informaron que Frohock fue reportado como desaparecido el lunes después de haber sido visto por última vez en la cuadra 1900 de Crestview Drive, en Fort Pierce.

“A lo largo de su recorrido, viajaba varias millas cada día en bicicleta y pasaba la noche acampando en una tienda de campaña, con frecuencia hospedándose en parques locales”, indica un comunicado de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado St. Lucie.

No está claro por qué sus familiares y seres queridos no pudieron comunicarse con él.

With 894 confirmed cases so far, the current outbreak is three times worse than a previous outbreak in Uganda in 2000, which had 281 cases at the same point, said Dr. Wessam Mankoula, a medical epidemiologist at Africa CDC.

The latest number of cases is believed to be higher because the outbreak was confirmed on May 15, weeks after it was suspected to have begun. The number of cases has increased 38% since last week and is now in 32 health zones across eastern Congo, said Mankoula.

The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccines or treatments and was not tested for in the early days. The more common Zaire virus, for which there is a vaccine, was responsible for most of Congo’s past 16 outbreaks of the disease.

So far 74 patients have recovered from the disease across eastern Congo and Uganda. Experimental treatments like monoclonal antibodies are being developed for Bundibugyo.

The outbreak is concentrated in Congo’s eastern province of Ituri, which accounts for more than 90% of the cases. Cases have also been recorded in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and have spread across the border to Uganda, where 19 confirmed cases have been reported and two people have died.

Contact tracing remains an issue due to the area's remoteness and ongoing insecurity in Ituri province, Dr. Mankoula said.

“For those 800 confirmed cases, we should have between 17,000 to 35,000 contacts that should be in our contact list,” said Mankoula. Currently only around 4,000 contacts have been tracked and are being evaluated, less than 15%.

“We are still far from controlling the situation of this outbreak,” said Mankoula.

Nearly a million people have been displaced by years of conflict in Ituri, according to the U.N. humanitarian office, making contact tracing difficult as people flee attacks or move frequently in the vast province with dense forests, poor roads and remote villages that can take days to reach.

Tracing is also difficult among the thousands of miners who regularly move among remote sites in the mineral-rich region.

Of the over $900 million pledged to fight the outbreak, only $90 million has been released to help fight the outbreak, further complicating the ongoing crisis, according to Mankoula.

Africa CDC estimates it needs 540 personnel to fight the outbreak and so far they only have 84.

“We’re keeping our fingers crossed those new pledges will be fast tracked, and we’ll be following up with different member states and different partners about their commitment to turn those pledges into actual money released to their affected countries or partners,” said Mankoula.

But Vice President JD Vance suggested that he may postpone a trip to Switzerland that had been planned for Friday and included a ceremonial signing of the deal. And a Trump administration envoy told U.S. lawmakers in a private briefing that Iran will invite the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency to inspect its nuclear sites.

That all unfolded as Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei endorsed direct negotiations with the U.S. in a statement read by state media.

“It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy’s opinion,” he said.

It was Khamenei’s first reaction to the agreement, and it indicated a shift in Iran’s approach. Hard-liners, especially Khamenei’s father, the previous supreme leader, have long opposed direct talks, especially after the U.S. pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

The supreme leader has not been seen in public since he was wounded in a strike at the start of the war.

Trump envoy tells lawmakers Iran will invite UN inspectors to its nuclear sites

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told lawmakers that Iran will invite the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency to inspect its nuclear sites and begin work on identifying and uncovering the locations of Tehran’s enriched material, which is believed to be buried under rubble.

The private briefing was described by two people familiar with the conversation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to share the closed-door details.

The White House did not directly respond to questions about the invitation, but said the agreement requires Iran to “commit to renounce their nuclear ambitions in writing,” said White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales. The International Atomic Energy Agency did not respond to a request for comment.

Still, Witkoff told congressional leadership and members of national security-related committees that the agreement that the U.S. struck with Iran did not include any side deals, but a side letter was drafted between Tehran and the IAEA extending the invitation.

He also disclosed the existence of the letter and invitation in the briefing, according to the people.

Witkoff said the letter to IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi would enable him to bring U.S. nuclear inspectors to Tehran.

The agreement states that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium must at minimum be diluted under international supervision. It also says that Iran shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons — a commitment it has made previously.

Uncertain timeline could make it more difficult to promote deal

Vance's visit might have helped start talks on the next, potentially even more critical, round of negotiations between the two sides.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also postponed a planned visit to Switzerland, where Islamabad officials were to host the ceremony, because the agreement had already been signed, said two senior officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The uncertain timeline could raise new questions and make it even more difficult for the Trump administration to promote a deal that many in the U.S. — including some congressional Republicans — have criticized as too favorable to Tehran.

“Our plan is to go to Switzerland. I don’t know exactly when,” Vance said during a briefing with reporters at the White House when asked about not flying, as planned, to the signing ceremony.

That injected new doubt into an agreement that President Donald Trump said he signed to avoid “economic catastrophe” in the U.S.

Vance's announcement came a day after Trump signed the pact with Iran while dining with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles. The deal is slated to take immediate effect and extends a ceasefire while giving each side 60 days to hammer out broader agreements on larger issues.

Trump said the deal would avoid continued stress on the U.S. economy after the war caused oil prices to skyrocket, made financial markets skittish and fueled inflation. He repeatedly said he did not want to be compared to Herbert Hoover, whose policies helped exacerbate the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Vance defends U.S.-Iran deal

The vice president, who was initially personally skeptical of the U.S. going to war with Iran, has increasingly become the administration’s face of the conflict and has been outspoken in defending the deal. Asked about concerns it concedes too much, the vice president said repeatedly that the accord would force Iran to “change their behavior.”

Vance shrugged off accusations that its rollout has been piecemeal and sometimes contradictory, saying, “I don’t think our public messaging has been chaotic."

He also offered a surprisingly blunt warning to Israel, which has pushed the U.S. to take a harder stance against Iran and launched attacks on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon throughout the war, including just before the deal extending the ceasefire was reached. Those attacks complicated the peace efforts with Iran.

Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time," Vance said. “And he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower.”

The vice president said more than 12.5 million barrels went through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night. That could further soothe oil prices that spiked during the war but have been falling since the U.S. and Iran announced a tentative deal to end the conflict.

He said the U.S. easing its blockade of Iran means "honoring our end of the early part of the agreement on the military side."

U.S. Central Command said American warships “will remain in the general area to make sure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect.”

Shipping starts to pick up

At least two oil tankers left Iran and crossed the U.S. military blockade without being stopped. A merchant shipping tracking website said the ships were carrying a combined total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil.

Iranian state media said shipping had “normalized” at Iran’s southern ports but added that the strait remains supervised and under the control of the Iranian military, and transiting through the vital waterway still requires coordination.

Major shipowners began moving vessels through the strait after the agreement was signed, according to maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence, though Lloyd's did not give data on how many ships have passed through the strait as of Thursday.

In a media briefing, Richard Meade, editor-in-chief of Lloyd’s List, said for the first time in 110 days, ships owned by major companies are transiting the strait after effectively being marooned there since February.

Tankers controlled by major ship owners Grimaldi Group, Cosco, Knutsen and NYK have passed through the strait. And two Iranian-flagged, sanctioned crude oil tankers owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company have entered the strait, according to Lloyd’s List.

Phillip Belcher, marine director of Intertanko, a trade group for global independent tanker owners, said the main central route of the strait is still closed and has an estimated 80 mines that need to be cleared.

But ships have been passing through the smaller northern route, which goes through Iranian waters, and the southern route, which goes through Omani waters.

Lloyd’s List estimated that 550 merchant ships will need to exit the Persian Gulf. It could take weeks or months to fully reopen the strait, and the two alternative routes do not have as much capacity as the strait's central passage.

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Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad; Aamer Madhani in Zurich; Collin Binkley in Washington; Mae Anderson in New York; and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright had urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to act in an effort to help the United States better compete with China for superiority in the fast-growing AI sector.

Tech companies and data center developers welcomed the chance to connect faster to the country’s power supply for the biggest energy users ever built in the United States, including some that consume more electricity than a small city.

Utilities, states and regional grid operators had worried that the Republican administration’s plan would remove their authority to manage the process, but FERC said the order leaves states in control of retail electric rates, terms and conditions. Clean energy advocates have urged regulators not to undermine state-level efforts to require the use of renewable energies.

The commission’s actions come as a backlash grows against data centers over concerns about the massive amounts of energy and water they use and fears about noise and air pollution, water shortages and a loss of open space or farmland.

Unanimous vote and affordability

FERC members voted unanimously to direct six regional grid operators to ensure that AI data centers and other large power users are “able to connect to the transmission system in a timely and orderly manner.”

Laura Swett, an appointee of President Donald Trump who chairs the commission, called the vote “historic” and said it would push the country’s electricity market into the future while respecting states’ rights, protecting reliable electric service and shielding ratepayers from shouldering the costs of connecting big power users to the grid.

“I know that Americans across the country are concerned about affordability, and so are we,” Swett said, referring to the five-member commission. As chair, “I am taking extremely seriously the mission that Congress has entrusted us to ensure that rates are reasonable,” she said.

The vote comes eight months after Wright asked the independent agency to take more control over ensuring that the vast network of massive computing warehouses needed to power AI are connected quickly to high-voltage transmission lines.

Wright hailed the commission's action, saying it would "remove barriers, accelerate development and ensure America has the affordable, reliable and secure energy needed to power a new era of prosperity."

Data centers would pay the full cost of any grid upgrades needed for their connection, under the commission order. But that order can do little to address the tightening energy supplies that are driving up electricity bills in some areas and raising warnings of blackouts as the construction of data centers outpaces the speed of new power plants coming online to serve them.

Robert Montejo, a lawyer who represents data centers, said the most important message from FERC’s action is that AI “has fundamentally changed the electricity landscape. The grid and prior policy were not built for the pace and scale of demand we’re seeing from AI infrastructure, and FERC is signaling that standing still is no longer an option.”

The six regional grid operators under the order serve 200 million Americans, or two-thirds of FERC’s jurisdiction. FERC, meanwhile, invited utilities that handle their regional transmission systems to also participate and analysts said the agency could eventually pressure them, too.

A search for power

Tech giants are scrambling to find enough power for their data centers and report that, in some places, it will take years to connect to the electric grid.

The Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned electric utilities, said FERC’s order builds on regional and state processes already underway while “supporting flexibility and innovation.”

Besides power bottlenecks, the tech industry is running into widespread opposition from communities where residents don’t want to live next to or near a data center.

More than 4,000 data centers now operate in the U.S., according to one estimate, with an additional 3,000 planned or under construction.

Trump has tried to deflect public concerns about AI, seeing the fast-evolving technology as crucial for the U.S. to attract foreign investment and maintain its economic and military prowess. He signed an executive order this month establishing a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release.

In December, FERC took an earlier step to help data center operators get electricity quickly, voting to allow tech companies to effectively plug a data center directly into a power plant and Thursday’s order sought to ensure that option is accessible around the country.

Power demands from data centers

FERC told grid operators to respond within 30 days on how they will ensure there is adequate power supplies for new and future data centers, and within 60 days on plans to integrate large power users in line with the new guidelines. Swett told reporters after the meeting that she hoped faster connection processes are in effect in “as little time as possible.” She didn't set an exact timeline.

Jeff Dennis, executive director of the Electricity Customer Alliance, said FERC’s order is responsive in particular to big power users and state regulators.

Tech giants are confronting unclear rules to connect data centers to high-voltage transmission systems, while states need more clarity on who should bear the cost of regional transmission projects approved at the federal level, he said.

Rob Gramlich, a Washington-based energy consultant, said states should quickly develop rules to accommodate large power users and prevent cost shifts to residential and business customers. FERC could assert broader jurisdiction over interconnection issues if states don’t act quickly, he said.

Data from the Electric Power Research Institute shows that data centers now account for about 5% of U.S. electricity demand, but could triple by 2035.

Tech companies have continued to raise their spending on building and equipping data centers, but there is evidence that construction is lagging and projects are hitting roadblocks, including permitting delays, growing local opposition or bottlenecks around gas turbines, transformers and skilled labor.

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Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pa.

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Records show Jennifer Armenti, 36, was arrested Wednesday by Miramar police while her boyfriend, Brett Anthony Bellera, 25, was charged in the case earlier this month as he was already being held in the Joseph V. Conte facility on other charges.

Both are now charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.

According to their arrest affidavits, a friend of the couple notified Broward County Animal Care on Dec. 15, 2024, that the couple’s cat named Reaper had been found dead.

Police said Armenti claimed that she woke up and found Reaper dead on the bathroom floor.

When Animal Care employees showed up, they said they found Reaper’s body on the back patio inside a plastic laundry basket and a large amount of blood pooling on the bottom of the basket.

Bellera claimed the cat may have ingested cleaning products, his arrest affidavit stated.

According to the affidavits, the cat’s body was sent to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals where a forensic necropsy was performed and revealed that Reaper had died from “involuntary heat exposure” through either microwave radiation, being submerged in hot water or exposure to hot water vapor.

Police said the analysis by a veterinarian indicated that the cat did not die immediately, but suffered severe pain and suffering prior to his death.

Los registros muestran que Jennifer Armenti, de 36 años, fue arrestada el miércoles por la policía de Miramar, mientras que su novio, Brett Anthony Bellera, de 25 años, fue acusado en el caso a principios de este mes, ya que se encontraba detenido en el centro Joseph V. Conte por otros cargos.

Ambos enfrentan ahora cargos de crueldad agravada contra animales.

Según las declaraciones juradas de arresto, un amigo de la pareja notificó a Broward County Animal Care el 15 de diciembre de 2024 que el gato de la pareja, llamado Reaper, había sido encontrado muerto.

La policía indicó que Armenti afirmó que despertó y encontró a Reaper muerto en el piso del baño.

Cuando empleados de Animal Care llegaron al lugar, encontraron el cuerpo de Reaper en el patio trasero dentro de una cesta plástica para ropa y una gran cantidad de sangre acumulada en el fondo de la cesta.

Bellera afirmó que el gato podría haber ingerido productos de limpieza, según su declaración jurada de arresto.

De acuerdo con los documentos, el cuerpo del gato fue enviado a la Sociedad Estadounidense para la Prevención de la Crueldad contra los Animales (ASPCA), donde se realizó una necropsia forense que reveló que Reaper murió por “exposición involuntaria al calor”, ya fuera por radiación de microondas, inmersión en agua caliente o exposición al vapor de agua caliente.

La policía indicó que el análisis realizado por un veterinario determinó que el gato no murió de inmediato, sino que sufrió dolor intenso y severo sufrimiento antes de morir.

El Medio Oeste, mientras tanto, también lidiaba con daños después de una intensa hilera de tormentas que atravesó partes de Illinois, Indiana y el norte de Kentucky el miércoles, con posibles tornados y dejando a decenas de viviendas sin electricidad.

Arthur, la primera tormenta tropical de la temporada del Atlántico, fue degradada a un área de baja presión a lo largo de la costa alta de Texas la noche del miércoles. Seguirá debilitándose a medida que avance tierra adentro hacia partes de Luisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia y el Panhandle de Florida, aunque continuará dejando fuertes lluvias, según el Centro Nacional de Huracanes en Miami.

El Servicio Meteorológico Nacional informó que la lluvia caía en el sur de Luisiana y Mississippi a un ritmo de 8 centímetros (3 pulgadas) por hora en algunos lugares el jueves. Reportes de televisión y publicaciones en redes sociales mostraron calles inundadas en muchas zonas. Se emitieron varias alertas de tornado la mañana del jueves para el sur de Luisiana y Mississippi. Decenas de miles de viviendas y negocios se quedaron sin electricidad.

Los remanentes de Arthur están previstos a dejar entre 10 a 20 centímetros (4 y 8 pulgadas) o más de lluvia en los estados del Golfo durante el transcurso del jueves y el viernes, indicó el servicio meteorológico. Partes de Texas registraron inundaciones repentinas el miércoles. La región también fue golpeada por fuertes lluvias a inicios de la semana.

“La principal amenaza de Arthur va a ser un episodio prolongado, de varios días, de lluvias intensas que podría producir inundaciones repentinas peligrosas, potencialmente mortales”, declaró Michael Brennan, director del Centro Nacional de Huracanes.

La tormenta el jueves dejó un rastro de árboles derribados, carreteras inundadas y daños en edificios, así como varios avistamientos de tornados, concentrados principalmente en el sureste de Luisiana.

La alcaldesa de Nueva Orleans, Helena Moreno, publicó un video en Facebook describiendo los daños relativamente menores en su comunidad y los esfuerzos de la ciudad para limpiar. Antes de la tormenta, señaló que la policía estaba preparando botes e instalando barricadas en zonas conocidas por inundarse. También surgieron puntos de acopio en toda Luisiana para que los residentes llenaran sacos de arena.

En el Medio Oeste, hubo numerosos reportes de daños por tornados y vientos fuertes, pero no se registraron de inmediato muertes ni lesiones que pusieran en peligro la vida. Más de 130.000 viviendas y negocios estaban sin electricidad en Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio y Virginia Occidental, según poweroutage.us.

Un tornado fue reportado cerca de Effingham, Illinois, a unos 145 kilómetros (90 millas) al sureste de Springfield, poco después de la noche del miércoles. Varias personas sufrieron lesiones leves, informaron las autoridades.

“Un tornado causó daños significativos en áreas al norte de la ciudad de Effingham, afectando viviendas, carreteras, servicios públicos y otras propiedades en distintas partes del condado de Effingham”, señaló en un comunicado el jefe de bomberos de Effingham, Brant Yochum.

Yochum explicó que los bomberos respondieron a viviendas dañadas, estructuras colapsadas, choques de vehículos, líneas eléctricas caídas, fugas de gas y caminos bloqueados.

Un museo del automóvil y un complejo de autopartes en Effingham informó en Facebook que sufrió daños “catastróficos”, pero que nadie resultó herido.

A unos 110 kilómetros (70 millas) al norte de Effingham, en Blue Mound, Marla Washburn y su esposo, Todd, se refugiaron en su sótano mientras un presunto tornado atravesaba su vecindario. Podían oír escombros golpeando su casa, que sufrió daños en el techo, las ventanas y el marco de la puerta principal, mientras partes de los árboles de su patio fueron arrancadas.

“Toda la casa tembló”, dijo a The Associated Press en una entrevista telefónica. “El techo de la escuela al otro lado de la calle se voló y se estrelló contra nuestra casa. Y ahora está esparcido por todo mi patio trasero”.

Dijo que la escena en el vecindario era como el Armagedón.

“No sabes si reír o llorar, pero estamos bien”, expresó. “Hay cosas por todas partes. Y lo miras y dices: ‘Ni siquiera sé por dónde empezar a limpiar’”.

También al norte de Effingham, el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional reportó que un tráiler se volcó por los fuertes vientos en la Interestatal 57 al norte de Effingham, lo que lesionó al conductor.

También se reportaron daños por vientos fuertes y un posible tornado en Florence, Kentucky, cerca de Cincinnati, y videos y fotos de medios locales mostraron techos y revestimientos arrancados de edificios, así como árboles y líneas eléctricas derribados.

El servicio meteorológico indicó que recibió numerosos reportes de daños por viento en una amplia franja, desde Iowa y Missouri hasta Ohio y Virginia Occidental.

El servicio meteorológico vaticina que las fuertes tormentas avanzarán por los Apalaches centrales hacia Nueva Inglaterra el jueves, indicó el servicio meteorológico.

__________________________________

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

Pino, de 55 años, está acusado de homicidio involuntario y homicidio de embarcación.

Los fiscales acusan a Pino, entonces de 52 años, de ser imprudente cuando perdió el control de una embarcación Robalo de 29 pies en las primeras horas de la noche del 4 de septiembre de 2022 y la estrelló contra un marcador de canal cerca de Boca Chita Key, matando a Lucy Fernandez, de 17 años. Otras dos jóvenes resultaron gravemente heridas, incluida Katerina Puig, de 17 años, quien quedó permanentemente discapacitada.

La esposa de Pino, Cecilia Pino, dijo a los jurados el martes sobre los momentos caóticos después del choque y señaló que después ella “solo pensaba en las chicas”.

Claudia Portocarrero, quien estaba en la embarcación celebrando el cumpleaños 18 de la hija de los Pino, dijo que ella y sus amigas estaban cantando y levantando las manos antes del choque.

La defensa afirma que algo pudo haber obstruido la vista de George Pino del marcador de canal, pero el estado sostiene que ninguna de las jóvenes estaba de pie ni levantando las manos de una manera que hubiera obstruido la vista de Pino.

“Solo recuerdo abrir los ojos después del impacto y ver como mucho blanco”, dijo Portocarrero. “Y lo primero que vi cuando abrí los ojos fue a George, y pensé que estaba muerto. Solo vi mucha sangre brotando y luego mis amigas me decían que tenía que salir de la embarcación, , para cuando iba a bajarme de la embarcación estaba como casi volteada, inclinada, así que en lugar de saltar desde la embarcación, prácticamente como que entré al agua porque estaba muy inclinada”.

Portocarrero dijo que ayudó a una de sus amigas a mantener a Puig a flote en el agua antes de que llegara una embarcación de rescate.

Tanto ella como otro pasajero que testificó el martes dijeron que, aunque cada uno había tomado un par de bebidas alcohólicas, no vieron a Pino bebiendo y señalaron que la velocidad de la embarcación no se sentía excesiva en el momento del choque.

Un testigo que estaba en otra embarcación dijo al jurado que su amigo le gritó a Pino que revisara debajo de la embarcación y Pino “inmediatamente” se metió debajo y luego sacó a Fernandez antes de entregársela al testigo que se había lanzado al agua.

El testigo dijo que luego ayudó a colocarla en otra embarcación que llegó.

El equipo de defensa de Pino afirma que el choque fue un horrible accidente y no el resultado de negligencia.

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Manuel De Jesus Chaveco Delgado, 42, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center early Wednesday morning. An arrest report indicates that the Hialeah Gardens Police Department filed charges later that afternoon.

The Hialeah Gardens allegations stem from a period when the girl was between 11 to 13 years old, according to the report. The Hialeah allegations cover a period when she was 13 to 15.

Like in the Hialeah case, the girl, whom Chaveco Delgado knows, told investigators of occasions where he inappropriately touched her, according to the HGPD report.

In the Hialeah case, he’s also accused of showing her “a photo of a penis” on his phone at one point.

On top of four charges in the Hialeah case, Chaveco Delgado now faces an additional two felony child molestation charges.

But even more may be coming, the report indicates. Detectives wrote, “The victim stated that more incidents happened in other jurisdictions and that they were going to file police reports with the other agencies.”

Local 10 News contacted HCSO seeking comment on Wednesday. It’s not clear when he began working for the agency.

The agency put out a brief news release on Wednesday acknowledging Chaveco Delgado’s employment, arrest and charges but providing no additional details about his employment or status with HCSO.

As of Thursday, Chaveco Delgado remained at TGK with a bond listed in jail records as “to be set.”