According to investigators, Tenezia Sims was last seen around 1 a.m. on May 7, near the intersection of Sample Road and Northwest 27th Avenue.

Authorities said she was last seen wearing a pink tank top, black skirt with a flower design and blue slides. She is about 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs around 110 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes.

They said Sims experiences mental illness.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact BSO Detective Leonard Charla at 954-321-4274 or the BSO non-emergency number at 954-764-4357.

According to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials, the victim, who is in his 70s, was working in a tree in the 700 block of Northeast 15^th Court when the incident occurred.

First responders transported the victim to Broward Health Medical Center as a trauma alert. His exact condition has not yet been released.

The kingdom's public investment fund (PIF) announced this month that it was pulling the plug on future funding for LIV Golf, raising questions about its long-term plans for other sports after its enormous spending in recent years.

But in announcing the partnership, it said sport was a “priority sector.”

The value of the deal, which covers North America and Asia, was not disclosed, but it further strengthens ties between Saudi Arabia and world soccer's governing body.

The oil-rich kingdom has won the rights to host the 2034 edition of the World Cup and PIF was a commercial partner for last year's Club World Cup.

The PIF-owned SURJ Sports Investment also owns a stake online streamer DAZN, which broadcast the Club World Cup.

According to FIFA accounts, television broadcasting rights had contributed “the lion’s share” of its annual revenue in 2025, worth more than $1 billion.

Soccer has been a major focus for Saudi Arabia as it looks to move away from its heavy reliance on oil and look to other revenue-generating sectors.

That has included enticing some of the sport's biggest stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema to its domestic league and buying Premier League club Newcastle. Winning the right to host the World Cup is its standout achievement so far.

Investment in other sports includes hosting a number of world championship boxing matches, Formula One racing and tennis.

The launch of the contentious LIV Golf tour in 2022 was a major disruptor for the sport, luring top players like Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson away from the PGA. LIV Golf's spending is expected to exceed $6 billion by the end of the year.

While there has been a slowdown of top soccer players heading to the Saudi league after its earlier aggressive recruitment drive, PIF said the sport was “crucial role in the ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia.”

“PIF continues to expand its global footprint in sport, with football at the heart of this growth," head of corporate brand Mohamed AlSayyad said.

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

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

Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, of Taveres, Fla., and 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., of Richmond, Va., fell off a cliff during an off-duty hike on May 2, and their deaths remained under investigation on Thursday.

Collington served as an air and missile defense crewmember and was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.

“The loss of Spc. Collington is a profound loss for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command,” Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said in a statement.

Collington and Key, 27, vanished near the Cap Draa Training Area during the African Lion 26, a military exercise led by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa. Key’s remains were recovered along the shoreline on May 9, according to DOD.

U.S. Air Force pararescuemen with the 406th Air Expeditionary Wing, Moroccan military mountaineers, and Moroccan Civil Protection found and recovered Collington’s remains on May 12, according to DOD.

Collington entered the Army’s delayed entry program in 2023 and started active-duty service in 2024. She completed basic combat training and advanced individual training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as a 14P air and missile defense crewmember.

Collington reported to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, in Ansbach, Germany, in February 2025.

“Spc. Collington was an outstanding Soldier whose unwavering enthusiasm and positive spirit uplifted every environment she entered,” Capt. Spencer Grider, commander of Charlie Battery, 5-4 ADAR said in a statement. “Her infectious energy, whether in the office, in the field, or among her peers, fostered connection and camaraderie, bringing people together through her genuine warmth and heartfelt sense of humor. Her presence will be greatly missed across our formation.”

Collington was promoted to specialist on May 1, and her awards and decorations included the U.S. Army Service Ribbon.

“Spc. Collington was a bright light in this battalion. To the Soldiers who knew her best and served alongside her each day, she was a treasured friend whose loss leaves a deep and profound void on our team,” Lt. Col. Chris Couch, the 5-4 ADAR battalion commander, said in a statement. “As we hold her family, friends, and teammates in our prayers, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the U.S. personnel and Moroccan partners who dedicated themselves to bringing her home.”

Location of soldiers’ deaths

Las autoridades identificaron al sospechoso como Ronald Trayvon Kelly, de 29 años y residente del área de Brownsville en Miami-Dade.

Los investigadores dijeron que Kelly fue arrestado el miércoles después de que una persecución a alta velocidad que involucró a la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida y la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade terminara con su camioneta Dodge roja volcada cerca de Northwest 86th Terrace y Northwest 18th Avenue.

Según un reporte de arresto de la FHP, los patrulleros recibieron una alerta BOLO alrededor de las 7 p.m. por un “secuestro” ocurrido en Miami Gardens.

Las autoridades dijeron que la víctima, quien presuntamente estaba siendo retenida contra su voluntad dentro de la camioneta de Kelly, llamó al 911 y proporcionó actualizaciones de ubicación en tiempo real.

Los patrulleros dijeron que Kelly aceleró a través de una zona de construcción, casi atropellando a un trabajador, condujo en dirección contraria y alcanzó velocidades de aproximadamente 80 mph en una zona de 30 mph mientras huía de las autoridades.

Las autoridades dijeron que un agente de la FHP finalmente realizó una maniobra PIT exitosa, causando que la camioneta se volcara sobre uno de sus lados. Según el reporte, la víctima fue “retirada inmediatamente del peligro”.

Indicaron que tanto Kelly como la víctima fueron trasladados al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital como medida de precaución.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Kelly enfrenta un cargo de secuestro/conspiración y otro de huir agravadamente causando lesiones o muerte en ese caso.

Kelly también fue arrestado el miércoles en un caso separado en Miami Gardens relacionado con un incidente afuera del Hard Rock Stadium, según un segundo reporte de arresto.

La policía dijo que los agentes respondieron al estadio después de recibir reportes de que una Dodge Ram roja posiblemente vinculada a una investigación de robo había regresado al lugar.

Los investigadores dijeron que un hombre intentó tomar fotos de la camioneta y mirar dentro de la cama en busca de propiedad robada cuando Kelly repentinamente arrancó desde la Puerta 14 con la víctima todavía dentro de la cama de la camioneta.

Según el reporte, la camioneta ingresó a la autopista Florida’s Turnpike a alta velocidad mientras la víctima permanecía atrapada atrás.

La víctima dijo a los detectives que se subió completamente dentro de la cama de la camioneta por seguridad y se dio cuenta de que los ocupantes sabían que estaba allí después de que abrieron la ventana corrediza trasera, indica el reporte.

La víctima dijo que los ocupantes le dijeron repetidamente que saltara, pero temía sufrir “graves lesiones corporales” debido a la velocidad de la camioneta y no podía escapar de manera segura.

Después de ser informado de sus derechos, Kelly admitió que estaba en el estadio y dijo que “escuchó un golpe” proveniente de la parte trasera de la camioneta antes de alejarse, según el reporte.

Kelly dijo a los detectives que luego se dio cuenta de que la víctima estaba en la cama de la camioneta, pero no se detuvo porque temía por su seguridad después de presuntamente haber sido amenazado por la víctima.

La policía dijo que Kelly enfrenta un cargo de privación ilegal de libertad en ese caso.

Las autoridades indicaron que Kelly también enfrenta cargos en una investigación separada del Departamento de Policía de Miami derivada de una disputa doméstica en abril con la madre de su hijo.

Según ese reporte de arresto, la mujer dijo a la policía que fue a la casa de Kelly el 5 de abril para recoger a su hijo cuando Kelly la confrontó por una supuesta infidelidad pasada.

La mujer dijo a los agentes que Kelly agarró la manija de la puerta del lado del pasajero de su vehículo y saltó sobre el capó mientras ella intentaba irse, gritando: “Te voy a matar”, indica el reporte.

Posteriormente, un testigo dijo a los investigadores que vio a Kelly golpear y patear el parabrisas mientras se aferraba al vehículo en movimiento mientras la conductora maniobraba aparentemente para quitárselo del capó, según la policía.

La policía dijo que Kelly presentó un reporte contra la mujer, pero los investigadores determinaron que esas acusaciones eran falsas.

Kelly negó esas acusaciones después de renunciar a sus derechos Miranda, según el reporte.

En ese caso, enfrenta cargos de agresión agravada con intención de cometer un delito grave y de reportar falsamente un crimen a las autoridades.

Hasta el jueves, Kelly permanecía detenido en el Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, donde su fianza figuraba como “pendiente por establecer”.

Según la policía, la víctima es propietaria del Doral Dentistry Specialty Center ubicado en 7902 NW 36th St.

La víctima dijo a los investigadores que las sospechosas, identificadas como Kaylyn Lopez, de 24 años, y Cynthia Joya, de 53, habían estado robando del negocio durante aproximadamente un año, desde marzo de 2025 hasta el 16 de marzo de 2026, según reportes de arresto obtenidos por Local 10 el jueves.

Los investigadores dijeron que fue en esa fecha cuando ambas mujeres renunciaron abruptamente a sus puestos sin previo aviso y no pudieron ser contactadas posteriormente.

Fue entonces cuando la víctima dijo a la policía que comenzó una revisión interna de los registros comerciales y transacciones financieras relacionadas con Lopez y Joya y descubrió que habían malversado fondos de la empresa.

Según la policía, las sospechosas aceptaban pagos en efectivo y por Zelle de clientes y se quedaban con el dinero para uso personal.

Los reportes indican que los investigadores citaron una cuenta de Bank of America “que ambas acusadas mantenían y controlaban” y descubrieron “múltiples transacciones de Zelle realizadas entre las acusadas y clientes de la clínica” que no habían sido autorizadas por los propietarios del negocio.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que ambas mujeres fueron arrestadas el miércoles y cada una enfrenta cargos graves de hurto mayor en tercer grado y esquema organizado para defraudar.

Fueron ingresadas en el Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center la madrugada del jueves, donde ambas permanecían detenidas hasta la tarde del jueves con fianzas individuales de $5,000 USD cada una.

The U.S. Border Patrol chief, Michael Banks, told Fox News in an interview Thursday that his resignation was effective immediately.

“It’s just time,” Banks was quoted as saying in a report on the Fox News website. “I feel like I got the ship back on course from the least secure disastrous chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen,” he said.

The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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According to police, the victim owns the Doral Dentistry Specialty Center located at 7902 NW 36th St.

The victim told investigators that the suspects, identified as Kaylyn Lopez, 24, and Cynthia Joya, 53, had been stealing from the business for about a year, from March 2025 to March 16, 2026, according to arrest reports obtained by Local 10 on Thursday.

It was on that date the victim said both women abruptly resigned from their positions without any notice and could not be contacted afterwards, investigators said.

That’s when the victim told police he began conducting an internal review of business records and financial transactions involving Lopez and Joya and discovered they had misappropriating company funds.

According to police, the suspects would accept cash and Zelle payments from clients and retain the funds for personal use.

The reports state that investigators subpoenaed a Bank of America account “that both defendants maintained and controlled” and discovered “multiple Zelle transactions conducted between the defendants and clients of the clinic” that had not been authorized by the business owners.

Jail records show both women were taken into custody on Wednesday and are each facing felony counts of third degree grand theft and organized scheme to defraud.

They were booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center early Thursday morning, where both remained as of Thursday afternoon on individual bonds of $5,000 each.

Soto exited a 3-2, 10-inning win over the Detroit Tigers in the seventh inning on Wednesday night, four innings after he fouled a ball off his right foot. X-rays were negative and Soto was penciled into the lineup as the designated hitter for the matinee finale against the Tigers.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said Lindor, who was injured April 22 while scoring from first on a double hit by Francisco Alvarez, underwent an MRI Wednesday that showed “signs of healing,” though the All-Star shortstop is nowhere near a return.

Mendoza said Lindor has been cleared to do more work in the weight room before beginning a running program.

“Positive sign,” Mendoza said. “We’ve just got to let it heal.”

Mendoza said there was no timetable for Lindor to begin baseball activities. Lindor has been sidelined for the Mets’ last 18 games — four more than he missed the previous four seasons combined.

Alvarez, who suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee while fouling off a pitch in Tuesday’s 10-2 win over the Tigers, underwent surgery Thursday morning. Mendoza said the Mets expect Alvarez to miss up to eight weeks.

Alvarez is the Mets’ 12th player currently on the injured list, joining Lindor as well as right-handers Reed Garrett (Tommy John surgery), Justin Hagenman (fractured rib), Tylor Megill (sprained right elbow), Dedniel Núñez (Tommy John surgery) and Kodai Senga (lumbar spine inflammation); left-hander A.J. Minter (left lat surgery); infielders Ronny Mauricio (broken left thumb), Jorge Polanco (bruised right wrist) and Jared Young (torn left meniscus); and outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (lumbar spine disk herniation).

In addition, Soto missed 15 games last month because of a strained right calf.

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

Musk, the world's richest man, was a co-founder of OpenAI, the company that launched in 2015 and went on to create ChatGPT. After Musk invested $38 million in its first years, his lawsuit filed in 2024 accused OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his top deputy of shifting into a moneymaking mode behind his back.

One of the jury’s tasks is to decide if Musk filed his lawsuit in time. Much of the testimony has centered on OpenAI’s early years after its 2015 founding, but there’s a relatively short timeline to allege the claims Musk is making of breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment.

OpenAI has argued that Musk waited too long and cannot claim harms that occurred before August 2021.

The judge wrote in a court filing last month that “if the jury finds that Musk failed to file his action within the statute of limitations, it is highly likely” that she will “accept that finding and direct verdict to the defendants.”

If the jury decides that the lawsuit was filed in time, they then have to decide if OpenAI had a “charitable trust” and that OpenAI and its executives broke that trust. Musk's other claim means jurors must determine whether Altman, Greg Brockman — co-founder and president — and OpenAI unjustly enriched themselves at Musk's expense.

For Microsoft, a co-defendant in the trial, the jury has to decide whether the company aided and abetted that breach.

Musk's attorney, Steven Molo, told jurors Thursday morning that the Tesla CEO is “sorry he could not be here.”

Musk is in China with President Donald Trump and other prominent tech executives.

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O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

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Authorities identified the suspect as 29-year-old Ronald Trayvon Kelly, of Miami-Dade’s Brownsville area.

Investigators said Kelly was arrested Wednesday after a high-speed chase involving the Florida Highway Patrol and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office ended with his red Dodge pickup truck overturned near Northwest 86th Terrace and Northwest 18th Avenue.

According to an FHP arrest report, troopers received a be-on-the-lookout alert around 7 p.m. for an “abduction” that had occurred in Miami Gardens.

Authorities said the victim, who was allegedly being held against his will inside Kelly’s truck, called 911 and provided real-time location updates.

Troopers said Kelly sped through a construction zone, nearly hitting a worker, drove into oncoming traffic and reached speeds of about 80 mph in a 30 mph zone while fleeing from law enforcement.

Authorities said an FHP trooper ultimately performed a successful PIT maneuver, causing the truck to overturn onto its side. The victim was “immediately removed from danger,” according to the report.

They said both Kelly and the victim were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center as a precaution.

On Thursday morning, Cynthia Hulett showed Local 10 what’s left of her car that Kelly smashed into

“I came outside (and) my car was all messed up,” she said.

Jail records show Kelly is facing one count each of kidnapping/conspiracy and aggravated fleeing or eluding causing injury or death in that case.

Kelly was also arrested Wednesday in a separate case out of Miami Gardens tied to an incident outside of Hard Rock Stadium, according to a second arrest report.

Police said officers responded to the stadium after receiving reports that a red Dodge Ram possibly connected to a burglary investigation had returned to the scene.

Investigators said a man attempted to photograph the truck and look into the bed for possible stolen property when Kelly suddenly drove away from Gate 14 with the victim still inside the truck bed.

According to the report, the truck entered the Florida’s Turnpike at a high rate of speed while the victim remained trapped in the back.

The victim told detectives he climbed fully into the truck bed for safety and realized the occupants knew he was there after they opened the rear sliding window, the report states.

The victim said the occupants repeatedly told him to jump out, but he feared “serious bodily injury” because of the truck’s speed and could not safely escape.

After being advised of his Miranda rights, Kelly admitted he was at the stadium and said he “heard a bang” coming from the back of the truck before driving away, according to the report.

Kelly told detectives he later realized the victim was in the truck bed but did not stop because he feared for his safety after allegedly being threatened by the victim.

Police said Kelly is facing one count of false imprisonment in that case.

They said Kelly is also facing charges in a separate Miami Police Department investigation stemming from an April domestic dispute involving the mother of his child.

According to that arrest report, the woman told police she went to Kelly’s home on April 5 to pick up their child when Kelly confronted her about alleged past infidelity.

The woman told officers Kelly grabbed the passenger-side door handle of her vehicle and jumped onto the hood as she attempted to leave, yelling, “I’m going to kill you,” the report states.

A witness later told investigators he saw Kelly strike and kick the windshield while clinging to the moving vehicle as the driver swerved in an apparent attempt to remove him from the hood, according to police.

Police said Kelly filed an incident report against the woman, but investigators determined those allegations were false.

Kelly denied those accusations after waiving his Miranda rights, according to the report.

In that case, he is charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony and falsely reporting a crime to law enforcement.

As of Thursday, Kelly was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was listed as “to be set.”

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Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade arrestaron a Myeisha Smith el martes por un cargo de negligencia infantil con grandes daños corporales, muestran los registros.

Según un reporte de arresto obtenido por Local 10, Smith admitió a los detectives que dejó su arma desatendida en su habitación junto a su hijo, quien luego tomó el arma y se disparó en el hombro, justo encima de la clavícula.

Los detectives reportaron que Smith llevó a su hijo herido desde su casa en West Perrine hasta Jackson South Medical Center. Posteriormente fue trasladado en helicóptero al HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, donde figuraba en condición estable.

Smith compareció el miércoles ante la corte de fianzas, donde el padre de la víctima le dijo al juez que su hijo se encuentra bien y que cree que el disparo fue un accidente desafortunado.

“Honestamente, esto fue un gran error. Ella es la madre perfecta para ese niño”, dijo el padre.

“¿Ustedes dos siguen juntos?”, preguntó la jueza.

“No, señora”, respondió el padre del niño.

La jueza finalmente le otorgó a Smith una fianza de $2,500 USD, la cual pagó.

Los registros judiciales muestran que el juez del circuito de Miami-Dade, Ariel Rodríguez, presidirá el caso.

Si es declarada culpable, Smith podría enfrentar hasta 15 años de prisión.

Historias relacionadas

• MDSO: Arrestan a madre luego de que su hijo de 6 años se disparara con su arma
• MDSO: Niño de 6 años se dispara en West Perrine

Según los investigadores, la víctima, de 12 años, declaró que el lunes por la mañana iba caminando a la escuela cuando Carlos Jean , de 37 años y residente de Biscayne Gardens, se le acercó y la tocó de forma inapropiada.

Según la policía, esa interacción cerca de la escuela secundaria Carol City quedó grabada en video.

En ese caso, Jean se enfrenta a un cargo de agresión y abuso sexual lascivo contra un menor de 16 años.

El jueves, los detectives informaron que otra joven se había presentado para denunciar que había sido víctima de un delito similar.

Según el informe policial, la víctima se encontraba en casa con su madre cuando vio la noticia sobre Jean que publicó Local 10 el miércoles e inmediatamente acudió al Departamento de Policía de Miami Gardens.

Una vez allí, la joven de 15 años declaró a los detectives que el 17 de marzo, Jean se le acercó en su Kia color burdeos y “se masturbó delante de ella mientras estaba sentado en su vehículo”, según consta en el informe.

La víctima también declaró a la policía que Jean le dijo: “Nunca has visto algo así” cuando ella pasó junto a su vehículo, antes de seguirla hasta su casa y pasar varias veces en coche por delante de su vivienda, según consta en el informe de detención.

Según los registros penitenciarios, ahora enfrenta un cargo adicional por abuso sexual lascivo contra una menor de 16 años. Jean compareció nuevamente ante el tribunal el jueves por este cargo.

Permanece tras las rejas en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, y su fianza está “por determinar”.

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The 12-year-old victim said she was walking to school on Monday morning when Carlos Jean, 37, of Biscayne Gardens, approached her and touched her inappropriately, according to investigators.

That interaction near Carol City Middle School was caught on camera, police said.

Jean is facing one count of battery and lewd and lascivious molestation on a child under 16 in that case.

On Thursday, detectives said that an additional girl had come forward to report she was victimized in a similar fashion.

According to an arrest report, the victim was at home with her mother when she saw Local 10’s Wednesday story about Jean and immediately went to the Miami Gardens Police Department.

Once there, the 15-year-old girl told detectives that on March 17, Jean had approached her in his burgundy Kia and “masturbated in front of her while sitting in his vehicle,” the report states.

The victim also told police that Jean told her, “You ain’t ever seen this before” when she walked past his vehicle before following her home and driving past her house several times, according to his arrest form.

Jail records show he is now facing an additional charge of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child under 16. Jean was back in court for this charge on Thursday.

He remains behind bars at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”

His ninth studio album — and his first since his extravagant loss in a very public feud with Kendrick Lamar — arrives Friday.

The beef between two of hip-hop’s biggest stars erupted in the spring of 2024, with the pair trading a series of vitriolic tracks that culminated with Lamar’s release of “Not Like Us.” The hit song was a direct attack on Drake, spurring Drake’s defamation lawsuit against their shared label that was dismissed. Drake’s appeal of the dismissal is pending, but in hip-hop spaces, Lamar’s victory over Drake is undisputed.

The Canadian rapper is at a crossroads. He's still one of the most popular artists on the planet, and a successful entrepreneur with businesses spanning music, fashion, sports, online gambling and beyond. But he hasn't had a smash single in a few years.

In hip-hop, where reputation is central to cultural clout, where does he stand?

Drake after Lamar

“The Kendrick battle absolutely dethroned Drake. Up until then, he was considered the leader of the pack, insofar as sales and hit records,” says Sowmya Krishnamurthy, author of “The Blueprint: Inside the Business of Roc-A-Fella Records.”

“He also just hasn’t been able to recover with a hit record. I often like to say all is forgiven with a hit,” she said.

Since the feud began, Drake has had only a few modest successes: “Nokia” and “What Did I Miss?” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Peter A. Berry, a music journalist with work in XXL and Complex, takes it a step further: “People have beefed in rap before and people have lost public rap battles. But the loss that Drake took to Kendrick Lamar on a national and global stage is probably the biggest loss any rapper has ever taken in a big rap conflict.”

He points to “Not Like Us” taking home record and song of the year at the 2025 Grammys, a first for a rap diss track. The victory lap concluded with Lamar performing the chart-topper onstage at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Not only did Drake lose the battle, but he was struck by his own weapons: “Not Like Us” is a rap song so catchy it bordered on pop, fueled by meme-able lyrics — the kind of thing Drake has long been known for. (See: “Kiki, Do you love me?” from 2018's “In My Feelings,” or even “YOLO” from 2011's “The Motto.”)

And yet, he's still one of the most popular artists of the 21st century. Just last month, Spotify named him the third-most streamed artist in the history of their platform, globally, just behind Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny.

“He remains this kind of immutable pop culture force,” says Berry, even though he hasn't had a long-lasting, multiweek No. 1 hit since 2018's “Nice for What,” “God's Plan” and “In My Feelings.”

“Drake's music hasn't evolved,” Krishnamurthy adds. The lack of innovation, she says, in addition to fractured, algorithmic listening habits has made Drake less successful than in years past.

His 2021 album, “Certified Loverboy,” is largely considered a turning point, where the ubiquitous hits and critical praise slowed.

“It just feels very sort of scattered and disorganized. It’s almost like he’s throwing things at the wall and hoping for something to stick,” says Krishnamurthy, analyzing Drake's lack of huge singles.

That's why “Iceman” feels so pivotal. “Let’s say it doesn’t perform to certain standards. It will get harder and harder to see him as a viable artist,” she said.

What does Drake need ‘Iceman’ to accomplish?

Drake's album rollout seems to reflect the pressure of the moment.

“Iceman” is no surprise release. He's been teasing it for weeks, with livestreams and themed YouTube skits. He covered his favored courtside seats at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena in ice and turned a parking lot in downtown Toronto into a massive ice block installation. Fans used blowtorches, sledgehammers and pickaxes to reveal the album’s release date.

“Drake has been a genius-level marketer,” says Matthew Ismael Ruiz, a culture critic. “He’s masterful at commanding attention. The ice block was smart because it forced people to talk about it. It was a physical impediment to anyone in that community — and that instantly goes viral.”

“Of all the things he’s done in the last few years, this ‘Iceman’ album rollout has been unambiguously great,” says Berry. “It’s reminding people that he can be kind of unpredictable.”

But inventive promo can only do so much. Ultimately, Drake would benefit from a massive hit. “We’re about to go into the summer. If he can come out with a song of the summer, I think that would be really great for him,” says Krishnamurthy.

Reputationally, Ruiz believes the collaborations on “Iceman” will be revealing — and that keeping the track list closely guarded could be telling. “The features will be the best indication of his pull in the industry,” he says — concrete proof of who supports him after the Lamar beef.

This could be his comeback album, Krishnamurthy says — and not just in terms of streams. “Reputation, culture, these are things that cannot be quantified,” she says. “Maybe he does spectacular commercially and that is great, but that doesn’t mean that the music is good or has any lasting impact.”

Because ultimately, “Drake is very concerned with his own mythology,” says Berry.

Even if “Iceman” goes No. 1, if it doesn't stay there, if it doesn't improve Drake's reputation with hip-hop fans, if it isn't met with acclaim — it may very well be a disappointment.

The decision clears the way for Glossip, 63, to leave a lockup for the first time since his arrest nearly 30 years ago. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out his conviction, and his longstanding claims of innocence have drawn support from Kim Kardashian and other prominent figures.

Judge Natalie Mai issued an order setting bond at $500,000. Glossip must wear an electronic monitoring device and will not be allowed to travel outside Oklahoma. He also must not contact any witnesses in the case, or consume any drugs or alcohol.

Glossip had been sentenced to death over the 1997 killing in Oklahoma City of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, in what prosecutors have alleged was a murder-for-hire scheme.

The Supreme Court ruled last year that prosecutors’ decision to allow a key witness to give testimony they knew to be false violated Glossip’s constitutional right to a fair trial.

Glossip has remained behind bars after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced the state would seek to retry him on a murder charge but not pursue the death penalty again.

“The court fully expects that the state will rigorously prosecute its case going forward and the defense will provide robust representation for Glossip,” the judge wrote in the order. “The court hopes that a new trial, free of error, will provided all interested parties and the citizens of Oklahoma, the closure they deserve.”

During his time on death row, courts in Oklahoma set nine different execution dates for Glossip, and he came so close to being put to death that he ate three separate last meals. In 2015, he was even held in a cell next to Oklahoma’s execution chamber, waiting to be strapped to a gurney and die by lethal injection.

But the scheduled time for his execution came and went. Behind the walls of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, prison officials were scrambling after learning one of the lethal drugs they received to carry out the procedure didn’t match the execution protocols. The drug mix-up ultimately led to a nearly seven-year moratorium on executions in Oklahoma.

“Mr. Glossip now has the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice on his behalf against a system that the United States Supreme Court has found to be guilty of serious misconduct by state prosecutors," his attorney, Donald Knight, said.

Glossip’s case attracted international attention after actress Susan Sarandon — who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of death penalty opponent Sister Helen Prejean’s fight to save a man on Louisiana’s death row in the 1995 movie “Dead Man Walking” — took up his cause in real life. Glossip's case also was featured in the 2017 documentary film titled “Killing Richard Glossip."

“Both Richard and I are grateful for the court's decision,” Glossip's wife, Lea, said in a text to The Associated Press. “We have been praying for this day.”

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Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies had arrested Myeisha Smith on Tuesday on a charge of child neglect with great bodily harm, records show.

According to an arrest report obtained by Local 10, Smith admitted to detectives that she left her gun unattended in her bedroom with her son, who then grabbed the gun and shot himself in the shoulder, just above the clavicle.

Detectives reported that Smith took her wounded son from their home in West Perrine to Jackson South Medical Center. He was then airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital where he was listed in stable condition.

Smith appeared in bond court Wednesday where the victim’s father told the judge his son is doing well and he believes the shooting was an unfortunate accident.

“This was honestly a big mistake. She is the perfect mom for that boy,“ the father said.

“Are you two still together?” the judge asked.

“No ma’am‚“ the boy’s father responded.

The judge ultimately granted Smith a $2,500 bond, which she posted.

Court records show Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Ariel Rodriguez is set to preside over the case.

If convicted, Smith could face up to 15 years in prison.

Related stories

• MDSO: Mother arrested after son, 6, shoots himself with her gun
• MDSO: Boy, 6, shoots himself in West Perrine

Testigos dijeron que escucharon una balacera alrededor de las 3 a.m. y un helicóptero cerca de las 5 a.m. en el área de Royal Palm Boulevard y Riverside Drive.

Theresa Zuniga, quien vive en el área, dijo que sintió miedo al escuchar el helicóptero sobrevolando.

“Este lugar es muy tranquilo”, dijo Zuniga sobre su vecindario.

Una lona que la policía suele usar para cubrir un cuerpo estaba en el suelo en el estacionamiento del complejo de apartamentos Coral Park East.

El Departamento de Policía de Coral Springs anunció que la cercana Somerset Academy estará “cerrada por el día” y pidió al público “evitar el área”.

Esta es una noticia en desarrollo.

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Witnesses said they heard a shooting shortly before 3 a.m., and a helicopter at about 5 a.m. near Royal Palm Boulevard and Riverside Drive.

Theresa Zuniga, who lives in the area, said she was scared when she heard the helicopter flying over.

“This place is very calm,” Zuniga said about her neighborhood.

A man was fatally shot, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a spokesperson for the Coral Springs Police Department.

A white tent and a tarp covered a body near the garbage area of Coral Park East, a community of townhomes. Danny Raymonvil, who lives in the area, said he saw the man dead.

“It’s just unfortunate this person had to lose their life like that,” Raymonvil said.

There was crime scene tape near the pool of a neighboring apartment building at the Coral Springs Tower Club community. There appeared to be an assault rifle in the water.

The Coral Springs Police Department announced that the nearby Somerset Academy will be “closed for the day” and asked the public to “avoid the area.”

This is a developing story. Local 10 News Assignment Editors Mercedes Cevallos and Wilson Louis contributed to this report.

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The bipartisan support for the measure comes at a time when federal closures have become longer and more frequent, frustrating lawmakers who say there should be punishment when Congress fails at its most basic legislative duty.

Under the resolution, senators’ pay would be withheld by the secretary of the Senate whenever a government shutdown affects one or more agencies, then released once funding is restored. It will take effect the day after the Nov. 3 general election and does not apply to the House.

“Shutting down government should not be our default solution to our refusal to work out our issues and our differences,” said Sen. John Kennedy, the bill’s sponsor, in a floor speech Wednesday.

“This is about putting our money where our mouth is,” said Kennedy, R-La.

Two shutdowns in the past year created significant financial hardship for tens of thousands of federal workers, particularly at the Department of Homeland Security. The department reopened last month after a 76-day partial shutdown, the longest agency funding lapse in history.

The DHS shutdown came just a few months after a 43-day lapse of the entire federal government, which was the longest such closure on record.

The Constitution stipulates that lawmakers must be paid so they have received salaries during shutdowns even as federal workers went without paychecks. When the full government shutdown began in October amid a dispute over health care subsidies, Sen. Lindsey Graham proposed a constitutional amendment to require members to forfeit their paychecks when the government is closed.

“If members of Congress had to forfeit their pay during government shutdowns, there would be fewer shutdowns and they would end quicker,” Graham, R-S.C., said at the time.

Graham said his legislation was the most “constitutionally sound” way to deal with the problem, but the process would have been much more laborious as three-fourths of states must ratify an amendment.

Lawmakers in previous shutdowns have often pledged to forgo their paychecks while federal workers went unpaid. Senators earn an annual salary of $174,000, but many are independently wealthy.

Kennedy told reporters Wednesday that he pushed his measure to ensure there is “shared sacrifice” during shutdowns. He added that it does not go as far as he would like, but that it’s a start.

Asked why it does not extend to the other chamber of Congress, Kennedy said “the House’s business is the House’s business” while also touching on the tensions between the Senate and House.

“There’s a very strong undercurrent of animosity among some of my friends in the House,” Kennedy said.

“It’s quickly becoming like two kids fighting in the back of a minivan,” he said.

“That one was,” the coach said, “something.”

Something, indeed.

The Avalanche advanced to the Western Conference final for the eighth time since relocating to Denver courtesy of a Brett Kulak goal in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 5. It's just the second time in the last nine playoff appearances the Avalanche have made it past the second round.

On the other occasion, in 2022, the team went on capture the Stanley Cup championship.

With a team led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, it's always a Cup-or-bust scenario. This team especially, given a regular season with captain Gabriel Landeskog on the ice, their depth — the Avalanche had 16 different players score in the Wild series — and the play of their stars.

Stanley Cup favorite

Among the preseason favorites, they led the NHL most of the regular season in capturing their fourth Presidents’ Trophy, which goes to the team with the best record.

Like Carolina, the Avalanche are rolling into the conference finals. The Hurricanes advanced with a pair of sweeps while the Avalanche required nine games, including a first-round sweep of the Los Angeles Kings. As of Thursday, Colorado is a slight favorite over the Hurricanes to win the Cup.

Next up for Colorado is either Vegas or Anaheim. Colorado was 2-0-1 against both the Golden Knights and the Ducks in the regular season.

Bednar understands the lofty expectations year in and out, given his talented roster. Criticism comes with the territory.

“It's hard to win,” Bednar said. "But I wouldn't want it any other way. I don't think our players would want it any other way.

“People are going to get on you because you didn't win the Cup. I'd still rather be fighting for that, having earned that type of reputation because of the way you play through the regular season and the group that you put together as an organization and the high expectations, rather than, “Let’s just try and make the playoffs.'”

Not much rattles the Avalanche these days. Not even a three-goal hole, which set up a frantic finish and the overtime winner from Kulak, who took a pinpoint pass from Martin Necas and lined it into the net to send the capacity crowd into a frenzy.

It was Kulak's first goal since Jan. 19 when he was with Pittsburgh before being traded to Colorado the following month. It was also the first time the Avalanche won a series on home ice since 2008, when they beat the Wild in Game 6 of the conference quarterfinals.

“In an environment like this, where the building felt like it was going to start shaking at any moment, it was exciting," said Landeskog, who played in his first regular season since 2022 after being sidelined with a knee injury. “Now, it’s kind of a sigh of relief.”

Banged-up Avalanche have chance to heal

The Avalanche have a few days to heal. They were without forward Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Sam Malinski the last two games of the Wild series due to upper-body injuries. Makar momentarily left Wednesday's game after a collision, but returned.

“The playoffs are a long grind and you want to keep your focus narrow," said Kulak, who made the Stanley Cup Final with Edmonton last season. “We can get some rest.”

Colorado has a 3-4 record in the conference finals since arriving in town before the 1995-96 season. All three times the team has advanced, though, a banner has followed — 1996, 2001 and 2022.

“They’re a really good team,” Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes said.

Depth on display

A strength of Colorado has been its depth. The 16 different players to score in the second round is tied for the most in a singles series, according to NHL Stats.

“The depth is what's going to win, coming down the stretch here in the playoffs,” Landeskog said. “Guys are stepping up all over the place.”

In net, too, even if a goalie dilemma may now be a storyline.

Scott Wedgewood took over in the second period after Mackenzie Blackwood surrendered three first-period goals. Wedgewood stopped all seven shots he faced in the second and third periods (he saw none in OT).

“Just proud,” Wedgewood said of making the conference final. "Proud of our group ending it and finding a way to do that because we knew going into the series, it wasn’t going to be an easy out. There’s a long road ahead, a lot of stories to write and just preparing for that.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

La caída, que ocurrió en la madrugada, se produce en el marco de una prolongada crisis energética en la isla agravada por el cerco petrolero impuesto por Estados Unidos.

La estatal Unión Eléctrica indicó que luego del colapso —que dejó sin luz a todas las provincias del oriente— los circuitos se encuentran “en proceso de restablecimiento”, pero se desconoce cuánto tardará en producirse la reconexión completa.

La víspera el presidente Miguel Díaz-Canel calificó de “tensa” la situación energética luego de que se terminara el abastecimiento de petróleo traído por un buque ruso a fines de marzo.

Los largos apagones están llegando a las 24 horas corridas en La Habana. En muchos barrios los vecinos golpearon sus cacerolas al caer la tarde del miércoles y prendieron fuego cestos de basura en señal de protesta, constató The Associated Press.

Unas horas después, en una comparecencia en la televisión cubana, el ministro de Energía y Minas, Vicente de la O Levy, aseguró que la situación energética es “crítica”.

El petrolero de bandera rusa arribó a la isla el 31 de marzo con 730.000 barriles de crudo que en los días posteriores fue descargado y refinado, lo que redujo los apagones, constató AP.

La isla produce apenas un 40% del combustible que consume y necesita unos ocho buques como el petrolero ruso al mes, según las autoridades.

Paralelamente, el canciller Bruno Rodríguez indicó en su cuenta de X que por primera vez el gobierno de Estados Unidos formalizó su oferta de ayuda a Cuba por 100 millones de dólares, aunque “sigue sin aclararse” si será en dinero o bienes y si incluirá combustible.

“Aún tomando en cuenta la incongruencia de la aparente generosidad de parte de quien somete al pueblo cubano a un castigo colectivo por medio de la guerra económica, el gobierno cubano no tiene como práctica rechazar ayuda extranjera que se ofrece de buena fe”, expresó el ministro.

Cuba reportó el año pasado pérdidas por 7.500 millones de dólares debido a las sanciones estadounidenses.

The season kicks off on Sept. 9 when the Seattle Seahawks raise their Super Bowl banner. It’ll be the second time the NFL season opens on a Wednesday — the Giants hosted the Cowboys on Sept. 5, 2012.

Several games already were announced, including a record nine international games across four continents. The San Francisco 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne on Sept. 10 in the first international game of the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers play the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 25 in Paris in the NFL’s first regular-season matchup in France.

Sixteen of the league’s 32 teams will play at least one of their 17 regular-season games outside the United States. The 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars each have two international games. San Francisco also faces Minnesota in Mexico City in Week 11. The Jaguars have consecutive games in London in Weeks 5 and 6 against the Eagles and Texans. The Colts-Commanders also face off in London in Week 4.

The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens go head-to-head in Rio de Janeiro in Week 3. The Bengals-Falcons are in Madrid in Week 8 and the Patriots-Lions play in Munich in Week 9.

Other highlights already announced include the Cowboys-Giants in the first Sunday night game and the Broncos-Chiefs in the first Monday night game.

The Packers-Rams are playing on Thanksgiving Eve and it’ll be the Lions-Bears and Eagles-Cowboys in two of the Thanksgiving Day games.

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

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BCAC spokeperson Zachary Rinkins told Local 10 News on Thursday that Bram, a playful stray who came from Fort Lauderdale, is about 4 years old and weighs around 40 pounds.

Rinkins said he is a very affectionate dog and is well-mannered. He also confirmed that Bram has a great interaction with people and should do well around other dogs.

He also promoted the organization’s “Give Love Save Lives” event.

You can learn more about that event by clicking here or calling 954-359-1313.

El portavoz de BCAC, Zachary Rinkins, dijo a Local 10 News el jueves que Bram, un perro callejero juguetón que llegó desde Fort Lauderdale, tiene aproximadamente 4 años y pesa alrededor de 40 libras.

Rinkins dijo que es un perro muy cariñoso y de buen comportamiento. También confirmó que Bram interactúa muy bien con las personas y debería llevarse bien con otros perros.

También promovió el evento “Give Love Save Lives” de la organización.

Puede obtener más información sobre ese evento haciendo clic aquí o llamando al 954-359-1313.

Two weeks after Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner with Golden Tempo and after Jenna Antonucci won the 2023 Belmont with Arcangelo, Russell has the chance to complete the Triple Crown sweep of female trainers when she saddles Taj Mahal in the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

“It would sort of feel probably a little fairytale-like," Russell said. "Jena opened the door just a couple years ago with Arcangelo, and Cherie got it done in the Kentucky Derby. The fact that I feel like I have a live one in the Preakness here, look, there’s some pressure and I certainly hope we can do it, but it would mean an awful lot.”

Where the race is taking place and who will be aboard could make it mean even more. The Preakness is being run at Russell's home track, Laurel Park, for the first time, and husband Sheldon is the jockey. They would be the first married couple, at least as trainer and jockey, to win a Triple Crown race.

“The dream, the goal was always to get one that would take us to one of the big races, and he’s sort of taken us there,” Sheldon Russell told The Associated Press. “Just like a normal day, really.”

Most weekends, the Russells take their children to Laurel Park, which is just off I-95 between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and 6-year-old daughter Edy and 4-year-old son Rye are expected to be in attendance.

They were a little younger when they went to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in Southern California, in the fall of 2024 when Post Time, trained by their mother and ridden by their father, finished second in a world championship mile-long dirt race. It was a cross-country introduction to the sport.

“That was a big event for them,” Sheldon Russell said. “They didn’t really understand what we were doing there until we sort of got there. (This time) it’s not like we have to travel.”

And, unlike the usual Maryland-based horses who go into the Preakness as long shots, Taj Mahal is right in the mix of contenders in the wide-open field of 14 that does not include Golden Tempo. He opened at odds of 5-1, just behind morning line favorite Iron Honor.

Taj Mahal is unbeaten in three races, all at Laurel Park, including going wire to wire to win the Federico Tesio Stakes on April 18 by more then eight lengths.

“Immediately everybody started talking, just the way that horse won it,” Maryland Jockey Club president and CEO Bill Knauf said. “To have Brittany as our leading trainer for many years now here, she’s obviously one of the best in the country, and Sheldon has done an unbelievable job.”

Brittany Russell called it a dominant effort, and she hopes the home track advantage could be a major one. Her husband rides most of her horses, and that's another relationship edge they have over everyone else as they watch replays together and discuss strategy.

“Most of the time, it’s great,” Brittany said. "Now, look, does everything go to plan? Is everything always perfect? No, and it can be a little tricky. But at the end of the day, it’s horse racing and some things are out of our control. In this particular instance, I think it’s great. He knows the horse. He’s won on it three times. He knows the racetrack better than anybody. I think it’s a good thing.”

This is Brittany Russell's first Preakness horse in her eighth year of training. It's her husband's fourth chance to ride in the middle leg of the Triple Crown after finishing fifth aboard Chase the Chaos in 2023, sixth aboard Excession in 2020 and 10th aboard Concealed Identity in 2011.

This is different, though Sheldon Russell said he has not pondered the big-picture ramifications. His thoughts keep coming back to the little things, like, “We have a chance.”

“I guess if it happened, it’s going to be something,” he said. "We both know that he has a decent chance of showing up on the big day.”

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

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According to police, an unidentified woman was caught on camera stealing from another woman inside the Salvation Army store located at 888 N. University Dr. on Wednesday, April 29 at approximately 4:40 p.m.

The woman in the video is seen taking the victim’s purse out of her shopping cart and taking it with her to the bathroom, authorities said.

Officers said she then removed the contents of the purse before leaving the empty purse behind on the bathroom floor.

Police describe the suspect as a white woman in her mid-to-late 50s with blonde hair and a medium build, last seen wearing a black tank top, blue shorts and flip flops.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Pembroke Pines Detective Chris Abbey at 954-743-1267 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477. Police said any tips could be made anonymously.

Según la policía, una mujer no identificada fue captada en cámara robando a otra mujer dentro de la tienda Salvation Army ubicada en 888 N. University Dr. el miércoles 29 de abril aproximadamente a las 4:40 p.m.

La mujer en el video aparece tomando la cartera de la víctima de su carrito de compras y llevándola al baño, dijeron las autoridades.

Los agentes dijeron que luego sacó el contenido de la cartera antes de dejar la cartera vacía en el piso del baño.

La policía describe a la sospechosa como una mujer blanca de entre 50 y 59 años, de cabello rubio y complexión mediana, vista por última vez usando una camiseta negra sin mangas, pantalones cortos azules y sandalias.

Cualquier persona con información debe comunicarse con el detective Chris Abbey de Pembroke Pines al 954-743-1267 o con Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477. La policía dijo que cualquier pista puede ser proporcionada de manera anónima.

The singer, songwriter and actress also performed the anthem before the 2015 and 2024 races. This year's “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is scheduled for May 24.

“Jordin knows how important the national anthem performance is to the pre-race ceremonies of the Indianapolis 500, and we have been moved by her two previous renditions,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles said in a statement released by track officials. "This year’s performance will be a special moment as we mark the 250th birthday of our nation and prepare for another incredible edition of the world’s greatest race.”

Boles announced Wednesday that reserved seats for the race have been sold out, though there are still general admission tickets available. Although race officials do not announce attendance figures, the grandstand capacity is estimated to be 275,000 and the world's largest single-day spectator sporting event typically has an estimated 350,000 fans in attendance.

Sparks became the youngest winner of “American Idol” in the television show's sixth season. Since then, her singles have generated more than 10 million digital tracks sales in the U.S. Sparks also co-wrote Ariana Grande’s smash single, “The Way.”

She has toured with superstars such as Britney Spears, Alicia Keys, The Jonas Brothers, New Kids on The Block and Backstreet Boys in addition to headlining her own tours. Sparks owns two BET Awards, one American Music Award and one People’s Choice Award and was twice nominated for Grammys.

Sparks also has performed on Broadway, made her film debut by paying the lead role in the film “Sparkle,” opposite the late Whitney Houston, and has most recently worked on network news programs.

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

Weinstein, who's 74 and has a history of heart trouble and other health woes, looked pale but alert as he was brought into court in the wheelchair he has used for years. He said he felt “good, fine.”

The ex-studio boss was in a courthouse holding area Wednesday when jurors, after a few hours of deliberating, sent a note asking to rehear some of accuser Jessica Mann ’s testimony and to review a lengthy prosecution timeline of emails and other evidence.

After defense lawyers, prosecutors and Judge Curtis Farber convened in court to decide how to respond, Weinstein attorney Marc Agnifilo said court officers had told him Weinstein was experiencing chest pains.

Weinstein wasn't brought into court at that point, and Farber ultimately sent jurors home Wednesday a bit earlier than planned, telling them there were “unforeseen reasons” for the early dismissal.

Jurors got the requested information Thursday, revisiting testimony that Agnifilo had highlighted in his closing argument: a moment when Mann said she was “spacing out” as a defense lawyer asked why she didn’t want a friend to know that anything sexual had happened between her and Weinstein. The defense was trying to suggest that she was worried about her reputation, not an alleged rape that Weinstein says never happened.

Jurors returned to their closed-door discussions. After about an hour, they asked to rehear Mann's testimony about the alleged rape and the lead-up to it. The testimony was to be read to them Thursday afternoon.

Mann, 40, has testified that she willingly had some sexual interludes with the then-married producer, but that he subjected her to unwanted sex in a Manhattan hotel room in March 2013 after she repeatedly said no.

Weinstein's lawyers maintain that the encounter was consensual. They have emphasized that Mann subsequently continued seeing Weinstein and expressing warmth toward him. Mann has said she was mired in complicated feelings about him, herself and what had happened.

Her viewpoint changed in 2017, when a series of sexual misconduct allegations against the Oscar-winning Weinstein propelled the #MeToo campaign to hold people — especially powerful men — accountable for sexual misbehavior. Weinstein has said he “acted wrongly” but never assaulted anyone.

Some of those accusations generated criminal convictions against Weinstein in New York and California.

An appeals court overturned his 2020 New York conviction on charges that involved Mann and another accuser. At a retrial last year, jurors failed to reach a verdict on Mann's portion of the case, leading to this retrial. Weinstein is charged with one count of rape in the third degree.

The current jury heard nearly three weeks of testimony, five days of it from Mann. Weinstein did not testify.

The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted. Mann, however, has agreed to be named.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said in a new assessment that of the nearly 19.5 million people facing this level of food insecurity, 135,000 people were in Phase 5, which is characterized by “extreme food gaps, starvation, very high levels of malnutrition, and death due to disease or acute malnutrition.”

“Conditions are expected to deteriorate further in the upcoming June–September lean season,” the IPC assessment statement read. It warned that an estimated 825,000 children under 5 years old are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2026 amid limited access to medical treatment, marking a 7% increase compared to last year and a 25% increase compared to prewar levels.

More than 98,500 children received treatment for severe acute malnutrition between January and March, according to the IPC.

The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023 after long-simmering tensions between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted into a full-scale armed conflict. At least 59,000 people have been killed, some 13 million displaced, and many parts of the country have been pushed into famine. More than 30 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

The IPC said Thursday that it found that no area is in famine, but warned that 14 areas in the provinces of North Darfur, South Darfur, and South Kordofan are at risk of famine if conflict intensifies, food access worsens, healthcare and sanitation decline, and displacement increases.

Last year, famine was confirmed in el-Fasher, a major city in the western Darfur region, and in the town of Kadugli, in South Kordofan.

Farmers in Sudan are bracing for an expensive planting season as costs of fertilizers, gasoline to power farm equipment and diesel for irrigation pumps increase due to the conflict in the Middle East.

The Gulf region, where hundreds of commercial ships have been stranded for weeks because of Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, provides over half of Sudan’s fertilizer that’s imported by sea. Fuel prices have shot up by around 30%.

Adebayo se unió al tiktoker Zachery Dereniowski, mejor conocido como MDMotivator, para sorprender a Bianca con un auto nuevo y un año completo de renta pagada.

“Mi mamá, solo éramos ella, mi hermana y yo, y estuvimos sin hogar, así que ahora estoy ayudando a otras personas”, dijo Bianca sobre su trabajo en Camillus House.

Adebayo y Dereniowski la sorprendieron en una parada de autobús, le vendaron los ojos y la guiaron hacia el auto nuevo estacionado, que tenía un gran lazo rojo.

“Esto va a cambiar nuestras vidas para siempre”, dijo Bianca, quien tiene una hija de 5 años.

La fundación BBB de Adebayo se enfoca en ayudar a madres solteras en honor a su madre.

Vea el video de MDMotivator

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The high court's ruling has led to a flurry of redistricting efforts in Southern states as Republicans seek to capitalize on a weakened federal Voting Rights Act. While most of those efforts are voluntary, Louisiana must redraw its U.S. House map in response to the ruling that it had illegally used race to gerrymander a majority-Black district.

The debate over the shape of Louisiana's new districts is playing out as South Carolina's governor ramps up pressure on lawmakers to also redistrict ahead of the midterms. President Donald Trump has encouraged numerous Republican-led states to redraw House voting districts to their advantage in a bid to hold on to control of the closely divided chamber in November.

Republicans think they could win as many as 15 additional House seats in seven states that already have adopted new voting districts. Democrats think they could gain up to six seats from two other states because of new House districts. But there's no guarantee those seats will turn out as expected. Litigation is continuing in some states, and voters will have the ultimate say on who wins.

Louisiana map scraps snaking district

Legislation in Louisiana seeks to address the Supreme Court ruling by scrapping a district that snakes well over 200 miles (321 kilometers) northwest from the capital, Baton Rouge, to Shreveport, creating a voting bloc with a majority of Black residents. Democratic U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields represents the current 6th District.

Under the new plan, that district would instead be clustered around predominantly white communities in the Baton Rouge area and southern Louisiana.

The new plan keeps a New Orleans-based, majority-Black district represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Troy Carter while also adding a portion of Baton Rouge to it.

Fields, a Baton Rouge resident, said he won’t decide whether to seek reelection until the maps are finalized. But he said he won’t challenge Carter in a primary.

The newly proposed House map is similar to one used in 2022 that resulted in five Republicans and one Democrat winning election. Republican state Sen. Jay Morris said the new map packs Democrats into the 2nd District held by Carter to allow Republicans to prevail elsewhere.

“These maps are drawn to maximize Republican advantage for the incumbent Republicans that we have in Congress,” Morris said as debate began on the legislation he is sponsoring.

A federal judge struck down the 2022 map for violating the Voting Rights Act. Then in 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Alabama had to create its own second largely Black congressional district. In light of the Alabama ruling, the Louisiana Legislature passed a revised map, creating a second majority-Black district that was used in the 2024 elections. That map also was challenged, leading to an April 29 Supreme Court ruling that Louisiana’s districts relied too heavily on race.

Louisiana House primary could shift to November

After the Supreme Court ruling, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry postponed Louisiana’s U.S. House primaries that had been scheduled for Saturday.

A bill given final approval Wednesday by the Legislature would shift the election to an open primary on Nov. 3. All U.S. House candidates, regardless of their party affiliation, would be on the ballot for voters in their district. If no one wins a majority outright, the top two vote-getters would enter a run-off on Dec. 12.

A new qualifying period for U.S. House candidates would run from Aug. 5-7.

The system is similar to how Louisiana's congressional elections previously occurred. Landry pushed the Legislature to end the state’s unique jungle primary system in 2024. Closed party primaries went into effect this year.

But Rep. Beau Beaullieu, the bill’s Republican sponsor, said that with congressional redistricting, there would not be sufficient time for closed primaries and a primary run-off prior to the general election on Nov. 3.

The U.S. Senate race in Louisiana, which has not been suspended and pits incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy against Trump-backed challenger U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, remains a closed primary.

South Carolina likely to work overtime on redistricting

Leaders in the South Carolina House said they expect to take up a bill drawing a new congressional map Friday after Republican Gov. Henry McMaster calls them into special session. The regular legislative session is supposed to end Thursday, but McMaster's call would extend it.

It could be next week before the House can finish the redistricting bill, which would also move congressional primaries to August, Republican House Majority Leader Davey Hiott said. All primaries are currently scheduled for June 9. Early voting begins May 26, and that’s likely the deadline to finish redistricting, he said.

The redistricting work “will be long. It will be boring. It will be confrontational,” Hiott told reporters.

If the proposal passes the House, it then heads to a more skeptical Senate, where Republican Judiciary Committee Chairman Luke Rankin has said he will “demand the process” without elaborating. During the last regular redistricting at the start of the decade, Rankin’s committee held a month of meetings across the state and encouraged the public to submit its own maps.

Only one of South Carolina's seven U.S. House seats currently is held by a Democrat — longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. Some Republicans worry it is impossible to guarantee seven GOP districts in a state where the Democratic presidential candidate has gotten more than 40% of the vote every election this century. There are also concerns about holding two statewide elections in a little over two months. South Carolina’s elections leader said it may require employees to work 24 hours a day.

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Brook reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Collins from Columbia, South Carolina; and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri.

Tamarius Blair Davis Jr. disparó y mató a Dustin Wakefield, de 21 años y residente de Castle Rock, Colorado, mientras protegía a su hijo Eli, de 1 año, el 24 de agosto de 2021, mientras estaban sentados afuera de La Cerveceria de Barrio, un restaurante mexicano ubicado en el 1412 de Ocean Drive.

Davis, quien entonces tenía 22 años y era residente de Norcross, Georgia, era un completo desconocido y se creía que estaba bajo una psicosis inducida por hongos alucinógenos en ese momento.

También se declaró culpable el miércoles de cargos por intento de asesinato y abuso infantil en relación con la balacera.

Se espera que el proceso de sentencia de Davis dure entre dos y tres días.

No se ha fijado una fecha para la audiencia de sentencia de Davis; una investigación previa a la sentencia debe realizarse antes del 12 de junio.

Davis podría enfrentar entre 25 años y cadena perpetua en prisión.

Torrey Holston tenía 19 años cuando agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Palm Beach lo arrestaron el 3 de diciembre de 2019 por el asesinato de Christopher Randazzo el 19 de octubre de 2019 en el Southern Seas Resort en Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

Randazzo, quien estaba fuera de servicio y había salido del Aruba Beach Cafe antes del robo a mano armada, tenía 39 años.

Los fiscales de Broward acusaron a Holston de asesinato en primer grado, robo a mano armada, conspiración criminal y extorsión por conspiración.

El juez del circuito de Broward, Michael Usan, preside el caso de homicidio capital.

Los detectives identificaron y arrestaron a otros dos acusados del robo a mano armada: Jose Garcia Romero, entonces de 20 años, y Marco Rico, entonces de 32 años.

La editora sénior de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Frine Gomez, contribuyó a este reporte.

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Torrey Holston was 19 when Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested him on Dec. 3, 2019, for Christopher Randazzo’s murder on Oct. 19, 2019, at the Southern Seas Resort in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

Randazzo, who was off duty and had left the Aruba Beach Cafe before the armed robbery, was 39.

Broward prosecutors charged Holston with first-degree murder, armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, and conspiracy extortion.

Broward County Circuit Judge Michael Usan is presiding over the capital homicide case.

Detectives identified and arrested two others accused of the armed robbery: Jose Garcia Romero, then 20, and Marco Rico, then 32.

Local 10 News Senior Assignment Editor Frine Gomez contributed to this report.

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Ihab Sulaiman fue acusado de robo de correo el lunes en el condado Miami-Dade, según Michael Soto, portavoz del Servicio Postal de Estados Unidos.

Sulaiman, de 53 años, fue arrestado el miércoles cerca de Westchester y acusado de posesión ilegal de cinco o más identificaciones, según un reporte de arresto de un agente de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade.

Los investigadores encontraron a Sulaiman dentro de un Chevrolet gris estacionado con correspondencia dirigida a diferentes personas cerca de Southwest 71 Court y 19 Street, según el reporte de arresto.

Sulaiman también enfrentaba cargos por posesión de metanfetamina cristalina “sospechosa”, Xanax, MDMA y marihuana, además de posesión de parafernalia de drogas, muestran los registros.

Un video de vigilancia muestra el reciente robo de correo en la comunidad Midway Gardens, donde ya habían robado correspondencia en febrero.

“Hemos tenido cheques robados, hemos tenido propiedad robada, hemos tenido tarjetas de crédito robadas”, dijo Arturo Abraeu, presidente de la asociación de propietarios de Midway Gardens, a Local 10 News el miércoles.

El video muestra que el ladrón no actuaba solo. Después de lanzar el correo robado dentro de una camioneta SUV blanca, se sentó en el asiento trasero y el conductor huyó.

La editora sénior de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Frine Gomez, y el reportero Roy Ramos contribuyeron a este reporte.

Historia relacionada: Video muestra a hombre buscado por robos de correo en Miami-Dade

Detalles del reporte de arresto

Los investigadores reportaron haber encontrado una “carta sin abrir del Servicio de Impuestos Internos”, una “carta sin abrir de Citi American Airlines AAdvantage”, una “carta sin abrir de T-Mobile”, una “carta sin abrir de solicitud de servicio electrónico de Xfinity”, una “carta sin abrir de tarjeta de crédito de Bank of America” y una “carta sin abrir de Interamerican Bank”, según el reporte de arresto.

Los investigadores también reportaron haber encontrado una “carta abierta de Fidelity Investments con información de cuenta”, una “carta abierta de Netcredit de CCBank” y una “carta abierta de fondo de inversión Pershing LLC / Janus”.

Dentro de la billetera del sospechoso, los investigadores encontraron seis tarjetas de crédito que no le pertenecían, incluyendo una tarjeta Visa Capital One con el nombre de una mujer y dos tarjetas American Express.

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Ihab Sulaiman was accused of mail theft on Monday in Miami-Dade County, according to Michael Soto, a spokesman for the United States Postal Service.

Sulaiman, 53, was arrested on Wednesday near Westchester and accused of unlawful possession of five or more identifications, according to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy’s arrest report.

Investigators found Sulaiman in a parked gray Chevrolet with mail addressed to different people near Southwest 71 Court and 19 Street, according to the arrest report.

Sulaiman was also facing charges of possession of “suspected” crystal meth, Xanax, MDMA, and marijuana, and of possession of drug paraphernalia, records show.

Surveillance video shows the recent mail theft at the Midway Gardens community, where mail had already been stolen back in February.

“We have had checks stolen, we have had property stolen, we have had credit cards stolen,” Arturo Abraeu, the homeowners’ association president at Midway Gardens, told Local 10 News on Wednesday.

The video shows that the thief wasn’t working alone. After throwing the stolen mail into a white sports utility vehicle, he sat in the back seat, and the driver fled.

Local 10 News Senior Assignment Editor Frine Gomez and Reporter Roy Ramos contributed to this report.

Related story: Video shows man wanted for mail thefts in Miami-Dade

Details from the arrest report

Investigators reported finding an “unopened letter from the Internal Revenue service,” an “unopened letter from Citi American Airlines AAdvantage.” an “unopened letter from T-Mobile,” an “unopened Xfinity electronic service request letter,” an “unopened Bank of America credit card letter,” and an “unopened Interamerican Bank letter,” according to the arrest report.

Investigators also reported finding an “opened Fidelity Investments letter containing account information,” an “opened Netcredit from CCBank letter,” and an “opened Pershing LLC / Janus investment fund letter.

In the suspect’s wallet, investigators found six credit cards that did not belong to him, including a Capital One Visa card with the name of a woman and two American Express credit cards.

Knoblauch coached the Oilers to the playoffs three times since taking over as a midseason replacement when Jay Woodcroft was fired following a bad start in November 2023. They won 166 of their 286 total games behind the bench, and Knoblauch's .623 regular-season points percentage ranks sixth among active NHL coaches.

The Oilers are now set for their sixth coach since Connor McDavid entered the NHL in 2015 and became the best player in the world, skating alongside fellow MVP Leon Draisaitl. The two still have not won a championship, now going into their 12th season together.

Moving on from Knoblauch comes in the aftermath of a report earlier this week that Edmonton had sought and were denied permission from the Vegas Golden Knights to speak to Bruce Cassidy, whom they fired as coach in late March but is still under contract. Teams making offseason changes typically wait until there is a vacancy before reaching out about prospective candidates.

General manager Stan Bowman getting to make this move seems to indicate he will keep his job, along with president of hockey operations Jeff Jackson, who joined the organization in August 2023. Jackson took over control of hockey operations following the team’s first trip to the final in 2024 and hired Bowman as GM that summer. Assistant coach Mark Stuart was also fired.

“Following a thorough review of this past season, we believe these changes are needed,” Bowman said. “We are grateful for the contributions both Kris and Mark have made to our organization and we wish them the best moving forward.”

The Oilers fell behind 3-0 in their first final matchup against Florida before pushing the Panthers to a Game 7 and losing by a goal. They made it back the following year and had home-ice advantage but seemed to regress in a six-game series defeat that could be blamed on poor defense and goaltending.

Those problems continued this season, before and after Bowman made a goalie swap to get Tristan Jarry and send Stuart Skinner to Pittsburgh. It made the situation worse, as Edmonton ranked 29th out of 32 teams in the league in save percentage at .883.

McDavid late in the season heaped praise upon Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper after the Lightning beat the Oilers 5-2. Even if it was not meant as criticism of Knoblauch, it stood out from a player who usually speaks more about taking responsibility for losses.

Edmonton was eliminated by the less-experienced Anaheim Ducks, when he was unable to find someone to stop the puck between Jarry and backup-turned-starter Connor Ingram. They combined for an .880 save percentage, worst in the playoffs, and the Oilers’ 4.33 goals allowed also ranked last.

The three-year contract extension the Oilers signed Knoblauch to in October kicks in next season and runs through 2028-29. They are obligated to pay him until another team hires him and would be on the hook for any differential in salary over that time.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy's Wednesday ruling is the latest setback for the U.S. Department of Justice, where at least seven other federal courts have agreed to quash or limit the expansive civil subpoenas sent to more than 20 doctors and hospitals last summer.

McElroy's decision also echoed similar concerns raised by judges surrounding the expansive scope of the subpoenas, describing the Justice Department as having “immense prosecutorial authority and discretion” but no longer trustworthy it will enforce its power fairly and honestly.

“DOJ has proven unworthy of this trust at every point in this case,” McElroy wrote.

A DOJ spokesperson said Thursday that they would appeal and continue with their investigations.

“The Rhode Island court’s attack on the professionalism and integrity of DOJ attorneys is outrageous and unjustified,” the department said.

According to the subpoenas, the DOJ had demanded Rhode Island Hospital hand over the birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses of every patient who received transgender care over the past five years. It also included instructions to provide all documents detailing adverse side effects in minor patients who received gender-related care, assessments that formed the basis for prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy, as well as patient intake forms and guardian authorization.

The Justice Department has repeatedly argued that the information sought in the subpoenas is needed to investigate possible fraud or unlawful off-label promotion of drugs. Most recently during a hearing in Rhode Island, the DOJ said that the investigation was taking place in the Northern District of Texas, where the court's chief judge ordered Rhode Island Hospital to comply with the subpoena before McElroy's decision voided the subpoena.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brantley Mayers told McElroy during the hearing that the DOJ is investigating potential “misbranding” of drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, such as puberty blockers for young people. While off-label prescribing is legal, Mayers said that the DOJ is concerned that pharmaceutical companies are providing “financial incentives” to Rhode Island doctors to prescribe the drugs.

The subpoenas were crucial in getting the names of children and their families so the DOJ could interview them.

McElroy rejected that argument.

"The administration has publicly characterized gender-affirming care for minors as abuse, directed the DOJ to bring its practice to an end, and celebrated when hospitals curtailed such programs as a result of this subpoena campaign," McElroy wrote.

The Rhode Island decision is the latest development in the fight over transgender youth health records. Earlier this week, 11 families filed a class-action lawsuit seeking to block the DOJ from obtaining the documents. The lawsuit, filed in Maryland’s federal court, is backed by families with transgender children who have received care from hospitals across the U.S.

And separately, a New York hospital announced that it received a grand jury subpoena from federal prosecutors in Texas seeking information about children who received gender-affirming care and the medical providers who administered it.

NYU Langone is the first hospital system to publicly acknowledge receiving a subpoena for such records as part of a federal criminal investigation. But the institution said in its statement Tuesday it was one of several that received a subpoena out of the Northern District of Texas on May 7. It said it was deciding on how to respond.

“The government cannot use its subpoena power to intimidate families out of seeking lawful medical care. To trans and gender-diverse children and their families, we want you to know that you are valued, you are not alone,” Kevin Love Hubbard, an attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee of Rhode Island, who represented the plaintiffs in the case, said in a statement.

Gender-affirming care includes a range of medical and mental health services to support a person’s gender identity, including when it’s different from the sex they were assigned at birth. It may include counseling, medications that block puberty, hormone therapy to produce physical changes or surgeries to transform chests and genitals, although those are rare for minors.

Most major medical groups say access to the treatment is important for those with gender dysphoria and see gender as existing along a spectrum.

At least 27 states have adopted laws restricting or banning the care for minors, while several others have adopted laws or policies protecting access to transgender health care.

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According to an arrest report from the Miami Police Department, officers arrested Ramon Lauzurique-Gonzalez on Wednesday after officers responded around 5:05 p.m. to an apartment in the 3400 block of Southwest 10th Street in Coral Gables for reports of a man who had been shot.

Police said they found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. The victim told police he lived at the apartment with his wife, Lauzurique-Gonzalez, and his ex-wife, the report states.

Investigators said Lauzurique-Gonzalez shot the victim with a handgun during an argument inside the home.

The victim told police he was able to disarm Lauzurique-Gonzalez after being shot and after the suspect struck him in the head with the gun, according to the report.

A handgun believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered near the front entrance of the apartment, police said.

They said an officer later spotted Lauzurique-Gonzalez near Southwest 34th Avenue and Southwest Seventh Street.

According to police, Lauzurique-Gonzalez “spontaneously stated” something in Spanish to the officer before he was taken into custody, though the statement was redacted from the publicly released report.

Witnesses told detectives Lauzurique-Gonzalez had been arguing with his ex-wife earlier in the day and accused her of divorcing him because she was “attracted to the victim,” the report states.

His ex-wife told investigators Lauzurique-Gonzalez left the apartment saying in Spanish, “I’m going to solve a problem,” before later returning through another entrance, the report states.

Another witness told detectives Lauzurique-Gonzalez pointed what appeared to be a black handgun at the victim and said, “I’m going to f----- kill you today,” before firing a shot, according to investigators.

Police said the victim and two witnesses later identified Lauzurique-Gonzalez in separate photo lineups.

Detectives later interviewed Lauzurique-Gonzalez after reading him his constitutional rights, according to the report, though his alleged confession was also redacted from the report.

Jail records show Lauzurique-Gonzalez is facing one count of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm or deadly weapon.

As of Thursday, the Cuban national was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was listed as “to be set.”

Dropbox has no plans to return its workers to offices. After adopting a “virtual-first” staffing model in 2020, the San Francisco technology company met all of its financial goals and remains committed to making remote work the norm for the vast majority of its employees, according to Chief People Officer Melanie Rosenwasser.

“The pandemic tested our assumption that we have to be in person in order to be productive,” she said.

Allowing employees to work from anywhere helps Dropbox retain talent, said Rosenwasser, who leads the cloud storage provider's human resources teams. Over time, the company refined scheduling practices, meeting protocols and employee well-being programs to better meet the needs of its “distributed” workforce, she said.

“It’s especially important to us to maintain this posture as so many other companies across many, many industries are mandating return to office," Rosenwasser said.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Rosenwasser reflected on the ways Dropbox thrives with remote workers and creates in-person events to build community. Her responses were edited for brevity and clarity.

AP: Why did Dropbox choose a virtual-first model?

ROSENWASSER: We are explicitly not hybrid. We think this is the worst of all worlds, where employees suffer through long commutes only to sit on Zoom because most of our colleagues are distributed. We really believed in this creation of an even playing field. The rules of that are, largely, individual work is done remotely by everyone, but we still come together in person at least quarterly for strategy setting, connection, team building and bonding.

The model is fundamentally built on this notion that flexibility and agency are these new currencies of modern work. We see benefits in recruiting, engagement, employee retention and cost savings.

AP: How does it work?

ROSENWASSER: We put a lot of intention behind how we would bring this to life. We are asynchronous by default, which means we do a lot of our communication and even decision-making in writing. We have a structure called core collaboration hours. These are four-hour blocks for meetings that overlap by time zone. The rest of the time is yours for deep work, answering emails, continuing individual work on projects.

We’re also really obsessed with meeting hygiene. When we do come together and meet, we want to be really intentional on the rules of engagement. We focus on something that we call the three D's: discuss, debate or decide. If none of those things are on the table, then a meeting is not required.

AP: Outside core collaboration hours, can people set their own schedules?

ROSENWASSER: The core collaboration hours are great because everyone knows that this is when you’re meeting with colleagues. Outside of that, you design your workday according to your preferences. Some people log off earlier in the afternoon because they have things they need to do with their children, but they log on later on at night because that is the way that they want to work. We allow for that, and every team contracts on these things so everyone knows what each other’s working schedule is and accommodates.

AP: What challenges do you face with the virtual-first model?

ROSENWASSER: The first is around burnout and the importance of setting boundaries. When you’re working from home, your personal and professional life blur, and that’s why we wanted to intentionally put into place non-linear workdays which are very much based on personal preferences.

When you’re working remotely, you’re very sedentary. We piloted a program called "Meet & Move." We took a set of employees, and all of the meetings they took for the week were on the phone and they were moving. They could take a walk outside or move throughout their house, but they were not sitting in front of a camera.

We have this companywide meeting-effectiveness initiative. It’s not actually the number of meetings that’s the problem. It’s the fragmentation of these meetings. For example, you have a couple of meetings in the morning, then you’ve got a 15-minute break, then you've got another hour-and-a-half, and you’ve got a 30-minute break. When this happens, you can’t really do anything meaningful in those 15- or 30-minute breaks between meetings.

On the HR team, we eliminated all legacy meetings that no longer served us. We built our meetings where we would batch them. Mondays and Wednesdays are for one-on-ones, Tuesdays are for team meetings, Fridays are for interviews. We all tried to adhere to the same schedule. We had more efficiently restructured meetings, more focused time. Now we’re thinking about rolling this out more broadly to the company.

AP: How do you build community?

ROSENWASSER: There’s a relationship tax when you work remotely. Because you’re not in person every day, you don’t have these natural moments of connection. Quarterly off-sites are one of the best ways to build teamwork and strengthen sense of belonging. We have an off-site team that is dedicated to helping leaders put together an agenda, guest speakers, location and hotels.

We had to be really intentional about onboarding because it takes place remotely. Everyone gets an onboarding buddy, which is somebody likely on their team. They show them the ropes, meet with them every day, and eventually it turns into weekly meetings. They also get a mentor, and this could be someone that sits within their team or outside of their team.

People who live in and around the same city come together every week, every other week, for various events. It could be a volunteer event. When we have executives in town in certain cities, we’ll do fireside chats with them and invite all the folks (who work in that area) to come. Everything is basically subsidized, and they’re not mandatory.

AP: What did Dropbox leaders need to unlearn to make this work?

ROSENWASSER: There is a perception that when you’re in the office and you can actually physically see the people on your team, you can just assume they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing. But I think we all know from working in offices that’s not necessarily true. There are tons of distractions. You’ve got gyms and on-site yoga and all kinds of things that are distracting, let alone the number of people that can walk by your desk to start a conversation when you’re midthought.

Today, every single person at Dropbox can see what every team’s responsible for, every item on the roadmap, when things are going to be done, how those things are going to be done. We’re extremely transparent about our goals and what teams are doing.

We don’t have to micromanage their presence because we set these goals and either they hit them or they don’t hit them, so this has become a really important aspect of our operating model, is assertive goal-setting and clarity.

All of our meetings start with a written document. People will, for the first five or 10 minutes of the meeting, read it and then they come on camera, and then we discuss it. It's been really great for clarity of thought because clear writing is effectively clear thinking, so it forces you to put your thoughts and your proposal into a format that can be digested.

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Share your stories and questions about workplace wellness at cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well

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The organization alleges David Suarez paid for the billboards, spending about $4,000 on the mobile ads.

“We love being Jewish and are proud of the Jewish values that guide us to love,” said Hayley Margolis, of Jewish Voice for Peace South Florida.

Members of the organization gathered there, claiming Suarez targeted two Jewish constituents by displaying their photos and first names on the billboards alongside the phrase “Jew hater.”

“I am one of the people whose face and name was on the billboard Commissioner Suarez created and paid for,” said Donna Nevel, of Jewish Voice for Peace South Florida.

“The commissioner has targeted me and called me a Jew hater because I differ with his views on Israel,” Nevel added.

Alan Levine, another member of the organization, said seeing his face on one of the billboards was shocking.

“My first reaction was horror,” Levine said.

“As city commissioner, to call two of his constituents Jew haters -- that may or may not be protected by free speech -- but it is grossly unethical and inappropriate for a public official,” he added.

Levine is also one of the attorneys suing the city, Mayor Steven Meiner and Suarez, alleging they infringed on the organization’s First Amendment right to protest.

“I have spoken many times at the city commission and been called a Hamas lover by Mayor Meiner and an anti-Semite by him and by David Suarez,” Levine said.

The organization filed a motion Wednesday tied to its existing lawsuit seeking additional documents related to the mobile billboards. Attorneys say they obtained an invoice from the billboard company that includes Suarez’s name and what they describe as his personal email address.

“We did get the information from the billboard company. We are engaging in discovery as part of this lawsuit,” said Katherine Giannamore, an attorney representing Jewish Voice for Peace South Florida.

It remains unclear what funding source was used to pay for the billboards.

Giannamore said they have not yet heard directly from Suarez regarding the allegations.

Local 10 News has been in communication with Suarez, who said he is currently out of town. However, he has not provided a statement regarding the allegations.

Local 10 News also reached out to the mayor’s office but had not received a response at the time of publishing.

Según un reporte de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Miami, agentes arrestaron a Ramon Lauzurique-Gonzalez el miércoles luego de responder alrededor de las 5:05 p.m. a un apartamento en la cuadra 3400 de Southwest 10th Street en Coral Gables por reportes de un hombre baleado.

La policía dijo que encontró a la víctima sufriendo una herida de bala en el hombro derecho. La víctima le dijo a la policía que vivía en el apartamento con su esposa, Lauzurique-Gonzalez y su ex esposa, indica el reporte.

Los investigadores dijeron que Lauzurique-Gonzalez le disparó a la víctima con una pistola durante una discusión dentro de la vivienda.

La víctima le dijo a la policía que logró desarmar a Lauzurique-Gonzalez después de recibir el disparo y luego de que el sospechoso lo golpeara en la cabeza con el arma, según el reporte.

La policía indicó que una pistola que se cree fue utilizada en la balacera fue recuperada cerca de la entrada principal del apartamento.

Las autoridades dijeron que posteriormente un agente vio a Lauzurique-Gonzalez cerca de Southwest 34th Avenue y Southwest Seventh Street.

Según la policía, Lauzurique-Gonzalez “de manera espontánea dijo” algo en español al agente antes de ser detenido, aunque la declaración fue censurada del reporte divulgado públicamente.

Testigos dijeron a los detectives que Lauzurique-Gonzalez había estado discutiendo con su ex esposa más temprano ese día y la acusó de divorciarse de él porque se sentía “atraída por la víctima”, indica el reporte.

Su ex esposa dijo a los investigadores que Lauzurique-Gonzalez salió del apartamento diciendo en español: “Voy a resolver un problema”, antes de regresar más tarde por otra entrada, señala el reporte.

Otro testigo dijo a los detectives que Lauzurique-Gonzalez apuntó lo que parecía ser una pistola negra hacia la víctima y dijo: “Hoy te voy a matar”, antes de disparar, según los investigadores.

La policía dijo que la víctima y dos testigos identificaron posteriormente a Lauzurique-Gonzalez en ruedas fotográficas separadas.

Los detectives entrevistaron más tarde a Lauzurique-Gonzalez después de leerle sus derechos constitucionales, según el reporte, aunque su supuesta confesión también fue censurada del documento.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Lauzurique-Gonzalez enfrenta un cargo de intento de asesinato en segundo grado con arma de fuego o arma mortal.

Hasta el jueves, el ciudadano cubano permanecía detenido en el Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, donde su fianza figuraba como “pendiente por establecer”.

Los investigadores dijeron que un Kia K5 se dirigía hacia el norte por Northwest Ninth Avenue cerca de la calle 199 cuando no se detuvo en una señal de pare y chocó contra un Lexus que viajaba hacia el este. El impacto empujó al Lexus contra un Ford Fusion que iba hacia el oeste.

La policía informó que la conductora del Lexus, una mujer embarazada, fue trasladada en helicóptero al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital y se encuentra en condición estable.

Los conductores del Kia y del Ford fueron llevados por tierra a un hospital local para recibir tratamiento.

Las circunstancias que llevaron al choque continúan bajo investigación.

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Investigators say a Kia K5 was heading north on Northwest Ninth Avenue near 199th Street when it failed to stop at a stop sign and hit a Lexus, which was traveling east. The impact pushed the Lexus into a Ford Fusion that was going west.

Police say the driver of the Lexus, a pregnant woman, was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center and is in stable condition.

The drivers of the Kia and the Ford were taken by ground to a local hospital for treatment.

The circumstances leading up to the collision remain under investigation.

The justices ruled unanimously in favor of Shawn Montgomery, whose parked vehicle was hit by a speeding truck driver on an Illinois highway in 2017. He wants to sue C.H. Robinson, the country’s largest freight broker, over its role in putting the driver on the road despite what he called “serious red flags.”

The decision does not mean Montgomery will necessarily win the lawsuit, which the company is contesting. But the ruling opens the door to increased liability for freight brokers, a key part of the industry.

The Trump administration and companies such as Amazon had argued that letting the suit go forward would expose logistics companies to liability under a “patchwork” of state laws.

The Transportation Intermediaries Association, an industry group, said the decision was “deeply disappointing.”

“This is like asking travel agents to evaluate the safety of a given airline despite the fact that the airline has been licensed to fly by the federal government,” said Chris Burroughs, the group's president and CEO. “We are working with our members to assess potential next steps to mitigate the consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision."

Montgomery's lawyers say the trucker had been cited for careless driving in another crash months earlier and that the carrier he worked for had been involved with at least three crashes in a span of about five months. Montgomery's lawsuit said C.H. Robinson should share liability because it hired the carrier despite those problems.

Montgomery's appeal was backed by more than two dozen states. They said a win for him would help bolster safety in an industry that moves billions of tons of goods across billions of miles every year.

The company argued the suit, filed under state law, must be tossed out because brokers rely on the federal government to regulate carriers and federal law trumps state law.

But in an opinion by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court disagreed. The justices found Montgomery's claims can move forward because they fall under an exception for safety regulations. The high court overturned a lower-court ruling in the company's favor.

The decision could increase insurance costs for freight brokers that eventually “cascade through the economy" and result in higher prices for consumers, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in a concurrence joined by Justice Samuel Alito.

Still, “truck safety is a matter of life and death," Kavanaugh wrote.

C.H. Robinson, which is based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, pointed to another part of his concurrence, where he said the decision does not mean brokers will be “routinely subject” to lawsuits.

“We will keep working with policymakers, advocates, carriers, our customers, and others across the industry to strengthen the national safety system and advance practices that reduce accidents on America’s roads," said Dorothy Capers, the company's chief legal officer.

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There is so much of it that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration came up with a tool to warn when the risk of seaweed on beaches is higher.

“Unlike other seaweeds this is not edible,” Ahmad said.

That is where processing comes in. They have to strip the heavy metals out of it and any bacteria.

“We were thinking about, ‘Can we look into in more detail what are the components and it might be something useful to utilize.’ So, thats how it started,” Ahmad said

Researchers at a food science lab are cleaning it, drying it out, grinding it, and turning it into a powder that maybe one day can be used as a thickening agent.

Ahmad said it could “be a component of soups, juices like orange juice, and even ice cream, to make things thicker, so think seaweed next time you grab that bog, bowl of cookie dough ice cream.”

Hay tanto sargazo que la Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica (NOAA) creó una herramienta para advertir cuándo el riesgo de algas en las playas es mayor.

“A diferencia de otras algas marinas, esta no es comestible”, dijo Ahmad.

Ahí es donde entra el procesamiento. Tienen que eliminar los metales pesados y cualquier bacteria.

“Estábamos pensando: ‘¿Podemos analizar con más detalle cuáles son sus componentes y si podría ser algo útil para aprovechar?’ Así fue como comenzó”, dijo Ahmad.

Investigadores en un laboratorio de ciencias de alimentos lo están limpiando, secando, moliendo y convirtiendo en un polvo que tal vez algún día pueda ser utilizado como agente espesante.

Ahmad dijo que podría “ser un componente de sopas, jugos como el jugo de naranja e incluso helado, para hacer las cosas más espesas, así que piense en las algas marinas la próxima vez que tome ese gran tazón de helado de masa de galleta”.

“Se podía escuchar el rechinar del carro, se podía escuchar la persecución, se podían escuchar las señales y luego se escuchó algo que sonó como ‘choque, choque, choque’”, dijo una mujer que presenció la persecución.

Los investigadores dijeron que el conductor de la camioneta Dodge roja era buscado en relación con una investigación de secuestro.

Las autoridades indicaron que la víctima estaba dentro de la camioneta durante la persecución, que involucró a la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida y a la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade.

“Una persecución real, hombre. Vi todo tipo de carros yendo de un lado a otro y el helicóptero, y él corrió y persiguió la gran camioneta roja”, dijo el testigo James Johnson.

La persecución terminó abruptamente cerca de Northwest 86th Street y 18th Avenue cuando un agente de la FHP realizó una maniobra PIT.

Agentes y patrulleros lograron luego detener al sospechoso y rescatar de manera segura a la víctima.

Dos personas resultaron heridas durante el incidente.

Una de las personas heridas fue vista en una camilla antes de ser trasladada de urgencia al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital. Aún no está claro cómo esa persona estaba relacionada con la escena.

Después de varias horas de investigación, una grúa llegó para poner la camioneta volcada nuevamente sobre sus ruedas y retirarla del lugar, poniendo fin a lo que los vecinos describieron como una noche caótica.

“Iban de arriba abajo por la 87 y de arriba abajo por la 18”, dijo otro testigo.

“Tenían todo tipo de policías detrás de él… no sé qué hizo, pero hombre, eso fue una locura”, dijo Johnson. “Mi corazón está latiendo rapidísimo ahora mismo. Nunca había visto algo así”.

La identidad del sospechoso aún no ha sido divulgada ni tampoco más detalles sobre el secuestro.

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“You could hear the car screeching, you could hear the chase -- you could hear the signs and then you heard something that sounded like ‘crash, crash, crash,’” one woman who witnessed the pursuit said.

Investigators said the driver of the red Dodge pickup truck was wanted in connection to a kidnapping investigation.

Authorities said the victim was inside the truck during the pursuit, which involved the Florida Highway Patrol and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

“A real live chase man. I seen all type of cars flying back and forth and the helicopter, and he ran and chased the big red truck,” witness James Johnson said.

The chase came to an abrupt end near Northwest 86th Street and 18th Avenue when an FHP trooper performed a PIT maneuver.

Deputies and troopers were then able to take the suspect into custody and safely recover the victim.

Two people were injured during the incident.

One of the injured individuals was seen on a stretcher before being rushed to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. It remains unclear how that person was connected to the scene.

After several hours of investigating, a tow truck arrived to flip the overturned truck upright and haul it away, ending what neighbors described as a chaotic night.

“They were up and down 87th and up and down 18th,” another witness said.

“They had all type of police behind him ... I don’t know what he did though, but man, that was crazy,” Johnson said. “My heart (is) beating fast as hell right now. I ain’t never seen nothing like this, man.”

The suspect’s identity has not yet been released nor have further details about the kidnapping.

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The victims, who live in the 69 units at the Midway Gardens community, had already had their mail stolen back in February.

“We have had checks stolen, we have had property stolen, we have had credit cards stolen,” said Arturo Abraeu, the homeowners’ association president at Midway Gardens.

The video shows that the thief wasn’t working alone. After throwing the stolen mail into a white sports utility vehicle, he sat in the back seat, and the driver fled.

“I usually try to get my mail every day,” said Esther Pereira, a resident at Midway Gardens.

The U.S. Postal Service has the case. Mail theft is a federal crime punishable by up to 5 years in prison.

Abraeu had a question for the thieves: “Why would you risk your liberty over such a small reward?”

Related story: Miami-Dade deputies accuse 3 of stealing mail, 1 surrenders

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, represents a direct challenge to the authority of the office that enforces ethics standards for attorneys in the nation’s capital where several high-profile investigations of Trump-allied lawyers are playing out.

“The D.C. Bar will no longer be permitted to probe sensitive executive branch deliberations and target executive branch officials with whom they happen to politically disagree, and federal attorneys will once again be free to share their candid legal advice with their bosses and colleagues,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, a top Justice Department official, said in a statement.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington. An email seeking comment to the D.C. Bar's Board on Professional Responsibility did not receive an immediate response.

The complaint chiefly concerns the ethics case against Jeffrey Clark, a senior lawyer in the first Trump administration Justice Department who was deeply engaged in legal efforts to undo the results of the 2020 election that President Donald Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

A disciplinary panel last year recommended that Clark be stripped of his law license, but the lawsuit seeks to end those proceedings, calling them “unlawful” and tainted by politicization.

Clark, who has denied any wrongdoing, applauded the lawsuit on X on Wednesday evening, saying, “This is an important step to vindicate the separation of powers.”

In an attempt to bolster its claims of bias in the disciplinary process, the Justice Department asserted that bar authorities had treated more leniently than Clark a former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, who pleaded guilty to doctoring an email during the investigation into ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign.

The lawsuit also backs Ed Martin, an ardent Trump loyalist who now serves as the Justice Department's pardon attorney. The Office of Disciplinary Counsel accused Martin in March of professional misconduct for a threatening letter that he sent to Georgetown Law School’s dean last year, when Martin was the top federal prosecutor for Washington.

Martin was the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia when he warned the Georgetown dean that his office wouldn’t hire the private school’s students if it didn’t eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

The Justice Department last week filed what's known as a statement of interest in support of Martin, who had earlier complained about “uneven behavior” in the disciplinary process.

El emotivo reencuentro ocurrió la madrugada del jueves en el suroeste de Miami-Dade, donde Bentacourt abrazó a su familia por primera vez desde que el padre de tres hijos fue detenido durante una cita rutinaria de inmigración a finales del año pasado y enviado al controversial centro de detención conocido como “Alligator Alcatraz”.

“Sabía que algún día iba a salir”, dijo Bentacourt poco después de su liberación.

Arianne Bentacourt prometió desde el principio no dejar de luchar por la libertad de su padre. Local 10 la conoció por primera vez afuera del centro de detención en noviembre, donde dejó claro que haría todo lo posible para traerlo de regreso a casa.

“No me voy a rendir”, dijo en ese momento. “Siempre he dicho que soy el tipo de persona que, si digo que voy a hacer algo, lo logro”.

Ahora, seis meses después, esa determinación parece haber dado resultado.

“Acabas de abrazar a tu papá por primera vez en seis meses”, le dijo Magdala Louissaint de Local 10 a Arianne durante el reencuentro.

“Estoy orgullosa de mí misma y feliz de tenerlo en casa”, respondió ella.

Bentacourt describió condiciones difíciles y traumáticas dentro del centro de detención en los Everglades.

“Es una locura”, dijo. “Los animales no viven como viven las personas allá adentro. Todos los días tienes que luchar por tu vida”.

Según la familia y su abogado, un juez recientemente determinó que Bentacourt había permanecido detenido por demasiado tiempo, despejando el camino para su liberación.

Aun así, Bentacourt dijo que su libertad es agridulce porque muchas otras personas siguen detenidas.

“Dejo a muchas personas adentro”, dijo. “Un anciano de 80 años, personas que desearían estar aquí. Es una locura”.

Cuando le preguntaron qué mensaje tenía para las familias con seres queridos aún detenidos en Alligator Alcatraz, Bentacourt les pidió no rendirse, “tratar de hacer lo correcto” y seguir “su habeas corpus”.

La liberación de Bentacourt ocurre mientras continúan las dudas sobre el futuro del controversial centro de detención. Un informe reciente de The New York Times afirmó que la instalación podría cerrar en junio, aunque ni el gobernador Ron DeSantis ni la administración del presidente Trump han confirmado esos reportes.

Sin embargo, proveedores dijeron a Local 10 que se les informó que las operaciones en la instalación podrían finalizar para el 1 de junio.

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The emotional reunion unfolded early Thursday morning in southwest Miami-Dade, where Bentacourt embraced his family for the first time since the father of three was detained during a routine immigration check-in late last year and sent to the controversial detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”

“I knew one day I’d get out,” Bentacourt said shortly after his release.

Arianne Bentacourt had vowed from the beginning not to stop fighting for her father’s freedom. Local 10 first met her outside the detention center in November, where she made it clear she would do everything possible to bring him home.

“I’m not giving up,” she said at the time. “I’ve always said I’m the kind of person — if I say I’m going to do something, I’ll get it done.”

Now, six months later, that determination appears to have paid off.

“You just hugged your dad for the first time in six months,” Local 10’s Magdala Louissaint told Arianne during the reunion.

“I’m proud of myself, and I’m happy to have him home,” she replied.

Bentacourt described difficult and traumatic conditions inside the Everglades detention center.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “The animals don’t stay like how people stay over there. Every single day you have to work for your life.”

According to the family and their attorney, a judge recently agreed Bentacourt had been detained for too long, clearing the way for his release.

Still, Bentacourt said his freedom is bittersweet because many others remain behind.

“I leave a lot of people inside,” he said. “An old man, 80 years old — people wish they were here. It’s crazy.”

When asked what message he had for families with loved ones still detained at Alligator Alcatraz, Bentacourt urged them not to give up, “try to do the right thing” and follow “your habeas corpus.”

Bentacourt’s release comes as questions continue to swirl around the future of the controversial detention center. A recent report by The New York Times claimed the facility could shut down in June, though neither Gov. Ron DeSantis nor the Trump administration has confirmed those reports.

However, vendors told Local 10 they have been informed operations at the facility are expected to end by June 1.

The South Florida rainy season begins tomorrow. It’s no surprise we have the chance for a couple showers each day into next week, but majority of the weekend will be dry. Temperatures will stay above average in the upper 80s to near 90° every afternoon.

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According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the shooting was reported at 3:53 p.m. in the area of Southwest 102nd Avenue and West Circle Plaza in the county’s unincorporated West Perrine area.

“According to investigators, the mother heard a loud popping sound from inside the residence and found her son suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his upper extremity,” MDSO officials said in a news release.

Detectives later confirmed that the boy had shot himself in the shoulder.

They said the boy’s mother drove him to Jackson South Medical Center and he was then airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital.

The boy is in stable condition, authorities said.

Authorities have not said whether the boy’s mother will be facing any charges.

“Lamine Yamal chose to incite hate against Israel while our soldiers combat the terrorist organization Hamas, an organization that massacred, raped and burned Jewish children, women and the elderly on Oct. 7, (2023)” minister Israel Katz wrote on X on Thursday.

The 18-year-old Yamal waved a large Palestinian flag from an open-top bus during a victory parade by Barcelona’s team through the city on Monday. The parade drew some 750,000 people to celebrate the league title clinched the previous day, local authorities said.

Yamal, who is Muslim, posted pictures of him holding the flag on his Instagram account.

Spain’s government and a large part of its population have been highly critical of Israel’s military operations that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza in response to the 2023 Hamas surprise attack.

There has been a global backlash against Israel over the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza, which has spread to sport and culture. Protests have been seen in soccer, cycling and basketball. Last year's Spanish Vuelta was repeatedly disrupted by protesters angry with the participation of an Israeli-backed cycling team.

Spain is also one of five countries boycotting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest to protest Israel’s inclusion.

Yamal is set to star for Spain at next month’s World Cup to be played in North America.

___

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

The Eagles, one of music’s most successful and revered bands, brought more than 50 years of hits to Hard Rock Live.

The “Long Goodbye” tour has the band playing to sold-out crowds, and South Florida got to relive the splendor of their iconic songs, like “Take it to the Limit” and “Witchy Woman,” on Wednesday.

Co-founder Don Henley took center stage and delighted the audience with his witty banter.

From Joe Walsh to Vince Gill, the band delivered, taking fans back to a time when music just felt good.

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Miami-Dade County’s first-of-its-kind mental health diversion facility has been sitting empty for years.

The county purchased the building at 2200 NW Seventh Ave. with bond money approved in 2004.

Retired Judge Steven Leifman has been the force behind the much-lauded facility.

“We need to build a system for that very acute population so we can break the cycle of homelessness, we can break the jail cycle, and we can break the hospitalization cycle,” Leifman said.

Commissioners largely agreed the facility is important to saving lives and freeing up jail bed space.

But board Chair Anthony Rodriguez expressed concern about keeping it open after the first two years, which are already funded.

“Are we prepared to raise property taxes to pay for this center?” he asked.

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According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the shooting was reported at 3:53 p.m. in the area of Southwest 102nd Avenue and West Circle Plaza in the county’s unincorporated West Perrine area.

“According to investigators, the mother heard a loud popping sound from inside the residence and found her son suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his upper extremity,” MDSO officials said in a news release.

Detectives said the boy’s mother, Myeisha Sharie Smith, drove him to Jackson South Medical Center and he was then airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital.

The boy is in stable condition, authorities said.

According to an arrest report obtained Wednesday by Local 10, Smith admitted to detectives that she left her gun unattended in her bedroom with her son, who then grabbed the gun and shot himself in the shoulder, just above the clavicle.

Smith was arrested on a charge of child neglect causing great bodily harm.

She appeared in bond court Wednesday where the victim’s father told the judge his son is doing well and he believes the shooting was an unfortunate accident.

“This was honestly a big mistake. She is the perfect mom for that boy,“ the father said.

“Are you two still together?” the judge asked.

“No ma’am‚“ the boy’s father responded.

The judge ultimately granted Smith bond.

If convicted, she could face up to 15 years in prison.

The top-ranked Sinner landed shots on the lines repeatedly in a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over No. 14 Andrey Rublev to reach the semifinals Thursday and move past Novak Djokovic with a record 32nd consecutive victory in Masters 1000 events — the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams.

“I don’t play for records. I play just for my own story. And obviously at the same time it means a lot to me,” Sinner said.

The last Italian man to raise the singles trophy on the red clay of the Foro Italico was Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta will present the title to this year’s champion on Sunday, with Italy President Sergio Mattarella also slated to attend the final.

“It’s a special tournament for me,” Sinner said.

With nearly everyone inside the 10,500-seat Campo Centrale cheering for Sinner, many supporters wore hats and T-shirts in orange — his theme color.

One group of fans held up a sign that said, “Sinner, Facce Sogna” — “Sinner, Make us dream.”

He lost last year’s final in Rome to Carlos Alcaraz, who is now sidelined due to a right wrist injury, while Jasmine Paolini in 2025 became the first Italian woman to raise the trophy in 40 years.

Sinner broke serve in the opening game for a third straight match and never lost control against Rublev, who was once ranked as high as No. 5.

Rublev noticed there were “many points where he played really well or close to the line or in a line. But he’s No. 1 and it’s normal. You need to force him to miss and it takes a lot of focus to be able to play at that level.”

Sinner had only one brief lapse when Rublev broke him late in the second set.

“It was a bit breezy, a bit windy, so it was very tough conditions,” Sinner said. “I felt we both didn’t play at our best today.”

Sinner said he felt fatigued toward the end.

“I’m going to be all right. It’s normal that one day in the tournament you are slightly tired,” he said. “It has been very long days for me.”

Sinner hasn’t been beaten in a Masters event since he retired with cramps in extreme heat against Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai in October.

Djokovic won 31 straight Masters matches in 2011.

Including all tournaments, Sinner’s winning streak reached 27 matches. He was last beaten by Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarterfinals on Feb. 19 — and he hasn't even dropped a set since his opening match of his previous tournament, the Madrid Open.

Sinner is also aiming to become the second man after Djokovic to triumph at all nine Masters events. Djokovic has won each event at least twice.

The Italian Open is the only Masters event that Sinner hasn’t won.

His semifinal opponent will be 2023 Rome champion Daniil Medvedev or Spanish qualifier Martina Landaluce, who were playing later.

The other semifinal will feature Casper Ruud of Norway against Luciano Darderi, an Argentine-born Italian.

Coco Gauff back in final

In the women’s tournament, Coco Gauff beat 36-year-old Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 to reach the final for a second straight year.

Gauff saved a match point in a three-set victory over Iva Jovic in the fourth round and then came back from a set down to defeat Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals.

Against Cirstea, Gauff got 78% of her first serves in and had only one double fault.

“I'm just happy to be through in straight sets today," Gauff said. "It's been a marathon week.”

Gauff was beaten by Paolini in the 2025 Rome final, then went on to win the French Open.

In Saturday's final, Gauff will face three-time Rome champion Iga Swiatek or two-time winner Elina Svitolina, who were playing later.

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

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Fort Dallas Park is a gem hidden in plain sight, located at 64 SE Fourth St. along the Miami River.

“The cottage is a fantastic story,” said Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo. “When Henry Flagler was building the railroad, his workers lived in tents, and he didn’t want them to live in tents, so he built a series of cottages for them to be able to live in. This is the last of those cottages, so it is priceless.”

The historic park ― that goes back 200 years ― is one that many in South Florida have likely never seen.

“It’s been closed for a decade and yet we are in the urban core and everyone knows the urban core from development, traffic, all these issues,” said Pardo. “People need a place to go by the water that is nice, that has canopy, that is a pleasure experience, and this is what we are trying to build here. We passed a $13 million allocation for our district. We are taking $2 million of that allocation and we are applying that to Flagler Cottage.”

Fort Dallas Park represents the birthplace of Miami.

It used to be the site of old Fort Dallas, built in 1836 to provide a U.S. military presence during the Seminole Wars.

In 1891, the city’s founder, Julia Tuttle, purchased 644 acres on the north bank of the Miami River, which included Fort Dallas. She’s who convinced Florida East Coast Railway executive Henry Flagler to come and build a railroad, and hotels nearby, sending him orange blossoms and oranges to persuade him in order to bring tourism dollars and economic prosperity to the area.

For years, Miami River Commission Chairman Horacio Stuart Aguirre said he and others have advocated for the historic structure to be restored and for that section of river front to be re-opened to the public.

“We have been working on this for maybe like 15 or 20 years,” he said. “For me, this is very, very moving.”

That’s because he’s seeing action.

“What you see happening here today is phase one,” said Pardo. “We’re adding ground cover, trees, building the canopy, and we’re giving access to the public, to the residents, to this wonderful area and the waterfront, which has been denied.”

Pardo said when they get to phase two, officials will bring in food trucks and different kinds of activities for residents to enjoy.

“And, of course, the restoration of the cottage, which is where the money goes,” he said.

Added Aguirre: “We’ve got trees that go back several hundred years. We are going to protect and preserve those. They are unbelievably valuable, and are going to stay here.”

Most Miami commission meetings, including public comment, will come with residents expressing their frustration at the lack of green space in the city and concern that enough is not being done to preserve its history.

“This is super important,” said Aguirre. “The Miami River Commission insists that all properties on the Miami River allow public access.”

Pardo said this project aims to address both the lack of green space and preserving the city’s history.

“That’s how we retain the character and the identity of our neighborhoods, that’s why this is so important, because in the end, that’s what makes Miami interesting,” he said. “If we don’t have that, why live here?”

Built around 1897, the cottage is also one of the city’s few surviving examples of folk Victorian architecture and was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

Officials said the full restoration of the cottage is expected to be completed by mid-2028.

Below you’ll find a rendering of what the finished work should look like, along with a current photo of the cottage and a plaque placed on the historic structure in 1897.

RENDERING:

CURRENT STATE OF COTTAGE:

HISTORIC PLAQUE:

RELATED LINK

Ft. Dallas Park Selective Demo & Flagler Worker House Restoration

The Reggio Approach, used in public daycare centers and preschools in the northern city of Reggio Emilia, values a child’s inherent curiosity and potential, with teachers acting as facilitators, not instructors, and parents and the surrounding community actively involved. And Princess Catherine, who has made early development her signature cause, is spending two days seeing it up close.

“I love that you put children and childhood at the heart of the community, and I’m really fascinated to learn more about it,” she said as she arrived at one of the town’s preschools on Wednesday.

Reggio partially grew out of the Montessori philosophy and both Italian approaches have spread around the world, standing as counterpoints to models in places like the U.S. and Britain that emphasize standardization and testing for children so young they haven’t begun to read.

Reggio appeals to some Italian parents who themselves received education with rote learning — but only to a point, according to Kathryn Ramsay, a longtime early-childhood educator who runs a Reggio-inspired project north of Rome.

“When the children are 3 or 4, they’re totally fine with it,” Ramsay said. “And then when they hit 5, they (the parents) start getting a little twitchy because they’re thinking about Grade 1,” when children have to sit still for longer periods and learn to read and write.

A postwar approach to childcare

The Reggio Approach was born as Italy began to rebuild after World War II and a group of mothers in hard-hit Reggio Emilia, a center of anti-Fascist resistance, banded together.

“They sold the metal from a German tank for funds and they hand-carried stones from the river to reconstruct a place for the children to be cared for while the rest of the village went about the business of putting life back together,” said Margie Cooper of the North America Reggio Emilia Alliance.

An innovative pedagogical expert, Loris Malaguzzi, built on Montessori and other educational reform movements to help articulate Reggio’s child-centered approach, which covers children aged 0-6.

His poem exploring how young children communicate and make sense of their world through drawing, painting, dancing and singing served as something of a manifesto. Valuing the capacities and experiences of children was unheard of at the time.

“The child was only an adult in formation and didn’t have things to say or competencies already realized,” said Roberta Cardarello, senior professor of didactical and special pedagogy at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

The Reggio Approach spread to other towns, especially in the north’s left-leaning municipalities. But Italy’s central government in Rome — headed by conservative Christian Democrats until the 1990s — resisted promoting it widely, perhaps because of its association with Reggio Emilia’s communist history.

Today, that red scare is gone, but the model’s adoption often depends on whether cash-strapped local administrations invest in training or teachers have trained independently, according to Elisabetta Nigris, professor of didactic programs and evaluation at the University of Studies Milan-Bicocca.

How Reggio works and what are its outcomes

Reggio employs features common in high-quality programs, including a focus on adults and children in relationship that promotes social and emotional well-being, according to Sylvi Kuperman, senior researcher at the Center for the Economics of Human Development at the University of Chicago. Her 2017 study on Reggio in Italy found greater high school graduation and employment outcomes compared to kids who didn’t receive formal childcare.

Children typically spend multiple years with the same teacher, she said. They participate in meal preparation. Classrooms feature windows and natural materials, like wood. Gardens and artwork are a staple.

On Thursday, Catherine visited the “Salvatore Allende” daycare and preschool in Reggio Emilia, playing with children in the garden, using a magnifying glass to look in the grass and at one point letting a slimy newt crawl in her hand.

“In London, we have newts like this too,” she said.

Catherine’s visit is significant for Britain, since the Reggio Approach isn’t recognized in its national educational policy, and most early childhood programs are run by private organizations for profit, said Peter Moss, emeritus professor at the University College London’s Institute of Education.

But he stressed that Reggio developed in a very particular time and context that is hard to replicate.

“Reggio Emilia is a reaction to 20 years of authoritarian rule under Mussolini and, after that fell, of course a lot of places in Italy were asking the question ’How do we make sure that never happens again?’”

A Reggio-inspired center called Wild Joy

At Ramsay’s Reggio-inspired, bilingual project north of Rome, there is a large grassy garden but no typical playground equipment or bright decorative posters lining the schoolhouse walls. Rather, the tiny log cabin with a covered porch is spare and neutral-toned. Most learning takes place outside: the “mud kitchen,” where kids play at a table with dishes, a digging pitch, a big rock to climb up and slide down in the dirt. Called “Wild Gioia” (Wild Joy), it currently has five children enrolled, aged 3-6.

Ramsay points to evidence suggesting that the best preparation for reading and writing is play, because it teaches children to concentrate.

“They don’t learn to concentrate by being told what to concentrate on,” she said. “They’re learning to concentrate by having the freedom to be able to follow their own interests.”

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Winfield reported from Rome. Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, MO.

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DeSantis defended the move to open and run the facility despite the cost to Florida taxpayers.

“It’s made a huge difference,” said DeSantis. “Now, when we opened it in the summer of 2025, it was always intended to be temporary because we were only doing it because the federal government didn’t have the resources to hold these people themselves. Well now they’ve gotten a lot of money over the last nine months, they’ve been able to work and adjust their operations accordingly.”

This comes a day after the New York Times reported Florida and the federal government were in talks regarding closing the facility for good.

It’s reportedly costing Florida $1 million a day to run the facility.

This is money the state has long said the federal government will reimburse, but that has not happened, at least not yet.

Additionally, there are new reports stating vendors the state pays to run the facility are claiming they have not gotten paid.

One vendor told the New York Times it hasn’t gotten paid in 200 days.

The Florida Senate Democratic leader, Lori Berman, of Palm Beach County, also spoke about the situation.

“I’m happy to hear reports of its impending closure, but the damage to Florida has already been done,” she said. “This kind of reckless ‘leadership’ from a rogue executive branch needs to be left in the past, and we need to return to a single-minded focus on making Florida more affordable for everyone. Damaging political stunts like this one have no place in our politics.”

All of this is happening amid critics denouncing the facility for inhumane conditions for the 1,400 immigrants being detained there, and the ongoing legal battle from environmental groups also denouncing the harm done to the Everglades.

Still, economists worry that spending will fall off more dramatically in the coming months as benefits from the refunds dissipate, and shoppers continue to grapple with the cumulative impact of rising gas prices at the pump.

Retail sales rose 0.5% in April, a slowdown from the revised growth level of 1.6% in March, according to Commerce Department data released Thursday. March marked the largest one-month increase in retail spending in more than three years, largely because gas prices spiked higher rapidly.

Excluding sales at gas stations, retail sales in April were up 0.3%. That's a slowdown from the 0.7% pace, excluding business from gas stations, in March.

Elsewhere, shopping was uneven.

Sales at department stores fell 3.2%, while sales at furniture and home furnishings stores slipped 2%. Business at building material and garden equipment had a modest 0.1% increase. But online retailers and electronics and appliance stores both posted solid sales gains.

The snapshot offers only a partial look at consumer spending and doesn’t include things like travel and hotel stays. The lone services category – restaurants – registered a solid 0.6% increase.

The so-called control group—which excludes food services, autos, building materials and gas station sales and is used to calculate economic growth—rose 0.5%. That offered a good sign of solid spending by consumers, economists said.

The Iran war that began in late February has led to the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off one-fifth of the world’s daily oil supply. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose again overnight to $4.53 on Thursday. That’s $1.35 more than it cost a year ago, according to motor club AAA.

Economists had believed that larger tax refunds from President Donald Trump's tax cut legislation would kick start spending at the start of the year. But soaring gas prices are taking a bigger slice out of American paychecks, leaving less for things like dining out, new clothes or other treats.

Oliver Allen, senior economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, estimated in a report published Thursday that individual income tax refunds in April were $22 billion higher than in the same month in 2025, equivalent to around 3% of monthly retail sales and slightly bigger than the hit to households from the jump in gas prices over the same period.

“Some of this money will have been saved, but much of it has been spent,” he wrote. “But the flow of refunds will taper dramatically in May, leaving consumers far more exposed to the surge in fuel costs. ”

Allen expects a “meaningful pullback” in discretionary spending in the second half of the second quarter.

Michael Pearce, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, estimates that higher tax refunds have offset the impact of gas prices by a ratio of around 2 to 1.

“With refund season behind us and gas prices still creeping higher, that will flip in the months ahead, putting downward pressure on spending growth,” he wrote Thursday.

Still, U.S. employers have so far defied the economic shock from the war and last month added a surprisingly strong 115,000 jobs. And Thursday the Labor Department reported weekly applications for unemployment benefits of 211,000, within a historically low range.

But concerning data about rising prices has arrived in waves this week.

The Labor Department reported Wednesday that the U.S. producer price index — which tracks inflation before it hits consumers — shot up 1.4% in April, the biggest monthly gain in more than four years. A day before that, the closely watched consumer price index jumped 3.8% from April 2025 — the biggest year-over-year increase in more than three years. Those price hikes, again, largely do to soaring energy prices, have begun to show up in everything from plane tickets and baggage fees, to soap and toothpaste.

A clearer picture of how inflation is impacting Americans may arrive next week when major U.S. retailers like Walmart and Target begin to release quarterly financial results.

Some companies are already seeing warning signs.

Coulter Lewis is the co-founder of Sunday Lawn and Garden, a Boulder, Colorado-based vendor of lawn care products like fertilizer. Lewis noted that from January through the end of April sales soared 70% compared to a year ago. But underneath that growth, he’s seeing growing financial strain from customers dealing with higher prices from the gas pump and elsewhere.

Its wholesale business is faring well, but shoppers are leaning away from committing to the company’s subscriptions, which cost $300 a year. At the same time, Sunday Lawn and Garden is benefiting from shoppers trading down from professional lawn services, which could cost $1,000 a year, to its products and services for do-it-yourself projects.

“They’re spending more money on fewer things,” he said. “That trade-down from pro service is like, ‘okay, well we’ve got to make room for these other increases in our life, and so I’m going to try to do this myself.’”

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits for the the week ending May 9 rose by 12,000 to 211,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s slightly more than the 207,000 new applications analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet had forecast.

Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

Despite relatively few layoffs, the labor market appears to be stuck in what economists call a “low-hire, low-fire” state. That has kept the unemployment rate low at 4.3%, but left many of those out of work struggling to find new employment.

Though U.S. employers delivered a surprising 115,000 new jobs in April, the Iran war has injected a large degree of uncertainty about the broader U.S. economy and labor market.

The Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world’s oil travels through, remains closed. Since the beginning of the war in late February, oil prices have spiked more than 50% and the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. has climbed to $4.53 from less than $3. Besides hitting consumers’ pocketbooks, those higher costs can discourage businesses from hiring.

Data from the U.S. government this week revealed that inflation at the consumer level rose 3.8% from April 2025, the biggest jump in three years. Food prices are also up, but may not yet fully reflect rising energy costs due to the Iran war, analysts say.

Another report this week showed that wholesale prices shot up 6% from a year ago, the highest point in more than three years. The Labor Department’s producer price index — which tracks inflation before it hits consumers — shot up 1.4% from March to April, the biggest monthly gain in more than four years.

This comes at a time when U.S. inflation is already above the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. Two weeks ago, the Fed opted to leave its benchmark rate alone, citing economic uncertainty caused by instability in the Middle East and still-elevated inflation.

Lower interest rates can boost the economy and hiring, but also tend to stoke inflation, leading a number of Federal Reserve policymakers to say they are willing to consider an interest rate hike this year.

On top of that, the recent artificial intelligence boom and the investment required to develop it could alter or even replace some jobs.

A number of high-profile companies have cut jobs recently, including Verizon, UPS, Amazon, Disney and Walmart.

Weekly jobless aid applications have stabilized in a range mostly between 200,000 and 250,000 since the U.S. economy emerged from the pandemic recession. However, hiring began slowing about two years ago and tapered further in 2025 due to President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff rollouts, his purge of the federal workforce and the lingering effects of high interest rates meant to control inflation.

Employers added fewer than 200,000 jobs last year, compared with about 1.5 million in 2024, according to the data firm FactSet.

The Labor Department's report Thursday showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week gyrations, inched up by 750 to 203,750.

The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending May 2 jumped by 24,000 to 1.78 million, in line with analyst forecasts.

Leo’s speech at Rome’s La Sapienza University marked the first time a pope has visited the campus since Pope Benedict XVI called off a planned speech there in 2008 in the face of protests from faculty and students.

The American pope was warmly welcomed on Thursday, including by some of Sapienza’s newest students: Young Palestinians who arrived in Italy this week on a “humanitarian corridor” from Gaza to continue their studies at the university. The Italian government, working with Catholic organizations, has brought hundreds of Palestinians to study and receive medical care in Italy since the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza began in 2023.

Leo met some of the Gaza students during a brief greeting at the campus chapel, and again after his speech in the main lecture hall of the university, which was founded by Pope Boniface VIII in 1303.

In his speech, Leo denounced how military spending had increased dramatically this year, especially in Europe, at the expense of education and healthcare, while “enriching elites who care nothing for the common good.”

He called for better monitoring of how AI was being developed and used in military and civilian contexts “so that it does not absolve humans of responsibility for their choices and does not exacerbate the tragedy of conflicts.”

“What is happening in Ukraine, in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, in Lebanon, and in Iran illustrates the inhuman evolution of the relationship between war and new technologies in a spiral of annihilation,” he said.

The pope said education and research must move instead in the opposite direction that values life “the lives of peoples who cry out for peace and justice!”

Leo has identified AI as one of the most critical matters facing humanity, especially its application in warfare and everyday life. They are themes he’s expected to explore more fully in his first encyclical, due to be released in the coming weeks.

Nada Rahim Jouda, 19, was one of the Gazans who met Leo, just two days after she arrived in Italy. She was still marveling at her new life studying business science in Rome, a city that she said was “like heaven for me.”

“Everything here is green and it’s not gray and troubles everywhere and miserable people in the streets,” she said.

But Jouda remains concerned for the family she left behind: her mother, recovering from leukemia, and younger sisters aged 17 and 13. Over the course of the war in Gaza, the family was forced to move four times, and her mother was unable to receive care or check-ups for her cancer.

“They all rely on me. I’m the only hope that they have,” she said.

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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.

But some critics call the Rededicate 250 event an effort to “hijack” U.S. history with a false, Christian nationalist narrative — one they say fuses American and Christian identities and threatens a constitutional separation of church and state.

The daylong program is being organized by a nonprofit called Freedom 250. Its website describes it as a public-private partnership “leading the presidential programming for America's 250th anniversary,” which culminates with the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4.

Congressional Democrats have questioned the organization's structure and finances, which they see as a Trump-controlled end run around a separate commission charted by Congress a decade ago to prepare semiquincentennial events.

Top Republican officials promote event

Organizers expect thousands of people to attend Rededicate 250, which will include worship music, prayers and speeches from Cabinet heads and other Republican officials, along with religious leaders and others. Trump and several other speakers are addressing the crowd by video, while others will speak in person. The scheduled participants include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

"Our founders knew two simple truths," Hegseth said in a promotional video for the event featuring a montage of Cabinet secretaries.

"Our rights don’t come from government, they come from God. And a nation is only as strong as its faith,” added Hegseth, whose use of Christian rhetoric to justify the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran and in other official settings has drawn scrutiny.

Another promotional video for Rededicate 250 blends various Christian and American imagery — scenes of a cross laid on an American flag, a robed choir, people raising their hands in worship — along with a brief scene of a man praying while wearing a Jewish skullcap. Voices of prominent preachers are heard, one proclaiming, “Faith in God is the value that most shaped America.”

Religious leaders on the Rededicate 250 program include several longtime Christian supporters of Trump, among them evangelist Franklin Graham and pastors Paula White-Cain, who heads the White House Faith Office; Robert Jeffress; and Samuel Rodriguez. Also scheduled are Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron and Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, the only faith leader on the program representing a non-Christian faith.

Musicians on the program include Grammy-winning contemporary Christian artist Chris Tomlin.

Some leading participants portray Rededicate 250 as a Christian gathering.

“I believe it’s a moment when the Body of Christ, the church, comes together and will boldly declare that America still needs God,” said Georgia pastor Jentezen Franklin in a social media video posted on X. “This is an opportunity for believers to stand together as one nation under God. ... I’m honored that they’ve asked me to speak and share the Gospel.”

Johnson noted that the event comes 250 years after Congress declared May 17, 1776, a “day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer” on behalf of the Revolutionary cause.

Critics say event 'hijacked’ by Christian nationalism

Critics say Rededicate 250 is shaping up to promote Christian nationalism — whose adherents typically believe that the United States was founded as and should be a Christian nation.

“What should be a broadly unifying celebration has been politically hijacked and wrapped up in this MAGA narrative that tries to rewrite our history and promote the president’s agenda,” said U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

Huffman said the movement erases the diversity of America’s religious and nonreligious populations throughout its history and threatens the constitutional protections against government-established religion.

The event "would have the founders rolling in their graves,” said Huffman, a California Democrat. He co-chairs the Congressional Freethought Caucus, which emphasizes separation of church and state.

“They have narrowly defined what it means both to be American and to be Christian, and they are wrapping that in the official sanction of the U.S. government," Huffman said.

He said it's a movement that doesn't speak for all Christians, noting Trump's recent sparring with Pope Leo XIV.

Conservative Christians cheer multiple Trump initiatives

The Rededicate 250 event is occurring in tandem with other White House initiatives appealing to Trump’s loyal base of conservative Christians, particularly white evangelical Protestants.

Several participants — including Graham, White-Cain, Dolan, Barron and Soloveichik — also serve on the Religious Liberty Commission. That Trump-appointed panel is preparing a report on its findings after a year of hearings, many of which were focused on conservative Christian and right-leaning political grievances. Its chair, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, repeatedly denies that the Constitution establishes a separation of church and state.

Several participants in Rededicate 250 joined with Trump himself in a Bible-reading marathon.

And a separate Trump administration task force recently alleged discrimination against Christians under Democratic President Joe Biden — a report criticized by progressive groups as “advocacy dressed up as investigation.”

That report alleged that such a bias resulted in heavy fines imposed on two Christian colleges — Grand Canyon University for allegedly deceiving thousands of students over program costs, a decision later reversed, and Liberty University for its handling of crime statistics and sexual assault cases. Choirs from both colleges are performing at Rededicate 250.

Beliefs about Christian nationhood

About 2 in 10 U.S. adults and about one-quarter of Republicans, said the federal government should declare Christianity the official religion of the nation, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in April.

Some 43% said the government should not do so, but should promote Christian values, while 38% said it should do neither. The report said 13% of U.S. adults and 18% of Republicans said the government should stop enforcing the separation of church and state.

Historians generally agree that the founders’ religious beliefs varied, that the U.S. Constitution doesn’t establish an official religion and that it was significantly influenced by Enlightenment thinkers.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocates a strict separation of church and state, hopes to stage a demonstration elsewhere in Washington on the day of the rally.

“This is the government putting on a Christian nationalist event,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, the foundation's co-president. “Even if it is accepting private money for it, it’s still putting it on. It’s outrageous.”

Brian Kaylor, a Baptist pastor and president and editor-in-chief of Word&Way, a progressive site covering faith and politics, said that while the Continental Congress did call for a day of prayer, the founders crafted the Constitution to prevent the establishment of religion. Two early presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, thought such official events were harmful to religion, he wrote.

The event "simply doesn’t represent what type of nation the founders later decided to create,” Kaylor wrote.

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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.

Named Psyche like the asteroid it’s after, the robotic explorer will slingshot past the red planet at 12,333 mph (19,848 kph) on Friday.

It will be an especially close flyby, with Psyche passing within 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers) of Mars, equivalent to the distance between the U.S. east and west coasts. Then it will barrel toward the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that is home to its enticing target.

All of the spacecraft’s science instruments will be on for the Mars pass. NASA’s two Mars rovers along with a small fleet of U.S. and European orbiters will make surface and atmospheric observations at the same time for comparison.

Psyche's cameras already are photographing Mars, appearing as a crescent on approach and a nearly full sphere once it’s in the rearview mirror. The different views will serve double duty, allowing operators to fine-tune their instruments while providing “just plain beautiful photos,” Arizona State University’s Jim Bell, the imaging team leader, said in a statement.

While the asteroid belt is swarming with millions of objects, most are made of rock or ice. Only a small percentage are thought to be metal-rich like Psyche, a potato-shaped asteroid roughly 173 miles long and 144 miles wide (278 kilometers by 232 kilometers).

Scientists suspect the asteroid may be the exposed nickel and iron core of a fledgling planet that was stripped down by cosmic collisions. Studying such an object up close can yield information about the dawn of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago, and why and how Earth spawned life.

Launched in 2023, the spacecraft is midway through its six-year roundabout journey to Psyche in the outer fringes of the asteroid belt, three times farther from the sun than Earth. It should arrive in 2029, slipping into orbit around the asteroid for two years of study. The van-sized spacecraft runs on solar electric propulsion, using xenon gas thrusters.

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

Aliyah has ADHD, and finds it difficult to concentrate when she’s learning from a screen. She’ll watch Netflix in class on her school laptop, hiding her earbuds behind her long, curly hair.

“It’s very hard to get into the mindset of being in school,” Aliyah said.

Aliyah’s mother saw her grades were falling and asked the school to take away her laptop. But she was told that wasn’t possible.

Across the country, parents are voicing concerns about excessive screen time in schools and lobbying educators to go back to pencil and paper. In places like Lower Merion Township, where Aliyah goes to high school, some are taking it even further. Over 600 people in the affluent Philadelphia suburb have signed a petition asking to preserve parents’ ability to opt their children out of using digital devices during the school day. The public school district has pushed back, saying it’s not feasible to let hundreds of students opt out of technology that is essential to the curriculum.

Disagreement over how tech is used in the classroom

At a meeting Monday night, school board members said they were considering many ways to respond to parental concerns about technology, but allowing opt-outs was not one of them.

“There is not an option for us to not have technology in schools,” said Lower Merion School Board member Anna Shurak.

The board was meeting to discuss updates to the district’s technology policies, including repealing a policy that allows opt outs. Over 100 people showed up to protest, many wearing buttons that said “Screens Down, Pencils Up.”

Many emphasized they’re not anti-tech — in fact, most parents agree that learning how to responsibly use computers is an essential life skill. They just don’t want tech to dominate the classroom.

“Teaching how to use technology is not the same thing as using technology to teach everything else,” said Sara Sullivan, a parent.

Technology has become inescapable at schools

The debate in Lower Merion raises the question of whether technology has become so intertwined with learning that it’s impossible to opt out. Kids use devices to play educational games, submit their homework, access online resources and write essays — but parents are questioning the value of gamified edtech software.

Subashini Subramanian said the software her second-grade daughter uses for math, DreamBox, incentivizes rushing through levels to gain points. When she encouraged her daughter to think through the problems methodically, the 8-year-old said, “If I go through all the steps, it’s slowing me down. I have to click, click, click.”

At the school board meeting, many parents said they were exhausted from battling their kids over screen time. Adam Washington says his son struggles with screen addiction, so sometimes he takes away his phone or TV — only to find him watching YouTube on the school laptop instead.

“The screen is killing him. It is killing me, and him, together with our relationship,” Washington said.

Another parent at the meeting questioned what students would do instead of using their computers.

“Opting out is not a solution. It’s avoiding the hard work of finding a solution,” Seth Ruderman said.

Parental pushback on edtech has led to change

The pushback on technology in the classroom has gained steam around the country. At least 14 states have proposed laws to limit screen time in schools, according to Ballotpedia, with four states — Alabama, Tennessee, Utah and Iowa — passing such legislation.

In Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest school district said it will ban screens until second grade, require daily caps for screen time per grade, ban YouTube and require an audit of all education technology contracts.

In Vermont, proposed legislation would allow not just parents but also teachers to decline to use classroom tech. Democratic State Rep. Angela Arsenault, a bill co-sponsor, said she’s responding to parents’ worries about edtech.

“Parents in many districts and states just aren’t being listened to or not being heard when they ask that their students not be forced to use these products,” Arsenault said.

The Lower Merion school district said it’s listening to community concerns and has already made changes, including blocking some problematic websites flagged by parents.

“We have wonderful teachers who have continuously prioritized human interaction and relationships,” Superintendent Frank Ranelli wrote in a letter to parents. He declined to comment to the AP for this story.

The district said it is looking into possible changes, including stronger cellphone restrictions, not allowing the youngest students to take devices home and installing software to monitor students in class.

However, surveillance software can bring its own problems and poses risks to student privacy. In 2010, the Lower Merion School District paid $610,000 to settle lawsuits by two students who alleged the district had spied on them via the webcam on their school-issued laptops.

Kids want ways to hold themselves accountable

High school student Mia Tatar, 16, raised concerns at the board meeting that there’s been an unintended consequence to the anti-tech backlash. The internet filters on school computers are now so strict, she said she’s been blocked while doing research on appropriate topics for school, like breast cancer.

Mia said students need to learn how to responsibly use technology, and adding filters or getting rid of laptops won’t do that.

“It doesn’t teach kids how to hold themselves accountable and how to be responsible for regulating their own screen time once they’re in the world,” Mia said in an interview.

Her friend Elliot Campbell, 15, said there should be strict limits on screen use in the youngest grades, but students should get more freedom as they get older.

“If we lose our laptops or if we lose the partial freedom we have on them, it’s not going to prepare us for college,” Elliot told board members at the hearing.

Fellow high schooler Joaquin Imaizumi takes a different view. He said it’s “completely unfair” to expect children to regulate their usage of devices that even adults find addictive.

“This isn’t about learning to constrain yourself,” he said in an interview. “We don’t give someone drugs and say, ‘OK, now learn how to deal with this.’”

His biggest concern is that devices make it far too tempting to access AI tools like ChatGPT, which he sees eroding his classmates’ ability to think for themselves.

“I’ve seen the atrophy of my peers’ thinking, which is existentially concerning,” Joaquin said.

The influence of AI starts early. A second-grader named Lillian Keshet, who got up to speak at the board meeting, said Google Docs will give her “suggestions” about what to write in class.

“I’m a pretty good writer by myself,” Lillian said. “I don’t need your suggestions, Google!”

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Associated Press writer Jocelyn Gecker contributed to this report from San Francisco.

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The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

The net tally of seats gained and lost was essentially a wash.

“F— around and find out,” said Jeffries after the election victory.

But in a matter of days, the race for control of the House — and the speaker’s gavel — was dramatically reset by back-to-back court rulings that wiped out the Democratic gains in Virginia and now threaten to erode Black representation by Democrats in the Deep South.

The shifting political prospects have been a wake-up call for Democrats, who have been favored to win back the House this November, riding the wave of President Donald Trump’s dipping approval ratings, and a test for Jeffries as the party faces an enlarging map of Republican-friendly seats.

The leader’s aligned outside group has spent some $60 million, much of it on Virginia alone, a hit to the Democrats’ resources as they confront Trump’s Republicans.

“It sort of crystallizes the election is now a contest between one side that has the money and the maps, and the other that has the voters and the candidates,” said Jesse Ferguson, a Democratic strategist and former deputy director of the House Democrats’ campaign arm.

Jeffries would make history as the first Black speaker of the House

Jeffries, who is in line to make history as America’s first Black speaker of the House, acknowledged the Democrats may need to flip twice as many Republican seats — a total gain of six rather than just three — to win the majority in the aftermath of the redistricting fights.

But he insisted that Democrats were on track to pick up seats, as they did in 2018 during Trump’s first term, because Republicans are relying on redistricting — rather than policy solutions — to win elections.

Trump Republicans “don’t give a damn” about Americans’ financial struggles, Jeffries said, paraphrasing the president’s own remarks.

During a closed-door meeting on Wednesday with House Democrats, Jeffries described the work ahead in almost existential terms for the country.

He said the court rulings against the Voting Rights Act and the Virginia measure were “disgusting.” And he warned his colleagues that Republicans would proceed with “diabolical intensity” in their campaigns to regain control of the House, which Democrats will not only have to match but “we have to exceed it with righteous intensity at all times.”

“Failure is not an option,” he told the Democrats, according to a person in the room granted anonymity to disclose the private remarks. “We have to win, and we are going to win.”

Path to power depends on a handful of House seats

Never easy, the race to the House majority was also not expected to be this complicated. Republicans hold a slim majority, among the most narrow in modern House history, and midterm elections tend to favor the party out of power, as a check on the White House.

But when Trump said last summer that Republicans were “entitled” to five more GOP seats from Texas, it sparked a redistricting crusade that led Jeffries to respond in kind.

Rather than take what they call the high road, Democrats said they decided to fight back, believing they could not fully count on the nation’s institutions — in this case, the courts — to provide a check on the GOP power play.

Jeffries flew to Austin to join the Texas Democrats fighting the redistricting plan in their state and stood with those same lawmakers in Chicago where they fled to deny statehouse Republicans a quorum. He joined the private meetings of California Democrats as they launched their counter attack, a voter initiative that put five more seats in the Democratic column. The Democrats picked up a seat in Utah.

And on it went.

“We had to very quickly make a decision, set a course and take a risk,” said Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., recalling the closed-door talks last summer. “There was no guarantee this was going to work out.”

The Virginia measure became a turning point, Jeffries’ biggest swing yet, putting Democrats essentially at parity, if not a potential upper hand in the number of seats gained, and shifting Old Dominion more securely into the party’s column.

He rallied some 1,000 churchgoers in Richmond ahead of Election Day as voters headed to the polls.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday called the Democratic play for Virginia a “crazy overreach” that was rightly rejected by the state’s high court.

“Fortunately, the plan failed spectacularly,” Johnson said.

Redistricting battles push into 2028

While Democrats said they expected the Supreme Court to gut the Voting Rights Act, the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision to toss last month’s election results blindsided many of them.

Jeffries joined a call with furious Virginia Democrats over the weekend who said they were more determined than ever to win the Republican seats outright, regardless of their loss over the map changes.

The overall tally after nearly a year of redistricting battles is still shifting as Republican legislatures in the South rush to redraw their maps in the aftermath of the ruling in the Voting Rights Act case, many of them preparing to eliminate districts held by some of the most senior Black lawmakers in Congress.

Rep. James Clyburn, the veteran Democratic legislator from South Carolina whose own seat is at risk, blamed the justices, not Jeffries, for the outcome in Virginia and elsewhere.

“What the hell, he can’t control the courts,” Clyburn said, vowing to run for reelection regardless of where his district is drawn. “Don’t put that on Jeffries. We won the vote.”

Jeffries acknowledged that this year’s maps are almost set, and pivoted to 2028 when he said Democrats will redouble their efforts to confront the GOP redistricting battle ahead of the next election.

“We know this unprecedented assault on Black political representation, the likes of which we have not seen since the Jim Crow era, the ghost of the Confederacy” will continue, he said. “The challenge that is in front of us is ensuring that there is a decisive and overwhelming response in advance of 2028.”

Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 22-year-old from the country of Georgia who goes by the nickname “Commander Butcher,” was sentenced by a federal judge in Brooklyn on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty in November to soliciting hate crimes and distributing information about making bombs and ricin.

“I acknowledge that my actions have brought harm by spreading hatred and violence and I’m truly sorry for that," Chkhikvishvili wrote in a letter to the judge last month.

His lawyer, Zachary Taylor, asked for a five-year sentence, citing Chkhikvishvili's mental health struggles since he was a teenager who “fell under the spell of the violent extremist content” on social media, but has since reformed. Taylor also mentioned harsh conditions during Chkhikvishvili's nearly yearlong confinement in Moldova, where he was arrested in 2024 on an international warrant, according to his letter to the judge.

Prosecutors described Chkhikvishvili as the leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, an international extremist group that adheres to a neo-Nazi ideology promoting violence intended to trigger a racial and religious war.

They said the group’s violent solicitations — promoted through Telegram channels and outlined in the “Hater’s Handbook” — appear to have inspired multiple real-life killings, including a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, last year that left a 16-year-old student dead.

Chkhikvishvili “repeatedly called for the murder of innocent civilians, including children, and schemed to attack and terrorize Jewish communities and racial minorities in the United States,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said in a statement. “Chkhikvishvili, for example, tried to recruit a supposed associate to dress up as Santa Claus and pass out poisoned candy to minority children.”

Since 2021, prosecutors said Chkhikvishvili distributed the “Hater’s Handbook” to members and others.

“I’m very ashamed authoring Haters Handbook, hoping one day it will disappear, I wish I never wrote it,” Chkhikvishvili wrote to the judge.

Prosecutors said Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn in 2022 and began repeatedly encouraging others to commit hate crimes and other acts of violence. They said in 2023, he solicited an undercover FBI employee to commit bombings and arsons “for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others.”

In 2024, the undercover worker was directed “to target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn with poison,” prosecutors said in a statement.

“Chkhikvishvili sent detailed manuals about creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases, including ricin.”

The lawsuit argues that the president, his presidential library foundation and state officials — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — violated the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits states from giving a financial benefit to a sitting president.

The White House didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment on Wednesday night.

DeSantis moved last September to transfer a 2.63-acre (1.06-hectare) parcel of land to Trump’s presidential library foundation. Since then, the president and his son Eric Trump shared extravagant plans for a skyscraper to house the library. An artificial intelligence video unveiled in March includes panning shots of the tower’s exterior and interior, with a presidential jet parked in the lobby alongside a gold escalator like the one Trump rode while launching his presidential campaign in 2015. Other shots show a giant ballroom like the one he’s planning for the White House, a replica Oval Office, rooftop gardens and a large, gold statue of Trump.

The president also suggested that there could be for-profit entities in the building.

“This concept could be an office, but it’s most likely going to be a hotel with a beautiful building underneath,” Trump said to reporters in March.

The complaint argued that means the land “is no longer available to serve MDC’s student community and Downtown Miami. Instead, the land will house a Trump hotel that brings riches to the President.”

The property that was donated to Trump’s foundation is owned by Miami Dade College and sits next to the Freedom Tower, a historic building that rises alongside the glitzy condos facing palm tree-lined Biscayne Bay. The Spanish Revival skyscraper once housed one of the city’s first newspapers, but later served as a resource center for hundreds of thousands of Cubans seeking asylum in the United States, according to Miami Dade College, which now operates the site as a museum.

The site is valued at roughly $67 million, according to a 2025 assessment by the Miami-Dade County property appraiser. Other real estate experts, including appraisers cited in the lawsuit, have wagered that the parcel could sell for hundreds of millions of dollars more.

Lawyers with the Constitutional Accountability Center in Washington, D.C., and Miami-based law firm Gelber Schachter & Greenberg filed the lawsuit on behalf of a student at Miami Dade College, two people who live near the donated parcel of land and a local nonprofit organization that had hoped to use the parcel as the site of an urban farm.

The Japanese automaker said losses related to its EV operations are estimated to total 2.5 trillion yen ($16 billion), incurred mostly in the fiscal year just ended and the current fiscal year.

Analysts say Honda Motor Co. might have been too ambitious too fast, when many markets weren’t ready. As a result, Honda abandoned many of its plans for EV models, including those in the works in a joint venture with Sony Corp.

“EV demand has declined considerably, due to the rollback of environmental regulations in the U.S. and other factors,” Honda said in a statement.

The Trump administration has pulled back on incentive programs for EVs and withheld money to states wanting to add more EV charging stations, even as gas prices have soared over the war in Iran.

Trump also blocked California’s stringent electric vehicle mandates last year, backpedaling on the shift to environmental models.

Trump’s tariffs on imported autos and auto parts, although lowered to 15% from the initial 25%, also worked to dent Honda’s profitability.

Tokyo-based Honda’s bottom line got a lift from its healthy motorcycle business, helping Honda’s overall sales for the fiscal year through March to rise 0.5% to 21.8 trillion yen ($138 billion).

Honda, which makes the Accord sedan and Super Cub motorcycles, sold 3.4 million vehicles around the world in the fiscal year through March, down from 3.7 million the previous year.

It sold 22.1 million motorcycles, up from 20 million a year before. Honda dominates some markets in motorcycles, including India.

Honda forecast a return to profit for the fiscal year through March 2027, at 260 billion yen ($1.7 billion).

Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe outlined a new growth strategy that included a continued pursuit of carbon neutrality. But he acknowledged the need to work on hybrids and regular gasoline-engine models as well, not just electric vehicles.

When asked by a reporter whether he was considering stepping down to take responsibility for the dire results, a common response in Japan, Mibe said he wanted to carry out the revival plan first.

“We will continue our research to develop future technologies including electric vehicle batteries,” he said. “We will get back on a growth track.”

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Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

She was on a pilgrimage with other Black divers and community members, visiting sacred sites including one where a British slave ship — the Henrietta Marie — sank 326 years ago.

The vessel had delivered 200 enslaved people from West Africa to Jamaica and was heading back to Britain in 1700 — near the peak of the trans-Atlantic slave trade — when it was swallowed up in the churning waters of New Ground Reef where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Gulf of Mexico.

A concrete marker at the site memorializes the people on that ship.

As Browning and her group prepared to dive in early May, the water was calm. The marker, 20 feet (6 meters) below, was visible from the glassy surface. “I thought I’d look at it, pay my respects and that’ll be that,” she said.

But something unexpected happened. Tears filled her eyes. She gently told herself: If you can be quiet, maybe they will speak.

Staring at the monument, which is now a small living reef covered in corals and sponges, she felt her ancestors’ words: “My daughter, we’re so glad you’re here.”

Overwhelmed, Browning lingered by the marker bearing the words: “Henrietta Marie. In memory and recognition of the courage, pain and suffering on enslaved African people. Speak her name and gently touch the souls of our ancestors.”

She felt submerged in gratitude.

“Without their stamina, their spirit and survival, I wouldn’t be here today. None of us would be here today,” she said.

Pilgrimages aren’t meant to be easy

For the pilgrims in Key West, the gathering was an act of devotion, a quest for connection with their roots and for spiritually nourishing generations to come. They had tried to dive to the marker last summer, but the water was too choppy.

“The ancestors were not smiling down on us then,” said Jay Haigler, master diving instructor with Underwater Adventure Seekers, the world’s oldest Black scuba diving club. “This year was different.”

Such a pilgrimage was never meant to be easy, said Michael Cottman, who has written two books about the Henrietta Marie and was part of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers that installed the marker in 1992.

Cottman believes the site contains “spiritual turbulence.”

“Even if it wasn’t carrying enslaved people, it embodies the oppression of our people,” he said.

The group organized an annual pilgrimage in the 1990s, but it didn’t continue. The latest trip was spurred by an underwater interview project proposed by Stanford University anthropologist Ayana Omilade Flewellen, who serves on the board of Diving With a Purpose, a Black scuba diving nonprofit dedicated to documenting slave shipwrecks.

The submerged interviews also helped her connect as a pilgrim, Flewellen said. “I felt a kind of tenderness in my heart.”

The spiritual experience helped her process a traumatic history rooted in death and suffering.

“It’s hard to attach your life with this history,” she said. “The only way I could do that was turn toward what the divers were experiencing on this pilgrimage. That’s where it all bloomed and blossomed.”

Ancient ritual at African refugee cemetery

The pilgrims also gathered on land. At Higgs Beach on the south side of Key West, they visited a memorial and burial ground for 297 African refugees who died in 1860 after being rescued by the U.S. Navy from three slave ships — Wildfire, William and Bogota. Over 1,400 refugees were housed by the government in a compound and provided food and medical care, said Corey Malcom, the Florida Keys History Center’s lead historian.

While many were sent back to Africa, hundreds died due to the horrific conditions on the ships, he said.

Largely forgotten for decades, the grave site was discovered by historians and geologists using ground-penetrating radar. In 2010, a large pit containing 100 more bodies was located at a community dog park across the street. The area is now fenced off, Malcom said.

On Saturday, pilgrims met at the cemetery and held an emotional libation ceremony, a sacred, ancient ritual rooted in Afro-Caribbean spiritual tradition. One by one, group members tearfully thanked their ancestors and poured white rum on the beach. The clear spirit is believed to act as a messenger, inviting ancestral souls for their blessings.

“To honor your ancestors and the road they’ve traveled is very, very important because we’re all connected,” said Addeliar Guy, one of the elders and an avid diver.

Underwater monument represents a living history

Joel Johnson trained for weeks for his first open-water dive at the Henrietta Marie site. Johnson, the president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, said what surprised him as he approached the monument was the vibrancy surrounding it. Fish darted among the corals that swayed with the currents; shells rested on the sandy bottom.

Conservation and protecting these habitats also preserve the history below the waves, Johnson said.

“This was not a place of death, but a place of life,” he said. “I didn’t feel like I was grieving for my ancestors. I felt like I was in the stream of history, recognizing that I’m a part of that. It made me happy.”

While underwater, Michael Philip Davenport, president of Underwater Adventure Seekers, was inspired to create art showing ancestors emerging from the monument.

“Their spirituality is still in that space,” he said. “I was feeling their lives and their tragedy.”

Dr. Melody Garrett, an anesthesiologist, started training with Diving With a Purpose in 2011 and has gone on missions to find the Guerrero, a Spanish pirate ship that wrecked in 1827 while carrying 561 enslaved Africans.

“A pilgrimage like this is so important now more than ever because there is an effort to cover up, rewrite and change history,” she said. She cited the Trump administration’s moves to remove references to slavery and Black history at National Park Service sites and federal museums, labeling it as divisive “anti-American propaganda.”

For Garrett, seeing these pieces of history gives her a strong sense of identity as an American, as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday.

“Black people have been here since before this country’s inception, longer than many other people have,” she said. “This is our country.”

Exhibit displays shackles used in slave trade

Remnants of the Henrietta Marie’s wooden hull are embedded at the site under layers of sand. The shipwreck was discovered in 1972 by treasure hunter Mel Fisher, but it wasn’t until 1983 that hundreds of intact items were recovered. Only a few slave ships were found out of the 35,000 used to transport over 12 million enslaved Africans; most vessels were intentionally destroyed to hide the illicit trade.

The artifacts, which occupy an entire floor of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, include over 80 sets of iron shackles, many of them child-size.

When Kory Lamberts first walked over wooden planks in the exhibit, they unexpectedly creaked.

“It was visceral,” he said. “It took me to a place. It also tells me that these were young people — children. These are baby shackles. There’s no sugarcoating it. The truth really hits you.”

While in Key West, Lamberts — who runs a nonprofit to make aquatics more equitable — said he brought back fish from the Henrietta Marie site, which he imagines would have absorbed the DNA of the ancestors. The group ate that fish for dinner the night after the dives — like a sacrament.

“I don’t practice a faith, but isn’t this what people are doing every Sunday at church?” he asked. “I wasn’t just bonded with this site through the experience of being there, but at this molecular level with a full circle moment of connection with myself and my history.”

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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.

Potgieter had six birdies in his round of 3-under 67. His name was atop the leaderboard because he was in the first group to tee off. More than anything, it was an early indication that Aronimink could yield birdies — even a hole-out eagle from fairway by Jon Rahm — but wasn't giving up much.

Among the early starters, Bryson DeChambeau already was 4 over as he headed toward the final five holes. Stephan Jaeger was the first player to reach 4 under, later joined by Min Woo Lee, as both were nearing the end of their rounds.

The damp air gave way to clearing skies by mid-morning. Some overnight rain didn't provide enough moisture to take some of the firmness out of severely contoured greens. Rory McIlroy hit one approach on the 15th that shot forward some 20 feet on its second hop.

“I think I hit it on the right spots on the golf course, especially on the greens,” Potgieter said. “I didn’t feel like I had to putt over some of these big slopes we had. So I definitely left myself in really good positions on the green.”

Ryan Gerard dropped only one shot in his round of 69.

Garrick Higgo had the worst start imaginable — a late one. The South African was late getting to the first tee, a two-shot penalty before he even hit his opening drive. His par became a double bogey on the first hole, and he finished with two big putts for a 69.

Braden Shattuck, one of 20 club pros in the field from nearby Rolling Green Golf Club who was given the honor of the first tee shot, wound up hitting two of them. He feared the first one went so far left it was out-of-bounds, so he had to hit a provisional.

The first one was next to a fence, he took a one-shot penalty to move it and made double bogey. Shattuck opened with an 81.

McIlroy was at even par playing in the same group with Jordan Spieth, who was at 1 under midway through their second nine.

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, played in the afternoon.

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

Some of the other ripples, though, aren't as obvious. They're the ones we carry inside us — grief over lost loved ones, chronic health conditions, the sense of lives interrupted. And in recent days, another one has made itself known in the wake of a rare hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship: the fear, despite official reassurances, that it might be happening again.

But the flourishing of fear, whether on a personal or societal level, can also be an indicator that something else is missing. Perhaps there's no post-pandemic reality more entrenched than the damage done, in the U.S. and globally, to the bonds that in the before times, many would have considered secure — science, government, information itself.

“COVID undermined our trust in what most of us used to trust,” said Elisa Jayne Bienenstock, a research professor and sociologist at Arizona State University. “When general trust goes down, when there’s a lot of cynicism, who are people looking to, to explain what to do and how the world works?”

What it used to be and what it is now

Before 2020, the outbreak of some illness somewhere didn't usually cause massive concern outside of the specific areas impacted, even as some epidemics caused significant numbers of deaths.

Some of that was complacency in the face of a world where widespread travel wasn't as accessible to the masses as it has become, which was a key part of COVID-19's spread.

In fact, there have been outbreaks of the current strain of hantavirus in some South American countries through the decades, like one in 1997 in Chile. Other countries have had epidemics of a range of illnesses from cholera to dengue to SARS, and the U.S. has seen West Nile, Legionnaire's and more.

But in a post-COVID-19 world, it didn't take long before questions and concerns surfaced about disease spread in the days immediately following the first reports that three people had died from hantavirus on the ship. A total of nine confirmed and two suspected cases have been identified, including the fatalities.

Health experts have repeatedly emphasized that even though the virus can cause serious illness in those infected, the risk of spread in the general public is low. Despite that, when ship passengers were taken to the Spanish island of Tenerife to disembark, residents like Samantha Aguero were concerned.

“We feel a bit unsafe. We don’t feel as there are 100% security measures in place to welcome it," she said. “This is a virus, after all, and we have lived this during the pandemic.”

Institutions are diminished for many

Bienenstock points to three institutions that have suffered from the public's loss of trust: government, media and science itself. But government officials and journalists were dealing with issues of public mistrust well before the pandemic.

The mistrust of science got ammunition not because scientists were making mistakes in their processes but because non-scientists didn't have the same understanding, she said.

“Most people don’t think of science as a process. In their mind, science is an answer, it’s a fact. And so when those facts showed that they weren’t 100% reliable and assured, it started undermining trust in the science,” she said.

“One of the problems with COVID is it undermined that confidence in science for people who don’t understand how science works. It showed the process. And it showed that scientists don’t always have the answer,” Bienenstock said. “A lot of people in crisis, when they fear things, don’t care what the answer is, as long as there’s a definitive answer. And science doesn’t provide that when it doesn’t know."

Now what?

It's not just about the issue at the forefront of people's attention at the moment. There are ripple effects as well.

“COVID ... didn’t just heighten people’s sensitivity to health threats. It did so unevenly, in ways often disconnected from actual risk,” said Michele Gelfand, professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. “As trust in institutions has weakened, people have lost a key way to navigate uncertainty together. Without trust, people rely more on rumor, fear, and emotion, which can lead them to overreact to small risks and underreact to serious ones.”

Karlynn Morgan, a 76-year-old retired nurse-anesthetist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has seen that heightened attention, with more people without a medical or science background talking about health issues than before the pandemic.

She has also been disturbed by the increase in what looks to her like a lack of trust in science, as seen in falling vaccination rates and rising instances of diseases like measles.

“I think people are far less trusting because people used to take their children and just get the vaccine," she said. "When I was a kid, there was no question you were going to go get your shot.”

If trust is going to be rebuilt, Gelfand said in an email, then leaders have to get involved.

“They set the threat signal. They determine whether people get accurate information about the level of danger or distorted information that serves a political agenda. When leaders send clear, honest signals, people can calibrate in the face of threat. When leaders manipulate threat for their own purposes, norms erode and and trust collapses,” Gelfand said.

“Strong, reliable institutions have historically been our superpower as a society. They’re what allow millions of people to coordinate under uncertainty without knowing each other personally," she said. "Without that institutional backbone, we lose the very capacity for collective action that has helped human groups survive for millennia.”

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Follow the AP's coverage of the hantavirus outbreak at https://apnews.com/hub/hantavirus.

French authorities had initially ordered over 1,700 passengers and crew on The Ambition cruise ship to remain on board, but then decided late Wednesday to let those unaffected disembark. One passenger was spotted raising his arms in triumph while leaving the vessel.

It was not immediately clear how many left the ship, but the British operator of the ship said Thursday that passengers are able to disembark “with all scheduled shore excursions operating as planned today.” As of Thursday morning, 60 passengers and four crew members were experiencing gastrointestinal illness, according to Ambassador Cruise Line.

French authorities said there is no link to a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch vessel that has put European health authorities on alert in recent weeks.

The Ambition was midway through a 14-night cruise from Belfast and Liverpool, with scheduled stops in northern Spain and along France’s Atlantic coast. It reached Bordeaux on Tuesday evening.

The boat will remain in Bordeaux overnight before continuing its journey on a revised itinerary from Friday to avoid bad weather.

“This will allow the ship to avoid forecast unsettled weather conditions in the Bay of Biscay this evening which would be less than ideal for guests and crew recovering from gastrointestinal illness while also providing valuable additional time for crew who have worked exceptionally hard in challenging circumstances over recent days,” Ambassador Cruise Line said.

Samples analyzed at Bordeaux University Hospital confirmed an outbreak of norovirus. Local authorities said at this stage no serious cases have been reported and that sick passengers were cared for onboard by the ship’s medical team.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks outbreaks on voyages that call on U.S. and foreign ports, recorded 23 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships last year. Most were caused by norovirus, including a new strain.

Ambassador Cruise Line, a British operator catering to passengers over 50, was founded in 2021.

The operator said a 92-year-old male passenger died on Sunday but did not report any symptoms consistent with gastrointestinal illness.

Celina, Princeton, Melissa and Anna — all part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex — were the Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 5 fastest-growing U.S. cities with populations of 20,000 residents or more from mid-2024 to mid-2025, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Fulshear, in metro Houston, was the second-fastest growing U.S. city. The five Texas cities' year-over-year growth rates ranged from almost 15% to almost 25%.

In pure numbers, Celina, with only 64,000 people, grew by more residents — 12,700 — than Seattle and Houston, cities that are 12 times and 37 times larger respectively.

Small- to medium-sized cities hit a sweet spot between the largest U.S. cities, which were most impacted by the loss of immigrants from the crackdown started last year during the second Trump administration, and anemic growth in small towns, according to Matt Erickson, a Census Bureau statistician.

Texas cities dominate

Nine out of 10 of the largest population gainers in pure numbers were cities in the South because of a healthy job market and its comparative affordability. The biggest numeric gainers were Charlotte, North Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; and Celina.

Fort Worth leaped over Jacksonville last year as the 10th most populous U.S. city, putting four Texas cities in the nation's top 10 most populous, with the other cities being Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

Austin skipped over San Jose for the 12th most populous spot, as Texas’ capital city surpassed 1 million residents for the first time. It is now one of a dozen U.S. cities with 1 million residents or more.

Seattle makes a comeback

Seattle was the only non-Southern city to crack the top 10 in numeric population gains last year, at the No. 5 spot.

Like many large cities, particularly on the coasts, Seattle lost population during the height of the pandemic a half-decade ago. But recent construction of new housing has helped ease the city's affordability, making it more attractive for residents to stay in the core city rather than move to farther out suburbs in the metro area, according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management.

The growth was driven by immigrants, particularly from China and India. International migration accounted for almost three-quarters of the area's population gains, according to county-level population estimates released in March.

Tight housing market and natural disasters drive population losses

The two cities with the greatest rates of population loss last year — Twentynine Palms, California, by Joshua Tree National Park and Key West at the southern tip of Florida — were in places with tight housing markets. Their losses ranged from -2.4% to -2.9%.

In Twentynine Palms, a large chunk of the housing stock has been converted into short-term rentals for tourists heading to the national park. Just under 40% of its housing is occupied by its owners, compared with the national average of 65%, according to Census Bureau figures.

Hemmed in on all sides by water, the limited housing stock in Key West, as well as some of the highest home insurance rates in the U.S., have driven up housing costs for the Conch Republic. The median price for a home in Key West was $1.3 million at the start of this year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Other cities that had some of the biggest rates of population loss last year were hit by natural disasters.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck Florida’s Gulf Coast within weeks of each other in late 2024. Remnants of Helene blew through western North Carolina, leaving behind damaging tornadoes and flooding. Among the cities with the greatest rates of loss were Asheville, North Carolina, and several cities on Florida’s Gulf Coast, including Pinellas Park, Dunedin, Largo and Clearwater.

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Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social.

The vice president, who was tapped by Trump to chair an anti-fraud task force, said misuse of government social programs is not a victimless crime, but instead a harm to every American taxpayer.

“You are the first victim of fraud,” Vance told the crowd, as signs hung nearby that read “PROTECTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS” and “FIGHTING FRAUDSTERS.”

The vice president, who is seen as a potential GOP candidate for president in 2028, has been promoting the work of the task force as he has campaigned for Republican candidates in recent months.

But Thursday's visit was the first that has been expressly billed as a stop to talk about the fraud-fighting efforts rather than the economic-focused message he's delivered in other visits.

Vance's pitch on President Donald Trump's economic policies has become tougher in the wake of the Iran war, which has driven up costs of gas and other goods, including food.

The visit to Maine comes after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said earlier in the year that he was calling for corrective action on alleged fraud in government health programs in Maine, a request characterized by the state’s Democratic governor, Janet Mills, as a “political attack.” It also comes as Maine residents begin voting ahead of the state’s primary elections on June 9, when they will be selecting candidates for governor, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House.

Mills, who is prevented by term limit laws from running for a third term, recently dropped out of the Democratic primary race to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins, effectively ceding the nomination to progressive activist and oyster farmer Graham Platner. The seat is considered one of the most competitive in the nation and critical to Democratic hopes of reclaiming control of the chamber.

Republicans are bullish about their chances of taking back the 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses Bangor, after Democratic Rep. Jared Golden announced he wouldn’t be seeking reelection to the seat. Former Gov. Paul LePage, a Trump ally looking to make a political comeback, is the sole Republican vying for the nomination.

Vance portrayed LePage as a partner-in-arms with his anti-fraud effort, and told the crowd Thursday that: “Fraud has festered in Maine because this guy is no longer the governor of Maine."

He also praised Collins for her independence and lack of partisanship.

“Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins. I almost wish she was more partisan,” Vance said. “If she was as partisan as I wish she was, she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine.”

LePage appeared at Thursday's event, while Collins was scheduled to be in Washington.

Before Vance arrived, LePage told the crowd that if elected to represent Maine's 2nd Congressional District, he would work with the Trump administration to crack down on fraud in social safety programs, which he characterized as rampant in his state.

“The American people are done being taken for a ride. It’s time for the Maine people and the Maine taxpayer to be put front and center,” he told a crowd of a few hundred at Bangor International Airport.

In the governor's race, seven Republicans and five Democrats are vying to replace Mills, who has sparred with the Trump administration over the issue of transgender athletes in high school sports.

Some Maine Democrats have used Vance’s appearance as an opportunity to boost their own campaign messages. Progressive groups were planning a demonstration in Bangor at the time of the appearance, and Maine Secretary of State and governor candidate Shenna Bellows said she planned to speak at it.

Nirav Shah, the former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention director who is now running for governor, said in an email to supporters and media that Vance is visiting Maine when costs of necessities such as heating oil and gas are surging in the state.

“That is the record JD Vance is bringing to Maine on Thursday. That is the record the Maine Republicans hosting him are ‘honored’ to celebrate,” Shah said.

Maine is a largely Democratic state, but Trump has proven popular in rural areas, and he has won the 2nd District in three consecutive elections. Mills had made her opposition to Trump a focus of her Senate run against Collins until she suspended her campaign in late April, clearing a path for Platner to take the nomination.

Vance paid a visit to northern New England in March 2025, when he went to Vermont on a family vacation. The appearance attracted protests near a ski resort.

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Price reported from Washington.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa ’s exit from the heavily guarded Senate came after volleys of gunshots were fired Wednesday night by the building's security personnel during an argument with a government agent, sparking chaos that apparently helped the senator to slip out.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a late-night TV statement to ask the public to remain calm. A police investigation was underway, including into suspicions that the incident was instigated to provide dela Rosa a cover to escape.

“There is no obstruction of justice,” Senate President Alan Cayetano said of dela Rosa’s escape while in the Senate’s protective custody.

He told a news briefing that he did not see any ICC warrant of arrest against dela Rosa and the senator was free to leave the premises.

Critics, however, said Cayetano and the Senate's security chief should be held responsible for dela Rosa's escape.

Dela Rosa, 64, served as the former national police chief of Rodrigo Duterte, who was president from 2016 to 2022. Duterte was arrested in March last year on a ICC warrant for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he launched and for which he is now facing a trial in The Hague.

A warrant unsealed Monday by the ICC charges dela Rosa with the crime against humanity of murder of “no less than 32 persons” between July 2016 and the end of April 2018, when he led the national police force under Duterte and enforced his bloody crackdowns.

Dela Rosa and Duterte have separately denied authorizing extrajudicial killings although the former president has openly threatened drug suspects with death while he was in office.

Dela Rosa’s legal predicament came as political disputes escalated between the Duterte family and Marcos. Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president’s daughter, has blamed Marcos for what she said was the “kidnapping” of her father and handover to a foreign court.

The disputes reflect the deep divisions that have long plagued the rambunctious Asian democracy.

On Monday, Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives, which is dominated by Marcos’ allies, over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of state funds and a public threat to have Marcos, his wife and the House speaker assassinated if she herself was killed in their intensifying conflict.

She has denied any wrongdoing but has refused to answer specific allegations in detail.

The Senate will convene into an impeachment court on Monday at the earliest to prepare for the trial of the vice president, Cayetano said.

Cayetano, a key ally of Rodrigo Duterte, wrested the presidency of the Senate Monday after he got the support of 13 of 24 senators. He gained the majority after dela Rosa, who has been absent for months due to fears of his possible arrest, suddenly showed up in the Senate Monday, arriving in Cayetano’s car.

National Bureau of Investigation agents tried to serve the ICC arrest warrant, but dela Rosa darted toward a narrow stairway into the Senate plenary hall and sought the help of allied senators, who took him into protective custody.

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Associated Press journalist Joeal Calupitan contributed to this report.

An Associated Press reporter saw Ambassador Evgeny Stanislavov leave the Hungarian Foreign Ministry less than 30 minutes after he arrived to speak with Foreign Minister Anita Orbán about strikes that hit the Ukrainian region of Transcarpathia on Wednesday. The region is home to a sizable Hungarian minority.

“I told the Russian ambassador that it was completely unacceptable for Hungary that they were now attacking Transcarpathia, home of the Hungarian minority," Anita Orbán said on social media. “I stressed that Russia should do everything for an immediate ceasefire and a peaceful and lasting end to the war as soon as possible.”

Russia fired at least 800 drones in a massive daytime barrage Wednesday targeting about 20 regions of Ukraine. At least six people were killed and dozens were wounded, including children. Lasting hours, it was one of the longest-lasting attacks by Moscow in the war now in its fifth year.

The attacks continued Thursday, killing seven in Kyiv alone including a 12-year-old girl, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

After the meeting, the Russian embassy issued a statement saying the Russian attack on Wednesday only targeted installations and infrastructure used by Ukraine’s army and not civilian sites.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said called the summons in Budapest an “important message” and thanked Magyar for his comments.

“Moscow has once again shown itself to be a common threat not only to Ukraine, but also to neighbouring countries and Europe as a whole,” Zelenskyy said.

The summons marks a stunning change after years of close relations between Hungary — both a member of the European Union and NATO — and Moscow, even following the Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

When the ambassador left the Foreign Ministry building on the banks of the Danube, an activist yelled at him in Hungarian, “Comrade, it’s over!”

After defeating Orbán in a historic vote in April, Magyar has vowed to undo much of the legacy built during Orbán’s 16 years in power, with a particular focus on alleged corruption.

Magyar announced Thursday that he was ending two crisis governing structures in Hungary set up in response to the war in Ukraine and the COVID pandemic.

Orbán had declared a “ state of danger ” in 2022 in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and his Fidesz party granted him extraordinary executive power during the COVID pandemic in 2020. Both enhanced his powers and led to widespread allegations of democratic backsliding.

"We are returning to normality," Magyar said in a social media post. “As of today, after four years, the wartime state of emergency in Hungary is ending, and with it we are also putting an end to the decree-based emergency rule introduced by the Orbán government six years ago.”

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McNeil contributed from Brussels.

The new inductees into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress include Swift’s blockbuster 2014 pop album “1989,” Beyoncé’s era-defining 2008 anthem “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Khan’s genre-blending hit “I Feel for You,” Vince Gill’s emotional ballad “Go Rest High on That Mountain” and The Go-Go’s groundbreaking debut album “Beauty and the Beat.”

They were among the 25 recordings entering the archive in the class of 2026, acting Librarian of Congress Robert Newlen announced Thursday. The selections were chosen for their “cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”

“Music and recorded sound are essential, wonderful parts of our daily lives and our national heritage,” Newlen said in a statement. “The National Recording Registry works to preserve our national playlist for generations to come.”

Other recordings entering the registry include Ray Charles’ groundbreaking country crossover album “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music,” Reba McEntire’s “Rumor Has It,” Rosanne Cash’s “The Wheel” and Weezer’s self-titled debut known as “The Blue Album.”

Classic singles from Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Byrds, José Feliciano and Paul Anka also earned inclusion.

Among the more unconventional selections are the soundtrack to the influential 1993 video game "Doom" and the radio broadcast of “The Fight of the Century,” the legendary 1971 heavyweight boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

The oldest recording in this year’s class is Spike Jones and His City Slickers’ 1944 single “Cocktails for Two.” The newest is Swift’s “1989.”

This year also marks the first recordings by Swift and Beyoncé selected for the registry. The Library of Congress said more than 3,000 public nominations were submitted for consideration this year.

Las tormentas también dejaron más de 50 heridos cuando azotaron varios distritos en Uttar Pradesh, el estado más poblado de India, el miércoles por la noche.

Funcionarios indicaron que algunos decesos fueron provocados por la caída de árboles, el derrumbe de estructuras y los rayos. La policía y equipos de emergencias utilizaron motosierras y grúas para retirar árboles caídos de carreteras y vías ferroviarias en varios distritos.

Las tormentas son habituales en el norte de India durante la temporada de calor —que va de marzo a junio— antes de la llegada de las lluvias anuales del monzón.

Narendra N. Srivastava, un funcionario administrativo, señaló que en las zonas afectadas se movilizaron equipos de emergencia y que viviendas, cultivos e infraestructura eléctrica sufrieron daños generalizados, especialmente en distritos rurales.

En el distrito de Prayagraj, residentes describieron escenas de pánico mientras potentes vientos azotaban sus vecindarios.

“La tormenta llegó de repente y el cielo se volvió completamente oscuro en cuestión de minutos", contó Ram Kishore. "Los tejados de lámina salían volando y la gente corrió a refugiarse en el interior. Podíamos oír árboles caer durante toda la noche”.

En el vecino distrito de Bhadohi, Savitri Devi relató que su familia se salvó por poco después de que los fuertes vientos dañaran su casa de barro.

“Salimos corriendo cuando las paredes empezaron a temblar por el viento. Nuestro techo se derrumbó instantes después. Pasamos la noche en casa de un familiar”, manifestó.

El ministro principal de Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, ordenó a los funcionarios completar las operaciones de auxilio en un plazo de 24 horas e instruyó a las autoridades a proporcionar compensaciones y ayuda de emergencia a las familias afectadas.

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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.

FIFA has announced that, for the first time, the final at the Metlife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 will include a Super Bowl-style concert.

Soccer's governing body said the show would support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said it would bring together “music and football on the biggest stage in sport for a very special cause.”

“Every child should have the opportunity to dream, and together we can help make that possible,” he posted on Instagram.

The show will be curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin.

The Super Bowl is famed for its halftime show, attracting the world's biggest stars for spectacular performances. This year featured Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny.

Previous headliners included Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Prince, Bruce Springsteen and Rhianna.

But halftime shows are not commonplace in soccer, with events such as the Champions League final featuring a pre-match concert. On May 30, the Killers will headline European club soccer's biggest game between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest.

It is not known how long the World Cup halftime show will last, but the interval in soccer is not supposed to go beyond 15 minutes.

FIFA describes it as “a singular moment at the intersection of sport, culture and purpose, broadcast live around the world.”

The World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and runs through June and July.

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

Her resignation came after Latvia’s Defense Minister Andris Spruds, from the Progressives Party, was forced to resign last week over the government’s handling of multiple incidents involving stray drones suspected to be from Ukraine crossing into Latvian territory. Silina said at the time Spruds had lost her trust and that of the public.

The drones incidents "clearly demonstrated that the political leadership of the defense sector has failed to fulfill its promise of safe skies over our country,” Silina said on Sunday, explaining Spruds' resignation.

On May 7, two suspected Ukrainian drones entered Latvia, one of them crashing at a fuel storage facility. Spruds said they were likely Ukrainian drones targeting Russia, which ended up in Latvia by mistake.

Multiple Ukrainian drones headed for Russia had hit the territories of the three countries in the Baltic region since March. Critics say the incidents have shown weaknesses in Latvia's ability to respond to military threats.

The Latvian governing tripartite coalition, which also included an agrarian party, had been under strain for months over multiple issues.

Silina's resignation comes just months ahead of general elections due in October.

“My priority has always been, and remains, the well-being and security of Latvia’s people,” Silina wrote on X on Thursday. “Parties and coalitions change, but Latvia endures. And my responsibility to society comes above all else.”

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, tasked with appointing a new head of government, is set to meet with representatives of all parliamentary parties on Friday.

On Sunday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the incidents in Latvia were “the result of Russian electronic warfare deliberately diverting Ukrainian drones from their targets in Russia.” He offered Ukraine's help to the Baltic states and Finland to prevent such incidents in the future.

Declaraciones previas que ponían en duda la soberanía de Venezuela durante los últimos 25 años han sido recibidas con burlas inmediatas por parte de altos funcionarios del gobierno, incluida la presidencia. El partido gobernante llegó a organizar manifestaciones en la capital, Caracas, tan recientemente como el 3 de enero, horas después de que el entonces presidente, Nicolás Maduro, fuera capturado por Estados Unidos, en las que se escucharon cánticos de “Gringo, váyase a casa”. Esta vez, el ejecutivo ha guardado mayoritariamente silencio, salvo por una breve declaración a reporteros de la presidenta encargada, Delcy Rodríguez, el lunes.

El enfoque demuestra el equilibrio que Rodríguez debe mantener entre la política externa e interna tras el ataque militar del Pentágono en Caracas en enero. Desde entonces, el gobierno de Trump ha implementado un plan por fases para tratar de revertir la situación del país, devastado por la crisis, y ha obligado al movimiento político de Rodríguez, el chavismo, a abandonar el sentimiento antiestadounidense que durante mucho tiempo acompañó su doctrina.

“Esta es probablemente la manifestación más pública y contundente del enfoque transaccional y de supervivencia del gobierno por encima de todo lo demás en este momento, por encima incluso de ese tipo de principio básico del chavismo”, afirmó Christopher Sabatini, investigador principal para América Latina del centro de estudios Chatham House, con sede en Londres. “Es mejor que se muerdan la lengua, que no ofendan a Estados Unidos ahora mismo. ¿Por qué reaccionar de forma exagerada a una afirmación ridícula de Donald Trump?”.

Rodríguez dijo a reporteros el lunes que el país no tenía planes para convertirse en el 51º estado de Estados Unidos, pero sus comentarios fueron mucho más comedidos que discursos presidenciales anteriores que ridiculizaban este tipo de declaraciones de Washington. Sus palabras llegaron después de que Trump dijera que estaba “considerando seriamente” la medida. El mandatario republicano ha hecho comentarios similares sobre Canadá.

“Seguiremos defendiendo la integridad, la soberanía, la independencia, nuestra historia", afirmó Rodríguez, agregando que Venezuela “no (es) una colonia, sino un país libre”.

El gobierno de Trump sorprendió a los venezolanos al optar por trabajar con Rodríguez, en lugar de con la oposición política del país, tras la salida de Maduro. Desde entonces, Rodríguez ha encabezado la cooperación con el plan por fases de la Casa Blanca, presentando a su nación rica en petróleo ante inversionistas internacionales y abriendo su sector energético al capital privado y al arbitraje internacional. Además, ha reemplazado a altos funcionarios, incluido el fiel ministro de Defensa y el fiscal general de Maduro.

Trump ha elogiado su labor, y su gobierno ha levantado las sanciones económicas contra Rodríguez y ha aliviado las sanciones al país, aunque algunas siguen vigentes. Washington la reconoce ahora como la “única” jefa de Estado de Venezuela.

Estados Unidos dejó de reconocer a Maduro como el líder legítimo del país en 2019, un año después de que proclamara su reelección en unas elecciones consideradas por muchos como un fraude, ya que se impidió la participación de partidos y candidatos de la oposición.

Maduro y su esposa, Cilia Flores, fueron trasladados a Nueva York para enfrentar cargos por narcotráfico tras su captura el 3 de enero. Ambos se han declarado inocentes y permanecen retenidos en un centro de detención de Brooklyn.

En Caracas, algunos residentes consideraban el miércoles que la respuesta del gobierno equivalía a someterse a Trump, pero también reconocieron que Rodríguez no está en posición de desatar la propaganda antiestadounidense característica del chavismo.

“Sabe que actualmente es sensato no ir al enfrentamiento directo pues sabe que las va a tener de perder sí o sí", apuntó el universitario el estudiante universitario Adonai Osoria. “Ahora, ¿que hay algunos que no estén de acuerdo, que no les guste? Bueno, sí, claro. Pero yo considero que la reacción que ha tenido ahorita es una reacción común, entendible”.

Los simpatizantes del gobierno mostraron por última vez su actitud incendiaria contra Estados Unidos en los días posteriores a la captura de Maduro, cuando quemaron banderas de estadounidenses y portaron carteles que decían “Gringo, váyase a casa".

Entre los partidarios más acérrimos del gobierno en todo el país están los grupos armados conocidos como colectivos. Su participación en las manifestaciones a favor del partido gobernante es habitual. El líder local Jorge Navas calificó los comentarios de Trump como “actos irresponsables de provocación” y elogió a Rodríguez por su respuesta diplomática.

“Nos estamos doblando, estratégicamente, pero no nos vamos a quebrar”, dijo Navas acerca del enfoque que ha adoptado el chavismo ante la presión estadounidense. “Seguimos resistiendo, o sea, de manera realista” dada la situación económica del país.

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Garcia Cano informó desde Ciudad de México.

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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.

The storms also injured more than 50 people as they swept across several districts late Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.

Officials said some deaths were caused by falling trees, collapsing structures and lightning. Police and disaster response teams used chainsaws and cranes to clear fallen trees from roads and railway tracks in several districts.

Storms are common in northern India during the hot season from March to June, before the annual monsoon rains arrive.

Narendra N. Srivastava, an administrative official, said emergency teams were deployed across the affected areas and that homes, crops and power infrastructure were widely damaged, particularly in rural districts.

In Prayagraj district, residents described panic as strong winds tore through neighborhoods.

“The storm came suddenly and the sky turned completely dark within minutes,” Ram Kishore said. “Tin roofs were flying and people ran indoors. We could hear trees falling throughout the evening.”

In neighboring Bhadohi district, Savitri Devi said her family narrowly escaped after strong winds damaged their mud house.

“We rushed outside when the walls started shaking because of the wind. Our roof collapsed moments later. We spent the night at a relative’s house," she said.

Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered officials to complete relief operations within 24 hours and directed authorities to provide compensation and emergency aid to affected families.

It wasn't immediately clear who was behind these incidents, but they happened as a senior Iranian official reiterated his country’s claim of control over the waterway and another said it had a right to seize oil tankers connected to the U.S.

The turmoil in the strait, which a fifth of the world’s oil passed through before the war, has been a sticking point for weeks in talks between the U.S. and Iran to end the conflict. Iran's grip on the vital waterway has jolted the world economy and spiked fuel prices far beyond the Middle East.

The ongoing instability in the region comes as U.S. President Donald Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. The White House said both sides had agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open.

Just last week, tensions flared in the strai t when U.S. forces fired on and disabled Iranian oil tankers that it said were trying to breach its blockade of Iran’s ports.

Seizures and attacks in Hormuz ongoing

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said it received reports that the ship seized Thursday was taken by unauthorized personnel while anchored 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers, 44 miles) northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah, an important oil export terminal that has been repeatedly attacked during the war with Iran.

The U.K. maritime center did not name the ship seized Thursday and said it is investigating. The British military said the vessel is heading toward Iranian waters.

Indian authorities said Thursday that an Indian-flagged cargo ship sank off the coast of Oman after an attack sparked a fire aboard the vessel while it was en route from Somalia to Sharjah, another UAE port. They did not say who attacked the ship.

The attack on the Indian-flagged cargo ship Haji Ali occurred Wednesday, according to Mukesh Mangal, a senior official in India’s shipping ministry. He said all 14 Indian crew members were rescued by Oman’s coast guard and were safe.

India’s foreign ministry called the incident “unacceptable” and condemned continued attacks on commercial shipping and civilian mariners. The ministry did not identify who carried out the attack.

Seizures come at tense diplomatic moment

Iranian semiofficial news agencies reported that Chinese ships began passing through the strait Wednesday night under new Iranian protocols. According to the reports, Tehran agreed to facilitate the passage of several Chinese vessels after requests from China’s foreign minister and Beijing’s ambassador to Iran. The ships began their passage as Trump arrived in China.

The seizure of a ship off the coast of the UAE happened hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had quietly visited the country during the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, though the UAE swiftly denied it.

The Gulf nation normalized relations with Israel in 2020. Iran has criticized that agreement and has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the UAE.

Netanyahu’s decision to go public with the sensitive meeting was likely an effort to drum up support for his flagging party ahead of Israeli elections, said Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at the Institute of National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

“It’s amazing, it’s the deepest cooperation we’ve ever had … that during a war, Israel is defending an Arab state against Iran. It shows how complicated the Middle East is,” he said.

The UAE is trying to highlight its cooperation with Israel but not with Netanyahu and his government, Guzansky said, because many in the UAE are against Israel’s policies in Gaza.

“They’re trying to differentiate between security cooperation and cooperating with this government,” said Guzansky, who previously worked for the national security council within the Israeli prime minister's office.

Iran sets demands for new talks

Iran said it will not enter more talks with the United States unless five conditions are met, including paying reparations for the war and accepting Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency reported, citing an informed source.

The White House is again unlikely to accept those demands, which would essentially formalize Iran's control over a waterway that was open to international traffic before the war.

Iran’s senior vice president, Mohammadreza Aref, said Thursday that the strait belongs to Iran and that Tehran would not give it up “at any price,” state TV reported. “It has always been our property,” Aref said.

Iran defends right to seize ships

Iran’s judiciary spokesperson told the state-owned Iran Daily newspaper on Thursday that Iran has the legal and judicial right to seize oil tankers in the strait that are connected to the U.S. because the U.S. has violated international maritime laws and committed piracy. The spokesperson, Asghar Jahangir, did not explicitly refer to the tanker seized on Thursday.

Iran seized a number of ships, including a tanker identified as the Ocean Koi, last week, saying it was attempting to disrupt oil exports and Iranian interests, according to the official IRNA news agency. It said the tanker was seized in the Gulf of Oman and carrying Iranian oil when it was taken to Iran’s southern coast.

The U.S. sanctioned the Ocean Koi in February as part of a “shadow fleet” transporting Iranian oil.

Top US military leader says Iran's threats impact shipping

The top U.S. commander in the Middle East said Thursday he believes Iran’s military capabilities have been “dramatically degraded,” but its leaders are impacting shipping in the strait with rhetoric alone.

“Their voice is very loud, and the threats are clearly heard by the merchant industry and the insurance industry,” Adm. Brad Cooper told lawmakers in Congress.

He said the U.S. has the military power to permanently reopen the strait and escort ships. But he deferred to policymakers about the best path forward amid a “time of sensitive negotiations.”

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Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting became the first senior minister to quit Thursday in what was seen as a precursor to challenging Starmer's leadership. He said he had lost confidence in Starmer, who should not serve out the rest of his term.

“You have shown courage and statesmanship on the world stage — not least in keeping Britain out of the war in Iran,” Streeting wrote in an excoriating resignation letter. “But where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift.”

But Streeting stopped short of saying he was the best candidate to lead the party at the next election due by 2029, suggesting Starmer should step aside to allow a “broad” field of candidates to debate the future of the party.

Starmer is under growing pressure to step down after disastrous results for his Labour Party last week in local and regional elections. The election drubbing cemented doubts among many party members about Starmer’s judgment, vision and leadership ability — a brutal indictment on a leader who returned Labour to power in July 2024 after 14 years in opposition.

Starmer responded in a generous letter to Streeting, saying he was “truly sorry” to see him leave the government and praised his stewardship of the state-run National Health Service.

Making no reference to Streeting's criticisms, Starmer laid out his hope the two “can work together to show that Labour in power can address the problems our opponents exploit, can install hope where they want despair, and can bring people together where they want division.”

If Starmer doesn't step down, any challenger would need support from a fifth of Labour lawmakers, or 81, to trigger a leadership contest.

For days, Streeting had been expected to launch a bid Thursday, but the wording of his statement has stoked speculation he doesn't have enough votes yet, or that he is giving Starmer a chance to announce his resignation on his own terms.

Another likely challenger, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, said Thursday that she had reached an agreement with authorities to clear up questions about her taxes that forced her to leave the Cabinet last September. Rayner told the Guardian newspaper that Starmer should “reflect on” his position, adding that she was ready to “play my part” in any leadership election if Streeting triggered a contest.

A third rival, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, is ineligible for the leadership because he doesn't have a seat in Parliament, but on Thursday afternoon a Labour lawmaker said he would step aside to make room and Burnham said he would seek permission from party to enter a special election. He could then mount a leadership challenge if elected.

“I grew up in this area and have lived here for 25 years,” Burnham said on X. “I care deeply about it and its people. I know they have been let down by national politics.”

Race to unseat Starmer heats up

Pressure for Starmer to step aside has intensified since Labour suffered heavy losses in local and regional elections last week, underscoring voter frustration with a government that has failed to deliver on pledges to boost economic growth and improve living standards for working people.

A stagnant economy and stubbornly high inflation have made it difficult for Starmer’s government to deliver on the promises it made when winning a landslide election victory less than two years ago.

Starmer has vowed to remain in office, warning lawmakers that any leadership contest would destabilize the government when it should be focused on issues like the cost of living crisis and war in the Middle East.

The leadership wrangles overshadowed some positive news for the government.

Official figures showed the British economy grew 0.6% in the first three months of the year — more than had been anticipated and larger than the previous quarter, despite the negative impact from the Iran war. More growth means more tax revenues to fund Labour’s priorities and potentially lower borrowing.

Treasury chief Rachel Reeves said the figures showed her policies were working and the party shouldn't put hard-won economic stability at risk “by plunging the country in chaos at a time when there is conflict in the world.”

Streeting himself hailed figures showing that waiting lines for NHS appointments — one of his signature priorities — fell for the fifth straight month, an achievement he is likely to point to if he runs for leader.

Streeting comes from a faction of the left-leaning Labour Party that sees itself as the modernizing wing, as does Starmer. Rayner is a favorite of members who think the party has strayed too far from its working-class roots and those who want the party to do more to boost the minimum wage and raise taxes on the rich.

Efforts to depose a Labour leader are relatively rare

Unlike the Conservative Party, Labour has never ousted a prime minister in midterm.

“They don’t do ruthless on their leader,’’ said Jonathan Tonge, a professor of politics at the University of Liverpool. “They don’t tend to depose their leader. The Conservatives, they readily do ruthless.’’

Even if Starmer survives this current bout of jitters, he will likely face another challenge in a few months given the level of fragmentation in British politics, he added.

“He’s got a huge parliamentary majority, he’s got more than 400 MPs, and yet his prime ministership may be on the brink of disintegration,” Tonge said.

Previous statements doubting Venezuela’s sovereignty over the past 25 years have been met with immediate derision from senior government officials, including the president. The ruling party even organized demonstrations in the capital, Caracas, as recently as Jan. 3, hours after then-President Nicolás Maduro was captured by the U.S., that included chants of “Gringo go home.” This time around, however, the government has mostly kept quiet, save for a brief statement to reporters Monday from acting President Delcy Rodríguez.

The approach demonstrates the balance Rodríguez must strike between external and internal politics following the January U.S. military attack in Caracas. The Trump administration has since implemented a phased plan to try to turn around the crisis-wrecked country and has forced Rodríguez’s political movement, Chavismo, to abandon the anti-U.S. sentiment that long accompanied its teachings.

“This is probably the most public and sharp manifestation of the government’s transactional, self-survival approach above everything else right now, above even that sort of basic tenet of Chavismo,” said Christopher Sabatini, senior fellow for Latin America at the London-based Chatham House think tank. “It’s better that they hold their tongue, not offend the U.S. right now. Why overreact to a ridiculous claim by Donald Trump?”

Rodríguez on Monday told journalists that Venezuela had no plans to become the 51st U.S. state, but her comments were much more reserved than past presidential addresses deriding these types of U.S remarks. They came after Trump said he was “seriously considering” the move. Trump has made similar comments about Canada.

“We will continue to defend our integrity, our sovereignty, our independence, our history,” Rodríguez said. Venezuela, she added, is “not a colony, but a free country.”

The Trump administration stunned Venezuelans by choosing to work with Rodríguez, instead of the country’s political opposition, following Maduro's ouster. She has since led cooperation with the administration’s phased plan, pitching her oil-rich nation to international investors and opening its energy sector to private capital and international arbitration. Rodríguez has also replaced senior officials, including Maduro’s faithful defense minister and attorney general.

Trump has praised her work, and his administration has lifted economic sanctions against her personally and eased sanctions against the country, though some still remain in place. The U.S. now also recognizes her as the “sole” head of state of Venezuela.

The U.S. stopped recognizing Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader in 2019, the year after he claimed reelection victory in a contest widely considered a sham as opposition parties and candidates were barred from participating.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges after their Jan. 3 capture. Both have pleaded not guilty and remain jailed at a Brooklyn detention center.

In Caracas, some residents on Wednesday viewed the government’s response as submitting to Trump, but they also acknowledged that Rodríguez is not in a position to unleash Chavismo’s characteristic anti-U.S. propaganda.

“She knows that it’s wise not to engage in direct confrontation because she knows she’s bound to lose,” college student Adonai Osoria said. “Now, are there some who disagree, who don’t like it? Well, yes, of course. But I consider her reaction right now to be a common, understandable reaction.”

Government supporters last showed their inflammatory attitude against the U.S. in the days after Maduro was captured, burning U.S. flags and carrying signs that read “Gringo go home.”

Among the government’s strongest supporters across the country are the armed groups known as colectivos. The groups are a staple of pro-ruling party demonstrations. Local leader Jorge Navas characterized Trump’s comments as “irresponsible acts of provocation” and praised Rodríguez for her diplomatic response.

“We are bending, strategically, but we will not break,” Navas said of Chavismo’s current approach to U.S. pressure. “We continue to resist, that is, realistically, given the country’s economic situation.”

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Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City.

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

Jansen didn't have to after he delivered the walk-off hit that gave the Texas Rangers a 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night, when the closers for both teams gave up three runs in a frantic ninth inning.

“I feel like the game had everything. Like passed balls, a couple of wild pitches, I mean, stolen bases, threw somebody out,” said Jansen, who also blocked a few pitches with runners on base. “A bit of everything, it was kind of a wild one. ... Definitely a crazy finish.”

The Rangers had just tied the game and chased Paul Sewald (0-4), who had converted his first nine save chances, when No. 9 batter Jansen grounded a RBI single down the line into the left-field corner on the only pitch thrown by Juan Morillo.

That came after a frustrating top of the ninth for the Rangers, when Jacob Latz — their main closer since halfway through a stretch of 10 consecutive scoreless outings — failed to retire any of the four batters he faced. He was gone after Nolan Arenado had an RBI double and Ildemaro Vargas lined a two-run single into left for a 5-3 lead.

“Latz has been so good this year. He has given up next to no runs," manager Skip Schumaker said. “I pitched him two innings, day off, then back-to-back, and then running him out there, maybe not fair to him quite honestly.”

But when it was over, Latz was all smiles like every one else after the Rangers had clinched back-to-back-series wins for the first time since their first two series of the season.

“The boys picked him up in a big way,” Schumaker said. “And that’s what good teams do, and good teammates do, is they pick each other up.”

The Rangers (21-22) have won five of their last six games going into an off day Thursday.

Arizona (20-22) overcame a 3-0 deficit, finally getting even and then going ahead in the top of the ninth, handing their closer a two-run lead even after leaving 13 runners on base.

Sewald got out two of the first three batters in the ninth, starting with a strikeout of struggling shortstop Corey Seager. Josh Jung had a single in between those outs, and scored on Ezequiel Duran's double before Alejandro Osuna walked on five pitches and Jake Burger tied the game with an RBI single to chase the closer.

“I felt like they were just on every pitch,” Sewald said. “It just felt like when I threw good pitchers, it didn't matter.”

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

The meeting brings together diplomats from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa along with newer member countries. It comes as the war in Iran has disrupted global energy supplies and driven up oil prices and coincides with U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russia’s top diplomat Sergey Lavrov are attending. China is represented by Ambassador Xu Feihong while Foreign Minister Wang Yi remains in the Chinese capital during Trump’s visit.

India Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the talks would focus on global and regional challenges and ways to deepen cooperation among member nations.

In opening remarks, Jaishankar said BRICS could help developing countries more effectively respond to the health and financing challenges they face as well as high prices for energy, food and fertilizer.

“We meet at a time of considerable flux in international relations,” he said, adding that emerging and developing countries increasingly expect BRICS to play a “constructive and stabilizing role.”

Iran urges BRICS to condemn U.S. and Israel

At the meeting, Araghchi urged BRICS nations to condemn the U.S. and Israel over what he called their “unlawful aggression” against Tehran. He called on the bloc members and other countries to “take practical steps to stop warmongering” and end what he described as impunity for violations of the U.N. Charter.

Araghchi also urged the bloc members to stop what he called the politicization of international institutions. He said Iran appreciated the support shown by BRICS countries but called for stronger action.

“It is necessary for all of us to intensify our efforts to end this sense of superiority and impunity on the part of the United States — a notion that has no place in today’s world,” he said.

BRICS has sought to expand its influence

Founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China, BRICS was formed as a grouping of major emerging economies seen as a counterbalance to Western-led institutions such as the G7. South Africa joined in 2010 and the bloc expanded further in 2024 with the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia became a full member in 2025.

The group has sought to expand its influence by pushing for a bigger role in a global order long dominated by the United States and its Western allies. It has gained support across parts of the Global South, where many countries have criticized Western-led financial institutions.

But BRICS nations remain divided on key issues.

India and China continue to compete for regional influence, while member countries often differ in their ties with the West. Russia’s war in Ukraine has further exposed those differences.

New divisions test global ambitions

The bloc’s expansion also has added strains. Competing regional interests have increased the difficulty of presenting a unified position.

Divisions have sharpened further during the growing conflict in the Middle East. Iran and the UAE are BRICS members despite pursuing competing interests in the region.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Wednesday that disagreements within BRICS over the conflict had prevented the bloc from reaching a unified position.

Kazem Gharibabadi told news agency Press Trust of India that “one member country” had pushed for language condemning Iran, complicating efforts to build consensus within the grouping.

“We want India’s BRICS chairship to be successful. It is not a good approach to send a signal to the world that the BRICS is divided. One country is insisting on condemning Iran,” Gharibabadi said.

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Associated Press journalist Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran contributed to this report.

The S&P 500 added 0.7% to its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 337 points, or 0.7%, and is on track to finish a day above the 50,000 level for the first time since the war with Iran began. The Nasdaq composite was 0.9% higher and adding to its own record, as of 1:03 p.m. Eastern time.

Cisco helped lead the market after jumping 13.3% in what could be its best day in nearly 15 years. The tech giant reported better profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, and CEO Chuck Robbins said it saw “very strong, broad-based demand for our products.”

Big Tech behemoths in particular are pouring cash into artificial-intelligence technology, and Cisco gave a forecast for profit in the current quarter that easily topped analysts' expectations.

Such voracious demand for AI, and the big profits it's producing, have been major reasons the U.S. stock market has set records throughout this year. Cerebras Systems, an AI processor company, raised $5.55 billion after selling its stock in an initial public offering, and its shares doubled to approximately $365 shortly after it began trading on the Nasdaq Thursday.

Corporate earnings reported so far this season have “reinforced that this is still an AI-led market, but one where the impact is broadening quickly,” according to Gargi Pal Chaudhuri, chief investment and portfolio strategist at BlackRock.

“What started with a handful of companies is now driving earnings growth across semiconductors, infrastructure, and even parts of the industrial economy,” she said.

Outside of AI, other stocks rallying after delivering better-than-expected profit reports included StubHub Holdings, up 19.5%, Viking Holdings, up 7.5% and Yeti Holdings, up 6.1%.

All three companies sell products that aren’t day-to-day essentials, such as concert tickets, river cruises and insulated water bottles. Strong results from them could be an indicator that customers are still willing to spend even though U.S. consumers have been telling surveys they're feeling discouraged about the economy.

Whether U.S. households will keep spending and support the economy is a big question because pressure has been rising on them due to high oil prices and inflation created by the Iran war. A report released Thursday said that shoppers overall spent less at U.S. retailers last month than economists expected. But the deceleration after factoring out gasoline and automobile sales wasn’t quite as bad as economists thought it would be.

A separate report, meanwhile, said more U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, which could be an indication of more layoffs. The number, though, remains relatively low compared with history.

Treasury yields flitted up and down in the bond market immediately after the reports, but they largely remained steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.45% from 4.46% late Wednesday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1%, while South Korea's Kospi jumped 1.8% to another record thanks to gains for AI-related stocks.

Stocks were nearly flat in Hong Kong and down 1.5% in Shanghai as Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing.

Some investors hope Trump could encourage Xi to use China’s close economic ties with Iran to get it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The strait’s closure because of the war has kept oil tankers pent up in the Persian Gulf instead of delivering crude to customers worldwide, which has driven up crude prices.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, fell 0.3% to $105.27 Thursday, but it remains well above its price of roughly $70 from before the war.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

The Dodgers snapped their season-high skid at four games on a night when Ohtani only pitched and wasn't in the lineup as the designated hitter for the fourth time this season. The two-way superstar also won't be in the lineup Thursday to give him two days' rest from hitting.

Ohtani (3-2) struck out eight and walked two in his second consecutive seven-inning start — his first as a Dodger and first since May 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels. He lowered his ERA to 0.82 pitching with a picture of his beloved dog Decoy on the tongue of his right cleat.

The Dodgers have scored more than four runs in Ohtani's seven starts just once and the team is 3-4 in his starts overall. They had six hits or less in five of their previous seven games.

Leading 4-0, Ohtani gave up back-to-back singles to Willy Adames and Matt Chapman with one out in the seventh. Drew Gilbert flied into a double play to center. Adames was all the way around third base by the time he knew he was in trouble and got doubled off second to end the inning.

Santiago Espinal and Mookie Betts homered back-to-back in the third, giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Espinal went deep for the first time as a Dodger and Betts' first since coming off the injured list earlier in the week.

The Dodgers extended their lead to 4-0 on Teoscar Hernández's RBI single and Alex Call's sacrifice fly in the fourth.

The Giants' three-game winning streak ended. Robbie Ray (3-5) gave up four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, struck out two and walked two.

Up next

Giants RHP Landen Roupp (5-3, 3.09 ERA) was scheduled to start Thursday against RHP Emmet Sheehan (2-1, 4.79) in the series finale.

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

When officials announced a list of “Eurofan Cafes" — Vienna coffee shops offering food and music from competing countries — Israel was initially left out.

MQ Kantine, a modern café in the city’s arty museums quarter, offered to step in. Now it has falafel, bagels with lox and kosher wine on the menu, a string of small Israeli flags hanging from the ceiling — and a police officer outside the door.

Security is tight across Vienna during the international music contest, whose “United by Music” slogan rings sightly hollow this year. Five countries are boycotting because Israel is taking part. Pro-Palestinian activists are planning a protest concert — one of several Eurovision alternatives across Europe — and an anti-Israel march before Saturday’s grand final.

At MQ Kantine, volunteers take turns to monitor for potential trouble. But so far the mood has been supportive, said Daniel Kapp, a PR consultant and pro-Israel campaigner.

“It’s beautiful,” he said, as people drank coffee and beer on the café terrace in the spring sunshine, though he noted that the police officer on duty showed that all is “not entirely normal.”

“My feeling is that Austria to a certain degree has learned from its history," Kapp said, referring to the deadly antisemitism under the Nazis before and during World War II. “Which is why the support for Israel is a lot more normal than it is in other countries.”

Israel has competed in Eurovision for more than 50 years, and won four times. But its participation has been contested since it launched a war in Gaza after 1,200 people were killed in a Hamas-led cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government and whose detailed records are viewed as generally reliable by the international community.

Israel’s government has repeatedly defended its campaign as a response to the Oct. 7 attack. But a number of experts, including those commissioned by a United Nations body, have said that Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide. Israel, home to many Holocaust survivors and their relatives, has vigorously denied the claim.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon and the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran have driven tensions still higher.

The 2024 Eurovision contest in Malmo, Sweden, and last year’s event in Basel, Switzerland, saw pro-Palestinian protests that called for Israel to be expelled. Five countries — Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain — pulled out of the 2026 contest after organizers allowed Israel to compete.

Partying amid tight security

The tensions have produced a Eurovision of two halves. An upbeat party atmosphere prevails inside the Wiener Stadthalle arena and in the separate Eurovision Village fan zone. But getting in means passing through a ring of steel, with searches, scanners and a ban on all bags inside the arena. Armed police are a very visible presence on the streets.

Awareness of risk from terror plots is high in the city after a 21-year-old Austrian man accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group pleaded guilty to plotting to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024.

Israeli singer Noam Bettan told Israeli media that, like last year’s Israeli competitor Yuval Raphael, he practiced performing while being booed. There were scattered shouts amid the cheers when he performed in the first Eurovision semifinal on Tuesday. He secured a spot in Saturday’s final by being one of the top 10 finishers in voting by viewers and national juries.

Organizers said four people were removed from the 10,000-strong audience for disruptive behavior.

Austrian Eurovision fan Ivo Herzl, who attended the semifinal, said “the vibe was incredibly positive.” He is showing support for Israel by making and selling Mazel Lov T-shirts — a play on “mazel tov,” a Hebrew and Yiddish phrase of congratulations.

“Vienna has always been a city of tolerance,” Herzl said. “It’s the city of music and we’ll always do everything possible for everyone to enjoy a musical event.”

Some Israeli fans said they were reassured by the tight security. Oz Yona, attending his first Eurovision, said he had experienced “no hate” and felt Austria took antisemitism seriously.

He came with friends to cheer for Israel, though he was not optimistic about Bettan’s chances — for musical rather than political reasons.

“I don’t think he will win,” Yona said. “Finland is better this year. Greece is better this year. We have a good song, but not a winning song.”

Birgitta Peterson and Kristina Nilsson, who wear matching pink bomber jackets and call themselves The Swedish Ladies, love to explore new cities and meet up each year with their “Eurovision family” of fellow fans. They plan to wave Israeli flags at Saturday’s final, after Swedish contestant Felicia said earlier this year that she didn’t think Israel should be in the contest.

They say tensions over Israel have divided a fan community long known for its friendliness and embrace of diversity.

“The wounds are very deep at the moment,” Nilsson said.

“This event should really be about ‘united by music’ and happiness,” she added. “That’s what Eurovision is all about.”

The 41-year-old man slipped unnoticed past motion detectors in a remote corner of Denver International Airport, which sprawls across open plains and covers an area twice the size of Manhattan. He quickly scaled an 8-foot perimeter fence topped with barbed wire, then walked unobstructed onto the runway where he was fatally struck by a Frontier Airlines jet as it attempted to take off late Friday night.

Surveillance video showed the man getting pulled into an aircraft engine that instantly burst into flames, forcing the pilot to abort the takeoff and evacuate the 224 passengers and seven crewmembers. Twelve people had minor injuries.

Aviation and risk experts said the Denver runway collision represents a clear security failure. They noted it could've been far worse if the pilot didn't safely stop the aircraft that was traveling 150 miles per hour (241 kph).

“People ought to be concerned. This was really an unprecedented risk. But now there is precedent,” said Eric Chafee a law professor at Case Western Reserve University and an expert on risk, including in the aviation industry.

“The individual ended up with a bad result. But having somebody basically damage a plane is really quite concerning because of all those lives aboard any given aircraft,” Chafee added. “There ought to be new measures put into place to prevent this type of tragedy."

15 seconds to scale the fence

Some aviation experts disagreed new regulations were needed. They said installing blanket surveillance or impregnable defenses around airports was cost prohibitive, given the relative rarity of dangerous events like Friday's collision.

The Denver medical examiner ruled the intruder's death a suicide. Officials from the city-owned airport promised a review of their protocols but defended their perimeter security program and said it received “perfect scores” during federal inspections.

The Associated Press sent emails to the Transportation Security Administration seeking comment on Denver’s inspection results and documents detailing its security protocols.

“Safety is something we take very, very seriously,” Denver airport CEO Phillip Washington told reporters Tuesday.

Washington added that making the perimeter fence taller or topping it with razor wire wouldn't necessarily have made a difference, because someone who was motivated could still find a way in.

During Friday's breach, an alarm from a ground detection sensor was triggered shortly before the intruder entered the airport along its eastern boundary, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the terminal. An airport worker watching video surveillance cameras attributed the alarm to a herd of deer — and missed the intruder.

It took the man about 15 seconds to scale the fence and two minutes more to reach the runway, Washington said. Airport officials didn't know he was on the runway until the pilot notified the control tower that the plane hit somebody.

Airport perimeter breaches are a regular problem, with perhaps dozens annually nationwide, said security expert Jeff Price, who managed security at the Denver airport in the 1990s. The airport is surrounded by about 36 miles (58 kilometers) of fence, which airport officials say is patrolled by security workers and continuously inspected.

The vast majority of airport trespassers don’t pose a real threat to others, Price said. A man died at the Austin airport in 2020 after a Southwest Airlines jet struck him on a runway. Police later ruled it was a suicide.

Worries about copycats

Two law firms notified Denver officials Tuesday that they intend to sue on behalf of the Frontier passengers, seeking in excess of $10 million in damages. The firms alleged “multiple failures” in the airport perimeter security system, but did not provide specifics.

Steven Wallace, former director of accidents investigations at the Federal Aviation Administration, described the Denver fatality as a “one-off event” that would not justify costly improvements to airport perimeter security programs nationwide.

Wallace acknowledged that some perimeter fences can easily be breached. There are no set rules for their construction, and their primary role is to keep out wildlife that could interfere with flight operations, he said.

“I just don’t see how you’re going to think of and deal with every possible way a human could get into an airport,” he said.

Jim Hall, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, suggested there is now a higher likelihood for a repeat of Friday's collision given the potential for copycats. Hall said Denver should consider adding more personnel and surveillance to properly monitor its fence.

“With the amount of cameras and technology that is available, they need to address the problem,” he said. “They've had a failure and they don’t need to have another one."

New Mexico produces more oil than any other state besides Texas, and the state's revenue from taxes, royalties and lease sales helps cover the cost of college tuition, all school meals, health insurance and a new initiative for free universal child care.

Now that oil prices are surging from the conflict with Iran, money is flooding into the state treasury and creating an uncomfortable situation for Democrats who oppose the war and would rather reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

“It’s hard for people to think about, ‘Oh great, we have this windfall,’ and children are getting killed on the other side of the world,” said Deb Haaland, the former U.S. Interior Department secretary running for governor.

Haaland is one of two Democrats running to succeed Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is wrapping up her second term in office. A former congresswoman and state party chair, Haaland worked to limit unfettered oil and gas exploration while serving in President Joe Biden's Cabinet.

Now she wants to use money amid the energy boom to increase New Mexico's child tax credit and boost the refundable working families tax credit, payouts that would most benefit people with low incomes.

“We have obligations to try to have a better world overall," said Haaland, a tribal member of Laguna Pueblo who could become the first female Native American governor in the U.S. “I think we can do that.”

Her rival for the Democratic nomination, Albuquerque-based District Attorney Sam Bregman, said he wants to offset inflation with one-time $500 checks from the state to residents making less than $200,000 a year. He also wants to waive personal income taxes on residents 65 and older.

“It is the resources of the people that’s generating that revenue,” he said. “We ought to give it back to the people."

For every $1 fluctuation in the average annual price of oil, New Mexico sees a roughly $59 million swing in state government income.

That means the state is likely to see a $850 million surge in annual state government income for the budget year ending in June alone based on war-time price changes — equivalent to 12% of annual general fund spending, according to the state Legislature’s budget and accountability office.

New Mexico sends much of its relatively heavy crude oil from its patch of the Permian Basin to Texas distribution hubs and refineries along the Gulf Coast. Prices could remain high with no end in sight for the war despite a fragile ceasefire.

A nest egg that moderates dependence on oil

In New Mexico, surges in oil income automatically flow into a series of trust accounts designed to gradually reduce the state’s reliance on fossil fuels, helping the state generate investment income to underwrite Medicaid, early childhood education, infrastructure projects and an expansion of mental healthcare.

The strategy has tempered discomfort among many Democrats with dependence on oil income, in a state with entrenched swaths of extreme poverty and the nation’s highest enrollment rate in Medicaid.

“For New Mexico and New Mexicans and especially the progressive left — which sort of controls the state — it’s always something they really don’t want to admit or talk about or get angry about,” said Lonna Atkeson, a political science professor who has analyzed voting behavior in New Mexico and directs the LeRoy Collins Institute at Florida State University. “Like, ‘We should not be funding our stuff with that money.’ I’ve heard those arguments."

The winner of this year's governor's race will take the helm of a state investment council overseeing a roughly $68 billion state nest egg, including investments that defray costs for K-12 public education.

New Mexico is not alone in reaping the financial benefits of the war. In Alaska, the state forecast an additional $1.05 billion for the current fiscal year and the one beginning July 1.

“It really is this small group of energy-reliant states like North Dakota, Alaska, New Mexico and Wyoming that are going be affected most directly,” said Justin Theal, who researches state fiscal trends as a senior officer for The Pew Charitable Trusts. He described the situation as “a double-edged sword.”

“It raises costs for households and businesses which can potentially dampen consumer spending and reduce sales taxes that almost every state relies on as well,” Theal said.

Wartime oil prices hold silver lining for New Mexico

Three contenders for the Republican nomination are advocating for even more aggressive tax relief while oil prices are riding high.

“Republicans are using the ‘e-word' — eliminate income taxes,” said Albuquerque-based pollster Brian Sanderoff, president of Research and Polling Inc. A Republican last won election to statewide office in 2016.

At the same time, they're questioning whether universal childcare will be financially sustainable.

The program is coming under direct fire in a lawsuit from cannabis entrepreneur and Republican candidate for governor Duke Rodriguez. He previously served as human service secretary under former Gov. Gary Johnson, a crusader for limited government who unsuccessfully ran for president as a Libertarian.

The lawsuit alleges the childcare program was implemented in November by Lujan Grisham without required authorization from the Legislature — though supporting legislation was passed this year. A court has ordered the administration to respond within 30 days.

Reflecting on the state’s oil income, Rodriguez says, “We don’t have a resource problem, what we have is a real results problem. We just spend and spend and spend with no accountability.”

Republican businessman Doug Turner describes wartime oil prices as an opportunity to overhaul the state tax code and wants means testing for childcare benefits. He lost the 2010 Republican primary to then-district attorney Susana Martinez, who went on to serve two terms as governor.

Gregg Hull, a former three-term mayor of Rio Rancho on the outskirts of Albuquerque, wants New Mexico to join the ranks of states with no personal income tax like Texas and Wyoming. Personal income taxes account for about $2.2 billion in annual state government income, offsetting about a fifth of annual general fund obligations.

Hull said he wants to double down on the oil economy by funneling budget surpluses to infrastructure projects in the state's main oil-production zone.

“This morning, when I was looking at a price of a barrel of oil, I said, ‘Well, that’s not great for consumers, but it’s awesome for New Mexico,'” Hull said.

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Associated Press writer Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed to this report.