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Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Lewin, 43, on Thursday and corrections booked him at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale.

Lewin, who was suspended from BSFR with pay, appeared in bond court on Friday, facing two third-degree felony charges of battery on a person 65 years or older.

During the alleged attack on Jan. 31 at Northwest 31 Avenue and First Street, Lewin was accused of choking the victim, slamming the victim’s head, and trying to gouge the victim’s eyes out.

Two of Lewin’s colleagues allegedly witnessed the argument and the attack and had to intervene to help the 65-year-old victim, who was using a wheelchair.

During his bond court hearing on Friday, the defense said Lewin is “a family man” who had been with BSFR for about 11 years and didn’t have a criminal record.

Lewin’s bond was $50,000. According to court records, Broward County Circuit Judge Thomas Coleman was set to preside over the case.

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony released a statement about the case on Friday afternoon.

“The arrest of our fire lieutenant demonstrates our commitment to holding our own accountable for their unlawful actions,” Tony wrote. “The public can rest assured that internal due process will be fair, and any resulting discipline will be appropriate and consistent with policy. I applaud the two firefighters who reported this incident. We will continue to hold each other to the highest standards and serve the public with professionalism.”

Read a section of the arrest warrant

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

State officials told a federal court that complying with a late-March order would cause “irreparable harm.”

The order requires the state to provide detainees with access to timely, free and confidential outgoing legal calls, with a minimum of one working phone for every 25 detainees.

“What is happening is a gross constitutional violation, blocking access to counsel,” Katie Blankenship, with the group Sanctuary of the South, a group that provides legal services to immigrants, said. “Provide them phones. Stop complaining about it. Stop gaslighting. Stop whining to the court and do the basic requirements that you’re supposed to.”

The state’s argument against the order points partly to the cost: About $180,000.

Blankenship, who is one of the case plaintiffs, scoffed at that figure given the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars already invested to construct and operate the site.

“Millions, millions of Floridian taxpayer funds went into this facility and yet they can’t spend, what, in their budget is a measly $180,000 to just provide basic phone access?” Blankenship asked.

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In a separate filing, a representative for Florida’s Division of Emergency Management told the court that complying is difficult due to the site’s remote location.

Officials stated that “traditional landline service is not an option” because the area “lacks carrier infrastructure.”

The representative said the state would need to either construct a cell tower or employ several Starlink systems and purchase cellphones. They would also need to pay for “specialized technicians to configure” the equipment and maintain connectivity.

“You should have thought of that about that, friends, right? You should have thought about that,” Blankenship said. “What we’re asking for, Christina, is access to telephones. That’s it, right? So, when? As a plaintiff in this case, I frankly don’t care what you do to get me access to my clients. Figure out whatever is the way that makes you the happiest, frankly. Just get it done.”

All sides have told the court that the next steps are an “emergency,” as the final decision will likely impact the legal rights of detainees nationwide, as “immigration and detention,” the state defendants told the court, “continues to become an increasingly more complex problem for federal and state governments.”

“Let’s do it,” Blankenship said. “Yes, we need to set a precedent. ‘Detention facilities are getting more complex?’ No, they’re not. They’re getting more unconstitutional. We need the court to set precedent of understanding what the First Amendment says.

“Bring it on.”

A legal analyst told Local 10 News that providing detainees with phone access to their attorneys is the cost of doing business, adding that you can change immigration policy, but not the constitution.

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The incident occurred on April 11 during the Baynanza beach and bay cleanup attended by hundreds. Weinsier was attempting to question Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava about more than $60 million in taxpayer funds spent on electric buses that were later taken out of service.

Video of the encounter shows a man in plain clothes, later identified as MDSO Deputy Lester Aguilar, physically intervening as questions were being asked.

Aguilar did not verbally identify himself as a law enforcement officer and had no visible badge or credentials during the initial interaction.

The confrontation has drawn scrutiny from legal experts and organizations that monitor press freedom and government transparency.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a nonprofit that provides legal support to journalists and advocates for First Amendment rights, called the incident troubling.

Jennifer Nelson, an attorney with the organization, said, “Threatening to jail a journalist attempting to interview an elected official at a public event is an egregious infringement on basic First Amendment rights. This kind of on the ground reporting is a fundamental part of providing communities with information about important issues, and incidents like this one risk deterring other reporters from asking questions of government leaders.”

The incident is also drawing national attention. Jennifer Dunham, a contributing reporter for the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, which documents press freedom violations across the United States, is reporting on what happened.

The Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications also weighed in. The project focuses on open government laws, public records access, and transparency issues.

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, said he was disturbed after reviewing the video.

“I watched the video and was horrified. This is PR spin gone wild, and unfortunately, we are seeing more and more of this across the nation,” Cuillier said. “This never should have happened, irrespective of the law and basic fundamentals of basic constitutional rights and liberty.”

Cuillier said the incident reflects a broader trend of government message control limiting access to information.

“In my research, I have found that government message control continues to restrict more and more information from the public,” he said. “In many cases, policies punishing government employees from speaking to the press are flat out unconstitutional, yet they continue to be employed.”

He added that increasing secrecy poses long term concerns for public access.

“Government secrecy continues to spread and close off information to the public. Today, if you ask the federal government for a public record you will get it only one out of ten times. What happens when it gets to zero?”

Cuillier also emphasized the importance of public accountability.

“No doubt they are operating with good intentions, but the public should push back and demand more open, accountable government. It is essential for our Republic, if we are to keep it,” he said.

Weinsier also shared the video with First Amendment attorney Thomas Julin, who has more than three decades of experience handling free speech cases.

“I see you’re just standing there with the microphone asking a question,” Julin said. “You weren’t threatening the mayor in any way. You were simply asking a question.”

“He’s not wearing any indications that he is a law enforcement officer. You don’t know who this guy is,” Julin said.

“It’s an infringement of your First Amendment rights to ask a public official a question,” Julin added.

The confrontation followed weeks of unanswered interview requests to the mayor’s office regarding the electric bus program.

Local 10 News has also submitted a public records request seeking the MDSO policies governing how plainclothes officers are expected to identify themselves when interacting with the public. That request remains unanswered.

MDSO officials have confirmed that the agency’s Professional Compliance Bureau has opened an internal affairs investigation into the incident. The agency says it cannot comment further while that investigation is ongoing.

Following the incident at Haulover Park, Levine Cava did agree to answer questions regarding the bus program.

Press freedom advocates say the situation underscores the importance of clear rules governing interactions between law enforcement, public officials, and journalists in public spaces.

The investigation into both the confrontation and the taxpayer-funded bus program is ongoing.

The talks planned for Saturday come as much of the world is on edge over a war that has snarled crucial energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz, clouded the global economic picture and left thousands dead across the Middle East.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad late Friday. Earlier on social media, he wrote that he was traveling to Pakistan on a trip focused on “bilateral matters and regional developments.” He didn’t specify who he would meet.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview on Fox News Channel that Witkoff and Kushner would meet with Araghchi.

“We’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward to a deal,” Leavitt said.

She said Vice President JD Vance would not travel but that he remains “deeply involved,” and would be willing to go to Pakistan “if we feel it’s a necessary use of his time.”

Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the president’s national security team are on “standby” to fly to Pakistan if needed, Leavitt said.

Araghchi and the two Trump envoys held hours of indirect talks in Geneva on Feb. 27 over Tehran’s nuclear program, but walked away without a deal. The next day, Israel and the United States started the war against Iran.

Leavitt said the president decided to send Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan “to hear the Iranians out.”

“We’ve certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days,” Leavitt said. She did not offer any details about what U.S. officials were hearing.

Islamabad has sought to reinject momentum into the negotiations between Iran and the United States, which did not resume this week as had been expected.

Trump extends the Jones Act waiver for 90 days

Separately Friday, the White House said Trump issued a 90-day extension to the Jones Act waiver, making it easier for non-American vessels to transport oil and natural gas.

He first announced a 60-day waiver in March in a move intended to stabilize energy prices and ease oil and gas shipments to the U.S. following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

“New data compiled since the initial waiver was issued revealed that significantly more supply was able to reach U.S. ports faster,” the White House post on social media said.

The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, retreated on the news, vacillating between $103 a barrel and more than $107 — still early 50% higher than where it was on Feb. 28, when the war began.

The squeeze on shipments through the strait has rippled through global maritime trade flows, including through the Panama Canal nearly halfway around the world.

Pakistan forges ahead with diplomatic efforts

Pakistan has been trying to get U.S. and Iranian officials back to the table after Trump this week announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran, honoring Islamabad’s request for more time for diplomatic outreach.

That hasn’t lowered tensions in the strait, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas is shipped during peacetime.

Iran has kept its stranglehold on traffic through the strait, attacking three ships earlier this week, while the U.S. is maintaining a blockade on Iranian ports and Trump has ordered the military to “shoot and kill” small boats that could be placing mines.

“Iran has an important choice, a chance to make a deal, a good deal, a wise deal,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Friday. He said a second U.S. aircraft carrier will join the blockade in a few days.

Washington already has three aircraft carriers in the region; the USS George H.W. Bush in the Indian Ocean; the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea; and the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Red Sea.

It is the first time since 2003 that three American carriers have been operating in the region simultaneously. The force includes 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and Marines, U.S. Central Command said.

A growing toll even as ceasefires hold

Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, and more than 2,490 people in Lebanon, where new fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah broke out two days after the war started, according to authorities.

Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

The U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon has also sustained casualties. UNIFIL said Friday that an Indonesian peacekeeper died of wounds sustained in an attack on his base on March 29, raising to six — four Indonesians and two French — the number of force members killed since the war erupted.

Tensions linger in Lebanon despite extended truce

The situation in Lebanon remained tense a day after Trump announced Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks. Hezbollah has not participated in the diplomacy brokered by Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video statement released by his office on Friday, hailed “a process to achieve a historic peace between Israel and Lebanon.”

Earlier, the Israeli army asked residents of the southern Lebanese village of Deir Aames to evacuate, saying Hezbollah was using the village to launch attacks against Israel.

Israel’s military said it downed a drone over Lebanon following the launch of a small surface-to-air missile by Hezbollah. The militant group, meanwhile, said it shot down an Israeli drone with a surface-to-air missile over the outskirts of the southern port city of Tyre.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Keaten from Geneva. Associated Press writers David Rising in Bangkok; Koral Saeed in Abu Snan, Israel; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; and Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak in Washington contributed.

Saturday gets off to a mostly dry start. As temperatures march toward the mid 80s, few showers or a thunderstorm or two could pop over inland areas.

Sunday starts with ample sunshine. Scattered, afternoon storms will be possible. Indeed, it will be a warm day with temperatures expected to make a run for the mid and upper 80s.

The grand entrance for the development will be right at the end of Southwest 97th Street and Calusa Club Drive. It will be near an area a bird nesting ground that so many fought to protect.

It’s on what used to be a golf course inside the Calusa Country Club community in West Kendall.

After seven years of pushback from groups and residents the Miami-Dade County Commission gave the developer the green light.

“I guess it’s difficult to be so passionate,” Amanda Prieto, who led the residents in fighting the development, said. “But then to have something of this scale built in its place is sad.”

The developer was pressed by activists and some commissioners to make concessions.

The original plan envisioned 1,300 homes. Instead, will now build just over 500.

“We’re glad that once again, (commissioners) saw their way to approving this community and providing more housing for Miami-Dade County,” Richard Norwalk, a GL Homes executive, said.

And while concerns of traffic remain, the project will bring some improvements including three lane extensions and a traffic light.

And the line of homes will now be built at 330 feet ― instead of just 100 feet ― from the area now a designated protected nesting site for birds.

Prieto says it was worth the fight.

“We made a difference,” she said.

The developer has not shared what the homes will cost. In the meantime, Prieto said she and her attorney are weighing their options.

Police say the clip shows a red sports car and a marked Homestead police vehicle stopped at a traffic light. The driver of the sports car recorded the interaction using a 360-degree camera mounted on the back of the vehicle.

In the video, there appears to be a brief verbal exchange between the driver and the officer. The driver claimed the officer asked, “if I wanna run it,” suggesting a race. The driver wrote in a caption that they initially thought the officer was joking, but then the patrol car sped off. The sports car attempts to follow but cannot keep up.

“The biggest reason we put out the press release is to make sure that not everyone paints the picture that this is what the Homestead Police Department does,” said Oscar Roque, the department’s public information officer.

Homestead police say Internal Affairs is now investigating the incident, including who was behind the wheel of the patrol car.

Roque said he does not have details on whether the officer or the driver has been identified.

“At this moment, I’m not privy to that information because our professional compliance bureau replies directly to the chief, and once the chief gets all the information and makes a decision as to who, what, when, where, why and outcome when it comes to that situation,” he said.

There is no timeline for when the investigation will be complete. The department says appropriate action will be taken based on the findings and that updates will be provided once a conclusion is reached.

“Not the Iranians,” Bessent told The Associated Press. "We have the blockade, and there’s no oil coming out.”

"And we think in the next two, three days, they’re going to have to start shuttering production, which will be very bad for their wells.”

Bessent's statements come as the world is on edge over the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, and global energy markets have been ensnarled by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. originally issued a waiver for Russian oil sales and petroleum products in March with the intent of stabilizing global energy markets after crude oil prices surged above $100 per barrel.

The Treasury Department renewed the waiver two days after Bessent said at the White House that he had no plans to extend the sanctions relief.

In an AP interview about the impact of the U.S.-Israeli war on the global energy market and other topics, the U.S. treasury secretary explained his previous change of heart and ruled out the notion of renewing sanctions waivers for both Russia and Iran.

Bessent said during the World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings last week, “More than 10 of the most vulnerable and poorest countries came to me and said, ‘Can you help?” Bessent said.

"It was for those vulnerable and poor countries. But I wouldn’t imagine that we’d have another extension. I think the Russian oil on the water has been largely sucked up.”

In a post on Substack on Friday, Jake Reiner shares his sweetest memories of the beloved Hollywood director and the photographer and philanthropist who was his wife for 36 years. And he describes the horror of losing them when they were stabbed to death on Dec. 14 in the Los Angeles home he grew up in. It is his first detailed public account of his experience. He had previously only issued brief joint statements with his sister.

“Nothing can prepare you for what it feels like to lose both parents instantly at the same time,” Jake Reiner writes. “It’s too devastating to comprehend. I still wake up every morning having to convince myself that, no, it’s not a dream. This truly is my living nightmare.”

The long post makes only two fleeting mentions of his younger brother Nick Reiner, who has been charged with killing their parents, and he does not use Nick's name.

“Sure, any loss of a parent is devastating, but nothing compares to losing both of them at the same time and, on top of that, having your brother be at the center of it,” Jake Reiner writes toward the end of the post.

He also says, switching to the present tense, that the "love they have for me, my brother, and my sister is truly unconditional.”

Jake Reiner writes that he was at a memorial service for one of his best friends when he got the news.

“I received a call from my sister Romy telling me our father was dead,” he says. “Minutes later, she called back telling me our mother was also dead.”

He says his parents “were robbed of so many things that day" and that it “simultaneously breaks my heart and enrages me."

He writes that he cannot stop thinking of how frightened they must have been in their final moments.

But much of the piece invokes fond memories.

“The way my dad presented himself in the public eye was exactly the beautiful person he was at home,” Jake Reiner writes. “He was authentic, passionate, and his sense of humor has always been my sense of humor.”

The two especially connected over baseball.

“We loved the Dodgers more than anything,” he writes. “We went to so many damn games.”

He calls his mother "the engine, the backbone, and the heart of our entire family. And not just our immediate family. She was the reason behind why we spent time with our extended family too.”

“My mom was really funny and constantly complained about how nobody in the family thought she was,” he writes.

Rob and Michele Reiner had three children together: Jake, Nick and Romy. Rob Reiner was also father to Tracy, a daughter with his previous wife, Penny Marshall.

Jake Reiner writes that Romy, who was the first family member at the scene of the killings, will tell her own story when the time is right.

Nick Reiner has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder. His next court appearance will be at a pretrial hearing Wednesday. Authorities have said nothing about possible motives and have withheld most details about the deaths.

Rob Reiner was a prolific director whose work included some of the most memorable and endlessly watchable movies of the 1980s and ’90s. Friends and colleagues, including Billy Crystal, paid him an extended tribute at this year's Oscars.

His credits included “This is Spinal Tap,” “Stand By Me,” “A Few Good Men” and “When Harry Met Sally…,” during the production of which he met photographer Michele Singer. They wed soon after and were married for 36 years.

This time, Gov. Ron DeSantis is demanding action on property taxes.

And if lawmakers can’t agree, he’s threatening to call them back again and again.

To get property tax cuts on the November ballot, lawmakers have to act by August — with 60% support in both chambers.

“There will be a special session to do the property tax, and my sense would be, we’ll get there, probably on the first try, but if not, there will be more of those sessions until they put something on the ballot,” DeSantis said.

The pressure comes after a regular session where property tax reform stalled.

House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami-Dade, notes his chamber tried, passing a plan eliminating non-school homestead taxes. But the Senate didn’t take it up and DeSantis didn’t back it.

Perez has said the House remains ready to act, putting the onus back on the governor.

“For the last 18 months or so, he’s been stating to the public and on Fox News and on anyone that’s willing to listen, that he’s going to abolish property taxes,” Perez said. “I’m still waiting for a proposal that has anything to do with property taxes, even if it’s an increase of the homestead exemption by $5,000. I’m opening to having a conversation on anything.”

In the Senate, there’s caution.

Appropriations Chair Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, says senators are still studying the issue, warning Florida’s counties are not all built the same financially.

It means any serious plan may have to include state help for fiscally constrained governments — something Senate President Ben Albritton has questioned, and the House has resisted.

Meanwhile — Democrats have warned lost property tax revenue will just result in new local taxes elsewhere.

During a news conference Friday, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry vowed to crack down on gang violence that has plagued the capital city. The tough-on-crime governor, who said he spoke with FBI Director Kash Patel, promised to utilize state, local and federal resources to address the issue and that consequences "are going to start being felt immediately.”

Landry said he is asking all levels and sectors of law enforcement — including the National Guard, FBI, U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — to “prepare for a targeted warrant sweep” for anyone connected to the mall shooting and focus on the “neighborhoods that these individuals came out of.” Landry said the sweep also includes adults who “enable juvenile offenders" and “need to face consequences as well.”

“We are not going to allow our streets, our schools and our public spaces to become your battleground,” Landry said. “Those who brought this violence into our public spaces and into the lives of our ordinary citizens, I want you to know you are now the criminal problem and we are focused on you.”

Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse said the shooting seemed to be driven by “social media beefs and maybe gang-related stuff,” but the investigation is ongoing. One thing Morse said he was sure of was that the shooting was not a random act.

“We know that this was two groups of people that met up at the mall, exchanged words and then pulled guns and innocent people were hit," Morse said.

Shoppers and workers inside the Mall of Louisiana on Thursday afternoon fled or hid, as shots rang out at in the food court. Morse said that two officers on duty at the mall ran toward the gunfire without hesitation and rendered aid. Their quick action helped save lives, he said.

Hundreds of police officers — some wearing tactical gear and carrying long riffles — descended on the mall, as helicopters circled above.

Five people were injured in the shooting, including a 43-year-old man who is still in critical condition. Martha Odom, 17 year old high school student from Lafayette, died. Odom was visiting the mall with friends for her “senior skip day,” The Advocate reported. Two other high school students from Odom's school, Ascension Episcopal School, were among the injured.

In a social media post by the school, Odom was described as “a joyful presence whose kindness and infectious enthusiasm brought light to all who knew her.”

Following the shooting, five people were taken into custody, but later released. A 17-year-old was arrested Friday after turning himself in, Morse said. The teen has been charged with first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and a count of illegal use of a weapon. Morse said the juvenile has an extensive criminal history within the juvenile court system.

Authorities are still searching for another suspect and asking the public for any information.

During Friday's news conference, Landry vehemently told reporters that if it was up to him the suspects would “spend the rest of their lives” at Louisiana's notorious state penitentiary — better known as Angola.

Under recently enacted Louisiana law, 17-year-olds are treated as adults in the criminal justice system.

The deadly shooting, is the second high-profile case of gun violence in Louisiana this week. A father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own, in an attack on his family Sunday morning that stretched across two houses in a Shreveport neighborhood, police said. Two women, including the gunman’s wife who was the mother of their children, were critically wounded.

Additionally this week, a mass shooting plot at a festival in Louisiana was thwarted. A former North Carolina law enforcement officer who authorities say planned to kill Black people in a mass shooting at a major New Orleans festival was arrested at a Florida hotel with a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

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“It was a lot of mail. I didn’t know you could take that much mail,” neighbor Tyler Berry said.

According to Davie police, the group used a master U.S. Postal Service key and a coordinated plan to target mailboxes at the Shalimar Apartment Complex off South University Road.

Investigators say the suspects unlocked and emptied mailboxes, stuffing stolen mail into large garbage bags before leaving.

Residents believe the thefts began late last year and escalated during the holidays and peak tax season.

“That’s very crazy. I didn’t think something like that actually happened,” said victim Aja Angus.

Angus said she realized she had been affected after ordering a credit card that never arrived.

“I ordered a credit card and I realized someone took that credit card and tried to use it at one of the AT&T’s down the street. Then when I heard, I was like, ‘oh, that’s probably what happened,’” she said.

Other neighbors said they noticed large amounts of missing mail, even if they weren’t personally targeted.

“They didn’t steal any of my mail personally, but they took a lot of people’s mail,” Berry said.

Police say surveillance footage helped investigators identify patterns and develop leads. On April 7, authorities say the suspects returned to the mail room -- and officers were ready.

When police moved in, investigators say the suspects tried to flee. The driver of the getaway car hit an exit gate before crashing into a Davie police patrol vehicle.

“To see that I was actually affected by it, as well, I was like, ‘that’s an insane thing to happen,’” Angus said.

Police say the stolen mail from that incident was recovered. It remains unclear how the suspects obtained the master key.

With the arrests, neighbors say they finally have some peace of mind.

“I’m glad. I’m happy,” Angus said. “I work hard, and for things like that to happen, it sucks.”

“Era mucho correo. No sabía que se podía llevar tanto correo”, dijo el vecino Tyler Berry.

Según la policía de Davie, el grupo utilizaba una llave maestra del Servicio Postal de Estados Unidos y un plan coordinado para atacar buzones en el complejo de apartamentos Shalimar, en South University Road.

Los investigadores dicen que los sospechosos abrían y vaciaban los buzones, metiendo el correo robado en grandes bolsas de basura antes de irse.

Los residentes creen que los robos comenzaron a finales del año pasado y aumentaron durante las fiestas y la temporada alta de impuestos.

“Eso es una locura. No pensé que algo así realmente pasara”, dijo la víctima Aja Angus.

Angus dijo que se dio cuenta de que había sido afectada después de pedir una tarjeta de crédito que nunca llegó.

“Pedí una tarjeta de crédito y me di cuenta de que alguien tomó esa tarjeta e intentó usarla en uno de los AT&T más abajo en la calle. Entonces cuando escuché, dije, ‘oh, eso probablemente fue lo que pasó’”, dijo.

Otros vecinos dijeron que notaron grandes cantidades de correo desaparecido, incluso si no fueron afectados directamente.

“No robaron mi correo personalmente, pero se llevaron el de mucha gente”, dijo Berry.

La policía dijo que las imágenes de vigilancia ayudaron a los investigadores a identificar patrones y desarrollar pistas. El 7 de abril, las autoridades dicen que los sospechosos regresaron a la sala de correo, y los agentes estaban listos.

Cuando la policía intervino, los investigadores dicen que los sospechosos intentaron huir. El conductor del vehículo de escape chocó contra una reja de salida antes de estrellarse contra una patrulla de la policía de Davie.

“Ver que yo también fui afectada, dije, ‘eso es algo increíble que pase’”, dijo Angus.

La policía dijo que el correo robado de ese incidente fue recuperado. No está claro cómo los sospechosos obtuvieron la llave maestra.

Con los arrestos, los vecinos dicen que finalmente tienen algo de tranquilidad.

“Me alegra. Estoy feliz”, dijo Angus. “Trabajo duro, y que pasen cosas así, es horrible”.

Según la portavoz de la policía de Miramar, Janice McIntosh, los agentes respondieron alrededor de las 2 a.m. a una llamada inicial sobre un robo cerca de Pembroke Road y Hiatus Road.

McIntosh dijo que esa llamada luego fue actualizada a una balacera mientras los investigadores trabajaban para reconstruir lo ocurrido.

La policía dijo que una mujer fue encontrada con una herida de bala y fue trasladada a un hospital.

Los investigadores dicen que un hombre que vive en el apartamento fue quien disparó, pero el motivo sigue sin estar claro.

“En este momento, todavía estamos tratando de averiguar exactamente qué ocurrió”, dijo McIntosh. “Las dos personas involucradas se conocían, y obviamente una persona recibió un disparo. La persona que fue baleada ha sido trasladada, y el otro individuo está siendo interrogado, pero está cooperando plenamente con la policía”.

Las autoridades dijeron que ambos individuos se conocían y podrían haber tenido una relación casual.

Indicaron que el hombre ha sido detenido para ser interrogado, pero no está claro si enfrentará cargos. Ninguno de los dos ha sido identificado por la policía.

La policía continúa investigando mientras los vecinos despertaron con una fuerte presencia policial y una parte del complejo acordonada con cinta de escena del crimen.

La balacera reportada ha dejado a muchos residentes con temor.

“Vivo al lado, así que da bastante miedo escuchar esto sabiendo que tengo un niño de cinco años”, dijo la residente Karina Barajas.

Cualquier persona con información sobre la balacera debe llamar a Broward Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

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According to Miramar police spokesperson Janice McIntosh, officers responded around 2 a.m. to an initial call about a robbery near Pembroke Road and Hiatus Road.

McIntosh said that call was later updated to a shooting as investigators worked to piece together what happened.

Police said a woman was found with a gunshot wound and was taken to a hospital.

Investigators say a man who lives at the apartment pulled the trigger, but the motive remains unclear.

“Right now, we’re still trying to find out exactly what happened,” McIntosh said. “The two persons involved were known to each other, and so obviously one person was shot. The one who was shot has been transported, and the other individual is being questioned, but he is fully cooperating with the police.”

Authorities said the two individuals knew each other and may have been in a casual relationship.

They said the man has been taken into custody for questioning, but it remains unclear whether he will face charges. Neither individual has been identified by police.

Police continue to investigate as neighbors woke up to a heavy law enforcement presence and a portion of the complex taped off with crime scene tape.

The reported shooting has left many residents in fear.

“I live next door so that’s pretty scary to hear knowing I have a five year old,’ said tenant Karina Barajas.

Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

France will remain as NASCAR's chairman and his majority ownership stake will not change.

O'Donnell will be the first person outside the France family to hold the CEO title of NASCAR. Bill France Sr. founded the United States' most popular racing series in 1948 and always had a family member in the top role prior to the changes expected to be announced at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Saturday.

Ben Kennedy, France's great-nephew, will be promoted to chief operating officer.

Jim France had been chairman and CEO of NASCAR since the 2019 resignation of his nephew, Brian.

France took a hardline stance in negotiations for the 2025 revenue-sharing agreement, triggering an anti-trust lawsuit by Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The sides reached a settlement in December that granted NASCAR teams the permanent charters they had sought.

France was soft spoken, needed several questions repeated and struggled to remember several topics during his first day of testimony in the anti-trust trial before a stronger second day.

NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps resigned earlier this year after inflammatory texts he sent during contentious revenue-sharing negotiations were revealed during the trial.

___

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

Un grupo de perros se involucró en una pelea alrededor de las 9:30 a.m. en el área de Northwest 11th Avenue y Seventh Street en la zona de Homes Beautiful Park.

Uno de los dueños de los perros estaba armado con un arma de fuego y disparó a cuatro perros, incluidos dos que murieron en la escena de la pelea, según la policía.

Un segundo dueño de perro sufrió una mordedura mientras intentaba separar la pelea, y personal de Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue respondió para atenderlo, según la policía.

Oficiales de la Unidad de Crímenes contra Animales del Departamento de Policía de Fort Lauderdale respondieron para investigar el incidente.

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

Ubicación

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After the opening night of the 2026 NFL Draft, Sullivan said both players stood out because of their traits, upside and fit within Miami’s long-term plans.

“He’s unique. He’s rare,” Sullivan said of Proctor. “He’s a 350-pound man with unique athletic traits that can play four spots across the line of scrimmage — left tackle, right tackle, both guards. The athletic traits for a man his size are through the roof.”

Proctor, 20, is 6-foot-7 and 359 pounds and is expected to compete for a starting role on the Dolphins’ offensive line. Sullivan said the team was fully aware of concerns about Proctor’s weight but felt confident after extensive evaluation.

“We did our due diligence with our resources. We feel really good about where he is at,” Sullivan said. “We brought him in on a 30 visit. I could feel his conviction and his desire to be a good football player and do the things that he needs to do to be the best pro that he can be.”

Sullivan added that Proctor’s versatility made him too valuable to pass on.

“There wasn’t another one in the draft like him, period,” he said.

While some observers projected Miami could target other top prospects, including Ohio State safety Caleb Downs or local defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr., Sullivan said the Dolphins never wavered.

“Downs and Bain are marvelous players,” Sullivan said. “But we had a lot of conviction on Proctor being a very unique player in this draft and one that we can build around for years.”

Sully on why he selected Kadyn Proctor over Rueben Bain Jr. and Caleb Downs: pic.twitter.com/CHk8Cl3agW

— Ryan Mackey (@RyanMackeyWPLG) April 24, 2026

Sullivan also said protecting quarterback Malik Willis was part of the long-term vision.

“We invested in Malik, and it was important for us to protect him,” he said. “We feel really good about what we invested in tonight.”

Later in the first round, Miami traded up three spots to select Johnson, a 6-foot, 193-pound cornerback who broke out at San Diego State with elite production and ball skills.

“When you watch Chris, he’s got great feet, great balance and body control,” Sullivan said. “He’s physical. He’s a big corner. He can play nickel, play outside corner. He’s got ball skills.”

Johnson, 21, finished his college career with 13 passes defended, four interceptions and two pick-sixes in his senior season, earning All-American honors and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.

Sullivan said Johnson’s athletic testing helped confirm what the Dolphins already believed.

“You watched him play in the fall, and then he ran real fast and jumped real high,” Sullivan said. “It just gives you peace of mind. Not only is the film really good, but all the traits in the world that you could want in a guy who has to cover players at this level, he’s got them.”

Sullivan emphasized that both selections reflected organizational alignment between scouts, coaches and analytics.

“When you have conviction on a player, organizational conviction, I think you have to listen to that,” he said. “At the end of the day, the buck stops with me.”

Miami entered the night with multiple trade scenarios in play but ended with two first-round picks and additional assets, a result Sullivan said the team felt strongly about.

“We started the day with 11 picks, we’ve got 11 now,” he said. “We stayed whole. We feel really good about it.”

Sullivan acknowledged that every draft brings scrutiny but said the Dolphins are confident in their process.

“I understand the questions, that’s just the way this business goes,” he said. “But we really like what we did tonight.”

As of Friday, the Dolphins’ draft capital includes:

• Round 1, pick 12: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor

• Round 1, pick 27: San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson (trade with San Francisco)

• Round 2: No. 43

• Round 3: Nos. 75, 87, 94

• Round 4: Nos. 130, 138

• Round 5: Nos. 151, 177 (Dallas), 180 (Dallas)

• Round 7: Nos. 227, 238

Miami traded its sixth-round pick to the New York Giants in exchange for tight end Darren Waller.

The 2026 NFL Draft continues Friday at 7 p.m. ET for Rounds 2 and 3.

Tras la primera noche del Draft de la NFL 2026, Sullivan dijo que ambos jugadores destacaron por sus cualidades, potencial y encaje dentro de los planes a largo plazo de Miami.

“Es único. Es raro”, dijo Sullivan sobre Proctor. “Es un hombre de 350 libras con cualidades atléticas únicas que puede jugar en cuatro posiciones a lo largo de la línea de golpeo: tackle izquierdo, tackle derecho, ambos guardias. Las cualidades atléticas para un hombre de su tamaño están por las nubes”.

Proctor, de 20 años, mide 6 pies 7 pulgadas y pesa 359 libras y se espera que compita por un puesto titular en la línea ofensiva de los Dolphins. Sullivan dijo que el equipo estaba plenamente consciente de las preocupaciones sobre el peso de Proctor, pero se sentía confiado tras una evaluación exhaustiva.

“Hicimos nuestra debida diligencia con nuestros recursos. Nos sentimos muy bien sobre dónde está”, dijo Sullivan. “Lo trajimos para una visita de 30. Pude sentir su convicción y su deseo de ser un buen jugador de fútbol americano y hacer las cosas que necesita para ser el mejor profesional que pueda ser”.

Sullivan agregó que la versatilidad de Proctor lo hacía demasiado valioso para dejarlo pasar.

“No había otro como él en el draft, punto”, dijo.

Aunque algunos observadores proyectaban que Miami podría apuntar a otros prospectos destacados, incluidos el safety de Ohio State Caleb Downs o el liniero defensivo local Rueben Bain Jr., Sullivan dijo que los Dolphins nunca dudaron.

“Downs y Bain son jugadores maravillosos”, dijo Sullivan. “Pero teníamos mucha convicción en que Proctor es un jugador muy único en este draft y uno sobre el que podemos construir durante años”.

Sully on why he selected Kadyn Proctor over Rueben Bain Jr. and Caleb Downs: pic.twitter.com/CHk8Cl3agW

— Ryan Mackey (@RyanMackeyWPLG) April 24, 2026

Sullivan también dijo que proteger al mariscal de campo Malik Willis era parte de la visión a largo plazo.

“Invertimos en Malik, y era importante para nosotros protegerlo”, dijo. “Nos sentimos muy bien con lo que invertimos esta noche”.

Más tarde en la primera ronda, Miami subió tres posiciones para seleccionar a Johnson, un esquinero de 6 pies y 193 libras que destacó en San Diego State con producción de élite y habilidades para el balón.

“Cuando ves a Chris, tiene grandes pies, gran equilibrio y control corporal”, dijo Sullivan. “Es físico. Es un esquinero grande. Puede jugar nickel, jugar como esquinero exterior. Tiene habilidades para el balón”.

Johnson, de 21 años, terminó su carrera universitaria con 13 pases defendidos, cuatro intercepciones y dos touchdowns tras intercepción en su temporada senior, obteniendo honores All-American y el premio al Jugador Defensivo del Año de la Mountain West.

Sullivan dijo que las pruebas atléticas de Johnson ayudaron a confirmar lo que los Dolphins ya creían.

“Lo viste jugar en el otoño, y luego corrió muy rápido y saltó muy alto”, dijo Sullivan. “Simplemente te da tranquilidad. No solo el video es muy bueno, sino que tiene todas las cualidades que podrías querer en un jugador que tiene que cubrir a jugadores a este nivel”.

Sullivan enfatizó que ambas selecciones reflejan alineación organizacional entre cazatalentos, entrenadores y análisis.

“Cuando tienes convicción en un jugador, convicción organizacional, creo que tienes que escuchar eso”, dijo. “Al final del día, la responsabilidad recae en mí”.

Miami llegó a la noche con múltiples escenarios de intercambio en juego, pero terminó con dos selecciones de primera ronda y activos adicionales, un resultado con el que Sullivan dijo que el equipo se siente muy satisfecho.

“Empezamos el día con 11 selecciones, tenemos 11 ahora”, dijo. “Nos mantuvimos completos. Nos sentimos muy bien al respecto”.

Sullivan reconoció que cada draft genera escrutinio, pero dijo que los Dolphins confían en su proceso.

“Entiendo las preguntas, así es como funciona este negocio”, dijo. “Pero realmente nos gusta lo que hicimos esta noche”.

Hasta el viernes, el capital de draft de los Dolphins incluye:

• Ronda 1, selección 12: OT de Alabama Kadyn Proctor

• Ronda 1, selección 27: esquinero de San Diego State Chris Johnson (intercambio con San Francisco)

• Ronda 2: No. 43

• Ronda 3: Nos. 75, 87, 94

• Ronda 4: Nos. 130, 138

• Ronda 5: Nos. 151, 177 (Dallas), 180 (Dallas)

• Ronda 7: Nos. 227, 238

Miami intercambió su selección de sexta ronda a los New York Giants a cambio del ala cerrada Darren Waller.

El Draft de la NFL 2026 continúa el viernes a las 7 p.m. ET con las rondas 2 y 3.

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Four unleashed dogs attacked a dog and the dog’s owner at about 9:30 a.m. at Northwest 11th Avenue and Seventh Street in the Homes Beautiful Park area, according to investigators.

The dog owners grabbed a gun and shot the four fighting dogs, and two died at the scene, according to police.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue personnel responded to treat a dog owner who was injured while trying to break up the dog fight, according to police.

Police officers with FLPD’s Animal Crimes Unit responded to investigate the incident.

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

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Leaders at the Randazzo School, located at 2300 NW 39th Ave. in Coconut Creek, confirmed that Evan Michael Sands worked at the private school. A statement from the school did not elaborate on what the 26-year-old’s position was, other than describing him as a “staff member.”

A federal criminal complaint states that the investigation into Sands, of Tamarac, began with a tip from the messaging platform Discord.

That tip, sent to the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children and forwarded to the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in December, pertained to two child sexual abuse videos shared through Discord depicting girls who appeared to be 6 years old, authorities said. The videos, they said, were found in Sands’ account.

Federal agents said they applied for a search warrant for Sands’ Discord account in January and got data from the company in March.

“The Discord data revealed that Sands, using the username, astraldrag0n#0, engaged in numerous conversations with children under the age of 18, some under the age of 12, where he solicited the children to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves,” the complaint states.

Sands, authorities said, also sent the children explicit videos of himself and identified himself “by name and address and his place of employment.”

They said the search warrant revealed that he was also sending child sexual abuse images and videos through the platform.

According to the complaint, agents executed a search warrant on Sands’ home in the 8100 block of Northwest 105th Avenue on Thursday. They said they also pulled him over after seeing him leave before the raid.

The complaint states that agents searched his phone and saw videos depicting the rape and sexual abuse of children as young as babies.

It states that during an interview, Sands admitted to sending the explicit content on Discord and admitting to enticing children by giving them “Robux,” a virtual currency used on the online game Roblox.

Agents said that Sands “admitted that he believed the youngest minor that he solicited” was 12 and confirmed that he send children explicit videos of himself.

“He estimated his sexual conduct with minors started in 2021,” the complaint states.

Sands now faces two federal charges related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as one count of enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual behavior.

In a statement, Randazzo School administrators said authorities informed them of Sands’ arrest on Thursday and said they were “shocked and saddened by this development.”

They said Sands “will not be returning to our school.”

“We are fully cooperating with law enforcement as their investigation continues,” the statement reads. “The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. Based on the information the U.S. Marshals provided, there is no evidence that any of our students were involved or affected.”

Records show he was scheduled to appear in Fort Lauderdale federal court at 11 a.m. Friday.

According to court documents, prosecutors are expected to ask that he be held on pre-trial detention.

As of Friday morning, Sands was being held in the Broward Sheriff’s Office Main Jail facility on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward arrestaron a Lewin, de 43 años, el jueves y el personal correccional lo ingresó en la cárcel principal del condado Broward en Fort Lauderdale.

Lewin, quien fue suspendido de BSFR, compareció ante el tribunal de fianza el viernes, enfrentando dos cargos de delito grave de tercer grado por agresión contra una persona de 65 años o más.

Durante el presunto ataque, Lewin fue acusado de estrangular a la víctima, golpear la cabeza de la víctima y tratar de sacarle los ojos.

Dos colegas de Lewin presuntamente presenciaron el hecho y tuvieron que intervenir para ayudar a la víctima.

Durante su audiencia de fianza el viernes, la defensa dijo que Lewin es un hombre de familia que había estado con BSFR durante unos 11 años y no tenía antecedentes penales.

La fianza de Lewin fue de $50,000 USD. Según los registros judiciales, el juez del circuito del condado Broward Thomas Coleman estaba programado para presidir el caso.

Local 10 News tiene solicitudes pendientes para obtener más información sobre el caso.

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

The executive order, which acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed Thursday, does not address current penalties for possessing and selling marijuana or those jailed with yearslong sentences.

“While this is a victory, the fight is far from over," said Jason Ortiz, director of strategic initiatives for the Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit focused on cannabis criminal justice reform.

Proponents of legalizing marijuana as well as overhauling prison sentencing say this order, which does not completely decriminalize the drug, benefits only cannabis researchers, growers and others in Big Weed. Meanwhile, thousands — many of whom are people of color — are stuck serving harsh sentences for marijuana-related offenses. Or they have served their time but having a conviction on their record has made life difficult.

Now, advocates are calling on Congress and state lawmakers to take concrete steps to ensure those with marijuana-related convictions receive fair treatment or be forgiven altogether.

Prisoners and their families look for hope

Blanche's order reclassifies state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug. The major policy shift, which both Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden had considered, means cannabis won’t be grouped with drugs like heroin.

But it does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use. It shifts licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I — reserved for drugs without medical use and with high potential for abuse — to the less strictly regulated Schedule III. This will likely give licensed medical marijuana operators and cannabis researchers a major tax break and less stringent barriers to doing normal business.

Virtually no one imprisoned at the federal level is there solely for marijuana possession. But many are there for large-scale possession, trafficking offenses or both.

Hector Ruben McGurk, 66, has been serving life without the possibility of parole since 2007 for transporting thousands of pounds of marijuana and money laundering. He is currently imprisoned in Beaumont, Texas, over 800 miles (1,290 kilometers) from his son's El Paso home. His incarceration has been hard on his son, said McGurk's daughter-in-law, Ferna Anguiano. And the distance makes visits logistically difficult.

So it's tempting to see this order as a glimmer of hope, given that the family believes McGurk's punishment far outweighs his crimes. But Anguiano has no idea how to navigate lobbying for his release.

“His release date is death," Anguiano said. “I mean, we see all this stuff on the news — bigger cases, fatal cases — and people are going in and out of prison and coming out to their families.”

They try to keep in touch through phone calls and a prison texting service. They're concerned about McGurk's health and his diabetes management. It would be a dream come true for him to come home.

“He deserves a second chance,” Anguiano said. “Yes, it was a poor decision he did in his lifetime. He was younger. But he is not a bad person. I think it's fair to say he has served enough time for it.”

It's not clear whether punishments would be different had marijuana always been scheduled differently, drug policy experts say.

“In addition to schedule-specific penalties, there are marijuana-specific penalties that have nothing to do with the schedule,” said Cat Packer, director of drug markets and legal regulation at the nonprofit Drug Policy Alliance. “Even if marijuana were to be moved to Schedule V, those criminal penalties would still exist and there are mandatory minimums for simple possession.”

Racial disparities exist in convictions and Big Weed

Destigmatizing marijuana has long been an issue for both political parties. Obama commuted the sentences of about 1,900 federal prisoners, almost all of whom were incarcerated for nonviolent drug crimes. Biden pardoned 6,500 people convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia. President Donald Trump's administration has taken far fewer drug clemency actions and does not have an overarching policy directing such actions.

“What many people on the right and the left would like is to move marijuana from this ‘just as bad as heroin’ category and to just sort of de-schedule it entirely,” said Marta Nelson, director of sentencing reform at the Vera Institute of Justice. “Regulate it like you do alcohol or tobacco.”

Studies show Black Americans are roughly 3.7 to 4 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white Americans, despite usage rates being roughly the same across racial groups. Federal-level marijuana cases are pretty small today, but those serving sentences for federal drug offenses are overwhelmingly Hispanic and Black, according to Justice Department and Bureau of Justice Statistics data.

The racial disparity with drug convictions is reminiscent of 2010 legislation Obama signed reducing the gap between mandatory sentences for crack cocaine versus powder cocaine. In 2018, Trump made it apply retroactively.

Because business owners with state medical marijuana licenses are predominantly white, the tax relief created by the rescheduling will also likely give a leg-up to mostly white businesses, Packer said. A lot of equity programs won't apply.

“This is going to, in my mind, widen the gap, the financial disparities, the business disparities that currently exist between Black and brown, Latino and white owners in the cannabis industry because licenses were not distributed equitably,” Packer said.

Possible next steps for marijuana convictions

In theory, Trump could issue a blanket pardon like he did for Jan. 6 rioters. But Nelson thinks that is highly doubtful.

“Having marijuana convictions on the record for things like mass immigration enforcement is helpful to the administration,” Nelson said.

An impactful next step would be for Congress to outline very comprehensive legislation addressing existing marijuana-related convictions, expungements and industry regulations, she added.

The Last Prisoner Project and other organizations are planning to renew a dialogue with federal lawmakers, including the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, which includes Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar and Republican Rep. David Joyce. They will also continue to lobby for Trump to conduct a large-scale act of commutation and clemency.

Advocates are also hoping Trump's order will prompt every state to rethink their marijuana classification and penalties.

“It is imperative that every state review their situation, as a lot of their controlled substances at the state level are tied to the federal government,” Ortiz said. “We’re gonna see other states that are going to need a little help from the public to remind them what the right thing to do is.”

En el palacio de Miraflores en Caracas, la presidenta en funciones y Petro encabezaron la firma del Acta Final de la tercera Reunión de la Comisión de Vecindad e Integración Colombo-Venezolana donde se discutieron temas de cooperación en áreas de seguridad fronteriza, asuntos migratorios y consulares, educación, industria, turismo y salud.

Los mandatarios también discutieron formas de profundizar los lazos comerciales y energéticos, que se vieron en su momento afectados por la ruptura de relaciones en 2019. El intercambio, que llego a exhibir la cifra de 7.000 millones de dólares en su mejor momento, se redujo entonces drásticamente a unos 70 millones de dólares.

Con la llegada al poder de Petro —el primer mandatario de izquierda en Colombia— en agosto de 2022, se restablecieron las relaciones diplomáticas y comerciales con Caracas. Su antecesor Iván Duque (2018-2022) tildaba de “dictador” a Maduro.

Desde entonces “hemos venido recuperando el comercio entre nuestros países y hoy podemos decir que "hemos llegado a tener el año pasado un comercio que asciende a los 1.200 millones de dólares”, acotó la mandataria,

Rodríguez además resaltó la decisión de establecer de manera inmediata “mecanismos para compartir información y para el desarrollo de inteligencia".

Venezuela y Colombia comparten una frontera de 2.200 kilómetros en la que bandoleros, narcotraficantes y guerrilleros se valen de lo remoto y desolado de la zona para operar, según las autoridades de ambos países.

Tres días antes, Petro adelantó que entre sus prioridades figuraba abordar la situación de la región fronteriza del Catatumbo, en la cual durante años los narcotraficantes y grupos rebeldes han luchado por el control de ese territorio, una de las principales áreas productoras de coca de Colombia.

La coordinación militar entre ambos países fue fundamental en el pasado para controlar las actividades criminales en la región fronteriza.

En ese sentido, Petro comentó que se habló de “configurar un esfuerzo común, coordinado a fondo para liberar a los pueblos de la frontera de las mafias dedicadas a diversas economías ilegales, comenzando por la cocaína, el oro ilícito, la trata de personas”, entre otros delitos. Esa liberación “implica acción militar, acción policial, acción social”, agregó.

La cooperación energética fue otro elemento clave del encuentro.

El interés de Colombia en el gas venezolano se reavivó en el gobierno de Petro, especialmente desde 2024 cuando se empezó a hablar de un posible déficit de gas. Sin embargo, no se ha concretado por asuntos técnicos en el gasoducto binacional y las sanciones estadounidenses a la estatal Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA).

Colombia tramita con la administración del presidente Donald Trump una licencia de la Oficina de Control de Activos Extranjeros para reactivar los proyectos de gas e interconexión eléctrica. También logró acuerdos con PDVSA para reponer la tubería del gasoducto en el tramo colombiano.

El tema fue parte de la conversación que sostuvo Petro con Trump en febrero. Según el colombiano, hablaron sobre cómo reactivar a Venezuela con la ayuda de Colombia y sobre el papel de Estados Unidos, que a su juicio debería ser “levantar las sanciones” sobre Venezuela.

El gobierno de Trump busca revitalizar la economía venezolana atrayendo inversión extranjera a sus vastos recursos naturales, principalmente el petróleo. Bajo el gobierno de Maduro Venezuela sufrió una profunda crisis económica que empujó a millones a la pobreza y 7,7 millones de personas al exilio.

La reunión se produjo en Caracas luego de que se canceló un encuentro que se había programado inicialmente para el 13 de marzo en la frontera común. Petro había realizado una visita oficial al país en abril de 2024 para reunirse entonces con Maduro.

“Sometimes when you’re not looking for it, an angel shows up,” said Darin Jones, Maci’s adoptive father.

After surviving a brutal beating in 2017, a then-2-year-old Maci was left with severe brain injuries.

“Her head was bandaged and you could tell she didn’t know what happened,” Jones said.

“I couldn’t believe anybody could do that to a little kid,” he added. “I said, no one’s going to hurt this kid again.”

And no one has.

In 2018, Jones, a retired captain with the Indian River Sheriff’s Office, and his wife, Lisa, adopted Maci.

“We have the picture with the judge and everybody. It was a happy day,” said Jones.

Since then, the couple have surrounded their daughter with unconditional love, encouraging the now-tween’s passion for singing and dancing, while passing on their love for Miami Dolphins football.

In fact, it was after a weekend game last November when the family met angel number three: Gracie Williams.

“I really think it’s a Godsend that it happened that we met that night,” said Williams, Maci’s friend.

The Joneses got off at the wrong exit on the Turnpike and stopped at a Hooters in Pembroke Pines.

“The first thing that I saw when I came to Hooters was Maci,” Williams said.

Maci’s effervescent personality captured Gracie’s heart, and the two formed an immediate bond.

“We FaceTime every night,” Williams said.

“We went to the zoo, the circus,” Maci said.

Williams has also taken Maci to doctor’s appointments and hosted three fundraisers for a specialty $42,000 stand-up power wheelchair, a device Maci needs to strengthen her legs.

With that additional support, the Joneses surprised their daughter on Christmas Day — a gift that was as much for Maci as it was for her parents.

“We never expected what we got when we met Gracie. I don’t think she did either,” Jones said.

Three angels, three miracles for Maci — all examples that you can overcome evil with good, and with grace.

Of the $42,000 needed to buy the specialty wheelchair, Gracie raised $29,000.

But Maci says the friendship that followed is the bigger gift — one that is truly priceless.

Click here to read stories from Local 10’s Good News South Florida collection.

Maj. Kenneth Chungag, a nurse who lives and works on Fort Belvoir in Virginia, is accused of using his military training and experience to assist the Ambazonia Defense Forces in Cameroon.

Chungag is “greatly dismayed by these charges and looks forward to a timely and just resolution of the matter,” defense attorney Robert Jenkins told The Associated Press in an email Friday.

Chungag, a 50-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, and co-defendant Mercy Akwi Ombaku were arrested Monday on federal conspiracy charges. A magistrate judge ordered their release from custody after initial court appearances in Alexandria, Virginia. Prosecutors didn’t seek their pretrial detention.

In 2020, Chungag was stationed at Fort Meade in Maryland when he first expressed interest in assisting members of the ADF, according to the FBI affidavit. In online chats with ADF members in Cameroon, Chungag falsely claimed to have combat experience in Iraq but appeared to be embellishing his military background to raise his profile in the group, the affidavit says.

Chungag is accused of plotting with Ombaku, a Maryland resident, to transfer money from the U.S. to Cameroon for the purchase of AK-47 assault rifles. Investigators believe Chungag grew disillusioned and withdrew from the organization in 2024. Later that year, FBI agents questioned him about his ADF-related activities. Investigators believe he tried to destroy incriminating evidence by deleting ADF-related messages from his phone after the FBI contacted him.

Cameroon, with a population of roughly 31 million, has been ruled by Paul Biya since 1982, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving rulers. The ADF is a separatist military organization in southern Cameroon fighting for the Anglophone region to break away from the central African country.

The separatist movement dates back to the early 1960s, when the British Southern Cameroons, a United Nations trust territory previously governed as part of Nigeria’s eastern region, was joined with Cameroon. In 2017, English-speaking separatists launched a rebellion aimed at establishing an independent state. The conflict has killed at least 6,500 people and displaced over 600,000 others, according to the Belgium-based International Crisis Group.

Pope Leo XIV on his recent Africa trip presided over a peace meeting last Thursday with community leaders in one of the two Anglophone regions. During the pope’s visit, separatist groups announced a three-day pause in fighting.

Chungag has worked as a nurse at a Fort Belvoir community hospital, according to a base spokesperson. The spokesperson referred questions about Chungag’s employment status to the medical center, which didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Ombaku, a healthcare worker who also is a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Cameroon, is charged with conspiring with Chungag to financially support the ADF. She denied having any ADF affiliation when the FBI questioned her last July. An attorney for Ombaku, 38, of New Carrollton, Maryland, didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Fort Belvoir is located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Washington along the Potomac River.

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Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.

Shouldn't TMZ have been in Washington already?

The tabloid gossip site that reinvented Hollywood and celebrity gossip coverage is taking a swing at the nation's capital of late with TMZ DC, deploying staff to confront lawmakers paparazzi-style in Washington and turning to the public to capture candid images of politicians living it up on the road. The push has already created viral moments, including an image of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., holding a wand at Disney World as chaos gripped airport security lines because of congressional inaction on a funding bill.

On Friday, TMZ put its Beltway foray on display at the Pentagon, with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth calling on the outlet and singling them out as “new members of our press group here” — a subtle dig that mirrored his not-so-subtle campaign criticism of legacy media outlets.

Washington and Hollywood have long had an awkward relationship, with players in each power center harboring insecurities and misunderstandings about the other as politics and entertainment have steadily merged into a single cultural force.

Earlier efforts by TMZ to build a Washington bureau faltered. But this time may prove different.

President Donald Trump’s return to the White House further normalizes a particular brand of celebrity culture in the nation’s capital that made him a tabloid fixture for decades. Moreover, Congress is currently gripped by scandal, with three lawmakers resigning in April alone after varying allegations, which include sexual misconduct and fraud.

Also, Gallup polling released this week found that disapproval of Congress has climbed to 86%, tying the record high. Only 33% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's overall job performance, according to AP-NORC polling released this week. That’s a decline of 9 percentage points since early in Trump’s second term.

Washington's institutions are held in low regard

With Washington's institutions held in such low regard, the bigger surprise may be that TMZ hasn't attempted such a flex here sooner.

“I am legitimately surprised they weren't already there,” said Ana Marie Cox, who wrote the Wonkette blog, which covered Washington with an irreverence that was rare in the early 2000s. “They're actually a little bit late to the game.”

A representative for TMZ did not respond to a request for comment.

TMZ was founded in 2005 and is still run by hard-charging Los Angeles lawyer and media figure Harvey Levin, who has had an off-and-on relationship with Trump. Within a decade, TMZ made its name with a combination of sleazy and sensational celebrity news. Early in its life, TMZ broke stories that included antisemitic statements made by actor Mel Gibson during an arrest and an angry voicemail message left by actor Alec Baldwin to his daughter.

But the site, whose initials reference the 30-mile zone from the historic center of the television and film industry in Los Angeles, really established itself by breaking news of Michael Jackson’s death in 2009 and the drug use that led to it.

Its tactics can cross traditional journalistic boundaries, particularly when it comes to paying sources. Beyond the professional breach involved with such arrangements, the payments could run afoul of congressional ethics rules. Levin has not denied paying for story tips, which is frowned upon by traditional journalism outlets.

And TMZ has also had some high-profile failures, including reports that Beyoncé would perform at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which didn’t happen.

Some of TMZ's work is being applauded

Yet some of TMZ's early work in Washington is being applauded.

Robert Thompson, a trustee professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University, said the photo of Graham at Disney World was genuinely newsworthy because it showed lawmakers away from Washington during a political crisis. A representative for Graham didn't respond to a request for comment.

TMZ published images of lawmakers from both parties who left Washington during the recent congressional recess that overlapped with the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown. Beyond Graham, the site published pictures of Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Robert Garcia of California.

TMZ is not currently credentialed by the congressional press galleries. That limits its Washington coverage to walk-and-talk interviews on the sidewalks outside the Capitol or in the hallways of public office buildings — a feature of its ambush-style celebrity interviews.

Some of the interviews are entertaining for audiences who are in on the bit. In one video this week, Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont., seemed confused by questions about a party hosted by the gay dating and hookup site Grindr ahead of this weekend's White House Correspondents' Dinner.

“I don't understand,” Downing said. “Are they a media company?”

Others go in unexpected, sometimes touchingly personal, directions. When Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Calif., was asked how lawmakers celebrate the 4/20 marijuana holiday, she spoke of how the day marked the anniversary of her father's death.

“4/20 is the day that my daddy died,” she said. “My dad was an amazing man in San Francisco. I think about him every single time there's 4/20.”

And sometimes the gotcha nature of the reports backfires. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., was among the lawmakers whose image was captured away from Washington during the DHS shutdown. He was shown at his son’s basketball game, prompting defense from colleagues, including Republicans, who said he shouldn’t be shamed for being a present father.

At Friday’s briefing, TMZ’s Charlie Cotton eagerly played into Hegseth’s branding of “the Department of War,” and the Trump administration’s claim that the war in Iran is necessary. “Would you consider changing the name again to the Department of Peace since that’s what we’re all after?” Cotton asked.

Hegseth gushed over the “great question” and declared that “the one institution that should win the Nobel Peace Prize every single year is the United States military.”

The long history of the ambush interview

The TMZ approach isn't particularly new. Longtime CBS correspondent Mike Wallace made a habit of the so-called ambush interview, catching unprepared subjects on camera.

Before he broke the news of an extramarital affair that would doom Democrat Gary Hart's 1988 presidential campaign, Tom Fiedler confronted the Colorado senator in a Washington alley. A reporter for the Miami Herald at the time, Fiedler said he “didn't set out to do that.”

“We simply found ourselves in that situation,” he recalled this week. “At that point, we knew that he knew we were there to observe what he was doing. Our feeling was we needed to let him know who we were so he wouldn't think there was, in the worst case, an attempted assassin stalking him.”

Nearly 40 years later, journalism in Washington is drastically different.

The Washington Post cut nearly a third of its staff in February in a brutal blow to the legendary newsroom. Other outlets are growing. The website NOTUS is rebranding as The Star, with ambitions to fill the gap left by the Post, particularly in local and sports coverage.

Cox, the former Wonkette blogger, is now a writer living in Austin, Texas. Reflecting on her time in Washington, she said her goal was to “demystify politics and show that these are people who don't necessarily deserve our respect.”

But she expressed concern about coverage whose tone reinforces the eye-rolling aspects of Washington. If she were starting Wonkette today, she said, “I don't think I'd be as funny.”

“Funny is how we got here,” she said. “Making fun of Donald Trump did not work.”

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AP Media Writer Dave Bauder and Bill Barrow contributed to this report.

At a press gathering April 16, President Donald Trump was asked about “10 missing scientists with access to classified stuff, nuclear material, aerospace, they've all gone missing or turned up dead in the last couple of months" and whether he thought there were ties among them.

“Well, I hope it's random, but we're going to know in the next week and a half, ” Trump said.

Those speculating about the cases suggest that the individuals were targeted, perhaps by global U.S. adversaries, because of the sensitive nature of their work related to topics such as astrophysics, nuclear weapons and pharmaceuticals. But so far no evidence has been found that definitively links them or establishes coordinated foul play.

Jen Golbeck, a professor at the University of Maryland who studies conspiracy theories, said the idea of a sinister connection between tragedies involving scientists is a common trope within conspiracy theory communities.

“There are a lot of people who work for national labs and universities and government research centers and some of them will go missing or commit suicide or die,” she said. “Any year you could take a bunch of those and name them as something sinister if you wanted to."

The path from niche online communities to the mainstream

The deaths and disappearances in question garnered suspicion from online sleuths as they occurred, but it was the disappearance of 68-year-old William “Neil” McCasland, a retired Air Force general, on Feb. 27 that fueled a wider belief that there could be a nefarious connection between these incidents, spurred in part by his high-ranking military work and connection to the UFO community.

Around this time people began pointing to other examples of scientists who had died or gone missing, ultimately going as far back as June 2022.

The Daily Mail published an article on March 22 naming five individuals and reporting that “a chilling pattern has emerged after a string of US scientists died or went missing in recent months.”

On April 15, a question about the missing or dead individuals came up at a White House press briefing and by the next day Trump said he had met with advisers and the issue was being investigated. FBI Director Kash Patel reiterated the importance of looking for connections in these cases Sunday on Fox News. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is conducting its own investigation.

“That’s pretty typical for how a lot of this stuff works, is that there are these fringe online spaces, they start it, it spreads, it gets picked up by ... the more conspiratorial-minded politicians who do have platforms and makes its way onto more mainstream social media and then grabs that attention,” said Golbeck.

Callie Kalny, co-director of the Center of Media Psychology and Social Influence at Northwestern University, agreed that these conspiracy theories are following a familiar pattern of starting in more niche venues before finding their way into the national conversation.

“Once it’s made it to the mainstream and once we experience this repeat exposure to it, it sort of just embeds into our minds as something that maybe we just take as fact or we just take as something that is common knowledge without ever really critically thinking well, where did this come from to begin with? And is there any validity to this?” she said.

Correlation does not imply causation

There are some parallels among the dozen or so individuals at the heart of these conspiracy theories, such as associations with Los Alamos National Laboratory and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and some of those named had specialized knowledge and high-level security clearances. But the list contains many reasons to doubt the claims spreading online.

In some of the cases, investigations had already been conducted, with suspects identified or charged. In others, no connections were apparent or evidence was lacking or not as convincing as it first appeared.

For example, Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a physicist and fusion scientist who was a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is on the list. He was fatally shot on Dec. 15 by Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, who was also responsible for a mass shooting at Brown University days prior. Neves Valente took his own life. A motive has not been established, but the two men knew each other decades earlier as classmates in Portugal studying physics.

Carl Grillmair, an astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology who discovered water on a distant planet, was fatally shot on Feb. 16, according to local reports. Authorities charged 29-year-old Freddy Snyder with Grillmair’s murder and carjacking. Snyder is being held on a multimillion-dollar bond.

Melissa Casias, then 53, went missing on June 26 in New Mexico. She worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory and while some online assumed she was a scientist there, according to her LinkedIn profile Casias actually worked as an administrative assistant.

As for McCasland, he left home without his phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. His hiking boots, wallet and a .38 caliber revolver could not be found at the house. There is no evidence indicating foul play and he remains missing.

McCasland’s wife, Susan Wilkerson, wrote in a Facebook post on March 6 responding to online rumors that since his retirement 13 years ago, McCasland “has had only very commonly held clearances” and that “it seems quite unlikely that he was taken to extract very dated secrets from him.” She added that although he “had a brief association with the UFO community,” he does not have any privileged knowledge about aliens.

“In the face of tragedy or uncertainty, people seek patterns and explanations rather than accepting ambiguity or coincidence,” said Donnell Probst, executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education. “Narratives suggesting hidden connections or intentional wrongdoing can feel more satisfying than incomplete or evolving information, even without supporting evidence.”

The Richmond school’s board of visitors voted Friday to fund what VCU calls the East Marshall Street Well Project, an effort to right wrongs committed more than a century ago. Construction of the memorial and burial site are expected to start in summer of 2027.

“Years ago, VCU initiated this journey because we recognized a profound obligation to restore the human dignity of the people who were not afforded respect in their physical existence," VCU President Michael Rao said in a story about the effort posted on the school's website. "The East Marshall Street Well Project’s sacred mission is to ensure every life is honored with the permanence and reverence they deserve.”

The circular memorial will feature a “unity chamber” inspired by the Toguna structures of Dogon culture in West Africa. Its design “is intended to encourage humility and thoughtful discussion by purposefully having a low roof to facilitate seated reflection,” said Stephen Davenport, assistant vice president for social and economic development in the VCU Division of Community Engagement and the administrative lead for the project.

Workers in 1994 uncovered a brick-lined well containing human bones during construction of the Kontos Medical Sciences Building on the VCU medical center campus. Sifting through mud, researchers also found hair and skin, as well as remnants of leather shoes and glass bottles.

Based on archival records from the Medical College of Virginia, researchers believe the remains were dumped in the well between the 1840s and 1860s.

“A preliminary anthropological analysis of the recovered human remains showed some postmortem signs of dissection and amputation consistent with anatomical training and surgical procedure practice,” VCU researchers concluded in a paper published this year. “The constant demand for cadavers led to routine grave robbing practices, mainly targeting African American burial grounds, to supply the medical school.”

Archaeologists were given a short time to examine the burial site after the 1994 discovery. Before construction continued, the remains were removed by backhoes and sent to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Initial analysis estimated that a minimum of 44 adults and nine children were recovered from the well.

Interest in the remains was renewed in 2011 after the release of a film by a VCU professor and a separate report by two forensic anthropologists.

DNA study results released in February identified at least 43 distinct adults and three juveniles of “predominantly African heritage,” most likely from Central-West Africa. Several sets of remains bore traces of European ancestry.

Skeletal analysis “provided insight into the heavy labor endured by these individuals during their lives and the disregard for their bodies after death,” the study found.

The use of the bodies of people of African descent for medical research in Europe and the U.S. stretches back centuries. And it was frequently done without the expressed permission or knowledge of descendants.

In 2024, the University of Pennsylvania laid to rest the remains of 19 Black Philadelphians it kept for research, including studies once used to promote white supremacy through racist scientific theories.

The same school also discovered it had the bones of people who died in a 1985 police bombing of the headquarters of a Black liberation group in Philadelphia. City officials had assured the victims' families that they had turned over all of the remains that were collected, according to lawyers who represented the families.

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Associated Press reporters John Raby and Aaron Morrison contributed to this report.

El incidente ocurrió el 11 de abril durante la limpieza de playa y bahía Baynanza, a la que asistieron cientos de personas. Weinsier intentaba cuestionar a la alcaldesa de Miami-Dade, Daniella Levine Cava, sobre más de $60 millones en fondos de contribuyentes gastados en autobuses eléctricos que posteriormente fueron retirados de servicio.

El video del encuentro muestra a un hombre vestido de civil, posteriormente identificado como el agente de la MDSO Lester Aguilar, interviniendo físicamente mientras se realizaban preguntas.

Aguilar no se identificó verbalmente como agente del orden y no tenía una placa o credenciales visibles durante la interacción inicial.

La confrontación ha generado escrutinio por parte de expertos legales y organizaciones que monitorean la libertad de prensa y la transparencia gubernamental.

El Comité de Reporteros por la Libertad de Prensa, una organización sin fines de lucro que brinda apoyo legal a periodistas y defiende los derechos de la Primera Enmienda, calificó el incidente como preocupante.

Jennifer Nelson, abogada de la organización, dijo: “Amenazar con encarcelar a un periodista que intenta entrevistar a un funcionario electo en un evento público es una grave violación de los derechos básicos de la Primera Enmienda. Este tipo de reporteo en el terreno es una parte fundamental de proporcionar a las comunidades información sobre temas importantes, y incidentes como este corren el riesgo de disuadir a otros reporteros de hacer preguntas a los líderes gubernamentales”.

El incidente también está atrayendo atención nacional. Jennifer Dunham, reportera colaboradora del U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, que documenta violaciones a la libertad de prensa en Estados Unidos, está informando sobre lo ocurrido.

El Proyecto de Libertad de Información Joseph L. Brechner de la Facultad de Periodismo y Comunicaciones de la Universidad de Florida también se pronunció. El proyecto se enfoca en leyes de gobierno abierto, acceso a registros públicos y temas de transparencia.

David Cuillier, director del Proyecto de Libertad de Información Brechner, dijo que se sintió perturbado tras revisar el video.

“Vi el video y quedé horrorizado. Esto es manipulación de relaciones públicas fuera de control y, desafortunadamente, estamos viendo cada vez más de esto en todo el país”, dijo Cuillier. “Esto nunca debió haber ocurrido, independientemente de la ley y de los principios básicos de los derechos constitucionales y la libertad”.

Cuillier dijo que el incidente refleja una tendencia más amplia de control del mensaje gubernamental que limita el acceso a la información.

“En mi investigación, he encontrado que el control del mensaje gubernamental continúa restringiendo cada vez más la información al público”, dijo. “En muchos casos, las políticas que castigan a empleados gubernamentales por hablar con la prensa son completamente inconstitucionales, sin embargo continúan aplicándose”.

Agregó que el aumento del secretismo plantea preocupaciones a largo plazo para el acceso público.

“El secretismo gubernamental continúa expandiéndose y cerrando el acceso a la información para el público. Hoy, si le pide un registro público al gobierno federal, lo obtendrá solo una de cada diez veces. ¿Qué sucede cuando llegue a cero?”

Cuillier también enfatizó la importancia de la rendición de cuentas pública.

“No hay duda de que están operando con buenas intenciones, pero el público debe responder y exigir un gobierno más abierto y responsable. Es esencial para nuestra República, si queremos conservarla”, dijo.

Weinsier también compartió el video con el abogado de la Primera Enmienda Thomas Julin, quien tiene más de tres décadas de experiencia manejando casos de libertad de expresión.

“Veo que usted solo está ahí con el micrófono haciendo una pregunta”, dijo Julin. “Usted no estaba amenazando a la alcaldesa de ninguna manera. Simplemente estaba haciendo una pregunta”.

“No está usando ninguna indicación de que es un agente del orden. Usted no sabe quién es este tipo”, dijo Julin.

“Es una violación de sus derechos de la Primera Enmienda hacer una pregunta a un funcionario público”, agregó Julin.

La confrontación ocurrió después de semanas de solicitudes de entrevista sin respuesta a la oficina de la alcaldesa sobre el programa de autobuses eléctricos.

Local 10 News también ha presentado una solicitud de registros públicos buscando las políticas de la MDSO que regulan cómo los agentes vestidos de civil deben identificarse al interactuar con el público. Esa solicitud sigue sin respuesta.

Funcionarios de la MDSO han confirmado que la Oficina de Cumplimiento Profesional de la agencia ha abierto una investigación de asuntos internos sobre el incidente. La agencia dice que no puede comentar más mientras la investigación está en curso.

Tras el incidente en Haulover Park, Levine Cava sí accedió a responder preguntas sobre el programa de autobuses.

Defensores de la libertad de prensa dicen que la situación subraya la importancia de reglas claras que regulen las interacciones entre las fuerzas del orden, los funcionarios públicos y los periodistas en espacios públicos.

La investigación tanto de la confrontación como del programa de autobuses financiado por los contribuyentes continúa en curso.

La detonación ocurrió en las inmediaciones del Cantón Militar Pichincha de la Tercera Brigada, en una acción que fue atribuida preliminarmente por el Ejército a la facción Jaime Martínez de las disidencias de las extintas Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) que no negociaron la paz en 2016.

Imágenes reproducidas por medios colombianos muestran la humareda que provocó la explosión en medio del nerviosismo de militares y civiles que se encuentran en las inmediaciones del lugar.

Un reporte de la institución militar en X indicó que el ataque afectó las instalaciones de la unidad militar sin ocasionar heridos.

Un dispositivo de seguridad fue activado para ubicar a los responsables del “hecho delictivo”, señaló el Ejército que pidió a la ciudadanía denunciar acciones sospechosas. El ataque levantó una ola de rechazo.

“Un acto cobarde contra nuestra fuerza pública”, escribió en X la vicepresidenta Francia Márquez y aseguró que el Estado actuará “con toda firmeza” para dar con los responsables.

El Alcalde de Cali, Alejandro Eder, alertó en declaraciones a la prensa que si bien el acto no dejó víctimas los territorios aledaños a Cali como Jamundí son “victimizados por grupos narcoterroristas” que operan en esa zona considerada estratégica por conectar las zonas de cultivo de hoja de coca y producción. Ofreció una recompensa de 50 millones de pesos (más de 14.000 dólares) por información que permita capturar al responsable.

Según Eder, Cali acumula ocho atentados explosivos que en 2025 dejaron más de una decena de muertos y 150 heridos.

La semana pasada el ejército colombiano informó de la captura de cinco presuntos miembros del grupo residual Jaime Martínez quienes operaban en el departamento del Valle del Cauca al que pertenece Cali.

Los detenidos son considerados “presuntos responsables” de delitos de extorsión, instalación de retenes ilegales y de actividades de presión e intimidación, entre los habitantes de la región, señaló un boletín de la institución.

Las disidencias de las FARC abandonaron en 2024 una mesa de negociación de paz con el gobierno de Gustavo Petro, el primer presidente izquierdista de Colombia.

En esta ocasión, según los informes de arresto, los sospechosos no solo procedían de los condados de Broward y Miami-Dade, sino que uno de ellos venía desde la zona rural del condado de Glades, cerca del lago Okeechobee.

La policía informó que llevó a cabo la operación encubierta en un hotel no revelado con la ayuda del Grupo de Trabajo contra la Trata de Personas de la Fiscalía del Estado de Miami-Dade.

Los detectives publicaron un anuncio en línea haciéndose pasar por la madre de dos niñas de 13 y 15 años, y les dijeron a quienes respondieron que “estaban disponibles para servicios sexuales a cambio de dinero”.

Según los informes, los nueve hombres buscaban tener relaciones sexuales con la joven de 15 años.

La policía identificó a los sospechosos como:

• Jacinto Brito Raymundo, 23 años, del suroeste de Miami-Dade
• Carlos Adrián Flores Rojas, de 27 años, de Miami Gardens
• Mandy González, de 39 años, de Moore Haven
• Oisnel González Rodríguez, de 25 años, de Miami
• Creshawn Akcire Lewis-Starks, de 24 años, de West Park
• Frank Carlos López de la Rosa, 24 años, del oeste de Miami-Dade
• Kalaivanan Murugan, 25 años, de Doral
• Jonathan Lee Testa, de 25 años, del suroeste de Miami-Dade
• Jony Esaú Zeledón Rizo, 33 años, del noroeste de Miami-Dade

La policía señaló específicamente en el informe de arresto de Flores que él “solicitó ser un cliente VIP”.

Según cuentan, tras su detención, le dijo a un detective, en español: “No soy mala persona”.

Todos fueron llevados a prisión acusados ​​de trata de personas y delitos informáticos.

Leer en español

This time, according to arrest reports, the suspects not only came from Broward and Miami-Dade counties, but one came all the way from rural Glades County, near Lake Okeechobee.

Police said they conducted the sting at an undisclosed hotel with the help of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force.

Detectives posted an online advertisement posing as the mother of two girls, aged 13 and 15, and told those responding that they “were available for sexual services in exchange for money.”

According to the reports, all nine men were seeking sex with the 15-year-old.

Police identified the suspects as:

• Jacinto Brito Raymundo, 23, of southwest Miami-Dade
• Carlos Adrian Flores Rojas, 27, of Miami Gardens
• Mandy Gonzalez, 39, of Moore Haven
• Oisnel Gonzalez Rodriguez, 25, of Miami
• Creshawn Akcire Lewis-Starks, 24, of West Park
• Frank Carlos Lopez de la Rosa, 24, of west Miami-Dade
• Kalaivanan Murugan, 25, of Doral
• Jonathan Lee Testa, 25, of southwest Miami-Dade
• Jony Esau Zeledon Rizo, 33, of northwest Miami-Dade

Police specifically noted in Flores’ arrest report that he “requested to be a VIP client.”

They said he told a detective after his arrest, in Spanish, “I am not a bad guy.”

All were taken to jail on human trafficking and computer crimes charges.

The move, announced Friday and first reported by The Associated Press, makes good on Trump's threat to impose secondary sanctions on companies and countries that do business with Iran. It's also part of his Republican administration’s overall ramped-up campaign to cut off Iran’s key source of revenue — its oil exports.

Concurrently, the U.S. this month imposed a physical blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.

The sanctions, which cut off the companies from the U.S. financial system and penalize anyone who does business with them, come just a few weeks before President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping are due to meet in China.

Included in Friday's sanctions is Hengli Petrochemical’s facility in the port city of Dalian, which has a processing capacity of roughly 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it one of the biggest independent refineries in China.

The Treasury Department says Hengli has received Iranian crude oil shipments since 2023 and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian military.

The advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran said in February 2025 that Hengli is one of dozens of Chinese purchasers of Iranian oil.

China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, importing 80% to 90% of Iranian oil before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran broke out, though the crude — transported by a shadow fleet of vessels — often has its origin obscured but arrives in China as oil from countries such as Malaysia. Smaller refineries, known as teapot refineries, typically are the buyers of Iranian oil.

Iran has previously said that its demands for ending the war include the lifting of sanctions.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday that his agency “will continue to constrict the network of vessels, intermediaries and buyers Iran relies on to move its oil to global markets.”

Earlier this month, Bessent's department sent a letter to financial institutions in China, Hong Kong, the UAE and Oman threatening to levy secondary sanctions for doing business with Iran and accusing those countries of allowing Iranian illicit activities to flow through their financial institutions.

Bessent said during a White House press briefing on April 15 that the administration has told countries “that if you are buying Iranian oil, that if Iranian money is sitting in your banks, we are now willing to apply secondary sanctions, which is a very stern measure.”

The sanctions come as the global energy trade is in turmoil as war around the Persian Gulf chokes off oil and natural gas shipments, causing prices to soar.

Treasury has tried to quell the impact of rising oil prices issuing temporary sanctions waivers on Russia oil and a one-time waiver on Iranian oil already at sea.

The AP was making efforts to contact Chinese officials for comment on the sanctions.

China has disagreed with previous U.S. sanctions, but its major companies and banks still comply with U.S. sanctions because they are more exposed to the U.S.-dominated financial system.

After the U.S. earlier this month sanctioned a Chinese refinery accused of buying Iranian oil, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, said the use of the sanctions “undermines international trade order and rules, disrupts normal economic and trade exchanges, and infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals.”

The Justice Department is also reauthorizing the use of single-drug lethal injections with pentobarbital that were used to carry out 13 executions during the first Trump administration — more than under any president in modern history. The Biden administration had removed pentobarbital from the federal protocol over concerns about the potential for unnecessary pain and suffering.

The moves were announced as part of a broader push to step up federal executions after a moratorium under the Biden administration. Only three defendants remain on federal death row after Democratic President Joe Biden converted 37 of their sentences to life in prison, though the Trump administration has so far authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants.

“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims.”

The federal government has not previously included firing squad as a method of execution in its protocols, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Five states currently allow executions by firing squad: Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah.

The pentobarbital protocol was adopted by Bill Barr, attorney general during Trump’s first term, to replace a three-drug mix used in the 2000s, the last time federal executions were carried out before Trump's first term in office.

Attorney General Merrick Garland in the final days of the Biden administration withdrew the pentobarbital lethal injection policy after a government review of scientific and medical research found there remains “significant uncertainty" about whether its use causes unnecessary pain and suffering."

In 2020, under Barr's leadership, the Justice Department published a rule in the Federal Register to allow the federal government to conduct executions by lethal injection or use “any other manner prescribed by the law of the state in which the sentence was imposed.”

A number of states allow other methods of execution, including electrocution, inhaling nitrogen gas or death by firing squad.

The Trump administration, in a report released Friday, said the Biden administration “got the standard and the science wrong." The Biden administration's findings, among other things, “failed to address the overwhelming evidence” that an injected with pentobarbital quickly “quickly loses consciousness—rendering him unable to experience pain," the report said.

Currently on death row are are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history.

Thornell died Thursday at a hospital in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie from complications from kidney disease, his son, Jay Thornell said Friday.

He worked for the AP from 1964 to 2004 and had a variety of assignments over the years, photographing politicians, natural disasters, crime scenes. But the struggle for racial justice punctuated Thornell’s wire service career from the beginning. He covered the integration of a Mississippi Gulf Coast school on his first day of work for the AP New Orleans bureau.

In June 1966, Thornell, then 26, was assigned to cover a civil rights march led by Meredith, who had already made history by integrating the University of Mississippi in 1962, and was mounting a “March Against Fear” through the state encouraging Black residents to register and vote.

Meredith was walking on U.S. Highway 51 near Hernando, Mississippi, and Thornell and a rival photographer were in a car parked roadside, when the sound of the first shotgun blast sent them scrambling.

One resulting Thornell image remains a sobering photographic reminder of the violent resistance to desegregation. It shows a wounded Meredith grimacing in agony as he dragged himself to the road’s edge. Along with it was the Pulitzer-winning photo Thornell didn’t initially realize he had captured: Meredith is on the ground at the edge of the highway with arms extended and hands on the pavement — it’s unclear if he is still falling or pushing himself up after the fall. His head is turned and he appears to be looking at his would-be assassin, visible at the extreme left of the picture in a weedy ditch.

Meredith was hospitalized and recovered. Aubrey James Norvell, who was apprehended at the scene, pleaded guilty and served 18 months of a five-year prison sentence.

Until he developed the film and pored over the negatives, Thornell believed he might be fired. He feared his competitor had an image of the gunman and he didn’t. Instead of dismissal, Thornell won the Pulitzer in 1967.

Decades chronicling history

Jay Thornell remembered his father as a loving dad, but said he could be “regimented” and “stubborn,” saying that the stress of covering the Civil Rights Movement could sometimes kept Jack Thornell from realizing his own achievements at the time.

“He never really enjoyed or appreciated what he was accomplishing and doing,” Jay Thornell said. “Through his pictures, he was serving the world and exposing things that were going on in places that other parts of the world and country didn’t know about during the Civil Rights era.”

In 1964, Jack Thornell photographed the burned-out station wagon in Neshoba County, Mississippi, that belonged to civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman, whose bodies were found buried in an earthen dam weeks after Ku Klux Klansmen abducted and killed them. And Thornell would hurriedly snap a photo of the local sheriff being arrested by federal agents on conspiracy charges in connection with their deaths. Thornell got the shot while backing away as a supporter of the sheriff threatened him with a knife.

Thornell chronicled violence leading up to the integration of schools in Grenada, Mississippi, in 1966. One of his photos showed a Black man covering his ears as he moved away from a cherry bomb tossed by angry white people.

Thornell photographed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. multiple times, including during the Selma-to-Montgomery march in Alabama in 1965, and demonstrations in support of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968, the week before King was assassinated there.

Thornell had returned to his home base in New Orleans before King was assassinated, but later was dispatched to Atlanta, where he photographed King’s family viewing the body at Spelman College’s Sisters Chapel.

He was late for that assignment. He said in the 2018 interview that he dashed around another photographer and climbed atop a pew, clambering toward the casket by stepping over pew after pew to get in position to make the picture.

“I was shaken when I left there. I had my eyes on the floor because I knew everyone was looking at me for my despicable behavior,” Thornell said in the interview at his home in Kenner, Louisiana. “But I didn’t leave without the picture.”

Years later, in 1977, King’s assassin, James Earl Ray, escaped from a Tennessee prison. Thornell was on hand when Ray, muddy and haggard, was recaptured.

A photographer by chance

Thornell was born and raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi. His career as a photographer might not have happened but for an Army snafu in the late 1950s, according to a 1967 account in the AP World corporate magazine.

“The U.S. Army had decided to make a radio repairman of him. But at Fort Monmouth, his name got mixed up with that of a camera bug who wanted to attend photographic school. So Thornell, who didn’t know an aperture from a back focus, took the short course in picture-taking while the camera bug learned to fix radios.”

After leaving the Army, Thornell got a job with the Jackson (Miss.) Daily News before he was hired by the AP in New Orleans.

Hired during a turbulent time in the South, Thornell recalled the fear he sometimes felt amid violence and threats. But there was a greater fear than physical harm.

“The greatest fear for me was coming back without the photograph,” he said. “The things that were happening there, you just kind of dealt with it and tried to photograph what was happening, because that was your bread and butter, that was your career. And your success depended on how well you did that day. Because tomorrow there’s always another newspaper coming out.”

But Jay Thornell said that later in life, his father got to survey his achievements without that deadline pressure, enjoying autographing his photos sent to him by others. Jay Thornell said a recent cherished memory is Jack Thornell telling the stories behind some of his famous photos to his granddaughter.

Thornell is survived by his son Jay, his daughter Candy Gros, and a granddaughter.

___

Amy reported from Atlanta.

Zamil Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, but Nahida Bristy is still missing, Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said.

Limon’s roommate Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih, 26, was taken into custody at his family's home nearby on preliminary charges that include unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery. He was expected to make a first appearance in court Saturday morning.

“We are still actively searching for Nahida,” Maurer said, appealing to the public to share any useful information. Law enforcement dive teams were searching the bay near the bridge as part of those efforts, the sheriff's office said.

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

“This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “While the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains is heartbreaking, I want the public to know that our detectives worked and are working tirelessly and relentlessly to uncover the truth.”

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

A family friend contacted authorities last Friday after being unable to contact either one, USF police said.

Investigators spoke with Abugharbeih, who is a native-born U.S. citizen, on Thursday, Maurer said, but after initially talking, Abugharbeih chose to end the interview. He said Abugharbeih was speaking with detectives again after his arrest Friday morning.

There are no other suspects in the investigation at this time, Maurer said.

An autopsy is being done on the remains to determine the manner and cause of Limon's death, and those results are expected Saturday morning, he said.

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

Limon was studying geography, environmental science and policy, and Bristy is studying chemical engineering.

Abugharbeih had several previous arrests, the sheriff’s office said. He was charged with battery and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling in September 2023, and with battery that May — both classified in court records as misdemeanors. Court records show Abugharbeih entered into a diversion program for first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors. He completed the program in 2024 and the charges were discontinued. A phone call to his lawyer in that case was not immediately returned.

Hillsborough County Court records also showed two domestic violence petitions filed by a family member in 2023. A judge granted an injunction in one case and denied the other petition. He also was accused of traffic violations.

____ This story has been updated to correct that it was Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer who spoke Friday morning, not the sheriff.

___ Lauer reported from Philadelphia and Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press reporter Michael Schneider in Orlando, Florida, contributed.

The Omni Ride and Fairfax Connector transit buses struck each other shortly before 7:30 a.m., according to a press release from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. Emergency personnel transported 18 of the injured to local hospitals for further medical evaluation. Five were treated at the scene.

Ten of the 23 injured passengers are from the Defense Department.

The Metro Access Road was closed pending an accident investigation.

The accident altered mass transit operations for several hours. Camera footage from the scene showed the two buses colliding.

The Arlington Fire Department confirmed that the crash occurred and that it responded, but it referred questions to the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, the federal law enforcement agency at the Pentagon.

It was unclear what caused the crash.

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Authorities said Skylee Merino was last seen on Tuesday and has been missing for three days.

Investigators believe she may still be in Florida, possibly in the Coral Springs area, and could also travel to nearby Tamarac.

Authorities say no one has seen or heard from her since she was reported missing earlier this week.

Investigatiors say Skylee is 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs around 120 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or the Coral Springs Police Department at 954-344-1800.

Authorities said Skylee Merino was last seen on Tuesday and has been missing for three days.

Investigators believe she may still be in Florida, possibly in the Coral Springs area, and could also travel to nearby Tamarac.

Authorities say no one has seen or heard from her since she was reported missing earlier this week.

Investigatiors say Skylee is 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs around 120 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or the Coral Springs Police Department at 954-344-1800.

Leer en español

The stabbing was on Thursday night in Miami, police said. Donald Hutchinson, Jr., was among the witnesses who saw the victim bleeding in a white car.

Police officers found the victim shortly after 8:20 p.m. on Thursday in the area of Northwest 25 Avenue and 57 Street, according to the Miami Police Department.

“The guy wasn’t moving for about 30, 40 minutes until the ambulance came ... I don’t know what they did, but then he started moving his arm,” Hutchinson said about the victim.

Surveillance video shows the white car. Hutchinson said the driver of the white car told him that he was trying to take him to the hospital himself.

“Passenger car seat was like soaked in blood, full of blood, a lot of blood,” Hutchinson said.

Fire rescue personnel rushed the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, according to police.

Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 to remain anonymous.

Location

Local 10 News Assignment Editors Sofia Mendez and Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.

El apuñalamiento ocurrió la noche del jueves en Miami, dijo la policía. Donald Hutchinson Jr. estuvo entre los testigos que vieron a la víctima sangrando dentro de un auto blanco.

Agentes de policía encontraron a la víctima poco después de las 8:20 p.m. del jueves en el área de Northwest 25 Avenue y 57 Street, según el Departamento de Policía de Miami.

“El hombre no se movía durante unos 30, 40 minutos hasta que llegó la ambulancia, no sé qué hicieron, pero luego comenzó a mover el brazo”, dijo Hutchinson sobre la víctima.

Un video de vigilancia muestra el auto blanco. Hutchinson dijo que el conductor del vehículo le dijo que intentaba llevarlo al hospital por su cuenta.

“El asiento del pasajero estaba empapado de sangre, lleno de sangre, mucha sangre”, dijo Hutchinson.

Personal de rescate trasladó a la víctima al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital, según la policía.

Los detectives pidieron a cualquier persona con información sobre este u otros casos que llame a Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477 para permanecer en el anonimato.

Ubicación

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab released the latest photo of the popular hat-shaped galaxy on Friday. A telescope in Chile observed it four years ago, but the color imaging was not completed until this week.

Located approximately 30 million light-years away, this spiral galaxy — formally known as Messier 104 — is one of the largest in the constellation Virgo cluster. It’s an estimated 50,000 light-years across. A light year is about 6 trillion miles.

Captured in incredible detail, the galaxy's stellar halo appears to be triple the size of the sombrero itself.

A dark energy camera on the telescope also caught a stream of stars pouring out of the galaxy's southern edge. Scientists believe the stars in this stream, as well as the halo, were ripped from other galaxies in a long-ago collision.

Astronomers discovered the galaxy back in the 1700s.

___

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.

The 6-foot-6 Peterson showed flashes of brilliance with the Jayhawks, but he also caused a lot of headaches for the team. He dealt with a severe full-body cramping issue that required hospitalization before the season, and additional injuries and illnesses caused him to miss 11 games, hurting his ability to build any continuity with the rest of his teammates.

Peterson wound up averaging 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc in 24 games.

He started to hit his rhythm in the postseason, scoring 24 points against TCU and 14 against Houston in the Big 12 Tournament. He had 28 points in a first-round NCAA tourney win over Cal Baptist and 21 in a last-second loss to St. John's in the second round.

“To my teammates, friends and everyone at the University of Kansas, a heartfelt thank you!” Peterson posted to social media. “Your belief in me, your encouragement and your constant support have been invaluable every step of the way. This journey has been everything to me, and none of it would have been possible without your love, support and sacrifices.”

Most mock drafts have Peterson or BYU's A.J. Dybantsa going first overall, though Duke's Cameron Boozer also could be in the mix.

The closest comp to Peterson has generally been 6-foot-5 Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns' five-time All-Star. Both have the ability to score at all three levels, and their athleticism allows them to play much bigger than their size.

Peterson's announcement came one day after Dybantsa declared for the draft in his hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts.

Dybantsa led the nation with 25.5 points per game, while also pulling down 6.8 rebounds with 3.7 assists. He’s the first player to post those averaged in a season and be a consensus All-American since Larry Bird did it in 1978-79 for Indiana State.

Arizona freshman Koa Peat, another projected first-round pick, declared for the draft on his Instagram account on Friday.

“Playing for the University of Arizona has been an incredible blessing and something I'll always be grateful for,” he posted. “Wearing this name and where I come from means everything to me. It's been an honor to compete at this level while still being rooted in the place that raised me.”

The 6-8 Peat, an Arizona native, averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in 36 games while helping the Wildcats reach the Final Four for the first time since 2001.

Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner also declared for the draft with the sophomore keeping his options open to return to school. He is currently projected as a late first-round pick.

The AP All-Southeastern Conference guard led Vanderbilt to one of the best seasons in program history, scoring 19.5 points a game. His heave from beyond half court rattled out after falling halfway through in a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Nebraska.

Tennessee freshman Nate Ament declared for the draft Thursday after starting all 35 games he played and averaging 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds. His announcement came in an Instagram post in which he thanked the Volunteers for the opportunity.

“I promise to always represent the Vols with the upmost pride,” Ament wrote. “This University means more to me than just basketball — to me it’s a place I call home. I might’ve only been here a year but I’ll remember this year for the rest of my life.”

Another top draft prospect, Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas, declared for the draft on Wednesday. He joined LSU legend Pete Maravich as the only SEC players to have led the league in scoring (23.5 points per game) and assists (6.4 per game) in the same season.

Ament and Acuff also are widely considered to be top-10 draft picks.

___

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

A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that immigration laws give people the right to apply for asylum at the border, and the president can’t circumvent that.

The court opinion stems from action taken by Trump on Inauguration Day 2025, when he declared that the situation at the southern border constituted an invasion of America and that he was “suspending the physical entry” of migrants and their ability to seek asylum until he decides it is over.

The panel concluded that the Immigration and Nationality Act doesn’t authorize the president to remove the plaintiffs under “procedures of his own making,” allow him to suspend plaintiffs’ right to apply for asylum or curtail procedures for adjudicating their anti-torture claims.

“The power by proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of specified foreign individuals into the United States does not contain implicit authority to override the INA’s mandatory process to summarily remove foreign individuals,” wrote Judge J. Michelle Childs, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden.

“We conclude that the INA’s text, structure, and history make clear that in supplying power to suspend entry by Presidential proclamation, Congress did not intend to grant the Executive the expansive removal authority it asserts,” the opinion said.

White House says asylum ban was within Trump's powers

The administration can ask the full appeals court to reconsider the ruling or go to the Supreme Court.

The order doesn’t formally take effect until after the court considers any request to reconsider.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking on Fox News, said she had not seen the ruling but called it “unsurprising,” blaming politically-motivated judges.

“They are not acting as true litigators of the law. They are looking at these cases from a political lens,” she said.

Leavitt said Trump was taking actions that are “completely within his powers as commander in chief.”

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the Department of Justice would seek further review of the decision. “We are sure we will be vindicated,” she wrote in an emailed statement.

The Department of Homeland Security said it strongly disagreed with the ruling.

“President Trump’s top priority remains the screening and vetting of all aliens seeking to come, live, or work in the United States,” DHS said in a statement.

Advocates welcome the ruling

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said that previous legal action had already paused the asylum ban, and the ruling won’t change much on the ground.

The ruling, however, represents another legal defeat for a centerpiece policy of the president.

“This confirms that President Trump cannot on his own bar people from seeking asylum, that it is Congress that has mandated that asylum seekers have a right to apply for asylum and the President cannot simply invoke his authority to sustain,” said Reichlin-Melnick.

Advocates say the right to request asylum is enshrined in the country’s immigration law and say denying migrants that right puts people fleeing war or persecution in grave danger.

Lee Gelernt, attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, who argued the case, said in a statement that the appellate ruling is “essential for those fleeing danger who have been denied even a hearing to present asylum claims under the Trump administration’s unlawful and inhumane executive order.”

Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, welcomed the court decision as a victory for their clients.

“Today’s DC Circuit ruling affirms that capricious actions by the President cannot supplant the rule of law in the United States,” said Nicolas Palazzo, director of advocacy and legal Services at Las Americas.

Judge Justin Walker, a Trump nominee, wrote a partial dissent. He said the law gives immigrants protections against removal to countries where they would be persecuted, but the administration can issue broad denials of asylum applications.

Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.

Judge Cornelia Pillard, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, also heard the case.

In the executive order, Trump argued that the Immigration and Nationality Act gives presidents the authority to suspend entry of any group that they find “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”

The executive order also suspended the ability of migrants to ask for asylum.

Trump’s order was another blow to asylum access in the U.S., which was severely curtailed under the Biden administration, although under Biden some pathways for protections for a limited number of asylum seekers at the southern border continued.

Migrant advocate in Mexico expresses cautious hope

For Josue Martinez, a psychologist who works at a small migrant shelter in southern Mexico, the ruling marked a potential “light at the end of the tunnel” for many migrants who once hoped to seek asylum in the U.S. but ended up stuck in vulnerable conditions in Mexico.

“I hope there’s something more concrete, because we’ve heard this kind of news before: A district judge files an appeal, there’s a temporary hold, but it’s only temporary and then it’s over,” he said.

Meanwhile, migrants from Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela and other countries have struggled to make ends meet as they try to seek refuge in Mexico’s asylum system that’s all but collapsed under the weight of new strains and slashed international funds.

This week hundreds of migrants, mostly stranded migrants from Haiti, left the southern Mexican city of Tapachula on foot to seek better living conditions elsewhere in Mexico.

———

AP reporters Gary Fields in Washington, Gisela Salomon in Miami and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Leavitt was speaking to Fox News, not to a press gaggle.

He and the Hurricanes thought they'd won Game 2 of their first-round series against Ottawa when teammate Mark Jankowski scored, but a league-initiated challenge ruled the play to be offside, took the goal off the board and rewound the clock. The very next shift, Martinook was hooked by Senators forward Warren Foegele on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot.

“I was trying to tell (the referee) we needed the power play, not the penalty shot,” Martinook said. He got turned aside by Linus Ullmark, then scored the winner in double overtime.

Through Thursday night's games, there have been four penalty shots already in these playoffs — more through 21 games than the previous three years' worth combined, including zero in 2025 — and the goaltenders have saved all four.

Two more penalty shots would tie the record for the most in a single postseason. There doesn't seem to be a reason for the uptick in refs calling for penalty shots over power plays, but there is no doubt it has added rare and must-see entertainment to a compelling first round.

“Everything’s very circumstantial,” Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon said after denying Boston's Viktor Arvidsson in Game 3 on Thursday night. He's not sure if he'd rather face the 1-on-1 matchup or endure a 2-minute penalty kill.

“To be honest with you, every player in this league has the ability to score on penalty shots,” Lyon said. “So yeah, I guess it’s just more circumstantial, but I don’t really have a definitive answer one way or the other.”

Lyon stopped Arvidsson, Ullmark stopped Martinook, Philadelphia's Owen Tippett missed the net against Pittsburgh's Stuart Skinner, and Colorado's Scott Wedgewood made such a highlight-reel save on Los Angeles' Quinton Byfield that jubilant fans in Denver broke the glass behind the Kings' bench.

“Never really seen the glass shatter behind the bench,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said following a repair process that delayed the game more than 15 minutes. “That’s a different one. Stuff happens. Fans get excited. Our guys were excited.”

Is more grabbing going on during play? More breakaways in a league that has increased the emphasis on offense in recent years? Both could be true.

The NHL's rule 24.1 says "a penalty shot is designed to restore a scoring opportunity which was lost as a result of an infraction being committed by the offending team, based on the parameters set out in these rules.” That does provide some latitude for officials to determine what constitutes a penalty shot if a player is unimpeded by an opponent with no one between him and the net.

Still, four penalty shots before the end of the first round is unusual. The only playoffs with more penalty shots 2019 (five) and 2008 (six).

These are potentially game-changing moments and add even more pressure to a playoff game. Martinook described his experience as being the big guy on one end of a teeter-totter, acknowledging he didn't feel good about himself after not scoring on his opportunity. The 33-year-old grinder made good on his next one to keep from being perceived as the goat.

“It was going to be a long night if that penalty shot came back to bite me,” Martinook said. “Hockey's crazy, sports are crazy and being able to score after that, I'll tell my grandkids about that one, that's for sure.”

___

AP Sports Writers Jimmy Golen in Boston; Aaron Beard in Raleigh, North Carolina and Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.

___

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

Dowler, who has Stargardt disease and says she has about 10% useful vision, only began running last year, starting with a couch to 5K program before building up to marathon distance. She is now preparing to run the London Marathon with her boyfriend as her guide, using AI powered Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses to help her navigate and track her progress.

“They are AI assisted,” she said. “While running, I can ask for live cues, such as what landmarks are around me and how far I have run.”

She said the glasses allow her to combine audio feedback with guidance from her running partner.

“I can put my music on but still be able to listen to my guide runner,” she said.

Her goal is not focused on speed.

“My mission was to inspire other people with sight loss and people going through something really tough and inspire them to believe in themselves,” she said.

Dowler is among a growing number of visually impaired runners using AI enabled smart glasses. These wearable devices combine standard consumer products with cameras, microphones and open ear speakers. They can be controlled with your voice, buttons or some simple gestures and use artificial intelligence to interpret surroundings and provide audio feedback.

The most well known smart glasses are from tech company Meta, which makes them in partnership with Ray-Ban and Oakley. More than 7 million pairs of Meta Ray-Bans were sold last year, underscoring their growing popularity. But they’ve also stirred privacy worries, including being used to film people without their knowledge as well as concerns that Meta was sending the video to human reviewers for AI training.

For Sha Khan, who lost around 90 percent of his vision in 2021 due to retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt disease, the technology has become part of daily life as well as training.

“It’s like literally a part of me now,” he said. “If I step out the front door, I wouldn’t do that without my glasses on.”

Khan also relies on his guide dog, Moby, in his day to day life, using him for navigation outside of running.

He said the hands free nature of the glasses is especially useful because it allows him to stay focused on working with Moby without needing to handle a phone.

Khan began running in 2022 after a volunteer from Guide Dogs UK, a charity that provides guide dogs and mobility support for people with vision loss, encouraged him to try it after his sudden loss of sight loss and the impact that it had on his mental health.

While training with guide runners, he uses voice commands to interact with the glasses.

“If they say that’s Big Ben ahead of us I can just say ‘hey Meta take a picture,’” he said.

He said the hands free nature of the device is important.

“I don’t need to be worrying about fumbling with a mobile phone,” he said.

Smart glasses use a front facing camera to capture visual input and artificial intelligence to analyze it, converting the information into audio delivered through speakers built into the frame.

Chris Lewis, a technology analyst who is visually impaired and has used smart glasses while skiing, said the system provides an additional layer of awareness.

“The AI is taking the images coming in, analyzing it and giving you the information about what’s in front of you, what might be moving and what might be changing,” he said.

He said this allows users to receive information in real time without losing awareness of their surroundings, which is important for activities such as running.

However, Lewis said events like marathons can pose additional challenges, with large crowds putting pressure on mobile networks and potentially weakening signal, which in turn can affect how reliably the glasses deliver real time information.

Guide Dogs UK, which also provides other services to help people live independently, says the technology should be used alongside existing support systems rather than replacing them.

“These glasses can really support and enhance somebody’s independence but they’re not there to be relied upon or replace core independent skills,” said Tommy Dean, a technology specialist at the charity.

He said guide dogs, mobility training and human support remain essential, particularly in complex environments.

Ben Hatton, an analyst at CCS Insight who studies emerging consumer technologies, said reliability remains a key challenge.

“If you’re going to allow visually impaired people to walk down the street or cross busy roads with the technology then it has to be perfectly reliable every single time,” he said.

He said factors such as accuracy, connectivity and cost will determine how widely the technology can be adopted.

Despite those limitations, experts say advances in artificial intelligence are enabling mainstream devices to play a growing role in accessibility.

“The fact that consumer technology can enhance the experience of someone with a sight problem adds to the potential to be more and more independent,” Lewis said.

More than 59,000 runners are expected to take part in the London Marathon on Sunday, according to organizers, following a 26.2 mile route through the capital that starts in Greenwich and finishes near Buckingham Palace.

Indicaron que Xavier Alexander Johnson, de 39 años, fue puesto bajo custodia más tarde ese mismo día por la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade.

Agentes dijeron que respondieron alrededor de las 12:35 p.m. a una parada de autobús cerca de la intersección de Northwest 79th Street y 12th Avenue en el área de Gladeview tras recibir reportes de un hombre con heridas de arma blanca.

Cuando los agentes llegaron, encontraron a un hombre con múltiples heridas de arma blanca en la espalda.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trasladó a la víctima al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital, donde fue reportado en condición crítica, según un informe de arresto.

El informe indica que la víctima dijo a los agentes que mientras esperaba en la parada de autobús, Johnson se le acercó y “tocó inapropiadamente sus glúteos”.

El informe señala que la víctima confrontó a Johnson, quien luego sacó un cuchillo y lo persiguió cruzando la calle antes de apuñalarlo múltiples veces en la espalda.

Los agentes dijeron que la víctima posteriormente los dirigió hacia Johnson, quien estaba cerca de la parada de autobús donde ocurrió el apuñalamiento.

Cuando los agentes se acercaron para detener a Johnson, este huyó a pie, lo que provocó una breve persecución durante la cual los investigadores dijeron que “descartó un objeto”.

Indicaron que posteriormente fue detenido cerca de la cuadra 8000 de Northwest 11th Avenue por detectives y un “oficial de la junta escolar”.

Según el informe, videos de vigilancia revisados por los investigadores mostraron a Johnson persiguiendo a la víctima y “haciendo movimientos de apuñalamiento” hacia su espalda.

Los investigadores dijeron que Johnson fue luego trasladado al Distrito Northside de la MDSO para ser interrogado y, tras ser informado de sus derechos Miranda, aceptó hablar con los detectives.

Indicaron que Johnson posteriormente hizo una confesión que fue redactada en el informe público.

Las autoridades dijeron que se recuperaron dos cuchillos cerca de donde el sospechoso estaba escondido antes del arresto. Las armas fueron recolectadas como evidencia y enviadas para pruebas forenses.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Johnson enfrenta cargos que incluyen intento de asesinato en segundo grado con un arma mortal, posesión de arma por un delincuente convicto y resistencia a un agente sin violencia.

Hasta la mañana del viernes, permanecía detenido sin derecho a fianza en el Centro de Detención Preventiva de Miami-Dade.

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They said Xavier Alexander Johnson, 39, was taken into custody later that day by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said they responded about 12:35 p.m. to a bus stop near the intersection of Northwest 79th Street and 12th Avenue in the county’s Gladeview area after receiving reports of a man suffering from stab wounds.

When deputies arrived, they found a man with multiple stab wounds to his back.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he was listed in critical condition, according to an arrest report.

The report states the victim told deputies that while waiting at the bus stop, Johnson approached him and “inappropriately touched his buttocks.”

The report states the victim then confronted Johnson, who then pulled out a knife and chased him across the street before stabbing him multiple times in the back.

Deputies said the victim later directed them to Johnson who was waiting near the bus stop where the stabbing occurred.

As deputies approached to detain Johnson, he fled on foot, prompting a brief chase during which investigators said he “discarded an object.”

They said he was later apprehended near the 8000 block of Northwest 11th Avenue by detectives and a “school board officer.”

According to the report, surveillance video reviewed by investigators showed the Johnson chasing the victim and “making stabbing motions” toward his back.

Investigators said Johnson was later transported to MDSO’s Northside District for questioning and, after being advised of his Miranda rights, agreed to speak with detectives.

They said Johnson later made a confession that was redacted in the publicly-released report.

Two knives were recovered near where the suspect was found hiding prior to the arrest, authorities said. The weapons were collected as evidence and submitted for forensic testing.

Jail records show Johnson is facing charges including attempted second-degree murder with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and resisting an officer without violence.

As of Friday morning, he was being held without bond at the Miami-Dade Pre-Trial Detention Center.

Alcaraz posted on X on Friday that neither would he appear in the preceding Italian Open in Rome, where he also won last year.

No. 2-ranked Alcaraz was injured at the Barcelona Open this month during his first-round win and withdrew the day after.

He pulled out of this week's Madrid Open and attended the Laureus World Sports Awards in the Spanish capital on Monday with his wrist immobilized. Alcaraz was named world sportsman of the year at the gala.

Alcaraz confirmed he was a no-go for Paris after undergoing more medical tests on Friday.

"After the results of the tests carried out today, we have decided that the most prudent thing is to be cautious and not participate in Rome and Roland Garros," he wrote on X. “It's a complicated moment for me, but I'm sure we'll come out stronger from here.”

Alcaraz started the year in sensational form, beating Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final. That made him the youngest man ever to win all four major titles in tennis.

He has won only one title since — at Doha in February — and will be without a title in the major clay-court events. He lost the Monte Carlo final to Jannik Sinner at the start of this month and surrendered the No. 1 ranking to his Italian rival.

Sinner hoped Alcaraz returns soon.

“Tennis needs Carlos,” Sinner said after his first-round win at the Madrid Open. “Tennis is a much better sport when he’s around.

“I hope he's going to come back and he will not have any further injuries. But I also believe that it's good that he and his team take the time. If you come back too early then maybe you have a bigger problem afterwards.

“We all want that he's competitive when he comes back. The next goal I guess for him, and I hope so, it's Wimbledon (in June). So I hope he's going to be back there. I sent him a wish for a speedy recovery, though it's painful and very sad for all tennis.”

Last year, Alcaraz beat Sinner in the finals of the Italian Open and French Open, where he saved three match points in an epic match. Alcaraz then lost the Wimbledon final to Sinner before beating him again in the U.S. Open final.

The Italian Open starts on May 5. The French Open does so on May 18.

___

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

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The April 20 report was prepared by an outside law firm retained by the town to review a complaint filed by Ashley Sikora and to examine the circumstances surrounding her suspension earlier this year.

Sikora, a part time legislative assistant to the mayor, was placed on administrative leave in February after then Town Manager David Lynch raised concerns about her work activity and requested information related to outside employment.

The report states there is no evidence to support concerns that Sikora was not working the hours she reported. “There is no evidence provided to support his suspicion,” the report states, referring to concerns raised by Lynch.

The report further states that interviews conducted during the investigation, including with Sikora and Jacobs, indicate that she did perform the duties of a part-time legislative assistant. According to the report, those duties included handling phone calls and emails on behalf of the mayor.

Investigators also found that Sikora’s remote work arrangement and her residence in Alabama were known to town leadership at the time she was hired.

The report states there is no town policy prohibiting a part time employee from holding outside employment. It concludes there is no reason for her leave to continue and states the town may return her to active duty and consider awarding back pay.

Documents included in the investigation show that Lynch asked Sikora to provide details about any outside employment and set a deadline of Feb. 27. Emails included in the report show Sikora responded on Feb. 24, including responses sent at 4:25 p.m. and 4:52 p.m., three days before that deadline.

The investigation does not find that Sikora failed to comply with the request and does not conclude that any deadline was missed.

The report states that Lynch questioned whether Sikora was working the hours she reported after reviewing records produced in response to a public records request. According to the report, those records did not convince Lynch that Sikora was working, which led to further inquiry. However, the investigation concludes that those concerns were not supported by evidence.

The report also documents tension between Lynch and Jacobs. It states that several witnesses indicated Lynch’s actions may have been influenced by a dispute with the mayor, although Lynch denied that claim.

Lynch acknowledged there had been a falling-out between him and Jacobs. The report does not make a finding of misconduct against Lynch.

Since the investigation began, Lynch is no longer serving as town manager. Pembroke Park commissioners voted to remove him from the position.

As previously reported by Local 10 News, Sikora was placed on administrative leave after the station began asking questions about her role, qualifications, and work product. Public records reviewed at the time, including her town issued email account, showed mostly automated system messages and did not include legislative memos, drafted ordinances, or policy research documents.

Multiple sources inside Town Hall also told Local 10 News they were unclear about her specific duties. The investigation does not dispute those records, but concludes that the absence of traditional written work product does not establish that no work was performed.

In a statement posted on social media, Jacobs said the investigation shows his assistant performed her duties and accused Lynch of misconduct. He also criticized media coverage of the issue.

Jacobs wrote that Sikora responded before a deadline set by the town manager and stated there was no evidence she failed to perform her job.

The report leaves decisions regarding Sikora’s employment status and any back pay to town leadership.

El informe del 20 de abril fue preparado por un bufete externo contratado por el municipio para revisar una queja presentada por Ashley Sikora y examinar las circunstancias en torno a su suspensión a principios de este año.

Sikora, asistente legislativa a tiempo parcial del alcalde, fue puesta en licencia administrativa en febrero después de que el entonces administrador municipal, David Lynch, expresara preocupaciones sobre su actividad laboral y solicitara información relacionada con empleo externo.

El informe indica que no hay evidencia que respalde las preocupaciones de que Sikora no estuviera trabajando las horas que reportó. “No se proporcionó evidencia para respaldar su sospecha”, señala el informe, en referencia a las preocupaciones planteadas por Lynch.

El informe también indica que las entrevistas realizadas durante la investigación, incluidas con Sikora y Jacobs, muestran que sí desempeñó las funciones de una asistente legislativa a tiempo parcial. Según el informe, esas funciones incluían atender llamadas telefónicas y correos electrónicos en nombre del alcalde.

Los investigadores también encontraron que el arreglo de trabajo remoto de Sikora y su residencia en Alabama eran conocidos por los líderes del municipio en el momento de su contratación.

El informe indica que no existe una política municipal que prohíba a un empleado a tiempo parcial tener empleo externo. Concluye que no hay razón para que su licencia continúe y señala que el municipio puede devolverla a funciones activas y considerar otorgarle pago retroactivo.

Documentos incluidos en la investigación muestran que Lynch pidió a Sikora proporcionar detalles sobre cualquier empleo externo y fijó como fecha límite el 27 de febrero. Correos electrónicos incluidos en el informe muestran que Sikora respondió el 24 de febrero, incluidas respuestas enviadas a las 4:25 p.m. y 4:52 p.m., tres días antes de esa fecha límite.

La investigación no determina que Sikora haya incumplido la solicitud ni concluye que se haya perdido algún plazo.

El informe señala que Lynch cuestionó si Sikora estaba trabajando las horas que reportó después de revisar registros producidos en respuesta a una solicitud de registros públicos. Según el informe, esos registros no convencieron a Lynch de que Sikora estuviera trabajando, lo que llevó a una mayor indagación. Sin embargo, la investigación concluye que esas preocupaciones no estaban respaldadas por evidencia.

El informe también documenta tensiones entre Lynch y Jacobs. Señala que varios testigos indicaron que las acciones de Lynch pudieron haber estado influenciadas por una disputa con el alcalde, aunque Lynch negó esa afirmación.

Lynch reconoció que hubo un distanciamiento entre él y Jacobs. El informe no determina conducta indebida por parte de Lynch.

Desde que comenzó la investigación, Lynch ya no se desempeña como administrador municipal. Los comisionados de Pembroke Park votaron para destituirlo del cargo.

Como informó previamente Local 10 News, Sikora fue puesta en licencia administrativa después de que la cadena comenzara a hacer preguntas sobre su rol, calificaciones y trabajo. Registros públicos revisados en ese momento, incluida su cuenta de correo electrónico del municipio, mostraban en su mayoría mensajes automatizados del sistema y no incluían memorandos legislativos, ordenanzas redactadas ni documentos de investigación de políticas.

Múltiples fuentes dentro del ayuntamiento también dijeron a Local 10 News que no tenían claro cuáles eran sus funciones específicas. La investigación no cuestiona esos registros, pero concluye que la ausencia de productos de trabajo escritos tradicionales no establece que no se haya realizado trabajo.

En un comunicado publicado en redes sociales, Jacobs dijo que la investigación demuestra que su asistente cumplió con sus funciones y acusó a Lynch de conducta indebida. También criticó la cobertura mediática del caso.

Jacobs escribió que Sikora respondió antes de la fecha límite establecida por el administrador municipal y afirmó que no había evidencia de que no cumpliera con su trabajo.

El informe deja en manos de los líderes municipales las decisiones sobre el estado laboral de Sikora y cualquier pago retroactivo.

An unusually large number of wildfires are burning this spring across the Southeast, where scientists say the threat of fire has been amplified by a combination of extreme drought, gusty winds, climate change and dead trees still littering some forests after being toppled by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

In northern Florida, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office said Friday that volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews suffered an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire. Crews was rushed to a hospital where he died Thursday evening, according to a news release posted to social media.

“Kevin was the epitome of courage and dedication,” Hilliard Volunteer Fire Chief Jerry Johnson said in a statement. “His sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

‘No way to stop this fire’ without soaking rain

After getting a firsthand look at firefighting efforts in southeast Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters that state officials believe 87 homes burned in rural Brantley County this week are the most ever destroyed by a single wildfire in the state's history.

An additional 35 homes have been lost to a larger fire burning in sparsely populated Clinch and Echols counties near the Florida state line, Kemp said. That blaze has burned about 50 square miles (129 square kilometers), an area twice the size of Manhattan.

Kemp said officials suspect the Brantley County was sparked by a foil party balloon that touched live power lines, creating an electrical arc that ignited the ground. He said investigators suspect the larger fire started with a man welding a gate outside.

Spread across more than 11 square miles (28 square kilometers) and still growing, the Brantley County blaze was 15% contained Friday, the Georgia Forestry Commission said. An estimated 4,000 homes in the county were under evacuation orders Friday, said commission spokesperson Seth Hawkins.

“There’s no way to stop this fire,” Kemp said. “They’re having to contain the flanks and the back of it and then, hopefully, we get a change in the weather.”

No fire deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia.

Firefighters are battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida that have sent smoky haze into places far from the flames, triggering air quality warnings for some cities.

‘We’ve lost everything, but I'm one of the lucky ones'

Michael Gibson was at his job Thursday at a chicken feed producer when his fiancee called urging him to come home. By the time he arrived, firefighters were already on the road where Gibson, his fiancee and their four children lived. He said he took his family to safety and tried to return to salvage belongings, but police stopped him.

Gibson said the fire consumed his mobile home and one beside it where his fiancee's brother lived. His family has been staying in a camper on a relative's property.

“We’ve lost everything, but I’m one of the lucky ones.” Gibson said Friday. “We’ve been prepared to leave. And I’m truly blessed to have my family and to have somewhere to sleep. ... A lot of people in my county didn’t make it out with the clothes on their backs.”

Jennifer Murphy said she had little time to react when firefighters knocked at her door in the Brantley County community of Hortense.

She said she barely had a chance to gather her dog, Chip, and a single bag of belongings before firefighters urgently helped her walk down her wheelchair ramp and grab a rolling walker from her van outside.

“It was like, 'Get out now, right now. You’ve got to leave,’” Murphy said Friday at the local church where she had spent the night on a couch.

Firefighters are hosing down homes, trying to limit destruction

While crews with bulldozers work to clear fire breaks around the burning areas, firefighters from dozens of local agencies have focused on protecting nearby homes and other structures — clearing away dry brush and using hoses and sprinklers to keep houses and yards wet.

"We’ve definitely had the local fire guys out there literally hosing stuff down,” said Hawkins of the forestry commission.

In Florida, firefighters were battling more than 120 wildfires Friday, mostly in the state’s northern half. Fire crews in Georgia responded to 31 new and relatively small blazes Thursday, the state forestry commission said.

Officials say soaking rain is badly needed to snuff out the large fires, and that possible showers forecast this weekend won't bring enough rainfall. There's also a chance of thunderstorms, raising concerns that lightning could spark more fires.

"It is going to take 8 to 10 inches before we can walk away from these fires,” said Johnny Sabo, director of the Georgia Forestry Commission.

He said long-range forecasts predict less than average rainfall until July.

___

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press journalist Jeff Amy contributed from Atlanta

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Fernando Mendoza, a former Indiana Hoosiers star and standout at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, was selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders following a Heisman Trophy-winning, national championship season.

The 22-year-old quarterback has remained in South Florida in recent days and is expected to celebrate the moment with family in Coral Gables rather than attend the draft in person.

“The last five months has been such a blessing by God. I can’t thank Him enough. I’m looking forward to getting to work,” Mendoza told ESPN after being drafted. “College was fantastic. I’m so blessed to have that career. Now i step into a great game into the NFL. Looking forward to proving and earning it every single day.”

Mendoza’s family had nothing but positive things to say about his work ethic when speaking to Local 10 News.

“Oh this is so very exciting. We’re so proud of him,” said Enrique Espino, Mendoza’s great-uncle. “He followed the mother’s advice and the father’s restrictions and conditions -- everyone is excited about him.”

Police have blocked off a portion of the street for a private party that soon will be filled with celebration.

Plenty of friends and neighbors sharing pride in Mendoza’s hard work and dedication.

“They’re a really nice family. We’re all just thrilled they’re happy,” said Michael Brown, Mendoza’s neighbor.

Una denuncia penal federal afirma que la investigación contra Evan Michael Sands, de 26 años, comenzó con una pista proporcionada a través de la plataforma de mensajería Discord.

Según las autoridades, la denuncia, enviada al Centro Nacional para Niños Desaparecidos y Explotados y remitida en diciembre al Grupo de Trabajo contra los Delitos Cibernéticos contra Niños del Sur de Florida, se refería a dos videos de abuso sexual infantil compartidos a través de Discord en los que aparecían niñas que parecían tener 6 años. Los videos, añadieron, fueron encontrados en la cuenta de Sands.

Los agentes federales dijeron que solicitaron una orden de registro para la cuenta de Discord de Sands en enero y obtuvieron datos de la compañía en marzo.

“Los datos de Discord revelaron que Sands, utilizando el nombre de usuario astraldrag0n#0, mantuvo numerosas conversaciones con menores de 18 años, algunos de ellos menores de 12, en las que les solicitaba que le enviaran imágenes y vídeos sexualmente explícitos de sí mismos”, afirma la denuncia.

Según las autoridades, Sands también envió a los niños vídeos explícitos de sí mismo y se identificó “con su nombre, dirección y lugar de trabajo”.

Según indicaron, la orden de registro reveló que también estaba enviando imágenes y vídeos de abuso sexual infantil a través de la plataforma.

Según la denuncia, el jueves los agentes ejecutaron una orden de registro en la casa de Sands, ubicada en la cuadra 8100 de la Avenida Noroeste 105. También indicaron que lo detuvieron tras verlo salir antes de la redada.

La denuncia afirma que los agentes registraron su teléfono y vieron vídeos que mostraban la violación y el abuso sexual de niños, algunos de ellos bebés.

En el documento se afirma que, durante una entrevista, Sands admitió haber enviado contenido explícito a través de Discord y haber incitado a menores ofreciéndoles “Robux”, una moneda virtual utilizada en el juego en línea Roblox.

Los agentes dijeron que Sands “admitió que creía que la menor a la que había contactado” tenía 12 años y confirmó que enviaba a niños videos explícitos de sí mismo.

“Estimó que su conducta sexual con menores comenzó en 2021”, afirma la denuncia.

Sands ahora enfrenta dos cargos federales relacionados con la posesión y distribución de material de abuso sexual infantil, así como un cargo por incitar a un menor a participar en conductas sexuales ilícitas.

Según los registros, tenía previsto comparecer ante el tribunal federal de Fort Lauderdale el viernes a las 11 de la mañana.

Según los documentos judiciales, se espera que la fiscalía solicite que permanezca en prisión preventiva.

Hasta el viernes por la mañana, Sands permanecía detenido en la cárcel principal de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Broward, bajo custodia del Servicio de Alguaciles de Estados Unidos.

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According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspection report, inspectors documented live roaches crawling on food preparation tables, walls and floors inside the processing area.

Dead roaches were also found on the floor under and around fryers and on metal trays used in food preparation.

Inspectors also observed several flies inside the processing area, indicating active pest activity in areas where food is handled.

The report details conditions that allowed pests to enter and persist.

A rear receiving door was left open while not in use, and there was a gap under a back door leading outside. An insect control device was installed over a food prep table, and another was stored on a prep surface, creating a risk that insect fragments could fall into food.

Inspectors noted the business could not provide a recent pest control service invoice during the inspection, raising concerns about whether a consistent pest management program was in place.

Because of the infestation, the state issued a stop sale order covering all open food in the processing area, deli, bakery, shawarma station, coffee station and buffet.

Those food items were voluntarily destroyed, according to the report. Inspectors also issued a stop use order on food processing equipment and utensils, including the three compartment sink, citing contamination concerns tied to insect activity.

Beyond the pest issues, inspectors documented heavy grease and food buildup throughout the facility.

There was an accumulation of grease and dried food debris on the undersides of prep tables, ovens, fryers and nearby shelving. Floors beneath cooking equipment had heavy grease and dirt buildup, according to the inspection.

Sanitation practices in the kitchen also fell short. Wet wiping cloths were left on prep tables instead of being stored in sanitizer solution. Clean pots, pans and bowls were stacked while still wet, a practice that can allow bacterial growth.

Inspectors found chemicals stored improperly. Bottles of bleach and hand sanitizer were stored above food prep areas, and sanitizer concentrations were measured at more than 200 parts per million before being corrected, exceeding safe levels.

Food handling violations added to the concerns. Employees were observed putting on gloves without first washing their hands and washing their hands in a food prep sink.

In another case, an employee used bare hands to handle ready to eat rolls, prompting a stop sale order for that product, which was discarded.

Inspectors also cited improper food storage practices, including raw chicken stored above other meats and raw shell eggs stored above ready to eat items, creating a risk of cross contamination.

Temperature control violations were also documented. Hot prepared foods such as meat pies, pastries and sausage rolls were not cooled properly and were found at unsafe temperatures hours after preparation. Milk used at a coffee station was also held at an unsafe temperature. Both violations resulted in additional stop sale orders and destruction of those food items.

The inspection report states the violations pose a risk of foodborne illness and require correction.

A re-inspection has been ordered, and inspectors warned that if pest activity continues, additional enforcement action could be taken, including restricting the facility from receiving food deliveries.

State records show the establishment must implement a pest control program, fully clean and sanitize affected areas and correct all violations before being cleared.

Según el informe de inspección del Departamento de Agricultura y Servicios al Consumidor de Florida, los inspectores documentaron cucarachas vivas arrastrándose sobre mesas de preparación de alimentos, paredes y pisos dentro del área de procesamiento.

También se encontraron cucarachas muertas en el piso debajo y alrededor de freidoras y en bandejas metálicas utilizadas en la preparación de alimentos.

Los inspectores también observaron varias moscas dentro del área de procesamiento, lo que indica actividad activa de plagas en áreas donde se manipulan alimentos.

El informe detalla condiciones que permitieron que las plagas entraran y persistieran.

Una puerta trasera de recepción estaba abierta cuando no estaba en uso, y había un espacio debajo de una puerta trasera que daba al exterior. Un dispositivo de control de insectos estaba instalado sobre una mesa de preparación de alimentos, y otro estaba almacenado sobre una superficie de preparación, creando el riesgo de que fragmentos de insectos cayeran en los alimentos.

Los inspectores señalaron que el negocio no pudo proporcionar una factura reciente de servicio de control de plagas durante la inspección, lo que generó preocupaciones sobre si existía un programa constante de manejo de plagas.

Debido a la infestación, el estado emitió una orden de suspensión de venta que cubre todos los alimentos abiertos en el área de procesamiento, deli, panadería, estación de shawarma, estación de café y buffet.

Según el informe, esos alimentos fueron destruidos voluntariamente. Los inspectores también emitieron una orden de no uso sobre equipos y utensilios de procesamiento de alimentos, incluido el fregadero de tres compartimentos, citando preocupaciones de contaminación relacionadas con la actividad de insectos.

Más allá de los problemas de plagas, los inspectores documentaron una gran acumulación de grasa y residuos de alimentos en toda la instalación.

Había acumulación de grasa y restos de comida secos en la parte inferior de mesas de preparación, hornos, freidoras y estanterías cercanas. Los pisos debajo del equipo de cocina tenían una fuerte acumulación de grasa y suciedad, según la inspección.

Las prácticas de saneamiento en la cocina también fueron deficientes. Paños húmedos de limpieza se dejaban sobre mesas de preparación en lugar de almacenarse en solución desinfectante. Ollas, sartenes y tazones limpios se apilaban aún húmedos, una práctica que puede permitir el crecimiento bacteriano.

Los inspectores encontraron químicos almacenados de manera inadecuada. Botellas de cloro y desinfectante de manos estaban almacenadas sobre áreas de preparación de alimentos, y las concentraciones de desinfectante se midieron en más de 200 partes por millón antes de ser corregidas, superando niveles seguros.

Las violaciones en la manipulación de alimentos aumentaron las preocupaciones. Se observó a empleados ponerse guantes sin lavarse las manos primero y lavarse las manos en un fregadero de preparación de alimentos.

En otro caso, un empleado usó las manos sin guantes para manipular panes listos para comer, lo que provocó una orden de suspensión de venta para ese producto, que fue desechado.

Los inspectores también citaron prácticas inadecuadas de almacenamiento de alimentos, incluyendo pollo crudo almacenado sobre otras carnes y huevos crudos almacenados sobre alimentos listos para comer, creando un riesgo de contaminación cruzada.

También se documentaron violaciones de control de temperatura. Alimentos calientes preparados como empanadas de carne, pasteles y rollos de salchicha no se enfriaban adecuadamente y se encontraron a temperaturas inseguras horas después de su preparación. La leche utilizada en una estación de café también se mantenía a una temperatura insegura. Ambas violaciones resultaron en órdenes adicionales de suspensión de venta y destrucción de esos alimentos.

El informe de inspección indica que las violaciones representan un riesgo de enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos y requieren corrección.

Se ha ordenado una reinspección, y los inspectores advirtieron que si la actividad de plagas continúa, se podrían tomar medidas adicionales, incluida la restricción de la instalación para recibir entregas de alimentos.

Los registros estatales muestran que el establecimiento debe implementar un programa de control de plagas, limpiar y desinfectar completamente las áreas afectadas y corregir todas las violaciones antes de ser autorizado nuevamente.

Melania Trump on Friday announced that she is expanding the White House honey program by adding a beehive in the shape of the White House to two other beehives that have been on the south grounds since 2009.

The existing hives can swell to about 70,000 bees during peak summer months and produce 200 pounds to 225 pounds (91 to 102 kilograms) of honey in a year, the White House said. The new hive could increase honey production by about 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms), according to the White House.

The White House uses the clover honey to prepare meals, as official gifts from the president and first lady, and in donations to food kitchens.

The bees help pollinate a nearby produce garden that then-first lady Michelle Obama started in 2009 and a nearby flower cutting garden, along with vegetation on the National Mall.

The beekeeping program began in 2009 after a White House carpenter started beekeeping as a hobby on the complex.

The new hive was funded through the Trust for the National Mall, the White House said.

The hive and the base were designed by White House residence staff and hand-made by a Virginia artisan.

Millwall was blindsided by the educational pamphlet that featured the southeast London club’s badge edited onto an illustration of a Ku Klux Klan robe. The Westminster City Council has since apologized.

A British lawmaker told The Associated Press that the misuse of Millwall branding is an “insult,” and the team’s leading fan group said it was “outraged” at the portrayal.

The second-division club said it is considering legal action because the imagery creates “a false and damaging image of the club.”

The incident comes at a time when Millwall has a strong chance to secure a first ever promotion to the Premier League. The team was last in the top flight in the 1989-90 season.

Millwall’s image

The checkered reputation of fan behavior dates to the days of England’s worst episodes of hooliganism in the 1970s and 80s. Hardcore Millwall fans proudly chanted, “No one likes us, we don’t care.”

But the club has worked to change its perception. The anti-discrimination body it created in 1994 was “the first organization of its kind at an English football club.” Millwall also boasts of its working relationship with anti-discrimination organizations Kick it Out and Show Racism the Red Card.

Despite the initiatives, Millwall has suffered dings to its image.

Millwall fans turned on each other — and police — during the 2013 FA Cup semifinal against Wigan at Wembley Stadium.

A few days after players were booed for taking a knee before kickoff at a December 2020 game, fans entering The Den received a printed statement that read: “The eyes of the world are on this football club tonight — your club — and they want us to fail.” That night, fans respected anti-racism gestures by both teams.

The English Football Association suggested its disciplinary commission consider a partial stadium closure because of offensive chanting by Millwall supporters about disabilities during a September 2025 game at Crystal Palace in the League Cup. The commission called the chants “abhorrent” and opted to fine Millwall 45,000 pounds ($60,000) in its recent ruling.

It was the third breach in the past three years — the previous chanting focused on religion and sexual orientation.

What was in the pamphlet?

The educational booklet distributed to London primary schools tells the story of Paul Canoville, a Black player who was subjected to racial abuse while playing for Chelsea in the early and mid-1980s.

One page depicts a Ku Klux Klan member in a white robe that has Millwall's logo on the chest. It's next to a Canoville quote about being racially abused at Millwall.

The Paul Canoville Foundation said it wasn't consulted on any of the contents. It said the illustration “is a depiction of a real incident Paul experienced whilst playing for Chelsea Reserves against Millwall Reserves in the 1980s, in which he was subjected to serious racial abuse by a number of individuals wearing Ku Klux Klan-style white hoods.”

The Westminster City Council said the booklet has been removed from circulation.

“We accept the use of this image was an insensitive way to illustrate the historic problem of racism within football. We have apologized to Millwall Football Club for the improper use of their logo and for any offense caused,” it said in a statement.

Neil Coyle, Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, told AP on Friday that the decision to use the Millwall branding “is an insult to southeast London frankly,” because of the club's work in the community.

The Millwall Supporters’ Club also weighed in Friday, saying it was “outraged" and “this deeply damaging misrepresentation does not reflect our club or a fanbase that works tireless to eradicate discrimination of any kind from the game.”

The Kensington and Chelsea Council's logo also features on the front of the pamphlet. A council spokesperson told the AP: “We understand the booklet is being withdrawn, and support that decision.”

Premier League promotion in sight

American-owned Millwall is battling Ipswich to earn the second outright promotion spot. Coventry has clinched the title. The top two finishers in the Championship get promoted automatically. The next four enter a playoff for the final promotion spot.

Millwall moved into second place Friday night — but only by one point over Ipswich — after a 1-1 draw at already relegated Leicester. Millwall has just one game left in the season.

Ipswich has three games remaining and plays at West Brom on Saturday.

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

The five-member Florida Public Service Commission met on Thursday in Tallahassee for a hearing about the Andytown-Oasis project to place four transmission lines from Broward to Miami-Dade.

A representative of the Environmental Defense Fund, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization based in New York, was critical of the proposal.

“FPL did not conduct a full evaluation of alternatives,” David Cranston, EDF’s Florida clean energy manager, said during the meeting.

Related document: EDF’s prehearing statement

Ted Thomas, a Florida-based energy consultant and a former chairman of the Arkansas Public Service Commission, highlighted issues with cost and technology.

“FPL is asking you to approve a nearly billion-dollar capital expenditure based on an outdated silo approach to transmission planning,” Thomas told the Florida PSC panel during the meeting.

Despite the controversy, the Gov. Ron DeSantis’s appointees to the Florida PSC who were present did not have any questions during the meeting.

The Florida PSC members will receive post-meeting notes next week, and they will have to decide if there is a public need for FPL’s proposed project.

Related document: Procedure for petition for determination of need

FPL reported that the transmission lines are meant to deal with “an increase of approximately 220,000 new customers” from 2026 to 2033 in Miami-Dade, which will translate into an 11% load increase.

One of the four transmission lines would start at FPL’s existing Andytown substation in Broward and end at FPL’s planned Oasis substation in Miami-Dade, according to the Florida PSC.

In Miami-Dade, a second line would start at FPL’s Quarry substation and end at the Oasis substation. Two other lines would start at Oasis, but one would end at Quarry and the other at the Levee substation.

According to FPL, after completing the design and permitting phase in 2028, construction is set to begin in 2029 and end in late 2033.

Related document: South Florida Regional Planning Council (April 20)

Related presentation: SFRPC guest speaker (April 20)

Location: Andytown

The members of the Florida PSC: Gabriella Passidomo Smith, Mike La Rosa, Gary F. Clark, Ana Ortega, and Bobby Payne.

If you want a voice, you need to take action.

Florida has been changing election laws. New voter identification requirements under the Florida SAVE Act won’t take effect until next year, but other changes in the law may still impact your registration status.

Voters who have not cast ballots in a few election cycles may have been purged from the voting rolls. Now is the time to make sure you are registered to vote.

To confirm your status as a registered voter, check the election website in your county now.

If you are not registered, it can be done online at registertovoteflorida.gov.

You must register 29 days before an election, so if you want to vote in the Aug. 18 primary, you have until July 20 to do so.

And remember, Florida is a closed primary state. If you want to vote in the Democratic or Republican primaries, you must be registered in those parties.

You have until July 20 to register or change your party affiliation.

For more information on this year’s midterms, check out Local 10’s 2026 Election Guide.

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U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said on X Friday that her office was ending its probe into the Fed’s extensive building renovations because the Fed’s inspector general would scrutinize them instead.

The move could lead to a swift confirmation vote by the Senate for Warsh, a former top Fed official whom President Donald Trump, a Republican, nominated in January to replace Powell. Powell's term as chair ends May 15. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, had said he would oppose Warsh until the investigation was resolved, effectively blocking his confirmation.

Republicans praised Warsh during a Tuesday hearing even as Democrats questioned his independence from Trump, the lack of transparency around some of his financial holdings, and what they said was his flip-flopping on interest rates. Still, Trump's previous appointment to the Fed's board of governors, Stephen Miran, was approved by the full Senate just 13 days after his nomination.

Investigation lacked evidence, a court says

Pirro’s investigation focused on a $2.5 billion building renovation that Trump criticized sharply last year for its cost overruns. Trump visited the building last July and on camera presented to Powell an inflated cost estimate, which Powell corrected as the two stood at the construction site in hard hats.

Earlier estimates for the project had put the cost at $1.9 billion. The investigation also covered Powell’s brief testimony about the renovation before the Senate Banking Committee last June.

Pirro also said on X, “I will not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so.” Powell has previously asked the Fed’s independent inspector general to investigate the cost overruns.

The probe was among several undertaken by the Justice Department into Trump’s perceived adversaries. For months it had failed to gain traction as prosecutors struggled to articulate a basis to suspect criminal conduct. Other efforts by the department to prosecute Trump's adversaries, including New York state Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, and former FBI Director James Comey, have also been unsuccessful.

A prosecutor handling the Powell case conceded at a closed-door court hearing in March that the government hadn’t found any evidence of a crime, and a judge subsequently quashed subpoenas issued to the Federal Reserve. The judge, James Boasberg, said prosecutors had produced “essentially zero evidence” to suspect Powell of a crime. Boasberg branded prosecutors’ justification for the subpoenas as “thin and unsubstantiated.”

The investigation was the most brazen attempt yet by the Trump administration to pressure the Fed to cut its short-term interest rate, which indirectly affects other borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and business loans. Trump has obsessively attacked Powell for not cutting the rate from its current level of about 3.6% to 1%, a level that no Fed official supports.

Probe was intended to intimidate the Fed, Powell says

Instead, Fed policymakers, including Powell, have said they want to keep rates unchanged while they evaluate the impact of the Iran war, which has sent gas prices soaring, pushing up inflation. The increase could be a one-time shift but could also lead to more sustained inflation. The Fed seeks to restrain rising prices by keeping interest rates high, cooling borrowing and spending.

Powell said in January that the investigation was not really about the renovation or his testimony but “is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President.”

More recently, prosecutors made an unannounced visit to a construction site at the Fed’s headquarters but were turned away, drawing a rebuke from a defense attorney in the case who called the maneuver “not appropriate.”

Warsh has promised to be independent

Warsh said during a hearing by the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday that he never promised the White House that he would cut interest rates, even as the president renewed his calls for the central bank to do so.

“The president never once asked me to commit to any particular interest rate decision, period,” Warsh said under questioning by the Senate Banking Committee. “Nor would I ever agree to do so if he had."

Warsh’s comments came just hours after Trump, in an interview on CNBC, was asked if he would be disappointed if Warsh didn’t immediately cut rates and responded, “I would.”

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said during the hearing that Warsh would be a “sock puppet” for Trump. When she asked if Trump had won the 2020 presidential election — which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden but incorrectly claims was decided by fraud — Warsh said only that the Senate had certified Biden as the winner. When asked for an example of an economic policy on which he disagreed with Trump, Warsh did not name one.

Robert Hur, an attorney for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, didn’t immediately respond Friday to an email seeking comment.

Trump sought more control over the Fed

Trump has taken other unprecedented steps to try to pressure the Fed, including an attempt last August to fire Lisa Cook, a member of the Fed's governing board, who was appointed by Biden. Yet courts have temporarily blocked the firing, and, at an oral argument in January, the Supreme Court appeared sympathetic to the argument that Cook should keep her job.

A key question still to be resolved is whether Powell will remain on the Fed's board even after his term as chair expires next month. Powell, who serves a separate term as a governor that lasts until January 2028, has said he wouldn't leave until the investigation was dropped. Yet he did not promise to do so if it was. By remaining on the board, Powell would deprive Trump of the opportunity to fill another seat among its seven members, three of whom are Trump appointees.

Other presidents have pressured the Fed to keep borrowing costs low, notably Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, though rarely as publicly as Trump. Johnson’s and Nixon’s demands for lower rates, however, are considered key contributors to the 15-year outbreak of high inflation that only ended in the early 1980s after then-chair Paul Volcker ratcheted the Fed's rate to an eye-watering 20%.

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Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman and Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP's coverage of the Federal Reserve System at https://apnews.com/hub/federal-reserve-system.

It won’t be the last time, either.

The minimum salary for an NFL draft pick in 2026 is slotted at $915,120. But with college revenue sharing going into effect before the 2025 season — top programs are now spending up to $20.5 million on student-athletes, with the majority earmarked for the most talented football players — there are undoubtably players who will be drafted Saturday who topped the million-dollar mark last season and will earn less in the pros.

At least in Year 1.

“So the character of those players, their passion and love of the game come to the forefront even more,” Roseman said.

Most of the players making more than $1 million in college football are quarterbacks. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson were first-round draft picks, with Mendoza going No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders and Simpson surprisingly landing with the Los Angeles Rams at No. 13.

Mendoza’s NFL rookie deal is slotted to top $57 million, including nearly $10.5 million in 2026. Simpson’s contract will be roughly half that — $25.4 million total, including $4.6 million in the first year.

LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Miami’s Carson Beck are projected to be the next quarterbacks selected, with both potentially coming off the board in the second or third round Friday night — and both likely earning less as NFL rookies than they made as established college starters.

Same goes for fellow QBs Drew Allar (Penn State), Taylen Green (Arkansas), Cole Payton (North Dakota State), Sawyer Robertson (Baylor), Cade Klubnik (Clemson), Joey Aguilar (Tennessee) and others.

Although revenue share payments are typically undisclosed, name, image and likeness valuations are much more public. Nearly half of the top 50 NIL valuations in 2025 belonged to QBs, according to On3, with two dozen of those over $1.5 million.

“They come in almost like pros now,” Raiders general manager John Spytek said. “I actually think it’s made it easier because you know what the guys are going to do when they have money.

“You know the ones that love the game and are about the right things, and just because they’ve got more money than we all had when we were in college, they still prepare the right way, they play the right way, they love the game, they’re there for their teammates. I think it’s kind of been a little bit illuminating to the character of who they are.”

The financial component has less of an impact on NFL decision-makers as the age issue.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said this is the third consecutive year in which 18% of the team’s draft board is comprised of players at least 24 years old. That number used to be 4%, he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the initial age surge. But soaring NIL payments and rev share could be the deciding force for years to come.

“That’s something that we don’t really understand fully and what that means,” DeCosta said. “I don’t think it’s a good thing, certainly. But historically we’ve tried to draft younger players when we can. That’s been something that we feel strongly (about), but now we’ve got 18% of the draft board that’s over 24 years old. So that’s going to change the way that maybe we target players.”

And some of them will be millionaires before they even sign an NFL contract.

“That’s interesting. I don’t know that it’s rooted in financial thoughts as much as you talk about age quite a bit and whether or not tread on the tires is something of note,” Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said. “I think most of the times the guys have a little bit more financial awareness, and that can be a really helpful tool.

“The fact that they’re not just being dumped a good chunk of cash for the first time when they enter the NFL. They now have some version of experience navigating that, and that can be a really helpful piece for sure.”

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

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The Las Olas Food and Wine Festival is celebrating 30 years by turning four blocks of Las Olas Boulevard into a walkable foodie playground — all for a good cause.

For one night, the street transforms into a full-scale food and wine experience, featuring more than 50 restaurants and about 200 culinary tents serving up their best bites.

“It’s such a great time. You get to see, touch, taste different foods, drink some great wine,” said Peter Lopez, director of operations at Shooters Waterfront.

As guests eat and sip their way down the street, they’re also giving back. The festival benefits the American Lung Association.

“I think it’s a great time for the community to come out for a great cause, the American Lung Association,” Lopez said. “It’s the camaraderie with the al fresco dining lifestyle that we have going on down here. You have 200 great culinarians putting their best foot forward, and you get to meet the chefs that are cooking it. And the winemakers are there.”

The event also highlights Fort Lauderdale’s growing food scene.

“There are so many great restaurants that are popping up, and some great culinarians are coming up,” Lopez said. “Fort Lauderdale wasn’t really known for its great culinary scene like Miami is, but we’re upcoming. We’re very small, but a very tight community. We’ve got some great restaurants and restaurateurs that have come in. It’s a great experience to try something you might not have had a chance to visit but have heard about.”

Among the participating restaurants is Shooters Waterfront, a South Florida staple.

“We’ve been around 44 years. We were around in the heyday when Fort Lauderdale was wild, crazy and untamed. We like to say we’ve grown up,” Lopez said. “We’ve taken our cuisine and elevated it. No more burgers, beers and bikinis — we have true culinarians. My chefs have been with me for 10 to 11 years.”

Shooters will feature dishes in the VIP section, including a lobster roll and a creamy risotto topped with sliced prime rib and veal glacé.

“Our fan favorite — how can you not go to South Florida and have a lobster roll?” Lopez said. “There are different versions out there, but for us, the lobster is the star of the show.”

In honor of its 30th anniversary, the festival will also feature a 1990s-themed area, paying homage to the era when the event was founded.

Tickets are available online, with discount code RESTAURANT by clicking here.

El festival Las Olas Food and Wine celebra 30 años convirtiendo cuatro cuadras de Las Olas Boulevard en un espacio peatonal para amantes de la comida, todo por una buena causa.

Por una noche, la calle se transforma en una experiencia completa de comida y vino, con más de 50 restaurantes y unas 200 carpas culinarias sirviendo sus mejores platillos.

“Es un momento increíble. Puedes ver, tocar, probar diferentes comidas, tomar un gran vino”, dijo Peter Lopez, director de operaciones de Shooters Waterfront.

Mientras los asistentes comen y beben a lo largo de la calle, también están aportando a la comunidad. El festival beneficia a la American Lung Association.

“Creo que es un gran momento para que la comunidad salga por una gran causa, la American Lung Association”, dijo Lopez. “Es la camaradería con el estilo de comida al aire libre que tenemos aquí. Tienes a 200 grandes culinarios dando lo mejor, y puedes conocer a los chefs que cocinan. Y los vinicultores están ahí”.

El evento también destaca la creciente escena gastronómica de Fort Lauderdale.

“Hay tantos restaurantes excelentes que están surgiendo, y grandes culinarios en ascenso”, dijo Lopez. “Fort Lauderdale no era realmente conocida por su gran escena culinaria como Miami, pero estamos en crecimiento. Somos muy pequeños, pero una comunidad muy unida. Tenemos grandes restaurantes y restauradores que han llegado. Es una gran experiencia probar algo que quizás no has tenido la oportunidad de visitar pero has escuchado”.

Entre los restaurantes participantes está Shooters Waterfront, un referente del sur de Florida.

“Llevamos 44 años. Estábamos en la época cuando Fort Lauderdale era salvaje, loco e indomable. Nos gusta decir que hemos madurado”, dijo Lopez. “Hemos elevado nuestra cocina. Ya no son hamburguesas, cervezas y bikinis, ahora tenemos verdaderos culinarios. Mis chefs han estado conmigo de 10 a 11 años”.

Shooters ofrecerá platos en la sección VIP, incluyendo un lobster roll y un risotto cremoso cubierto con prime rib en rebanadas y glaseado de ternera.

“Nuestro favorito del público: ¿cómo no ir al sur de Florida y comer un lobster roll?”, dijo Lopez. “Hay diferentes versiones, pero para nosotros, la langosta es la estrella”.

En honor a su 30 aniversario, el festival también contará con un área temática de los años 90, rindiendo homenaje a la época en que se fundó el evento.

Los boletos están disponibles en línea, con el código de descuento RESTAURANT, haciendo click aquí.

The weekend will be similar, with spotty showers and thunderstorms at times, especially in the afternoon. High temperatures will be noticeably warmer, in the mid-80s.

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They said drugs were seized during three interdictions in the Caribbean Sea involving the USCGC Tahoma and the USS Billings, which was operating with an embarked Coast Guard law enforcement detachment.

“The success of these interdictions reflects the strength of our partnerships and the persistence of our crews,” wrote Cmdr. Ian Starr, commanding officer of the Resolute, in a news release obtained by Local 10 on Friday. “By stopping these shipments at sea, we are preventing dangerous drugs from reaching our communities and disrupting transnational criminal organizations.”

Investigators said multiple units supported the operations, including a Coast Guard helicopter interdiction squadron, a tactical law enforcement team, watchstanders in the Southeast District and Joint Interagency Task Force South.

The Coast Guard said the offload is part of ongoing efforts to interdict and disrupt the flow of illicit drugs by sea.

Authorities noted that about 80% of drugs bound for the United States are stopped in maritime operations.

The agency reported seizing more than 511,000 pounds of cocaine in 2025 — more than three times its annual average — along with additional seizures tied to expanded counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific.

Officials said those efforts have denied criminal organizations billions of dollars in illicit revenue and helped prevent dangerous drugs from reaching U.S. communities.

Indicaron que las drogas fueron incautadas durante tres interdicciones en el mar Caribe que involucraron al USCGC Tahoma y al USS Billings, que operaba con un destacamento de aplicación de la ley de la Guardia Costera a bordo.

“El éxito de estas interdicciones refleja la fortaleza de nuestras asociaciones y la persistencia de nuestras tripulaciones”, escribió el comandante Ian Starr, oficial al mando del Resolute, en un comunicado de prensa obtenido por Local 10 el viernes. “Al detener estos envíos en el mar, estamos evitando que drogas peligrosas lleguen a nuestras comunidades y perturbando a organizaciones criminales transnacionales”.

Los investigadores dijeron que múltiples unidades apoyaron las operaciones, incluido un escuadrón de interdicción de helicópteros de la Guardia Costera, un equipo táctico de aplicación de la ley, personal de vigilancia en el Distrito Sureste y la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Interagencial Sur.

La Guardia Costera indicó que la descarga forma parte de los esfuerzos en curso para interceptar y frenar el flujo de drogas ilícitas por mar.

Las autoridades señalaron que aproximadamente el 80% de las drogas con destino a Estados Unidos se detienen en operaciones marítimas.

La agencia reportó la incautación de más de 511,000 libras de cocaína en 2025, más de tres veces su promedio anual, junto con incautaciones adicionales vinculadas a operaciones ampliadas contra el narcotráfico en el Pacífico Oriental.

Los funcionarios dijeron que esos esfuerzos han negado a las organizaciones criminales miles de millones de dólares en ingresos ilícitos y han ayudado a evitar que drogas peligrosas lleguen a comunidades de Estados Unidos.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last weekend directing the FDA and other federal agencies to speed research and loosen restrictions on psychedelics, a class of hallucinogenic drugs which remain illegal under federal law.

The FDA said it awarded priority review vouchers to two companies studying psilocybin — the active ingredient in magic mushrooms — for hard-to-treat forms of depression. A third company received a voucher for methylone, a drug related to MDMA, for post-traumatic stress disorder. The FDA did not name the companies in a press release announcing the news.

“We owe it to our nation’s veterans and all Americans who are suffering from these conditions to evaluate these potential therapies with urgency,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement.

The vouchers don’t guarantee approval, but instead mean that regulators will try to shorten their reviews from a period of months to weeks.

The recent moves on psychedelics reflect growing popular support for the mind-altering substances among Trump’s supporters, including combat veterans and followers of the Make America Healthy Again movement spearheaded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Last July, Kennedy told members of Congress his department aimed to make psychedelics available for hard-to-treat psychiatric conditions within one year. Some of Kennedy’s top allies and staffers are proponents of the drugs.

Calley Means, a former Kennedy campaign staffer now serving as a senior health adviser, has previously written about the “mind-blowing” power of psychedelics and his plans to invest in companies developing the drugs.

FDA's special treatment for psychedelics is likely to renew scrutiny of its program for speeding up drug reviews, known as the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher program.

Democratic members of Congress have noted that vouchers have gone to companies that are politically favored by the White House, including those that have agreed to cut prices on their medications.

In a separate move, the FDA authorized initial testing of a drug related to ibogaine, a powerful psychedelic made from an African shrub, for people with alcohol use disorder. Ibogaine is known to sometimes cause dangerous heart rhythms but has been embraced by combat veterans as a way to treat trauma and addiction.

The drugmaker, DemeRx, is led by a Florida-based researcher who first began studying ibogaine as a treatment for cocaine addiction in the 1990s, before federal health officials pulled funding for the work.

“Every grant proposal that I submitted to (the National Institute on Drug Abuse) was rejected,” Deborah Mash, a neurologist and founder of DemeRx, told The Associated Press. “I couldn't get that funding and that's why ibogaine didn't advance in the 1990s.”

Ibogaine is known to cause intense hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, tremors and sometimes dangerous irregular heart rhythms. Mash says DemeRx’s drug is a metabolite of ibogaine, and doesn't carry the same hallucinogenic effects or risks as the original drug.

Saturday’s White House event on psychedelics suggested Trump’s political allies had a role in pushing the drugs to the top of his agenda.

Joe Rogan, the podcaster who appeared at the Oval Office event, said he texted Trump about the psychedelic ibogaine, which he’s repeatedly discussed on his show. According to Rogan, the president quickly responded: “Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it."

Rogan’s endorsement of Trump days before the November 2024 election was seen by White House aides as a key factor in his election victory.

On his show earlier this week, Rogan said he learned about ibogaine from his friend Ed Clay, a mixed martial arts trainer and entrepreneur who runs retreats making use of it in Mexico.

Virtually all psychedelics, including LSD, psilocybin and MDMA are classified as Schedule I substances, a category for high-risk drugs that have no medically accepted use.

For decades, drugmakers steered clear of the substances due to the difficulties of studying drugs that are illegal under federal law.

But dozens of small drugmakers, many fueled by Silicon Valley investors, have recently jumped into the race to win FDA approval for various psychedelics. For example, tech billionaire Peter Thiel — who has made political donations to both Trump and Vice President JD Vance — has invested in AtaiBeckley, a company studying MDMA and other psychedelic compounds.

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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.

“For the zoo and for us here, it’s the very big deal,” said Amarylis Celestina, who oversees carnivores and koalas at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society in West Palm Beach, Florida. "We are trying the best that we can to help with a lot of the genetic diversity within the population that we have here in the United States. So that’s why it’s important that we do have a joey and that we were successful this year.”

The joey, born to Ellin and Sydney last fall, remains in its mother's pouch and has just recently started to become visible to zoo officials.

They continue to monitor Ellin's weight, and are providing extra food as she cares for the baby.

Meanwhile, the koala population is enjoying a renovated habitat, which include more greenery, new perching for exercising, and solar tubes to bring in more natural light. The changes bring a bit of the Australian outback to the zoo for koalas, which are an endangered species. They are able to move between their climate-controlled indoor exhibit and the expanded outdoor area.

“This new habitat is a milestone for our koalas,” Margo McKnight, the zoo's CEO and president said in a news release. “The deliberate design supports the voluntary, cooperative care our zoologists and koalas have developed together.”

Koalas in the U.S. are on loan from the Australian federal government to help with conservation practices.

Koalas are generally peaceful, have a calm nature and enjoy a “slow” lifestyle. They like to climb and hop between the trees in the habitat. The renovations are designed to help koalas express their natural behaviors, zoo officials said.

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Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The changes have followed a rise in political violence nationwide that included the stunning assassination last June of Rep. Melissa Hortman, the top Democratic leader in the Minnesota House, and the September killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was speaking at a college in Utah.

In Minnesota, most doors at the state Capitol are now locked, and people entering must go through weapons detectors. People entering the visitors' galleries to watch floor debates must go through a second set of detectors.

“It’s important for us to be able to not have our government fall apart if our legislators are under threat,” said Minnesota Rep. Julie Green, a Democrat who sits directly across the aisle from Hortman's old desk, which remains empty except for fresh roses, her portrait and a speaker's gavel. “It’s a complicated, complex, very emotional issue, as you can imagine.”

High-profile attacks have stoked lawmakers’ fears

In addition to the killings of Hortman and Kirk, violence targeting political figures in the U.S. in the last few years has included an arson attack last year at the home of Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; an assassination attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally in 2024; and a hammer attack on the husband of Democratic then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at their California home in 2022.

Twenty-five states, including Minnesota, now formally allow candidates to use campaign funds for personal security. Most made the change after the killings of Kirk and Hortman. Eleven states have laws permitting it, while others have approved it through rules or other mechanisms, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the VoteMama Foundation.

This year alone, Alabama, Oregon, Nebraska and Utah enacted laws allowing campaign funds for security. Bills to legalize it are pending in about a dozen other states.

It’s not just happening at the state level. Security spending for congressional and presidential campaigns has jumped fivefold over the past decade. Federal political committees spent more than $40 million on expenses labeled as security during the 2023-24 campaign cycle, according to an April report from the nonpartisan Public Service Alliance.

Weapons detectors are just one response

Metal detectors — one of the most visible signs of concerns about political violence — were installed at Alaska's Capitol last year. Democratic Rep. Sara Hannan said the change was due to “increased risk of violence in our public institutions.” Lawmakers approved them before Hortman was killed.

But some states have balked at making it harder to access the halls of power. Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican who knew Hortman, resisted efforts to install metal detectors in his state, saying he didn’t want to “fortify” the Capitol. Wisconsin’s is one of 11 state capitols that don’t have metal detectors, a state audit found.

Minnesota lawmakers are also considering creating a special unit within the State Patrol, which oversees Capitol security, that would provide protection for legislators, the state attorney general, secretary of state, state auditor, and Supreme Court justices.

One lead author is Democratic Sen. John Hoffman, who survived being shot nine times the night Hortman was killed. Prosecutors say the gunman, disguised as a police officer, began his rampage by shooting Hoffman and his wife, then stopped at the residences of two other lawmakers who weren't home. He then went to Hortman's home, where he killed the representative and her husband, and wounded their dog so severely that he had to be euthanized.

At a hearing Tuesday, Hoffman called his measure “a necessary response” that would “keep elected officials and Supreme Court justices safe and dedicate the resources necessary and hopefully stop future tragedies from happening.”

Numerous states have also taken action to protect lawmakers’ personal information. North Dakota lawmakers on Wednesday discussed a bill draft for next year that would make confidential the home addresses of candidates and public officials upon request.

The NCSL in February created a $1.5 million fund to reimburse legislatures for expenses related to lawmakers' personal safety and security while they’re away from their statehouses. More than 30 states have applied or are preparing to, NCSL spokesperson Katie Ziegler said.

___

Bauer reported from Madison, Wisconsin. Associated Press writers Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, and Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, contributed to this report.

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Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez, an attorney who was elected in 2024 to represent District 11, which includes parts of West Kendall, stood in opposition.

“West Kendall is already burdened with congestion, and adding more without a clear, realistic mitigation plan is not responsible,” Gonzalez wrote in a statement released on X after the vote.

The redevelopment project has been at the center of a long and tedious fight between a group of residents trying to protect their neighborhood’s quality of life and an influential group of investors.

“I have been advocating for seven years now,” Amanda Prieto, the leader of Save Calusa, a nonprofit grassroots residents’ organization, told commissioners during the meeting on Thursday.

The Calusa Country Club, at 9400 SW 130th Ave., opened in 1968 with a legally-binding land covenant that banned redevelopment until 2067.

“This is designated parks and rec land that was intended to be preserved for 100 years,” Prieto told commissioners during the meeting.

Facundo Bacardi, of the family-owned spirits company founded in Cuba, purchased the 169-acre golf club in 2003 and closed it in 2011. Commissioners lifted the covenant in 2020.

In 2021, Bacardi sold the golf course to Sunrise-based GL Homes for $32 million, and commissioners voted to rezone it in favor of the redevelopment’s vision of a community of single-family homes.

“In 2021, the commission passed it, this was a reconsideration of that,” Richard Norwalk, a senior vice president at GL Homes, said about the commissioners’ vote on Thursday.

Prieto filed a lawsuit against the county to invalidate the 2021 rezoning vote. The Florida Supreme Court sided with Prieto, who had claimed the county had failed to notify residents about the hearing.

“I am proud of my community,” Prieto said about Save Calusa’s efforts to protect the golf course. “We made tremendous progress over the last seven years.”

After the court’s ruling, Norwalk went back before the commission and had the application reheard.

“Notice wasn’t done correctly, so we are glad that once again they saw their way to approving this community and providing more housing for Miami-Dade,” Norwalk said after the commissioner’s zoning vote.

The developers’ proposals have ranged from 1,300 houses to the most recent 524, which makes up three units per acre.

Aside from traffic, Prieto and the Save Calusa members have also raised concerns about a loss of green space and impacts to local wildlife, including a bird rookery.

Wildlife expert Ron Magill sided with Save Calusa over concerns about bonneted bats and tricolored herons. The developer hired environmental consultants.

There were some concessions. The developer also committed to working with the Tropical Audubon Society to protect the rookery.

“The revised plan expands the lake,” Norwalk told commissioners during the meeting.

The development is within Commissioner Raquel A. Regalado’s District 7.

“I am very happy with the agreement with Audubon, and I think that a lot of the concessions that have been made make this a very different and much better application,” Regalado said during the meeting before moving the item.

Commissioner Oliver G. Gilbert seconded the item with Kendall Associates I, 9800 Calusa Club Drive, and Home at 9810 as the applicants.

Prieto said she was disappointed that she couldn’t agree with the developer on density, and that despite this, eight commissioners bent to the will of the developer.

“We got some rookery protections. I think our voices were heard, but ultimately, this decision, and their legacy, will lie on the shoulders of the commissioners that voted today,” Prieto said.

Related document: County staff recommendations summary (553 pages)

THE 8-5 VOTE

Eight who voted to pass it: Gilbert, Regalado, and Commissioners Keon Hardemon, Vicki L. Lopez, Natalie Milian Orbis, Marleine Bastien, Juan Carlos “JC” Bermudez, and Kionne L. McGhee

Five who voted against it: Gonzalez, and Commissioners René Garcia, Danielle Cohen Higgins, Anthony Rodriguez, and Micky Steinberg.

Watch the meeting

Related stories

• Kendall’s Calusa development proposal postponed after community concerns
• Florida Supreme Court hands victory to Calusa homeowners
• Worried residents hope Miami-Dade County mayor can save Calusa
• New drone video of construction on Calusa golf site causes concern among residents

Related social media

Statement on the Calusa Development Application… pic.twitter.com/BpEuNnx4x7

— Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez (@RobJGonzalezFL) April 23, 2026

El comisionado Roberto J. González , abogado elegido en 2024 para representar al Distrito 11, que incluye partes de West Kendall, se opuso a la propuesta.

“West Kendall ya está sobrecargado de congestión, y añadir más sin un plan de mitigación claro y realista no es responsable”, escribió González en un comunicado publicado en X después de la votación.

El proyecto de reurbanización ha sido el centro de una larga y tediosa lucha entre un grupo de residentes que intentan proteger la calidad de vida de su barrio y un influyente grupo de inversores.

“Llevo siete años abogando por esto”, dijo Amanda Prieto, líder de Save Calusa , una organización vecinal sin fines de lucro, a los comisionados durante la reunión del jueves.

El Calusa Country Club, ubicado en 9400 SW 130th Ave., abrió sus puertas en 1968 con un convenio territorial legalmente vinculante que prohibía la remodelación hasta 2067.

“Se trata de terrenos designados como parques y zonas recreativas, que estaban destinados a ser preservados durante 100 años”, dijo Prieto a los comisionados durante la reunión.

Facundo Bacardi, de la empresa familiar de bebidas espirituosas fundada en Cuba, compró el club de golf de 169 acres en 2003 y lo cerró en 2011. Los comisionados levantaron la restricción en 2020.

En 2021, Bacardi vendió el campo de golf a GL Homes, con sede en Sunrise, por 32 millones de dólares, y los comisionados votaron a favor de cambiar la zonificación para favorecer la visión de la remodelación de crear una comunidad de viviendas unifamiliares.

“En 2021, la comisión lo aprobó; esto fue una reconsideración de esa decisión”, dijo Richard Norwalk, vicepresidente sénior de GL Homes, sobre la votación de los comisionados el jueves.

Prieto presentó una demanda contra el condado para invalidar la votación de rezonificación de 2021. El Tribunal Supremo de Florida falló a favor de Prieto, quien alegó que el condado no había notificado a los residentes sobre la audiencia.

“Estoy orgulloso de mi comunidad”, dijo Prieto sobre los esfuerzos de Save Calusa para proteger el campo de golf. “Hemos logrado un progreso tremendo en los últimos siete años”.

Tras el fallo del tribunal, Norwalk volvió a comparecer ante la comisión y solicitó una nueva audiencia para la solicitud.

“La notificación no se realizó correctamente, por lo que nos alegra que una vez más hayan encontrado la manera de aprobar esta comunidad y proporcionar más viviendas para Miami-Dade”, dijo Norwalk después de la votación de zonificación del comisionado.

Las propuestas de los promotores han oscilado entre las 1.300 viviendas y las más recientes, 524, lo que supone tres unidades por acre.

Además del tráfico, Prieto y los miembros de Save Calusa también han expresado su preocupación por la pérdida de espacios verdes y los impactos en la fauna local, incluyendo una colonia de aves.

El experto en vida silvestre Ron Magill apoyó a Save Calusa debido a la preocupación por los murciélagos de cabeza rapada y las garzas tricolores. El promotor inmobiliario contrató consultores ambientales.

Hubo algunas concesiones. El promotor también se comprometió a colaborar con la Sociedad Audubon Tropical para proteger la colonia de aves.

“El plan revisado amplía el lago”, dijo Norwalk a los comisionados durante la reunión.

El proyecto urbanístico se encuentra dentro del Distrito 7 de la Comisionada Raquel A. Regalado .

“Estoy muy contento con el acuerdo con Audubon, y creo que muchas de las concesiones que se han hecho hacen de esta una solicitud muy diferente y mucho mejor”, dijo Regalado durante la reunión antes de someter el punto a votación.

El comisionado Oliver G. Gilbert secundó la moción, presentando como solicitantes a Kendall Associates I , 9800 Calusa Club Drive , y Home en 9810 .

Prieto dijo estar decepcionada por no poder llegar a un acuerdo con el promotor inmobiliario sobre la densidad, y que, a pesar de ello, ocho comisionados cedieron ante la voluntad del promotor.

“Conseguimos cierta protección para las colonias de aves. Creo que nuestras voces fueron escuchadas, pero en última instancia, esta decisión, y su legado, recaerá sobre los hombros de los comisionados que votaron hoy”, dijo Prieto.

Documento relacionado : Resumen de las recomendaciones del personal del condado (553 páginas)

LA VOTACIÓN 8-5

Ocho que votaron para aprobarlo: Gilbert, Regalado y los comisionados Keon Hardemon , Vicki L. López , Natalie Milian Orbis , Marleine Bastien , Juan Carlos “JC” Bermúdez y Kionne L. McGhee.

Cinco personas que votaron en contra: González y los comisionados René García , Danielle Cohen Higgins , Anthony Rodríguez y Micky Steinberg .

Mira la reunión

Historias relacionadas

• La propuesta de desarrollo de Kendall en Calusa se pospone tras las preocupaciones de la comunidad.
• El Tribunal Supremo de Florida otorga la victoria a los propietarios de viviendas de Calusa.
• Los residentes preocupados esperan que el alcalde del condado de Miami-Dade pueda salvar a Calusa.
• Un nuevo vídeo grabado con un dron sobre las obras en el campo de golf de Calusa causa preocupación entre los residentes.

Redes sociales relacionadas

Statement on the Calusa Development Application… pic.twitter.com/BpEuNnx4x7

— Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez (@RobJGonzalezFL) April 23, 2026

The magistrate in North Carolina who authorized Gannon Ken Van Dyke's release told him to report to a New York federal courthouse by Tuesday to continue his case there.

Bearded with arm tattoos, Van Dyke said little during the nearly hourlong hearing, during which he was appointed a federal public defender who declined to comment afterward. The $250,000 unsecured bond did not require Van Dyke to put up any money.

Federal prosecutors say Van Dyke used his access to classified information about the operation to capture Maduro in January to win money on Polymarket, one of the largest prediction markets. The sites allow people to trade on almost anything — from the Super Bowl to U.S. elections and even the winners of the TV reality shows.

Van Dyke, who is stationed at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina, was charged Thursday with the unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.

He could face up to 10 years on four of the criminal counts, and up to 20 years on a fifth, the government said Friday. A publicly listed phone number listed for Van Dyke isn't in service.

Van Dyke, 38, was involved for about a month in the planning and execution of capturing Maduro, according to the New York federal prosecutor’s office. He signed nondisclosure agreements promising to not divulge “any classified or sensitive information” related to the operations, but prosecutors say he used what he knew to make a series of bets related to Maduro being out of power by Jan. 31.

“This involved a U.S. soldier who allegedly took advantage of his position to profit off of a righteous military operation,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post.

Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan said in a post on X that the company flagged the suspicious activity, turned it over to the government and cooperated with the investigation.

“Every trade is public, permanent, and auditable,” Coplan wrote. “Bad actors leave a trail.”

Massive profits from well-timed bets aroused public attention days after the raid in Venezuela and brought bipartisan calls for stricter regulation of the markets.

The sudden rise of these markets has led to growing scrutiny by Congress and state governments. Some lawmakers alarmed by highly specific, well-timed trades on the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran and wagers on President Donald Trump’s next moves have pushed for guardrails against insider trading.

The Trump administration has been supportive of the industry’s expansion. The president’s eldest son is an adviser for both Polymarket and its main competitor, Kalshi,, and is a Polymarket investor. Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, is launching its own prediction market called Truth Predict.

Van Dyke moved into a home in Fayetteville just weeks ago, said Larry Duncan, one of his new neighbors.

“I introduced myself. I asked if he needed any assistance,” said Duncan, who once served in the Marines. “I said, ‘You look like special forces.’ He just smiled. I worked on a contract at Fort Bragg. I know how those people carry themselves. He was tatted up, quiet, kind of secretive.”

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the federal agency that regulates prediction markets, announced Thursday that it had filed a parallel complaint against Van Dyke.

That complaint alleges that Van Dyke moved $35,000 from his personal bank account into a cryptocurrency exchange account on Dec. 26 — a little over a week before U.S. forces flew into Caracas and seized Maduro.

Van Dyke made a series of bets on when Maduro might be removed from power, according to the complaint. He placed those bets between Dec. 30 and Jan. 2, with the vast majority occurring the night of Jan. 2 — just hours before the first missiles struck Caracas.

The bets resulted in “more than $404,000 of profits,” the complaint says.

“The defendant was entrusted with confidential information about U.S. operations and yet took action that endangered U.S. national security and put the lives of American service members in harm’s way,” said Michael Selig, the commission’s chairman.

___

Associated Press reporters Allen G. Breed in Raleigh, Ed White in Detroit and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

La extensión propone un acuerdo operativo de 20 años para el evento anual en el centro de la ciudad.

Mientras tanto, la Downtown Neighbors Alliance está presionando para que la ciudad retrase la votación para que los residentes tengan la oportunidad de expresar sus preocupaciones sobre la continuidad de la asociación.

“Los residentes no están pidiendo lo imposible, estamos pidiendo un lugar en la mesa”, dijo James Torres, presidente de la Downtown Neighbors Alliance. “Un aplazamiento no solo es razonable, es necesario para establecer el tono correcto. Si se aprueba un acuerdo de 20 años sin participación, ¿qué incentivo habrá para que Ultra escuche a los residentes después?”

Además, la organización presentó una demanda contra Ultra “relacionada con sus obligaciones bajo el acuerdo de conciliación vigente”.

Local 10 News contactó a Ultra para solicitar comentarios, pero no había recibido respuesta al momento de la publicación de esta nota.

Ultra se defenderá enérgicamente contra la demanda presentada por Downtown Neighbors Alliance, Inc. (“DNA”).

Ultra ha cumplido con todos los requisitos aplicables que regulan los niveles de sonido, incluidos los establecidos en el Acuerdo de Licencia Revocable (“RLA”) con el Bayfront Park Management Trust y las ordenanzas aplicables de la Ciudad de Miami. El evento ha operado dentro de los parámetros establecidos por la Ciudad, respaldado por monitoreo continuo y coordinación en tiempo real.

Ultra también ha participado en múltiples reuniones comunitarias, incluidas aquellas solicitadas por asociaciones vecinales y las convocadas por instrucción de los comisionados de la Ciudad, en consonancia con su práctica de larga data de participación comunitaria.

Durante casi tres décadas, Ultra ha operado en la Ciudad de Miami en asociación con la Ciudad y otras partes interesadas, estableciendo el estándar para la producción responsable de eventos a gran escala. Ultra es un evento emblemático que se ha vuelto sinónimo de la cultura de Miami.

Los esfuerzos de Ultra para mitigar impactos son a nivel comunitario, reflejando un compromiso con todas las partes interesadas del Downtown. Ese enfoque ha ganado el apoyo del Miami DDA, el Bayfront Park Management Trust y otras partes interesadas importantes.

Ultra espera continuar su asociación de larga data con la Ciudad y el Bayfront Park Management Trust.

Ultra continuará actuando como un vecino responsable, independientemente de cualquier acuerdo o arreglo formal con la DNA o cualquier otro grupo de residentes, y sin importar esta demanda.

Ultra Music Festival

ENLACE ADICIONAL

Agenda de la reunión de la comisión de la ciudad

Resumen de la agenda y legislación

Leer en español

Video captures the scene as the truck plows through a concrete barrier and lands on top of an unsuspecting car. Debris -- including shattered glass, a tire and twisted metal -- is seen across the roadway as the pickup crushes the car beneath it.

The crash happened on the Friday around 5 a.m. on the Palmetto Expressway, near Northwest 36th Street in Doral.

Investigators say 26-year-old Reinerio De La Torre Toledo was driving the truck and is believed to have taken his own life moments before the vehicle went airborne.

Detectives with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office say a gun was recovered at the scene, and a witness said detectives mentioned finding bullet casings.

The driver of the other vehicle has been identified as Jorge Reales of Miramar. A GoFundMe created by a family friend says Reales is unable to work and faces an overwhelming financial burden due to extensive medical treatment.

At the time of the crash, authorities said the 57-year-old was in stable condition, though the full extent of his injuries was not immediately known.

Traffic along the southbound lanes of the Palmetto Expressway was shut down for miles and remained backed up for hours. Aerial footage showed investigators examining the wreckage near a large hole left in the concrete barrier.

Family and friends of Reales say they are grateful he survived and are asking for financial support as he recovers.

El video captura la escena cuando la camioneta atraviesa una barrera de concreto y cae encima de un auto desprevenido. Escombros, incluidos vidrios rotos, una llanta y metal retorcido, se observan sobre la vía mientras la camioneta aplasta el vehículo debajo.

El choque ocurrió el viernes alrededor de las 5 a.m. en la autopista Palmetto Expressway, cerca de Northwest 36th Street en Doral.

Los investigadores dicen que Reinerio De La Torre Toledo, de 26 años, conducía la camioneta y se cree que se quitó la vida momentos antes de que el vehículo saliera volando.

Detectives de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade dicen que se recuperó un arma en la escena, y un testigo indicó que los detectives mencionaron haber encontrado casquillos de bala.

El conductor del otro vehículo ha sido identificado como Jorge Reales, de Miramar. Un GoFundMe creado por un amigo de la familia indica que Reales no puede trabajar y enfrenta una carga financiera abrumadora debido a un extenso tratamiento médico.

En el momento del choque, las autoridades dijeron que el hombre de 57 años estaba en condición estable, aunque la magnitud total de sus lesiones no se conocía de inmediato.

El tráfico en los carriles hacia el sur de la autopista Palmetto Expressway fue cerrado por millas y permaneció congestionado durante horas. Imágenes aéreas mostraron a los investigadores examinando los restos cerca de un gran agujero dejado en la barrera de concreto.

Familiares y amigos de Reales dicen estar agradecidos de que sobreviviera y están solicitando apoyo financiero mientras se recupera.

Leer en español

Bianca Gutierrez said she was eating bourbon chicken and noodles last week when she noticed something unusual.

“I was in disbelief. I was at a loss for words,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”

What she initially thought might be a vegetable quickly turned into something far more disturbing.

“I was like, that’s not a vegetable,” she said.

Gutierrez recorded video showing what appeared to be a roach with legs and antennae in her food. In the video, she can be heard reacting in shock.

“Disgusted. Very disgusted. Disappointed,” she said.

The incident happened at the food court inside Pembroke Lakes Mall. Gutierrez said the meal came from Kelly’s Cajun Grill.

She returned to the counter immediately.

“They were shocked as well. They didn’t know what to say. They just apologized,” Gutierrez said.

According to Gutierrez, staff issued a refund. After returning home, she sent the video to Local 10 News and filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

State inspectors responded the very next day.

Records show the restaurant was ordered shut down after an inspection uncovered multiple violations, including the presence of roaches. An inspector noted finding roaches on top of a prep table in a rear food preparation area.

A Local 10 News crew later visited the restaurant and spoke briefly with a manager, who acknowledged the shutdown but declined to provide details. No one from corporate responded to a request for comment.

Gutierrez said the experience has changed her habits.

She says for now, she plans to stick to home-cooked meals until she can get the image out of her head.

Bianca Gutierrez dijo que estaba comiendo pollo bourbon con fideos la semana pasada cuando notó algo inusual.

“Estaba incrédula. Me quedé sin palabras”, dijo. “Yo estaba como, ‘Oh Dios mío’”.

Lo que inicialmente pensó que podría ser un vegetal rápidamente se convirtió en algo mucho más perturbador.

“Yo estaba como, eso no es un vegetal”, dijo.

Gutierrez grabó un video que mostraba lo que parecía ser una cucaracha con patas y antenas en su comida. En el video, se le puede escuchar reaccionando con asombro.

“Asqueada. Muy asqueada. Decepcionada”, dijo.

El incidente ocurrió en el patio de comidas dentro de Pembroke Lakes Mall. Gutierrez dijo que la comida provenía de Kelly’s Cajun Grill.

Ella regresó al mostrador de inmediato.

“Ellos también estaban sorprendidos. No sabían qué decir. Solo se disculparon”, dijo Gutierrez.

Según Gutierrez, el personal emitió un reembolso. Después de regresar a casa, envió el video a Local 10 News y presentó una queja ante el Departamento de Regulación Comercial y Profesional de Florida.

Los inspectores estatales respondieron al día siguiente.

Los registros muestran que se ordenó el cierre del restaurante después de que una inspección descubriera múltiples violaciones, incluida la presencia de cucarachas. Un inspector señaló haber encontrado cucarachas sobre una mesa de preparación en un área trasera de preparación de alimentos.

Un equipo de Local 10 News visitó posteriormente el restaurante y habló brevemente con un gerente, quien reconoció el cierre pero se negó a proporcionar detalles. Nadie de la corporación respondió a una solicitud de comentarios.

Gutierrez dijo que la experiencia ha cambiado sus hábitos.

Dice que por ahora planea mantenerse con comidas caseras hasta que pueda sacarse la imagen de la cabeza.

Fernando Mendoza, ex estrella de los Indiana Hoosiers y destacado de la escuela secundaria Christopher Columbus en Miami, fue seleccionado como la primera elección global por los Raiders de Las Vegas tras una temporada en la que ganó el Trofeo Heisman y el campeonato nacional.

El mariscal de campo de 22 años se ha mantenido en el sur de Florida en los últimos días y se espera que celebre el momento con su familia en Coral Gables en lugar de asistir al draft en persona.

“Oh, esto es muy emocionante. Estamos muy orgullosos de él”, dijo Enrique Espino, tío abuelo de Mendoza. “Siguió los consejos de su madre y las restricciones y condiciones de su padre, todos están emocionados por él”.

La policía ha cerrado una parte de la calle para una fiesta privada que pronto estará llena de celebración.

Muchos amigos y vecinos comparten el orgullo por el arduo trabajo y la dedicación de Mendoza.

“Son una familia muy agradable. Todos estamos encantados de que estén felices”, dijo Michael Brown, vecino de Mendoza.

La atención también está puesta en los Miami Hurricanes, que podrían tener hasta tres, o incluso cuatro, jugadores seleccionados en la primera ronda.

El liniero defensivo Rueben Bain Jr. y el liniero ofensivo Francis Mauigoa también están proyectados para ser elegidos en la primera ronda, mientras que el EDGE Akheem Mesidor y el back defensivo Keionte Scott también podrían escuchar sus nombres más adelante en la ronda.

Mientras tanto, los Miami Dolphins entran en la noche con dos selecciones de primera ronda, las número 11 y 30, lo que le da al nuevo gerente general Jon-Eric Sullivan y al entrenador Jeff Hafley la oportunidad de agregar jugadores de impacto inmediato.

Miami tiene siete selecciones dentro de las primeras 100 del draft hasta la tarde del jueves.

Miami podría buscar reforzar su plantilla con talento local, dependiendo de cómo se desarrolle el draft.

La primera ronda del Draft de la NFL 2026 está programada para comenzar a las 8 p.m.

From herbs that wilt in days to berries that seem to mold even faster, what we toss in the trash often has less to do with what we buy than how we store it at home.

A lot of that spoilage happens because of moisture and temperature.

From a scientific perspective, produce doesn’t just go bad — it breaks down under specific conditions. Plants, like humans, carry natural microflora, a diverse community of microscopic organisms.

“This could be bacteria, yeast, molds, things like that,” said Amanda Deering, associate professor of produce food safety at Purdue University.

Here are a few small changes that can extend the life of food by days.

Wait to wash

Washing produce before storing it can leave water that bacteria, yeast and mold need to grow.

Experts recommend waiting to wash fruits and vegetables until just before eating, and keeping them as dry as possible in the fridge meanwhile. Adding a paper towel can absorb dampness in containers of berries or leafy greens.

Food experts also warn that cutting up fruits and vegetables before storing them can reduce their shelf life.

“The big one is washing it and cutting it before storing it. This, of course, can leave a lot of excess moisture behind,” said Abbey Sharp, registered dietitian. “It speeds up spoilage because you’re cutting into those cell walls.”

Keep most produce cold and give it space

At room temperature, microscopic organisms grow faster. Keeping food in the fridge can slow that process, Deering said, but how you pack your fridge also matters. Overcrowding it can block airflow and make it harder to keep temperatures consistent.

Different foods have different needs.

Herbs last longer when treated like flowers, trimmed and placed in water, while harder herbs can be wrapped in a damp towel and stored in the fridge. Root vegetables like carrots can be kept in water to maintain crispiness. Separating leafy tops can extend the shelf life of carrots and beets.

Keep some kitchen staples apart

Where you store produce can affect both how it tastes and how it lasts. The texture and flavor of tomatoes, for example, are best preserved at room temperature, even if refrigeration can slow their spoilage, said Deering.

Whole garlic should be kept in a cool ventilated space, while cut or peeled garlic belongs in the fridge.

Potatoes and onions are best stored outside the fridge in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place, like a pantry or cabinet, but they shouldn’t be kept together.

“You want to keep them away from one another because they actually can make each other spoil faster,” said Sharp.

Mixing fruits at different stages of ripeness also can shorten shelf lives. As fruits ripen, they release ethylene gas, a natural compound that speeds up the ripening process in nearby produce. So storing very ripe bananas next to greener ones or alongside other fruits can cause everything around them to ripen and spoil more quickly, Deering said.

Know what spoiled actually looks like

Confusion about what’s actually safe to eat also drives food waste.

The FDA estimates that confusion over food labels accounts for about 20% of consumer food waste, as many people misinterpret the "purchase-by" dates as indicators of safety. Other food gets trashed when it doesn't look perfect, according to Sharp, who notes that “a little ugly is not the same as unsafe.”

When fruits and vegetables wilt, soften or become slightly discolored, they may not taste as fresh in certain recipes, but that doesn't mean they're spoiled. A limp carrot or a slightly soft celery stalk, for example, can still be safe to eat, especially when cooked, Sharp said.

“Produce that is like a little bit wilted or like a little soft or a little less crisp is often more a quality issue. It’s not necessarily a food safety issue,” said Sharp.

Signals that food should be thrown away are more distinct, like visible mold, slime, leaking liquid or a strong unpleasant odor — clear indications that produce has broken down beyond the point of safe consumption, according to Sharp.

Think of the impact outside your kitchen

Throwing away food also discards the results of all the resources used to grow, transport and store it. But small habits can make a big difference, like buying what you need, using items before they sit too long, and freezing produce like berries or bananas before it goes bad.

“Household food waste represents probably the largest portion of food waste when we look at it across the whole supply chain,” said Pete Pearson, a vice president at World Wildlife Fund.

And that waste also produces a potent greenhouse gas that harms the planet long after discarded food leaves the kitchen.

“When food enters landfills, it’s essentially buried in a non-oxygen environment where it breaks down and creates bacteria and methane emissions,” said Pearson.

But because people interact with food every day, even small shifts can add up, depleting fewer resources across the broader food system.

“It’s these small changes over millions and millions of people that can make a huge difference,” said Pearson.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

The Atlanta-based railroad said Friday that it earned $547 million, or $2.43 per share. That's down from $750 million, or $3.31 per share, a year ago. The disastrous derailment in the small town on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border has generally boosted earnings in recent quarters as the railroad collected insurance payments, but that wasn't the case this time, so it combined with planning costs related to the merger, earnings per share were reduced by 22 cents. Last year's results were also helped by some land sales.

Without those unusual costs, the railroad's profit would have beat Wall Street estimates. The analysts surveyed by FactSet Research predicted the railroad would earn $2.51 per share.

CEO Mark George said the railroad also dealt with the uncertain economy that reduced the shipments it delivered by 1%, along with severe weather and rapidly rising fuel costs.

“Despite these challenges, our employees safely delivered a solid service product, managed costs effectively, and earned the continued trust of our customers. As conditions improved, we captured momentum exiting the quarter, reinforcing the strength of our operating foundation and the dedication of the entire Norfolk Southern team,” George said.

The railroad's revenue was relatively flat at just under $3 billion. But its expenses jumped 15% compared to last year when insurance payments from the derailment added $185 million to Norfolk Southern's bottom line.

Norfolk Southern is working with Union Pacific to update its application to merge that the railroads plan to submit next Thursday. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board rejected the railroad’s first request to approve the $85 billion merger because the regulators wanted more information. The STB hasn’t yet decided whether the deal that would cut the number of major freight railroads down to five will enhance competition.

Norfolk Southern operates trains all over the eastern United States. Combining with Union Pacific's network west of the Mississippi River would create the nation's first transcontinental railroad.

Success on the pitch for both Spain’s women and men’s teams has been partially overshadowed in recent years by incidents of racism, sexism and xenophobia.

As the World Cup approaches, concerns have been raised about whether meaningful cultural change is happening in Spain, one of the title favorites.

“It’s not a very good image for Spain right now, but we can’t mistake these acts by minority groups, usually the ultra groups, with the actions of the majority of fans in Spain,” said Esteban Ibarra, head of the Madrid-based Movement Against Intolerance, Racism and Xenophobia.

Spain is one of the co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup, and cleaning up its image abroad is seen as a priority. The Spanish government and local soccer officials have been working hard to dismiss the notion that Spain is a racist country.

They have called recent incidents in soccer — including the anti-Muslim chants last month — isolated cases that can be blamed mostly on the actions of a minority of radical fans.

“The first thing we must bear in mind is that these acts, which we condemn in the strongest possible terms, have been perpetrated by a group of people who in no way represent the vast majority of Spanish soccer fans,” Spain's Higher Council for Sports, the nation's top sports authority, told The Associated Press in a statement.

“The chants were deplorable and cannot be repeated," it said. "We are confident that the Spanish men and women attending the World Cup this summer will support our team with passion and always with respect.”

Lamine Yamal speaks out

Spain was drawn into a World Cup group that includes Saudi Arabia, an overwhelmingly Muslim country.

It was in the March 31 friendly against Egypt — another predominantly Muslim nation — that a group of Spanish fans sang the anti-Muslim chants that made headlines worldwide. They also jeered Egypt's national anthem in the match in Barcelona.

“These actions are entirely unacceptable in football stadiums and represent a negative phenomenon that must be collectively addressed and eradicated,” the Egyptian Football Association said.

The chants happened despite the presence of Spain star forward Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim. On the next day, he called the chants disrespectful and intolerable, and said it didn’t matter that they were not directed at him personally.

“I understand that not all fans are like that, but to those who chant these things: Using a religion as a taunt on the field makes you look ignorant and racist,” the 18-year-old Yamal said. “Football is for enjoying and cheering, not for disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe.”

Spanish police opened an investigation into the behavior of the fans during the game, and FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish soccer federation.

The Spanish federation has used the popularity of Yamal as an example of how the recent incidents don’t represent the nation’s fanbase as a whole. It noted that Yamal's shirt is the best-selling Spain jersey and that he is the most sought-after player everywhere the team goes.

The federation also noted several actions and campaigns that have been taking place in Spain, with the participation of the government and other soccer entities, against intolerance and discrimination in sports.

Abuse against Vinícius sparked action against racism

Spain was widely criticized for its lack of action against racism in soccer after Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinícius said he was racially abused in a Spanish league game in Valencia in 2023. Vinícius, who is Black, said at the time that the Spanish league “now belongs to racists” and Spain “is seen as a racist country.”

He has since nuanced his description of Spain, but continues to speak up against racism in the sport.

“I’m not saying that Spain or Germany or Portugal are racist countries, but there are racists in these countries, and in Brazil and other countries as well,” Vinícius said after praising Yamal for his condemnation of the anti-Muslim chants last month. “But if we keep fighting together, I think future players and people in general won’t have to go through this again.”

There was widespread support for Vinícius after the 2023 match in which he threatened to leave the field in Valencia after a few members of ultra groups called him “monkey.”

The number of cases of racial abuse against the Brazil international decreased as authorities started to take more significant action. The first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain came after Vinícius’ repeated complaints, and fans were punished in other cases as well.

A recent Supreme Court ruling set a precedent for more severe sentences in cases of intolerance in sports, another step forward for Spain in the fight against discriminatory actions.

Federation says it has changed since the Rubiales scandal

Not long after the abuse against Vinícius, the Spanish soccer federation faced another scandal involving the behavior of then-federation president Luis Rubiales.

Rubiales resigned and was eventually found guilty of sexual assault for grabbing player Jenni Hermoso's head and kissing her on the lips after Spain won the 2023 Women's World Cup final.

Critics said the scandal highlighted a culture of sexism in Spanish soccer.

The federation says the incident prompted internal change, noting that 50% percent of its board of directors is now composed of women, who are also in several top managerial positions.

Spanish fans expected to behave at the World Cup

During the World Cup, the federation does not expect problems involving Spanish fans, in part because it can try to keep members of radical fan groups from buying tickets for Spain’s matches by monitoring the identity of those making mass purchases.

“In theory, during the World Cup there isn’t really the risk that these types of cases will happen," Ibarra said. “Especially now that Spain is on alert because of the international repercussion of the recent incidents, and more severe measures are expected against these Spanish ultra groups that are responsible for these acts.”

The Spanish government said it has been working for years "in a coordinated and effective manner with government agencies, state security forces, federations, clubs and fans to prevent a few hooligans from tarnishing our sport.”

The government also noted it has “one of the most advanced systems in Europe” to combat intolerance acts, with an anti-violence commission in place to coordinate actions by authorities, prosecutors and other institutions involved.

The men’s team heads to the World Cup as the defending European champion. Since its disappointing round-of-16 elimination in the World Cup in Qatar, Spain also won the Nations League in 2023 and was runner-up last year.

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

En sus redes sociales, la policía anticorrupción informó que agentes y fiscales realizaban un operativo en la casa de Corvetto, de otros exfuncionarios de la ONPE y del representante legal de una empresa llamada Galaga, encargada de transportar papeletas electorales hacia centros de votación en Lima.

Ricardo Sánchez, abogado de Corvetto, dijo a la radio local RPP que el juez Manuel Chuyo ordenó el allanamiento, pero desestimó el pedido de la fiscalía para detener a Corvetto.

Las autoridades extendieron la votación hasta el 13 de abril en varios centros electorales de Lima donde más de 52.000 peruanos no pudieron votar porque las boletas no llegaron o arribaron tarde.

El suceso provocó críticas en varios partidos, en especial del candidato ultraconservador Rafael López Aliaga, de Renovación Popular, quien afirma sin pruebas que en Perú ocurrió un “fraude electoral único en el mundo". El candidato ha indicado que Corvetto es un “criminal” y que lo perseguirá “hasta que se muera”.

Una misión electoral de la Unión Europea ha pedido evitar el uso de lenguaje violento en las elecciones peruanas y ha descartado cualquier indicio de fraude.

Corvetto renunció el martes y su dimisión fue aceptada por la Junta Nacional de Justicia, una entidad que evalúa y sanciona a autoridades claves incluidas las de la ONPE. Su salida ha sido cuestionada por expertos debido a que la ley prohíbe la renuncia de un alto funcionario de la ONPE en medio de un proceso electoral.

En una carta Corvetto indicó que dimitía luego de los “problemas focalizados” el 12 de abril. Añadió que su dimisión buscaba organizar el balotaje del 7 de junio, en el que se definirá al próximo presidente, “en un contexto de mayor confianza ciudadana”.

Contabilizadas el 95,1% de las actas, la conservadora Keiko Fujimori del partido Fuerza Popular lideraba el viernes el conteo de votos con 17,05%, seguida del nacionalista Roberto Sánchez, de Juntos por el Perú, con 12,03% y López Aliaga con 11,90%, según la ONPE.

El Tribunal Electoral anunció que el 15 de mayo será la fecha máxima para informar sobre quiénes serán los dos candidatos que disputarán la presidencia en la segunda vuelta.

Los conteos de votos en Perú son lentos comparados con otros países de la región. En las elecciones presidenciales de 2021, el Tribunal Electoral los anunció 37 días después de los comicios de primera vuelta. Pero en esa ocasión la distancia entre el segundo y tercer lugar fue amplia desde el inicio y no existió el suspenso de ahora.

Cellphone video captured the moment bystanders reacted, with one saying, “the trouble is over,” as the suspect fell face-first onto the road after being tased. Officers then rushed in and swarmed him.

Hialeah police say their K-9 unit was assisting Florida Highway Patrol near a Walgreens at West 68th Street and 12th Avenue when an officer spotted the man, who troopers idenfitifed as 41-year-old Yam Perera Nunez.

Florida Highway Patrol says troopers tried to pull him over during a traffic stop on Okeechobee Road in the Pembroke Road area a day earlier, but he refused to stop.

Investigators say during the pursuit Perera Nunez abandoned his truck on Northwest 137th Avenue and ran off on foot.

Sky 10 was overhead during that search and spotted troopers and ICE agents in the area looking for him before he was eventually arrested.

Authorities say this was not Perera Nunez’s first encounter with law enforcement.

Back at the multi-agency arrest outside the Walgreens, authorities were seen towing a sports car with front-end damage. Witnesses said they were stunned by what unfolded in front of them.

Authorities say Perera Nunez faces a long list of federal charges, including aggravated assault, aggravated fleeing and eluding, battery, resisting arrest with violence and grand theft.

Frustrated and seemingly exhausted Wednesday, Kennedy said he wanted more time to debate his amendments to a budget resolution to fund immigration enforcement agencies. But he had another complaint.

“Frankly I am worried about the health of some of our members,” Kennedy said as 9 p.m. approached. “Not that they’re in bad health, but it’s hard to stay up all night.”

More than 6 hours later, just past 3:30 a.m., senators wrapped up another marathon voting session on amendments and filed out of the chamber, dazed, tired and resigned to soon doing it all again.

It's a complaint as old as the Congress, with leaders in both major political parties often turning to the torturous grind of an overnight session to exhaust members, overcome objections and push legislation to passage. But it's a scenario that is playing out again and again, nearly business as usual, as the House and the Senate fracture and careen from one crisis to the next.

Lawmakers say it’s a symptom of a broken Congress that leaders are increasingly forced to govern in the dead of night.

“The dysfunction is getting worse,” said Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, who has been in Congress for 14 years. Lawmakers have become “less mature,” he said, as a growing number act only in their own self-interest and hold up bills or delay proceedings.

“It’s not a healthy lifestyle,” Cramer said, for the country or the lawmakers. “There’s less concern for the team effort.”

Late-night fights have become the norm

In the last few weeks, Congress has repeatedly debated pressing national issues at night — leading to confusion and turmoil in both chambers.

Much of the drama has centered, as it increasingly does, on government funding.

In late March, Senate Republicans struck a deal with Democrats to reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Security Administration, while Democrats continued to block money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol after the shootings of two protesters in Minneapolis. It was a breakthrough, and Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., passed the spending bill by voice vote — meaning there were no objections on either side — just past 2 a.m.

Senators then flew home for a two-week recess, leaving final passage to the House. But House lawmakers who were asleep when the final Senate agreement was announced woke up and angrily rejected it, saying they wouldn’t pass legislation that didn’t include funding for the immigration enforcement agencies. Senators were then forced to figure out a new plan for reopening the department, and it remains unresolved.

An equally contentious matter, the renewal of surveillance powers for federal spy agencies, also devolved into an after-hours affair.

House GOP leaders kept members in session well past midnight last week while trying and ultimately failing to pass different versions of a foreign surveillance bill. Scrambling to pass an extension of the law ahead of a Monday deadline, leaders eventually cobbled together a 10-day extension past 2 a.m.

Members of both parties were exasperated by the last-minute mayhem.

“Who the hell is running this place?” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. He said Republicans threw the bill together “on the back of a napkin in the back room in the middle of the night.”

“Just about everyone agrees that this is serious stuff, the kind of debate that Congress ought to have in the open,” McGovern said.

Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican and member of the House Freedom Caucus who opposed the leadership bills, said the outcome was predictable.

“We warned them that this was gonna happen,” Ogles said. “Unfortunately, here we are at 2 in the morning.”

Time-consuming partisan bills push Senate into late nights

The late-night vote series in the Senate this week was part of an arcane, complicated process called budget reconciliation that GOP leaders are using to try to fund the two immigration enforcement agencies that Democrats continue to block. It's become the default mode of governing for majorities in Congress as bipartisanship on major issues fades away.

Reconciliation allows the Senate majority to bypass the filibuster and pass budget-related bills along party lines. First, though, they have to get through two lengthy series of votes — and that's where the dreaded “vote-a-rama” comes in.

The process is open-ended, which means lawmakers in both parties can offer as many amendments as they want to put the other side on record — or, as Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska describes it, “to make each other miserable.”

Leaders generally hold the votes in the middle of the night, as they did Wednesday into Thursday, in hopes of exhausting both sides and forcing senators to stay on the floor and vote quickly. But instead of waiting around between amendment votes, Murkowski walked back and forth between the chamber and her “hideaway,” a small office each senator has in the Capitol building.

“I’m at 14,291 steps,” she said just after 11 p.m., looking at her smartwatch, which was also telling her that her bedtime was approaching. She said if she couldn’t sleep, she might as well get more exercise.

Senators went through the same reconciliation process last year, in extremes, as they labored for weeks to pass President Donald Trump’s package of spending and tax cuts, which he dubbed One Big Beautiful Bill.

The bill had barely enough Republican support to pass, and the Senate and the House held nearly back-to-back all-night sessions to pass it by Trump’s July 4 deadline. In the Senate, GOP leaders kept the long vote series open for hours on end as they worked to win support from Murkowski and others.

“It’s insane,” Murkowski said of the late nights. “My mom always said, ‘Nothing good happens after midnight.’”

Overnights are not new but become more common

Overnight votes are certainly nothing new in Congress. The Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, passed the Senate in the early hours of Christmas Eve in 2009 after weeks of negotiations, just in time for senators to get home for the holidays. Countless other big bills have been passed in the dead of night, as well.

But lawmakers say the after-dark routine has gotten worse and more frequent.

“Part of what’s changed here is there’s a lot of heavy lifting that you have to do to get a bill passed,” said Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, who has served in Congress since 1981, when he was elected to the House. “I think at some point you’ve got to have a forcing mechanism, and one of the easiest is to stay up until the wee hours so that everybody is basically trying not to fall asleep on national TV.”

Democratic Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey, a relative newcomer to the Senate elected in 2024, said there’s an eventual question of whether anyone is watching.

In the middle of the night, he said: “Are the American people paying attention? How do we get the message out?”

Still, he said, it’s important that lawmakers get their work done at any hour, especially when there is a war going on with Iran and lawmakers take long stretches away from Washington.

“I don’t mind being here,” Kim said.

The PGA of America on Friday afternoon confirmed an Associated Press report on Furyk's selection, which makes him the fourth U.S. captain to get a second chance dating to 1979, considered the modern era of the Ryder Cup when continental Europe became part of it.

The Ryder Cup committee chose Furyk once Tiger Woods removed himself from competition after his March 27 arrest on suspicion of DUI.

“My passion for the Ryder Cup and dedication to the U.S. team have never been stronger," Furyk said in a statement. "Having previously captained the team, I understand the responsibilities and immense pride that come with this role. I look forward to drawing on that experience while incorporating some new ideas as we prepare for 2027.

"I am committed to putting our players in the best position to succeed as we work to reclaim the cup on European soil.”

Furyk was the 2018 captain in Paris, a 17 1/2-10 1/2 win by Europe. That week was marked by the four U.S. captain's picks going 2-10-0 at Le Golf National and Patrick Reed blaming Jordan Spieth for them not playing together and Furyk for benching him twice.

Furyk led the Americans to victory as Presidents Cup captain in 2024, and he was said to be a reliable voice as an assistant to U.S. captain Keegan Bradley in the last Ryder Cup. Europe built a record seven-point lead after two days last year at Bethpage Black and held on for its second straight victory under captain Luke Donald, who returns for a third stint in Ireland.

Bradley was a surprise choice for the 2025 matches after the PGA of America waited until the summer of 2024 to see if Woods wanted the job.

This time around, the PGA of America set a soft deadline for the end of March for Woods to decide, and its backup plan was to have a list of candidates for the Ryder Cup committee to consider if Woods chose not to be captain.

It was not known which way Woods was leaning when his SUV clipped the back of a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck on a residential road in Florida, turning his SUV on its side. Woods was arrested and briefly jailed after Florida authorities determined he was impaired.

Four days later, Woods said he was stepping away indefinitely “to seek treatment and focus on my health," and the PGA of America announced Woods had told them he would not be captain.

"Jim Furyk has been an influential figure in the United States team room for nearly three decades,” PGA vice president Nathan Charnes said, referring to Furyk being part of every Ryder Cup team dating to 1997 — nine times as a player, four times as an assistant, once as a captain. “He is a trusted, widely-respected leader and possesses a wealth of Ryder Cup experience that can only serve to strengthen our team."

Davis Love III (2012 and 2016), Tom Watson (1993 and 2014) and Jack Nicklaus (1983 and 1987) are the other U.S. captains to have the job twice since 1979.

Love and Nicklaus had Ryder Cup matches at home both times. Furyk faces the daunting task of trying to win a Ryder Cup on the road, which the Americans have not done since 1993.

The Americans were coming off a resounding victory at Hazeltine in 2016 when it went over to Le Golf National, set up with narrow fairways and thick rough. After getting out to a 3-1 lead, the Americans never won another session.

Woods, coming off his victory the week before at the Tour Championship, went 0-4. Phil Mickelson went 0-2 and Bryson DeChambeau was 0-3. All were captain's picks. DeChambeau had won two FedEx Cup playoff events leading into the matches.

Europe has won 11 of the last 15 matches dating to Oak Hill in 1995. Donald will try to become the first captain to win three straight times in September 2027 at Adare Manor.

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

Miami acquired picks No. 27 and No. 138 in the deal, sending the 49ers its first-round pick (No. 30) and third-round pick (No. 90).

Johnson, a 6-foot, 193-pound defensive back, joined the Aztecs in 2022 and made an immediate impact, appearing in 12 games as a freshman before earning a larger role in the seasons that followed. He began to emerge in 2024, recording one interception, 67 tackles and three forced fumbles.

His senior season marked a true breakout.

Johnson started 11 games and recorded four interceptions, 49 tackles (36 solo), one sack, 13 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble. He also had two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

He was named a second-team All-American, co-Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Mountain West, and his two interceptions returned for touchdowns were tied for the most in the FBS.

Miami also selected Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor with pick No. 12 in the first round after trading back with the Dallas Cowboys. Miami acquired

Proctor and Johnson are Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley’s first two draft selections with the team.

As of Friday, the Dolphins’ draft capital includes:

• Round 1, pick 12: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor

• Round 1, pick 27: San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson (Trade with San Francisco)

• Round 2: No. 43

• Round 3: Nos. 75, 87, 94

• Round 4: Nos. 130, 138

• Round 5: Nos. 151, 177 (Dallas), 180 (Dallas)

• Round 7: Nos. 227, 238

With each call, a prisoner stumbled out the doors and into another woman’s tearful embrace. Fifteen men and two women. All alleged political prisoners. All freed just hours into Valentine’s Day thanks to the work of Mendoza, Rosales and more than two dozen other women who dared to challenge their authoritarian government.

These wives and mothers had already participated for 37 days in a protest that transformed a dead-end street in Caracas into a tent city. The women had prayed, chanted slogans, posted their pleas on social media. They had chained themselves together. They had screamed, hoping their cries might be heard by prisoners held behind thick concrete walls.

The release of the 17 inmates that frigid February morning was bittersweet for Mendoza and Rosales. They felt a surge of pride at each emotional reunion outside the jail walls. Yet, they felt defeated. Their own husbands’ names were not called.

The two women, who had no previous experience in politics, were part of a movement that sprang up after the U.S. military attacked Venezuela on Jan. 3 and captured and removed its president, Nicolás Maduro. The protest tested the wives' health and determination in ways that continue to haunt them. It has also challenged an authoritarian government's willingness to restrain its repressive impulses.

Under pressure from the U.S. government, Venezuela announced in January that it would free political prisoners, giving hope to families of detained dissidents. About 150 protesters, mostly wives and mothers, set up outside the doors of jails and prisons suspected of holding political detainees. Their demonstration became a key test of how far the U.S. intervention can clear the way for the restoration of civil liberties in Venezuela after Maduro was replaced by his loyal vice president.

The Trump administration has praised the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez for its pledge to release political prisoners. But human rights groups say Venezuelan authorities have been selective in deciding whom to free, and more than 400 political prisoners remain behind bars.

The Venezuelan government’s press office did not respond to a request for comment on its plans for prisoners or how it decides which detainees will be freed.

After learning their husbands and at least 40 other men would remain in the jail, they headed back to their tent. Dawn had not yet broken as they discussed their options over a breakfast of crackers and ham salad. This would be their last meal, they vowed, until their husbands were freed.

“We’ll be here as long as necessary,” Mendoza told Rosales, sitting on a mattress and wearing a facemask as a health precaution. “We must continue fighting for our goal, which is the release of all of them. Not one, not two, not 17, but all of them.”

How the protests began

Rosales and Mendoza did not know each other before they started fighting for their husbands’ freedom.

Mendoza lived in western Caracas with her husband and two children, while Rosales and her husband raised four children in the once-thriving industrial city of Valencia, in north-central Venezuela.

A stay-at-home mother, Mendoza, 30, sold handcrafts to supplement her husband’s pay as a driver. Rosales, 37, had a steady job as an elementary school teacher; her husband worked as an explosive’s technician for the state’s intelligence service. Neither were the type to socialize in their free time, much preferring to spend time with their kids.

Mendoza last saw her husband, Eric Díaz, on a November morning when he left the house to go to work. She learned of his arrest from a friend and panicked. He was not allowed to call her, and authorities refused to acknowledge his detention.

Weeks went by before she learned that he had been accused by the Venezuelan government of plotting to detonate a bomb in a public plaza in Caracas. The plan, according to the country’s feared Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, was promoted by the U.S. and a faction of Venezuela’s opposition.

Rosales’ husband, Dionnys Quintero, had also been arrested that month and accused of being involved in the same plot. He, too, was not granted a phone call.

She was flummoxed by the accusations. She and Quintero firmly believed in the ideas of Hugo Chávez, the fiery Venezuelan leader who ushered in a self-proclaimed socialist revolution at the turn of the century and was Maduro’s mentor and predecessor. They consistently voted for the ruling party. She could only conclude that he had been “linked to the case because of his profession.”

“All police forces are organized like a ladder. The one at the top won’t fall; the one at the bottom will,” Rosales said. “And those at the top will always be careful not to fall.”

The Venezuelan government did not respond to questions about why it was detaining the pair's husbands.

For her part, the allegations perplexed Mendoza. Her husband had not been politically active, nor had he worked for security services. She said he spent all of his time delivering equipment for an events company or at home.

The holidays were particularly hard on their children because the women had no answers when they were asked the same question:

“When am I going to see my dad?”

The two wives dared not complain publicly. They were each told by friends and family members to keep quiet because they risked being arrested and leaving their children to fend for themselves. Maduro’s government had a reputation for ruthlessly cracking down on dissent, especially in the aftermath of his 2024 reelection claim.

That calculus changed after the U.S. military rappelled down helicopters and captured Maduro on Jan. 3 in Caracas. Five days later, under pressure from the White House to free dissidents, the Venezuelan government announced the imminent release of prisoners in an effort “intended to seek peace” without specifying with whom.

By then, Mendoza had gone to multiple detention facilities to ask about Díaz. Outside a jail, she met a man who had recently been released from custody. She showed him pictures of Díaz and a cousin of his who had also been detained. The man recognized Díaz.

He told Mendoza that her husband was being held with dozens of other political prisoners at a police station on Calle Mara, a dead-end street in a neighborhood filled with warehouses, a furniture factory, a pharmaceutical laboratory and a Catholic school.

Hours after the government announced it intended to free detainees, Mendoza and a handful of other women went to the station expecting to comfort their husbands. They carried nothing more than a few fleece blankets.

When the men were not freed, the women decided to do something. They refused to leave, setting up a makeshift camp outside the station. A furniture factory employee gifted them foam cushions to make it a little easier to lay down at night.

A few days later, Rosales joined the effort, which at its height would grow to 30 women. She and Mendoza soon became close friends, finding a sort of balance in their opposite temperaments.

While Rosales was calm and rational, frequently keeping Mendoza from doing something impulsive, her friend was fiery and passionate, unafraid to push other wives out of their comfort zones to amp up their chants and sloganeering.

“We are much more than comrades; we are a family,” Mendoza said, describing Rosales and the other wives. “No matter what happens, I will always be there for them because I have learned so much from them, including to be brave.”

While they had different personalities, they agreed that they were facing a dangerous foe.

The Venezuelan authorities have “absolutely no humanity. They have no fear of God,” Rosales said. “Venezuelan society is facing a monster.”

The camp slowly expanded from the sidewalk into the street. Tents, palettes in which to set them, chairs, stools and food began to take up space. A warehouse gave the women water, and another ran an extension cord so they could charge their phones, make coffee, play music and heat hair straighteners. A business allowed them to use the restroom.

Under growing international pressure sparked by the protests, the Venezuelan government granted a concession, allowing the women to visit their loved ones – effectively acknowledging for the first time that the men had been held there all along.

They raced to collect the clothing the government required them to wear on the Jan. 27 visit – white T-shirts and blue jeans.

Mendoza, Rosales and about two dozen other women were giddy as they entered the station. All were optimistic they might walk out with their loved ones.

The men looked pale and had lost weight

The women entered the visitation area in small groups. What they saw shocked them.

Their men – and two detained women – were pale and had lost weight. They seemed to have aged. The female prisoners wore neon green uniforms while the men were all clad in baby blue, which the women considered was an effort to link the prisoners to the political party of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado.

The Venezuelan authorities have accused Machado’s party of being part of the bomb plot. Its official color is baby blue.

During the emotional get-together, some prisoners cried, and so did the wives, mothers and sisters. The prisoners asked about their children. The men knew Maduro had been deposed, but they were not aware of the sit-in protest outside the prison.

If Venezuelan government officials had hoped the visit might quelch the protests, they were mistaken. Concerned about the prisoners’ well-being, the women redoubled their efforts.

“I’m not satisfied with just one visit. I want my family member’s full freedom, and the other women feel the same way,” Rosales said a week after she saw her husband. “Weekly or biweekly visits? That’s a waste of time, and life is fleeting.”

They met with lawmakers debating a bill to grant amnesty to political prisoners. They filed paperwork with the court and spoke with lawyers. They held vigils and prayed at all hours.

As they listened to Christian music, which helped drown out the city’s bustle, Mendoza, Rosales and the other women talked and talked. They grew familiar with each other’s stories -- hometowns, jobs, religions, favorite ring tones. They met each other’s children on videocalls or in person.

Their sisterhood strengthened when 10 of them began the hunger strike.

“What we have here is war dogs – courageous women, fighters – who despite the adversities are always together,” Mendoza said two days into her hunger strike.

Rosales lasted two days without food. Mendoza made it five. Sweat dripped down her forehead and she complained of heart palpitations when she quit and had to be taken to a hospital, weak, dizzy and dehydrated.

A stomach bug hit the camp, sending a few women home. Others, including Rosales, had to go back to work. Only another woman outlasted Mendoza, and only by a few hours. The strike ended on the camp’s 42nd day.

Hope faded slowly over the next two weeks.

Then, on the night of March 6, just as a police officer had done on Valentine’s Day, another had come outside and screamed the names of prisoners being released, and men began to shuffle out the gates.

“Freedom! Freedom!” the camp chanted as the releases extended into the first hours of March 7. Some knelt and thanked God.

Mendoza and Rosales again soaked in their achievement. Twenty-five men were freed. Yet, as they watched families embrace, reunited, they felt the familiar pang of emptiness. Their husbands remained behind bars.

One by one, reunited families drove away. Rosales crawled into a tent with a blinding headache. Mendoza stood silently by the dark gates of a warehouse.

Another prison, another visit

By sunrise, the tent city was mostly empty. Mendoza, Rosales and a few other women had a decision to make; they could continue their protests or head home.

As they weighed their next step, the wives learned their husbands had been transferred to a prison outside Caracas. They wondered if the men were being punished for their protests. The prison was much harsher than the police station. Notorious for sweltering conditions, physical and psychological abuse, insufficient food, and a particularly small cell in which new arrivals are crammed in for several days.

They decided to continue their vigil but lost more and more momentum over the next week. On March 13th, their 64th day of camping outside the police station, they gave up. Mendoza, Rosales and a few others folded up the tents and headed home.

The protest became a waiting game by their phones – hoping the government might grant them another visit. That call came two weeks later. This time, they could bring their children.

On April 5, Easter, the women took a bus from Caracas. Mendoza was joined by her son and daughter. Rosales escorted her two daughters and son, leaving her toddler home with a relative. Each family also carried something special for their prisoner.

Mendoza had some of her husband’s favorite snacks: popcorn and fried plantains. Rosales brought a sheet cake to celebrate the recent birthday of her eldest daughter, as well as her own, which was that very day.

The visit, the women and children said, was filled with conversations mostly about life and family. In between school and dentist appointment updates, the women assured their husbands they were not giving up on them. They just needed time to figure out another way to win their freedom.

After four hours, their reunion ended in hugs and tears –- the kind the wives have come to know those that say goodbye, not welcome home.

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

Right in the middle of it is a player with roots in Hialeah who is bringing that energy back home.

At Country Village Park in Hialeah, kids aren’t just working on their swings.

They’re perfecting their big-play celebrations.

Through flair and personality, much of their inspiration can be traced back to one player: 31-year-old Cory Cubano.

After playing with the Savannah Bananas, he now suits up in a hard-to-miss uniform for the Chili Peppers.

It’s a team in the Cosmic League, part of the fast-growing world where entertainment meets baseball.

He now returns to teams like the Hurricanes Baseball Club to mentor young athletes and his authenticity is catching on far beyond South Florida.

“That’s where I got the whole ‘Cory Cubano’—walking around with a red Solo cup and cigar in the outfield. I get to be myself," Cubano told Local 10’s Michaila Hightower.

Known for his larger-than-life personality, his style — rooted in Cuban culture — embraces what some call “sazón,” a mix of confidence and showmanship among Latinos.

Cubano has a simple, but positive message.

“If I can teach anything to these kids, it’s just to have fun out there, because baseball is a game of failure,” he said.

Cosmic baseball will be touring Florida, including stops near Miami with the Tri-City Chili Peppers.

Specific dates haven’t been released yet, so keep an eye out. Tickets are on a lottery basis because of how competitive it is to snag them.

You can learn more about the league here.

Prosecutors selected lyrics with alleged references to gang affiliation and shootings to convince jurors that instead of life in prison, Broadnax, who is Black, should be put to death after his conviction — a move his lawyers argue biased the almost all-white jury.

Broadnax isn’t the only defendant or even the only person on Texas’ death row whose rap lyrics have been introduced to a jury. Rap lyrics have featured in hundreds of court cases in more than 40 states over the past 50 years, though judges often exclude other forms of creative expression from being used as evidence, researchers have found. Treating rap lyrics as diary entries minimizes their artistic value while playing on negative racial stereotypes to influence jurors, experts say.

“It denies rap music the status of art. It is characterized as autobiography,” said Erik Nielson, co-author of the book “Rap on Trial.” “It really does speak to underlying assumptions that some people have about young men of color — and that’s almost exclusively who this practice targets — that they aren’t sophisticated enough to engage in various literary devices. That there isn’t metaphor here.”

Rap lyrics are commonly used in racketeering or gang-related cases. Prosecutors try to establish the defendant’s involvement in an underlying crime by introducing lyrics as evidence, Nielson said. If someone is charged with a shooting, for example, prosecutors look for lyrics that mention a shooting.

“If the lyrics were written before the alleged crime, the prosecutors will say this is evidence of motive,” Nielson said. “If they’re written afterward, they’re characterized as a straight-up confession.”

Rap lyrics introduced in court as autobiographical

Broadnax and his cousin were charged with murder for the 2008 shooting deaths of two men outside a suburban Dallas music studio. After more than a decade on death row, he is scheduled to be executed April 30.

In their pending appeal asking the U.S. Supreme Court to halt Broadnax’s execution, his attorneys argue that a judge should have considered the potential for racial bias and instructed the jury that his lyrics should not be viewed as autobiographical.

“The emphasis on the rap lyrics was a key element in this racially charged narrative,” Broadnax’s attorneys wrote. “Worse, the record in this case confirms that the jury delivered a death sentence based on the racial stereotypes invoked by the rap lyrics.”

Kemba, a rapper featured in the documentary “As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial,” told The Associated Press that introducing rap lyrics is particularly effective with juries because of innate prejudices — and because prosecutors want convictions.

“There’s a lot of people that don’t see rap or Black music as artistic expression,” he said. “And when you’re in a court case, there’s already an assumption that you’ve done something (wrong).”

The defendants in these cases are “almost exclusively young men of color, often with very limited resources,” and many can’t afford a private attorney, Nielson said.

But some high-profile rappers have had their songs introduced in court, like Young Thug, whose lyrics were used as evidence at his trial on gang and racketeering charges. He pleaded guilty to those charges and was released from custody in 2024.

Stereotypes about rap emerge

“The criminalization and the targeting of hip-hop has been going on for all 50 years of the culture,” said Nielson, who noted the use of rap lyrics in court ramped up in the early 1990s.

The monitoring of Black artistic expression dates back to the antebellum South, he said, though that intensified as rap music became more critical of power structures, like N.W.A.’s 1989 song “F--- the Police,” which condemns police brutality.

In 2022, The New York Times’ Jaeah Lee looked for non-rap examples of lyrics used at trial from 1950 onward and found only four. Three cases were thrown out and one led to a conviction that was overturned. In that same time period, Nielson found roughly 700 examples of rap lyrics used in court cases, including lyrics that someone rapped but didn’t even write.

Another study conducted by University of Nevada assistant professor Adam Dunbar examined stereotypes of rap. He presented people with lyrics, saying they were from rap, country or metal music. When it came to rap, respondents overwhelmingly considered the lyrics to be autobiographical.

“But if they’re given the same lyrics and told that those are country or heavy metal lyrics, they say, 'No, it’s just art,’” said J.M. Harper, director of “As We Speak.”

Some rappers have begun directly attesting to the fictional nature of their music. The year before he was fatally stabbed in 2021, Drakeo the Ruler released the song “Fictional” from behind bars because his lyrics were being treated as nonfiction. In 2023, 21 Savage described his raps as “fiction as hell.”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that they are doing this for fear of prosecution,” Nielson said.

Rules of evidence can be open to judge's interpretation

A number of A-list rappers, including Travis Scott, T.I. and Killer Mike, have filed briefs at the Supreme Court in support of Broadnax, cautioning against considering rap lyrics autobiographical.

Prosecutors in the case said Texas law allows evidence relevant to a defendant’s reputation at sentencing and contend the court shouldn’t consider the argument against the lyrics because Broadnax failed to raise concerns in previous appeals. State courts have ruled against other appeals by Broadnax’s attorneys.

“At the end of the day, the most important thing is not the prosecutors,” rapper LL Cool J told the AP in 2024, adding that judges should better block rap lyrics from trials. “The question is: Why is it even admissible?”

Lucius T. Outlaw III, a professor at Howard University School of Law who filed the amicus brief on behalf of Nielson and Killer Mike, said judges enforce rules of evidence specific to each state.

One judge might view rap lyrics as relevant; another may disagree. One might worry about triggering “anti-rap, which is anti-Black, bias,” he said, “where another judge will say, ‘I don’t see that prejudice.’”

“Guidelines about what is relevant when it comes to artistic expression and what is overly prejudicial is so needed,” he said.

Jeff Bellin, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School, said current rules tell judges to exclude evidence if it has low value as proof and a danger of creating bias.

“The safeguard should be judges, but they are often not aware of the social issues, or the context, when it comes to rap lyrics,” he said.

New legislation seeks protection for lyrics

Bellin said legislating around the issue is difficult because lawmakers don’t want to create rules that would exclude evidence truly relevant to any case.

In the past five years, at least 27 bills have been introduced federally and in a half-dozen states to limit the use of a defendant’s creative expressions, including rap lyrics, in criminal proceedings, according to an AP analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural.

On April 9, Maryland became the third state to pass legislation, creating “guardrails and a test for judges to impose anytime prosecutors want to use artistic expression, not just rap,” Outlaw said, noting it requires a factual connection between the potential evidence and the charges.

“It’s not the cure-all, but it’s a huge, important step,” he said.

Analysts say the biennial auto show in China's capital, which opened to media on Friday, shows how its auto industry is setting the global pace for cutting-edge technologies in areas such as electric vehicles and batteries, eclipsing many foreign brands that used to dominate the global market.

More than 1,450 vehicles are on display at this year’s show, including 181 global debuts. The show runs until May 3.

Intelligent driving, fast charging showcased

Chinese EV maker XPeng is showing off its latest GX model, a six-seater SUV with a third row seats that can lie completely flat, among other new displays and technologies.

Huge crowds gathered for a presentation by its founder and CEO He Xiaopeng, who described more high-tech aspects of the vehicle.

“When you’re driving on the highway, you fall asleep, or if you feel unwell and can no longer control the vehicle, the system can detect the situation, pull over automatically and alert emergency services,” He said. “Many people who have tried it say it’s amazing.”

Chinese EV maker BYD showcased its new generation of the fast charging “blade” EV battery, first unveiled last month, which can achieve a near full charge in nine minutes, at the auto show, as well as demonstrated charging under the low temperature of minus 30 degree Celsius. Also showcased by Yijing, a EV joint venture between Chinese carmaker Dongfeng Motor Corp. and technology giant Huawei, was the X9, their flagship six‑seat SUV.

According to Chairman Wang Junjun, the new model will features some of the latest auto technology, including a next-generation Qiankun intelligent driving system and a new HarmonyOS cockpit and operating system developed by Huawei.

Ahead of the show, Chinese battery giant CATL unveiled on Tuesday a new version of its “Shenxing” battery, which can be charged from 10% to 98% in only about six-and-a-half minutes.

China's ‘aggressive’ advancements

The auto show showcases the “speed and aggressiveness of advancement” among Chinese automakers, said Tu Le, managing director of consultancy ​Sino Auto Insights. “It just reinforces that the Chinese — whether in EVs, batteries, intelligent driving — are setting the pace for all these important sectors,” he said.

“China has become one of the fastest-moving markets for deploying and iterating new vehicle technologies, giving consumers early access to some of the most advanced features,” said Chris Liu, a senior analyst at research and advisory group Omdia.

China has become the world’s biggest car exporter, benefiting from its ability to reap cost advantages from its huge scale as well as significant government subsidies and support that helped automakers to rapidly scale up and more quickly rolling out new models and technologies than their foreign competitors.

But Chinese automakers has been facing immense pressure from ferocious price wars over the past months. This year, the government has scaled back subsidies encouraging drivers to switch to EVs and plug-in hybrids, weighing on domestic demand.

Sales of passenger cars in China dropped 23% in the January-March quarter from a year earlier to around 4 million vehicles, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. But exports jumped 63% to almost 2 million vehicles as Chinese cars made inroads in regions like Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Omdia forecasts China’s passenger vehicle exports will grow by around 14% year-on-year in 2026.

The hypercompetitive Chinese market have pulled vehicle prices down by a fifth over the past two years, according to a report this week by consultancy AlixPartners.

Few new tech expected to be exported

Few of the new technologies showcased at the auto show may be exported to overseas markets in the short term due to regulatory and safety challenges, Liu said. But they signal “capabilities that can be refined and adapted for global markets over time.”

Even as foreign automakers have been losing market share in recent years in China, some are staging a comeback, with Volkswagen ‌Group announcing on ​Tuesday plans for installing “agentic” AI ​into ​its vehicles for China. It also unveiled new EV models for the Chinese market, including the new UNYX 09 electric sedan co-developed with XPeng.

While the foreign car brands may try to “stabilize” their market share in China, “gaining back a significant market share they had before is, to my perspective, not realistic,” said Andreas Radics, managing director at Berylls by AlixPartners specialized in the automotive industry.

Meanwhile, given the growing demand and often better profitability in overseas markets, Chinese automakers have been shifting from exporting cars from China to building more factories overseas, including in Hungary and Turkey, to increase supplies abroad and avert trade friction.

Chinese carmakers are likely to almost triple their overseas production by 2030 to 3.4 million vehicles from 1.2 million last year, according to AlixPartners estimates.

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Chan reported from Hong Kong. Associated Press video producer Wayne Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report.

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The extension is for a proposed 20-year operating agreement for the annual downtown event.

Commissioners passed the item after amending it to examine the 20-year extension at five-year intervals.

“Originally the proposal was for two 10-year periods, so it was amended for four five years with a check-in every five years” said Ultra Chief of Security Ray Martinez. “So we have to present a report to the commission so they have to take action. Remember it is a revocable license so they are able to do it as a commission as a whole.”

The Downtown Neighbors Alliance pushed for the city to delay their vote so that residents have an opportunity to voice their concerns about continuing the partnership.

“Residents are not asking for the impossible, we are asking for a seat at the table,” said James Torres, president of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance. “A deferral is not only reasonable, it is necessary to set the right tone. If a 20-year deal is approved without engagement, what incentive will there be for Ultra to listen to residents afterward?”

Additionally, the DNA has filed a complaint against Ultra “related to its obligations under the existing settlement agreement.”

Local 10 News reached out to Ultra for comment, and their full statement can be read below:

Ultra will vigorously defend against the lawsuit filed by the Downtown Neighbors Alliance, Inc. (“DNA”).

Ultra has complied with all applicable requirements governing sound level, including those set forth in the Revocable License Agreement (“RLA”) with the Bayfront Park Management Trust and applicable City of Miami ordinances. The event has operated within the parameters established by the City, supported by continuous monitoring and real-time coordination.

Ultra has also participated in multiple community meetings, including those requested by neighborhood associations and those convened at the direction of City Commissioners, consistent with its longstanding practice of community engagement.

 For nearly three decades, Ultra has operated in the City of Miami in partnership with the City and other stakeholders, setting the standard for responsible, large-scale event production. Ultra is a signature event that has become synonymous with Miami’s culture.

Ultra’s efforts to mitigate impacts are community-wide, reflecting a commitment to all Downtown stakeholders. That approach has earned the support of the Miami DDA, the Bayfront Park Management Trust, and other significant stakeholders.

Ultra looks forward to continuing its long-standing parentship with the City and the Bayfront Park Management Trust.

Ultra will continue to act as a responsible neighbor, independent of any formal agreement or arrangement with the DNA or any other resident group, and irrespective of this lawsuit.

Ultra Music Festival

ADDITIONAL LINKS

City commission meeting agenda

Agenda summary and legislation

Washington’s premier soiree on Saturday is most identified by its modern form: a red carpet for the capital’s journalism elite, political staffers and an assortment of American business leaders and celebrities — with the leader of the free world and a comedian offering roasts.

Some years are forgettable and relegated to C-SPAN archives. Others produce viral moments — funny, cringeworthy or undeniably tense — and endure across social media.

Here’s a look at some of that history as Donald Trump prepares for the first time to attend as president:

Ronald Reagan once gave up the chance to rebut a comedian

As a former Hollywood actor, the 40th president had a magnetic stage presence and easy manner with a joke, and it was during Reagan’s presidency that comedians became an annual part of the dinner.

In 1983, Mark Russell, whose satire was a PBS staple, offered relatively tame jabs at Reagan. “There is another speaker following me,” he opened, “and so it is quite an honor for me to be doing the warmup for my chief writer here.”

When it was the president's turn, Reagan demurred. He reminded the audience that he’d made “a sad journey” to Andrews Air Force Base earlier that day to receive the remains of the Americans killed in the April 18 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon.

“I realize the original plan was that I would, in a sense, sing for my supper. In fact, I was prepared, not really to sing, but to do what you expected,” Reagan said, before explaining that it would be inappropriate for him to deliver humorous remarks. “If you’ll forgive us,” he said, “I’ll keep my script, and I hope you’ll give us a rain check, and it’ll still be appropriate next year.”

Dana Carvey and George H.W. Bush: A rare friendship

Presidents have been lampooned on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” since Chevy Chase first depicted Gerald Ford in 1975. But Dana Carvey and President George H.W. Bush set the standard.

Carvey, who also played the iconic Church Lady, embellished the 41st president’s nasal tone and patrician air to caricature his signature phrases: “Not gonna do it. Wouldn’t be prudent.”

Bush became a fan. He and Carvey sat together at Bush's last dinner as president, in 1992. After he lost to Bill Clinton that November, the president invited Carvey to the White House for a Christmas party. The two remained friends.

George W. Bush jokes about weapons of mass destruction

In 2004, American forces remained in Iraq after the 43rd president ordered an invasion based on assertions that Saddam Hussein had weapons that threatened U.S. security.

By the time of the annual dinner, it was apparent those claims were overblown. Bush made light of the situation with pictures of him looking around the White House for Saddam’s weapons.

“Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be here somewhere,” he said as one slide showed him looking under furniture in the Oval Office.

The audience laughed and applauded. Some veterans, including then-Sen. John Kerry, a 2004 presidential nominee, were not amused. Bush defeated Kerry that November anyway.

Colbert skewers Bush and the media

Not long into his second term, Bush sat uncomfortably as Stephen Colbert, then a Comedy Central host, hammered him with an aggressiveness unusual for the dinner.

“The greatest thing about this man is he’s steady,” Colbert said in 2006. “You know where he stands. He believes the same thing Wednesday that he believed on Monday, no matter what happened Tuesday. Events can change; this man’s beliefs never will.”

He sarcastically urged Bush to ignore his approval ratings, then in the low 30s: “We know that polls are just a collection of statistics that reflect what people are thinking in reality. And reality has a well-known liberal bias.”

Colbert lambasted the dinner hosts, too, suggesting Washington media protected the Bush administration.

“Over the last five years you people were so good — over tax cuts, WMD intelligence, the effect of global warming. We Americans didn’t want to know,” Colbert said, “and you had the courtesy not to try to find out.”

A Trumpian dinner without Trump

During his first White House term, Trump broke the long streak of presidential attendance. Comedian Michelle Wolf targeted him anyway.

“It’s 2018, and I’m a woman, so you cannot shut me up — unless you have Michael Cohen wire me $130,000,” she cracked, referencing payments made to keep an adult film star from disclosing her allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump.

When the audience groaned at her crassness, Wolf quipped, “Yeah, shoulda done more research before you got me to do this.”

With Trump absent, his press secretary and now-Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders sat at the head table and at the center of Wolf’s routine. Wolf compared Sanders’ role for Trump to being a character in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a dystopian novel about an authoritarian, misogynistic society.

Her harshest barb riffed on a famous Maybelline mascara ad.

“I actually really like Sarah. I think she’s very resourceful,” Wolf said. “But she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Like maybe she’s born with it; maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies.”

Trump, who was in Michigan, called the routine “disgusting.”

Within hours, the Correspondents’ Association issued a statement saying the dinner is meant to celebrate “our common commitment to a vigorous and free press while honoring civility, great reporting and scholarship winners” and saying Wolf’s monologue "was not in the spirit of that mission.”

Sanders rekindled the moment earlier this year at Washington Gridiron, another annual politics-journalism event. “I’m proud to note that color has really taken off,” she said. “In fact, it’s the exact same thing worn by Vice President JD Vance.”

Obama vs. pre-presidential Trump

Despite not yet attending as president, Trump's had his moment at the dinner.

In 2011, he helped lead the birther movement against then-President Barack Obama. Trump used social media and frequent Fox News Channel appearances to push the false narrative that the first Black president was born in Kenya and not a natural-born U.S. citizen.

But at the Washington Hilton, Obama had the lectern — and he used it with Trump sitting in front of him.

“Tonight, for the first time, I am releasing my official birth video,” Obama deadpanned, before showing the opening scene of Disney’s “The Lion King,” when the royal cub Simba is presented on the savanna.

Obama then turned his fire directly on the reality TV star.

“No one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than the Donald,” Obama said. “And that’s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter. For example, did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?”

As cameras captured a dour Trump, Obama mocked Trump’s role on “Celebrity Apprentice.”

“We all know about your credentials and breadth of experience,” the president said, marveling that Trump had to decide who to blame when “the men’s cooking team cooking did not impress the judges from Omaha Steaks.”

“These are the kind of decisions that would keep me up at night,” Obama concluded. “Well handled, sir. Well handled.”

Trump glared icily.

By November 2012, as Obama prepared for his second term, Trump had filed a trademark application for the phrase he would emboss in the national culture four years later: “Make America Great Again.”

The crackdown, led by a U.S. government Scam Center Strike Force, includes the Treasury Department's sanctioning of a prominent lawmaker and 28 other people and companies accused of operating from Cambodia. Criminal charges also were filed against two Chinese nationals involved in a similar operation in Myanmar.

The initiative includes a warrant to seize and shut down a major online recruitment channel on the Telegram messaging app and freezing hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit assets, Pirro said in a virtual press conference connecting her from Washington to journalists in Asia.

Cybercrime has flourished in Southeast Asia in recent years, particularly in Cambodia and Myanmar, with illegal operations making mammoth profits from victims around the world, according to United Nations experts and other analysts. Americans lost nearly $21 billion to cyber-enabled crimes and online scams in 2025 alone, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The illicit industry is closely involved in human trafficking, with foreign nationals employed to run romance and cryptocurrency scams, often after being recruited with false offers of legitimate jobs and then forced to work in conditions of near-slavery.

The Scam Center Strike Force comprises Pirro’s U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service.

The most prominent target of the crackdown is Kok An, a Cambodian senator and prominent businessman described by the Treasury Department as a “scam center kingpin."

The department's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions against Kok An and associates for their roles in a network that has allegedly defrauded U.S. citizens of millions of dollars. They include blocking Kok An’s assets in the United States and prohibiting U.S. entities from doing business with him.

The Associated Press was unable to contact Kok An or any of his representatives for comment.

“His Excellency Kok An is a Cambodian Senator and he was elected by elections, and as a senator he has parliamentary immunity," said Chea Thyrith, a Cambodian Senate spokesperson, who added that only the U.S. side could speak clearly about the sanctions.

Kok An is at least the second Cambodian senator to be sanctioned by the U.S. In 2024, Washington acted against another top tycoon, Ly Yong Phat, who also was accused of being connected with forced labor, human trafficking and lucrative online scams.

Pirro said the latest crackdown was set in motion in November when FBI agents sent to Thailand accessed copious evidence seized from an abandoned scam center in Myanmar, including more than 8,000 phones and 1,500 computers.

That led to charges of wire fraud conspiracy against two Chinese nationals, Huang Xing Shan and Jiang Wen Jie, who were managers of the compound before seeking to reestablish their operations in Cambodia. They are being held by Thai authorities for immigration violations and the U.S. is seeking their extradition, Pirro said.

Cambodian lawmakers unanimously adopted a new law in March targeting online scam operations with up to life in prison, following a government pledge to shut down the centers by the end of April.

In January, Cambodia extradited to China another alleged scam kingpin, Chen Zhi, the founder of business and banking conglomerate Prince Holding Group, even though U.S. authorities had sought custody after indicting him last year for allegedly running a huge scam operation.

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Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Michael Kunelman in Washington contributed to this report.

Though the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was passed by the House of Commons last June, the House of Lords talked it out since then, stoking widespread criticism that it had overstepped the mark.

Proponents of what has been termed “ assisted dying ” — sometimes referred to as “assisted suicide” — hoped it would mark the biggest change to social policy in the U.K. since abortion was partially legalized in 1967. The intention was to put an end to the practice of those near the end of their lives from going to other countries, such as Switzerland, for an assisted death.

The bill had proposed allowing adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death subject to the approval of two doctors and an expert panel.

But opponents in the House of Lords managed to hold up its passing by filing more than 1,200 amendments on a range of concerns, including the potential coercion of vulnerable people and a lack of safeguards for those with disabilities.

”The House of Lords scrutiny exposed this bill as ‘skeleton legislation’ riddled with gaping holes,” said Gordon Macdonald from the Care Not Killing campaign group which is opposed to a change in the law. “It is now clear that this bill was both unsafe and unworkable.”

The number of amendments is believed to be a record high for a piece of legislation that was brought forward by a backbencher rather than by the government. These so-called private members' bills can only be debated on a Friday as the government largely controls the rest of the parliamentary timetable, thereby limiting the time available.

Campaigners for assisted dying expressed their anger at the sight of unelected lawmakers holding up the will of the elected chamber. They have insisted that they intend to bring the bill back in the next parliamentary session, which begins after King Charles III outlines the government's upcoming program in a speech to both houses of Parliament on May 13.

The sponsor of the bill in the House of Lords, Charlie Falconer, said he felt “despondent” that a piece of legislation “so important to so many, has not failed on its merits, but failed as a result of procedural wrangling."

“Much more than letting ourselves down are the very many people who support the bill and who feel we have not treated them properly,” he said.

Lawmaker Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the Bill to the House of Commons in late 2024, said she was “trying to stay positive” while admitting “a real sense of sadness and sorrow today.”

She said there “will absolutely be appetite" within the Commons to bring the legislation back in the next session of parliament.

Last month, lawmakers in the Scottish Parliament rejected their own assisted dying legislation. Scotland has a semiautonomous government that has authority over many areas of policy, including health.

Assisted suicide — where patients take a lethal drink prescribed by a doctor — is legal in countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and parts of the U.S., with regulations on qualifying criteria varying by jurisdiction.

The 22-year-old national champion and his family announced the launch of the Mendoza Family Fund, a national effort in partnership with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society aimed at advancing research toward a cure for multiple sclerosis. A spokesperson for the organization confirmed the initiative.

As part of the effort, Mendoza is committing $500,000 to support multiple sclerosis research at the University of Miami Health System and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The cause is personal for the Mendoza family.

Their mother, Elsa Mendoza, has been living with the disease, which has inspired Fernando and his brother, Alberto, to raise awareness and support others affected by MS.

The new fund builds on previous grassroots fundraising efforts that have raised more than $360,000, expanding those efforts into a national initiative.

“We’re grateful for the support of the National MS Society and the Mendoza Family Fund,” Dr. Dipen Parekh, CEO of UHealth—University of Miami Health System, said in a statement. “The University of Miami Health System and Miller School of Medicine share their commitment to a world free of MS, and we value this opportunity to accelerate our work discovering, developing and delivering treatments for all patients.”

Fernando Mendoza was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency asked prosecutors earlier this week to request a court warrant to arrest Bang, the billionaire founder and chairman of Hybe. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office said that it found that the request lacked sufficient grounds to justify his detention and instructed police investigators to strengthen their case.

Bang, who has been barred from leaving the country since August, isn't seen as a realistic threat to flee.

The 53-year-old is being investigated over allegations that he misled investors in 2019 by indicating that Hybe had no immediate plans to go public, prompting them to sell their shares to a private equity fund, shortly before the company proceeded with an initial public offering.

Police believe that the fund may have paid Bang somewhere around 200 billion won ($135 million) in a side deal that promised him 30% of post-IPO stock sale profits.

Bang denies any wrongdoing, Hybe officials say. Bang’s legal team had criticized police for seeking his arrest, saying that he has been fully cooperating with the investigation for months.

Bang’s legal troubles are a public relations setback for Hybe, coming as BTS launches a global tour after a nearly four-year hiatus as its seven members served their mandatory military service.

BTS performed in front of tens of thousands of international fans at a free comeback concert in Seoul last month and have also held concerts in South Korea’s Goyang city and Tokyo. The group will kick off a series of U.S. events with a concert in Tampa, Florida, over the weekend.