Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned on Monday that Tehran would respond harshly to expanded U.S. sanctions, after the new head of Iran’s top security body warned that Tehran will see any country’s support for new U.S. economic measures against the Islamic Republic as an “act of war.”

The Latest:

US trade representative blames Canada for breakdown in trade talks

Jamieson Greer says Canada ultimately wanted more than Washington was willing to offer.

Greer said Monday during an interview on CNBC that Canada had maintained restrictions on U.S. wine, spirits, dairy and autos, prompting the U.S. to impose targeted tariffs covering about 5% of Canadian imports.

He said there was significant progress in negotiations, with the U.S. offering to halve steel and aluminum tariffs and substantially reduce auto tariffs.

He also dismissed concerns about a broader trade war.

Father arrested by Border Patrol as son serves on the USS Lincoln

Joshua Aviles has worked 12-hour shifts for more than 250 days on the USS Lincoln while the aircraft carrier is deployed in the Middle East. One reason he enlisted was the “military parole-in-place” policy, which allows spouses, children and parents of active-duty service members and veterans to obtain legal immigration status while in the United States.

His father Luis Manuel Aviles, a handyman in Key West, Florida, who came from Nicaragua 19 years ago, was arrested anyway on Saturday as the Trump administration withdraws immigration protections for military families to pursue its mass deportation agenda. Dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. troops have been detained, and at least six have been deported, the AP found in the first accounting of such detentions.

“Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” the Department of Homeland Security said Sunday.

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Trump’s oil and gas stocks soar as pump prices rise, congressional report says

Trump saw the value of his oil and gas stocks rise by as much as $15 million, surging during the Iran war, according to an analysis from Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee in Congress.

The committee said the president owned between $12.5 million and $45.6 million in oil and gas company stocks in 2025, according to his most recent disclosures. The portfolio is now worth between $17.2 and $61.1 million, which the analysis attributed largely to “the surge in oil and gas stocks driven by Trump’s war in Iran.”

The Democrats found those stocks rose by an average of 39% from Jan. 2 through Aug. 17 and that two of the large stocks Trump holds in this sector — Valero and Marathon — have more than doubled since the start of 2026.

The committee Democrats noted that Americans have now spent an additional $71.5 billion on gas since the start of the war.

US Trade Representative: Fallout over Canada trade talks a ‘tempest in a teapot’

Jamieson Greer is downplaying the impact of the collapse of the trade talks with Canada.

“I think this is a little bit of a tempest in a teapot,” Greer told reporters at the White House on Monday morning. “The tariffs went in place over the weekend, which we’ve warned about for a long time. They only cover about 5% of Canadian trade, only .06 percent of U.S. overall consumption.”

Greer said he is preparing potential responses for Trump to Canada’s threat to retaliate dollar-for-dollar, but he declined to elaborate on the options.

Jared Kushner meets with Democratic leader Jeffries with House control at stake in November

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and President Trump’s son-in-law and outside adviser Jared Kushner met privately recently in New York, a signal that the White House is seeking ways to work with Democrats if they wrest majority control from Republicans in the midterm elections.

The meeting, first reported Sunday by The New York Times, touched on issues ranging from housing, immigration to the high cost of living. People in the United States are struggling under inflationary prices that Democrats blame on Republicans, alongside Trump, for failing to get under control.

Kushner suggested that Jeffries, who is in line to become House speaker if Democrats regain power in November, meet with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles as a follow-up.

Jeffries, in a statement Sunday, did not mention the private conversation but said the Republican administration needed to drop the GOP’s “my-way-or-the-highway” approach that “has failed the American people.”

“To stop the madness, we have repeatedly made clear that an extremist approach will not work and will be met with forceful opposition,” the New York congressman said. “The question is whether Republicans will join us.”

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Iran’s rial currency hits new record low as US prepares to announce more sanctions

Iran’s currency hit a record low Monday as Washington prepared to announce new sanctions it said would add further pressure on an economy already battered by previous sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade.

The rial dropped to 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar as trading opened on currency markets. Iran’s official Central Bank rate stood at around 1.5 million rial to the dollar, but the market rate is what most Iranians pay.

The currency had already been under pressure before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, as Iran faced double-digit inflation and negative growth, but has repeatedly hit new lows as nearly six months of war have taken an even greater toll.

Iranians find daily staples increasingly unaffordable. Since the war began, rice is up some 60% and prices of beef are more than 150% higher. The International Monetary Fund forecasts that GDP will contract more than 5%.

Still, economic pressure has not yet translated into political pressure.

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Canada promises to enact ‘dollar for dollar’ tariffs against the US

Canada’s Carney has announced the tariffs against the U.S. would begin Sept. 8, noting they would target steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper and electronics.

The prime minister said Canada was willing to drop remaining retaliatory tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos if the U.S. substantially lowered its own, and to encourage provinces to restore U.S. alcohol sales. But eventually, he said Washington’s final demands went too far.

Carney accused Washington of using “economic integration as a weapon,” and that Canada had been “attacked” by the latest U.S. tariffs. He said his country had the reserves and resilience to respond.

Trump’s top trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, pledged additional measures to respond to Canada’s retaliation — without immediately specifying what that would look like. In a Saturday interview with “Fox & Friends Weekend,” Greer also claimed the administration offered to cut tariffs on steel, autos and lumber, but Canada “didn’t want” the deal.

What to know about Trump’s 50% tariffs on Canadian goods

A Canadian flag flies on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP)

The new levies are expected to affect about 5% of Canada’s annual exports to the U.S., roughly $20 billion in goods ranging from hockey sticks to agricultural products.

Canada sends the vast majority of its goods exports to the U.S. (72% last year), and Trump administration says the new taxes will be levied on products ranging from hockey sticks to wine and cement. The list is long. According to documents published by the White House, other goods subject to the tax include honey, seeds and agricultural products — as well as select makeup, perfumes, clothing, jewelry, furniture, cameras, fabric and more.

The 50% levy also applies to some products that were previously protected under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade pact from Trump’s first term. That marks a shift from past levies — and further underlines questions around the future of the USMCA overall.

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Carney warned about economic coercion. Now Trump is testing the Canadian prime minister

Mark Carney drew international attention as Canada’s prime minister by warning that middle powers must resist economic coercion by more powerful countries. Now President Donald Trump is putting that warning to the test with sweeping new tariffs that could show how much economic pain Canada can absorb.

Tensions escalated late Friday when Canada walked away from negotiations after Carney concluded the United States was demanding too much in exchange for tariff relief. The U.S. imposed 50% duties Saturday on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, and Carney announced dollar-for-dollar retaliation beginning Sept. 8.

“We’re going to hit back,” Carney said.

Carney is doing what many other American allies have so far avoided: risking economic pain rather than yielding to tariff pressure.

For Carney, the showdown is the clearest test yet of his argument that middle powers must stand up to economic pressure from great powers such as the United States and China, even when it comes at a cost. Canada’s response could show how countries navigate a world in which long-standing alliances offer less protection and economic ties themselves become sources of leverage.

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One of President Vladimir Putin’s key goals in starting a war with Russia’s neighbor in February 2022 was to place Kyiv in Moscow’s orbit. Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Aug. 24, 1991, to proclaim the country’s independence from Moscow, and a nationwide referendum later that year overwhelmingly approved it.

With no significant changes on the front line for months and no apparent progress after more than a year of U.S.-led peace efforts, both countries are locked in a spiral of escalating aerial attacks that are killing civilians and smashing infrastructure.

EU leaders rally around Ukraine

U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, on his first overseas trip since taking office last month, joined almost a dozen other European leaders, as well as other dignitaries including European Council President Antonio Costa, in Kyiv on Monday.

“For Ukraine, independence is not an abstract idea. We defended it against all odds,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media. “In times like these, nations learn how important it is to have allies by your side.”

Burnham was to co-chair a meeting of what has been dubbed the Coalition of the Willing — a group of countries helping Ukraine resist Russia's onslaught, with the leaders of France and Germany expected to join online.

Zelenskyy said in a speech at Kyiv’s St. Sophia Square that the presence of European leaders reflected continental fears about Russia’s wider ambitions.

“We all understand that in this Russian war against us — against Ukraine — far more is being decided than the future of Ukraine and Eastern Europe,” Zelenskyy said, adding that foreign help was vital.

“No nation in a war like this could rely solely on its own weapons," he said. "No nation could withstand attacks of such intensity without the world’s help.”

Ukraine eyes local production of French and British missile

The visiting leaders brought pledges of further military and financial support. Burnham is expected to announce that his government has agreed to allow defense company MBDA to release classified information relating to British components used in the SCALP long-range missile, according to his office. That would pave the way for France and Ukraine to advance plans for production of the weapon in Ukraine.

SCALP is the French version of the UK’s Storm Shadow missile, with both systems incorporating shared French and British technology.

“Ukraine has been Europe’s protector, not a drain on our security, but the front line of keeping Europe safe,” Burnham said in a speech, adding that Kyiv and its partners “must keep up the pressure on Moscow.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin views the plan “extremely negatively.” He accused the U.K. of “taking part in this war” on Kyiv’s side.

Ukraine has leaned heavily on NATO countries for help fighting Russia’s bigger army, although relations with the United States have been cooler under President Donald Trump.

Russia, meanwhile, is getting help from North Korea and China.

Ukraine shows off its drones in a Kyiv parade

Ukraine’s swift development of innovative drone technology has enabled it to blunt Russia’s battlefield progress as well as hit targets deep inside Russia, as far as 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from their border. The St. Sophia Square speeches were accompanied by a street parade of domestically produced weapons.

Both Russia and Ukraine are trying through long-range strikes to inflict economic pain, disrupt military supplies and erode public morale.

Ukraine's long-range drones have repeatedly hit facilities in Russia's vital oil industry, causing fuel shortages, and have also engaged in a campaign against Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries.

But foreign suppliers also have to take into account their own needs, weapon production levels and the depth of stockpiles.

As the air war has intensified, Ukraine’s stocks of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors to counter Russia’s ballistic missiles have run desperately low. Kyiv urgently needs more interceptors before winter, when Russia routinely bombards its power grid, but the demands of the Iran war and slow output of the sophisticated interceptors have left Ukraine short and vulnerable.

Ukrainian strikes kill 3 teenagers

Three teenagers were killed and six children were wounded in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, Russia’s children’s rights ombudswoman Maria Lvova-Belova said, as Ukraine attacked several warehouses of Ozon, another online retailer, for the third straight day, according to officials and the company.

The company said a large fire raged at an Ozon logistics facility in the suburbs of Krasnodar following the overnight attack.

A drone also hit the grounds of an Ozon logistics center in the southern Russian region of Adygeya, regional Gov. Murat Kumpilov said, although the company said its Adygeya warehouse wasn’t damaged.

In all, four Ozon premises appeared to have been targeted.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck the Russian state-owned Kamenetsky Combine defense company in the Rostov region, overnight, starting a fire. The plant produces fuel for rockets and missiles, it said.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight intercepted and destroyed 351 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions, the Crimean Peninsula and the Azov and the Black seas. Moscow illegally annexed Crimea in 2014.

The ministry also said that its forces overnight continued to strike Ukrainian ports and vessels delivering cargo for the armed forces.

Russia has also turned its sights on Ukrainian shopping malls, supermarkets and gas stations in recent months. Russian drones struck a shopping center in central Ukraine in a daytime attack Friday, killing 16 people and wounding 130, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine’s southern Odesa region came under a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack Monday, with food storage facilities and energy infrastructure among the targets, regional authorities reported.

Eighteen people, including two children, were injured in a Russian drone strike on Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Emergency Service.

It was not possible to independently verify each side's reports.

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

The eclipse, taking place the night of Aug. 27 and continuing into the very early morning hours of the 28th, will technically be partial, but with nearly 94% of the moon in the earth’s shadow the moon will still turn red.

This happens as light from Earth’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the moon during the eclipse.

The partial eclipse gets underway at 10:33 p.m. The moon will gradually turn red as the eclipse continues.

The moon will gradually lose its reddish hue, but still appear to be dark until the partial portion of the eclipse ends at 1:51 a.m.

[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

You do not need special glasses to view a lunar eclipse. This eclipse is safe to look at with your naked eye. Binoculars or a telescope may enhance your viewing experience.

There are three different types of lunar eclipses. The one coming will be a strong partial eclipse.

Share your photos via PinIt!, and we’ll showcase them on ClickOrlando.com and may show them on TV. Here’s how to pin a picture.

Scientists have long warned that the world will experience more intense extreme weather events like heat waves, storms, floods and droughts. But what once seemed like the realm of fiction is now discussed as a possibility, even an inevitability.

Warning about an “extreme of extremes” or the “Other Big One,” a play off the California reference of a big future earthquake, can be fraught. After all, nobody can say for sure when a weather catastrophe may happen. But in the last few years, the planetary ingredients needed for a massive disturbance have been building. And alarm is growing.

“The risk is that people just think you are exaggerating,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the California Institute for Water Resources. “It's the ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’ problem. Sometimes wolves are real. If it’s outside the door, wouldn’t you want to know?”

The risks have been known, and building, for over 150 years

In the 1850s, while living in Seneca Falls, New York, amateur scientist Eunice Newton Foote did a series of experiments that put different substances, including carbon dioxide and moist air, inside glass cylinders and left them in the sun. What she found was extraordinary: cylinders with carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is released when coal, gas or oil is burned, heated up faster and took longer to cool after the sun went down.

Fast-forward: Today, Earth is being heated by massive amounts of greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere, leading to a gradual rise in average global temperature. That increase, 1.44 degrees Celsius (2.59 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer in 2025 compared to the early 1800s, leads to more frequent, and more intense, extreme weather events.

The country that has released the most greenhouse gas, and thus contributed most to climate change, is the United States. But don't expect recognition of that, much less major government-led efforts to combat it, as the country marks its 250th birthday. President Trump has called climate change “the greatest con job ever," referred to climate policies as a “Green New Scam” and U.N. climate predictions were made by “stupid people.”

At any given time there are numerous extreme weather events happening around the globe. Indeed, some have already been so big that we have arguably entered an age of extremes.

Consider Australia's “Black Summer” of wildfires in 2019 and 2020, when 19 million hectares (over 46 million acres) were scorched. Or Pakistan in 2022, when flooding left a third of the country under water. Or Hurricanes Milton and Helene in 2024, which ravaged parts of the southern United States. That is to say nothing of periodic smaller disasters, such as last year's Texas floods that engulfed young campers; the Los Angeles wildfires that chewed through entire neighborhoods; and Typhoon Kalmaegi, which walloped Vietnam and the Philippines.

Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist at Australian National University, says she had a “come to Jesus moment" when she realized that constant extreme weather events wouldn't stop even if the world could immediately reach net zero, the point when as much greenhouse gas is taken out of the atmosphere as released into it. Many countries and major companies have net-zero targets for 2050 or beyond.

Because carbon dioxide can last hundreds of years, and so much has already built up, the damage could take centuries to reverse. And we keep adding more.

“It's the issue of the frog in the boiling water," said Perkins-Kirkpatrick. "If we get used to bracing ourselves, are we going to notice?”

What's clear is that no country is truly prepared for a major climate disaster, and the risks are changing.

Robinson, whose book was published in 2020, says if he were writing today he would include a chapter on wildfires, which have become larger and more destructive. And while the potential heat disaster he writes about in India would arguably be less likely today, thanks to less reliance on the grid and use of solar power, Robinson believes the risks of catastrophe have increased.

The book, he says, “still has a purpose."

People have a natural aversion to contemplating worst case scenarios

It's basic psychology to avoid talking about uncomfortable things. Climate change, depressing and overwhelming, falls into that category.

Instead of taking action by radically reducing greenhouse gas emissions, or updating our infrastructure to live in a world altered by extreme weather events, a common response, from governments to individuals has largely been to ignore it. Part of the challenge is the care scientists must take when discussing extreme events.

It's impossible to say, for example, that a disaster will happen in a certain year or even decade. But modeling improves every year, and the amount of time between extreme events is shrinking.

Sonia Seneviratne, is a Swiss climatologist who vice chairs a working group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the top U.N. body of climate scientists. Seneviratne likens the risk to smoking and lung cancer. People who smoke won't necessarily get lung cancer, but the chances are higher and doctors should say that. Similarly, the risk of massive extreme events rises with every tenth of a degree.

“If such an event happened, I could already see the criticism of people saying, ‘Climate scientists didn’t tell us,’" Seneviratne said. "But we did.”

While earthquakes are not connected to climate change, the way many cities in earthquake-prone California have prepared for a potential Big One is as an example of what's possible. Central to that effort has been Lucy Jones, a seismologist and author of “The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them).”

In 2014, Jones, then with the U.S. Geological Survey, worked with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's administration in developing an initiative that produced widespread retrofitting and earthquake preparedness in LA, and then later in other California cities. Two years later, she formed a nonprofit that advises on preparing for earthquakes and other disasters.

Jones says people will make changes if they believe risks are real and solutions are possible. Without that belief, the response will likely be to ignore the issue.

“Climate denial is one way of coping," said Jones. She said people rationalize by thinking, 'I won’t believe it’s true, so I’ll feel safer.’”

In the movies, the final resolution is often extreme — and not helpful

Over the last quarter century, many movies have focused on extreme weather events, which provide action and danger to any plot. The cinematic portrayals usually have one of two endings: everything will be okay or we are doomed.

Consider two popular climate movies that came out 15 years apart. In the 2004 “The Day After Tomorrow,” Jack Hall, played by Dennis Quaid, is a climate scientist who, speaking at a U.N. climate conference in Delhi, urges a major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, warning that a failure to do so will lead to major extreme weather events.

“The climate is fragile," says Hall.

“The economy is fragile,” responds the U.S. vice president.

Shortly after, the disaster that Hall warns about happens. Melting polar ice halts the North Atlantic Current, which moves warm ocean currents northeast across the Atlantic. There are giant cyclones, massive hailstones, heavy flooding and tornadoes before a big freeze takes over — so cold that anybody outside dies.

Eventually the vice president, who has become president, apologizes to the nation for exploiting nature.

“We were wrong," he says.

In the 2021 satire “Don't Look Up,” two astronomers played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence discover a giant comet heading toward Earth. They try to spur action to avoid annihilation. The U.S. president, played by Meryl Streep, isn't interested.

“At this exact moment, I think we sit tight and assess,” Streep says after learning the comet is heading straight toward Earth.

“How big is this thing? Can it destroy my ex-wife's house?” jokes a television news host.

At the end, almost everybody dies, a scenario that even the worst predictions of climate impacts don't envision.

Science tells us catastrophe is not a question of if, but when

As powerful as extreme weather events have already gotten, much worse is likely to come. It’s basic physics.

More than half all greenhouse gases produced by humans throughout history have been released into the atmosphere over 50 years. Those gases create heat, which scrambles weather patterns and ecosystems.

The when of a major climatic event, or more likely several in different parts of the world, can't be known with certainty. A catastrophic event in any given area could be in 50 years, or 10 years, or sooner.

People who deny climate change is real will point out that scientists get projections wrong, and it's true that not every climate model has been correct. But over the last decades, if anything, climate scientists have been too conservative. Climate impacts are happening much faster than predicted.

One of many examples: in January 2022, the U.K. Climate Risk Assessment said there was a 0.02% chance of 40C (104F) or above heat before 2040. That summer, parts of the U.K. topped 40C.

We have also reached a moment when “tipping points" — when deterioration of a given planetary system has crossed a threshold from which it can't recover — are no longer positioned as theoretical or futuristic.

The most commonly cited is corals. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, between 2023 and 2025, 84% of the world's corals suffered the expelling of microscopic algae in response to heat stress, which often leads to dying. Even if temperatures were to sharply drop, the recovery of most corals is doubtful.

The Amazon rainforest, which stores massive amounts of carbon dioxide and helps regulate the climate, is also at risk of a tipping point. Persistent drought, large wildfires and deforestation to make way for cattle have degraded swaths of forest in recent decades. The debate today is when, not if, the Amazon will release more carbon dioxide than it holds.

This year's El Niño, a natural and periodic warming cycle, is expected to be the strongest ever recorded, which could push temperatures even higher, breaking records and leaving damage along the way.

Overall, the Earth is on a dangerous path.

“We need to be talking about some of the worst things that can happen,” said Tim Lenton, climate science professor at the University of Exeter. “It’s natural to think that some bigger shocks are on the way.”

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Peter Prengaman is The Associated Press’ global director of climate news and can be followed on LinkedIn.

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AP's 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 rial dropped to 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar as trading opened on currency markets. Iran’s official Central Bank rate stood at around 1.5 million rial to the dollar, but the market rate is what most Iranians pay.

The currency had already been under pressure before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, as Iran faced double-digit inflation and negative growth, but has repeatedly hit new lows as nearly six months of war have taken an even greater toll.

Iranians find daily staples increasingly unaffordable. Since the war began, rice is up some 60% and prices of beef are more than 150% higher. The International Monetary Fund forecasts that GDP will contract more than 5%.

Still, economic pressure has not yet translated into political pressure. Iran retains a key strategic advantage: Its attacks and threats on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have brought traffic in the vital waterway to a near halt, damaging the world economy and heaping pressure on U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of congressional elections.

The war, as a result, has devolved into a fight over who controls the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil transited before the conflict. Iran is now refusing to fully reopen it unless it can charge ships.

Iran and Oman, which is on the opposite side of the strait, are reportedly in the final stages of agreeing upon a plan for joint management of the waterway. Oman’s foreign minister is set to visit Iran on Tuesday.

In an attempt to break the impasse, Trump's administration promised even stronger sanctions than those already in place would be announced Monday, including secondary sanctions on countries that continue to do business with Iran.

Ahead of the announcement, Trump posted on social media that “IRAN IS COMPLETELY COLLAPSING!!!”

“President Trump decimated Iran’s economy to a point where the rial has never been weaker and inflation has rarely been higher,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote Sunday in an opinion piece in the Financial Times. “The regime’s final refuge now lies in the self-deception of fearful nations that still believe accommodating aggression can secure a durable peace.”

Already last week, the United Arab Emirates announced that it was suspending all trade with Iran. The UAE has long been one of Iran’s largest trading partners and its biggest source of imports.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran on Monday that “any escalation of this situation will undoubtedly bring about consequences."

“Our hands are not tied,” he added.

Pakistan, which played a key role in brokering a 60-day ceasefire in June, sent a high-level delegation to Iran on Monday to discuss ending the war, the military said.

In downtown Tehran, 73-year-old Sadegh Mahmoudi did not hold out hope for a resolution. He joined a line of about a dozen people to purchase U.S. dollars with his remaining savings to hedge against further declines.

“There is no hope for a deal and peace,” he said.

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Rising reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed.

Adilet, which is led by the former head of Tokayev’s presidential administration, won 71% of Sunday's vote, Kazakhstan’s central electoral commission said, according to preliminary results.

The second-place Auyl Party won 6.26% of the vote, with three other parties – the Nationwide Social Democratic Party, Respublica and Aq Jol – reaching the 5% threshold needed to win a place in parliament.

Election monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the vote was marred by a lack of distinct political opposition, with “all contesting parties supporting the incumbent president’s policies.”

Some 74% of the country’s 12.6 million eligible voters took part in the election, the central electoral commission said, which was the first vote to Kazakhstan’s new single-chamber parliament.

Known as the Kurultai, the new body is the culmination of a constitutional overhaul initiated by Tokayev in March, when 87% of voters supported a referendum to merge the two chambers of parliament.

The vote also gave the president authority to appoint key officials, subject to lawmakers' approval.

Last month, Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court ruled that the amendments effectively reset the clock on Tokayev’s previous terms in office, clearing the way for him to seek another seven-year term when his mandate expires in 2029.

The decision echoes those seen in several former Soviet republics, including Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where leaders have used new or amended constitutions to revise statutory term limits.

The 73-year-old Tokayev, a former Soviet official and Kazakh diplomat who previously worked at the United Nations, has been in office since 2019.

He has sought to maintain a balance between Moscow and the West since sanctions were imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Tokayev has justified the constitutional changes by citing the need for rapid decision-making in a fast-changing world.

The election comes at a difficult economic moment for Kazakhstan, where inflation hit 10.2% in February and tax increases have fueled public discontent.

Analysts say the economic strain has made authorities wary of a repeat of the unrest of January 2022, when fuel price protests spiraled into violence that left dozens of protesters and police officers dead — a scenario Tokayev is seeking to guard against by concentrating power in his own hands.

The vote also took place against a backdrop of intensifying crackdowns on press freedom. Media organizations have urged Tokayev to drop criminal charges against several journalists under house arrest and to revise legislation to ensure freedom of speech. Authorities have opened roughly 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and popular bloggers.

Graham won the June 9 Republican primary for renomination to the seat he first won in 2002, but his unexpected death on July 11 from an aortic tear created a vacancy not only for his current U.S. Senate seat but also as the party’s pick to compete for another six-year term.

The finalists for the Republican nomination are Graham’s sister, U.S. Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to serve out the remainder of her brother’s current term, and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a five-term congressman who ran for governor earlier in the year and placed third in the primary.

Darline Graham placed first in the Aug. 11 special primary but fell shy of the vote majority needed to avoid Tuesday’s runoff. She received about 33% of the vote, compared to about 25% for Norman. U.S. Rep. Russell Fry placed third with about 20% of the vote.

Graham swept the counties across central South Carolina, including the Columbia area, as well as the state’s Lowcountry region, which includes Charleston. She scored her highest percentages in counties along the Georgia border.

Norman performed best in the state’s Piedmont and Upstate regions, including the Greenville area. Fry did best in the eight counties in the Pee Dee and Waccamaw regions that he represents in Congress.

Fry endorsed Graham after he lost the primary. She also has key backing from Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and President Donald Trump, who was an early proponent of Graham and held a campaign rally with her Friday in Myrtle Beach.

Greenville County is the most populous in the state and typically contributes the most votes in statewide Republican primaries. It also has bucked against the front-runners in recent Republican primaries. Norman also carried Greenville County in the gubernatorial primary, and it was one of the only counties Lindsey Graham lost in his final election.

Democratic-leaning Richland and Charleston counties have the next-largest populations and contribute a sizable number of votes in Republican primaries, but they tend to be more influential in Democratic contests.

Horry, Lexington and Spartanburg counties are also large counties that have big impacts on Republican primaries. Spartanburg was the only other county Lindsey Graham lost in the June primary.

The winner will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician who challenged Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in the 1st Congressional District in 2022.

Lindsey Graham last won reelection in 2020 with 54% of the vote. Trump carried the state in 2024 with 58% of the vote.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare a winner in the special Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate.

Who gets to vote?

Voters who participated in the Democratic primary on June 9 may not participate in the special Republican primary runoff on August 25. Only Republican primary voters or registered voters who did not participate in any party’s primary on June 9 may cast ballots in Tuesday’s election.

How many voters are there?

As of Friday, there were about 3.4 million registered voters in South Carolina. Voters in South Carolina do not register by party.

How many people actually vote?

About 465,000 voters cast ballots in the June 9 Republican U.S. Senate primary when Lindsey Graham was renominated. About 336,000 voters participated in the Aug. 11 special Republican U.S. Senate primary.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 19% of the vote in Aug. 11 Republican special primary was cast early in-person or by mail.

As of Friday, about 45,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Nearly all of South Carolina’s 46 counties release all or almost all of their early in-person and mail voting results in the first vote update of the night, usually before releasing any results from in-person Election Day voting.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the Aug. 11 special primary, the AP first reported results at 7:13 p.m. ET, or 13 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:25 p.m. ET with more than 99% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

In South Carolina, recounts are automatic if the margin between the winning and losing candidates is 1% of the total vote or less. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 70 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

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The story has been updated to correct the South Carolina region from Upcountry to Upstate.

Ministry of Health data showed that as of Saturday, the outbreak had recorded 5,514 cases and 2,642 deaths, including 317 deaths reported in the previous seven days. But Congolese experts have said the outbreak that started weeks before it was confirmed could be three times the known size.

This is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history, with many people dying outside treatment centers. It has recorded seven times more deaths at this stage than the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak that is the deadliest in history with over 11,000 in all.

Most new cases in Ituri province, the current epicenter, still come from outside monitored contacts.

Nearly half of people infected have died — 47.9% — but the government data shows much higher rates in hard-to-reach areas such as North Kivu province, which has a fatality rate of 68.6%.

Frontline workers to receive vaccine used in past outbreaks

A key challenge has been the lack of approved vaccines or treatments for the rare Bundibugyo virus responsible for the outbreak.

On Friday, Congo received more than 16,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type. The World Health Organization says it also will be used in clinical trials for a Bundibugyo virus vaccine.

WHO says it’s not known whether Ervebo can protect against the Bundibugyo virus, although early laboratory and animal data suggest it may offer some protection.

Officials have not said when the vaccine will be rolled out to frontline workers. In Ituri, locals expressed optimism that it will help slow the outbreak.

“I am very pleased that these vaccines have finally arrived,” said Héritier Ramazani, a resident. “We are fed up with recording new cases of Ebola every day.”

The outbreak is unfolding in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable, with rebel threats and intense population movements.

Medical teams in Ituri and other affected provinces also face work stoppages by responders who haven’t been paid, anger from long-traumatized communities, bad roads and misinformation claiming that Ebola isn’t real.

Experts believe the virus was spreading in the mining town of Mongbwalu as early as February, months before authorities declared the outbreak on May 15.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said concerns about the New World screwworm's spread lessened enough to allow the movement of cattle from Mexico at a crossing in Douglas, Arizona, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) southeast of Phoenix. Over time, it hopes to reopen other crossings in New Mexico and Texas.

Beef prices clearly are a concern for President Donald Trump, who announced Friday that he would allow up to 331,000 tons (300,000 metric tons) of imported ground beef into the U.S., tariff-free, to be sold at below-market prices over the next 90 days. In February, the White House said closing the border to livestock imports from Mexico more than a year ago was “essential” to containing the screwworm but it has exacerbated a shortage of cattle for slaughter in the U.S.

“The administration obviously has a lot of incentive to try to be able to say that they’re doing something about high beef prices in particular,” said Derrell Peel, a professor of agribusiness at Oklahoma State University. “Beef has been singled out because it is an expensive product and because it’s just high profile.”

The Trump administration closed the border to cattle imports in May 2025 as part of its response to the screwworm, a parasite with flesh-eating larvae that can infest and even kill cattle or other animals. The move came as the U.S. already was struggling to meet beef demand, thanks to a cattle herd that has been shrinking for five years and now is the smallest in decades.

Because the USDA plans a phased reopening of the border, it will take months for Mexican imports to return to their traditional levels, Peel said. Mexico has traditionally provided 1.1 million head, or about 3% of the U.S. cattle supply.

“I don’t expect to see any measurable impact on cattle prices or beef prices soon,” Peel said.

The smallest US herd in decades fueled record prices

The USDA reported that on Jan. 1, the U.S. cattle herd had dropped to 86.2 million head, the lowest figure in 75 years. Beef prices skyrocketed over the past five years, rising significantly faster than food prices as a whole, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The average price of a pound (453 grams) of ground beef rose nearly 57% from July 2021 to July 2026, from $4.39 to $6.89 — hitting a peak of $6.90 in May — with a 10% increase over the previous year. Food prices have risen about 25% overall in those five years, according to the bureau's numbers.

The price for a pound of uncooked steak rose 35% over the past five years, reaching a record $13.06 per pound in July, also 10% higher than a year before.

But Glynn Tonsor, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, said the potential effect on beef prices from the smaller supply of cattle was lessened because the U.S. beef industry is more efficient and has been able to get more meat from each animal than in past years.

The USDA says the reopening starts at a safe spot

U.S. government and industry officials view the New World screwworm fly as a major threat to the nation's $113 billion cattle industry. It was an annual warm-weather scourge for U.S. ranchers from at least the 1930s through the 1960s, until the U.S. largely eradicated it. The fly was contained for years near the Panama Canal, but returned to southern Mexico in late 2024 and advanced toward the U.S., with the first case in Texas since 1966 reported June 3.

Since then, more than 40 cases have been confirmed in southern Texas and southeastern New Mexico, with infestations of cattle, sheep, goats and dogs.

In her July announcement of plans for a phased reopening of the border, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said it was possible to start with an Arizona crossing because the northern Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua had stronger animal health programs than other parts of Mexico. She also said each animal would be inspected and declared free of the parasite before crossing the border.

U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman said the USDA is taking a “careful, science-based” approach to reopening the border and imposing strong animal health protocols.

“This is an important step for America’s cattle producers, especially our feeders in the border states,” Boozman, an Arkansas Republican, said in a statement. “Restoring this long-standing trade is critical to strengthening our cattle supply and supporting a healthy, competitive beef industry.”

Drought, low prices led to the smallest US herd in 75 years

Drought in cattle-producing regions of the U.S. is a major reason the national herd is so small, said David Anderson, professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University. If grass doesn’t grow, cattle have nothing to graze upon, forcing ranchers to sell them off. Low cattle prices over the past two decades also are a factor.

“Where we are today is sort of the culmination of some 18, 19, 20 years of very low cattle prices,” he said. “That forces us to reduce our herds. Drought forces us to reduce them even further.”

The shortage of cattle also has left beef processing plants operating below capacity.

Tyson Foods, one of the nation's largest meat processors, announced in November that it was reorganizing its beef operations and closing a plant in Lexington, Nebraska, about 220 miles (354 kilometers) southwest of Omaha. Earlier this month, it announced plans to close a plant in Utah outside Salt Lake City and another in Illinois about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southeast of Chicago.

In June, another major U.S. processor, JBS USA, announced plans to close beef plants in Memphis and outside Philadelphia, though it later said it would keep some operations at the Pennsylvania plant to preserve 400 jobs there.

Rebuilding the U.S. herd — and ultimately lowering prices — likely will take years, largely because a cow typically has only one calf a year, Peel said. In addition, breeding a heifer keeps her out of the food supply, tightening it further as the herd is rebuilt.

Peel said prices will remain high for some time and for elected officials, “There’s nothing you can do.”

Police said Evan Meyer used pruning shears to cut down the decoy camera before smashing it. Video from the arrest shows officers taking Meyer into custody Thursday night.

According to police, the fake camera was installed as a “clone bait camera” after several Flock cameras were stolen between late July and early August.

Flock cameras, which are often used as license plate readers, have sparked debate across Central Florida, with supporters pointing to public safety and critics raising privacy concerns.

Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek said on social media that she did not know about the decoy cameras until she saw a news report.

“That is something I wasn’t aware of, and nobody on City Council is,” Sladek said.

Some residents said police should have notified the public about the decoys.

“If they’re going to be doing that, then yeah, they should go and be telling people,” driver Gerry Patterson said.

Another resident said the cameras feel like “an invasion of privacy,” adding that people may not know “who is doing all this surveillance and what kind of information they are gathering.”

The arrest report and Sladek said the decoy cameras did not cost the city any money. Replacing a real Flock camera costs about $800, plus installation, according to the report.

Sladek also said vandalizing public property is not acceptable.

Meyer is facing several charges, including criminal mischief and grand theft. The case will now move through the court system.

-Original Story-

An Oviedo man was arrested after police say he intentionally cut down and destroyed a Flock Safety camera that had been installed as a decoy following a series of thefts targeting the city’s license plate reader network.

According to an Oviedo Police Department arrest affidavit, the incident happened at 12:57 a.m. Aug. 20, 2026, near the intersection of Lockwood Boulevard and Arrowroot Place. The location had become a focus for investigators after several Flock cameras were stolen from the Lockwood Boulevard corridor between July 23 and Aug. 3, 2026.

Police said they responded to the earlier thefts by installing clone-style “bait” cameras around 10 p.m. on Aug. 19. The devices were designed to look like operational Flock cameras but did not collect data and cost significantly less than the real equipment.

A police sergeant conducting surveillance allegedly watched a man, later identified as Evan Meyer, 24, approach one of the decoy cameras. According to the affidavit, Meyer was dressed in black clothing and wearing gloves and a face mask. Investigators say he used a pair of pruning shears to cut the camera from its mount before throwing it to the ground and smashing it into several pieces.

The sergeant said Meyer then ran northbound along the west sidewalk of Lockwood Boulevard. After emergency lights were activated and commands were issued, Meyer stopped and was taken into custody without incident.

Police said Meyer lives at a residence on River Birch Avenue, a short distance from the camera location. During a post-Miranda interview, investigators said Meyer complained about the presence of Flock cameras near his neighborhood and stated there are two separate Flock cameras near his home because of its proximity to jurisdictional boundaries.

According to the affidavit, Meyer told officers he had been reading criticism online about Flock Safety and concerns involving the company’s technology. He reportedly said the cameras made him feel like there was a “constant eye” watching him and that he decided to target the camera closest to his house.

Investigators wrote that Meyer admitted taking his father’s pruning shears from the garage and walking south from his home to the camera location. He allegedly told officers the shears were brought solely to destroy the camera and were not intended for use against law enforcement.

The affidavit states Meyer believed he was destroying a real, functioning Flock camera and estimated replacement costs at between $1,000 and $5,000, which investigators cited as evidence that he knew the equipment had significant value. Police later noted the bait camera itself was valued at approximately $800, plus installation costs.

Authorities say Meyer was unaware the device he destroyed was actually a decoy camera that was incapable of collecting license plate data. Even so, investigators wrote that his intent was to prevent what he believed was an operational camera from continuing to collect vehicle information.

Meyer was arrested on three felony charges:

Criminal mischief causing more than $1,000 in damage

Grand theft involving property valued between $750 and $5,000

Damaging or taking computer, electronic device or related equipment

The arrest affidavit lists Meyer’s total bond at $7,500.

Officers said Friday they were looking for Darrick Lamar Brown Jr.

No other details have been provided on how Brown was captured. He was booked into the Osceola County Jail on no bond.

Check back for updates.

The tour on Monday revealed plans for PGA Tour Charities ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship, which has a $40 million purse that awards $10 million to the winner.

Along with building its charity strategy around national campaigns with a more local impact, the PGA Tour is prepared to make up any difference, if needed, to maintain charity levels from tournaments that move down to the Challenger Series in the 2028 schedule.

“This next chapter is about generating even more focus, coordination, resources and visibility,” said Laura Neal, executive vice president of PGA Tour Strategic Philanthropy. “Launching an evolved PGA Tour Charities — with a legacy-defining, transformative gift from the Finchems — is an exciting next step in golf's enduring commitment to giving back.”

The PGA Tour long has been the charitable leader in sports with a mechanism that has enabled its tournaments to generate more than $4.4 billion, all starting with a $10,000 donation at the 1938 Palm Beach Invitational. Each tournament operates independently and that doesn't change.

PGA Tour Charities will launch and fund national priority campaigns around such themes as health, youth, access and service. The idea is to connect with tournaments on a broader scale when their missions align, which the tour hopes can attract new resources and raise visibility.

Lucas Glover, the Player Advisory Council chairman who joins the PGA Tour board next year, is leading a committee of players to help shape the initiatives.

“How I grew up on the tour ... what we hung our hat on as an organization was giving back,” Glover said. "With COVID and then LIV coming in, it became more about money in our pocket instead of money in the pocket of people who need it more than we do. It never went away. It just got put on the back burner, and it's time we put it back on the forefront of our minds.

“When we talk about the PGA Tour, it shouldn't be how much we're making, how much we're playing for,” he said. "It should be about what we're doing in the communities where we play.”

PGA Tour Enterprises was launched as a for-profit commercial venture in January 2024 with an investment of up to $3 billion from Strategic Sports Group, which led to players receiving equity for the first time. The nonprofit PGA Tour still operates tournament and regulations. PGA Tour Enterprises is geared toward global business, commercial sponsorship and media rights.

The charitable engine doesn't stop for groups like the Thunderbirds (WM Phoenix Open), Copperheads (Valspar Championship) or the Salesmanship Club of Dallas (The CJ Cup Byron Nelson). Tournaments typically donate all net proceeds — operation costs offset by national and local sponsorship — to local charities.

It has been key for attracting thousands of volunteers — the backbone of golf tournaments — who feel like they are contributing to their communities because of the charitable function.

What the tour wants to emphasize with PGA Tour Charities is a dedicated platform for direct community investment that gives players, corporate partners, tournaments and fans a clear way to get involved. The Finchems' donation was seen as a catalyst.

“The PGA Tour family, its players, fans and communities have meant so much to us for so long, and we feel a connection to the golf world that endures to this day,” Holly Finchem said. “This donation to PGA Tour Charities, as it is reimagined for future generations of impact, is more than a capstone on Tim’s unwavering commitment to charity. It is a celebration of our belief in this great game and the PGA Tour. We can’t wait to see all the good this gift will inspire.”

Finchem, the tour's third commissioner, oversaw massive growth during his tenure from 1994 until retiring in 2016, much of that seizing on the arrival of Tiger Woods. Along with a sharp increase in TV contracts and prize money, he helped to create The First Tee in 1997.

Finchem was commissioner when charitable donations of PGA Tour events topped $1 billion in 2005 and $2 billion in 2014.

Meanwhile, the PGA Tour disclosed Monday the remaining $2.5 million charity donation from Brooks Koepka — he was required to donate $5 million as part of his return from LIV Golf — is being equally allocated to charities designated by nearly 100 players.

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See AP’s full golf coverage here

Multiple fire engines were called to Southeast Eighth Street after a tree cracked and fell onto a home, taking down power lines.

Crews said they found major damage throughout the home, including the kitchen, living room and a bedroom, but no one was hurt.

Crews later learned that a second home, minutes away on East Fort King Street, also had been damaged.

Crews say no one was hurt there, but the home’s fence and roof were damaged.

Meteorologist Jordan Patrick analyzed the radar data.

“Around 11:30 a.m. Saturday morning, a cluster of thunderstorms was approaching Ocala from the southwest. The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement for these storms for the threat of wind gusts near 40mph and frequent lightning. At 11:53 a.m., the core of one of these thunderstorms moved over the 3100 block of SE 8th st, bringing 15 lightning strikes over the area and torrential rainfall. It is likely a strong downburst of wind exceeding 40mph fell over this area at this time as well.”

Ocala Fire Rescue urged people to remain indoors for their safety.

Troopers were called out to the area of State Road 25 around 7 a.m.

According to an FHP report, after failing to negotiate a curve, the driver of a 2014 Chevrolet pickup lost control, ran off the road, hit a pole and fence, and overturned.

The driver was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, the report states.

The crash remains under investigation.

The investigation began on Aug. 7. Officers say they immediately opened an investigation, and the employee has not been on campus during the current school year when students are present.

Detectives continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident to determine whether a crime was committed. Police said the investigation remained active and additional details were limited.

A video related to the allegations was posted online and circulated on social media, according to police.

News 6 reached out to the district to ask about the state of the employee’s job and if there is anything they have to say about the investigation.

“Volusia County Schools is aware of the NSBPD’s active investigation involving a New Smyrna Beach High School employee. Because this is an ongoing law enforcement matter, the district cannot comment further.”

Volusia CountySchools

Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Monday. Full coverage can be found here.

Iran threatens response ahead of US sanctions announcement

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned that Tehran would respond harshly to expanded U.S. sanctions, including measures against countries it sees as cooperating with Washington.

“Any escalation of this situation will undoubtedly bring about consequences,” Esmail Baghaei said. “Our hands are not tied.” The new head of Iran’s top security body warned Sunday that Tehran will see any country’s support for the sanctions as an “act of war."

The expanded sanctions come after weeks of impasse. The United States has not dislodged Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passed before the war started nearly six months ago.

Iran's demands for reopening the strait include lifting the U.S. naval blockade, withdrawing U.S. forces from the region and reparations for damages sustained in the war. It has held separate talks with Oman, on the other side of the strait, on jointly managing the waterway regardless of whether a new deal is brokered with the U.S.

Sanctions have historically raised prices of basic goods in Iran, but after decades of withstanding them, Iran’s economy has adapted through finding new trading partners and building domestic industries.

Ahead of the expected U.S. announcement, the country's currency hit a record low on Monday.

Israeli and Syrian officials meet following an Israeli airstrike

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met over the weekend with a high-level Israeli delegation in Jordan to try to defuse tensions after Israel last week struck an air base in northern Syria, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

The U.S.-mediated discussions on Sunday focused on restarting negotiations for a future security agreement, SANA said.

Israel struck the Abu Duhur air base in Idlib province, saying it aimed to stop Turkey — which has supported the new Syrian government’s efforts to rebuild its armed forces after 14 years of civil war — from establishing a presence there.

Syrian officials during the talks asserted the right to develop an army and freely forge alliances with any country, SANA said.

They also called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from a buffer zone in southern Syria they have occupied since December 2024, and reiterated Syria’s stance that the Golan Heights — which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed — is Syrian territory.

Israeli officials didn't immediately comment on the meeting.

Israel says it killed another Hamas militant

Israel’s military said it killed a militant affiliated with Hamas’ special forces unit in an overnight airstrike, the latest targeted killing announced since U.S. officials met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week hoping to push last year’s ceasefire deal forward.

Israel says it targets and kills Palestinian militants it says participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war.

Israel has announced targeted strikes on six of the seven days since U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner’s meeting with Netanyahu.

At least 1,288 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect last October, according to Gaza's health ministry, part of the Hamas-run government. Its numbers are generally considered reliable by the international community.

Palestinian American says he can't freely leave West Bank home

The Palestinian American homeowner whose residence was besieged this month by Israeli settlers said he remained unable to move freely in the village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank. Loui Ridi traveled from Ohio to join his relatives defending his home a week ago.

The Israeli military declared the area a closed zone to restore order in Qusra. Ridi said settlers returned throughout the week to the hill above his house.

Since Israeli settlers surrounded the house more than two weeks ago, preventing occupants from leaving, Israeli soldiers have encouraged them to leave but Israel’s police have not announced arrests.

The siege and Israel’s response have sparked condemnation from Israeli rights groups and foreign officials, including U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who called the violence terrorism.

Palestinians consider the West Bank, home to some 3 million Palestinians and 560,000 Israeli settlers, the heart of any future state and have condemned Israel's expansion there. This year has seen a dramatic spike in violence carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

The U.S. Southern Command announced the strike in a social media post early Monday. The death toll from the Trump administration's campaign of bombing boats off Latin America’s Caribbean coast and in the eastern Pacific now exceeds 210 after more than 60 strikes.

The Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere “executed a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific.” Intelligence confirmed the vessel was carrying illegal drugs, the statement said.

“We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists -- disrupting their operations, dismantling their leadership, and eliminating cartel terror across the region,” said Gen. Francis Donovan, who leads U.S. Southern Command.

The latest strike comes days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. would extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. The secretary said during a visit to Panama that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied reaching such an agreement.

Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.

The contest between two Democrats will further reduce an already thin Republican majority in the U.S. House.

The finalists for the seat are former Gwinnett County School Board Chair Everton Blair and Marcye Scott, daughter of the late congressman. They were the top two vote-getters among five contenders in the July 28 all-party special election. Scott received about 46% of the vote, compared to about 38% for Blair.

The winner will serve out the remaining few months of David Scott’s final term. Neither candidate is running in for the next full term in this seat, which begins on Jan. 3, 2027.

Blair was the only candidate in the special election who also ran for the full-term seat. He placed third in the May 19 Democratic primary with about 12% of the vote. State Rep. Jasmine Clark won the primary with 56% of the vote and will face Republican Jonathan Chavez in November. Chavez, who ran unopposed for the GOP nomination, challenged David Scott in the 2024 general election and received about 28% of the vote.

Clark did not file to compete in the special election. Doing so would have required her to resign from her seat in the state Legislature just as Republican Gov. Brian Kemp was calling for a special session to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries in time for the 2028 elections. The state constitution bars state officeholders from seeking a different office with a start date more than 30 days before the end of the officeholder’s current term. The special session did convene, but Republican leaders opted not to take up redistricting.

In recent years, Congressman Scott had faced questions over his age and health. At the time of his death at age 80, he was facing a tough primary challenge from Clark and others as he sought a 13th term.

Georgia’s 13th Congressional District is east and southeast of Atlanta and includes parts of six heavily Democratic counties: Clayton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton and Rockdale. Of the six, the district’s portion of Gwinnett County has the lion’s share of voters, with about 46% of the district electorate in the 2024 general election.

Blair’s best performance in the July 28 special election was in his home base of Gwinnett County, where he received 56% of the vote. Marcye Scott, who lives outside the district in Fulton County as her father did, carried the other five counties in the district, scoring her highest totals in DeKalb, Clayton and Henry.

David Scott won his 2024 reelection bid with about 72% of the vote. In the presidential election that night, Democratic then-Vice President Kamala Harris received about 71% of the vote in the district, compared with about 28% for Republican Donald Trump. Trump had his best performance in the district in Gwinnett County, although that still only amounted to about 35% of the vote.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare a winner in the special runoff in the 13th Congressional District.

Who gets to vote?

Any voter registered in the 13th Congressional District may participate in the special runoff.

How many voters are there?

As of Friday, there were about 585,000 registered voters in the 13th Congressional District. Georgia voters do not register by party.

How many people actually vote?

A total of 20,510 votes were cast in the July 28 special election. Turnout in a runoff election tends to be lower than in the election that preceded it.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 47% of the total vote in the July 28 special election was cast early in-person or by mail.

As of Friday, about 5,200 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election, with by far the largest share coming from Gwinnett County, followed by Clayton and Rockdale counties.

When are early and absentee votes released?

All six counties in the 13th Congressional District tend to release most or all of their results from early in-person and mail voting in the first vote update of the night, usually before any in-person Election Day results are released.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the July 28 special election, the AP first reported results at 7:05 p.m. ET, or five minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 10:05 p.m. ET with about 99.9% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

There is no automatic recount provision in Georgia, but a losing candidate may request a recount if the margin is less than or equal to 0.5% of the total vote. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 70 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

The future for the S&P 500 was down 0.2%. On Friday, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% for just its second gain in the six days since setting its all-time high last week. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell 0.1%, while Nasdaq futures slipped 0.7%.

Investors will get an important inflation update on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its report on personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, for July. It is the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation. Much like the consumer price index, it has shown that the rate of U.S. consumer inflation remains stubbornly above 3%.

Also on Wednesday, the Commerce Department will issue its second estimate of how the U.S. economy performed in the second quarter of 2026. The government's first estimate, issued last month, showed that the U.S. economy expanded at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June as rising imports weighed on growth.

The Fed has been struggling to get inflation back to its target rate of 2%. Inflation has crept higher after the U.S. imposed a wide range of tariffs globally. It has climbed further as the Iran war slowed global oil shipments from the Strait of Hormuz.

Last week, rising bond yields forced the U.S. Treasury Department into an unusual intervention and raised the specter of higher borrowing costs weighing on consumer spending, the lifeblood of the economy. It also sparked concerns that investors balk at financing a seemingly endless flow of government borrowing.

The bond markets got only temporary relief from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s announcement that the government would double its buybacks of longer-term bonds. That was meant to bring down the 10-year Treasury yield and lower mortgages. The 10-year yield rose back to 4.73% Friday, matching its highest point in more than a year. It was at 4.72% on Monday.

The 30-year Treasury yield, which the Fed is also targeting with its bond repurchases, climbed and is near its highest level since 2007.

Higher yields can slow the economy and undercut prices for all kinds of investments.

The bond market has remained jumpy, and investors will be watching for signals from Federal Reserve Gov. Kevin Warsh regarding rates and other policies in a key speech at the annual gathering of U.S. economic leaders in Jackson Hole later this week.

U.S. markets are also starting the week with a focus on technology stocks. Shares of Sandisk dropped 5%, while Corning slid 3% and Coherent fell more than 5%. Micron Technology's stock slipped 3%.

Oil prices also declined on Monday as Iran’s currency hit a record low as the U.S. prepared to announce new sanctions to try to break the impasse with Iran, adding pressure when its economy is already battered by earlier sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade.

The rial dropped to 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar on informal currency markets. Iran’s official Central Bank rate stood at around 1.5 million rial to the dollar, but the informal rate is what most Iranians pay.

Uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again has roiled markets, causing oil prices to rise and pushing up Treasury yields due to worries over inflation.

The outlook remained murky Monday. The new head of Iran’s top security body warned Sunday that Tehran will see any country’s support for new U.S. economic measures against the Islamic Republic as an “act of war,” while Iran’s president defended a memorandum of understanding with the United States as the best way out of the stalled conflict.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil was 1.7% lower at $91.06 on Monday. U.S. benchmark crude fell 2.2% to $85.18 per barrel.

In Europe, Germany's DAX edged down slightly to 26,133.59, while the CAC 40 in Paris also gave up 0.1%, to 8,480.49. Britain's FTSE 100 inched up 0.2% to 10,839.52. Asian markets declined.

In other dealings, the U.S. dollar bought 159.23 Japanese yen, up from 158.94 yen late Friday. The euro fell to $1.1665 from $1.1678.

It’s a destination.

Jiko — The Cooking Place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is marking 25 years of authentic African-inspired cuisine.

The Disney Eats Supper Club, an exclusive, invite-only media and influencer dining series, honored the milestone with a course-by-course culinary journey across the African continent.

The restaurant’s reputation speaks for itself — Jiko boasts one of the largest selections of South African wines in the United States.

“This year we got put back into Wine Spectator. We haven’t been in since COVID. So it’s a huge honor for us to get in outstanding wine program,” said Bryon Kelly, sommelier at Walt Disney World.

Here’s how the evening unfolded.

Ziada: Chef’s African-inspired selection

The evening opened with a single, elegant bite designed to set the tone. Chef de Cuisine Eddie Mendoza presented an oil-poached potato with ram’s head mushroom — also known as hen of the woods — roasted in a wood-fired oven, finished with black garlic, pickled mustard seeds, sweet peppers and pea tendrils.

“You get the smokiness, you get some of that crunch and the acidity from the mustard seeds that’s going to cure everything up and some of the dirtiness from the mushroom,” Mendoza said.

It was earthy, bright, and an excellent preview of what was ahead.

Bread service: Giraffe bread, baobab butter

Before the first course arrived, the table was treated to one of Jiko’s most charming traditions — giraffe bread, a Dutch crunch-style loaf whose crackled, reticulated rice crust naturally mimics the pattern of a giraffe’s coat.

Alongside it: a baobab butter. The fruit of the iconic African baobab tree is dried into a powder, rehydrated with heavy cream and folded into butter, lending it a subtle tanginess reminiscent of goat cheese. Finished with cocoa powder and sea salt, it was a surprisingly complex and memorable bite.

Duo: Diver scallop with pork belly, West African koki corn

The appetizer course was a masterclass in storytelling through food. The West African koki corn — inspired by a traditional Cameroonian dish — arrived looking strikingly like a tamale, intentionally so.

“Corn did not originate in Africa,” Mendoza noted. “But it played such an integral part. After it was planted and introduced, in Cameroon, they came up with this idea of mixing fresh corn, corn dough... and made something very local.”

Jiko’s version features cashew cheese, mushroom tibs and greens wrapped in corn, served alongside a seared diver scallop with sumac-roasted pork belly, fennel crisp and an avocado-tomatillo sauce — drawing flavors from Cameroon all the way to North Africa in a single plate.

Muhula: Seasonal house-made intermezzo

A guava sorbet with African violas arrived as a palate cleanser — and with it, another lesson in African food history. Guava isn’t native to Africa, but it became synonymous with the continent after Portuguese and Dutch explorers relied on the vitamin-rich fruit to ward off scurvy during their voyages around the Cape of Good Hope.

Light, floral and refreshing, it was a brief but beautiful pause between courses.

Entrée: Seared venison

The chosen entrée for the evening — herb-crusted venison with coriander-roasted cauliflower purée, celery root, leek and cherry belle radish — was clean, intentional and grounded.

Mendoza kept it simple but purposeful, noting that the celery root is coated in coriander and salt, roasted whole and finished with mussels — no heavy cream in sight, a nod to the Florida heat and a respect for letting the ingredients speak for themselves.

Dessert: Trio of potjie pot, malva pudding, melktert

The finale arrived as three miniature desserts, each one a different lens through which to see South Africa.

First, the melktert — milk custard topped with cinnamon cream and passion fruit blueberry sauce, it rests on a roasted corn chocolate and cornflake crumble base. Its shape pays tribute to Table Mountain, one of South Africa’s most iconic landmarks.

Next, the potjie pot — inspired by the cast-iron skillet used for open-fire cooking across the continent. Layers of olive oil cake, milk chocolate mousse with basil, salt, and caramel are topped with a coconut wheel “lid” and a passion fruit crunch.

Finally, malva pudding. A traditional South African cake soaked in Amarula syrup — a beloved African cream liqueur — served warm, topped with caramel ice cream and a small chocolate bird. That bird, it turns out, is a nod to the flock of birds that soars across Jiko’s ceiling, connecting the dessert to the space itself.

The final bite

The evening ended with qumbe — a traditional East African candy made with coconut, almond flour, sugar, and coconut milk, rolled in coconut and topped with a benne seed wafer shaped like a shield, a nod to the iconic shields found throughout Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Resolution 26-3589 is scheduled for consideration during the City Commission meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. The city manager and community development director are recommending approval.

The proposal follows a roughly two-month push led by Casselberry resident Lindsay Feist, who said she has kept four hens in her backyard for about three years.

Feist said the chickens provide her family with eggs, pest control, education and companionship.

“The benefits of backyard hens are immeasurable, right?” Feist said. “Education for my kids. Sustainable organic food for our family. Companionship.”

The issue reached City Hall in June after Feist said a code compliance employee noticed her chicken coop while responding to an unrelated matter along a nearby service road.

Feist said she was cited and given 10 days to remove the chickens.

“My family’s owned this house since 1984,” Feist said. “So I said, I don’t want to have to choose between keeping my chickens and selling my house and moving somewhere where I’m allowed to have them.”

Backyard hens are currently prohibited under Casselberry’s city code.

After Feist raised the issue, commissioners agreed to temporarily hold off on enforcement and directed city staff to research backyard chicken programs in other Florida communities.

Staff presented its findings June 22, examining potential benefits, challenges, enforcement options, and effects on surrounding properties. Commissioners then directed staff to prepare a resolution establishing a one-year pilot program.

Under the proposed framework, the program would be limited to 100 free permits and allow participating households to keep up to six hens. Roosters would not be allowed.

Participants would also be required to complete a chicken-keeping course and provide a secure coop that meets the city’s size and safety requirements.

Feist said the limited program would allow the city to gather information and address any problems before considering permanent regulations.

“They can gather some data, make sure that things are — they work out all the kinks before ideally moving toward permanently adopting an ordinance,” Feist said.

City documents show the pilot program is not expected to affect the city’s currently approved budget.

Feist said she approached commissioners with potential regulations instead of only asking them to reverse the code enforcement action.

“A lot of times people come to the city with a problem, and I tried to come to the city with a solution,” Feist said.

If commissioners approve the resolution, city leaders would evaluate the program after one year and decide whether to adopt a permanent ordinance allowing backyard chickens in Casselberry.

Around 2:30 a.m., deputies responded to the Citrus Oaks Apartments off Orange Blossom Trail near Holden Avenue.

Few details have been released, but officials said one person was taken to the hospital as a trauma alert.

Dispatch audio indicated a deputy was involved in an altercation, and the same audio indicating the trauma alert was not the deputy.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Video from a Volusia County Sheriff’s Office helicopter shows flight paramedic Matt Brunelle jumping roughly 20 feet from the aircraft into the lake to reach the fisherman and his wife, who had been performing CPR.

“I reach back here and close the door. Once I had the door closed, then I just kind of jumped forward into the water,” Brunelle said.

Brunelle said the decision to jump was made quickly because the fisherman needed immediate medical assistance.

“So it was almost instant,” he said. “He needed assistance immediately—and her being by herself.”

Brunelle said it could have taken ground responders 20 to 25 minutes to reach the couple by boat.

Lake Woodruff is in an isolated area, making the rescue even more challenging. The closest roadway access is still miles from the lake and surrounding waterways.

While the helicopter crew made its way to the fisherman, deputies on shore found a good Samaritan with a boat who agreed to help. Deputies used the boat to reach the fisherman’s pontoon, where they continued performing CPR until EMS arrived and took over the lifesaving efforts

.The fisherman was rushed to a hospital but ultimately did not survive. Volusia County Sheriff’s Office officials said their hearts go out to the fisherman’s wife, who was forced to perform CPR on her husband during the traumatic emergency.

Brunelle said everyone involved did everything they could to give the fisherman a chance.

“We don’t need any gratuity. We just do it,” Deputy Jevon Gardner said. “But when there’s somebody out there who’s willing to do the same thing for us, it’s probably one of the best feelings, because a lot of people don’t.”

The sheriff’s office said the response involved multiple agencies and a good Samaritan who stepped in to help when it mattered most.

News 6 reached out to the good Samaritan who assisted deputies and is waiting to hear back.

The investigation into what caused the medical emergency continues.

Daytona Beach police officers were called to the 700 block of School Street just before noon after receiving reports of a shooting. Officers found a person suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

No suspect had been identified publicly Friday night.

The shooting happened just steps from the Rose Marie Bryon Children’s Center, where more than 40 children participate in an after-school program. Center leaders quickly contacted parents and arranged to pick up children from school before they arrived at the center.

“I gave all the parents a call, telling them we would be down at the school to pick up the children from there because it was an active crime scene,” said Janet Elam-Bryant, the center’s executive director.

Elam-Bryant said the center has served as a safe place for children for decades while their parents are at work. She said the violence in the surrounding area has made safety an ongoing concern.

“Often, there are things going on in the area, and we go through our routine of lockdowns,” Elam-Bryant said. “We lock down the center, lock the gates, lock the children inside.”

The latest shooting, she said, was especially troubling because of how close it occurred to the children’s center.

“It’s very disheartening,” Elam-Bryant said. “It’s sickening.”

The center’s leadership is now urging the community to find ways to resolve conflicts without violence.

“We need to learn how to get along around here and stop all the violence,” Elam-Bryant said.

With no arrest made, anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Daytona Beach police.

The outcome of the gubernatorial primary to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt has major implications for the fall general election, as Democrats haven’t won the Oklahoma governorship in 20 years. It will also further test President Donald Trump’s endorsement power.

State Attorney General Gentner Drummond and former state Sen. Mike Mazzei were the top vote-getters among nine candidates in the June 16 primary, with Drummond just edging Mazzei, 26.25% to 25.97%. Both fell far short of the majority needed to avoid Tuesday’s runoff.

Drummond narrowly carried Oklahoma and Cleveland counties in the Oklahoma City area, while Mazzei edged Drummond in Tulsa County. The two split most of the counties in the Tulsa area.

The two have poured millions from their personal fortunes into the race, with Mazzei loaning his campaign more than $11 million, compared with $3 million for Drummond, according to state campaign finance records. Mazzei has spent $12.3 million in the race overall, while Drummond has spent about $9.1 million. Loans aside, Drummond has far outraised Mazzei in campaign contributions, $7.1 million to about $1.5 million.

Trump endorsed Mazzei ahead of the primary, while also lobbing insults at Drummond. Trump’s picks overall in 2026 have had a strong record at the ballot box, but his endorsement is not a guarantee of victory, especially in gubernatorial primaries. The president’s picks for Iowa governor and Georgia governor lost their nomination bids, while his pick for South Carolina governor was forced to a runoff and ultimately lost the nomination after the president also endorsed her opponent.

The Oklahoma winner will face Democratic state House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson in the general election.

In the U.S. Senate race, nurse N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas received about 45% of the Democratic primary vote, short of the majority required to avoid a runoff. Attorney and minister Jim Priest placed second with about 24% of the vote, despite a massive fundraising advantage. He raised almost six times more than Thomas heading into the primary and increased his advantage heading into the runoff. As of Aug. 5, the Thomas campaign reported having only $455 in the bank, compared to about $56,000 for Priest.

The winner will face Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, who won the five-way primary with about 70% of the vote. The state last elected a Democrat for U.S. Senate in 1990.

Also before voters is State Question 846, which would amend the state constitution to require voters to provide proof of identity in order to cast a ballot, which is already required under state law.

State Question 844 would affect the reimbursements that local governments receive from the state for lost property tax revenue under an incentive program for manufacturing companies.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. CT, which is 8 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in primary runoff elections for U.S. Senate, governor, state school superintendent, labor commissioner, insurance commissioner, state Senate and state House, as well as for the two statewide ballot measures.

Who gets to vote?

Voters registered with a political party may participate only in their own party’s primary runoffs. Democrats may not vote in a Republican primary runoff or vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may not participate in either party’s runoff elections. All registered voters may cast ballots on the statewide ballot measures.

How many voters are there?

As of July 31, there were about 2.4 million registered voters in Oklahoma, including about 1.3 million registered Republicans, 616,000 registered Democrats and 500,000 independents not registered with any party.

How many people actually vote?

Roughly 403,000 votes were cast in the June 16 Republican primary for governor and 169,000 votes in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

In the June 16 state primaries, about 11% of Republican primary ballots and about 12% of Democratic primary ballots were cast early in-person or by mail.

As of Friday, about 32,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Almost every county in Oklahoma releases all or almost all of its results from early in-person and mail voting in the first vote update of the night, usually before any results from in-person Election Day voting are released.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the June 16 state primary, the AP first reported results at 8:14 p.m. ET, or 14 minutes after polls closed. By 10:19 p.m. ET, more than 90% of the vote had been counted. The last vote update of the night was at 12:14 a.m. ET with about 99.9% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

Oklahoma does not have automatic recounts for elections involving candidates, but candidates may request and pay for one regardless of the vote margin. The state does require automatic recounts for statewide ballot questions if the margin is 0.5% or less of the total votes cast. The required margin is larger for state constitutional amendments. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 70 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

But that's part of Christina Bohannan's long learning curve as a Democratic candidate for Congress.

“It’s a big district. It takes a lot of time to get around, get people to know you and trust you,” Bohannan told a couple dozen voters in the tiny Louisa County town of Columbus Junction on a recent Sunday afternoon.

She would know. It's her third crack at it.

Bohannan lost to Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa's 1st Congressional District in 2022 and 2024. Now she's banking on Trump's sagging popularity, healthcare struggles and economic concerns to put her over the top in a race that could help Democrats regain control of the U.S. House.

Miller-Meeks is digging in for a difficult campaign, describing Bohannan as a “radical progressive.” If Bohannan pulls off a victory this time, it could be the first ripple of what Democrats see as a potential national wave.

The Democrat is reaching into rural counties to shave the Republican edge

That's why Bohannan was in Louisa County, a place she did not visit in the months leading up to the 2024 election, when she lost to Miller-Meeks by only 799 votes.

It was the second-closest House race that year, and far closer than Bohannan's loss in 2022, when she fell short by 23,000 votes.

Iowa's 1st District is a microcosm of the state, largely rural with urban and suburban pockets. A geographic area larger than Massachusetts, more than half of its 20 counties have populations of less than 20,000 residents.

Cindy Starr and her husband Tim Knutson had never met Bohannan before they made the drive from nearby Wapello to see her at 92 Roadside, a Louisa County social hub named for the highway that runs past it.

“We’d never heard of any campaign event for her before,” said Starr, a 62-year-old retired social worker.

“Somebody rang our doorbell,” said Knutson, a 60-year-old retired meatpacking plant manager. “That’s never happened before.”

Two years ago, she lost the county by almost 1,400 votes.

This time, Bohannan has a more aggressive ground game, reaching out in rural counties she lost, but also beginning her canvassing in January as opposed to April. Her campaign’s door-knockers travel with a letter from Bohannan introducing herself.

Pushing against the image of a left-wing college professor

Bohannan's day job — University of Iowa law professor — can be tricky in a district where Trump won by 8.4 percentage points in 2024 and where the school is often parodied by Republicans as a haven for left-wing liberals.

“I’m not some radical,” said the 55-year-old former environmental engineer whose legal scholarship has focused on intellectual property, business innovation and copyright law.

She portrays her low-income upbringing in rural central Florida, her father’s nomadic life as a construction worker and her family’s healthcare crises during her youth as experiences that echo across the Mississippi Valley district where union manufacturing jobs have been declining for decades.

“Iowa is just a really good, common-sense state full of fair-minded, common-sense people,” she told The Associated Press. “Sometimes the Republicans have a point. I think tax dollars are precious. I think sometimes we do tend to stifle economic growth with maybe unnecessary regulation.”

Miller-Meeks did not agree to an interview.

Bohannan has been gaining ground in the district

Along with trying to shave the Republican advantage in the district's dozen-plus rural counties, Bohannan is also trying to gain a foothold in its more urban and suburban hubs.

Johnson County, with Iowa City and its teeming suburbs, and Scott County's economically diverse cities of Davenport and Bettendorf help make the district among the most competitive in the country.

Bohannan won more than 70% of the vote in Johnson County in 2022 and 2024. She also improved her performance in Scott County, losing in 2022 but winning narrowly there in 2024.

Those gains in a high-turnout presidential year, combined with the very narrow final margin — after a recount — made the decision simple for Bohannan to sign up a third time.

“That was a big part of it. That means tens of thousands of Trump voters split their ballot and voted for me,” she told The Associated Press after a stop at a Scott County Democrats’ picnic in Bettendorf. “It’s not always easy to get people, especially in this toxic political environment, from the other party to support you. But we’re taking the time. We’re going to every corner of the district.”

Now, she is trying to hold the edge in Scott County, hoping the recent move of more independent voters into the Democrats' ranks continues.

In another potential boost to Bohannan, Democratic voter registration in Iowa rose more than Republican registration ahead of the June primaries.

In Scott County, the district’s most populous, the trend has continued since the primary, said Terry Olsen, vice chairman of the Scott County Democrats and a former Republican.

“Every month it’s been moving,” Olsen said, though Democrats still narrowly trail Republicans and independent voters in the county. “But it’s a different strategy than 2024, trying to grab more of that rural vote and still boost turnout in the cities. That’s the hope, at least.”

Trump's agenda could drag down Miller-Meeks

Bohannan believes that Trump's failure to curb inflation since returning to the White House will drag down Miller-Meeks, who was first elected in 2020.

Miller-Meeks voted for measures blocking Congress from challenging Trump's emergency tariff actions, and the trade war has cut U.S. soybean sales. She has voted in support of Trump's ability to continue U.S. military operations against Iran, as drivers in her district pay nearly $4 per gallon for gas and farmers pay $5 per gallon for diesel fuel.

And Miller-Meeks last year supported Trump's signature tax-break and spending cuts bill, which is expected to reduce federal Medicaid spending over the coming years. Hospitals and other healthcare providers have warned that the changes could put additional financial pressure on rural facilities that rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements.

Miller-Meeks, a physician, defended her record in a statement by saying “I’ve spent my career on the side of patients, not the big insurance companies and bureaucrats standing between them and the care they need.”

She said the legislation included "common sense provisions the majority of Americans support," and she said Bohannan “would have kept subsidies flowing straight to big profitable insurance companies that deny claims, jack up premiums, and restrict which doctors you can see.”

Healthcare funding pressures have surfaced in Miller-Meeks’ district. MercyOne Clinton Medical Center announced it would end its obstetrics, labor and delivery services in 2026, citing rising costs, staffing shortages, inadequate reimbursement, and changes to Medicaid policy among the factors.

“In the past, when I ran the last couple of times, people weren’t entirely clear on what Miller-Meeks had been up to,” Bohannan said. “And now people know what they are paying at the grocery store. They know what they are paying at the gas pump.”

John Schmalz-Riedt, 65, was tracked down near Howland Boulevard and State Road 415 in Volusia County after Altamonte Springs police identified him as a person of interest in a homicide on Conrad Court. He barricaded himself in his truck with a gun, leading to a standoff before he was taken into custody.

Woman found shot dead on Conrad Court

The investigation began at approximately 3:15 p.m. on August 23, 2026, when Altamonte Springs Police officers responded to a residence on Conrad Court and found an adult woman unresponsive with a gunshot wound. The Seminole County Fire Department also responded and provided emergency medical aid. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Charges filed, held without bond

Detectives developed probable cause connecting Schmalz-Riedt to the woman’s death. He now faces two charges:

• Second-Degree Murder with a Firearm
• Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

He was transported to the Volusia County Jail, where he is being held without bond.

Tips wanted

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact the Altamonte Springs Police Department at (407) 339-2441 or call 911. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).

The NHC has designated the area of showers and thunderstorms near Bermuda as Invest 95L. Development early in the week is possible with a short-lived tropical depression not out of the question before being absorbed by a frontal boundary and hurdled towards the northern Atlantic as the week rolls on.

We are also inching up development odds for a tropical wave that is about to roll off the West African coast. This wave is expected to emerge into the Atlantic waters on Monday. The NHC has bumped up the development potential of this wave to 50% as of Sunday night.

If this wave gets north of the Caribbean, it will enter a relatively favorable environment for further development. Upper-level wind shear is weakening over the Atlantic main development region. This will allow the thunderstorms to grow taller and not be sheared apart. On top of that, there will be a break in Saharan Dust over this area. Both combined give this wave a chance at development.

The system will likely curve out to sea if it survives, curving around the Bermuda High.

Voters have approved the one-mill tax each time it has appeared on the ballot since 2010. The levy generates an estimated $255 million annually, according to the school district, and funds about 2,000 teaching positions.

“It is really critical to our operations,” said Scott Howat, chief communications officer for OCPS.

The tax also helps pay for athletics, arts programs and other school operations. One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value.

For a home appraised at $355,000, the tax would cost about $28 per month, according to the district. Howat said the referendum would continue the existing tax rather than increase it.

“This is not costing the taxpayers any more money,” Howat said. “It’s a continuation of what we currently have.”

The district says a failed referendum could result in significant cuts, including the loss of positions that support students.

“Ensuring that we can continue to have those positions that support our students is vitally important,” Howat said.

Some residents said they support renewing the tax, including one woman whose children have graduated from Orange County schools. She said school programs remain important to current students.

“He loved instruments. He played three instruments,” she said of her son. “He loved band, so, yeah, we need that tax for the schools.”

The referendum is the last item on the November ballot. OCPS officials are meeting with cities throughout the county to discuss the tax.

Anastasia Gonzalez told News 6 it happened on July 26 while she was home alone with her baby, Oakley. She and her husband Preston were about to start a new chapter for their family in their brand new Palm Coast home.

Gonzalez said her phone was plugged into the wall when she tried to take a video of the storm.

“All of a sudden, our house got struck by lightning,” she said. “We flew backwards.”

Gonzalez called 911 frantically moments later. In the call, she can be heard telling the operator she was holding her baby when they were struck. She also reported smelling something burning, while the baby could be heard crying in the background.

“Her mouth was open, she wasn’t breathing, her hair was standing straight up,” Gonzalez said. “I just started shaking her, and I’m like ‘please no, please no.’”

The family showed News 6 damage they say was left behind inside the home, including debris from a beam they said was affected by the strike.

Gonzalez said the family relocated to an Airbnb while repairs are being made.

The family says they soon found another reason to be grateful.

According to Gonzalez, doctors had flagged concerns about Oakley’s skull during pregnancy, but results from a recent CT scan in the last week showed the sutures were open and the baby did not need surgery.

“So, I mean, we just take it as the lightning strike was like a gift from God, basically,” she said.

This entire ordeal, Gonzalez says, has given the couple a new perspective.

“I’m just happy for every day that I get to hold her and spend time with [Oakley] and her sister,” she said. “We love her so much, and we couldn’t imagine life without her.”

The National Weather Service warns people to avoid using items connected to electrical outlets during thunderstorms.

The family told News 6 they hope to be able to move back into their home within about a week.

EARLY WEEK

A little drier air will briefly move across Central Florida, keeping storm coverage somewhat limited on Monday. Rain chances will be around 30% to 40% Monday and Tuesday.

Most storms will develop during the afternoon as the sea breeze moves inland, though some could linger into the evening.

Temperatures will remain hot, with highs in the low to mid 90s and heat index values reaching 100 to 107 degrees.

MID-LATE WEEK

By Wednesday, moisture levels will return closer to normal, allowing for more widespread afternoon storms.

Rain chances increase to 50% to 70% each afternoon from Wednesday through Friday as the sea breeze becomes the main trigger for showers and thunderstorms.

Storms will favor the afternoon and early evening, with some activity potentially lingering into the evening hours.

Temperatures remain in the low to mid 90s, with heat index values between 100 and 107 degrees.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office impounded her 2019 Nissan Rogue SUV after investigators found the vehicle identification number, or VIN, on the dashboard was fraudulent.

“They said, you now have to hand over your car,” Wolnomiejski told News 6.

The VIN on the Rogue matched the VIN on a carsforsale.com report Wolnomiejski said she obtained before she purchased the vehicle from an Orlando used car dealership in 2023. But when deputies searched the SUV at her home in December 2025, they found a second, different VIN.

When investigators took the vehicle to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for further inspection, they found a third VIN — one that matched a vehicle reported stolen out of Orange County in April 2019.

Wolnomiejski has filed a lawsuit against LC Motors 1 Inc, the dealership she purchased the vehicle from, for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement and civil theft.

“You would think that somebody who sells cars, buys and sells cars for a living, would notice something as glaring as three VINs on one vehicle,” she said.

News 6 called the dealership to find out how the stolen vehicle ended up on its lot and eventually in Wolnomiejski’s possession.

An employee said LC Motors 1 Inc. purchased the Nissan from a wholesale auction— a source they have used for years. News 6 then contacted that auction company, Manheim, which on its website calls itself the world’s largest automotive marketplace.

We asked whether Manheim inspects vehicles before selling them and what safeguards are in place to prevent stolen vehicles from reaching buyers. A spokesperson responded in a statement.

“Manheim is an industry-leading nationwide wholesale used vehicle services company that facilitates millions of sales each year between registered commercial and dealer buyers and sellers. We are not the owner of the vehicles sold at auction and are not a consumer-facing business. In a rare circumstance like this, we rely on our local law enforcement partners to investigate and would direct you to the department listed on the report you shared.”

In the meantime, Wolnomiejski is still paying off the more than $20,000 loan she received to pay for the vehicle.

“I’m still paying $330 a month for a car that I don’t have and living well below my means right now,” she said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office told News 6 the vehicle was returned to the theft victim, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and that Wolnomiejski is now a fraud victim.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, “Broadly speaking, stolen cars being re-VINed is not a new thing, but we think that has grown substantially with the rise of platforms like Facebook Marketplace and others.”

If you are in the market for a used vehicle, the agency said there are things consumers can do to help protect themselves and check a VIN:

• Take a car you are interested in buying to a licensed mechanic that has the equipment necessary to check. Dealerships would also be able to do this.
• Run the VIN through CARFAX or other public resources, and make sure the description on those services matches the VIN on the car.
• If the doorframe VIN does not match the VIN on the dashboard, that is a red flag.
• Take a photo of the individual you are buying from and a photo of their driver’s license.

Some manufacturers are now etching the VIN on windows, because in the event those cars are stolen, they would have to replace all windows, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The first is the more traditional type — teams that will try to beat the Astros in key games and deny them a spot in the postseason.

The other includes individual spoilers — players who could prevent Alvarez from making history as baseball's next Triple Crown winner.

Alvarez currently leads the American League with a .320 average, 36 home runs and 90 RBIs. If he holds onto the top spot in all three categories, he'd be the first batter to win the Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera in 2012. The biggest threats Alvarez faces all come from the AL East.

The next-highest batting averages in the AL both belong to Tampa Bay players — Chandler Simpson at .310 and Yandy Díaz at .306. Fortunately for Alvarez, there aren't any stealth candidates — players with high averages who don't currently have enough plate appearances to qualify, but would by the end of the season.

The home run race is currently the tightest, with Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero just one behind with 35. Ben Rice of the New York Yankees has 34. There are times when Alvarez seems like Houston's only major threat offensively, and he's been intentionally walked 28 times — way more than Caminero (10) and Rice (four). Those lost opportunities could matter in a close race.

Alvarez's closest competition in RBIs is Baltimore's Pete Alonso, who has 85. Alonso recently went on a 14-game hitting streak. Caminero is also in the mix with 83 RBIs.

When Cabrera pulled off the Triple Crown in 2012, he had to hold off Hall of Famers Joe Mauer and Adrian Beltre in batting average, as well as likely Hall of Famer Mike Trout. He finished one homer ahead of Josh Hamilton and Curtis Granderson.

Trivia time

Alvarez broke Jeff Bagwell's franchise record for intentional walks in a season. Bagwell drew 27 in 1997. Who is in third place on that list for Houston?

Performance of the week

Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first and a walk-off shot in the 10th to give the Chicago Cubs a 7-5 win over the White Sox on Monday night.

The Cubs then won in walk-off fashion again a night later against the White Sox, but were beaten via the walk-off twice in a row by Seattle later in the week. The Cubs have 13 walk-off wins this year, the most in baseball, but the White Sox and Mariners aren't far behind with 11.

Comeback of the week

Philadelphia was down 4-0 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Sunday before rallying for a 6-4 victory over St. Louis. Edmundo Sosa hit a three-run double, and Bryan De La Cruz hit a single that tied the game. Then Kyle Schwarber won it with his major league-leading 39th homer of the season.

It was the ninth straight victory for the Phillies, who now trail first-place Atlanta by only three games in the NL East. The Braves were 9 1/2 games up less than two weeks ago.

It's been a bizarre season for Philadelphia, which was 8-18 by late April, then went 48-27, then lost eight of its last games in July before going 16-5 so far in August.

Team of the week

Kansas City was the lone team to go 7-0 over the past week, although the Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers both went 6-0. The Royals took advantage of four games against the dreadful Athletics before sweeping three in a row from a Detroit team that's chasing a playoff berth.

Last-place Kansas City is actually 36-30 at home this year but has gone 22-44 on the road.

Trivia answer

Rusty Staub drew 24 intentional walks for the Astros in 1968.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Guard spokesperson Houssem Eddine Jebabli told state news agency TAP that authorities recovered two bodies and transferred them to a hospital on the nearby island of Djerba. He told national radio Mosaique FM that about 15 people were believed to be aboard the boat when it took off between the cities of Zarzis and Ben Guerdane.

The boat had set off early Thursday, and a commercial ship found the sole survivor Saturday in a life jacket, Mosaique reported, citing testimony from the survivor.

A helicopter and coast guard boats were then dispatched to the area in search of more survivors, according to an Associated Press photojournalist at the scene. The migrants were believed to be headed toward Italy.

Zarzis has long been a departure point for Tunisians and others from around Africa or beyond attempting to cross the Mediterranean toward Europe.

The city witnessed a similar tragedy in 2022, when a boat carrying 18 people went missing. The incident sparked weeks of protests as families accused authorities of failing to properly search for their relatives and burying some recovered bodies without identifying them or informing their families.

Migrant departures from Tunisia have fallen sharply since the European Union and Tunisia signed a sweeping agreement in 2023. It included EU funding and technical support for Tunisian border control and coast guard training to help Tunisia curb irregular migration and deter human traffickers in the Mediterranean basin. The EU allocated 105 million euros ($121 million) in migration-related support to Tunisia in 2023 alone.

The decline in migration has not ended dangerous crossings from Tunisia’s southern coast, where families in the south, particularly in Zarzis, have for years searched for relatives who disappeared at sea.

Rights groups have raised concerns about the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers in Tunisia since the EU agreement, including reports of collective expulsions, racial violence, arbitrary detention and abuses against Black migrants.

In July, Amnesty International said EU support for border control in Tunisia continued to fuel serious rights violations. It said refugees and asylum seekers were being “deliberately trapped in a system that offers neither protection nor a safe way out.”

At a meeting on Monday, commissioners will discuss whether the full cost of an event’s public safety requirement should fall entirely on the event applicant or if it should be shared with residents.

The Sanford Community Redevelopment Agency, which was started in 1995, was shut down at the end of last year because a CRA cannot last more than 30 years in Florida.

The CRA budget and responsibilities returned to the city, which has until the end of the year to complete any ongoing projects.

Over the last four years, the city said service support costs have totaled approximately $684,000 for a total of 523 events.

Since 2006, the city used a policy tool that allocated a $50,000 annual appropriation for special event and charitable organization funding with a maximum allocation of $7,500 to any one organization.

In an effort to determine if the policy provides a fair and streamlined distribution network, commissioners will weigh it against two other options.

A cost recovery option would have applicants pay 100% of public safety and city service costs. If that policy is chosen, there would be no city sponsorship budget, although it may reduce the number of events.

The third option calls for a one-year pilot of a “Public Safety & City Services Support Fund.”

The pilot would provide a partial offset of security for qualifying events and require an annual evaluation.

Commissioners are being asked to confirm a policy direction, set funding parameters, and establish a timeline when a decision is made.

The discussion will happen during a work session on Monday at 4 p.m.

At least six people — three first responders and three civilians — were injured. Officials said the fire was “human-caused” but did not provide details on how they reached that conclusion, or whether it was intentionally set or accidental.

The Hawk Fire began Saturday and grew to more than 23 square miles (60 sq. km.) as it spread Sunday across the Peavine Peak area of the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest, where rugged foothills are ringed by homes and businesses near the California state line. There was zero containment.

Some 42,000 residents have been ordered evacuated as the “GO NOW” zone expanded, reaching the edge of the University of Nevada. An additional 45,000 people were in the adjacent evacuation warning zone. Authorities urged people to be prepared to stay away for several days, because shifting and strengthening winds were expected to make the fire even more unpredictable.

“Please get out if you can right now,” Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said.

A Sunday evening update said crews observed “extreme fire behavior” as gusts pushed flames through dry brush.

“Over the next 12 hours, the fire is expected to continue to make moderate to high intensity runs in pockets of dense fuels,” the statement said.

A family raced to grab possessions but lost their home

It wasn't known how many homes were destroyed. Cari Kieffer said a video posted on social media showed her house entirely burned down, with only a scorched basketball hoop still standing.

“I woke up this morning and just started crying — all my kids, they lost everything,” Kieffer said Sunday. “We lost all our stuff. Everything we own is gone.”

Kieffer had been watching her son’s football game Saturday when she learned that their home on the outskirts of Reno was in the evacuation zone. An app the family used to track the fire’s progress had been lagging significantly behind its actual location, she said, so they thought firefighters had kept the blaze from their neighborhood.

Instead, Kieffer, her husband and their four children ages 3 to 16 raced to save their dogs and whatever possessions they could retrieve. Ash rained down, and the wind blew like an oven blast from a wall of flames advancing down the hillside toward their neighborhood, she said.

“I kept looking outside and the flames just kept getting closer and closer every time I looked,” Kieffer said. “I was like, we gotta go like now.”

Eyes watering and throat burning, Kieffer grabbed a handful of clothes, a Bible, her wedding photos and her mother’s ashes. In the frenzy, as firefighters yelled at her family to leave immediately, she said she forgot her family’s birth certificates and was unable to salvage her childhood photos.

The family drove to a friend’s home but had to evacuate again. They learned later Saturday evening that their own home was gone.

Governor declares state of emergency and mobilizes National Guard

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County and mobilized the Nevada National Guard to support aerial firefighting with two helicopter crews as well as 60 troops to help police safeguard evacuated neighborhoods. Also responding were 800 fire personnel.

Nearly 10,000 customers were without power in Washoe County on Sunday, down from 60,000 on Saturday. Portions of U.S. Route 395, a major north-south highway, were closed due to the fire. Reno, with more than 280,000 residents, is the largest city in Nevada outside of metro Las Vegas.

Washoe County emergency officials opened the Reno-Sparks Convention Center to evacuees, but said they couldn’t bring their pets — small animals and large animals were to be left at two other locations. Casinos in Reno offered discounts on hotel rooms to evacuees.

The fire turned destructive fast

The fire was so small Saturday morning that it wasn’t even a concern, said Tyler Duvall, who went camping over the weekend. By the next day, his house was in the evacuation zone.

“The wind really blew it up,” Duvall said.

On Saturday alone, 15 new fires popped up across Nevada. Months of dry weather and a record lack of snow this past winter across the American West have created prime fire conditions. Earlier this month, wildfires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area, while three wildfires north of Reno forced more than 13,000 residents from their homes.

A mountaintop home goes up in flames

Jaida Hargrove’s grandfather, Rick Arrate, lived alone on Peavine Mountain, which overlooks Reno and Sparks. Firefighters used a bulldozer, cut down trees and applied fire retardant in their attempt to contain the flames, Hargrove said.

“They all thought it would be OK,” she said. “And then, in about 30 minutes, the winds just changed and it came way too fast.”

Arrate and the firefighters were quickly forced off the mountain. “All he was able to take with him was his two golden retrievers,” Hargrove said.

Arrate spent Saturday night with Hargrove’s parents, his next steps unknown.

Separate GoFundMe crowdfunding campaigns were set up to assist Arrate and the Kieffer family.

A Nevada transplant gets a rude welcome to Reno

Retired police officer and firefighter Ted Melden has seen his share of Mother Nature’s fury since moving to Reno with his wife earlier this month from Chapin, South Carolina. So far, he has experienced a hailstorm with flash flooding, two different power outages and, now, the second wildfire incident in the region in two weeks.

“Just another natural disaster,” Melden said.

In the two years he lived in South Carolina, Melden said Hurricane Helene knocked over trees in his yard, while a tornado did some damage in his neighborhood.

For now, Melden hasn’t been ordered to leave his home, but he has his bags packed just in case.

“You just have to roll with the flow and be ready,” he said.

David Barb returned from a weekend hunting trip to find the fire had leveled his taxidermy shop, but his house nearby appeared to have been spared thanks to workers with a landscaping company who cut a fire break, he said. His wife was home when the fire started on the other side of the mountain and later evacuated to a friend’s house.

“I’m kind of devastated, but thank God everyone’s safe,” he said Sunday.

Residents just outside the evacuation zone are keeping watch

The University of Nevada, where many of the 20,000 undergraduates moved into their housing this weekend, was just outside the evacuation zone Sunday.

Two hospitals evacuated patients and the sheriff said his office was keeping a close watch on whether to evacuate the county jail.

The fire moved exceptionally fast Saturday night, jumping over fire trucks and making it difficult for responders to get to hot spots while residents were trying to get out, the sheriff said.

“It was extremely confusing,” Balaam said, describing how changing winds sent the flames in different directions.

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Raby reported from Charleston, West Virginia, Brook from New Orleans and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in 1981. The United Nations and most of the international community consider the territory occupied Syrian land and do not recognize Israel’s annexation of it.

In 2019, Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the territory, reversing decades of U.S. policy.

Ambassador Tom Barrack on Friday said that Israel “still” occupies the territory in an interview with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur Mario Nawfal.

Barrack now says that was a description of the territory’s historical status, “not an endorsement of the United Nations’ position” on the Golan.

"United States policy on the Golan was set by President Trump in 2019 and is unchanged,” he said in a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday.

He said he intended to explain why he does not anticipate annexation in Lebanon, where Israeli forces are occupying parts of the south after the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, and to argue that negotiated agreements, rather than territorial maps, are more durable and that he had cited the Golan as an example that “territory taken by force remains contested for generations.”

In the Friday interview, Barrack had also criticized Israel’s strikes on an airbase in northern Syria earlier last week. Israeli officials said the strikes intended to prevent Turkey from establishing a presence at the base.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz defended the strikes, saying on X on Sunday that critics who initially called it “unnecessary and politically motivated” changed their position after the government said they were based on “clear intelligence” and at the recommendation of the Israeli army. He added that Israel would not allow Turkey “to establish itself in Syria and threaten Israeli security.”

The strikes last Tuesday have highlighted growing tensions between Israel and Turkey over Ankara’s increased influence in Syria following the fall of Bashar Assad. Turkey and Syria have denied that Turkish forces were due to be deployed at the Abu Duhur base.

Barrack’s comments on the Golan also sparked a backlash in Washington.

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott wrote on X that the ambassador appears to have “forgotten” Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the territory.

Barrack went further on the defensive on Sunday, responding to criticism of his assessment of ongoing negotiations between Israel and Lebanon over Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of the militant group.

He had said “there are two people missing from that (negotiating) table – Hezbollah and Iran.” That remark prompted speculation Barrack meant Tehran and Hezbollah should join the U.S.-backed negotiations.

On Sunday, Barrack stressed that the U.S. does not negotiate with Hezbollah, but said he was pointing out that “the weapons in question are supplied and financed by Iran," which complicates negotiations over their fate.

“I was describing the difficulty of the problem, not proposing a new table,” Barrack told the AP. “Hezbollah is a designated foreign terrorist organization. We do not negotiate with it, and nothing I said suggests otherwise.”

He also defended his remarks questioning who would replace Tehran’s financial support for Shiite communities in southern Lebanon, saying that raising those questions was “not conferring standing on anyone.”

The meeting, held shortly before Anutin flew north to inspect the badly flooded province of Nan, followed 51 incidents on Saturday night in the southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.

The attackers did not engage with military or police forces. Only three civilians were known to have been wounded, and they were reported to be recovering on Sunday.

The violence primarily involved small bombs, arson and other forms of property damage. The highest-profile target was a 7-Eleven convenience store in Pattani. A video circulating on social media appeared to show armed men stalking outside the store while customers and workers fled before it was set on fire.

A bomb that damaged rail tracks in Narathiwat forced the suspension of local and long-haul services. It was not clear when they would be restored due to the uncertain security situation.

As has often been the case with such incidents, no group was immediately publicly blamed or claimed responsibility for the actions.

However, such attacks are generally believed to be carried out by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani, or BRN. It is the major insurgent group in the south with the organizational means and support to stage such an action. It is also the group with which the Thai government has been holding on-again, off-again peace talks.

The three southernmost provinces are the only ones with Muslim majorities in predominantly Buddhist Thailand and the BRN has said that it is seeking self-rule for them.

Muslim residents have long complained of being treated like second-class citizens in Thailand, and separatist movements have been periodically active for decades.

Insurgent violence escalated sharply in 2004 and was met with heavy-handed crackdowns, further fueling discontent. According to Deep South Watch, a think tank based at the Prince of Songkla University’s campus in Pattani, 7,837 people have died in the violence in the past 22 years.

The last major flare-up came in July, when about 10 attackers opened fire and threw pipe bombs at soldiers at a security checkpoint in Narathiwat. Five paramilitary soldiers were killed and six civilians were wounded, including a 10-year-old boy.

Don Pathan, an independent security analyst, says the BRN carries out attacks largely for leverage as it negotiates with the Thai government.

“From the ground, BRN combatants are turned off by the boasting of military officials and wanted to use the spike in violence to demonstrate their capabilities," said Pathan. "Many of the targets in these latest incidents were civilians, but BRN combatants were not after body counts. They want to send a stern message to the Thais of what they are capable of doing.”

But with a wife and a widowed mother to help support, he needed a quick solution. So the laid-off web developer turned to one of a growing number of three-year degree programs.

“I can’t afford to be out of the workforce for four years. That just seems like forever, and the three-year made it seem less daunting,” said Sims, a student at Ensign College, a private Salt Lake City school that recently changed all its bachelor’s degrees to require fewer classes than a traditional four-year degree.

The condensed programs have exploded in popularity. As of this spring, 26 U.S. states have a college that offers at least one reduced-credit, three-year bachelor's, according to the nonprofit research group RAND.

Advocates say these programs are a solution to the college affordability crisis and a godsend for non-traditional students like Sims.

Critics, however, worry that they’ll narrow too much what students learn, confuse employers, limit graduate school options and create headaches in fields that require state licenses.

The American Association of University Professors, for one, says the programs devalue the meaning of a college credential.

“This is not innovation. This is just cutting corners,” said Todd Wolfson, AAUP's president.

A new option to graduate more quickly, but with reduced credit

For decades, colleges have offered accelerated programs that let students finish faster, often by forgoing long summer breaks, maximizing transfer credits and condensing semester-long courses into shorter, five- to 10-week terms.

But those programs maintained the same course load, measured as credits. The new programs let students finish faster by completing as few as 90 credit hours. That shaves a year off the typical 120-hour bachelor’s degree.

Three-year bachelor’s degrees are common in other countries including the United Kingdom, India, France and Italy. But they can create complications for graduates seeking admission to U.S. graduate schools, which sometimes require extra coursework.

Some of the earliest colleges in colonial America, modeled after English institutions like Oxford and Cambridge, initially had three-year degrees, said John Thelin, the author of “A History of American Higher Education.” By the 19th century, the four-year format had taken hold, partly because there wasn’t an established system of public high schools to prepare students, Thelin said.

“The colleges would have to kind of start from scratch,” he said.

A change in accreditation opened the door to shorter degrees

The idea of bringing three-year degrees to the U.S. got attention in 2009 when Robert Zemsky, the founding director of the Institute for Research on Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, argued in a Newsweek cover story that three-year degrees could shake up a broken system.

But there was a roadblock, he recalled recently. “Accreditors said, ‘College is 120 credits, not 90 credits,’” he said.

Years passed. And in 2022, amid mounting concerns about college affordability, Zemsky helped revive the idea. The College-in-3 Exchange was born, and dozens of higher education institutions joined the network to look for ways to help students get degrees faster.

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities was the first accreditor to say yes in 2023, when it approved reduced-credit programs at Ensign and Brigham Young University-Idaho. Other accreditors quickly followed.

As of May, 119 reduced-credit programs had been publicly announced, according to the RAND analysis, which was conducted to help education officials in Ohio as they weigh the feasibility of reduced-credit degrees.

It comes at a time when tuition and fees averaged $11,950 for in-state students at public schools and $45,000 at private nonprofits last school year, although many students get discounts that reduce the price, according to a report from the College Board, the nonprofit that oversees the SAT.

Some degrees are easier to compress

Private nonprofit schools offer three-quarters of the reduced-credit programs, frequently online. Typically, they compress the majors by reducing electives. Business degrees in fields such as marketing and management are the most common, followed by computer and information sciences.

Other majors, such as engineering, with its extensive math requirements, have been harder to shrink. And RAND found just six reduced-credit degrees in teacher education, which involves real-world experience requirements and state licensure.

Jill Cohen, 42, lives on a ranch in rural Yoder, Colorado, and is completing her teaching degree through one such program at Indiana Wesleyan.

She quit her old job selling life insurance and turned to teaching after a farming accident nearly claimed her life. Already, she is in the classroom, teaching middle school English, as she works on the degree through a special “Grow Your Own” program designed to address staff shortages.

Because her home is busy — she has twin 12-year-olds, along with a menagerie that includes horses, goats and chickens — she appreciates the streamlined degree.

“Why do I need to take, you know, underwater basket weaving when I could just take the evolutionary structure of the English language — what I’m going to be teaching,” she said.

However, programs with state licensing requirements are one of the biggest worries for Jenna Kramer, a policy researcher at RAND.

Indiana Wesleyan, which has a growing slate of reduced-credit offerings, said its education programs are specifically designed to meet Indiana licensing requirements. Students from elsewhere will need to check if the programs meet their state requirements, said Pam Downing, the school's director of communications, in an email.

The RAND report also found the programs are so new that there are no standard practices for admitting three-year degree recipients into graduate school.

Students acknowledge it's a gamble

Gabriella Staten, a 20-year-old student in the reduced-credit digital marketing program at Mount Mary University, a Catholic women’s institution in Milwaukee, estimates it will save her at least $20,000. While she sometimes wonders whether employers will take her degree as seriously as a four-year degree, she decided she could prove herself.

“Even if they were to look a little bit down on the three-year pathway, I can show them otherwise with the work,” she said.

Wesley Hardy, who is three semesters into a bachelor of applied science in accounting at Ensign, also sees the pros and cons. He likes that the three-year format will get him into the workforce faster.

But he noted that the requirements to become a certified public accountant — something he has considered — vary by state. Many require 120 semester hours to sit for the exam and 150 to become licensed. Graduate school often is needed.

Bruce Kusch, president of Ensign, said he has talked to multiple college presidents and doesn’t anticipate that graduate school will be a problem. But Hardy, 22, has questions about how it would work.

“Would I have to take extra classes?” he asked. “It’s definitely something I’ve thought of.”

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The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

The recount gave Joe Strada one additional vote and Carey Baker one additional vote, leaving the margin between the two candidates essentially unchanged. Lake County submitted its 2nd Unofficial Results to the Florida Division of Elections following the count.

“Our recount process went flawlessly, thanks to the entire team’s careful attention to detail,” said Lake County Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays. “I am grateful to every staff member and the Canvassing Board for their dedication throughout the election and recount process.”

What Triggered the Recount

Before the recount, districtwide unofficial results showed Strada leading Baker 27,389 to 26,996 — a difference of 393 votes, or a margin of approximately 0.48%.

Under Florida law, a machine recount is required when the margin of victory is one-half of 1% or less, unless the trailing candidate declines it in writing.

“The Florida Statutes, Chapter 102.141, tell us that if the margin of victory in any particular contest is one-half of 1% or less, then we must do a machine recount,” Hays said. “Unless the person with the fewest number of votes sends a letter to the Secretary of State saying, ‘Don’t bother to do the recount. I accept the results.’”

No such letter was sent, and the Florida Secretary of State ordered election offices across the district to recount the race.

How the Recount Works

In Lake County, workers processed nearly 28,000 Republican ballots through tabulation machines. Hays said the first step is separating the Republican ballots, then running them through the machines again to retabulate the District 11 votes.

The machine recount may not be the final step. If the new districtwide margin is 0.25% or less, election workers must conduct a hand recount of overvotes and undervotes.

Hays explained that an overvote occurs when a voter marks more candidates than allowed, while an undervote occurs when no candidate is marked at all.

“These machines are so sensitive that they will pick up just a little pin drop of ink on that oval,” Hays said, adding that a canvassing board can review those ballots to determine voter intent.

What Happens Next

The Lake County Canvassing Board meets Wednesday, August 26 at 10 a.m. to certify the official results and submit them to the Division of Elections.

The winner of the Republican primary will advance to the November general election. The seat is currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, who first entered Congress in 2011 and has represented District 11 since 2017. Webster is retiring at the end of his current term.

Voters with questions can contact the Lake County Supervisor of Elections Office at 352-343-9734.

There were no major issues for Sophie Cunningham and DiJonai Carrington in Indiana's 113-90 victory over Chicago on Sunday night. Cunningham scored three points for the Fever in 11 minutes, and Carrington had seven points for the Sky in 18 minutes.

It was the first matchup between the teams since Cunningham was taken down by Carrington on a fast break earlier this month. Carrington was listed as questionable with a left foot injury, but she was cleared after going through warmups.

Cunningham downplayed any lingering animosity between the teams going into the game. Indiana had dropped two in a row.

“My mindset has never changed. I think it is what it is,” Cunningham said. “I’m locked in on tonight. ... I think we’re just out here trying to get the win.”

Cunningham and Carrington both checked in for the first time with 3:04 left in the first quarter. There were no disputes of note between the two players all night long.

Sky coach Tyler Marsh said he didn't have any conversations with his players before the game about the charged atmosphere for their previous matchup.

“That kind of was what it was last game and anything that came out of it kind of lasted for that time,” Marsh said. “But for us, again, it was on to the next one in front of us.”

Cunningham was going up for a layup in the first quarter of Indiana's 90-86 win on Aug. 8 when Carrington came from behind and hit her in the head and neck, knocking her to the court as the shot went in. Cunningham got up, charged Carrington and pushed her as she was held back by a teammate.

The play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2 after the referee said there was windup, impact and follow-through on the foul, resulting in Carrington's ejection.

Shortly after she was thrown out, Carrington posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media and tagged the Fever. Carrington is Black and Cunningham is white.

Days later, Carrington posted that she never claimed the assessment of the Flagrant 2 was the result of white privilege, but she didn't elaborate any further.

“I (couldn't) care less about what she does, what she tweets, any of that,” Cunningham said before Sunday's game. "I’m here to play basketball.

“There's going to be people who are going to talk about it ... but to me, it’s just another basketball game.”

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Freedom was sitting along the baseline. He had on a black shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”

The Fever called for a timeout after Cloud scored inside with 1:22 left in the third. Cloud then did a chest bump with teammate Aicha Coulibaly before turning around and walking in Kanter's direction.

Cloud, 34, started yelling and pointing at Kanter, 34, as she approached him. A standing Kanter held his arms out and took one step on the court as security and a handful of Sky players moved in between the two.

“There was just a fan incident and the security handled it, and we're just going to focus on the game,” Chicago forward Azura Stevens said after the Sky's 113-90 loss.

Chicago coach Tyler Marsh said Cloud was concerned about being a distraction for the team.

“I told her she wasn’t,” Marsh said. “I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that need to be protected and so Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash.”

Freedom stopped near the basket to plead his case to security as he was escorted from the court area. He spun around while holding his shirt out and encouraged the crowd to respond as he walked toward the front lobby.

He had a conversation with a group of police officers before departing Wintrust Arena.

“I didn’t see it, we were talking about the next play in our huddle," Indiana star Caitlin Clark said, "so I think that’s probably a question for Chicago.”

Cloud met with team and league security after the game. She did not speak with the media.

The WNBA has been the subject of recent debates on whether transgender women — people assigned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity — should be allowed to participate in the league. There has never been such a player in the WNBA.

Although the league’s collective bargaining agreement says the WNBA is restricted to women, it contains no more specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth.

Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said in an ESPN profile published last month that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Freedom and Royce White, another former NBA player, have declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.

Kanter joined a small rally in support of Cunningham outside the arena before the game.

Asked if he had a message for Kanter, Marsh praised the league and its players.

“If you come to a game you should probably come to enjoy the basketball," he said, “and that seems pretty simple to me. I think these players deserve that and have earned that. Being a former basketball player, you should probably understand and feel that too.”

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Clark made a career-high eight of Indiana's franchise-record 18 3-pointers. She also had 10 assists.

The Fever closed out a 3-2 trip with their third game in four nights. They had dropped two in a row.

Natasha Cloud had 16 points and seven assists for Chicago, which had won three in a row. Azura Stevens added 14 points and eight rebounds.

The Sky were eliminated from the playoff race with the loss and Washington's win on Sunday night.

Indiana played without center Aliyah Boston, who was sidelined by a right leg injury. Boston had 22 points and six assists in Saturday's 109-102 loss at New York.

The Fever used a 13-2 run to open a 71-60 lead in the third quarter. Clark started the spurt with a 3 and Mitchell scored eight straight points before Clark capped the run with a jumper with 4:31 left.

Lexie Hull converted a reverse layup to make it 97-82 with 4:37 left. Hull scored 14 points for the Fever, and Makayla Timpson finished with 12.

It was the first game between the teams since Indiana guard Sophie Cunningham was taken down by DiJonai Carrington on a hard foul in the first quarter of the Fever's 90-86 win on Aug. 8. Cunningham scored three points while playing more than 11 minutes, and Carrington had seven points in 18 minutes for the Sky.

Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom attended the game, but he was ejected in the third quarter after he was confronted by Cloud. Freedom and Royce White, another former NBA player, have declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.

Up next

The Fever host the Connecticut Sun on Friday night.

The Sky visit Connecticut on Tuesday night.

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The National Hurricane Center located Moke's center about 320 miles (515 kilometers) south-southwest of Hilo around midday. Top sustained winds were around 40 mph (65 kph), though the real impact was expected from rainfall in places where last weekend’s hurricane flooded communities, triggered mudslides and damaged roads and power lines. Two deaths linked to the hurricane have been reported in Hawaii.

Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda advised residents in a social media post Sunday they “should stay off the roads and shelter in place” as a precaution. He said anyone in need could take refuge at shelters that the county had opened at several locations.

Forecasters expected Moke to produce as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of total rain across the Big Island, and up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) in some isolated places, enough to cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides for the windward and southeast slopes, especially in steep terrain and over areas affected by Lala. The center of the storm was expected to pass south of the Big Island, then south of the smaller main islands of Hawaii.

In eastern Maui, up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain was expected, and the other islands may get an inch or two (between 2.5 and 5 centimeters), according to the hurricane center.

As with Hurricane Lala, the Big Island was expected to bear the brunt of Moke's rain and winds as the storm moves westward, south of the island chain. After moving away from the islands, Lala was downgraded and remained a strong tropical storm on Sunday far out in the Central Pacific.

The northeast coast of the Big Island saw the heaviest total rainfall from Lala, at 43.54 inches (1.1 meters), according to the weather service.

Ahead of Moke's approach, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green urged people to prepare by restocking food, medicine and other essentials. More than 6,500 customers in the county remained without power Sunday stemming from Lala, according to poweroutage.us.

In the eastern Pacific, meanwhile, Tropical Storm Iselle formed earlier Sunday and was gaining strength, far away from Mexico's southwest coast.

Iselle had top sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) on Sunday afternoon and was about 535 miles (860 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect for Iselle as it moved to the northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Iselle could become a hurricane in another day or two and would kick up strong ocean swells on Baja's western coastline starting Monday.

The two sides reached the deal Sunday night, a person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade hadn't been announced.

ESPN first reported the deal.

The trade came a week before teams are required to cut down their rosters from 90 players to 53 for the start of the season with both teams adding depth this week for players who weren't expected to make the roster.

The 31-year-old Jones had been mostly a reserve player the past two seasons in Tampa Bay seeing most of his action on special teams. He spent his first six seasons in the NFL in Atlanta, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2017 and playing on 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris' defense in 2020.

San Francisco doesn't have a glaring need at linebacker where Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw are projected as two of the starters and several other players are in the running for a backup spot. But Nick Martin and Jalen Graham have been out of practice the past few days with an injury and the Niners could be looking for another body for practice this week and the final exhibition game on Thursday night against Las Vegas.

New Orleans was in need of help at running back after Alvin Kamara went down with a sprained knee this past week that could sideline him for a month.

White had 14 carries for 30 yards in two exhibition games for San Francisco but wasn't needed any more with All-Pro Christian McCaffrey and rookie Kaelon Black returning to practice this past week following injuries.

White spent his first four seasons in Las Vegas and had 198 carriers for 736 yards with his production coming late in the 2023 season.

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Video from a Volusia County Sheriff’s Office helicopter shows flight paramedic Matt Brunelle jumping roughly 20 feet from the aircraft into the lake to reach the fisherman and his wife, who had been performing CPR.

“I reach back here and close the door. Once I had the door closed, then I just kind of jumped forward into the water,” Brunelle said.

Brunelle said the decision to jump was made quickly because the fisherman needed immediate medical assistance.

“So it was almost instant,” he said. “He needed assistance immediately—and her being by herself.”

Brunelle said it could have taken ground responders 20 to 25 minutes to reach the couple by boat.

Lake Woodruff is in an isolated area, making the rescue even more challenging. The closest roadway access is still miles from the lake and surrounding waterways.

While the helicopter crew made its way to the fisherman, deputies on shore found a Good Samaritan with a boat who agreed to help. Deputies used the boat to reach the fisherman’s pontoon, where they continued performing CPR until EMS arrived and took over the lifesaving efforts

.The fisherman was rushed to a hospital but ultimately did not survive. Volusia County Sheriff’s Office officials said their hearts go out to the fisherman’s wife, who was forced to perform CPR on her husband during the traumatic emergency.

Brunelle said everyone involved did everything they could to give the fisherman a chance.

“We don’t need any gratuity. We just do it,” Deputy Jevon Gardner said. “But when there’s somebody out there who’s willing to do the same thing for us, it’s probably one of the best feelings, because a lot of people don’t.”

The sheriff’s office said the response involved multiple agencies and a Good Samaritan who stepped in to help when it mattered most.

News 6 reached out to the Good Samaritan who assisted deputies and is waiting to hear back.

The investigation into what caused the medical emergency continues.

The 49ers got good news on the injury front 10 days before the team was set to depart for Australia for a Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 11 with Kittle and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey both back at practice.

“It definitely just gives us energy," offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said. “It just changes things. You got two Hall of Fame caliber players out there who are back out there and getting their work in. They practice at a high standard, and they lift everybody up. So, it definitely changes your energy a little bit.”

The Niners are scheduled to leave for Australia on Sept. 2 and Kittle said last week that he needed to get practice time in pads before then to determine whether he would make the trip and try to play Week 1.

Kittle ruptured his Achilles on Jan. 11 in a playoff win at Philadelphia and has made an impressive recovery to get back on the field in less than eight months.

Kittle is a two-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler who is a key part of San Francisco’s offense as a passing threat and a blocker in the run game. He had 57 catches for 628 yards receiving and seven touchdowns last season.

McCaffrey had missed the past two weeks of practice with what the team had described as “tightness.” After being limited to four games because of injuries in 2024, McCaffrey was an ironman last season. He played 1,010 offensive snaps in the regular season and playoffs — just the ninth running back in the past 20 seasons to top the 1,000 mark — and became the second player in the past decade with at least 450 combined carries and catches.

The 30-year-old McCaffrey hasn’t responded well in the past following his heaviest-use seasons. The previous two times he topped 400 touches — in 2019 with Carolina and 2023 with the 49ers — he was severely hampered by injuries the following season, missing 13 games each in 2020 and 2024.

McCaffrey said the recent time off should be of no concern for the season as it was part of the protocol plan to get him ready.

“Obviously, when you don’t practice, the way the media works now is a firestorm,” he said. “But this was kind of part of the plan from the jump was to ramp up pretty big, get nine, 10 practices in, kind of come back down, and then ramp back up so we’re fresh for the duration. Our staff’s done a great job of coming up with specific plans. I feel great. I feel fresh, and it’s good to be back out there.”

Star defensive end Nick Bosa remains out of practice with soreness and tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee. Bosa tore his right ACL in Week 3 last season. He started camp on the active roster but has only participated in individual drills before being shut down nearly three weeks ago. The Niners have expressed optimism that he will be ready for Week 1.

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Zelenskyy also alluded to problematic decisions over defense spending and said that inaccurate information provided by the Defense Ministry contributed to an awkward encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump over the use of Starlink in Russia.

Zelenskyy disclosed figures showing Ukraine’s growing shortage of Patriot air-defense missiles needed to counter Russian ballistic attacks, with deliveries from Western allies declining in the past three years even as Russian missile strikes intensified.

He highlighted battlefield gains, however, saying Ukrainian forces have almost completely recaptured the Dnipropetrovsk region, with only about 10 square kilometers (around 4 square miles) remaining under Russian control.

The Ukrainian president made the remarks during a two-hour off-the-record meeting with reporters on Saturday, with a transcript released publicly on Sunday.

Zelenskyy's first public comments on Fedorov dismissal

His comments ranged widely, covering the latest battlefield developments, efforts to counter Russian ballistic attacks, the state of peace negotiations, Ukraine’s budgetary challenges and the political turmoil surrounding Fedorov’s dismissal.

“I really had and still have a very positive attitude toward Mykhailo. We have been through a lot together. But I believe that he himself goes, or is pushed, into the wrong things,” he said.

Fedorov, a popular minister credited with modernizing Ukraine’s armed forces and accelerating the military’s embrace of technology and drone warfare, was dismissed last month after reportedly falling out with the country’s top military commander. His removal triggered mass protests that lasted for weeks, but ultimately failed to force a reversal of the decision. Fedorov later called for an election.

Zelenskyy said that he had offered Fedorov four different options to continue working in the government. Fedorov, he said, rejected all of them.

The Ukrainian leader told journalists that he believes holding an election during the war would be a huge risk with the potential to “split Ukraine apart.”

“I believe elections during a war like this would generally pose enormous risks. Holding elections right now would be a tsunami for the state that would split Ukraine apart,” he said.

Zelenskyy said he had previously faced pressure to hold an election during the war, but no partners had come up with a plan for how a poll could be held safely, legitimately and democratically.

Inaccurate information led to uncomfortable White House encounter

Zelenskyy appeared to link Fedorov to an awkward episode involving Starlink and Elon Musk. Zelenskyy said that earlier this year, the Defense Ministry had told him that SpaceX had agreed to allow Ukraine to use Starlink over Russian territory to carry out deep strike operations, subject to political approval.

Acting on that, Zelenskyy said, he raised the issue directly with U.S. President Donald Trump. He told Trump that Musk had confirmed the proposed use. Zelenskyy said the two sides subsequently sought Musk’s confirmation and discussed financing for the project.

But at a later meeting, Zelenskyy said that Trump told him that Musk had rejected the proposal and accused him of having misled the U.S. president. Musk considered the move a dangerous escalation, according to Zelenskyy.

“He said that I had supposedly deceived him, because Musk had denied Ukraine the use of Starlink on Russian territory. I went back to our Ministry of Defense and they said that maybe it was so,” he said.

Zelenskyy didn't explicitly accuse Fedorov of lying. He said that the situation was among the reasons behind “some of the steps.”

Zelenskyy also pushed back against protesters’ vilification of former army chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who he dismissed, and current Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Yevhen Khmara, saying they had gone too far.

“Maybe someone doesn’t like Syrskyi for one reason or another. But the slogans ‘Syrskyi is the devil, Khmara is the devil,'” he said. “Listen, this is too much. Do you understand? In principle, you can’t treat the military like this and tolerate it, especially when it was the military that made it possible for any peaceful protests to take place in the Ukrainian capital at all.”

Pressure on defense budget but military successes

Zelenskyy also described severe financial pressure on Ukraine’s defense effort. He said that the Defense Ministry faced a $27 billion budget shortfall after spending decisions earlier in the year brought forward funds originally intended for the second half of this year.

Touching on a corruption inquiry that led Zelenskyy to fire one of his most senior officials this week, he said that anti-corruption investigators don't believe that the president was involved. The investigators had named a deputy head of the presidential office among the suspects in a money-laundering case.

“The heads of anti-corruption agencies have zero questions for me. They understand perfectly well that I am not involved in anything like that. And this is important to me,” he said.

On the battlefield, Zelenskyy was optimistic. In addition to Ukraine almost completely regaining control of the Dnipropetrovsk region, he said that another operation was underway elsewhere and that its results were expected by the end of August.

He also predicted that by the end of the year, Ukraine could reach parity between the territory occupied by Russia since the beginning of the year and the territory retaken by Ukrainian forces. Zelenskyy said that Russia had occupied about 990 square kilometers (380 square miles) since the start of the year, while Ukraine had restored control over roughly 820 square kilometers (315 square miles).

The president said that Russia’s principal objective remained the Konstantynivka-Sloviansk-Kramatorsk axis, and that Moscow was still demanding that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas region as a condition for a settlement.

Still struggling for access to Patriot missiles

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was receiving substantially fewer Patriot interceptor missiles even as Russian ballistic attacks are increasing.

He said that Ukraine received 675 Patriot missiles in 2023, compared with 364 in 2025 and an expected 264 this year. Zelenskyy said that he wanted to secure 300 additional Patriot missiles for the coming winter, while Ukraine’s air force had requested 360.

The shortfall is particularly serious, because the United States and European partners are struggling to expand production. Zelenskyy said that he hoped Ukraine could obtain even 5% or 10% of U.S. reserves and was able to pay for them.

Zelenskyy said that Russia could eventually produce up to 1,300 ballistic missiles a year, compared with an estimated current capacity of 600.

He said that Ukraine was also preparing alternatives to Starlink, including a European communications project, as Russia and China work on their own competing system.

Other developments

— Debris from a Ukrainian drone hit two industrial facilities including a warehouse belonging to online retailer Ozon, local officials in Russia’s Orenburg region said Sunday.

As well as shifting the war onto Russian soil through long-range drone strikes on oil facilities that have caused fuel shortages across Russia, Ukraine has unsettled the Russian public by striking warehouses of online retailers, including Russia's biggest one, Wildberries, and competitors such as Ozon.

— One person was killed and six wounded in Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia’s Belgorod border region, local authorities said Sunday. A woman also died in a drone attack in the Tula region.

— Two women were killed and five other people were wounded when a Russian drone hit an electric train in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian national police said Sunday.

— Leaders from Nordic and Baltic nations arrived in Kyiv on Sunday, the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day, in a show of solidarity from some of Ukraine’s closest partners before a larger “ coalition of the willing ” meeting.

Leaders from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway attended a flag-raising ceremony, as Ukraine marked Ukraine’s National Flag Day.

“We feel we are not alone. Our allies are with us,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X on Sunday, noting that the leaders would hold bilateral and multilateral talks with Zelenskyy.

Thompson — who is No. 4 on the NBA's all-time 3-pointers made list — cleared waivers Sunday afternoon and wasted little time finalizing a two-year deal worth about $11.5 million. The second season of the deal is at Thompson's option.

The deal makes sense in many ways for both sides. Thompson makes no secret about how much he loves the water and boating; the Heat play their home games at the edge of Biscayne Bay. He's of Bahamian heritage; the island nation is a short flight from Miami and is home to a sizable base of Heat fans. And, perhaps most importantly, the Heat knew they wanted to add shooting to surround the newly acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and incumbent center Bam Adebayo.

“Klay is one of the most iconic players to ever suit up in the NBA,” Heat President Pat Riley said. “A four-time battle tested World Champion who will fit perfectly into his role as an all-around player at both ends of the court. We all talk about his shooting skill, but there is so much more he brings to the game. We are blessed that Klay chose the Heat in our quest to challenge for championships.”

Thompson, a 36-year-old about to enter his 14th season (not counting two missed because of injury) fits that bill perfectly. He's a career 41% shooter from beyond the arc, and last season marked the 11th time that he's made more than 200 3-pointers in a season. For context, the Heat — in their history — have had a player makes 200 3s in a single year only seven times.

There's also the winning pedigree that Thompson brings. He paired with Stephen Curry to be part of Golden State's famed “Splash Brothers” duo that helped lead the Warriors to four NBA championships. He's a five-time All-Star, holds the league record with 14 made 3s in a game, has connected on at least 10 3s in a game nine times and will enter this season just 74 3s behind Ray Allen — a former Heat guard — for third place on the league's all-time list.

It's the latest big move for the Heat this summer. They acquired Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from Milwaukee in a deal that saw them send Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis to the Bucks. They also signed another big-time 3-point threat in Tim Hardaway Jr., who grew up in Miami while his father was playing for the Heat.

Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks agreed on a contract buyout that was executed Friday, the end of his two-year run there that didn't go anywhere close to what either side originally envisioned — especially after the shocking trade of Luka Doncic by the Mavs to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Thompson joined Dallas in a sign-and-trade with Golden State, giving the Mavericks one of the league’s all-time great 3-point shooters to complement Doncic and another high-scoring guard in Kyrie Irving.

But the high hopes for that threesome imploded after the Mavericks sent Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis in a deal before the trade deadline in 2025. Irving tore the ACL in his left knee a month later and hasn’t played since. Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards just before the February trade deadline last season.

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Grayson’s attorney, Daniel Fultz, confirmed that his client died earlier Sunday but declined to provide any further details.

Grayson, 32, was convicted of second-degree murder in October in the fatal shooting of Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who had reported a possible prowler outside her Springfield-area home. Body camera video of the July 2024 encounter showed Massey crouching in her kitchen and apologizing moments before Grayson shot her in the face.

He was sentenced in January to the maximum 20 years in prison.

Grayson had been diagnosed with colon cancer before Massey’s killing, and his attorneys said at his sentencing that the disease had spread to his liver and lungs. In May, only months into his sentence, he sought medical release under an Illinois law for prisoners with terminal illnesses or serious medical conditions. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied his request last month.

Massey called 911 early on July 6, 2024, to report someone prowling outside her home. Grayson and another Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy responded.

Video showed Grayson directing Massey to remove a pot of hot water from the stove. As she held the pot, Massey told the deputies, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Grayson threatened to shoot her, drew his handgun and ordered her to drop the pot. Massey apologized and ducked behind a kitchen counter before Grayson fired three times.

The other deputy, Dawson Farley, later testified that he did not consider Massey a threat and drew his own weapon only after Grayson did.

Grayson was fired after the shooting and charged with first-degree murder. Jurors convicted him of the lesser charge of second-degree murder after Grayson argued that he feared Massey would throw the hot water at him.

Massey’s killing drew national attention and protests and raised questions about how Grayson had moved through several law enforcement agencies before being hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.

Illinois lawmakers later passed the Sonya Massey Act, requiring law enforcement agencies to more closely review an applicant’s previous employment records before hiring an officer.

The Justice Department also opened a civil rights investigation after Massey’s death and later reached an agreement with Sangamon County, its sheriff’s office and other agencies requiring changes to policing and emergency response. Those changes included additional training for interactions with people with behavioral health disabilities and development of a mobile crisis response program.

Authorities said that heavy rains, which started at around 2 a.m., washed over the refuse at Dar Es Salam — the largest landfill in Conakry — and triggered a landslide that buried nearby shacks. A search and rescue operation was underway to find survivors. Six people were seriously injured and several homes were destroyed.

The site, an open-air waste dump which is the largest in the city, had been designated for closure on Sunday, according to Lt. Col. Baldé Mamadou Bailo, the sanitation officer for the military engineering battalion.

Locals living around the landfill had been given eviction notices, which forced many to leave the area, but many others were still around at the time of the disaster, according to authorities.

"We will ensure that the remaining families are relocated elsewhere,” Dienabou Touré, the minister of territorial administration and decentralization, said at the scene.

Guinea is mineral-rich with huge deposits of bauxite — the largest in the world — and also has iron ore, gold, diamonds and minerals. However, according to the World Bank, 43.7% of the population lives below the national poverty line.

Now the 31-year-old Spaniard and the other full-time tour players will wait to see what happens to LIV in 2027.

Rahm is ready to head home and contemplate the future.

“I’m looking forward to going home and helping my very pregnant wife with the kids,” Rahm said. “The fourth one is due in October, and I’m happy to be dad for a few days before I get back to grinding for the Irish Open, and mainly looking forward to a haircut because I need one badly.”

Rahm closed with a 7-under 63 for his second straight runner-up finish in Indy. He ended up a stroke behind 22-year-old Michael La Sasso, the 2025 NCAA individual champ at Mississippi. La Sasso finished with a 65 to get to 18 under.

Clearly, there have been troubling signs for the LIV circuit in recent months.

In April, it was announced Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund would end its investment in the league after this season. LIV spent more than $5 billion in five years, pulling some of the world’s best and most popular American and international players away from other leagues.

Organizers also canceled two events this season — New Orleans in June and next weekend's originally scheduled season-ending event in Michigan — as well the weekend entertainment.

LIV CEO Scott O’Neil told reporters Wednesday he was bullish about plans for 2027 and beyond, saying players would be equity owners and have their commercial rights restored. O’Neil said the plan was to have five team championships overseas and five individual tournaments in the United States scheduled close to the majors for those who qualify for them.

He did not name the lead investor with whom LIV has reached an agreement. Several outlets have identified him as Ted Goldthorpe of BC Partners, who met with the tour's players on Tuesday. O’Neil said there was a deadline for players to commit to LIV 2.0 without citing a specific date. He also has not mentioned the size of the proposed investment.

Though O'Neil said he has a “good level of confidence” that a “critical mass of the right players" will return. Rahm is under contract through next season. Bryson DeChambeau — the other big name — has an expiring contract this year. He tied for third with Sergio Garcia on Sunday and did not speak with reporters following Sunday's event..

But with the season now over, there are only more questions.

"There’s been a lot that’s surrounded all of us pretty much since we joined, and at the end of the day when you step on the golf course, it’s just golf,” Rahm said after bogeying his last hole to open the door for La Sasso. “So all the problems and theories go away, and you compete. It hasn’t been any harder or any easier in any way. It’s just, kind of I think, the life of a pro athlete.”

Despite the cloudy future and the historic flooding in central Indiana that forced organizers to improvise how to get spectators parked and shuttled to The Club at Chatham Hills, in many ways things went off largely as expected.

Organizers set up electronic scoreboards and video boards as well as temporary suites around the course. There were advertising signs for Riyadh Air and other sponsors, chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” as La Sossa rolled in his 2-foot putt on No. 18 to secure the win and the celebratory champaign spray.

Those who attended last year's first tourney at The Club at Chatham Hills thought things went even better at the expanded four-round event.

“It was more well managed from the way they had the ropes set up, just getting in a little cleaner with the traffic so the operation itself was more smooth than last year,” Westfield resident Jacob Meyer said.

Meyer's friend, Jackson Gangwer, added: “It's just more relaxed. Last year it seemed a little more intense since it was the first year being out here.”

Last year's attendance for the three-round event drew more than 60,000 fans, an American record for a LIV event. Organizers did not announce this year's tournament.

But the tour brought top-flight men's golf back to metropolitan Indianapolis for the first time since it hosted the 2012 and 2016 BMW Championships, and it opened the door a new group of fans, some of whom had never attended a major pro event.

If this is the end of the line for LIV Golf, it came in a fitting location — about 30 miles from the arena where the Indiana Pacers closed out their time in the American Basketball Association in 1976 and that hosted Elvis Presley's final concert in 1977.

And after playing in front of the Indy fans each of the past two years, he had a message for those who came back.

“I just want to say think you. It's been incredibly fun to play in front of a crowd this enthusiastic,” Rahm said. “I'm sure everybody here has friends, family or themselves who have had to deal with some of the flooding issues and you know my heart goes out to all those people that lost their homes and lost loved. But the fact so many people came out and supported us means a lot.”

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AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson also contributed to this report.

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See AP’s full golf coverage here

Hat racks are hard to miss in central Athens this summer. Kiosks and stores keep outdoor stands piled high as more tourists in the Greek capital seek relief from the midday heat.

The Acropolis drew about 4.6 million visitors in 2025, a record year for Greek tourism. Many spend hours in mid-30s Celsius (mid-90s Fahrenheit) temperatures with little shade. Even a carriage horse at the foot of the ancient monument has joined in, sporting a brown bucket hat with holes cut for its ears.

“You need a hat. I’m already red as it is,” said Jack Yosif, an Australian tourist wearing a black baseball cap. “It’s a bit more of a common thing nowadays, and people are a bit more aware.”

Scorching temperatures didn't deter a record 38 million visitors last year, the most recent for which there is data. The combination of extreme heat and high demand for sites — which means not everyone can visit in the morning — is adding urgency to sun protection.

Greek health campaigners have welcomed a growing awareness of the dangers of ultraviolet exposure and risk of heat stroke. Red Cross volunteers at the Acropolis hand out kits with sunscreen, water, information leaflets and red caps.

On nearby Syntagma Square, kiosk owner Konstantinos Mallios says hat sales have risen in recent years. His stylish and souvenir models run up to 20 euros ($24) while the cheapest costs 6 euros. Available elsewhere is semi-disposable headgear: mass-produced hats made using compressed paper pulp.

And there are more ostentatious options. At her basement workshop, hatmaker Lisa Sarigiannidou turns straw braids into boaters using century-old presses and molds in a matter of minutes. Her hats start at around 50 euros, with elaborate designs costing more than 100 euros.

“People’s attitudes toward hats have changed,” said Sarigiannidou, who was trained by her hatmaker father. “In the past, when a young woman tried on a hat and looked at herself in the mirror, she usually laughed. Now they try them on seriously … and they wear them straight out the door.”

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Theodora Tongas and Srdjan Nedeljkovic in Athens contributed to this report.

The Team Penske star just needed a moment to vent on his team radio about a pit crew blunder before charging from 17th to first for his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“Whenever I say those things after something bad happens, it’s my relief valve,” Blaney said about scolding his team with an expletive. “I have to get it out in the open, or I’ll be stewing over it a while. That’s how I have to get over things. I wish I wasn’t that way, but I’d rather it be that way than have it be in the back of my mind the rest of the race, not thinking of the main goal. It takes me five or 10 seconds to move on.”

After shaking it off, Blaney recovered to lead the final 74 laps on the 1.058-mile oval, fending off runner-up Bubba Wallace by 0.586 seconds.

Josh Berry, who is trying to find a ride for the 2027 season, finished a season-best third, the fourth consecutive top 10 for the Wood Brothers Racing driver.

The top five was rounded out by Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson. Ryan Preece finished ninth and kept his Chase hopes alive by gaining 19 points on Shane van Gisbergen, who finished 20th and remains in the 16th and final spot for the 10-race title run.

It’s the 20th career victory and third this season for Blaney, who led a race-high 115 of 301 laps. He had cruised to a big lead when a lug nut fell off the left-front tire of his No. 12 Ford during a pit stop under caution with 111 laps remaining.

The 2023 Cup Series champion picked his way through traffic and was back up to seventh when the yellow flag flew on the 226th lap for a three-car crash. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler made an aggressive strategy call for two right-side tires, and Blaney gained six spots in the pits to retake first place.

Hassler said the error “maybe was a little bit of a blessing in disguise” because Blaney emerged several spots ahead of the contenders who took four tires. Of the top 12 finishers, Blaney was the only driver who took two tires on his last stop.

His crew struggled often on stops earlier this season, losing 128 spots in the pits, but has been better with three top-five finishes in the past six races.

“It’s really competitive on pit road, and if you’re going to have any speed, you’re going to have these sort of miscues,” Hassler said. “With the speed we’ve had, our goal has certainly been to eliminate those, even if we give up a little bit of speed to do that. But it’s still going to happen to each of the best teams. We’re fortunate that we’re fast enough and up front enough that people take notice when that’s going to happen.”

NASCAR started the race on wet-weather tires after a midafternoon rain shower, but the track dried quickly, and drivers switched back to slick tires after 40 laps.

Hamlin top seed

Points leader Denny Hamlin also rebounded from a pit stop miscue that dropped the Joe Gibbs Racing driver outside the top 15 with less than 100 laps remaining. Hamlin rallied for a seventh place that clinched the top seed for the Chase.

“We were just pedestrian today,” Hamlin said. “We just didn’t quite have it, but ultimately a decent crawl back.”

Bell’s scary moment

Bell dropped to 31st on a safety violation penalty after front tire changer Blake Houston got dragged from the team’s pit stall while tightening the right-side tire. Bell said he exited the pits as the jack dropped, and Houston wasn’t able to get back across the front of the No. 20 Toyota.

“I saw him kind of flopping around in my rearview camera,” Bell said. “I didn’t feel my car jump up in the air, so I knew I didn’t run him over. It’s alarming and very eye-opening that these guys jumping across pit wall, they’re risking it. I’m super grateful for all the pit crew members, especially my team. They do a real good job. I’m glad Blake is OK.”

Chastain eliminated

A last-place finish extinguished the dim Chase hopes for Ross Chastain, whose No. 1 Chevrolet suffered a mechanical problem after only 40 laps.

“The speed has gotten better, so we’ll hopefully keep moving forward on that,” Chastain said. “That’s the important part. With the things in our control, we were able to make them better through the summer. I’ve learned that’s really tough to do in the NASCAR Cup Series. We did get better, but we’ve got a ways to go.”

Up next

The NASCAR Cup Series will conclude its regular season at Daytona International Speedway with a 160-lap race on Saturday, Aug. 29 at the 2.5-mile oval, setting the 16-driver field for the Chase.

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

Infantino has come under increasing pressure to step down over his plan, now aborted, to sell stakes in soccer’s biggest tournament, the World Cup, to private equity investors. Three of the sport's continental confederations accused him of “deception” and European soccer body UEFA threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions.

“One option is that he realizes that he doesn’t have the support, and that’s not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches,” Ceferin said in an interview with “The Rest is Politics: Leading” British podcast which is set to be broadcast Monday.

“And the second option is that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case, I think he will have a candidate against him. I don’t know yet who.”

Ceferin's comments were in excerpts from the podcast that were published Sunday in the British media.

November deadline

Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 and, until the backlash over his proposals, seemed sure to be reelected unopposed next year in Morocco. FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for challengers to nominate.

Despite being widely seen as a potential challenger to Infantino, the 58-year-old Ceferin expressed his commitment to UEFA.

Ceferin told the podcast: “I’m not interested because of two reasons. One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point … it’s time to also enjoy life a bit.

“And the second point is, my credibility is much, much higher if I’m not interested in the position.”

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Available moisture in our atmosphere will be limited on Monday with drier air hovering around the state. This will bring rain chances down to isolated-spotty storm coverage in the afternoon along our westerly winds. A few isolated showers will develop just after lunchtime around I-4 and areas west of. Rain chances slowly push east towards the 95 corridor mid-late afternoon. Highs will hit the mid 90s thanks to our westerly winds with heat indices ranging 100-105ºF.

Mid-Week

A ridge of high pressure in the mid levels of the atmosphere will begin to shift westward towards Florida. We will remain on the periphery of this ridge for the second half of the week. This ridge will help to grab moisture to our south and funnel it into Florida. Thus, rain chances will gradually increase for the second half of the week and into the upcoming weekend. High temperatures will remain above average all week as we climb into the mid 90s through Thursday. Higher storm and cloud coverage Friday and into the weekend will lower highs into the low 90s.

She died Saturday in Los Angeles, her family said in a statement to The Associated Press. No cause was given.

“To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter, and comfort,” her family wrote. “She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for.”

Fabares was born in Santa Monica, California, in 1944, and started acting as a young child. Her first television credit came at age 10 when she appeared on “The Loretta Young Show.” Many movies and television shows followed: She acted with Paul Newman, Frank Sinatra and Eva Marie Saint in a Producers Showcase production of “Our Town”; was in the Rosalind Russell movie “The Girl Rush” and the Rock Hudson drama “Never Say Goodbye.” Other early credits include “Annette,” “Captain Midnight” and the “Black Leather Jackets” episode of “The Twilight Zone.”

Her biggest break came when she was cast as Mary Stone on “The Donna Reed Show,” where she was a regular from 1958 through 1963. During that time she also got a recording contract and had two Top 40 hits including “Johnny Angel.” In the early 1960s, she also co-starred in three movies with Elvis Presley: “Girl Happy,” “Spinout” and “Clambake.”

“I think the years on ‘The Donna Reed Show,’ the years from 14 to 19, were so incredibly important,” Fabares told the Los Angeles Times in 1993. “Donna Reed was simply an extraordinary woman, a woman of great strength, kindness, integrity and compassion. I am not trying to make her sound like a saint, but she had the most profound influence on me. I carry her with me today.”

In the late 1970s, Fabares made an impression as Francine Webster on the CBS sitcom “One Day at a Time.” She also played James Caan’s wife in “Brian’s Song.” One of her biggest roles came when she was cast as Christine Armstrong in “Coach,” although the show took a minute to find its audience.

“I did always feel from the very beginning if they could find the right spot for us, this was a show that would last,” she said in the 1993 Los Angeles Times interview.

Fabares married twice, first to producer Lou Adler in 1964. She had been married to “M-A-S-H” actor Mike Farrell since 1984. She was also a devoted advocate for Alzheimer’s awareness, which affected her mother.

In early 1999, a visit to the emergency room for an esophageal bleed revealed that she had progressive liver failure. After spending 22 months on a waiting list, she had liver transplant surgery in October 2000.

In an interview with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles three years after the transplant, she said she'd been “changed by the experience” and was eternally grateful to Farrell who was with her “every step of the way.”

Her family, in their statement, said “we will remember Shelley for her kindness, loyalty, wit, courage, and beautiful spirit. We will miss her deeply — not only as a celebrated performer, but as the loving and extraordinary person she was in our everyday lives.”

Only when it was over Sunday at Bellerive, silver trophies of the BMW Championship and the Western Golf Association at his side, did Clark repeat what one of his friends told him.

“Darth Vader had more fun,” Clark said with a big smile.

Clark embraced the pressure of a tense back nine at Bellerive and accepted what his place in the game — “I’ve kind of been the underdog in all of my wins,” he said — by delivering a 5-iron that set up the go-ahead birdie and two more birdies that salvaged an even-par 70 and a three-shot victory, his third of the year.

“I know everyone maybe gives me a hard time and roots for other people,” he said. “But I feel like I’ve kind of come into my own. Three wins in one season is my best year yet —coming off my worst year ever. I’m just really pleased where I’m at right now.”

This puts him squarely in the conversation for PGA Tour player of the year considering one was a major and the other was a FedEx Cup playoff event.

But just like at Shinnecock Hills, it wasn't easy.

He lost his five-shot lead to McIlroy in 11 holes and it was tense the last hour until Clark — without a birdie all day — followed McIlroy's great tee shot on the par-3 16th with a 5-iron just as good. Clark made his from just outside 15 feet. McIlroy's putt from 15 feet to stay tied missed.

“I always felt like I needed to just get my nose ahead to really try to put the pressure on Wyndham, and I couldn’t,” McIlroy said after a 69 to finish third.

Patrick Cantlay comes through to advance

Clark wasn't the only one with cause to celebrate.

Patrick Cantlay, who came in at No. 43 in the FedEx Cup, showed plenty of moxie. Four times he bounced back from a bogey with a birdie, closing with three birdies in a row for a 68 to finish runner-up and be among the top 30 in the FedEx Cup who advance to the Tour Championship.

The winner next week at East Lake captures the FedEx Cup.

“I’m coming to a golf course that I played really well at next week,” said Cantlay, who won at East Lake in 2021 to claim the FedEx Cup. “So I’m really pleased with where my game is at and I think I’m trending in the right direction.”

Woodland's big year to continue

Also moving into the top 30 was Gary Woodland, who pulled within one shot of the lead until topping his tee shot into a creek on the ninth hole on his way to a double bogey. He closed with nine straight pars and fought back tears as he returns to the Tour Championship for the first time since 2019 while recovering from brain surgery three years ago.

He said Saturday, when he was in the final group, took a lot out of him with the noise, the energy and the drones that triggered the kind of brain activity he tries to calm. On Sunday, he tried to embrace it and pulled through with a 69 to tie for fourth.

“I tried to enjoy it," he said. “Outside of topping a ball — I haven't done that for a long time — I'm just really proud.”

Robert MacIntyre closed with a 65 and tied for seventh, enough to move him into the top 30 for a return to East Lake. Those falling out of the top 30 were Rickie Fowler, Bud Cauley and Kurt Kitayama. British Open champion Ryan Fox nailed down the final spot.

Clark's big finish at Bellerive

Clark didn't face near the vitriol he did at Shinnecock Hills, when the New York crowd went from pulling for Scottie Scheffler in his bid for the career Grand Slam to openly rooting against Clark. There was one voice that shouted, “Get in the bunker!” when Clark hit to the par-3 13th. Otherwise, it was a clear pro-McIlroy crowd.

That was OK with Clark. He overcame three bogeys and a state of mind where he felt like he couldn't hit the right shot or make any putt. And then he delivered his best swing — and best putt — on a 232-yard par 3 that yielded only five birdies all day.

“I wasn't really nervous. I was kind of like ... out of it,” Clark said. “I was making dumb bogeys. I didn't make anything on the greens. When I made the putt on the par 3, it got me back. As much as I would have loved to run away with it, it was fun to get the juices going.

“I'm really proud of myself that I didn't let it get away.”

Clark also moved into the top six automatic spots who qualified for the Presidents Cup, joining Scheffler, Cameron Young, Russell Henley, Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa. U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker will have six picks after the Tour Championship. Cantlay surely got his attention.

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See AP’s full golf coverage here

The trip is the most recent example of how the president blurs the line between official business and travel in ways that can benefit his family business. His sons have taken over day-to-day control of the Trump Organization, but the September trip once again lays bare how Trump has leveraged his second term to pad his family’s profits in a variety of ways.

Trump is scheduled to be in Ireland on Sept. 12 and 13 and will join an event with U.S. embassy workers and business officials before attending the golf tournament at Trump International Golf Links Ireland in Doonbeg, according to the White House official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump's course in Bedminster, New Jersey, hosted a LIV golf tournament in August. Another Trump course at Doral in South Florida is scheduled to host a PGA event, the Cadillac Championship, in March 2028, and Trump has talked about his course in Turnberry, Scotland, hosting the British Open, which it last did in 2009, before Trump bought the resort. A return of the British Open to that property continues to face major logistical hurdles.

Last summer, Trump went to Scotland for five days to golf at Turnberry and later inaugurated a new Trump golf course in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire. The White House refused to call that midsummer jaunt a vacation, but insisted it was a working trip — and Trump found time between games to talk about trade with then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Trump frequently travels to golf courses he owns in Florida and New Jersey, as well as a course in Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. But he is not known to take lengthy holidays.

“Don’t take vacations. What’s the point?” he wrote in his 2004 book, “Think Like a Billionaire.”

Trump’s trip to Ireland will have him leaving the country right after he tries to rally support for Republicans in the November elections as the GOP holds its first-ever national convention ahead of the midterm elections. The unusual event, scheduled in Dallas on Sept. 9-10, was Trump’s idea to try to galvanize support by staging something similar to the conventions both parties normally have before presidential elections.

As recently as last summer, Trump derided Barack Obama for flying long distances for golf as president — something Trump himself is now doing.

“They talked about the carbon footprint and then Obama hops onto a 747, Air Force One, and flies to Hawaii to play a round of golf and comes back,” Trump said last year.

Aside from the Scotland getaway, the longest stretch of downtime Trump took last year was when he went to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in early December and stayed past Christmas — though even that trip featured visits by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The trip was first confirmed by the New York Post.

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Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

The Phillies had pieced together an unlikely rally from a four-run deficit in the home half of the ninth and Schwarber was stepping in against St. Louis Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien.

It was at that point that Schwarber shot a grinning glance at teammate Trea Turner.

“I’m just there chuckling, laughing and smiling with Trea (about) how we got to that point,” Schwarber said.

Schwarber then did his part.

“Then when the ball came off the bat, I stood there and watched. It was a little bit of a shock that we were able to do that in that fashion,” Schwarber said. “But that’s why you keep playing. That’s why you play all the outs. Never give up, and keep fighting until the end.”

The slugger fought to a 2-2 count, then took a swing that even he couldn’t downplay.

“It was awesome,” he said with a shrug. “Just a little bit of disbelief.”

The shot over the Citizens Bank Park “batter’s eye” traveled an estimated 459 feet, good for his major league-leading 39th home run, and a rather incredible 6-4 Phillies victory, their ninth straight.

It was the Phillies’ first walk-off win by home run since Schwarber accomplished the feat on July 9, 2023, against the Dodgers.

And, it was the most resounding blow during an August rebirth. In a few weeks’ time they’ve gone from falling behind in the wild-card race to erasing much of what seemed like an insurmountable Atlanta lead in the NL East. Pending the Braves’ game with Milwaukee Sunday night, the Phillies were 2 1/2 games back in the division.

To that end, there is no disbelief on Schwarber’s part. He pointed out that he and four teammates all had two strikes on them during their two-out at-bats in the ninth.

“I feel like it’s a lot of really good baseball, complete baseball,” he said. “It’s not like we’re out there just hitting homers and relying on that. I feel like there’s a lot of things we’re doing really well.”

Harper, who has reached base safely in 25 straight games, had led off the ninth with a double, but two quick outs later the fans started packing up. But J.T. Realmuto singled, Justin Crawford walked, and utility man Edmundo Sosa hit a three-run double. Then came a game-tying single by seldom-used Bryan De La Cruz, followed by the winning stroke by Schwarber.

All of that off O’Brien, who had stayed in the game even after mound visit by manager Oli Marmot as Schwarber waited to hit.

“We’re a winning team,” Sosa said. “We’re the Phillies. I can say we’re really surprised, but when we’re late in the game we never stop fighting.”

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was arrested after leaving his house to take his car to the mechanic, according to his wife, Argelia Aviles. She said her husband, a handyman in Key West, Florida, has a permit to work in the United States. Originally from Nicaragua, he has lived in the U.S. for 19 years.

“He dedicates himself only to work so he can put food on the table at home. He is a good father. He loves his children with all his soul,” said Argelia, 47.

Aviles’ arrest comes as the Trump administration rolls back immigration protections for military families to pursue its mass deportation agenda, detaining at least dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. troops.

At least six family members have been deported and one self-deported, the AP found in the first accounting of such detentions, which the government does not track. One spouse, the wife of a U.S. soldier who spent more than a month in federal immigration detention, was removed from a deportation flight to Brazil after the AP’s reporting.

One of the military’s most highly advertised immigration benefits is “military parole-in-place,” which allows the spouses, children and parents of active-duty service members and veterans to obtain legal immigration status from within the country. Not everyone qualifies: those who overstayed visas or who already applied for legal status at the border, for example.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Border Patrol agents arrested Luis Aviles on Saturday in Key West and that he will remain in ICE custody while the government seeks to deport him.

“Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” the department said Sunday, adding that the Trump administration “does not pick and choose which laws to enforce.”

Aviles' son said in a Facebook post that he has been working 12-hour work shifts for more than 250 days without a break on the USS Lincoln, which is deployed in the Middle East. The deployment has raised widespread concerns about the impact on service members who are away from land for long periods, food shortages, as well as the increasing strain on the ship and its equipment.

The Pentagon referred all questions to the Navy. The Navy didn't immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Sunday afternoon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously called conditions aboard the Lincoln “completely misrepresented.”

Joshua Aviles wrote in his post on Saturday that he was still on the USS Lincoln “fighting for a country that has given me everything” when he got a call about his father's detention on Saturday morning.

“This is heartbreaking for me. I don’t know how I can mentally continue working 12+ hour days knowing that my dad is somewhere, possibly treated like a criminal,” Joshua Aviles wrote.

Katherine Delgado, 28, Joshua Aviles' sister, said that Joshua joined the military in part because he thought it would improve his father's chances of getting citizenship and so that he would “no longer be living in fear of being arrested.”

She said being apart from Joshua, who she calls her “best friend” and her “ride-or-die,” has been devastating.

“I spent weeks without knowing where he was,” Delgado said. Once she heard from him, and was told that he wasn't getting enough food, she said, she has spent hundreds of dollars to send him care packages with food and hygiene products — some of which never arrived.

Joshua is “supposed to come home soon,” Delgado said, referring to news that the ship her brother is on will soon be brought out of service in the Middle East. “And he’s gonna come home without his father.”

The son’s lengthy deployment has been challenging for Luis Aviles, according to his wife. He told her that he was looking forward to the deployment finally coming to an end. When six months passed and his son didn’t come back, Aviles was distraught, she said.

“He was excited,” she said. “He wanted to hug his son, as he hadn’t seen him for nine months.”

For Enzo Maresca, it was the "perfect day" as he earned his first victory as Manchester City manager.

City produced a stirring late rally in Maresca's first Premier League game in charge, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes to grab a 2-1 win at home to Bournemouth on Sunday.

Josko Gvardiol placed a finish into the bottom corner in the first minute of added-on time for the winner, which was initially given offside before being awarded following a video review. Marc Guehi had equalized with a 84th-minute header from a corner to start the comeback.

Maresca, the successor to Pep Guardiola, punched the air when Gvardiol’s goal was awarded and went onto the field after the final whistle to hug his players.

A huge banner, reading “Welcome back Enzo,” had been held aloft by City fans as the Italian — Guardiola’s assistant in City’s treble-winning 2022-23 season — emerged from the tunnel before kickoff

Wearing a sharp black suit, Maresca certainly looked the part on the touchline but the slickness synonymous with City’s play under Guardiola down the years wasn’t quite there until the late comeback sparked by substitute Rayan Cherki, who set up both goals.

“It is the perfect day, to be honest,” Maresca said. "I was very pleased when the game started to see the banner on the other side. And I was pleased because we give them the joy of the three points.

“It was quite emotional and the perfect day.”

Maresca throws curveball with Guehi in midfield

Maresca began his time as Guardiola's replacement with a 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield last weekend and has had to deal with the departure of star midfielder Rodri to Barcelona.

City might have found a long-term replacement for Rodri in 18-year-old Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is set to join from Lille for 100 million euros ($117 million) according to French media, but Maresca opted against Bournemouth to deploy Guehi — a center back — as a holding midfielder instead.

It was a contentious decision given there were other midfield options on the bench, and it might prove to be a one-off, but Guehi grew into the role.

City striker Erling Haaland wasn't on the scoresheet in the first league game of the season for the first time since joining the club in 2022. He sported a new hairstyle — a buzz cut that went viral on social media ahead of kickoff — and wasted a couple of great chances to score with it.

Szoboszlai's late equalizer for Liverpool at Newcastle after Keegan tribute

Dominik Szoboszlai converted a penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw for Liverpool at Newcastle in a match overseen by two new managers.

Before kickoff, the teams united to pay tribute to Kevin Keegan — a star player for both clubs — following his death last month at age 75. Players from Newcastle and Liverpool wore shirts with “Keegan” and the number 7 on the back in the warmup at St. James' Park, while there was a mosaic in the center circle, a tribute video and a huge tifo in the stands dedicated to the former England star.

Szoboszlai smashed an unstoppable spot kick into the top corner after debutant Victor Munoz was fouled in the area in a dramatic finish. There was a 3 1/2-minute wait for a video review of the decision.

“I really hit it good,” the Hungary captain said. “I love the pressure.”

Joe Willock looked to have scored a 57th-minute winner for Newcastle, one minute after coming on as a substitute and two minutes after Cody Gakpo had equalized for Liverpool. Anthony Elanga put Newcastle ahead in the fifth minute.

Liverpool striker Alexander Isak was jeered by Newcastle fans when he came off the team coach and then every time he touched the ball, a hangover from his switch of clubs at the start of last season.

Matthias Jaissle was taking charge of Newcastle for first time, while Andoni Iraola is Liverpool's new manager as Arne Slot's replacement.

Brighton destroys Villa

Brighton scored four goals in the opening 31 minutes and also missed a slew of great chances in a 4-0 hammering of Aston Villa in the other early game.

To make matters worse for Villa, Joao Gomes was sent off for kicking out at Brighton’s Georginio Rutter in the 40th but the visitors somehow didn’t concede any more goals.

It has been a tough offseason for Villa, with key players Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Ezri Konsa leaving and speculation surrounding the future of Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez at the club.

Brighton was sharper, having been in European qualifying action in midweek.

Fan dies

A Brighton fan died after falling ill as he was leaving the Amex stadium following the win over Villa.

The 72-year-old man became unwell as he was leaving to board a supporters’ club bus.

Brighton said that, despite the best efforts of emergency services and club staff, the medical team could not save him.

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said “we are all shocked and saddened by the loss of one of our supporters.”

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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The Boston Musicians’ Association said Saturday it had authorized a strike ahead of the expiration of the union’s three-year contract at 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The BSO and the musicians said Sunday the contract had been extended to 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.

BSO CEO Chad Smith said Sunday that the extension had been agreed to pending a ratification vote by the BMA and the Boston Symphony Orchestra Players’ Committee.

The orchestra and management have had strained relations since BSO decided in March to force out music director Andris Nelsons next summer after 13 seasons.

The orchestra’s season is scheduled to open Sept. 17.

Kyle Kirkwood raced to his second victory of the IndyCar season Sunday, dominating the Freedom 250 in his No. 27 Honda. Kirkwood crossed the finish line in front of the U.S. Capitol 3.09 seconds ahead of Christian Lundgaard, after leading for 128 of a possible 147 laps.

“This likely is the most satisfying win that I’ve had, just the magnitude of it. This one and my first are pretty similar,” said Kirkwood, who now has seven career IndyCar victories. “When you think about the magnitude, what this means, having this race here in D.C., being the Freedom 250, as an American, it might top the first win for me.”

The race was set up as part of the country’s 250th birthday celebration. President Donald Trump gave drivers the green flag at the start and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser served as grand marshal.

Organizers could hardly have asked for better weather, with plenty of sun but not so much heat that fans would stay away. The area was awash in red, white and blue. Even the Canadian flags on that country's embassy — located along the track's Pennsylvania Avenue straightaway — featured two of those three colors.

“This was not a race. It was an event," race chair Bud Denker said.

Will Power and Marcus Ericsson, Kirkwood's teammates with Andretti Global, finished third and fourth. Pole winner Alex Palou, who had a chance to clinch the series title, finished 20th in his second-worst showing of the year.

After several prerace flyovers and Trump’s green flag, the field quickly went under caution because of debris on the track. The first big wreck came when David Malukas went into the wall and Sting Ray Robb could do little to avoid crashing into him coming around a turn. Just like that, two of the race’s eight American drivers were out.

Several cars went onto pit road, and that’s when the day started to fall apart for Palou. He appeared to hit a tire in someone else’s area while exiting, and he was assessed a drive-through penalty.

On a subsequent pit stop, one of Palou’s tires was loose when he started driving. That caused another delay, and he ended up off the lead lap. Palou later spun coming through a turn. His lead in the standings dropped from 133 points over second-place Kirkwood to 91 with three races to go.

“Things happen. I'm at least kind of happy that everything happened at the same day instead of spreading out throughout different races," Palou said. “We had some issues in pit lane — one my fault, one out of my control.”

Kirkwood had a commanding lead before Palou’s spin caused a caution. On a restart with 19 laps remaining, Scott McLaughlin tried to pass Kirkwood and went into a tire barrier.

“Quite honestly, I thought he was going to make it stick initially,” Kirkwood said. “Once he got alongside me, there’s no way he’s stopping.”

After another caution, Kirkwood pulled off a strong restart with 13 laps to go and Lundgaard didn’t mount much of a threat as the 250-mile race wound down. Nicknamed the “King of the Streets” because of his success on tracks like this, Kirkwood looked right at home on the 1.7-mile circuit that was being used this weekend for the first time.

Misplaced blame?

Marcus Armstrong was penalized for avoidable contact when he sent Christian Rasmussen into a spin. Rinus VeeKay went into the wall during that incident but appeared unaware of Armstrong’s culpability when he went on TV for an interview.

“If Rasmussen’s around, you know you’re going to crash. Either he does or you do,” VeeKay said. “It sucks. It’s stupid. It’s a long race, and some people seemingly don’t know that.”

The race's future

Denker had plenty of impressive stats ready for his postrace news conference: over 215,000 people attending over the last two days, and over $969,000 in merchandise sold Saturday.

As for whether the race will continue in the future, Denker said he'll discuss it with series owner Roger Penske.

“Mr. Trump hit me 15 times today about having to have this," Denker said. “'Let’s do it for five years,' is what he’s saying, ‘because that guarantees you’re going to be here through my term, then two more years for whoever is in office next.’”

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Manchester City left it late to win in its first Premier League match under Enzo Maresca and Mohamed Salah scored his first goals for Turkish club Trabzonspor.

Julián Álvarez heard boos from the Atletico Madrid crowd in his return to action in the Spanish league after asking to leave the club, and both Juventus and AC Milan won in the Italian league.

Feyenoord's game in the Dutch league was disrupted by fireworks.

Torres' dream start with PSG in France

Torres, who joined PSG from Barcelona after scoring Spain's World Cup winning goal last month, came off the bench to score in the 71st and 82nd minutes, helping his new club avoid a second consecutive loss after a penalty shootout loss to Lens in the French Super Cup.

Both goals were assisted by Torres' Spain teammate Fabian Ruiz.

Sebastian Szymanski and Esteban Lepaul had put host Rennes ahead with first-half goals.

Earlier, Olivier Giroud, who turns 40 next month, scored from about 20 meters (yards) out as Lille won 2-0 at Angers. Midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi was left out of Lille’s squad amid reports of an imminent big-money move to Man City.

Easy win for Barcelona in La Liga

Raphinha and Fermín López scored two goals each as Barcelona cruised to a 5-0 victory at Elche.

Newcomer Karim Adeyemi also scored for Hansi Flick's team, which is looking to win a third straight La Liga title.

It was the biggest win so far in the competition this season.

Lamine Yamal appeared to be upset when he was replaced in the second half.

Maresca wins with City in Premier League

Enzo Maresca enjoyed what he called a “perfect day” as Man City rallied late to defeat Bournemouth 2-1 in its Premier League opener.

City scored twice in the final 10 minutes to grab the victory at home as Maresca debuted as Pep Guardiola's successor.

Liverpool salvaged a 2-2 draw at Newcastle thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s penalty kick in the ninth minute of stoppage time.

Brighton scored four goals in the opening 31 minutes in a 4-0 trashing of Aston Villa.

Salah gets his first goals in Turkish league

Salah scored twice as Trabzonspor beat Başakşehir 2-1.

The Egypt forward scored in the eighth and 48th minutes.

Salah signed a two-year contract with the Turkish club after a long and successful stint with Liverpool.

Fireworks interrupt Dutch league game

Feyenoord’s 5-2 win at Cambuur had to be interrupted after away fans set off fireworks that reportedly caused minor injuries to some supporters.

The Dutch soccer federation released a statement condemning the incident and saying it is “doing everything we can to track down the perpetrators and punish them severely. They can expect, among other things, a nationwide stadium ban for setting off fireworks.”

Álvarez booed by Atletico fans

Álvarez was booed by Atletico fans upset with his request to leave the club.

Álvarez came off the bench in the 67th minute of Atletico’s 2-2 draw against Villarreal at the Metropolitano stadium.

Álvarez had not played in Atletico’s first game. The club said it does not intend to sell the Argentina forward.

Giuliano Simeone scored an 85th-minute equalizer for Atletico, which played a man down from the 76th because of a red card for Robin Le Normand.

Villarreal finished third last season, just ahead of Atletico, the perennial challenger to Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Juve and Milan get off to winning starts in Italy

AC Milan opened its Serie A campaign with a 2-1 win at Torino with goals three minutes apart from Alphadjo Cisse and Adrien Rabiot in the second half.

Milan will be trying to improve from a fifth-place finish last season.

Gleison Bremer scored in the first half to give Juventus — sixth last season — an opening 1-0 win at Frosinone.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Williams and Alcaraz were drawn Sunday to face one of the teams that advances from the eight-team qualifying tournament that will be played Monday.

Williams will be returning to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2022. The six-time singles champion and Alcaraz, who has won the men's title twice, were awarded a wild card into the 16-team tournament Saturday.

The first round and quarterfinals of the mixed doubles are Tuesday, with the semifinals and final on Wednesday. The winning team shares $1 million.

Facing one of the qualifiers will be a tough assignment, because most of the players in the qualifying tournament are doubles specialists. The qualifying tournament was added this year to give those types of players a chance to compete after they were almost entirely shut out last year when the U.S. Tennis Association, seeking more star power, revamped the mixed doubles and based direct entry on the players' rankings in singles.

Two-time defending women's champion Aryna Sabalenka and 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic earned the No. 1 seed after having the lowest combined singles ranking among the teams. They will face the pair of Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe in their first match.

Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz are seeded No. 2 and will open against Diana Shnaider and Casper Ruud. Ruud was scheduled to play again with Iga Swiatek, after they reached the final in 2025. But Swiatek withdrew and Schnaider needed a partner after Daniil Medvedev pulled out.

The other first-round matches: Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, who are married, vs. Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime; Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli vs. Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev; Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik vs. the other team from the qualifying tournament; Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul vs. Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien; Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev vs. two-time defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori; and Shnaider and Ruud vs. Pegula and Fritz.

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See AP’s full tennis coverage here

The supplement glutathione, given through an IV or an inhaler-like machine called a nebulizer, has not been proven to be safe or effective and could expose firefighters to illness if there is contamination while it's produced, experts say.

At least two pharmacies recalled the supplement in August due to bacterial contamination found during testing at their labs, with one saying it had received reports of people suffering from fever, chills, severe headache and other symptoms.

“Because glutathione is not an FDA-approved drug, consumers should be cautious about product safety and claims that glutathione can treat or prevent diseases,” said a safety advisory issued last week by the International Association of Firefighters, a labor union representing some 360,000 first responders.

Warning followed supplement's use during Spokane wildfires

Glutathione was offered to firefighters during recent blazes that destroyed hundreds of buildings in and around Spokane, Washington. During morning briefings, medical unit leaders on scene from California urged crews to check out a tent where a nonprofit run by licensed naturopathic doctors offered the supplement.

A group of naturopaths called The Integrative Health Action Network had previously provided the supplement to firefighters during the January 2025 wildfires that tore through Los Angeles County. The group’s work with firefighters began following a 2017 blaze that destroyed thousands of homes in California’s wine country.

Though there is no evidence to back its use, some firefighters have said the supplement helped them feel better after breathing toxic smoke and they have urged California pharmacy officials not to restrict access.

The supplement's promotion in Spokane prompted physicians and some members to contact the IAFF with concerns about health claims despite no research proving those claims or showing the supplement's safety, said Sean DeCrane, IAFF assistant to the general president for health and safety. Some doctors have warned of adverse effects.

The IAFF also received reports saying some firefighters felt worse or became sick after getting treated. Medical treatments being marketed to firefighters should be evaluated and tested to make sure there are no unintended consequences, DeCrane said.

In response to the safety advisory, Jen Riegle, a naturopathic doctor and co-founder of The Integrative Health Action Network, said the organization recognizes the need for peer-reviewed research on whether glutathione can reduce chemical burdens in firefighters and is “actively exploring partnerships to that end.”

How inhaling wildfire smoke harms the body

More studies are showing the wide-ranging negative health impacts of inhaling wildfire smoke, which is especially toxic when blazes tear through urban areas and burn up household appliances, batteries and chemicals. Tens of thousands of people die annually in the U.S. from long-term impacts of wildfire smoke.

Firefighters work in extreme conditions that make it impractical to use a respirator with an air tank. That means they are exposed to a “slew of chemicals” that have short- and long-term impacts on their health, DeCrane said.

Pasadena Fire Captain Matt Caffey, also a paramedic for 28 years, helped fight last year’s Eaton fire in Southern California and said the smoke exposure from burning neighborhoods brings on coughing, vomiting and brain fog.

“You can’t remember things. You’re just so behind the eight ball. You can’t catch up. You’re not recovering,” he said.

Caffey is among the firefighters who say glutathione helps, and he urged Integrative Health Action Network providers to come to Spokane. The California Board of Pharmacy in 2025 reversed course on regulations that would have made the supplement more difficult to acquire after pushback from some firefighters.

Experts say health claims are not backed by evidence

Experts warn anecdotal claims of relief are not proof.

Such claims are “interesting and provocative and deserve further study,” said Dr. Cora Sack, a pulmonary specialist with expertise in environmental and occupational lung disease at the University of Washington School of Medicine. But “we lack clinical evidence of its efficacy.”

Glutathione is an antioxidant made primarily in the liver that neutralizes other unstable molecules that attack the body and cause cellular damage. Wildfire smoke creates oxidative stress in the body, and there is an “interesting biological plausibility” to think antioxidants could impact that, Sack said. But she does not endorse glutathione’s use without clear evidence.

Taking glutathione through a nebulizer may constrict the airways of people who have asthma or chronic lung conditions. Glutathione is processed in sterile compounding pharmacies, and there have been cases of people getting poisoned due to contamination at these facilities, Sack said.

Injecting a contaminated product “could cause significant medical events including fevers, hypotension, inflammatory reactions, anaphylactic shock and death,” according to the recent pharmacy recalls.

Luke Montrose, a professor at Colorado State University whose research focuses in part on the impact of wildfire smoke on disease risk, said glutathione has anti-inflammatory properties.

“But because it hasn’t been studied, I’m hesitant,” he said.

The outdoor shopping and dining district is going all-in on the season, with its Halloween décor, seasonal treats and new experiences around every corner.

“We have a lot of newness this season,” said Debbie Hart, vice president of Disney Springs. “We have over 150 shop, dine, play opportunities. But we decided we’re going to lean into fall in a very big way.”

World of Disney is a hot spot for fall merchandise this season. The store’s sweeping Halloween overlay sets the mood the moment you walk in, where shoppers will find a new Haunted Mansion line and the Headless Horseman collection.

“There really is something for everyone this year,” said Mason Perry, merchandise marketing strategy associate for Walt Disney World.

The fan-favorite Cutie Ghost Collection is also back, featuring apparel, plush and accessories with an updated pastel pink-and-orange palette.

Other highlights include a new Halloween popcorn mix at Goofy’s Candy Company, seasonal sweets, like the Haunted Mansion Chocolate Box, at The Ganachery.

Halloween Hangar Bar returns

The Halloween Hangar Bar at Jock Lindsey’s is back for its second year with an all-new seasonal menu.

Highlights include the returning Nashville Hot Alien Sliders — now served on a custom spaceship — plus new items like Candelabra Eggs, Midnight Mayhem Popcorn Chicken, the Dark Forest Dip and the Skull of the Dead Dip.

Festive photo ops

Guests looking for a memorable keepsake can stop by the PhotoPass Fall Studio Session, where PhotoPass photographers are on hand to capture high-quality fall-themed photos.

No reservations are required, and complimentary downloads are included with Memory Maker.

Fall into Magic festivities run through Nov. 9.

Officers Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez were arrested on charges including aggravated assault and kidnapping, police chief Matt Giordano said at a news conference Saturday.

“Detectives have confirmed that the two former officers physically assaulted both the man and woman during the traffic stop,” Giordano said. “The investigation also shows that a Taser was used on the victims during the stop.”

The officers did not report the Aug. 5 traffic stop and did not activate their body-worn cameras, police said.

“There is no video evidence, but we established what we believe is probable cause that these crimes were committed,” Giordano said, adding there was no indication that the officers knew the victims.

Dave Evans, a spokesperson for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, said Sunday that Vasquez had been released from custody while Felix remained incarcerated at the Lower Buckeye Jail in Phoenix.

Attempts by The Associated Press to determine who their defense attorneys were to request comment were unsuccessful.

During the late-night traffic stop in Phoenix, the male driver and woman passenger reported that the officers smashed the car window, according to a statement from Phoenix police. Vasquez punched the man and threatened to shoot him, while the woman was removed from the vehicle and handcuffed.

The man managed to drive away and abandoned the car in neighboring Tempe, while the woman was released at the scene, the statement said.

A police officer in neighboring Tempe who responded to the abandoned car asked over dispatch whether it had fled from any neighboring police agencies and was told it had not, according to a Tempe police report.

The Tempe officer called the car's registered owner, the mother of the male driver, and through her was able to connect with the woman passenger and eventually the male driver. The woman passenger told the officer that both of them had been shocked with a Taser, while the man later told the officer that he had been punched in the face multiple times and that they had repeatedly asked why they had been stopped.

The Tempe officer wrote in the report that he believed they were victims of an attempted carjacking by people impersonating police officers.

Giordano, the Phoenix police chief, said he had a similar reaction when he initially learned of the incident as it was “so far outside the bounds of our policies.” But when detectives started looking into it, they realized Phoenix officers might be involved and transitioned the case to a special investigations detail, he said.

“That's when they started putting evidence together, including the automatic vehicle locator that did put a vehicle at that location about the time that the victims reported it occurred," Giordano said, referring to the location technology in city vehicles.

Vasquez and Felix had served eight and nine years with Phoenix police, respectively. Giordano, without elaborating, said both had previously violated department policy but that it was “nothing of this nature.”

The Phoenix department's investigation and audit are ongoing. The officers have a scheduled court date on Friday.

“I'm sick,” Scheffler said while turning down an interview request Thursday.

After he closed with a 2-under 68 on Sunday, Scheffler offered a few more details. He said he was dealing with hand, foot and mouth disease that causes blisters.

“So to start the week it was pretty painful to grip the club,” he said. “If I was smarter maybe I would have pulled out, but I was playing so good I felt like if I could knock it out quickly and just get through the first couple rounds I would still have a chance.”

Scheffler was coming off an eight-shot victory in the FedEx St. Jude Championship and appeared to be hitting his stride at just the right time for the three-week conclusion to the PGA Tour season.

In hindsight, Scheffler said it would have been prudent to pull out with so little at stake. He already was assured of being No. 1 in the FedEx Cup through the BMW Championship, which earned him a $23 million bonus. Seeds don't even matter next week at the Tour Championship because all 30 players who advance only have to win at East Lake to capture the FedEx Cup.

“I think that’s part of my stubbornness, probably. That’s probably a strength of mine and a weakness at times,” Scheffler said. "I’ve never been one to ever pull out of a tournament, especially in the middle of it. That’s really frustrating for me.

“But I’m proud of how I fought,” he said. “Feel like I’m starting to heal up. My throat is still bugging me pretty good. But my hands feel normal today.”

His only mistake — aside from three bogeys — was nearly shaking hands with Cameron Young when they finished because he was feeling back to normal.

Scheffler had with three straight birdies that briefly got him inside the top 10, but he closed with a bogey from the fairway bunker. Scheffler hit only 65% of his greens this week.

“I felt better as the week went on,” he said. "I got sick Monday night. That was probably the most frustrating part. Playing really good golf, and you come out of the heat and get a little adrenaline, sometimes your body kind of crashes. Then it hit me pretty good all week.

“I’m still not 100% now, but I’ll get some rest now and hopefully that will help.”

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See AP’s full golf coverage here

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday is expected to announce the new measures after the U.S. vowed to impose an “unprecedented” level of economic warfare and isolation on a country that has lived for decades under sanctions. Also Monday, Pakistan’s army chief is expected to visit Iran as mediators try to revive talks.

Meanwhile, attacks calmed on the Strait of Hormuz but posturing did not, as a recently created Iranian authority listed dozens of vessels it said will face restrictions on future transits.

Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Sunday. Full coverage can be found here.

Iran’s security chief sharpens warning to neighbors

The hard-line leader of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, issued his latest warning on X, with the comments quickly shared by Iranian state media.

It came a day after Rezaei's most extensive public comments since being named to the post this month.

“If (Trump) wants to do something, we will retaliate in a seismic manner,” he had told the state broadcaster in an interview that aired late Saturday. He said Iran would target other oil-shipping routes from the Persian Gulf — alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz.

Rezaei, a former Revolutionary Guard commander and military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was part of senior appointments widely seen as hardening Tehran’s political and military stance.

Iranian president wants to move past ‘neither war nor peace’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier Sunday said the memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June was the best way to move beyond a situation of “neither war nor peace," adding that Tehran can’t attract investment nearly six months after the war began.

“There is not a single provision in this agreement that amounts to capitulation,” Pezeshkian said in a speech published by state-run IRNA. “The supreme leader sets the policies, and we will follow that path.”

The interim deal opened a 60-day period for talks aimed at ending the war and reaching an accord on Iran's nuclear program. That period ended last week with no signs of compromise or extension.

No attacks confirmed on the strait, but new restrictions

There were no confirmed attacks in the Strait of Hormuz over the past 48 hours, a multinational coalition overseen by the U.S. Navy said Sunday, with shipping traffic still at reduced levels. The U.S. military said its blockade of Iranian ports had redirected 70 commercial ships and disabled three as of Sunday.

Iran's recently created Persian Gulf Strait Authority, sanctioned by the U.S., published a list of dozens of ships it said had violated arrangements for transiting the strait and would face future restrictions like fines or seizures. The strait had been considered an international waterway before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.

Iran and Oman, on the strait's other side, are now discussing management of it, which likely will include ships paying fees.

Pakistan's army chief will visit Tehran

Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir will lead a delegation to Tehran on Monday, Iranian state television reported, citing Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei.

Two regional officials said the visit was part of Islamabad’s efforts to de-escalate tensions between the United States and Iran and urge them to return to the negotiating table. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

— By Munir Ahmed in Islamabad

Iran executes man arrested during January protests

The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported the latest execution connected to nationwide protests early this year, saying Majid Adineh was arrested Jan. 9 in Mohammadshahr, west of Tehran.

The judiciary said forensic examinations indicated the handgun found on him had been fired on Jan. 8 and 9. Mizan said Adineh had joined the unrest following calls by groups opposed to Iran’s government and alleged that he had received training from groups outside the country. He was convicted under Iran’s law imposing harsher penalties for espionage and cooperation with hostile states.

Israeli settler arrested in beating of Palestinian amputee

Police arrested a 16-year-old boy from the Israeli settlement of Avigayil in the beating of a 61-year-old Palestinian, Saeed Muhammad Ibrahim Rabah, outside his home in the occupied West Bank, a year after he lost a leg after being shot by a settler.

Rabah told The Associated Press that the violence at his home in Khirbet al-Rakeez on Saturday was an effort to make families leave, but “we will remain, no matter what happens.”

Separately, the West Bank Health Ministry said a 14-year-old in the Askar refugee camp in Nablus was shot dead by Israeli forces, who did not immediately comment. The uncle of Islam Maher Ajouri, Nehad Ajouri, called the shooting indiscriminate.

And Israel's military said it detained a suspect in a stabbing attack that wounded a 24-year-old Israeli man in the area of al-Auja in the West Bank. Israel's emergency services said the man was in moderate condition.

Airstrike in Gaza kills a 4-year-old child

Four-year-old Mohammed Taha died after an Israeli airstrike hit a central Gaza house on Sunday and wounded at least five others, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the casualties.

Israel's military later said it struck and killed a Hamas commander in central Gaza. The hospital confirmed that the man named, Ismail Abu Ful, was killed.

An Israeli strike in southern Gaza wounded at least seven people, including three children, according to health officials at Nasser Hospital. The military did not immediately comment.

And Defense Minister Israel Katz in a statement said he instructed the military to “act immediately and forcefully” to prevent launches of balloons, kites or drones from Gaza toward nearby Israeli communities.

Before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants on Israel — when 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage — burning kites and balloons were sent from Gaza into southern Israel, causing fires and other damage.

Hamas in a statement Sunday accused Israel of “using children’s toys as a pretext” for attacks and further displacement of Gaza residents.

Tensions escalated late Friday when Canada walked away from negotiations after Carney concluded the United States was demanding too much in exchange for tariff relief. The U.S. imposed 50% duties Saturday on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, and Carney announced dollar-for-dollar retaliation beginning Sept. 8.

“We’re going to hit back,” Carney said.

Carney is doing what many other American allies have so far avoided: risking economic pain rather than yielding to tariff pressure.

For Carney, the showdown is the clearest test yet of his argument that middle powers must stand up to economic pressure from great powers such as the United States and China, even when it comes at a cost. Canada’s response could show how countries navigate a world in which long-standing alliances offer less protection and economic ties themselves become sources of leverage.

It could also shape how Carney is viewed at home and abroad, and how other U.S. allies respond to the Republican president.

The trade dispute also has become a test of sovereignty.

Carney said Washington introduced language in the final hours of negotiations that would have restricted Canada’s ability to make trade deals with other countries. He said that demand was “unacceptable” and “a question of sovereignty.”

British Columbia Premier David Eby said accepting such a condition would have reduced Canada “to the economic equivalent of the 51st state” — a status Trump has mused about often.

Canada becomes a test case for the world Carney warned about

Carney’s message resonated in January when he addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as Europe braced for Trump’s threats over Greenland and new tariffs.

Carney said the international order was undergoing “a rupture, not a transition.” He argued that sovereignty would depend increasingly on a country’s ability to “withstand pressure” and warned that middle powers negotiating alone with great powers do so from weakness.

Trump responded a day later by stressing Canada’s dependence on the United States. “ Canada lives because of the United States,” he said. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

The president has repeatedly talked about making Canada the 51st U.S. state and dismissed the allies' border as artificial. On Sunday, Trump returned to that theme, writing on Truth Social that “Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!!” and accusing Canada of charging U.S. farmers “massive amounts” of tariffs for years. “No more!!!” he wrote.

Seven months since Davos, Canada has become a test case for the world Carney described.

“Our government understood, before many, that America would transform all its commercial relationships,” Carney said Saturday. He accused Washington of using “economic integration as a weapon” and said its “signature was written in pencil.”

The price of resistance and will Canada show the way?

Historian Robert Bothwell said Canada is uniquely vulnerable to U.S. pressure.

“No country is more exposed than Canada,” Bothwell said. “Other countries have to fear American misbehavior, but none as much as Canada.”

Bothwell said success ultimately means Canada retaining its independence “in the face of Trump’s desire to subordinate it and absorb it.” He said Carney "sees that very well.”

But Canada’s dependence on the U.S. market makes that difficult.

Nearly three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the United States, whose economy is roughly 10 times larger. Canada can sign new trade agreements, but replacing customers and supply chains built around the enormous U.S. market over decades is considerably harder.

Carney acknowledged retaliation would “raise costs and reduce choice for Canadians.”

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer rejected Canada’s account of the breakdown in talks, saying Ottawa introduced new demands and backed away from commitments even after Washington offered to reduce tariffs on steel, autos, lumber and other goods.

He said the United States was moving ahead with additional measures in response to Canada’s retaliation, raising the prospect of further escalation.

The European Union prepared retaliatory tariffs against the United States last year but repeatedly suspended them while negotiating with Washington.

Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto, said Canada is providing the biggest test yet of whether Carney’s strategy can work and whether resistance by one middle power could change the calculations of others.

“Will there be a domino effect? We’ll see,” Wiseman said.

Carney’s defiance also drew notice in Europe. Former Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, who later served as the European Union’s economy commissioner, shared video of Carney’s Saturday remarks on social media and wrote, “Here is a speech I would like to hear in Europe.”

Carney tries to hold the line as anger grows among Canadians toward Trump

Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, said Americans underestimate how angry Canadians are with the Trump administration.

“Taking a hard line in response to U.S. policy perceived as predatory — even with major economic cost to Canada — is popular among most Canadians,” he said in a social media post.

The confrontation is also reviving calls to shun U.S. goods. Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette urged residents to buy local, calling it “a nationalistic action” and “an action of solidarity.”

That anger again spilled into sports over the weekend. Fans in Vancouver and Montreal booed the U.S. national anthem before Major League Soccer matches Saturday, echoing similar scenes early in the trade war last year.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Canadians should be prepared for a prolonged confrontation and that Trump could emerge weaker after the U.S. midterm elections in November.

“He’s got two more years left in office. We should be prepared to duke it out for two years, and then hopefully, sanity will return,” Kinew said.

Carney has framed the confrontation as a test of whether Canada can preserve its independence under U.S. pressure.

“Last spring, I warned that America is trying to break us so that they can own us,” Carney said Saturday. “And I promised: ‘That will never, ever happen.’ We are keeping that promise.”

Indonesia has been battling fires driven by an intensifying El Nino pattern and a prolonged dry season, generating dense smoke that crossed into Malaysia, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, or BNPB.

Fires are a regular problem in the country and often strain relations with neighbors.

Plantation owners and traditional farmers often start fires to clear land for farming, said Mohammad Irhamni, director of special crimes at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency.

The arson suspects were being investigated in connection with 89 forest and land fire cases across five provinces on the island of Borneo and four on Sumatra, Irhamni said.

He said most of the suspects were accused of deliberately burning land to clear areas for plantations at lower cost. Investigators were still tracing financial records to determine whether companies financed or ordered the land clearing, signaling the probe could expand beyond those arrested.

“We will not stop at the perpetrators on the ground,” Irhami said in a news conference Sunday in the capital, Jakarta. “We will determine who benefited from these activities and who was ultimately behind them.”

The suspects face charges that carry penalties ranging from hefty fines to prison terms of up to 15 years, he said.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto flew on Saturday to Central Kalimantan province, where more than 7,600 hectares (18,700 acres) have burned, to encourage authorities to get the haze cloud under control.

Prabowo promised government resources required to contain the fires, including helicopters and water pumps, and vowed to hold accountable any companies found to have contributed to the fires.

“I hope we can control this soon,” Prabowo said during the visit. “We have experienced worse forest and land fires in the past, and we were able to overcome them.”

Accompanying the president was Prasetyo Hadi, the head of State Secretariat. He said at least four companies in West Kalimantan province are under investigation for allegedly using fire to clear land. If they are proven to have intentionally set the fires, they could face sanctions, including the revocation of their operating permits, he added.

Smoke from the fires on Sunday blanketed parts of Borneo, the world’s third-largest island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Indonesia administers about three-quarters of the island, where the country’s Environment Ministry recorded more than 3,700 hot spots on Sunday.

BNPB chief Suharyanto said fire activity had increased in West, Central and South Kalimantan provinces on Borneo, where many blazes worsen due to peatlands, prolonging the dangerous haze in several areas.

Fires that appear "extinguished on the surface may still contain embers underneath, so sufficient rainfall is crucial to rewet the peat and fully suppress the fires,” said Suharyanto, who, like many Indonesians, uses a single name.

The western island of South Sumatra also battled fires, with more than 1,700 hot spots detected on Sunday, causing a choked haze cloud and reducing visibility to only 10 meters (33 feet) in some areas, the ministry said.

Cloud-seeding resumed over Kalimantan on Sunday, with 30 helicopters for water-bombing and aerial patrol missions, and another 22 helicopters covering Sumatra.

Meanwhile, Malaysia has suffered severe smoke from the fires, with its eastern state of Sarawak among the hardest hit. One district recorded “very unhealthy” air quality on Friday, while eight others posted unhealthy readings, prompting the closure of nearly 600 schools and affecting about 200,000 students, the Sarawak government said.

State lawmakers were expected Sunday to approve Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya’s request for an indefinite leave of absence, about a day and a half after he announced his return by claiming Mexican prosecutors had cleared him of the drug trafficking charges leveled against him by the U.S. Department of Justice in late April.

The rapid reversal demonstrated the authority Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wields over her Morena party as she walks a fine line between placating U.S. President Donald Trump, who says cartels control Mexico and has repeatedly offered U.S. military help to fight them, and her progressive movement deeply wary of U.S. intervention.

After nearly four months on leave, Rocha Moya announced Friday that he was returning to office, claiming Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office had found “no evidence to support our participation in any criminal conduct.” He declared that he was back “as governor of Sinaloa with my head held high.”

That defiance lasted barely a day, as his return unleashed a torrent of criticism from governors, senators and other prominent figures in Morena, including Sheinbaum.

“No personal interest can ever come before the interests of the people and the nation,” she wrote Saturday in an apparent rebuke of Rocha Moya, without mentioning him by name. “Mexico deserves public servants who understand that positions are temporary, but responsibility to the nation is eternal.”

Morena said its national leadership had no prior knowledge of Rocha Moya’s return, calling it his “personal decision.” The party’s Senate bloc urged respect for the ongoing investigation, while Morena governors declared in a joint statement that “personal or group political projects have no place” when the country’s interests are at stake.

Ricardo Monreal, Morena’s leader in the lower house of Congress, publicly urged Rocha Moya, his longtime ally, to reconsider and remain on leave.

The coordinated response left Rocha Moya isolated. He announced later Saturday that he had asked the state legislature to allow him to step aside indefinitely. “Sinaloa, the nation and the transformation movement come first,” he wrote.

Rocha Moya had been on leave since early May, days after federal prosecutors in New York unsealed a bombshell indictment accusing him and nine other current and former Mexican officials of protecting Sinaloa cartel members in exchange for bribes as they trafficked fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S.

The indictment marked the Trump administration’s most significant public action against what it calls official corruption enabling Mexico’s cartels, fueling new tension between the U.S. and Mexican governments. Sheinbaum has denied shielding Rocha Moya but rejected Washington’s request to arrest and extradite the defendants without credible evidence, insisting that any prosecution take place in Mexico.

Rocha Moya, 77, a staunch ally of Sheinbaum’s mentor, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, denied wrongdoing and described the charges as a politically motivated attack. He initially stepped aside so he could cooperate with the Mexican investigation without relying on the constitutional immunity attached to his office. Whether taking leave stripped him of that protection — and whether his latest request to step aside indefinitely would do so again — remains disputed among Mexican legal scholars.

After the indictment, the mayor of Culiacán, Sinaloa’s capital, and the state’s deputy attorney general also stepped down from their posts, while two former senior state officials surrendered to U.S. authorities.

Sinaloa has been engulfed for nearly two years in a bloody conflict between rival factions of the cartel that bears the state’s name.

The meeting, first reported Sunday by The New York Times, touched on issues ranging from housing, immigration to the high costs of living. People in the United States are struggling under inflationary prices that Democrats blame on Republicans, alongside Trump, for failing to get under control.

Kushner suggested that Jeffries, who is in line to become House speaker if Democrats regain power in November, meet with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles as a follow-up.

Jeffries, in a statement Sunday, did not mention the private conversation but said the Republican administration needed to drop the GOP's “my-way-or-the-highway” approach that “has failed the American people.”

“To stop the madness, we have repeatedly made clear that an extremist approach will not work and will be met with forceful opposition," the New York congressman said. "The question is whether Republicans will join us.”

The meeting shows the depth of Republican Party angst over losing their congressional majority, particularly the House, and the need to make inroads with the opposing party as the White House seeks to stem any potential political fallout on the president.

If Democrats retake power, the White House can expect an aggressive oversight agenda into what Jeffries has called the “crooks” in the administration, with the threat of impeachment among the many tools at the party's disposal.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a close ally of Trump, bristled Sunday when asked about the meeting. He minimized the role that Kushner, who he said “hedges his bets,” plays in the White House.

“I’m telling you what, you better not bet against the House Republicans,” Johnson, R-La., told Fox News Channel’s “The Sunday Briefing."

“I don’t know what that’s about," Johnson said. "I know Jared has interests in lots of other things going on. He’s not really directly involved in the admin, at least in the day-to-day in the White House.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. A representative for Kushner also did not respond.

Kushner is a familiar Trump emissary to Democrats

Jeffries and Kushner are not strangers.

The New Yorkers allied during the first Trump administration on landmark legislation to allow sentencing flexibility for certain drug offenses as a way to curtail lengthy terms in the federal prison system.

While not necessarily close, the two have maintained a relationship despite the repeated attacks Trump has leveled against Jeffries and the Democratic leader's responses. In Trump's second term, Kushner has an oversize role despite having no formal position in the White House. He serves as an outside adviser and envoy, particularly shuttling to foreign diplomatic missions as the U.S. war against Iran drags into its sixth month.

Trump has only met with Jeffries once since the president returned to the White House, taunting the House leader and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York with red “Make America Great Again” 2028 caps on the desk in front of them in the Oval Office — a nod to Trump's toying with an unconstitutional third term in office.

After that fall meeting, Trump posted a fake image of Schumer with Jeffries wearing a sombrero with a handlebar mustache in what was widely viewed as a racist trope as he mocked the Democrats before what became the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.

Trump has been able to alternately ignore the Congress as he relies on the sheer force of executive power to implement his priorities or to pressure the Republicans in the House and Senate, when needed, to fall in line behind the White House, particularly to confirm controversial Cabinet nominees.

All that is likely to change if Democrats control either chamber, with lawmakers eager for Congress to flex their own power as a coequal branch of government more willing to hold the White House in check.

Republicans and Democrats race for power in midterms

House Republicans are counting on Trump's popularity among their core voters as they struggle to hold onto majority control, with Johnson believing the GOP will defy history that tends to reward the challengers in midterms and punish the party in power.

The House GOP has a slim majority. Control will likely be won — or lost — in a handful of battleground districts as Democrats put forward candidates in what they hope will be something of a repeat of 2018, when they swept to power riding a wave of voter unrest during Trump's first term.

While the House is most at risk for Republicans this year, he narrowly split Senate is also increasingly in play. GOP strategists worry about an enthusiasm gap on their side as Democrats appear more eager to head to the polls.

At the same time, Democrats are nominating outsider candidates, some aligned with socialist agendas over establishment backed candidates, in a sign of voter unrest with the status quo.

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Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

Washington was hosting an IndyCar race through its streets Sunday, with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump kicking off the Freedom 250 Grand Prix by leading a slow lap in the presidential limousine through the course. Soon after, the president waved the green flag to start the race and drivers began whipping through downtown, including a stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue not too far from the White House.

“I’m going to make a little circle in a nice, secure car, slightly slower than the ones we’re going to witness, but we’re going to have fun,” Trump said in an interview on Fox shortly before the ride.

The open-wheel race, with cars whizzing past Washington’s monuments at speeds approaching 200 mph, is the latest of Trump’s celebrations this year to mark America’s 250th birthday.

Trump’s other events to mark the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence’s signing have included a UFC fight on the White House lawn, military aircraft flyovers, a massive July Fourth fireworks show on the National Mall and a Great American State Fair that the president headlined after scores of ’90s-era musical acts dropped out. The events have all had a Trumpian flair, featuring appearances from his friends and the aim of showcasing spectacle, Americana and power.

In this latest case, it was be horsepower.

Racing day brings out some of Trump's favorites

Sunday included some of Trump's favorite flourishes. One of his favorite singers, tenor Christopher Macchio, performed, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” A trained bald eagle was dramatically released near the start line, and it swooped and flew overhead before returning to its handler.

There were flyovers of military aircraft, which have boomed over the city during the July Fourth celebrations, among other events. One flyover Sunday involved a formation featuring a B-2 stealth bomber, which Trump frequently boasts about for its role in dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities last year.

Air Force One, escorted by four fighter jets, flew overhead as Trump did his lap. The jet was the Qatar-gifted aircraft that the president has been using as Air Force One, which has attracted scrutiny not only for Trump’s acceptance of the luxury gift but because it is not equipped with some of the same missile detection and countermeasure systems found on older presidential jets.

The IndyCar race took place Trump has struggled to resolve the war he started nearly six months ago with Iran, a conflict that has driven up gasoline prices and exacerbated worries from officials in his Republican Party that voters in this November’s midterm elections see the president as distracted and not focused enough on cost-of-living concerns.

Trump in his second term has increasingly seemed to focus on relishing the presidency’s ceremonial aspects. That's included a healthy dose of visits to sporting events — including an appearance last month at the World Cup final, where he presented the trophy to winner Spain and lingered onstage with the team as its members jumped in a hail of confetti.

Bringing Indy to DC was a longtime quest for racing series owner

From his viewing box, Trump had the honor of waving the green flag to kick off the race.

Before the race, Trump and his wife met and chatted with some of the race drivers. They then took a slow drive through the course in a small motorcade and could be seen waving at the crowd as a Marine Corps band played “Stars and Stripes Forever."

IndyCar series owner Roger Penske, a longtime friend of Trump’s who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from him in 2019, helped lead the effort to bring the race to Washington.

Trump told Fox on Sunday that Penske told him that he had been trying to bring the race to Washington for 20 years.

“When he came to see Trump it got done in about 15 minutes and it’s turned out to be much bigger than we ever even thought possible,” the president said, referring to himself in the third person.

Penske met Trump when he arrived at the course and later joined him in his viewing box, as did the president’s friend and UFC CEO Dana White, who helped put on the fight at the White House in June.

An executive order Trump signed earlier this year calling for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix declared that the “cars and drivers inspire awe and respect in all who watch this quintessentially American sport,” and the event will “showcase the majesty of our great city as drivers navigate a track around our iconic national monuments in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Fox News Channel that he wants to push to bring the event back next year and make it an annual event.

Trump wanted to hear ‘freedom roar’ from the powerful racing machines

“Their beautiful cars are going to make freedom roar. This will be a freedom that’s roaring like never before,” Trump said at the White House earlier this month as he promoted the event.

Bud Denker, president of Penske Corporation and the race’s chair, said that Penske is paying for the “vast majority” of the race, including building the track and road improvements, while the District of Columbia handled some repaving.

Among the changes needed on the city’s streets for the Indycar race was the welding of more than 200 maintenance hole covers to ensure the race cars don’t suck them up off the road.

Sunday’s festivities were also the latest opportunity for Trump to revel in the way he’s putting his mark on the nation’s capital, including large banners showing his face on government buildings, the construction of a massive White House ballroom, a gold-adorned Oval Office and botched repairs at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

“This fight is still on,” Norris said over team radio after winning the Dutch Grand Prix for back-to-back F1 victories and a trophy presented by the King of the Netherlands.

Norris asked his McLaren team to “just keep bringing upgrades (to the car), just keep bringing performance please" as he eyes an 83-point gap to Antonelli.

Max Verstappen nearly reeled in a similarly vast lead last year as Norris held on by just two points. Now the British driver is the hunter.

“There’s still plenty of things we can do better and need to do better if we’re going to fight for a championship," Norris added.

Norris seizes his chance

Norris started on pole but was overtaken by Antonelli's Mercedes at a restart after the race was stopped for a heavy crash by home hero Verstappen, who was unhurt, shortly after the start.

Norris reeled in Antonelli before passing him around the outside of the first corner in a daring move on lap 54 of 72, then took the lead from Ferrari's Hamilton before the lap was over.

The defending champion held on with old tires to take the win. “This fight is still on," he said over team radio.

“The move (to pass Antonelli) was good. I knew I was not going to get many chances. Every lap I spent behind him my chances got lower and lower,” Norris said. “Well played from my part...I probably had one chance.”

Antonelli was second after his Mercedes teammate George Russell was ordered to move out of his way, following a failed gamble on a tire change by Antonelli. Russell clung on to finish third ahead of Hamilton.

Antonelli's standings lead grew to 59 points over Russell and Hamilton, who are now level. Norris moved ahead of Charles Leclerc for fourth.

Antonelli and Russell question Mercedes strategy

There was tension at Mercedes as both Antonelli and Russell criticized the team's decisions over the radio.

Antonelli called his team's strategy “too risky” when the team congratulated him on second place, while Russell earlier seemed to object to being asked to give way to his teammate.

“Is he fighting for the win? Or is he planning to catch Norris?” Russell questioned, at a point where Norris was far ahead of both.

Russell relented after the race and said he felt Mercedes had made the right decision to avoid the two battling for position as Hamilton closed in behind.

Antonelli “would have overtaken anyway so it was the right decision,” said Russell, who won the sprint race Saturday. "It’s been a strong weekend overall so I’ll take the positives.”

Verstappen's big crash and Hülkenberg's big save

There was a half-hour delay after Verstappen slammed into the wall on a damp first lap, stopping the race and ensuring a nightmare end to his last home race in the Netherlands for the foreseeable future.

Just a couple of seconds later, there would have been another huge collision if not for lightning reactions by Nico Hülkenberg. As his Audi teammate Gabriel Bortoleto span across the track, the German swerved around him through a cloud of tire smoke.

“It was crazy with Gabi, I almost T-boned him,” Hülkenberg said over team radio.

The Dutch Grand Prix is dropping off the schedule after this season and the many orange-clad Dutch fans who turned up to support Verstappen instead saw Norris and his orange McLaren take the win.

Verstappen said he simply misjudged his speed on the damp track after pre-race rain.

Charles Leclerc was fifth on another disappointing day for Ferrari ahead of its home race in Italy in two weeks’ time. Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri was sixth after running in the top three early on, and Liam Lawson salvaged seventh for Red Bull after being called in to replace the injured Isack Hadjar.

Hulkenberg was eighth for Audi, with Fernando Alonso ninth in the best result of an otherwise-disastrous 2026 for Aston Martin. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten.

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

For the year, “The Odyssey” is second only to “Spider-Man,” which added $39 million from 4,006 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Spider-Man,” which has now made over $854.9 million in North America, will soon surpass “Avengers: Endgame” to become the second highest-grossing domestic release of all time. The record holder is currently “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($936.7 million).

Sony also had the second biggest movie of the weekend with “Insidious: Out of the Further.” The sixth movie in the franchise, produced by Blumhouse Atomic Monster, made $25.3 million from 3,303 theaters. Internationally, it made $35 million. Its $18 million production budget makes it the most expensive movie of the series.

Third place went to “The Odyssey,” which earlier this week became the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time, surpassing “Deadpool & Wolverine.” It added $19.5 million in its sixth weekend in North American theaters, where it continues to play in over 3,000 locations, bringing its domestic total to just under $539.1 million. That pushes it past the $534.9 million from “The Dark Knight” — a previous high-water mark for Nolan — not accounting for inflation. Internationally, it added $68 million, driven largely by China and Korea, which brings its worldwide total to $1.4 billion.

The other big newcomers landed further down the charts. “Mutiny,” starring Statham as a man wrongly accused of murdering his billionaire boss, opened in sixth place with $7.5 million from 2,703 locations. The Lionsgate release (an acquisition) was intended to be a theatrical only release, but a few days before it opened it was accidentally available for free on Prime Video for a few hours before the mistake was remedied. The glitch might have impacted its opening weekend earnings, but the film also had some fairly bad reviews working against it.

Even more poorly reviewed was “Spa Weekend,” a girl’s trip comedy from the men behind “The Hangover” and “Bad Moms,” starring Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann, Anna Faris and Michelle Buteau. It made an estimated $3.1 million in 2,009 locations. Women accounted for some 84% of opening weekend ticket buyers, according to PostTrak. The 25th anniversary re-release of “The Fast and the Furious” made slightly more.

“The Magic Faraway Tree,” starring Andrew Garfield, opened outside of the top 10 with $1.4 million from 1,611 screens.

The young Anthony Bourdain movie “Tony” continues to do quite well, however, earning $5 million from 1,652 screens.

The summer season, which runs through Labor Day, has now generated an estimated $4.4 billion in ticket sales in North America, putting it among the top four highest grossing summers ever.

“We’re in the home stretch of what I think will go down in box office history as maybe one of the most key and pivotal summer movie seasons ever,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Rentrak. “I don’t know how you can replicate this summer. Studios will try.”

Michael O’Leary, the president and CEO of the movie theater trade organization Cinema United, noted the wide variety of movies in the marketplace that have helped contribute to a big summer. Part of that, he told The Associated Press, was that the industry pipeline is finally bouncing back from the effects of the Hollywood strikes in 2023.

“The thing that I’m most excited about, frankly, is just the enthusiasm of moviegoers,” O’Leary said. “You feel it when you go to the theater. There’s an energy about being in the theater that hasn’t been there in the recent past.”

The year overall has also surpassed $7 billion, which is up about 20.4% from 2025, but about 7.1% behind 2019.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

1. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” $39 million.

2. “Insidious: Out of the Further,” $25.3 million.

3. “The Odyssey,” $19.5 million.

4. “Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie,” $9.1 million.

5. “The End of Oak Street,” $9 million.

6. “Mutiny,” $7.5 million.

7. “Tony,” $5 million.

8. “The Fast and the Furious” (25th anniversary re-release), $3.1 million.

9. “Spa Weekend,” $3.1 million.

10. “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” $1.9 million.

The pro-presidential Adilet party is widely predicted to win an overwhelming majority, with several smaller parties loyal to Tokayev also anticipated to enter parliament. The vote was the country’s first election to a new, single-chamber parliament called the Kurultai.

The 73-year-old Tokayev, a former Soviet official and Kazakh diplomat who previously worked at the United Nations, has been in office since 2019.

Sunday’s vote was the culmination of a constitutional overhaul that Tokayev initiated in March, when 87% of voters supported a referendum to merge the two chambers of parliament into one and grant the president authority to appoint key officials, subject to parliamentary approval, including reestablishing the vice presidency.

Tokayev, who has sought to maintain a delicate balance between Moscow and the West since sanctions were imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine, has justified the changes by citing the need for rapid decision-making in a fast-changing world.

Last month, Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court ruled that the amendments effectively reset the clock on Tokayev’s previous terms in office, opening the door for him to run for another seven-year term.

The election comes at a difficult economic moment for Kazakhstan: inflation hit 10.2% in February, and tax hikes have fueled public discontent.

Analysts say the economic strain has made authorities wary of a repeat of the unrest of January 2022, when fuel price protests spiraled into violence that left dozens of protesters and police officers dead — a scenario Tokayev is seeking to guard against by concentrating power in his own hands.

Ahead of the election, Tokayev said it promised to be a “truly historic event.”

“Without a doubt, these elections will be remembered as perhaps the most interesting in our country’s history,” Tokayev said on Friday. “Amid unprecedented geopolitical tensions and mounting global challenges, we must firmly and consistently implement our strategy to transform Kazakhstan into a truly developed state.”

The vote also took place against a backdrop of intensifying crackdowns on media freedom. Media organizations have urged Tokayev to drop criminal charges against several journalists under house arrest and to revise the country’s legislation to ensure media freedom. Authorities have opened roughly 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and popular bloggers.

The most recent case involves Lukpan Akhmedyarov, an independent journalist who hosts the YouTube project “Prosto Zhurnalistika,” or “Simply Journalism.”

He told The Associated Press that a criminal case was opened against him in August on charges of “disseminating false information,” after he published a list of Kazakhstan's citizens fighting in Ukraine. He faces up to seven years in prison.

“In the run-up to these parliamentary elections, repression has intensified sharply, with attacks on independent media, cyberattacks, and criminal cases launched against independent journalists and popular bloggers,” Akhmedyarov told the AP, speaking from Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city.

“It feels like the authorities want to silence all media outlets they don’t control — everyone they couldn’t reach an agreement with or couldn’t buy off,” he added.

Akhmedyarov said that the streets of Kazakhstan’s major cities are “flooded with advertisements and posters for the pro-presidential Adilet party.”

“It is not very difficult to predict the outcome of these elections,” he said.

Returning this weekend as he mulls a second run for the White House, Buttigieg set out to reintroduce himself to the state and the Black voters he struggled to win in 2020. The results were encouraging.

There was a standing ovation in a Black church in South Carolina when Buttigieg was credited for helping bring millions of federal dollars to the area for a project as President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary. A second ovation came as Buttigieg gave a speech warning of a country in “big trouble” while laying out his own vision for what should come next.

“There is no such thing as again in real life. The only way out is through," Buttigieg told the crowd of more than 200 people at an NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner. “If we recognize and embrace a future that is different from the past, we will do better."

The warm applause was a markedly different reception than six years ago, when a fourth-place showing in South Carolina helped derail Buttigieg's presidential campaign while exposing his failure to connect with Black voters. The state is likely to have an even greater say in his political future as the first contest in the Democratic presidential primary in 2028.

Starting the election calendar in South Carolina is intended in part to give Black voters a greater voice at the outset of the nominating process. For Buttigieg and other potential contenders, winning the support of this group that makes up a majority of South Carolina’s Democratic electorate is essential.

“You need to demonstrate that you can win Black voters,” said Jaime Harrison, a former Democratic National Committee chair and South Carolina Democratic Party chairman. “If you can’t win Black voters, you can’t be the nominee of our party.”

The 2028 campaign is already coming to South Carolina

Buttigieg insists he has made no final decision about whether to run for president again.

“Right now, I'm totally focused on 2026,” he told reporters Saturday.

But his South Carolina trip — a week after visiting another early-voting state, Nevada — had all the trappings of a potential presidential bid.

He raised money Friday in Charleston with Nancy Lacore, a U.S. House candidate trying to flip a Republican-held seat. On Saturday morning, he spoke at a policy conference before traveling to Claflin University, a historically Black university in Orangeburg.

Davina Perry, a third-year student at Claflin, said she came away from Buttigieg’s visit thinking he would be a “good candidate” if he ran.

“Secretary Pete has definitely put himself on my radar for 2028 now, for sure,” Perry said. But, she added, “I do want to see more representation from people who look like me.”

That evening, Buttigieg attended a dinner at a church in Orangeburg, a nearly three-quarters Black city with a deep history in the Civil Rights Movement. The crowd included local NAACP leaders, ministers and elected officials. Buttigieg worked the room, giving hugs and taking photos.

“He is responsible for the Railroad Corner,” said Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler, referencing a project aimed at revitalizing the city’s downtown that received a $22.7 million federal grant. “Do I need to say any more? We need to stand and welcome the former secretary.”

Buttigieg used the speech that followed to make a broader case about the direction of the country, arguing that Democrats cannot separate Americans’ economic frustrations from a political system he described as increasingly broken.

"I have come to believe that the kitchen table cannot be improved unless we are also reforming the institutional and political floor on which that kitchen table sits.”

Black voters will have the first say for Democrats in 2028

For Buttigieg, the weekend offered signs of how much has changed since he came to South Carolina in 2020 as a 38-year-old Indiana mayor asking voters to take a chance on him. He points to what he delivered during four years in Biden’s Cabinet, including specific projects in the state.

But Buttigieg said he also came to South Carolina “to propose something” about the country’s future. Butler, Orangeburg’s mayor, liked what he heard.

“His speech was what you talk about at the kitchen table. How America is going to survive all of this?” Butler said. “He brought hope to us."

South Carolina Democratic leaders say the close, personal engagement with candidates is exactly what they hoped for. Those involved in the push to make South Carolina first envisioned the living-room conversations and retail politics long associated with Iowa and New Hampshire.

“You got to go listen. You got to go all over the place,” Harrison said. “You have to make meaningful investments. That’s how you win South Carolina.”

Buttigieg is hardly alone in his early trip to the state.

Other potential 2028 contenders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey have made trips to the state as what is expected to be a large Democratic field begins to take shape. Former Vice President Kamala Harris already has deep ties in the state.

The electorate they will encounter has changed from 2020, when Biden’s victory in the state resurrected his presidential campaign and put him on a path to ousting Republican President Donald Trump.

Four years later, Trump defeated Harris and returned to the White House, which Black leaders say has significantly hurt their community. Earlier this year, a Supreme Court decision weakened a core provision of the Voting Rights Act, threatening Black political representation across the South.

“We must start our process where democracy must still be fought for, in the full view of the nation,” former interim DNC chair Donna Brazile said in a speech this year advocating for South Carolina to go first.

Buttigieg addressed that anxiety directly Saturday night, describing efforts to weaken the Voting Rights Act as the culmination of a “multidecade effort.” He warned of a broader push “to demolish African American political power.”

Harrison said Buttigieg's trip this weekend was a "good start,” but that Buttigieg and all the other potential 2028 candidates have a long road ahead to prove themselves to the state's voters.

“It has to be a good start and then you got to continue,” Harrison said. “It can’t just be, ‘Oh, pop in and then I’m going to pop back out.’”

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This story corrects the spelling of the first name of Claflin University student to Davina Perry, from Divina Perry.

The Manchester City superstar has a new hairstyle for the new Premier League season: A buzz cut that went viral on social media on Sunday ahead of the team's opening match against Bournemouth.

It didn't help him. The Norway striker missed a couple of great chances in City's 2-1 win at Etihad Stadium.

Haaland has become one of the most easily distinguishable sport stars in recent years because of his long hair.

In a video on Haaland's YouTube channel, Zlatan Ibrahimovic asked if the City striker had “lost a bet” when he was shown the new hairstyle.

“You gonna be faster now, or what?” Ibrahimovic said.

Former City manager Pep Guardiola reacted to the haircut by saying: “You're lucky to have hair. I would love to have it!”

Haaland arrived at Etihad Stadium for the Bournemouth game wearing a cap, but that had been removed for the warmup — revealing the buzz cut.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The WNBA has been the subject of recent debates on whether transgender women — people assigned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity — should be allowed to participate in the league. There has never been such a player in the WNBA. Although the league’s collective bargaining agreement says the WNBA is restricted to women, it contains no more specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth.

There have been small rallies and protests outside Indiana Fever games after the issue came to a head when Sophie Cunningham of the Fever said in an ESPN profile published last month that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports. There were a pair of peaceful rallies representing both sides of the transgender issue that took place before the Fever faced the New York Liberty on Saturday night. The Liberty won the game 109-102.

“Knowing that rallies are happening on both sides shows the platform that the W has and the stunts for attention are just continuing to try and ride the wave that we have,” Stewart told a small group of reporters Saturday morning. “I want Liberty fans and even Indy fans that are going to come here tonight to be able to have this arena be a safe space.”

Cunningham felt that all the attention that her comments have garnered has been positive by bringing more fans to the game.

“You have a lot of new fans, not only just watching, but coming to games and seeing the environment and seeing the talent,” she said before the game. “I think anytime you can get more eyes on the W, that’s an awesome thing, because then that inspires other young kids that maybe have never seen the game or heard about the game or been to a game, they get that experience. So I definitely think that it’s been a very positive thing.”

At least three fans were asked by WNBA security personnel to cover shirts that had messages about transgender women participating in women’s sports during last Sunday’s game at Atlanta between the Dream and the Fever. The league later said the fans should have been free to wear those shirts.

Stewart said Liberty fans specifically, but WNBA fans in general, come to games because “they can feel like they can be themselves in whatever capacity that is and we don’t want to lose sight of that."

The Liberty forward said everyone is entitled to their own opinion and if that stops being allowed there are much bigger issues. However, she said, trying to divide teams and players shouldn't be tolerated.

“If we don’t allow (free speech), we need to like really kind of go back and look at more things. I think the bigger thing is people are trying to divide us as teams, but also as teammates or as opponents," she said. "This league is incredibly inclusive and what we continue to fight for and stand up against. So, we don’t want to take that platform away.”

Stewart has been an ally for the transgender community during her career. She faced some online backlash last year when one of her signature shoes had a Harry Potter theme to it. Stewart is a huge fan of the Harry Potter books and subsequent movies by author J.K. Rowlings, who has drawn criticism for her anti-trans stance.

Stewart has donated royalties from that shoe to The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ youth.

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

The Chang’e-7 spacecraft was originally set to lift off in the coming days from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on China’s southern Hainan island.

The mission does not meet the launch conditions, said the China Manned Space Agency in a brief statement, and “cannot take place during the planned window this year.”

The decision was made following a “comprehensive assessment,” the agency added, and was based on the principles of “prudence, reliability and absolute mission success.” It did not further elaborate on the reasons behind the decision.

Preparations have been carried out at the Wenchang launch site for the Chang’e-7 mission over the past weeks, the seventh in the Chang’e moon exploration program. It aimed at making breakthroughs in key technologies, the official Xinhua news agency previously reported.

It was set to explore permanently shadowed craters on the moon and conduct environmental and resource surveys of the lunar south pole, the Xinhua report said, citing the space agency.

Chang’e refers to a Chinese moon goddess. The Chang’e-6 probe returned to Earth in 2024 with rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon in a world first.

Bayern's Vincent Kompany won the coach’s accolade, Kicker magazine announced Sunday, according to the results of its yearly polls of members of the Association of German Sports Journalists (VDS).

Kane scored 61 goals across all competitions, including the German Supercup for Bayern last season, helping the men's team defend its Bundesliga title and win the German Cup. He scored a hat trick in the cup final.

Kane also helped Bayern win the new season's German Supercup with a 2-1 win at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, though he didn't score in that game.

Gwinn wins women's award

This time Gwinn doesn’t need to share it.

Last year, the 27-year-old Gwinn and Germany teammate Ann-Katrin Berger received the same number of votes for the award.

Kicker said Sunday that Gwinn received 106 votes to finish ahead of Bayern teammate Klara Bühl and Jule Brand of French champion OL Lyonnes.

Gwinn and Bühl helped Bayern to a Bundesliga and German Cup double for the second year in a row last season. Bayern’s Bundesliga title was its fourth straight and its fifth from six years as the Bavarian powerhouse’s women’s team proves as dominant as its men.

Bayern reached the semifinals of the Women’s Champions League last season.

The women’s player of the year award has been awarded since 1996. Three-time world player of the year Birgit Prinz, who played for FFC Frankfurt (now called Eintracht Frankfurt), won the award eight times between 2001-08.

Kane and Kompany honored after outstanding season

Kane gathered more votes (272) than teammate Michael Olise (203), Kicker said.

Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav received 61 votes, followed by Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich (21) and Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann (14). There were three invalid votes.

Kompany received nearly half the votes for the coach’s award, more than Freiburg’s Julian Schuster, who won it last year.

Florian Wirtz won the men's player’s award last year.

The men's player of the year accolade has been awarded since 1960, with the coaches honored since 2002. Franz Beckenbauer leads the player category with four wins, while Jürgen Klopp and Felix Magath both won the coach’s award three times.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Sunday

We will begin our Sunday on the dry and sunny side, with the exception of spotty storms around Marion County. Showers will favor our northern counties for the late morning-early afternoon, with shower chances shifting southward as the day rolls on. Scattered storms push into the I-4 corridor and Orlando metro mid-afternoon. Storms will linger and favor areas east of I-4 to round out the day and into early evening. These storms will fade around 8pm. High temperatures will hit the mid 90s with heat indices around 105ºF.

Next Week

Another push of dry air will establish over Central Florida on Monday. This will lead to limited rain chances to start the week. Rain chances will gradually inch up as the week rolls on as moisture slowly returns to our atmosphere, riding the edge of a ridge of high pressure over the western Atlantic. Highs will remain above average with temperatures reaching the mid 90s each afternoon. Our average high at this point in the year is 91°F.

The family eventually learned that Chesterton had postpartum psychosis, a severe mental health disorder thrust into the spotlight by the case of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts woman on trial for strangling her three children. A key question is whether postpartum psychosis drove Clancy to do it.

Researchers estimate that the condition — a mental health emergency that is less common than postpartum depression — afflicts 1 to 2 out of 1,000 women after delivery. Although most who develop postpartum psychosis don’t harm their children, mothers with severe cases may try to harm themselves or their kids.

If not for medication and strong family support, Chesterton said her own situation “could have gone sideways.”

Chesterton bristles at online comments about the Clancy case suggesting postpartum psychosis is not a real disorder. She feels driven to raise awareness by sharing her story publicly; a poem she wrote about the experience will be published in a journal in the fall. She wants to dispel misconceptions about the widely misunderstood condition — and let families know there is hope.

“It’s something that we do not talk about as a society,” said Chesterton, a 52-year-old history professor who lives outside Buffalo, New York. “I’m not embarrassed about what happened. I want people to know about it.”

A mom was fine at first, then ‘in bad shape’

Chesterton and her husband James Fitzsimmons wanted a baby desperately and underwent fertility treatment for years. She finally got pregnant in her mid-40s and had severe asthma during the pregnancy that put her in the hospital. She gave birth to her daughter by C-section in January 2019, about two months early.

“Everything about bringing her into the world was awful,” Chesterton said. “It was the longest seven months of my life.”

Just after the birth, the baby was hurried off to the neonatal intensive care unit, where she spent her first weeks of life. To protect the child's privacy, The Associated Press is withholding her name at the family's request.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Chesterton went home and seemed fine at first. But the day Fitzsimmons found her on the bathroom floor, her family said, she had trouble remembering basic details of her life and made strange comments, such as “it's meditation day" even though she doesn't meditate. Fitzsimmons called his wife’s mom, Maria Chesterton, who met the couple at the hospital.

“She didn’t even remember having a baby,” the elder Chesterton said. “She knew us vaguely.”

People with certain conditions are more likely to be affected

Disorganized thinking and delusions are among the symptoms of postpartum psychosis, which also may include hallucinations, paranoia, agitation and mood changes. Postpartum depression, by contrast, is a mood disorder affecting about 1 in 7 women after giving birth — or more, according to some research.

Postpartum psychosis can happen to anyone after giving birth, but the chances are higher for people with certain mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder. Chesterton didn’t have such conditions, said Dr. Emily Williams of Buffalo OB/GYN, one of her doctors.

Chesterton was transferred to BryLin Hospital in Buffalo, which provides crisis mental healthcare, and spent about two weeks there. Her mom, who was staying at the couple’s house to help out, remembers visiting her with food and Valentine’s Day chocolates.

When she was released, she did OK for a few days, her mom remembers, then “just lost it.” She stared blankly ahead, not knowing where she was or what was happening. But she did manage to aggressively express that she didn’t want to go back to the same place she’d just left, so she was institutionalized involuntarily.

“We had no choice,” her mother said. “She was in bad shape.”

She stayed for another two weeks — apart from her baby.

“I was kind of lucky that she was in the NICU,” Chesterton said, “because we had somebody to take care of her when I was so sick.”

Medication and family support help a mom recover

Chesterton believes antipsychotic drugs ultimately brought her back to reality. But just as essential was the support of her family. When the baby came home after nearly two months at the hospital, her team of helpers included her husband, mom, dad and a postpartum doula.

“She helped me learn how to take care of the baby, remember her — you know, to become a parent again,” Chesterton said, adding that she knows how lucky she is that her family had the resources to provide such care.

Williams, the doctor, said family support is crucial in the postpartum period even if everything is going well. “The more hands on deck, the better,” she said.

Over the next several months, it was as if a fog slowly lifted.

“We could see improvement in her. It was a little bit at a time,” her mother said. “She was taking care of the baby. The glassy-eyed look was gone.”

Chesterton stayed on antipsychotics for about a year. By her daughter’s first birthday party, she was back to normal.

Doctor encourages families to be on alert for signs of trouble

Williams said Chesterton’s family did the right thing when they took quick action after symptoms arose. Sometimes, the doctor said, people may deny that something so serious could be wrong with a loved one's mental health and attribute signs of postpartum psychosis to things like needing more sleep.

Chesterton’s mother advised other families to be vigilant for signs of the illness, then come together to shepherd loved ones through it.

“If my daughter would not have had the support system,” she said, “I don’t know how this would have turned out.”

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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.

“This seems to be the most severe storm in Latvia since 2005 in terms of its overall impact,” Andris Viksna, from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center, told the AP.

One person died in Jelgava, central Latvia, when part of a building collapsed on Saturday, and others were injured across the country. Wind speed exceeded 67 mph on Saturday in the capital, Riga. At many stations, half of the average monthly rainfall was recorded on Saturday.

More than a quarter-million people were left without electricity and mobile services were disrupted.

Rail and other public transport services were affected by trees and other objects falling on infrastructure. The Riga airport said on Sunday morning that flights could be delayed or rerouted because of the severe storm overnight.

One person also died in neighboring Lithuania after being hit by a falling tree. Others were injured and over 200,000 residents were without electricity on Sunday morning.

Strong winds also battered Estonia, with the western and northern parts and its islands most affected. Ferry services to islands were disrupted and trains arriving from Latvia and Lithuania delayed.

Northeastern Poland was affected by the storm, too, with over 100,000 people losing power.

The contribution of climate change cannot be properly assessed yet, said Viksna from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center, but “it is plausible that human-caused climate change may have intensified the rainfall associated with the cyclone.”

The situation was expected to improve on Sunday and certainly by Monday.

Already this year, the security situation in the Middle East following the outbreak of the Iran war has meant Bahrain's race was moved to Malaysia and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was canceled.

F1 has indicated at least one extra event in Europe if the season-ending races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi can't take place as planned. One likely candidate could be the Imola circuit in Italy. There are more question marks over how the four contracted Middle East races could be included in the 2027 schedule.

“Circuit Zandvoort could serve as an alternative venue in the future if another Grand Prix were unable to take place due to geopolitical circumstances, for example. The circuit’s FIA Grade 1 license will remain valid for another three years,” the Dutch Grand Prix organization told The Associated Press in a statement Saturday.

“In practice, however, many factors would need to be considered, including the necessary permits, the availability of equipment and the required preparation time. Moreover, there are other venues on the Formula 1 calendar that would make more sense from a logistical perspective. At this stage, therefore, this is not a concrete scenario.”

F1 did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.

What makes the Dutch Grand Prix different

The Dutch Grand Prix is a relative rarity in modern F1 as a privately run project that doesn't rely on government backing.

That makes it crucial to sell out tickets because hosting a race at Zandvoort requires spending around 75 million euros ($87.6 million) to set up infrastructure, including temporary stands seating tens of thousands of fans around the seaside circuit.

The Dutch Grand Prix returned to F1 in 2021 for the first time since 1985 and the success of four-time champion Max Verstappen — who this week signed a new contract through 2030 — has been crucial to its success. Organizers declined a potential contract extension in 2024 citing “risks and responsibilities” and a desire to go out on a high.

Replacement venues come with challenges

Fitting in a race in Europe after the scheduled Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 21 could mean F1 teams and spectators dealing with weather far colder than at most races.

“I think if it were to be Imola, and to be clear, that isn’t confirmed or otherwise, the weather will be interesting and spicy, but it would still be nice to go back to a European race at the end of it,” Williams team principal James Vowles said Friday.

“I know F1 are working incredibly hard for that not to happen and for the calendar to continue as is.”

There's also the question of funding. F1's agreement to return to Malaysia in October for the first time in nine years involved working with the governments of Bahrain and Malaysia to agree a deal that keeps Bahrain Grand Prix branding and denotes Malaysia as “host venue”.

Drivers and teams don't know for sure where and when the season will end, but title contenders George Russell and Lando Norris said Thursday it isn't affecting their preparations.

“I’m not even thinking of what I’m going to do on Monday yet,” Norris joked. “Lack of clarity at the minute doesn’t change anything.”

Russell added: “I prefer more races than less. That’s the only thing I would wish for. But it’s out of our control, it’s out of Formula 1’s control as well, so it is what it is.”

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

The third-year player — who is battling Sam Howell for the No. 2 role behind Dak Prescott — threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score in a second straight impressive preseason effort, sparking the Cowboys to a 34-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night.

“This is long from over,” Schottenheimer said about the backup quarterback competition. “We're going back to Frisco, thankfully, get a chance to be home and put some more training camp days in. You've got to give Joe his credit, he's played really well the past two games, but we have a lot of confidence in Sam as well.”

Milton finished 9-of-13 passing for 176 yards, connecting on a 53-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Mingo and a 70-yard strike to Camden Brown that set up Milton's 1-yard touchdown run a play later. The play to Mingo was perfectly executed, with the receiver making a double move before Milton hit him in stride down the left sideline.

“This game is about to being able to control the RPMs of the football and throw it with different speeds and touches,” Schottenheimer said. “He's done that at a very high level.”

Dallas built a 24-6 lead by halftime. Jaydon Blue ran for 75 yards on 15 carries.

The 26-year-old Milton was a sixth-round pick by New England in 2024. He played in four regular-season games with Dallas last season, throwing for 183 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Howell completed 7 of 10 passes for 65 yards in the second half, but also threw an interception in the end zone. He started all 17 games with Washington in 2023 and was with Philadelphia last season but didn't appear in any regular-season games.

Both teams rested most of their starters.

Arizona's Gardner Minshew completed 19 of 23 passes for 177 yards, playing the entire first half and the first series of the second half. He's expected to be Jacoby Brissett's backup this season.

Dallas defense shines early

Cowboys cornerback Shavon Revel picked off Minshew's pass midway through the first quarter after receiver Simi Fehoko slipped on the route. Revel returned the ball 22 yards to the Arizona 12.

Three plays later, Milton escaped from the pocket, rolled out to his left and hit Malik Davis for an 8-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead.

Revel is in his second season after being drafted by the Cowboys in the third round out of East Carolina in 2025. He played in seven games last year, starting five.

Cowboys rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham also had an early tackle for loss.

Penalty problems for Cardinals

The Cardinals had two touchdowns called back on the same drive when receiver Rivaldo Fairweather was flagged for a pair of penalties. Fairweather was called for offensive holding on the first play and offensive pass interference on the second.

Arizona had a to settle for a 38-yard field goal from Chad Ryland, which cut the deficit to 14-3.

Later in the first half, the Cardinals were called for a false start at the Dallas 1-yard line. Minshew was sacked on the next play and Ryland kicked a 31-yard field goal.

“It was the culmination of our week — we had a sloppy week of practice," coach Mike LaFleur said. "I don't think we've practiced really well over the last week since Vegas. There have been individuals who have practiced well, there's been times where we've done good things, but overall it wasn't good enough.

“This — tonight — was a summary of that week in general.”

Injuries

Cardinals safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (ribs) left late in the first quarter after delivering a big hit on Cowboys tight end Zack Kuntz. Taylor-Demerson was called for a personal foul on the play. ... Cowboys safety Julius Wood left in the third quarter with a concussion.

Up next

Cowboys: Host New Orleans on Friday night.

Cardinals: At Green Bay on Friday night.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

But now Buc-ee's has set off a Buckeye backlash across Ohio and beyond after taking on a beaver in the city of Beavercreek.

It's yet another Buc-ee’s Ltd. trademark infringement lawsuit. Supporters of Beaver’s Mini Mart have attacked Buc-ee’s online and boycotted the stores, and the mini mart's home city passed a resolution making the beaver an official part of its history. British comedian John Oliver has even weighed in on the kerfuffle.

On an episode of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” the comedian detailed Buc-ee’s aggressive history of trademark lawsuits targeting various woodland creatures and launched a website hawking merchandise bearing a knockoff “Buc-off” logo and a squirrel mascot named Mr. Nutterbutter. On X, #boycottbucees trended.

Buc-ee’s sued Beaver’s Mini Mart in late July, four months after the chain known for its extensive food offerings and massive restrooms opened its first Ohio store less than a half-hour’s drive away.

Buc-ee’s argues the shop’s beaver logo too closely resembles the convenience store giant’s branded Buc-ee (“Bucky”) beaver. The Texas-based company asked for a jury trial in federal court in Ohio.

Buc-ee's claims a right to protect its valuable logo

Beaver’s Mini Mart occupies a long, low building with a shingle roof at a suburban intersection. In contrast, the new 74,000-square-foot (6,875-square-meter) Buc-ee’s off Interstate 70 near Dayton has more than 100 gas pumps, 24 electric vehicle chargers and 700 parking spaces. A second Ohio store has been approved to open in 2028.

While preparing to enter the state in February, Buc-ee’s sued the northern Ohio holding company for Mickey Mart gas stations, arguing its Mickey the Moose logo could be confused with Buc-ee. (The company’s response: “A moose is not a beaver.”)

The Buc-ee’s beaver logo features the face of a beaver with prominent buck teeth wearing a red ball cap against a yellow backdrop. The Beaver’s Mini Mart mascot is a full beaver, unclothed, waving and smiling against a white background.

Customers have been critical of Buc-ee's decision to target the much smaller store.

“I love Buc-ee's, but I don't plan on going back until they start making better business decisions,” Austin Collins, 32, a project manager from Fairborn, said outside Beaver's, where he was making his first visit to protest the lawsuit.

He called targeting a beaver-named business in Beavercreek “a little spiteful.” License plates from three states were visible in the parking lot.

Buc-ee's has defended the lawsuit as protective of its valuable trademark. In a statement on its website, the company said it first learned of Beaver's Mini Mart when its owner, Vic Boparai, filed a trade name registration on Oct. 23.

The small business, incorporated in 2017, changed its name from Hanes Road Carryout to Beaver’s Mini Mart in January 2025, according to the paperwork. That was about four months after Buc-ee's broke ground near Dayton. Recognizing a conflict, the company said it repeatedly attempted to reach Boparai without success, so it was forced to sue.

Boparai has since issued a statement of his own, though without addressing the company's concerns nor the merits of the lawsuit.

“We want to say thank you to the community and the entire country for supporting us and our business,” he said. “We are overwhelmed by your support for our business and other small businesses everywhere.”

The Associated Press has been unable to reach Boparai at Beaver’s Mini Mart or by calling the store.

Beavercreek adopts the beaver as part of city history

Beavercreek City Council responded to the dust-up by passing a resolution Aug. 10 making the beaver a permanent and official part of its 200-plus-year history. Bucky the Beaver, mascot of the Beavercreek Local Schools, visited the meeting ahead of the unanimous vote.

On social media, images lampooning the fight are rampant. One showed the Ohio State University football mascot, Brutus Buckeye, tackling Buc-ee the beaver.

Support has taken other forms, too. One was a GoFundMe campaign aimed at assuring that costs associated with the lawsuit don't put Beaver's Mini Mart out of business, as has happened to other establishments Buc-ee's sued. It had raised at least $69,000.

The mini mart gave permission to The Original Goodie Shop bakery in Upper Arlington to use its logo on a signature cookie, with $1 from each one sold going to support Beaver's legal fees. Cake, Hope & Love, a Beavercreek bakery, also is offering cookies adorned with buck-toothed beavers that urge shopping local.

Other Dayton-area businesses — including a Lego store and a root beer shop — temporarily altered their logos to include beavers in a show of solidarity. Dozens of businesses in Beavercreek already incorporate the city name or word beaver in their names.

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who attended and praised the grand opening of the Dayton-area Buc-ee’s store in April, described the lawsuit as “absurd.”

“It is Beavercreek, for heaven’s sake,” the governor told reporters.

“I just thought, keep doing what I’ve been doing the first three at-bats and I was able to put a good swing on it," the Cincinnati Reds left fielder said after hitting a line drive homer to right on the first pitch of the sixth inning in a 11-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Bleday doubled in the first inning, tripled in the third and singled in the fourth as the Reds built an early lead and kept up the pressure. The first two hits were off Arizona starter Michael Soroka, the last two off reliever Zack Littell.

For Bleday, who struck out three times in Friday's 9-0 loss and entered the game hitting .217, it was much needed. The 28-year-old was the fourth overall pick in the 2019 draft, but it has taken awhile to gain traction.

“Things haven’t been going that well for me as of late, so I’m just trying to persevere," Bleday said. "This organization has really welcomed me and my family, and they’ve been giving me opportunities.”

“When you have a lead, you can enjoy it a little bit," Reds manager Terry Francona said. “That was special.”

It was the eighth cycle in franchise history dating to 1890. Bleday is the first Cincinnati player to hit for a cycle since Elly De La Cruz on June 23, 2023, against Atlanta.

“It's always cool seeing someone hit for the cycle,” said De La Cruz, who had four hits himself Saturday and lacked just the triple for what would have been the first twin cycle game in MLB history.

“I didn't know until he hit the homer, but that was pretty cool.”

Both players went 4 for 6, accounting for half the Reds' 16 hits.

There were three previous cycles in the majors this year — Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs, the Phillies’ Bryce Harper and the most recent one, by Tristan Peters of the White Sox on July 10.

The home run was Bleday’s 21st of the season, topping his previous career high of 20 with the Athletics in 2024.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The 22-year-old Anderson got done with his warmup routine on Saturday quicker than usual before his much-ballyhooed big league debut against the Chicago Cubs. So, rather than ignore the young fans who watched his bullpen session, Anderson did a little something out of the ordinary and scribbled his signature a handful of times before the Mariners beat the Cubs 5-4 in walk-off fashion.

Growing up in Slidell, Louisiana, Anderson didn’t go to many major league games. But, Anderson used to hound LSU baseball players for autographs as a kid, so he was more than willing to lend a few minutes of his time.

“That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, to go out there and pitch for the fans,” Anderson said. “... You just got to give back to those kids.”

Anderson, the third pick in the 2025 draft out of LSU, became the first player from his draft class to make his major league debut. He looked the part of one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, too, for most of the evening.

Anderson yielded three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, two on back-to-back solo homers in the sixth, which caused the end to his night after 81 pitches. The southpaw departed to a standing ovation from the 45,681 on hand, a figure which included roughly 20 family members and friends.

It could have been worse for Anderson, too, if not for left fielder Randy Arozarena robbing Miguel Amaya of a solo shot in the third.

“I thought it was way gone,” Anderson said of Arozarena’s heroics. “I’m honestly grateful that ball stayed in the park.”

Pete Crow-Armstrong, who led off the sixth with a double, came inches away from starting that frame with a solo home run, too.

On the whole, Anderson coasted his first two times through Chicago’s lineup. He struck out five Cubs hitters, three of them with a slider that generated six whiffs in the game. Manager Dan Wilson elected to send Anderson back out for the sixth because he thought the young lefty was throwing the ball “extremely well,” and was pleased with how he handled adversity.

“The way he used all of his stuff, you saw everything today,” Wilson said. “He wasn’t afraid to throw anything in any count, and I just thought for a first time out there, he looked very, very comfortable, and that’s a great sign.”

Anderson pitched in plenty of high-leverage games while starring for LSU, too. At the professional level, though, Anderson faced little resistance from opposing hitters before Saturday night.

In 18 starts for Double-A Arkansas this year, Anderson went 10-1 with a 1.06 ERA, striking out 135 batters and walking 13 in 93 1/3 innings.

Anderson’s arrival in Seattle coincided with the club being in need of reinforcements. Following Saturday’s win, the Mariners (62-68) moved three games behind Houston in the AL West and two games back in the race for the final wild-card spot.

Going into his outing, Anderson fully understood the magnitude of his debut, not just on a personal level, but also within the context of what it meant for the reigning AL West champions.

“The team was counting on me for a big game today,” Anderson said. “These games matter, especially when the season is getting shorter and shorter. These games matter. I understood that going in. Obviously, it’s a big day for me, but it’s an even bigger day for this org.”

That didn’t stop Anderson, though, from taking a second to look around T-Mobile Park and take it all in before he became the center of attention.

“I’ve only been to Seattle a couple times, but, this place is really cool,” Anderson said. “The weather here is really nice, so that’s a plus. It’s a really special city. I really like it so far.”

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Skubal struck out 11 — one off his season best — to earn his first win since joining the two-time defending World Series champions, 4-3 over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.

"That's the guy that we needed. Completing seven innings, reset the bullpen, great outing,” manager Dave Roberts said. "He’s very physical, and you can see that when he needs to reach back for more, it’s in there.”

Skubal was 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA in his first three starts with the Dodgers, who acquired him in a blockbuster deal with the Detroit Tigers earlier this month.

After a rough first inning in which he gave up three consecutive hits that led to three runs, Skubal (8-7) settled down and retired 20 of his final 23 batters. The left-hander allowed five hits with one walk.

“I’m not gonna be perfect out there, but I definitely need to be better in the first inning,” he said. "But other than that, I thought my execution was good. The stuff coming out of my hand is as good as it’s ever been.”

Skubal was still throwing hard over his final two innings, reaching 99 mph to get Jared Triolo to pop up and topping 100 mph in finishing off Jake Mangum for his final strikeout.

“I feel like I’ve always been able to sustain velocity, from pitch one to pitch however many I’m allowed to go,” he said. “When I feel confident commanding the ball, that’s when I feel like I can really start letting it rip and it’s going to go where I want it to go.”

Skubal has been studying the game-planning and bullpen sessions of his rotation mates, including fellow lefty Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He also watched Shohei Ohtani throw a live bullpen session before the game.

“We got a ton of really good arms here, a ton of talent, and it’s just about us going out there and playing baseball and executing,” he said. "When we’re doing that, we’re the best team in the league.”

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The Eagles announced that Jackson had strength and movement in all extremities and had been taken to a hospital for further evaluation.

Jackson was on the kickoff team and made the tackle on New England’s Lan Larison but laid motionless seconds after the play was over.

Trainers rushed in almost immediately as medical personnel from both teams attended to Jackson. They quickly called for a backboard and ambulance.

Players from both teams knelt near the sideline as he was strapped onto a stretcher. Eagles players then surrounded Jackson briefly before he was loaded into the ambulance. Jackson could be seen briefly raising his left arm.

Play resumed a few minutes later.

Backup quarterback Tanner McKee said afterward that they were told postgame that Jackson was OK.

“A lot of different emotions just praying and hoping that he’s OK,” McKee said. “Word was going around that he was talking, he was responsive and moving. That kind of got everybody to settle down a little bit and we know our teammate is doing OK.”

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Speaking to tens of thousands in Rimini, Leo warned against a culture that “rearms minds, words and nations” and argued that Christians must respond with mercy, encounter and a commitment to peace.

He also delivered a message of encouragement to young Catholics, telling them they are “a sign that the future is promising, and not a threat!”

Earlier, in San Marino, Leo addressed local authorities of the world’s oldest surviving republic and reflected on the legacy of Saints Marino and Leone, whom he credited with helping create a society rooted in freedom, mutual respect and community.

The pope said the two saints translated the Christian message into “a new community and political model, strongly characterized by the Christian principles of freedom, mutual respect and communion” — a legacy that he said continues to shape the republic today.

San Marino, a nation of about 35,000 people completely surrounded by Italy, traces its origins to the fourth century. It is governed by a 60-member parliament that elects two captains regent every six months to serve jointly as heads of state, a power-sharing arrangement designed to prevent the concentration of authority.

Using the micro state as an example, Leo argued that small political communities can offer lessons in public service and social cohesion at a time of growing division and distrust.

Leo is the third pope to visit San Marino, after St. John Paul II visited in 1982 and Pope Benedict XVI came in 2011.

The American pontiff praised a society “built on respect for one’s own freedom and that of others and above all on respect for the sacred Will of God.”

He warned that modern societies face increasing threats from violence, social fragmentation and ideologies that put self-interest ahead of the common good.

“We live in a world wounded by many conflicts,” the pope said, citing growing violence, closures and fear of others. He urged Christians to respond through forgiveness, solidarity and concern for the vulnerable.

Leo also described San Marino as a “laboratory of good politics” and called for public life to uphold the dignity of every human person “from conception to natural death” — language commonly used by Vatican officials and Catholic leaders when referring to church opposition to abortion and euthanasia.

In 2021, San Marino voters approved a referendum legalizing abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, overturning a decades-old ban. The referendum represented a significant change in law and public policy in a country with deep Catholic roots.

While Leo did not directly address the referendum, he repeatedly stressed the need for political, social and economic systems to place human dignity at their center. He warned against models that present themselves as liberating but ultimately fail to serve the human person and the common good.

A call for mercy in a divided world

Later Saturday, Leo addressed the annual Rimini Meeting — a major Catholic cultural festival organized by the Communion and Liberation movement — urging Catholics to respond to a world marked by war, division and inequality with dialogue, friendship and encounter.

He said peace is built by people “who love to encounter one another and are not afraid to engage with one another,” arguing that human dignity must come before political, social and ideological divisions.

In some of his strongest comments to date on global tensions, he warned against what he described as a growing culture of confrontation and militarization.

Christians should recognize that “there can be no enemies,” and that even opponents are “a brother or sister to be looked in the eye and encountered in truth,” Leo added.

He urged Catholics to challenge systems that fuel poverty, inequality and conflict.

“Let us expose unjust structures of power that lie at the root of poverty, inequality, war and environmental disasters,” he said, while urging believers to free “work from the idolatry of profit” and to “disarm technological development whenever it becomes invasive and destructive.”

A significant portion of the pope's speech focused on young people, whom Leo portrayed as a source of hope at a time when many fear the future.

Encouraging young Catholics to engage with society rather than retreat into closed communities, he urged them: “Do not be afraid to give yourselves fully!” and “Go forth to meet everyone!”

Echoing themes championed by his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo also encouraged Catholics to embrace listening and dialogue, arguing that the church grows through the attraction of authentic witness rather than proselytism.

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Zampano reported from Rome.

The Boston Musicians' Association issued a statement ahead of the expiration of the union's three-year contract at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

The orchestra and management have had strained relations since BSO decided in March to force out music director Andris Nelsons next summer after 13 seasons.

“In spite of the turmoil of the last six months caused by BSO’s leadership decision to terminate the orchestra’s musical director, Andris Nelsons, they have failed to agree to a collective bargaining agreement that would begin to restore the trust that they have destroyed and offer a fair contract to the musicians who are at the heart and soul of the BSO,” the union said in a statement.

The union said management has not agreed to musicians' proposal for a mediator.

“We respect the musicians’ right to take this step as part of the negotiating process,” BSO CEO Chad Smith said in a statement. “Our focus remains on the negotiations and the ongoing constructive conversations. We are committed to reaching an agreement with competitive pay and benefits that enhances collaboration with the players.”

The orchestra's season is scheduled to open Sept. 17.

The NL West leaders won their fifth in a row and ninth in 12 games with their 37th comeback win of the season.

After a rough first inning in which he trailed 3-0, Skubal (8-7) settled down and retired 20 of his final 23 batters. The left-hander allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings with one walk. His strikeouts were one off his season high and two off his career best.

Tanner Scott retired the side in the ninth to earn his 19th save.

Skubal was 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA in his first three starts with the Dodgers, who acquired the two-time Cy Young Award winner in a blockbuster deal with the Detroit Tigers ahead of the trade deadline earlier this month.

Tucker snapped an 0 for 25 skid at home with his two-run RBI to right, giving the Dodgers their first lead, 4-3. Mookie Betts got hit by reliever Yohan Ramírez to open the inning and Max Muncy followed with a double to set up Tucker, who again received encouraging applause from the sellout crowd of 53,417.

The Pirates had the tying run on third in the eighth after Esmerlyn Valdez doubled off reliever Evan Phillips. Pinch-runner Billy Cook took third on a passed ball by catcher Ben Rortvedt. Jack Dreyer came in and got Cruz on a called third strike to end the threat.

Yohan Ramirez (6-4) took the loss in relief.

After three hitless innings, the Dodgers finally got to Pirates starter Jared Jones in the fourth. Teoscar Hernández and newly called up Alek Thomas had back-to-back RBI singles that pulled them within 3-2.

The Pirates jumped on Skubal in the first, taking a 3-0 lead. Oneil Cruz had a two-run triple — his first of the season — to right and Rafael Flores Jr. followed with an RBI groundout to second.

Jones gave up two runs and three hits in four innings while striking out five and walking five.

Pirates reliever Camilo Doval pitched one inning of scoreless relief in the sixth before being ejected.

Up next

The Pirates had yet to announce a starter for Sunday's series finale against Dodgers LHP Blake Snell (1-1, 3.60).

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Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to 35 years in prison for the April 2025 killing of Austin Metcalf.

Judge Michael Chitty denied the retrial motion in a half-page order following a two-day hearing this week near Dallas, citing a review of the evidence and arguments. He did not elaborate.

Russell Wilson, Anthony's attorney, said the defense would appeal.

“Our commitment to our client has not changed,” Wilson said. “We will continue to advocate vigorously on his behalf through every lawful avenue available.”

At the center of Anthony’s retrial request was an off-the-record agreement between prosecutors and his trial defense team to keep damaging character evidence about both teenagers out of the proceeding. Both sides agreed to hold back evidence that risked further inflaming a case already boiling with racial tensions and death threats.

The case attracted widespread attention in part because of a flood of social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Lawyers on both sides, however, told jurors that the case had nothing to do with race.

Worries that prosecutors would renege on the agreement as Anthony prepared to testify, his attorneys say, came after a heated argument between lawyers on both sides and changed their defense strategy at the eleventh hour. Anthony ultimately decided not to testify.

Prosecutor Bill Wirskye defended the trial as fair this week.

“We respect, and expected, the court’s decision denying the motion for a new trial,” Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said after the denial was announced. “The jury’s guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process. Every defendant has the right to appeal, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the Metcalf family in the painful wake of last week’s hearing.”

Anthony’s attorneys also demanded a retrial because they said trial judge John Roach’s courtroom rules were so strict that they limited the public’s access to the proceedings. And in asking for Roach's recusal, they noted that he gave a posttrial interview with a Dallas TV station in which he expressed agreement with the jury's decision.

“Whatever they say, they got it right,” Roach said.

Roach said his rules were necessary for a fair trial, and prosecutors insisted he did nothing wrong.

Jurors rejected Anthony’s claims that he was defending himself during a confrontation with Metcalf in the bleachers of the track meet.

Anthony and Metcalf were athletes for different high schools in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, where several teams were competing on the rainy spring day when the meet took place.

Anthony sat under the tent that belonged to Metcalf's team, and Metcalf and others repeatedly told him to leave, witnesses testified. That led to an escalating confrontation.

Prosecutors said Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses identified Anthony as the aggressor.

At one point Anthony reached inside a bag and said: “Touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report.

Witnesses said Metcalf pushed Anthony, who pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.

Moke, which formed Friday in the Pacific Ocean, was located about 425 miles (680 kilometers) southeast of Hilo and moving west-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph). Maximum sustained winds were around 50 mph (85 kph), the National Hurricane Center said.

As with Hurricane Lala, the Big Island was expected to bear the brunt of Moke's rain and heavy winds as it passes south of a direct hit late Saturday into early Sunday.

Moke was then forecast to continue its westward path near the islands through early Tuesday, said Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

“There will still be impacts, especially to the windward and southeast sides of the Big Island, but it will probably be a little bit more limited than what we saw with Lala,” Oswant said.

Lala downed trees, swept buildings off their foundations, damaged roads and bridges and left roads covered in mud and rocks. Two storm-related deaths were reported.

Weekend rainfall predictions for the southeast and windward sides of the Big Island were 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters), with as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) in isolated areas, Oswant said. Across the rest of the island chain, 1 to 2 inches (2 to 5 centimeters) of rain was expected, though parts of east Maui could see up to 4 inches (10 centimeters).

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, but people were urged to closely monitor the storm's progress. The rainfall has the potential to cause dangerous rip currents, life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep areas and places where the ground remains saturated, the center said.

The northeast coast of the Big Island saw the heaviest total rainfall from Lala, at 43.54 inches (1.1 meters), according to the weather service. More than 8,000 customers on the Big Island remained without power, according to poweroutage.us.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and other state officials held a news conference ahead of Moke, urging people to prepare by restocking food, medicine and other essentials.

“There’s definitely tension in the air” at the thought of more rain in communities that floodwaters turned into rivers, said Tiffany Edwards Hunt, a teacher living in Keaau, on the east side of the Big Island.

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Associated Press writer Alexa St. John in Detroit contributed.

Watson, who has a complicated relationship with Cleveland fans because of injuries, off-field issues — including an NFL suspension in 2022 — and a massive, $230 million contract, was booed repeatedly during the second half of a 31-7 loss to the Bills.

Watson was just 5 of 12 passing for 36 yards and threw an interception. He came off the bench because the Browns started Shedeur Sanders, who is competing with Watson for the starting job. Coach Todd Monken has yet to decide which QB will start the season opener in Jacksonville on Sept. 13.

Watson didn't appreciate the reaction from the sparse crowd at Huntington Bank Field. It was his first home game since tearing his Achilles tendon on Oct. 20, 2024, when fans cheered him sustaining a potential career-ending injury.

“It has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said of the boos. “It’s a little bit personal. I think that’s a disrespectful thing. I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. Just move on.”

Watson has started just 19 games since the Browns acquired him in a blockbuster trade from Houston four years ago and signed him to a fully guaranteed contract. They traded three first-round draft picks for the three-time Pro Bowl pick, who came to Cleveland embroiled in controversy.

He served an 11-game league suspension in his first season after two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions. He also paid a $5 million fine and completed a treatment program.

Watson struggled with rustiness upon his return and was just beginning to play like a Pro Bowl QB again when he suffered a season-ending shoulder surgery in 2023 and had surgery. This season, he’s coming back from twice rupturing his Achilles tendon.

When Watson first injured his Achilles tendon in 2024 in a home game against Cincinnati, some fans cheered. He hasn't forgotten.

“Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles and that same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt,” Watson said. “So what does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially for your own city and they cheer.”

Watson said he's not sure if he can win back any fans. He's frustrated that the only time he feels animosity from Cleveland fans is when he's on the field.

“When I’m in public, no one’s mentioned anything," he said. "Because this is social media, players can’t respond back. And then in the stadium, players can’t respond back. So I get it. I understand it. So it is what it is.

“It’s a mental battle every day. I feel like I get more love in road games than I do home games. So if it is my spot and he (Monken) does make me the (starter), maybe it’s 17 away games then.”

Although he's competing with Watson, Sanders said the booing directed at one of his teammates was bothersome.

“I don’t appreciate that at all,” Sanders said. "Regardless of competition, we’re all human beings. I think we all need to understand that. In this room, too, we’re all humans. I don’t do things to humans that I wouldn’t want done to me.

“For all the fans, we appreciate you showing up, and however you feel about the situation with Deshaun and everything, I think it’s more about a bigger purpose and it’s respect. It’s a respect thing that I feel should be there, because we’re all out there trying to do our best and serve the franchise the best way possible.”

As he nears a decision on his starting QB, Monken may now have to factor in whether Watson is mentally strong enough to handle the challenge.

Before Watson spoke, Monken said he believed Watson could win back fans with his play.

"I know you asked (Watson) ‘Hey, how does it feel to get booed?’ It’s a pretty easy question — it sucks,” Monken said. “I don’t want to get booed. It comes with the territory. You don’t want to get booed? Let’s play good football. Let’s play good at quarterback. Let’s play good on offense. Let’s play good as a team. And then you don’t have to worry about all that because it can turn just like that.

“Win, play good football, and everybody will be fine. That’s just part of it."

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