After failed negotiations forced the delay of a committee vote to advance Blanche's nomination, Trump suggested he was holding firm against pressure from Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis. They have expressed concerns about the controversial settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, which a judge denounced as an exercise in self-dealing.

The senators said the Justice Department seemed interested in reaching an agreement with them, but the White House wouldn't budge to aid the confirmation of Trump's loyal former personal attorney, who has aggressively pursued the administration's priorities as acting attorney general. Instead, Trump said in a social media post that he might pull Blanche's nomination and resubmit it after Cornyn and Tillis leave office next year.

“I think as far as Blanche and the Department of Justice, we were pretty much on the same page,” Cornyn said Thursday. “But then when the president got wind of it, he wasn’t willing to go along with it.”

Hours after Trump's post, however, Blanche held a meeting with Cornyn and Tillis and the two sides were back to working collaboratively, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations around Blanche’s confirmation.

Cornyn and Tillis have said they won't back Blanche's nomination without additional assurances in writing about the settlement, which included a deal to drop tax claims against the president and a now-scrapped plan to create a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” meant to compensate Trump allies.

With all Democratic senators opposed, just one Republican holdout on the Senate Judiciary Committee could sink Blanche’s chances for confirmation. And even if Blanche makes it through the Senate Judiciary Committee, it’s unclear if he has enough Republican support to be confirmed by the full chamber.

Cornyn wrote in a social media post Thursday that the president is “mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis.”

While the Justice Department dropped plans for the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” after bipartisan outrage about the potential of payouts going to violent Jan. 6 rioters, officials have said that another piece of the settlement — granting Trump and members of his family immunity from tax audits — remains in place.

Though Blanche has repeatedly insisted that the “Anti-Weaponization fund” is dead, skeptical lawmakers have pushed for a commitment in writing — especially since Trump has expressed continued support for the idea. But the senators suggested the White House is resisting putting it in writing.

“The president’s getting bad advice. He should listen to Blanche and others who think if it’s dead, it should be rendered completely dead,” Tillis told reporters about the fund.

Another sticking point was the settlement's audit immunity provision that said the U.S. government is “forever barred and precluded” from scrutinizing or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization’s current and past tax examinations. Cornyn and Tillis have pressed the administration to modify the agreement to make clear that it covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.

While the majority of Republican senators oppose the settlement, the main pushback to Blanche has come from Cornyn, who lost his seat earlier this year when Trump opposed him in a GOP primary. Trump has also frequently targeted Tillis, who announced last year that he would not run for re-election and has criticized the administration over the pardons of Jan. 6 rioters and other matters.

Though it would be politically embarrassing for the Trump administration, pulling Blanche’s nomination would likely have little practical impact on the management of the Justice Department.

Blanche, who took the reins of the department after Pam Bondi's firing in April, can still lead the agency as either acting attorney general or deputy attorney general, the No. 2 post to which he was confirmed last year. The deputy attorney general, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the law enforcement agency, can perform the duties of the attorney general if that post is vacant.

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Associated Press reporter Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.

Richard Kohn, 21, has been held without bond at the Marion County Jail since his initial arrest on May 28, 2026.

What the new charges include

The 81 additional charges filed against Kohn are:

• 20 counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
• 20 counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material with Intent to Promote
• 20 counts of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child
• 12 counts of Transmission of Child Sexual Abuse Material
• 9 counts of Possession of Pornographic Images of Sexual Activities Involving Animals

How the investigation started

The initial investigation began on May 28, 2026, after a School Resource Officer was notified that a juvenile student disclosed engaging in sexual activity with Kohn. The victim’s mother then discovered explicit sexual photos and videos Kohn had sent on the victim’s Snapchat account.

When Kohn attempted to meet the juvenile victim for sex at a designated location, MCSO detectives intervened and arrested him. He was originally charged with three counts of Lewd and Lascivious Battery, two counts of Lewd and Lascivious Molestation, two counts of Traveling to Meet a Minor, and Interference with Child Custody.

What detectives found on his phone

Following the initial arrest, Detective Lowder executed a search warrant on Kohn’s mobile device. The forensic examination uncovered extensive CSAM, including:

• Images and videos involving prepubescent children
• Identifiable local juveniles from Marion and surrounding counties
• The primary victim
• Images of sexual activities involving animals

Detectives also found evidence that Kohn recorded self-produced sexual abuse material with a juvenile and transmitted those files to other individuals — leading to the 81 additional charges.

Detectives believe there are more victims

Due to the nature of the offenses and evidence of self-produced CSAM, detectives believe additional unidentified victims may exist.

Anyone with information about additional crimes involving Richard Kohn is asked to contact Detective Michael Lowder at (352) 351-6408.

Crime scene tape surrounded Baldwin Meadows Apartments Wednesday evening after Orange County deputies responded to the shooting. The sheriff’s office has not released details about what happened before the gunfire or whether any arrests have been made. The investigation remains active and ongoing.

On Thursday, the sheriff’s office identified the teen as Skyler Bradford.

Resident April Ortiz said she had seen the teen around the complex several times visiting one of the families at the apartment but did not believe the teen herself lived there.

“I’m not familiar with her, but I do know the people who lives there (where the shooting happened). It’s a mother and son who live there,” Ortiz said.

She said she remembered seeing Bradford the day before the shooting.

When Ortiz stepped outside after the gunfire, she said she saw a scene she will never forget.

“Her face was swollen, blood, just seeing someone laying here not breathing was just unbelievable,” Ortiz said.

Deputies remained at the scene, speaking with multiple people as they worked to gather information. Their vehicles were parked near the area where Ortiz’s children play.

As a mother, Ortiz said she cannot imagine the pain the victim’s family is experiencing.

“I would be devastated if it happened to be my child out here like that. I can’t imagine what the family is feeling,” she said.

Ortiz said safety concerns have been a growing issue at the complex and believes more security is needed.

“Definitely need a lot more security around here,” she said.

She also expressed frustration over ongoing problems in the community.

“They just don’t care around here. They literally break through the fences and everything. It’s unbelievable,” Ortiz said.

News 6 has contacted property management about whether additional safety measures would be put in place and has not yet responded.

For Ortiz, the shooting has changed how she feels about living at the complex.

“I don’t even want to be here. I don’t want to live here, honestly,” she said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains active and ongoing.

Maj. Collin Welch, 40, pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing about $54,000 in government money and inducing the Mongolian woman and her daughter to remain in the U.S. unlawfully. He’s awaiting sentencing in U.S. District Court in Washington.

Welch made a fake divorce decree to convince his second wife that he was no longer married to his first, according to a statement he signed as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. After moving her to the United States, he forged other government records to convince her that she was in the pipeline for U.S. citizenship and legally staying in the country.

Two deployments — to Afghanistan and Djibouti — and years spent away from his family put a strain on Welch, his lawyer, Gregory Rosen, said in a statement.

“None of that changes the fact that Major Welch accepts full responsibility for his actions,” Rosen said. “That alone speaks louder about his character than any statement of offense, standing alone, ever could.”

The affair began in 2019, when Welch was with the Alaska National Guard and stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It continued after he returned to Alaska in 2021 and moved to Arkansas the next year. They were married in 2022 in Mongolia.

In 2023, Welch moved to Washington with his family for a role with the District of Columbia National Guard that required extensive foreign travel. He used his government travel card to rent hotel rooms in the Washington area for video calls with his second wife, so she wouldn't know he was living with his family.

He also submitted false reimbursement expenses and lied to his superiors to get authorization for foreign travel to visit the Mongolian woman, according to the statement filed in court.

Welch charged the government for plane tickets for the Mongolian woman and her daughter to move to the United States in 2024. He married her again in Virginia, falsely saying he had never been married before. He paid for their living arrangements in Northern Virginia until they were evicted late last year when he tried to pay the rent with forged checks.

During that time, Welch knew the woman and her daughter had expired tourist visas but faked a variety of records to convince them otherwise. Those included letters from immigration authorities, Social Security cards and a Defense Department letter purporting to say the immigrants were enrolled in military health coverage.

Usually by late July or early August any drought conditions are eradicated.

Thursday’s drought update from the United States Department of Agriculture revealed little change in drought status.

The last time drought conditions were this widespread, intense and lasted this long in Central Florida was back in 2000.

That drought continued and intensified through the winter and spring of 2001.

That is highly unlikely to happen this time around as a strong El Niño is expected through at least spring.

The El Niño pattern typically brings much above normal rainfall from fall through early spring.

Long range climate models continues to be bullish on a very wet fall and winter for the state of Florida.

Like Thursday, rain and storms will be around at odd times Friday.

While not as widespread Friday morning, expect a few downpours and thunderstorms.

Storm chances increase through the early afternoon.

Highs will top out around 90 degrees.

Expect high storm chances to continue through the weekend before a more typical mid-to-late summer weather pattern returns by the middle of next week.

Lettuce prices rose sharply in the first half of 2026 due to hot weather in Arizona, where about one-third of America’s lettuce is grown. Now, restaurants are dealing with the fallout from a cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded lettuce that has sickened thousands of Americans.

Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, said Thursday that Taco Bell's U.S. same-store sales are down 2% so far in the July-September period due to customers' concerns over the outbreak. That compares to a 7% same-store sales increase in the April-June period.

Federal health officials first tied the diarrhea-causing outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Later, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said customers in Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania were also affected.

Taco Bell removed shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms from its U.S. restaurants on July 17. The following day, Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico.

Taco Bell's sales bottomed out the weekend of July 18-19 but have been steadily improving since then, Yum Brands Chief Financial Officer Ranjith Roy said Thursday in a conference call with investors. Over the last four days, Taco Bell's U.S. sales have climbed halfway back to their year-ago level, he said.

Yum Brands CEO Chris Turner said Taco Bell's quick action to contain the issue and its clear communication on social media helped bring diners back. The brand also enticed fans with daily specials like $1 Mexican pizza.

“With respect to the consumer sentiment, we’ve seen real improvement as consumers have understood better the nature of the issue,” Turner said. “They understand that it is not a Taco Bell specific issue.”

Yum Brands shares rose 3.3% Thursday.

Other chains are also feeling some impact from the outbreak even though they haven't been named in government investigations. Chipotle Mexican Grill said Wednesday that it expects its same-store sales to rise only 1% in the July-September period because of lower traffic due to the outbreak. It had previously expected same-store sales to rise 3% in that period.

Foot traffic at Chopt, a salad-focused chain with 105 locations, plunged 24% on July 18 compared to the normal average for a Saturday, according to Placer.ai, a market research company. M Science, another market research firm, found that weekly spending at the salad chain Sweetgreen dropped 10 percentage points compared to last year during the first half of July.

Chopt didn't respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Sweetgreen, which has 285 U.S. locations, did not confirm a drop in sales and said in a statement that its food hasn’t been connected to the current cyclospora outbreak.

“We follow rigorous food safety standards and can trace our ingredients from restaurant to farm,” the company said.

Cyclospora cases have continued to grow. As of July 27, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it has received reports of 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases. It's investigating multiple clusters, including a new outbreak involving 72 people that was announced last week. As the FDA investigation progresses, officials should get a better understanding of which illnesses are connected and “how complex this outbreak actually has become," said Craig Hedberg, a food safety researcher at the University of Minnesota.

The outbreak came on top of an already difficult year for the lettuce industry and people who love eating salads. The retail price of a pound of iceberg lettuce jumped nearly 20% between January and June of this year, according to government data. Consumers paid an average of 33% more last month for all fresh lettuce compared to a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

Lettuce prices advertised by major grocery stores last week averaged $1.86 for a head of iceberg, 25 cents more than the same week a year earlier, according to the USDA. A head of red leaf lettuce cost 52 cents more at $1.66, and a bunch of romaine had an advertised price of $2.49, which was $1.55 higher, the department reported.

Shoppers caught a break with some types of salad mixes, though, which stores advertised at prices 7 to 24 cents cheaper than a year prior, the USDA said.

Elizabeth Canales, an associate professor of agricultural economics at Mississippi State University, said unusually hot weather in Arizona early in the year caused crops to mature too early. That caused big supply gaps until California production began in late April.

Fuel costs, which increased after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran and Iran blocked most oil tankers from leaving the Persian Gulf, have also been an issue, according to Canales. Lettuce is especially perishable and requires energy for cooling from the time it's picked to the time it's sold, Canales said.

“The cold chain needs to be maintained. Cooling and transporting it is very important,” Canales said.

Lettuce has been linked to multiple food poisoning outbreaks in the past, including two in 2018 involving E. coli linked to romaine lettuce grown in Arizona and California.

___

Associated Press Writer Mike Stobbe contributed from New York.

“I can’t wake them up — I can’t get them up!” he frantically told the officers who, along with firefighters and paramedics, gave jurors firsthand accounts on Thursday of the aftermath.

The murder trial has centered on Clancy’s mental state at the time. Her lawyers do not dispute that she strangled the children with exercise bands. But they say she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth.

Prosecutors say Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, acted intentionally and is criminally responsible for the deaths in January 2023.

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

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The testimony came after jurors spent two days listening to testimony from Patrick Clancy and his anguished 911 call. He was still on the phone when he discovered the bodies of 3-year-old Dawson, 5-year-old Cora, and 8-month-old Callan, minutes after returning home from an errand his wife asked him to run.

Patrick Clancy has said in interviews that he forgives his ex-wife, whom he viewed as ill rather than evil. The trial marks the first time he has seen Lindsay Clancy since the killings.

She remains paralyzed from the waist down after using multiple methods to try to end her life that night. She says a voice told her, “This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself,” according to her lawyer.

Officers Stephen Hall and Brian Josephine testified Thursday that they were each dispatched separately to the house in Duxbury, a coastal town south of Boston. Hall said they arrived to find Patrick Clancy yelling for help from behind the home.

Patrick Clancy testified earlier this week that his injured wife told him the kids were in the basement, but she didn't say they were dead.

When the officers followed the sound of his screams downstairs, only 8-month-old Callan had a faint pulse, Josephine testified.

“Based on my training experience from previous incidents, I knew it wasn’t going to be good,” Josephine said. They began rendering aid with help from firefighters.

PJ Hussey, a fire department supervisor, arrived in time to glimpse through a basement window as Patrick Clancy unwrapped an exercise band from his child's neck.

“It turned very chaotic very quickly” as more ambulances rushed to the house, Hussey testified. Duxbury firefighter and paramedic Jennifer Stratton said the infant never regained a pulse.

If convicted of murder, Lindsay Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

In opening arguments Monday, her attorney said she had bipolar disorder, and that antidepressants prescribed after the birth of her third child worsened her condition.

Patrick Clancy testified about his wife’s deteriorating mental health in the months leading up to the killings. He said she told him about intrusive thoughts of harming the children, as well as thoughts of suicide.

She sought care from experts in postpartum mood disorders and was put on multiple psychiatric medications. When nothing worked, she checked into a psychiatric hospital. She killed the children 19 days after she was discharged.

Clancy and her ex-husband accuse her medical providers of failing to properly diagnose, treat and monitor her, according to lawsuits filed earlier this year.

The announcement comes after local authorities in Ceuta had asked the central government in Madrid for reinforcements to manage a border crisis that had been building up before boiling over on Thursday with large crowds of people breeching the border fence.

Spain’s government said Thursday evening it would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard “maintain security in the city of Ceuta.” It also announced that Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez would join Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska in a visit to Ceuta on Friday.

“The situation is absolute chaos,” Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard officers who police the border in Ceuta, told The Associated Press. “It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “totally collapsed.”

Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as ’’exceptional.″

“The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning and people crossed,″ he said.

Video footage showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach onto local roads. While the majority appeared to be young men, there were also families with women and small children.

“Viva España!” some shouted to a freelance photographer working for the AP. It was not immediately clear what prompted so many migrants to cross to Ceuta.

Spain’s government delegation in Ceuta said at least nine people died Thursday during the chaos. It did not provide details on the circumstances of the deaths but bodies could be seen floating in the water. Dozens have died this year trying to reach Ceuta, according to local authorities.

Arrivals had been increasing, but reasons still unclear

The escalation at the frontier between Spain and Morocco comes after a surge in migrants attempting to reach the small exclave, mainly by swimming, on Wednesday.

Moroccan authorities have not publicly commented on the crossings, and Morocco's Interior Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Spain’s Interior Ministry said the Moroccan government was “closely cooperating” with Spain to handle the situation and that Moroccan police are stopping “numerous people” who are trying to cross the border. Both countries agreed to work together “for the return, as soon as possible, of all the people who entered Ceuta illegally.”

The ministry earlier said it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation’s border but that the Spanish government could not declare a national emergency - as local authorities had asked - over migration concerns.

The chaos had ripple effects in Italy, another key destination for migrants. Premier Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Italy's open-border Shengen agreement with Spain “to defend our borders and ensure the safety of our citizens," though Italy doesn't share a border in Spain.

Ceuta authorities had previously linked the spike to a Spanish Supreme Court decision earlier this month that migrants who arrive by sea cannot be immediately pushed back across the border without due process, unlike those who cross into Spain by land — by climbing over the border fence, for example.

But some activists in Morocco expressed doubt that the ruling was behind the surge, arguing most migrants would have been unaware of such legal decisions.

Spain is a main point of arrival into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries.

To reach Ceuta, located on the northern African coast, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering about 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) to reach Spanish territory. Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.

The scenes of people streaming across the frontier recall the border crisis of May 2021 when more than 8,000 migrants poured into Ceuta in just two days.

At the time, Morocco was accused of easing border controls and allowing migrants to cross into the Ceuta after Spain allowed Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali to receive treatment at a Spanish hospital, triggering a diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Madrid. The pro-independence Polisario Front for decades has claimed to be the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people of the Western Sahara, disputed with Morocco.

Ceuta authorities ask Madrid to declare emergency, send army

Juan Jesús Vivas, the head of Ceuta’s regional government, called for the national government to declare an emergency on grounds of national security, asking for more police and for the army to be deployed on the border “to guarantee the inviolability of the frontier and citizen safety.”

He had warned Wednesday that migrant reception centers were overwhelmed with hundreds of people sleeping on the streets after more than 1,500 migrants entered the territory in the past week. But thousands more crossed overnight and Thursday.

Spain’s Interior Ministry, which tracks irregular migration, would not confirm the number of migrants who had made it to Ceuta in the last few days but said it would publish its next migration report on Aug. 3. As of July 15, nearly 3,000 migrants had entered Ceuta by land or sea this year, according to ministry figures.

Legislation covering a declaration of national emergencies does not consider migration flows as a risk to national security, according to the ministry, which said government agencies are “coordinating to respond with speed and efficacy to the situation in Ceuta.”

Ceuta, which is perched on a historical isthmus, has been a Spanish possession since 1580. Its mixed population of Christians and Muslims, Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers, live in relative harmony behind a border fence that many desperate migrants from across Africa attempt to cross for a better life in Europe.

—

Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. AP journalists Joseph Wilson in Barcelona and Akram Oubachir in Casablanca, Morocco, contributed to this report.

Amazon’s fully autonomous Zoox vehicles got approval Thursday to begin charging customers for rides in the specially designed boxy cars that feature four inward-facing seats once they secure state and local approval. Zoox has already been offering free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco since last year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also proposed a rule last month to allow robotaxis to operate without brake pedals, but that proposal is still pending. Administrator Jonathan Morrison said his agency wants to update the regulations to fit these fully autonomous vehicles while still acting as the “cop on the beat to make sure that this is being done right.”

Most vehicle safety regulations were written decades ago, always with the assumption that there would be a human driver behind the wheel. But Morrison said that things like steering wheels, windshield wipers and side-view mirrors aren't really needed in an autonomous vehicle.

“If you’re going to be developing a standard in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, nobody at that time had this imagination, nobody had a crystal ball that you might have technologies that would enable the vehicle to drive itself,” Morrison said.

Questions remain about robotaxi safety

The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety group raised concerns about Zoox’s plan to operate without a steering wheel or other standard controls because the company didn’t provide detailed evidence to show that its vehicles could operate safely on public roads.

“Lots of promises, lots of glossy language, lots of ‘We believe, we think we’ll do this.’ Yet there really was no data behind the promises, and that’s really concerning to us,” said Peter Kurdock, who is general counsel for the Advocates group.

Morrison said this technology does offer the promise of never driving distracted or drunk like human drivers do, but robotaxis have had some problems. Sometimes they're just weird behaviors like stopping in the middle of the road or struggling to get out of a parking lot. But he said NHTSA responded to the incidents of autonomous cars passing school buses or interfering with first responders, with investigations, recalls and calls to action.

“Sometimes we have seen unsafe behaviors, and we jump on that really quickly again. That’s our job at NHTSA,” Morrison said. But he said Americans shouldn't be terribly worried about the safety of these robotaxis.

“By and large we’re really excited about the promise of this technology and we want to see that promise fulfilled,” he said.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said recently that the limited crash data the government requires autonomous vehicle companies to submit makes it hard to assess the safety record of these robotaxis as they continue to expand across the country.

Most companies don't report how many miles their autonomous vehicles drove, which makes it impossible to calculate a crash rate, according to the IIHS. And there isn't a clear standard for which incidents must be reported. So autonomous vehicle companies are reporting many more minor incidents that human drivers who tend to only report a crash when there is significant damage or injuries.

Robotaxi industry is expanding quickly nationwide

Zoox and Tesla are working to catch up to the industry-leading Waymo that already operates in multiple cities. Waymo is owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet.

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans said this approval is an important milestone for autonomous vehicles.

“This achievement reflects a shared commitment to enabling innovation while maintaining the highest standards of safety,” Evans said.

Amazon hopes to eventually produce as many as 10,000 robotaxis a year at a plant near Silicon Valley as it works to challenge Waymo. Amazon paid $1.2 billion to acquire self-driving startup Zoox. Initially, Zoox will only be allowed to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles without steering wheels over the next two years as it works to prove the technology is safe. The company said that more than half a million people have already ridden in its vehicles.

The U.S. and Iran each fired barrages of missiles Thursday, as the pattern of back-and-forth strikes took hold again and hope dimmed for any quick resolution. After a brief respite, the risk of a return to all-out war emerged once more, with the fighting threatening to engulf even more countries. Jordan said Thursday it intercepted Iranian missiles for the second consecutive day, while Kuwait said a strike in the northern part of the country killed one person.

Most Americans say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, and Trump’s approval rating on Iran has fallen slightly since last month, according to a new AP-NORC poll. The results are a stark repudiation of Trump’s approach to the conflict, which has dragged on far longer than he originally predicted.

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The Trump administration is ending a Medicare drug subsidy program. Here’s how it could affect costs

Millions of older adults on Medicare prescription drug coverage could face higher monthly costs in 2027.

The Trump administration said this week it has decided to end a temporary subsidy program that helped offset premiums for the past two years.

The program was initially implemented by former President Joe Biden’s administration in 2024 to lower Medicare Part D prescription drug costs in response to the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

While federal officials say the financial impact will be minimal, the decision opens the administration to potential political consequences in a high-stakes midterm election year.

Democrats have criticized the move, calling it an attack on healthcare affordability.

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RFK Jr. launches an HHS cooking show

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is known for eating a “carnivore” diet of red meat and fermented foods – but he’s broadening those horizons for a new online cooking show.

He and celebrity chef Andrew Gruel prepared crispy salmon cakes and an arugula, apple and white bean salad in the first episode of “The Real Food Show,” posted Thursday with the branding of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The department says the show will provide examples of nutritious and affordable meals for Americans who want to eat healthier. It comes months after the Trump administration released new dietary guidelines at the start of this year.

Along with Kennedy’s recently launched podcast series, the show promotes some of the more popular aspects of his “Make America Healthy Again” initiative at a time when many have criticized his agenda in other areas, such as vaccines.

Bessent says US expects China to meet rare earth and agriculture commitments

After meeting on Thursday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on social media that the Trump administration expects Beijing “to fully meet its commitments on rare earths and U.S. agricultural products.” Trade representative Greer also attended, Bessent said.

The meeting between finance and trade officials sets the stage for Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected meeting face to face in September.

Bessent said the group also discussed implementation of the Trade and Investment Boards as a way to build more “balanced, fair, and constructive U.S.-China economic relationship.”

What to know about Trump’s nearly $1.8B fund to compensate allies claiming political targeting

Back in May, the Justice Department announced that allies of the president who believe they have been wrongly investigated and prosecuted could soon have access to a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” would represent “a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.” Blanche’s statement made no mention of how investigations and prosecutions of Trump’s political opponents under his watch have exposed the Justice Department to the same claims of politicized law enforcement that he has said he opposed.

The fund was announced as part of a deal to resolve Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, but was subsequently scrapped and a federal judge blocked the fund’s creation.

Trump-branded commemorative USA 250 passports to become more widely available

The State Department says its limited-edition Trump-branded commemorative USA 250 passports will soon become available to Americans outside the greater Washington, D.C., area.

Beginning next month, the department’s 27 passport agencies around the nation will start one-day events, offering the so-called “Patriot Passports” that feature a page emblazoned with a stern portrait of Trump. Previously, the commemorative passports were only available at the Washington, D.C., passport office for in-person applicants.

Starting on Aug. 8, passport offices in seven cities including Chicago, New York City and Dallas will offer the Trump passports. More passport offices will be included throughout August. Applicants wanting the special passport must apply to the selected offices in person on the day specified. Those wanting a traditional passport must apply on different days.

A total of 250,000 of the commemorative passports will be available.

Bessent says US expects China to meet rare earth and agriculture commitments

After meeting on Thursday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on social media that the Trump administration expects Beijing “to fully meet its commitments on rare earths and U.S. agricultural products.” Trade representative Greer also attended, Bessent said.

The meeting between finance and trade officials sets the stage for Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected meeting face to face in September.

Bessent said the group also discussed implementation of the Trade and Investment Boards as a way to build more “balanced, fair, and constructive U.S.-China economic relationship.”

Trump wants more military veterans to become commercial truckers

The president hosted an event on the White House campus where he said America’s roads had been “terrorized by unqualified illegal aliens dangerously driving big rigs” and that he would replace these immigrants with “highly qualified American veterans.”

The Trump administration has dubbed this program the “Freedom Haulers Initiative,” under which anyone who has driven a heavy truck for the military would automatically be eligible for a commercial drivers license.

Trump said that 34 states are part of the initiative.

Immigrants account for about 20% of all truck drivers, but all of these non-domiciled licenses for immigrants represent only about 5% of all commercial driver’s licenses, or about 200,000 drivers.

State Department says ‘unfortunate error’ led to badly mislabeled map of Africa at AIDS conference

The State Department is taking full responsibility for a badly mislabeled map of Africa that was presented at a global AIDS conference last week in Brazil.

It called it an “unfortunate error” that should not take away from the Trump administration’s commitment to fighting the deadly virus.

“This was an unfortunate error caused by a team member who hastily altered the slide deck immediately before the presentation at the AIDS 2026 Conference,” the State Department said Thursday after photos of the map were posted online by conference participants.

A photo of the map was shared by AIDS activist Emily Bass in a Substack post on Sunday showing six countries mislabeled. Among them, Nigeria was placed in roughly the same location as Niger; Ivory Coast, placed in southern Africa; Mozambique, placed in the Horn of Africa; and Cameroon, placed in what appeared to be the location of Ghana. The State Department confirmed that six countries had been misidentified.

Senate rejects another war powers resolution to halt Iran war

Most Senate Republicans voted against advancing the measure in the Democrats’ latest effort to end Trump’s engagement in military action without congressional approval.

“We were told this president would bring peace and lower prices,” said Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New Year, who sponsored the resolution. “What is President Trump doing? Pouring bills of tax dollars into an open-ended war with Iran.”

The tally was 49-50. Three Republicans, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, joined most Democrats to advance the measure. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania joined Republicans to oppose.

Since the war began earlier this year, House and Senate Democrats have introduced more than a dozen war powers resolutions, but none has passed both chambers.

Trump administration wants veterans to replace immigrant truck drivers who lost licenses

The White House is encouraging veterans who drove large military vehicles to consider a career in trucking.

Attracting more veterans to trucking will help replace immigrant drivers who lost their commercial driver’s licenses during the crackdown over the past year. The administration enforced English-proficiency requirements and worked to ensure drivers were qualified to pilot 80,000-pound trucks.

Veterans who drove trucks or other large vehicles in the military recently will be eligible to skip the skills test when they apply for a commercial driver’s license. Trump plans to highlight the campaign Thursday afternoon at the White House.

Trucking groups like the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association support getting more veterans into trucking. Roughly 40% of that group’s 150,000 members are veterans.

“Military veterans have the skills to succeed in trucking, and that’s what makes them the safest operators of the 80,000-pound commercial vehicles that traverse America’s roadways,” said Todd Spencer, who is president of that trucking trade group.

Democratic senators call on Treasury to move forward with new Tubman $20 bill

Ten Democratic senators are calling on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to provide more details about whether a longtime effort to place Harriet Tubman’s likeness on the $20 bill has been canceled or merely delayed.

The senators are following up on comments Bessent made to Spectrum News, saying Treasury was “not at present” planning to put Tubman on the $20 bill.

The senators in their letter are calling on Bessent to immediately reconsider and resume plans to create the new bill. They are also asking for a briefing on the matter. Meanwhile, the senators noted that Treasury has prepared the design for a $250 bill featuring Trump.

The effort to place the 19th-century abolitionist leader on the $20 bill began more than a decade ago, was delayed during Trump’s first term and restarted during former President Joe Biden’s presidency.

Trump says he may delay Blanche nomination until dissenting senators leave office

Trump says he may withdraw Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general until Republican senators who are seeking concessions from the top prosecutor leave office next year.

Trump doubled down Thursday on choosing his former personal lawyer as the nation’s top lawman, calling him “a STAR.” He said he’ll keep Blanche as acting attorney general until Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are gone.

Cornyn and Tillis have demanded additional assurances in writing that the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is dead and have pressed for clarification on the scope of a tax immunity deal Trump secured by suing the Internal Revenue Service. Cornyn has said he wants the administration to modify that piece of the settlement to make clear that it covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.

Trump’s comments came after the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a planned vote on Thursday to advance Blanche’s nomination.

Senate committee advances nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz to be Trump’s CDC director

A Senate committee on Thursday advanced Dr. Erica Schwartz’s nomination to be director of the nation’s top public health agency, setting aside concerns that she won’t stand up to political meddling.

If confirmed by the full Senate, the 54-year-old would become the 22nd director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard.

Schwartz appeared to be on shaky ground after Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and others questioned whether she would be willing to stand up to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., if the health secretary ordered CDC to do something unsupported by science and good public health practice. But Cassidy later expressed confidence that “she knows what she’s doing.”

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US-Iran conflict enters new phase as Saudi Arabia helps hit proxies and diplomacy stalls again

The stop-start fighting between the United States and Iran appears to have entered a new phase with Saudi Arabia publicly joining military escalations against Tehran-backed proxies and an already untenable diplomatic effort to end the war faltering once again.

Little is clear about what strategy, if any, American or Iranian officials have for a path forward. The Republican president has vacillated for months between insisting a deal was near to end the war and Tehran’s nuclear program, and using vulgarities and threats to try to get Iran to capitulate.

The stakes for continued U.S. military action have never been higher for Trump and his party as the conflict, unpopular among many Americans, has jolted the world economy months before voters get their say in November. The renewed fighting has killed and injured more American troops and raised concerns about drawing down the stockpiles of key U.S. air defense systems.

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Trump touted his tariffs in Michigan despite rising costs. Even some of his supporters are worried

Flying to a rally at General Motors this week, the president declared that “car companies are doing better than they’ve ever done” thanks to his tariffs, “all because of Trump.”

“It’s amazing what tariffs will do for General Motors,” the Republican leader said before autographing a white Corvette. “Michigan is thriving,” he told cheering supporters.

That’s not exactly true, according to many metrics. Tariffs have cost businesses in Michigan and across the country billions of dollars while stoking inflation that continues to run hot. Many Americans believe tariffs have pushed prices higher and the war in Iran has increased gasoline prices, hurting consumer confidence in the economy while keeping Trump’s approval ratings low.

There are few places where Trump’s boasts and economic reality are more likely to collide ahead of November’s midterm elections than in battleground Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday.

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Opposition to FIFA’s World Cup private equity plan grows

Global opposition is growing to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan for selling a stake in World Cup revenue to private investors.

The FIFA project would be underwritten by a New York investment vehicle, Thrive Eternal, created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Infantino has had close ties to Jared Kushner and held secret talks with potential backers in the U.S. about creating the $20 billion FIFA Forward Enterprise subsidiary with $4.2 billion of private equity.

“FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football,” the Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned in a letter Thursday to member federations that was seen by The Associated Press.

It circulated as the 55-nation European soccer body UEFA prepared to meet Thursday to shape a resistance strategy. The 35-member North American soccer body CONCACAF, meanwhile, said it is “deeply concerned by the lack of due process” in Infantino’s project.

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US economy turns in sluggish 1.5% second-quarter growth and inflation remains above Fed target

The U.S. economy expanded at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June as rising imports weighed on growth. But consumer spending rose. And the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation grew more slowly last month, by 3.7%, but remained above the central bank’s 2% target.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that growth in U.S. gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — decelerated from 2.1% in the first three months of 2026 and came in below economists’ expectations.

The Fed on Wednesday chose to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the fifth straight meeting. But three regional Fed presidents dissented, saying they wanted to raise rates to combat elevated inflation.

Higher costs have frustrated Americans ahead of November’s midterm elections, which will determine whether Trump’s Republicans keep full control of Congress.

US filings for jobless benefits rise to 197,000 last week, but layoffs remain historically low

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but layoffs remain in the historically healthy range of the past few years.

U.S. filings for jobless aid in the week ending July 25 rose by 9,000 to 197,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week’s figure was revised up by 1,000 to 188,000 but remains the lowest in more than 50 years.

Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 207,000 new applications.

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

Urban League report says Trump harms Black Americans’ chances at American Dream

The American Dream may not be dead for many Black Americans, but a National Urban League report warns that it’s further away than at any point since the Civil Rights Movement.

The 50th annual “State of Black America” report released Thursday grimly describes Black Americans ’ economic and political prospects as having worsened due to Trump’s policies. A copy obtained by The Associated Press says all Americans should be concerned.

“While they have targeted and focused on Black Americans, these attacks are going to impact broadly working Americans, poor Americans, aspirational middle-class Americans, and this is what this report points to,” said Marc Morial, the league’s president and CEO.

Morial urged concerned Americans to respond at the ballot box and with their pocketbooks. “We cannot be dejected. We cannot be cynical. We must act,” Morial said.

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Most say it’s important to keep gas prices down: AP-NORC poll

Many Americans continue to be concerned about the pocketbook impact of the Iran war, the new poll shows.

About 7 in 10 U.S. adults — 72% — say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to prevent domestic oil and gas prices from rising, up slightly from 67% in March.

A similar share, 70%, say it’s highly important for the U.S. to reach a ceasefire agreement with Iran.

Americans’ goals for the Iran war may not be fully aligned with Trump, who has repeatedly said the war was launched to keep a nuclear weapon out of Iran’s hands.

While about two-thirds of U.S. adults say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to keep Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon — with Republicans especially likely to say this — Americans are more likely to prioritize low gas prices and a permanent ceasefire with Iran.

About two-thirds say the Iran war is not worth fighting: AP-NORC poll

Most U.S. adults say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, according to a new AP-NORC poll. About two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran, which began Feb. 28, has not been worthwhile. That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37% of Republicans.

The poll shows little appetite among Americans for a prolonged conflict.

Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults want to continue military action in Iran, while about 3 in 10 say the U.S. should pause military action and seek a renewed ceasefire through negotiations. About 2 in 10 want to completely stop military action in Iran and roughly one-quarter don’t know enough to say.

Trump announces a $22.5B makeover of Dulles airport that will eliminate the ‘people movers’

Trump on Wednesday announced a $22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked “people movers,” the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal.

In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles is also in the offing, according to Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

The airport makeover would add to a long list of renovation projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave a lasting mark on the Washington region after his term ends in January 2029. Among other undertakings, he is building a new White House ballroom and wants to build a towering triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial.

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The S&P 500 rallied 1.7% and more than recovered its drop from the day before, which was its worst in seven weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 613 points, or 1.2%. The Nasdaq composite, which is full of artificial-intelligence stocks, rallied 2.8% a day after it fell 9.8% below its record set last month.

Microsoft led the way and leaped 15.5% for its best day in nearly 18 years after reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Growth was strong for its Azure cloud business, and CEO Satya Nadella said it reflects how customers are using Microsoft to move into AI.

Perhaps just as importantly for Wall Street, Microsoft did not announce a big increase in how much it plans to spend on AI investments, something that several other Big Tech rivals have done. Worries are high that such spending is eating into companies’ cash flows and may not ultimately be worth it if AI does not produce as much productivity and profits as promised.

Meta Platforms helped demonstrate such fears after falling 8%. The parent company of Facebook and Instagram reported a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, even though it made slightly more in revenue than expected. It also raised the lower end of its forecasted range for spending on investments this year.

Companies involved in the making of the computer memory and processors that such “hyperscalers” are buying to power their AI efforts rose Thursday, recovering some of the big losses they’ve taken on worries their stock prices shot too high in the euphoria around AI.

Micron Technology jumped 18.4%, for example, to trim its loss for the week to 5%. It was the strongest force lifting the S&P 500 after Microsoft.

Lam Research, a supplier to the semiconductor industry, soared 18% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Chip giant Advanced Micro Devices rallied 13%.

On the losing end of Wall Street was Jersey Mike’s Subs. The sandwich chain’s stock fell 6% in its first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 121.48 to 7,437.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 613.92 to 52,208.06, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 679.24 to 25,122.18.

In the bond market, longer-term Treasury yields held steadier following their sharp accelerations Wednesday. They had jumped after the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, gave few clues about what the central bank will do with interest rates to combat the painfully high inflation that continues to hurt the country.

Higher rates could keep a lid on inflation, but they can also slow the economy and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury was 4.67%, the same as late Wednesday. The 30-year Treasury yield ticked up to 5.22% from 5.20%, a day after it shot up from 5.09%. Those yields move with investors’ expectations for inflation and economic growth in upcoming years.

Warsh reaffirmed on Wednesday the Fed wants to get inflation back to 2%, even though the central bank decided not to raise interest rates despite inflation remaining higher than that. He also implied the bond market may already be doing some of the Fed’s work to restrain inflation, and he pointed to how yields have climbed since the central bank’s last meeting six weeks earlier.

That leaves investors questioning whether the Fed is prepared to act if inflation worsens, or whether it is relying on financial markets to achieve the same outcome, according to Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management.

“If investors conclude that the latter is true, the credibility of the Fed’s inflation-fighting commitment could come under increasing scrutiny. Arguably, it already is.”

President Donald Trump, who nominated Warsh to lead the Fed, has lobbied for lower interest rates even though they could cause inflation to accelerate.

Reports released Thursday suggested the U.S. economy’s growth slowed by more during the spring than economists expected. A measure of Inflation, meanwhile, remained worse last month than the Federal Reserve’s target, but it slowed from May’s level.

In the oil market, prices eased. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 1.4% to settle at $86.88 per barrel.

It had swung as low as $72 early this month and as high as $102 last week on uncertainty about whether the United States and Iran could reach a deal to allow oil tankers to move freely again from the Middle East to customers worldwide.

In stock markets worldwide, indexes were mixed in Europe and Asia. South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.2%, and France’s CAC 40 rose 0.9% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

Seoul’s market has been at the center of AI’s huge swings because it’s dominated by two tech titans, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. After more than doubling through this year’s first six months, the Kospi has plunged 34% so far in July.

Its drop on Thursday came as Samsung Electronics dipped 0.7%. The tech giant reported a record profit for the spring and said demand for its chips continues to outpace supply, but its earnings nevertheless fell shy of analysts’ high expectations.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week announced it would wrap up the program, which was initially implemented by the Biden administration in 2024 to lower patients’ Medicare Part D prescription drug costs in response to effects of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

While federal officials insist the financial impact on Medicare beneficiaries will be minimal, the decision opens the Republican-led administration to potential political consequences in a high-stakes midterm election year. Voters have identified cost of living as a top concern, and many older adults, who tend to vote in high numbers, are on fixed incomes where every dollar counts. The roughly 25 million Americans with Medicare Part D plans will find out about their 2027 rates in the fall, when they are casting ballots in November’s elections.

Democrats slammed CMS’s move as part of a pattern of federal attacks on healthcare affordability, alongside federal Medicaid cuts and the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies that had reduced premium costs for working-age Americans in that program.

“The Trump administration is actively raising prescription drug costs for 25 million seniors,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X in response to the news, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. “Heartless, cruel, and completely by choice.”

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz on Tuesday said ending the subsidy program would prevent billions of taxpayer dollars from being funneled to insurance companies. It cost the agency an estimated $3.6 billion in 2026.

He said most Medicare beneficiaries would see less than a $10-per-month increase, and some would even see lower premiums than beforehand.

“Every Medicare beneficiary still has access to low-cost plans, and we will continue to lower prescription drug prices for every American patient, from more MFN deals to our policy giving seniors access to GLP-1s for $50 a month,” he wrote on social media.

The federal government also negotiates directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower the prices of some of the most expensive drugs in Medicare, through a program created by Congress in 2022.

This week’s decision has no impact on the out-of-pocket cap that limits the amount that older adults with standalone Medicare drug coverage spend on their prescription drugs over the course of a year. That was set at $2,100 in 2026 and is projected to rise to $2,400 for 2027.

Part D beneficiaries paid an average of $36 a month this year for their prescription drug premiums with the subsidies in place, according to the healthcare research nonprofit KFF. The subsidies offset the average premium by $16 in 2026, according to the federal Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).

It’s not yet known how many Americans the change will effect, or how much more they’ll pay. Older Americans have the opportunity to shop for plans each year, and prices vary widely between them. CMS has said it will release information about next year’s premiums in September.

Juliette Cubanski, vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at KFF, said the price increases may be marginal for some consumers but impactful for others when combined with higher prices in other areas, like groceries, gas and housing.

“What’s going to matter most for consumers is how much more or less they have to pay at the end of a month, and how much they have left after the bills are paid,” she said. “This could just make it more challenging for some people to make that math work.”

The changes at the National Jamboree, which ends Friday, reflect shifts made by Scouting America since the organization became a target of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over what he calls “woke” policies. Some scouts who had planned to attend the event in West Virginia said they backed out because Scouting America scrapped the inclusion initiatives it previously celebrated.

Hegseth threatened to end the Pentagon's century-old partnership with Scouting America if it did not make changes including refocusing away from diversity initiatives. The organization, previously known as Boy Scouts of America, rebranded in 2024 to emphasize inclusion and the growing number of girls in the scouting ranks.

“Scouting fundamentally is a safe place for young people to have fun,” said Samuel J. Aronson, an assistant scoutmaster who has organized inclusive events at previous national events. “In the absence of these spaces, we’re denying all that, both the safety and the fun, to thousands of young people.”

Thousands attend the National Jamboree

This year, about 15,000 scouts, leaders and volunteers from across the country are attending the 10-day event in the mountains of West Virginia. In addition to activities including mountain biking and kayaking, the gathering hosts leadership programs and educational sessions.

A Scouting America spokesperson said the organization remains “fully committed to welcoming and serving all youth,” but did not address questions about the changes to the jamboree.

The Pentagon made a deal with Scouting America in February but the two sides have given conflicting accounts of that agreement. This month, a gay rights activist obtained the memo outlining the agreement from the Defense Department after filing a lawsuit, arguing that clarity was of public importance.

The six-page document spells out ways the Pentagon will monitor compliance, including that officials from each organization would have “periodic touchpoints and meet” as needed. It was obtained by James Dale, who was expelled from the Boy Scouts in the early 1990s for being gay and later sued over discrimination. He equated the Pentagon's tactics to the actions of a bully.

“They basically have their thumb on the organization, threatening them under constant pressure,” Dale said.

Deal preserves ties between Scouting America and Pentagon

The scouts and the military have long held close ties; The military provides logistical support for the jamboree and some scout troops meet on or near bases.

Asked about the implementation and monitoring of the deal, a Pentagon spokesperson referred to previous comments by Hegseth.

In February, Hegseth posted a video that said his department would “vigorously review” changes made by Scouting America and would cease the military’s longtime support of the organization if it failed to comply by late August.

Some scouts disappointed by changes to inclusion efforts

John Andrew Segebarth, a 21-year-old college student and Eagle Scout, has been disheartened by the agreement. He joined the scout ranks in first grade and said he had been looking forward to staffing the space for LGBTQ+ and Allied Scouts at this year’s Jamboree.

Segebarth, who is gay and was elected by peers as a national officer for scouts in 2024, said the removal of inclusive spaces is a sharp reversal for Scouting America. National scouting events in recent years included community spaces for girls, scouts of color, LGBTQ+ scouts and persons with disabilities, according to Aronson.

“Scouting’s kind of walking back on its values that they told me they believed in,” said Segebarth who, along with Aronson, decided not to attend the jamboree this year.

It was at a community tent that Layla Grace found the first place where she could talk openly about being a transgender female. Now a 21-year-old assistant scoutmaster, Grace had also planned to staff the space for LGBTQ+ and Allied Scouts in West Virginia this year.

When the spaces were canceled, Grace said she almost didn't go to the jamboree but decided she wanted to be there to help those in need. She wound up volunteering at an area dedicated to addressing issues that include mental health, food security and education.

And she's trying to fill the gap left by the removal of inclusive areas.

“I am wearing so many rainbows on me, my right hand has my nails painted in the lesbian flag and my left hand has my nails painted in the transgender flag,” she said. “I am being as loud as I can to do my best to hopefully make up for the lack of community spaces.”

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Associated Press reporter Ben Finley contributed to this report from Washington.

The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback didn’t get the contract extension he sought and plans to play out the final season of his three-year, $100 million deal.

“I’ve been pretty up front and honest about my feelings about Tampa, it being home for our family, raising kids here,” Mayfield said Thursday. “We love it here. I wanted a deal done and set the deadline and told them it was going to be all ball after that, and I did mean that. I don’t know if they thought I was gonna take some of the offers that they gave.

“I’m at the point in my career, understanding what I’ve brought to this franchise. One, I’m very thankful for the chance they gave me — do not get me wrong on that. But I also know, I really know what I’ve brought to this franchise, leadership-wise and even play-wise. It’s been some of the best years of my career, and I think it’s only going to trend upwards.”

Mayfield, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by Cleveland, revived his career in Tampa Bay after replacing Tom Brady in 2023. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons while leading the Bucs to consecutive NFC South titles. He was an MVP candidate through the first half of last season when the team started 6-2 but struggled with injuries and tailed off.

“It’s disappointing in that regard, to feel disrespected a little bit,” he said. “That’s really the disappointing part to feel undervalued after thinking you’ve earned it. This is not a ‘poor me’ thing. There’s a lot of other people who have it way worse off. But I can sit here and look at other quarterbacks and peers and evaluate myself based on that and put myself in certain categories that I deserved to be compensated for that.

“I think I’m a franchise quarterback. I’ve been told I’m a franchise quarterback. It’s been said publicly from ownership down here and to not have a deal done is very disappointing.”

Mayfield had set a deadline on getting a new contract by the start of training camp. He said he addressed his teammates to let them know he won’t let the issue become a distraction. He also doesn’t need it to motivate him.

“Money should never be the motivation in football,” he said. “It’s how do I help this team win? It’s never going to be the motivation for me. When it comes to having a chip on your shoulder and all that, for me it just puts me in the mindset of betting on myself. That’s something I’m pretty familiar with, and it’s a good place to be. As a highly competitive guy, sometimes you have to put yourself backed into a corner and fight your way out. I have a lot of guys and a lot of staff around me that are with me, so I’m not alone in it. We’re fighting for the same goal, and that’s to be playing in February.”

If Mayfield plays like he did in 2024 — 4,500 yards passing, 41 touchdown passes, 71.4% completion rate, 106.8 passer rating — the Buccaneers likely will have to pay him even more than he commands now. A contract that averages between $50-55 million is considered to be Mayfield’s current range.

“Baker hasn’t missed a beat or changed one bit through anything that’s going on,” offensive lineman Ben Bredeson said. “He’s still our quarterback, he’s still the same leader, friend, guy that we all love. When he says it’s all about ball, he means it. He’s probably one of the most consistent and locked in individuals I’ve ever had the chance to play with. It’s an honor going to work with him every day and no matter what’s happening outside of the building, he has not changed one bit and is ready to go at all times.”

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea also is unhappy with his contract situation as he enters the final year of his deal. He has missed the first two days of practice with a back injury.

“It’s all about winning here now and what we’re going to do and hopefully gets his back fixed and gets his deal done,” Mayfield said. “Vita deserves that. He’s the anchor of our defense. I hope they take care of him.”

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

“UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the European soccer body said after an urgent online meeting of its 55 member nations.

The next scheduled FIFA tournament is within weeks in Europe — the Women’s Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5 — and the four British federations comprise FIFA’s only bidder to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup. That decision is due Nov. 23.

“Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”

The strategy meeting was called to counter FIFA President Infantino’s offer of $20 million to each of FIFA’s 211 global members that has to be accepted by mid-September.

Later Thursday, the 41-member Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) met and announced it rejected Infantino's plan.

In a statement, CONCACAF said members “expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies.” It also questioned the need for outside investment "following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history.”

Infantino’s secret project was revealed Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in a new $20 billion subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) 20% owned by private investors. The core investor would be a New York investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Infantino wrote Tuesday to the 211 members — already the effective owners of FIFA as a non-profit association under Swiss law — that if they approve FFE their promised $10 million basic funding for the next four years will double to $20 million. He projected their FIFA funding through 2038 would be $86 million each, instead of about $36 million.

“This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football,” said UEFA, where Infantino was a long-time staffer and its CEO-like general secretary when he was first elected to lead FIFA in 2016.

Infantino’s presidency at risk?

Infantino’s high-stakes financial gambit now could threaten his previously secure 11-year presidency of FIFA as anger and frustration with him rises among soccer stakeholders including three of the six continental bodies.

FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for potential candidates to declare in a presidential vote of the 211 members scheduled next March in Rabat, Morocco.

Infantino had seemed — 11 days ago after the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey — to have a clear path to being re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term in office through 2031, despite a furor over letting United States forward Folarin Balogun play against Belgium despite a red card in his previous game.

Soccer officials have said privately Infantino has eyed a lucrative commissioner-like role at the FFE spinoff beyond 2031.

“Game over, Gianni #InfantinOUT,” the Football Supporters Europe group, which advises UEFA on fan issues such as ticket prices, posted after the boycott threat.

Soccer’s concern at investor pressure

UEFA detailed Thursday why soccer officials fear external investors owning a stake of the global game’s biggest events, including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women.

“The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever,” UEFA said. “Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure.”

Infantino has presented the private equity offer as a chance to “turbocharge” funding development of soccer across the world, where a majority of the 211 FIFA members rely on its funding.

Officials from about 40 UEFA member spoke at the urgent meeting, with anger expressed that FIFA is not using some of its multi-billion reserves to fund extra development programs.

“As a result of today’s discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive,” the European soccer body said, “unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.”

Asia adds rare criticism of Infantino

On a seismic day in soccer politics, a traditional bedrock of support in Asia for FIFA and Infantino had earlier Thursday been shaken.

“FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football,” the Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said in a letter to its 46 members of FIFA, warning of risks to their own competitions.

Sheikh Salman, an ally to Infantino since losing the FIFA presidential election to him in 2016, wrote “such an initiative will not succeed without the support of all the confederations, which is not the case now.”

In a video message published Wednesday by FIFA, Infantino insisted spinning off its money-making operations was “an offer, not an obligation.”

A FIFA presentation for its members, co-written with its banking advisors from J.P. Morgan and seen by the AP, set a goal for FFE as “commercial rigor and expertise to better capitalize on broadcast rights, sponsorships and a growing tournament portfolio.”

FIFA squeeze on continental games

That growing portfolio likely would include adding more teams to FIFA competitions like the World Cup and Club World Cup for men and women, and potentially staging them more often than every four years, including in the U.S.

FIFA adding teams, games and competitions would squeeze the value, status and space in the congested global fixture calendar for those that fund and are organized by the six continental soccer bodies like UEFA and the AFC. Those include World Cup qualifying games, continental tournaments and Champions Leagues.

“It is important that the AFC family has a complete understanding,” Sheikh Salman wrote, “of how such an initiative may affect key areas of global and Asian football, including the sustainability of confederation and (domestic) competitions, as well as the organization and commercial landscape surrounding the AFC’s activities.”

UEFA’s previous boycott threat

A threatened World Cup boycott from Europe helped derail Infantino’s plan in 2021 to play World Cups every two years instead of four.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

The former lieutenant governor made the announcement in a video posted on his Facebook page as democratic socialist Francesca Hong has garnered strong support from the liberal wing of the party.

Barnes’ decision to drop out came a day after the release of a Marquette Law School poll of Wisconsin Democratic primary voters that found Hong leading Barnes and the other candidates by a significant margin, although about one-third of primary voters remained undecided.

“It's become very clear who our nominee is going to be,” Barnes said.

Barnes is the third Democrat to withdraw from the race. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her run amid a campaign finance scandal two weeks ago and former state economic development director Missy Hughes dropped out in June.

After Rodriguez ended her campaign, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley rejoined the race with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers.

Crowley made a direct plea to Barnes' supporters to back him.

“There's a place for you in what we're building,” he posted on social media.

Evers told reporters Thursday that he was surprised by Barnes’ move.

“But he needs to do what he needs to do,” Evers said. “I don’t know why he’s getting out. I have to believe it’s something relatively important.”

Evers said he stuck by his endorsement of Crowley, who worked closely with Evers and Republican lawmakers on a deal to increase funding for local communities. Evers chose to endorse him over Barnes, who served as his lieutenant governor in his first term.

Evers said Crowley was the best candidate “even if Mandela was in.”

Hong did not immediately return a text message seeking comment.

Joel Brennan, a longshot candidate in the race, said “It’s unfortunate for voters that this primary has gotten more attention for chaos than the stakes of this election."

The shakeup comes after nearly 128,000 voters have already returned absentee ballots and on the third day of in-person early voting. On Wednesday, a judge rejected a lawsuit supported by the Democratic Party seeking to allow voters who have already returned their absentee ballots to cancel them and vote again.

The winner of the Democratic primary is expected to face U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who faces only nominal opposition in the Republican primary. Tiffany, who has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Barnes ending his campaign comes after he benefitted from other candidates dropping out in the Democratic primary race for Senate in 2022 to clear the field for him. He ended up losing by under 27,000 votes that year to Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.

The 2-1 decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, with a judge appointed by President Donald Trump in the majority, deepened a split between federal appeals courts over the administration's mandatory detention policy.

Four other appeals courts have also rejected it, while the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans and Eighth Circuit in St. Louis have sided with the Trump administration.

The expanding circuit split increases the likelihood that the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually take up the issue. The administration last month asked the high court to consider it.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement it “strongly disagrees with the Ninth Circuit panel and is confident in its legal position regarding mandatory detention.”

“President Donald Trump and Secretary Mullin are now enforcing the law as it was actually written to keep America safe,” the statement said.

Under previous administrations, most noncitizens without a criminal record who were arrested inside the U.S. were allowed to seek a bond hearing while their immigration cases were pending. Mandatory detention was generally reserved for people arrested at the border.

Last July, immigration officials issued guidance expanding mandatory detention to immigrants in the U.S. interior. The move — part of the administration's mass deportation campaign — prompted a deluge of federal lawsuits by immigrants seeking release from custody.

Some federal judges who ordered bond hearings blasted the administration for repeatedly violating their orders.

The Trump administration has argued that Congress changed immigration law in 1996 to allow mandatory detention beyond the border, but previous administrations didn't enforce that provision.

Writing for the majority in Thursday's ruling, 9th U.S. Circuit Judge Daniel Bress rejected that argument.

“Although no reading of the complicated and interrelated textual provisions at issue here is without some shortcomings, the historical understanding of the statute is the better one,” Bress, a Trump appointee, wrote.

He was joined by Judge M. Margaret McKeown, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton.

Judge Carlos Bea, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, dissented, saying the text and purpose of an amendment Congress approved in 1996 support the Trump administration's reading.

The blast apparently was triggered by a buildup of methane gas and occurred on the outskirts of the Baluchistan provincial capital of Quetta, government mine inspector Ghani Baloch said.

The bodies of the seven miners initially were recovered hours after the deadly blast, and emergency responders later found 11 more bodies, officials and a provincial disaster management agency said in a statement.

Baloch said rescue operations would continue until all the trapped miners were found, but he indicated that officials believed the death toll likely would rise further.

“The chances of finding anyone alive diminish after methane gas explosions because oxygen levels drop to zero, and rescuers are also proceeding cautiously inside the mine,” Baloch said.

Authorities were handing over the bodies to their families for burial, while relatives of those still trapped waited anxiously for news, Baloch said.

Baluchistan’s Minister for Mines and Minerals Shoaib Nosherwani said the rescue teams were working under extremely difficult conditions. He pledged that the provincial government would go all-out in the continuing response.

Nosherwani expressed condolences to relatives of the victims and said the provincial government would pay compensation of 500,000 Pakistani rupees (about $1,800) to the family of each miner killed in the blast.

He said authorities would conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion, and would review mining safety measures to help prevent similar accidents.

A coal miners’ labor union said it suspected negligence led to the explosion and called for action against those responsible. In a statement, the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation urged the government to strictly enforce safety regulations and take tough action against companies that violate mine safety laws.

Deadly accidents are common in Pakistan’s coal mining industry, particularly in Baluchistan, where many mines lack adequate ventilation, gas monitoring systems and other basic safety measures.

Mine workers and labor groups have long accused mine owners of failing to enforce safety regulations or provide adequate protective equipment.

Despite the risks and low wages, thousands of miners depend on the coal industry for their livelihoods in Baluchistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, where unemployment and poverty remain widespread.

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Ahmed reported from Islamabad.

The blitz expanded Russia’s almost daily bombardment of Ukrainian cities, including the capital of Kyiv where tens of thousands spent the night sheltering in subway stations, as Moscow apparently looked to exploit Kyiv’s critical shortage of Western-supplied anti-ballistic missile defenses.

NATO said a Russian missile entered Polish airspace during the onslaught and landed in a rural area. It caused no injuries or damage but could deepen tensions between the military alliance and Moscow, as wary European countries fear the 4-year-old war could spill into their territory.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called it “yet another reckless act by Russia and a dangerous consequence of its war against Ukraine.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was “a very serious incident,” but added: “There are absolutely no reasons to believe that Poland was the target.”

Russia's barrage struck areas of Ukraine where weapons are believed to be stored and manufactured. Ukrainian long-range drones and missiles have battered Russia's oil sector, causing a fuel crisis.

The attack came two days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump and representatives of American defense companies as he pleads for swifter and bigger deliveries of Patriot air defense systems to stop Russia’s ballistic missiles.

The Iran war has drained stockpiles of the U.S.-made interceptors. Trump has promised to grant Ukraine licenses to build its own Patriots, but production could take many months.

“Given the critical shortage of air defense missiles from our partners, our warriors are accomplishing truly incredible things, demonstrating a very high level of professionalism,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

“This Russian terror once again proves that protection against the Russian missile threat is the most important task when it comes to saving the lives of our people,” he said.

Russia says it targeted military sites

Zelenskyy said at least 10 Ukrainian regions were attacked, with dozens of homes, businesses and infrastructure facilities destroyed or damaged.

Russia launched more than 70 missiles, a significant number of them ballistic missiles, he said, and over 280 attack drones, of which more than 260 were intercepted.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it targeted Ukrainian air bases, arms factories and military telecommunications and logistics facilities, including drone factories and storage depots, as well as plants for missiles, aircraft repairs, electronics and chemicals.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Russian attack killed six people and wounded 10, said Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the regional military administration, in a post on Telegram. Children were among the dead — a 6-year-old girl and boys aged 11 and 17 in the area of Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy's hometown, Hanzha added.

The children’s parents were killed in the same attack, but two more children were pulled alive from the rubble, Zelenskyy said.

“It was an ordinary home, blown (to) smithereens by a ballistic missile,” he said on X.

In Kyiv, Russian forces struck the capital with ballistic missiles, killing a 31-year-old man and wounding two others, the National Police press service said.

More than 56,000 people sheltered in Kyiv’s subway stations overnight, according to the Facebook post from the metro system.

A cruise missile attack struck the western city of Lviv, killing one person and wounding over 30, including children aged 6, 13 and 15, said Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv regional military administration.

In the Poltava region, a drone hit warehouses, killing one person, said regional military head Vitalii Diakivnych.

Closer to the front line, which comes under almost daily attack, Russian forces dropped three glide bombs on an industrial zone in the southern city of Kherson, killing a 56-year-old man, local officials said.

Poland says fragments indicated a Russian cruise missile

A Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crossed into Poland overnight, violating NATO airspace, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X, calling it a clear demonstration that strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses would also guarantee wider European security.

Responding to the missile alert, NATO forces in Poland scrambled two fighter jets, an attack helicopter and two other aircraft, and activated ground defenses, said Col. Michael O’Donnell, the spokesperson for the alliance’s military command in Belgium.

The missile quickly disappeared from radar, the Polish Armed Forces said. A helicopter flew to its last known location, where the crew discovered a probable impact site in a farming area in Lublin province, the command said.

Investigators found fragments indicating that the object was a Kh-101 missile, Polish news agency PAP reported.

Tusk had met with Zelenskyy in Lublin on Wednesday to discuss defense issues.

NATO military commander Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich told Poland’s Defense Chief Gen. Wiesław Kukułan the military alliance “will continue to take all necessary measures to defend NATO territory,” O’Donnell said.

Ukr

aine hits more depots of major Russian online retailer

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 258 Ukrainian drones overnight.

A depot belonging to Wildberries online retailer was set ablaze in Russia's Penza region southeast of Moscow, in the latest strike on the company's warehouses, Penza Gov. Oleg Melnichenko said.

Four people were injured and 200 workers were evacuated, he said, adding that about 100 firefighters were deployed.

Wildberries also reported its warehouse in Sarapul in the Udmurtia region, more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Ukraine, was struck by a Ukrainian drone and set ablaze. It said the workers had been safely evacuated.

The Russian online news outlet Astra reported that another Wildberries depot in the Perm region in the Urals was also set ablaze by a Ukrainian drone strike. Regional authorities reported a Ukrainian drone attack but didn’t give information about the damage.

Thursday’s attacks on Wildberries warehouses brought to 14 the number of the retailer’s depots struck by Ukrainian drones in under two weeks. Ukraine accuses Wildberries of supplying goods that can be used by the Russian military.

Ukrainian drone units destroyed four more vessels belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” of sanctions-busting tankers, bringing the total to 205 since the operation began July 6, Robert Brovdi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, said on his Telegram channel.

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An earlier version of this story had the incorrect name for the spokesperson for NATO’s military command in Belgium. He is Col. Michael O’Donnell, not O'Connell.

AP reporter Stefanie Dazio in Berlin; Rafal Niedzielski in Warsaw, Poland; and Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed.

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

Time was running out to find survivors, as rescuers continued to work in the Kumamoto area on Japan ’s southern main island of Kyushu, where the magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Tuesday. The number of people missing was unclear.

Of the deaths given in the latest tally, 25 have been confirmed as related to the disaster, but there were nine more deaths under investigation as likely to be connected, the Kumamoto prefectural government said. The quake left at least 86 people injured, five of them seriously, it said.

Survivors spoke about desperately pulling family members out of the wreckage. Some had suffered injuries and were rushed to the hospital.

Thousands of people spent another night at evacuation centers set up throughout the area at schools and other big spaces. Some homes were still without water or electricity, while others were simply afraid to go back.

Nearly 19,000 homes were still without electricity and more than 9,000 people were staying in the roughly 400 shelters, where power sources were being added to provide air conditioning.

Concerns were growing about illness, including from the sweltering heat. The Ministry of Environment sent out a heatstroke alert for the Kumamoto area, with temperatures rising above 33 C (91 F) Thursday.

Some evacuees sleep in cars

In the town of Hikawa, one of the hardest-hit areas in Kumamoto, many residents are without water or electricity, or both, and some were staying inside their vehicles in parks, at the town hall parking lot, or outside their homes. More than 800 of the town of about 4,500 households were destroyed or damaged, officials said.

At the front entrance of the town hall, officials delivered bottled water and packaged instant rice, while the Ground Self-Defense Force service members came with a trolley to provide fresh water.

Hirokazu Sato, a nurse, whose house was destroyed, is staying in his passenger car at the town hall parking lot with his wife and three children, because he worries that his 1-year-old baby could be a nuisance to others if they take shelter at an evacuation center.

“I can't sleep sitting in the car, so sometimes I go out for a walk during the night,” Sato says. “I hope the town will provide temporary housing soon.”

Yoshiaki Nakashima, a 66-year-old resident who came with two bottles and his beloved pet dog to get water, said he is staying in a car because of his reluctance to stay at one of the three evacuation centers in the area. He also said he doesn’t want to sleep at home because aftershocks made him feel uneasy.

“It’s difficult to turn over while sleeping in a car,” he said, but added that living at a shelter is even more difficult.

Akiko Inazaki, another resident in her 30s, is living in a tent set up in the yard of her home, which has been without water and electricity since the quake. Inazaki, who also came to get water, said she will use it little by little.

“Fresh water is so valuable,” she said. Inazaki said she drank so little that she almost had a heatstroke.

Risks of heatstroke are a major concern among officials.

Yutaka Kobayashi, a doctor dispatched from central Japan's Aichi prefecture, said he was touring evacuation centers Thursday to assess the condition of evacuees, especially elderly people and those with injuries as they cope with a harsh environment.

“We have to make sure elderly people are not developing heatstrokes or dehydration,” he said in Hikawa.

While the town parking lot was nearly packed the first night, some residents have moved to three public schools where air-conditioning is running, Hikawa officials said.

A town official, Yuzuru Tamura, said they are starting to run out of emergency food supply, such as canned bread and instant rice.

Emergency personnel search for missing people

The most serious damage was at the Aeon Mall shopping center in the town of Kashima, which was bustling with thousands of people when the quake struck in the late afternoon.

The company said some 3,000 customers were evacuated to a parking lot before the explosion happened in another part of the mall, where some people were still working. The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people.

On Thursday, seven people were confirmed to have died at the mall site among the 12 people pulled out of the wreckage, according to Kumamoto authorities.

In the Yatsushiro area, where a chimney collapsed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory, 10 people were rescued, but eight others died, and one remained missing, the Kumamoto prefectural disaster team said.

Footage provided by the Japanese government and military showed rescue workers drilling through the collapsed parts of the building in an attempt to get to anyone who may still be trapped inside.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters the central government will take a lead role in coordinating the various rescue efforts. Restoring electricity, gas and water to stricken areas, while providing a supply of fresh water is key, she said.

“The needs on the ground are constantly changing. To put to rest the people's feelings of uncertainty, we will do all that needs to be done,” she said.

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Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Cameron threw only 72 pitches through six innings with two walks and five strikeouts, with little solid contact by the Twins. Catcher Salvador Perez sprang forward to pick up Ryan Kreidler’s dribbler in front of the plate and make an on-target underhand toss to first base for the second out of the sixth as the 36-year-old tumbled to the grass to keep the feat alive.

But Jeffers delivered a clean single to right-center field on an 0-2 changeup from Cameron.

Cameron still stretched his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 15 by getting the next three outs to match his career-long outing with seven innings. He threw seven shutout frames in relief on Friday after the Royals used an opener in a 2-1 loss at Detroit.

Former Twins right-hander Randy Dobnak pitched seven scoreless innings for the Royals on Wednesday night in a 4-0 victory.

Cameron went 9-7 with a 2.99 ERA in 24 starts last season and finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year award voting. The 27-year-old threw 6 1/3 no-hit innings in his major league debut on April 30, 2025, for a 3-0 win at Tampa Bay.

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

Colin Gray’s sentencing comes days after his son, Colt Gray, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school 45 miles (70 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. Colt Gray, 16, had pleaded guilty to murder and other charges.

Judge Nicholas Primm, who also sentenced Colt Gray, was blunt in addressing the elder Gray: “It is clear you failed as a parent.” But he said punishing crimes of negligence is particularly difficult because there was no intent to commit a crime.

“My heart aches for everyone that was there that day, for all of you that have been impacted by it. But the law requires that I set aside emotion. I don’t get to sentence with passion. I have the nearly impossible task of sentencing you without passion despite the immeasurable heartache that you caused,” Primm said.

Gray, 55, is one of a handful of American parents who have been criminally charged after their children were accused in shootings.

A jury in March found Colin Gray guilty of second-degree murder in the deaths of two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Georgia law defines second-degree murder as causing the death of a child by committing the crime of cruelty to children. Gray was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the killings of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.

Another teacher and eight other students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire.

Families speak their pain

Family members of those who died and victims of the shooting, many of whom also spoke during Colt Gray's sentencing, condemned what they said were Colin Gray's failures as a parent and urged the judge to give him the maximum sentence.

“This wasn’t unavoidable. This was preventable. Because of the choices made inside the Gray household, four families were handed life sentences of grief,” said Breanna Schermerhorn, whose son was killed.

“He did not pull the trigger but purchased and left a firearm accessible to a minor," said Shayna Aspinwall, whose husband was killed. She said the sentence must take into account "the families left behind who must carry the grief and trauma for the rest of our lives.”

The judge addressed those in the courtroom after announcing the sentence: “This only closes the legal chapter for this horror. The pain, the heartache, they continue. I understand that. I hope all of you know this community loves you, and I ask that God gives you peace.”

Prosecutors said Colin Gray missed red flags

Prosecutors said Colin Gray gave his son the rifle as a Christmas gift along with ammunition, a gun sight and other shooting accessories.

An investigator testified that Colt Gray carried the semiautomatic rifle onto the school bus with the barrel sticking out and wrapped in poster board. The teenager left his second-period class and went to a bathroom, emerged with the rifle and shot people in the hallway and a classroom, the investigator said.

Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, had shown signs of deteriorating mental health in the weeks leading up to the killings, according to testimony. He belonged to a “true crime community” online where he and other young people discussed their obsession with mass shooters, an investigator testified.

The teen's mother, Marcee Gray, who was separated from Colin Gray, told investigators she had argued with her estranged husband weeks before the shooting, asking him to secure his guns and restrict their son's access.

Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 80 years

Defense attorney Brian Hobbs asked the judge for a sentence of 10 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation. Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith said Gray deserved a sentence of 80 years in prison.

Hobbs argued that Colt Gray “actively hid the depth of his involvement” in the online community obsessed with mass shooters, and the red flags enumerated by prosecutors were outliers among happier moments.

Smith countered that Colin Gray ignored “a substantial and unjustifiable risk."

“This was the risk that he was ignoring, that there would be a mass shooting of children at a school, and he gave his son the exact tool he would need to accomplish this," Smith said.

Colin Gray is not the first parent to face such charges

Prosecutors have in recent years held parents responsible when they believe they can prove a parent contributed to a killing.

Jennifer and James Crumbley were the first U.S. parents to face such charges after their son, Ethan, killed four students and wounded others at Michigan’s Oxford High School in 2021. Like Colin Gray, they were unaware of their son’s plans but had gifted him a gun before the shooting. They are serving 10-year prison terms for involuntary manslaughter. Hobbs, the defense attorney, urged the judge to use that sentence as a guide.

The judge called these cases “divisive.” There would have been no crime by the father if the son hadn't brought a gun to school and shot people, he noted. But he said Colin Gray could have locked up the guns, kept ammunition out of the house, had someone else keep the guns and gotten his son counseling.

“You were convicted because the warning lights were flashing brighter and brighter and you didn’t get him help and you didn’t remove his access to the guns,” Primm said.

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This story has been corrected to show the school is called Apalachee High School, not Appalachee.

But it’s not actually as complicated as it sounds, and it’s all related to the broader war between the United States and Iran, currently focused on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran supports armed groups across the Middle East that allow it to project power far beyond its borders. The U.S. has thousands of troops based in allied Arab countries that have been targets of Iran's retaliation.

Here’s a look at why so many fronts seem to be heating up at once.

A struggle over the strait

The epicenter of the latest violence is the Strait of Hormuz, an elbow-shaped passage running between Iran and Oman that carried a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas before the war.

Iran says it controls the waterway and has attacked ships attempting to use an alternative route overseen by the U.S. military along the coast of Oman.

The U.S. has struck Iran in response, saying the strait should be open to all international traffic, as it was before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. When the U.S. strikes Iran, Iran retaliates by firing missiles and drones against Arab countries hosting U.S. forces, like Jordan and Kuwait.

The exchanges of fire in recent weeks led to the collapse of an interim agreement aimed at winding down the war. That has deepened mistrust on both sides. At this point, Iran appears to be more interested in cementing its control over the strait than in making a deal with the U.S. to lift international sanctions.

Yemen's Houthis are wading in

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, who stayed on the sidelines during the initial phase of the war, have declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening shipping through another major trade route leading through the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea up to Egypt's Suez Canal.

The Houthis also claim to have attacked Saudi oil infrastructure near an East-West pipeline that the kingdom has used to ship millions of barrels of oil since the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed.

The Houthi-Saudi tensions are rooted in a separate but related conflict going back more than a decade that seems to be reigniting. But it also presents a new front on which Iran could pressure a key U.S. ally and potentially choke off more of the world's energy supplies, with effects far beyond the region.

Ambrey, a maritime security firm, has recorded over 10 transits that U-turned in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Houthi naval blockade against Saudi Arabia was announced. Bab al-Mandeb transits have been down 30% since July 21 compared to June, according to the latest Ambrey data.

The Saudis take aim at Iran-backed groups in Iraq

Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia accused Iran-backed militias in Iraq of launching drone attacks on its oil facilities for two straight days. In response, U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft bombed militia sites in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers.

Iraq has close ties to both the U.S. and Iran and has long struggled to balance them. Since the start of the war, it has been in a literal crossfire. The government condemned the U.S.-Saudi strikes, saying they came as it was trying to investigate what had happened.

The Popular Mobilization Forces, a collection of armed groups close to Iran, are officially part of Iraq's security forces but often act autonomously, including by attacking U.S. forces stationed in Iraq.

American forces are due to finish their withdrawal from the country at the end of September, and the Iraqi government has vowed to disarm nonstate actors or incorporate them into the military. But those efforts could stall as the wider war rages.

The remaining U.S. forces are based in Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region, which is also home to armed Iranian Kurdish dissident groups. Iran has attacked both over the course of the war.

Drone attack on Egypt signals a possible widening of the war

On Wednesday, a drone attack on Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta set two natural gas vessels ablaze, including a U.S.-owned floating storage facility.

No one has claimed the attack, and the Houthis have denied responsibility.

Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have avoided military involvement in the war.

Israel is on the sidelines, for now

Israel, which took part in the initial weekslong bombardment of Iran and was repeatedly targeted by Iranian missiles earlier in the conflict, has remained on the sidelines since the interim peace deal.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group fired rockets into northern Israel shortly after the outbreak of the war. Israel responded with aerial bombardment and a ground invasion. It has since occupied, depopulated and destroyed large parts of southern Lebanon, saying such measures are necessary to root out militants.

A June 20 truce has largely held. Israel and Lebanon's government are currently implementing the initial stages of an agreement in which Israeli forces would withdraw and Lebanon's army would move in. The deal also states that Hezbollah must be disarmed. The group has rejected the deal and could violently resist any attempt to forcibly disarm it.

Any attack by Iran, Hezbollah or Israel could reignite those hostilities, reopening yet another front.

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Krauss reported from Ottawa, Ontario.

“We’re working through some things,” Belichick said before the morning’s first official practice. “We’re at a particular time of year now where there are certain things that are in play and certain things that aren’t in play that won’t happen until later in the calendar year at some other point.

“Again, we’re taking it day to day, and working through the things that are on the table now.”

The school announced Monday that Lombardi had been placed on leave but didn’t provide details as to the reason, noting that employees and athletes aren’t permitted to address the topic “as is standard procedure with personnel matters.” On Thursday morning, about 30 minutes before Belichick spoke to reporters, UNC released another statement that said its Office of University Counsel was conducting an investigation — an announcement coming just shy of a month from kickoff to Year 2 of the Belichick era in Chapel Hill.

Two people with knowledge of the situation said a human resources complaint from a former employee is involved with Lombardi’s leave. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the school isn’t commenting publicly about the specific reasons of the case.

According to university policy, the length of an administrative leave shouldn't exceed 30 days but can vary based on issues under review.

“We're going to let that process play out,” athletic director Steve Newmark said Thursday morning of the investigation while declining to discuss specific details. “It's paramount for us to do what's right to make sure it's a full and fair review, and that we don't do anything to compromise the integrity of the process.”

Speaking later after a regularly scheduled morning meeting of the UNC trustees, chancellor Lee Roberts said Thursday that the school learned of “some concerns” last week.

“If something has gone wrong, we want to know about it,” Roberts said. “If something needs to be fixed, we will be sure to fix it. There’s a standard of excellence here that all of us are entrusted with adhering to.”

Roberts added later: "It’s distressing to me and everyone else in the administration entrusted with leadership at this remarkable university that this is something that we have to have to spend time on.”

Belichick didn’t specify exactly how Lombardi’s duties have been divided among the staff, including referencing “a few adjustments” when asked about his own daily tasks.

At the college level, GMs across sports generally work what amounts to front-office roles dealing with roster construction and negotiations over player compensation, with the heaviest work coming in the offseason. In that sense, the football focus centers now more on the on-field work for a roster Lombardi helped put together ahead of the Aug. 29 opener against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.

UNC hired Belichick in December 2024, hoping the man who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles could thrive as a first-time college coach.

Belichick immediately hired Lombardi, who was in attendance for Belichick's introductory news conference. Lombardi’s career as an NFL executive had included being the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2013. And he secured a three-year deal paying him $1.5 million in base salary through the 2027 season, making him the country's highest-paid GM, according to a USA Today salary database.

A few months into Belichick’s tenure, Lombardi said the goal was running a college program in a way similar to the NFL, saying the Tar Heels “consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team” because of the staff connections to the pros. That confident statement didn't align with the on-field results, with the Tar Heels having more more double-digit losses (five) than total wins (four) in Belichick's debut season.

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

The department’s 27 passport agencies nationwide will start offering the special travel documents next month. They previously had only been available at the Washington, D.C., passport office for in-person applicants.

Trump, whose stern portrait is emblazoned on an inside page, is the first living president featured in the travel document.

The passports are the latest instance of Trump having his name and likeness added to buildings, documents and other highly visible tributes. His image is on a gold-finished commemorative coin celebrating the country’s founding that the U.S. Mint has begun producing, and there are efforts to put Trump’s signature on all new U.S. paper currency, also a first for a sitting president.

“In response to overwhelming demand, the Department of State is making an additional 250,000 of the special commemorative passports available to the public,” it said in a statement. “Americans all across the country will now have the opportunity to apply for one of these additional special passports, known as the ‘Patriot Passport.’”

Passport offices in Centennial, Colorado; Chicago; Dallas; Detroit; New Orleans; New York; and Stamford, Connecticut, will offer the Trump passports at one-day special events starting Aug. 8. The list will grow to include other passport offices throughout August.

Those who want the special passport must apply in-person on the day specified on the department’s passport website. Those wanting a traditional passport must apply on different days.

The commemorative passport features Trump’s picture over a gold imprimatur of his signature to an interior page, while the cover carries the words “United States of America” in bold gold print at the top and “Passport” at the bottom — a reversal of the current standard cover.

In addition, a small gold laminate American flag, with the number 250 encircled by stars, is at the bottom of the back cover.

The only presidents featured in current U.S. passports are in a double-page depiction of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Other depictions include the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and scenes of the Great Plains, mountains and islands. Current passports also contain quotations from Martin Luther King Jr. as well as Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower.

The addition of Trump’s picture and signature to the passport book is the newest step his aides have taken to increase the president’s visibility, including adding his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace building and the Kennedy Center performing arts venue, although that signage was later removed on a court order.

Trump also has made waves with his plans for a new White House ballroom and a massive arch to be built at one of the entrances to Washington from Virginia.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.66% from 6.58% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the average rate was 6.72%.

Higher mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting homebuyers’ purchasing power. As rates rise, that can lead prospective home shoppers to delay buying a home, one reason U.S. home sales have been sluggish this year.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often sought by borrowers refinancing a home loan, also rose this week. That average rate increased to 6.04% from 5.96% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.85%, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

Rates have been mostly rising this year as the Iran war has driven crude oil prices sharply higher, fueling expectations of hotter inflation. That’s pushed up long-term bond yields relative to where they were before the conflict began in late February, causing mortgage rates to trend higher.

The 10-year Treasury yield was 4.66% at midday Thursday on the bond market. It was just 3.97% in late February, before the war broke out.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now the highest it’s been since July 31, 2025, when it was at 6.72%. As recently as late February, the average rate dropped slightly below 6% for the first time since late 2022.

The latest increase in mortgage rates comes a day after the Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged as it wrestles with how to tame stubbornly high inflation, which has been stuck above the central bank's 2% target for more than five years.

During the central bank's two-day monetary policy meeting this week, three regional Fed bank presidents dissented in favor of higher rates to combat high prices.

That's a signal that Fed members are no longer in lockstep on inflation and that their next move is not going to be a rate cut, said Anthony Smith, senior economist at Realtor.com.

“With the Fed signaling that its next move is more likely a hike than a cut, near-term rate relief looks unlikely,” Smith said. “Because oil remains the primary channel through which the Iran conflict feeds inflation, a de-escalation and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains the clearest path back toward lower rates.”

The central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, but its decisions to raise or lower its short-term rate are watched closely by bond investors and can ultimately affect the yield on 10-year Treasurys.

While average long-term mortgage rates remain lower than they were at this time last year, their upward trajectory has weighed on home sales this year. Seasonally adjusted sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were up 0.7% from January to June compared with the same period last year, but they’re still hovering close to a 4-million annual pace far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2-million.

The trend has extended the national housing market slump that began in 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last year, stuck at a 30-year low.

The latest data on mortgage applications show that the upward trend in mortgage rates has given some would-be homebuyers reason to pause.

Mortgage applications, which include loans to buy a home or refinance an existing mortgage, fell 6.4% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

"While incoming economic data will continue to shape the outlook for interest rates, elevated borrowing costs remain a challenge this summer for many prospective homebuyers,” said MBA CEO Bob Broeksmit.

Officers responded at approximately 10:40 p.m. Wednesday to 213 W. New York Ave. — a property behind the Athens Theatre.

In a news conference, DeLand Police Chief Jason Umberger said both men had been shot multiple times.

The victims were identified as Dustin Rose, 19, formerly of DeLeon Springs, and Sampson Campbell, 18, formerly of DeLand.

Police said the two were childhood friends, and it’s undetermined if they were targeted.

“Our thoughts and our prayers are with these two young men who lost their lives and their families,” Chief Jason Umberger said.

The case is classified as a homicide investigation. No suspects have been identified.

Anyone with information is asked to contact DeLand police’s Crimewatch portal or call the Criminal Investigations Division at (386) 626-7400.

The Athens Theatre is one of downtown DeLand’s most recognizable landmarks. It first opened in 1922 and regularly hosts concerts and plays.

In a social media post on Thursday, the theatre said the day’s events will continue as scheduled.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The offer applies to any of the restaurant’s more than 30 cheesecake flavors, but there are a few rules. It’s dine-in only, limited to one slice per guest, and each guest must be present to redeem the discount.

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New flavor debut: Brownie Crunch Choc-a-Lot Cheesecake

National Cheesecake Day also brings a brand-new menu addition: Brownie Crunch Choc-a-Lot Cheesecake.

The limited-time debut features creamy milk and white chocolate marbled cheesecake served on top of a rich, crunchy toffee brownie, according to the company.

“The Cheesecake Factory is very pleased to commemorate National Cheesecake Day with the introduction of our Brownie Crunch Choc-a-Lot Cheesecake,” said David Overton, Founder and CEO of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. “Every year, our Bakery team works to create a very special cheesecake for National Cheesecake Day, and I think they’ve outdone themselves with this year’s flavor.”

Giving back: Supporting Feeding America

The new cheesecake is also tied to a cause.

For every slice of Brownie Crunch Choc-a-Lot Cheesecake sold through July 29, 2027, The Cheesecake Factory said it will donate 25 cents to Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, which works through a network of food banks.

The company said it has donated more than $7 million to Feeding America since 2008 through the sale of specially designated cheesecakes.

In the studio: A dessert-inspired, at-home recipe

To help celebrate the day, The Cheesecake Factory stopped by our studio with a cooking demonstration featuring a simplified, at-home dessert inspired by one of its indulgent menu creations: a Heath Bar Brownie Cheesecake Sundae. You can watch the full demonstration in the player above.

The idea: take familiar, easy-to-find ingredients and build a layered sundae that nods to the chain’s signature rich flavors — brownie, cheesecake-style creaminess and crunchy candy topping — without requiring professional baking skills.

You make your own Heath Bar Brownie Cheesecake Sundae by following the recipe below.

Heath Bar Brownie Cheesecake Sundaes

Ingredients

Heath Bar Toffee Streusel

• 1-1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup packed Light Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, melted & cooled
• 1/2 cup Heath Bar Toffee pieces

Fudge Brownie

• 4 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
• 4 oz. Unsalted Butter
• 1-1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 2 ea. Eggs, Large
• 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 oz. Milk Chocolate Chips
• 2 oz. Heath Bar Toffee pieces

Heath Bar Brownie Cheesecake Sundaes

• Brownies topped with Heath Bar Streusel (see recipe above)
• Deeply Chilled Cheesecake Slices (we recommend Original)
• Chocolate Sauce Caramel
• Whipped Cream
• Maraschino Cherries
• Heath Bar Bits/ Brickle

Directions

Heath Bar Toffee Streusel

1. In a medium bowl, combine the Flour, Sugars, and Salt.
2. Pour in the melted, cooled Butter and stir with a fork until large clumps form and no dry flour remains.
3. Stir in Toffee pieces. 

Fudge Brownie

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare 8x8 baking pan.
3. Melt Chocolate and Butter in microwave until smooth, stirring often.
4. Remove from microwave, stir in Sugar, Vanilla and Salt.
5. Add Eggs one at a time, stirring thoroughly.
6. Stir in Flour and beat with spoon or rubber spatula for a minute or two until smooth and glossy.
7. Stir in Chocolate Chips and Toffee pieces.
8. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth to even it.
9. Sprinkle the prepared Streusel evenly over the top of the brownie.
10. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with some thick gooey batter clinging to it.
11. Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting.

Heath Bar Brownie Cheesecake Sundaes

1. Cut Brownies into rectangles and then into triangles.
2. Using an ice cream scoop, portion a deeply chilled slice of Cheesecake into two scoops. Place the smaller scoop in the bottom of a glass sundae dish.
3. Place two Brownies triangles in glass sundae dish on either side of the scoop of cheesecake with the Heath Bar Streusel facing out.
4. Place the remaining scoop of Cheesecake on top of the first scoop.
5. Top Cheesecake with chocolate sauce and caramel.
6. Garnish with whipped cream, cherry, & Heath Bar Bits - and enjoy!

News 6’s Amy Russo toured the pavilion, which Orlando Health says will bring 19 pediatric clinics under one roof.

Katie Murillo said her son, Myles, was born premature at Arnold Palmer Hospital and spent 54 days in the hospital. When he came home, she said, the family faced a long list of follow-up appointments.

“Our son Myles was born premature at Arnold Palmer — he was 1 pound, 13 ounces. He spent 54 days in the hospital… and when he came home, he came home with a list of doctors — up to 20 specialists at one time,” Murillo said.

For families like hers, the challenge was not only the medical worry, but also the logistics — scheduling and traveling from one appointment to the next across downtown Orlando.

Justin Williams, president of Orlando Health Children’s Arnold Palmer Hospital, said the new pavilion is designed to reduce that burden.

“The burden of coordinating care has fallen on our families for far too long… bringing everyone together allows us to own that burden and streamline things,” Williams said.

Inside, the pavilion is designed with kid-friendly features, including Florida wildlife-themed floors, more than 200 exam rooms, triage areas and a teaching kitchen focused on helping families build healthier routines at home, Orlando Health said.

Outside, leaders highlighted an 800-space parking garage with valet service, located steps from the entrance.

“You mention convenience… it’s beyond convenience — these things are a necessity,” said Zach Kallenbach, president of the Orlando Health Children’s Foundation.

Orlando Health expects more than 175,000 children to be seen at the children’s pavilion in the next year, including families like Myles’.

“Orlando Health Children’s Pavilion means families like ours won’t have to choose between a paycheck and a doctor’s appointment,” Alan Murillo said.

Hiya, friends. It’s Haley.

Brett Kieslich has spent 22 years as part of SeaWorld’s animal care team — more than half of it alongside sharks. During my behind-the-scenes visit, he told me about how sharks are the ocean’s most vital cleanup crew, keeping marine ecosystems healthy and balanced.

Inside the park’s massive 700,000-gallon tank, Kieslich introduced me to Dutch and Dillon, SeaWorld Orlando’s resident hammerhead sharks. The dynamic duo requires some extra attention and dedicated feeding time.

An unexpected encounter was spotting a vintage warning sign backstage that shark fans will immediately recognize from “Jaws 3″ which was filmed at SeaWorld. The grammar enthusiast in me can’t unsee the typo in the text.

Click here to see my video recap of the encounter as well as more shark highlights at the theme park.

Discovery Cove

Shark snorkel 🥽

Across the street from SeaWorld at Discovery Cove, there’s a one-of-a-kind shark experience.

The News 6 Daytrippers checked out the Shark Interaction Program, where participants wade into a shallow-water habitat alongside more than 20 sharks for a trainer-led experience focused on marine education and conservation.

I dove into the habitat two years ago. This one is an easy must-do for any shark fan.

Walt Disney World

Turtle power 🐢

Sea turtle season is here, and Disney is bringing the “shell”-ebration to Vero Beach.

Tour de Turtles — an annual conservation “migration marathon” hosted by Sea Turtle Conservancy — is back, with scientists safely attaching satellite trackers to nesting sea turtles before sending them off into the Atlantic so you can follow their journey online.

Disney has been part of this event for years. In fact, two years ago, their sponsored turtle, Ebb, became the first Disney turtle ever to take the gold.

The News 6 Insiders spotlighted Tour de Turtles this week. Click here to watch the interview.

MLP 🥒

Pickleball has gotten so popular, it now has its own major league — and this weekend, the pros are bringing the action to Disney World for one of the season’s biggest tournaments.

Hear from the Orlando Squeeze, the host team bringing pro pickleball to Disney.

The woods await 🎭

With Broadway roots and a Disney Legend title to her name, Jodi Benson knows a thing or two about bringing iconic characters to life.

The voice of Ariel will star as the Witch in Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” this weekend at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando — watch her interview by clicking here and get ticket information.

Universal Orlando

All aboard (ay, ay, ay) 🦇

The Halloween Horror Nights haunted house lineup is complete, and the Prince of Darkness himself is the final addition.

Universal Orlando is sending fans on a 45-year journey through Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary solo career — Crazy Train and all.

Passholder perks return 🌍

Universal Orlando Resort’s Passholder Appreciation Days is back with weeks of exclusive discounts, freebies and special experiences for Annual and Seasonal Passholders.

Click here to see everything Universal Orlando has in store for passholders this summer.

That’s a wrap for July! Fall events are just around the corner.

As always, keep me in the loop through my email or reach out to me on X or Instagram.

See you next week!

- Haley

Released on Thursday, the annual “State of Black America” report grimly describes Black Americans ' economic and political prospects as having worsened due to policy changes from President Donald Trump's administration, according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press.

The report contends that the challenges it highlights for Black communities are warning signs for the prosperity of all Americans.

“It may be the focus is us, but the impact is not just us,” said Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. “While they have targeted and focused on Black Americans, these attacks are going to impact broadly working Americans, poor Americans, aspirational middle-class Americans, and this is what this report points to.”

Tracing the arc of American history, the Urban League describes Black Americans' struggle for emancipation from slavery and equal economic and political rights as a gruesome but optimistic part of the American story.

Now, the report says, the Trump administration is at odds with the goals and achievements of the Civil Rights Movement, citing the overhaul of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as the president’s focus on overhauling voting laws through the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, as examples of rollbacks of long-sought civil rights policies.

The report's authors offer policy and strategy recommendations for civil rights groups aiming to combat the Trump administration.

“The civil rights community must consolidate its legal resistance and turn courtroom wins into durable policy,” the report says. “The movement must build economic infrastructure that doesn’t depend on the goodwill of any one administration.”

Reached for comment on Thursday, White House spokesperson Allison Schuster said Trump was elected with a mandate to change the very policies that the Urban League contends are eroding real opportunity for Black Americans.

“(Diversity, equity and inclusion) ran rampant during the Biden administration, and Americans ultimately paid the price for these destructive policies with a restricted labor pool, higher operational costs, and workforce inefficiencies," Schuster said. "The Trump administration will always promote equal treatment under the law for every American.”

Report contributors include a potential Democratic presidential contender

This year’s report includes contributions from members of Congress, and policy and legal experts, as well as some media personalities.

U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks, Lisa Blunt Rochester and Raphael Warnock all contributed to the report, as well as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey contributed a video message to the report.

Moore, who is widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential contender, submitted an essay focused on closing the racial wealth gap and Black Americans' history of economic advancement in the face of adversity.

“With wisdom and grit, my mom was able to lift me and my family to a higher rung on the economic ladder. But too often wisdom and grit aren't enough,” Moore wrote.

He later called closing the racial wealth gap “a matter of moral clarity” but cautioned that “government alone cannot close the racial wealth gap. It's going to take all of us,” referencing the private sector and civil society.

Report blasts 'economic assault' on Black Americans

Whether corporate America and major nonprofits are still willing to participate is an open question. The report condemns the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back diversity initiatives and economic advancement projects in the private sector, and expresses frustration with companies that cooperated with an “economic assault” on Americans, especially Black Americans.

“This has been a campaign of coercion and oppression directed at these institutions who have been out here working hard to, if you will, change America,” Morial said. “The important thing about companies is that every company has not bent the knee. Some may have done some cosmetic changes. Some have been in full and complete retreat.”

The DEI rollbacks are a jarring reversal for the Urban League, which held sway in the Biden White House on economic and social policies. The report lauds President Joe Biden's administration for signing a sweeping COVID-19 stimulus package, as well as laws supporting minority small businesses and a bipartisan infrastructure bill.

“Not every promise was kept, and the current administration is pushing to roll our wins back, but these wins serve as a blueprint for what is possible through sustained advocacy and a clear vision,” the authors write. The agenda, the Urban League declares, was “the most consequential federal investments in Black America since the Great Society.”

The organization and its civil rights allies now find themselves in a strikingly different political environment under the Trump administration.

“Looking at our current political landscape, the calls for racial healing and righting of this nation’s wrongs in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd feel like a fever dream,” the report reads.

But the study also acknowledges that Black Americans have overcome more dire and discriminatory moments.

Latest Black America report is the Urban League's 50th edition

The Urban League's inaugural 1976 report on the state of Black America was described by the New York Times at the time as “a profoundly depressing document” that laid out the persistent disparities between the economic outlooks of Black and white Americans, a decade after the Civil Rights Movement's crowning achievements were signed into law.

The report was established as a response to that year's State of the Union address by President Gerald R. Ford and the Democratic response, neither of which mentioned the economic outlooks for Black Americans. The report offered policy recommendations on crime, education, housing, social services and general economic policy.

“It is a document that does not attempt to cover up the seriousness of the situation black people find themselves in,” the authors wrote at the time. Several of its recommendations were later taken up by President Jimmy Carter, who was elected to the White House months after the report’s release.

This year's 50th anniversary document echoes the frustration found in the inaugural report. While Morial acknowledged that the Urban League's assessments may lead to pessimism, he urged Americans concerned about civil rights and economic progress to respond at the ballot box and with their pocketbooks.

“We cannot be dejected. We cannot be cynical. We must act,” Morial said. “We have to fight to make sure that those that are really trying to kill the essence of the American dream don’t win.”

The Danube River, which runs through 10 countries from southwestern Germany to the Black Sea, has receded to never-before-seen lows along much of its course, exposing rocks, sand bars and old shipwrecks that have rarely been seen before.

In Budapest, Hungary's capital, the national water authority measured the Danube's water level at 23 centimeters (9 inches) on Wednesday morning, well below the previous all-time low of 33 centimeters (13 inches) set in 2018.

The river is expected to further ebb in the coming days with no significant rain in the forecast and temperatures expected to rise to over 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) across the region.

Drought upends boat traffic

As Danube levels sank to a new low on Tuesday, photographer Gábor Kertész went to the base of Budapest’s Margaret Bridge — typically underwater but now an exposed shoal — to document the sight.

“The bare rocks, the dry sand bars around the bridge pillars ... it’s all shocking to see how things were before and how they are now,” he said. “Where will this lead, what will happen? We don’t know that yet, but this must be the result of climate change.”

Much of Central Europe has been under a prolonged drought for most of the year, and successive heat waves have accelerated evaporation and caused waterways to dry out.

According to the Hungarian Meteorological Service, 90-day precipitation totals are between 80-130 millimeters (3.1-5.1 inches) lower across nearly the entire country compared to multi-year averages.

The low water level has forced popular cruise ships, where passengers usually disembark for sightseeing in Budapest, to dock far upriver, while cargo ships have stopped operating nearly entirely, according to Hungary’s Ministry of Transport and Investment.

In Bulgaria, where the Danube forms a border with Romania, police on Tuesday evacuated 186 tourists from a cruise ship that had run aground near the port city of Vidin.

Passengers of the Viking Ullur ran out of food and water after the vessel, which had been scheduled to take on supplies in Vidin, was unable to reach the port after running into a shallow shoal, according to Bulgaria’s state news agency BTA. The ship's 52 crew members could have to remain onboard for an extended period depending on navigation conditions and refloating options, police said.

In Serbia, hundreds of small boats and dozens of cargo ships were marooned on the dried out river bank near the northern city of Novi Sad.

One house boat owner, Radovan Segrt, who runs river excursions on his vessel, told The Associated Press that the water in the Danube had withdrawn “some 15 to 20 meters (50 to 65 feet) from it's shore.”

“The summer season is over now, as far as boat riding is concerned,” he said.

Low water levels force nuclear plant shut downs

The receding waters are also affecting nuclear energy production in numerous countries where water from the Danube is typically used to cool reactors.

In Romania, where Danube water flow had fallen to 1,630 cubic meters per second, around a third of a typical July average, authorities shut down a reactor unit at the Cernavoda power plant on Tuesday for safety reasons and announced another would be shut down soon after.

Similarly, Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant, which supplies nearly half of the country's electricity, began powering down a reactor on Wednesday due to restricted cooling-water supplies. That came after two successive reductions in power output in two reactors over the previous two days.

Drought exposes treasures and dangers

The exposed river bed can also pose dangers. Last week, authorities in Budapest closed the Margaret Bridge after a bomb dating from World War II was exposed at its base by the receding water levels.

Treasure hunter Zsolt Horváth was using the extreme conditions to fish metal objects from the exposed bank with a powerful magnet on Tuesday. He said he got a lot of pleasure from finding things like an old radio amplifier or bullet casings from the World Wars.

Horváth said that while "having so little water in the Danube is a blessing for this kind of activity, otherwise, it’s a curse.”

___

Associated Press writers Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England, Veselin Toshkov in Sofia, Bulgaria, Béla Szandelszky in Budapest, Hungary and Radul Radovanovic in Novi Sad, Serbia contributed.

Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, admitted to licking the straw and returning it to the vending machine while recording the act for his online followers. It happened at a shopping mall in March and he was charged in April after his video spread rapidly.

Another charge of mischief was taken into consideration during sentencing. The court imposed the fine and did not order any community-based sentence after considering mitigating factors.

The public nuisance charge carries a penalty of up to three months in prison. Prosecutors sought only the maximum fine of 2,000 Singapore dollars ($1,551), saying the staged act was intended for social media and risked undermining confidence in the hygiene of a commonly used vending machine.

They noted Maximilien retrieved the straw himself, no member of the public used it, there was no evidence of harm, he was young and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Maximilien studies in a business school in Singapore, but prosecutors told the court he would also be in France from September to December as part of his studies.

Prosecutors said immigration authorities will decide if Maximilien can keep his student pass in Singapore after considering all relevant factors.

Defense counsel Kalidass Murugayan said the student has been living in Singapore without family support and expressed deep remorse for his actions. He said the video was a stunt for social media followers and that Maximilien later removed the contaminated straw from the machine to use for his own drink, meaning it was never intended for anyone else.

“He is truly sorry for having caused all this trouble,” the lawyer said. His parents will ensure that he paid the fine himself, the counsel added. The student left the court without speaking to reporters.

IJooz, the company operating the juice vending machine, filed a police report over the stunt and sanitized the dispenser while replacing all 500 straws in the machine. It has said it would upgrade its machines to include measures such as individually packaged straws and compartments that unlock only after the transaction is completed.

Singapore, a densely populated city-state, tightly regulates public behavior and cleanliness and has strong penalties for littering and vandalism.

The woman's attorney, Matthew Farley, urged the chief judge of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to dismiss the case against Nazira Haji Zada and immediately release his client, who the government alleges is an Islamic State supporter. Judge Joan Ericksen denied Farley’s requests but said Zada's lawyers can renew them as the case proceeds in the nation's capital.

“This entire scheme is in violation of due process and unconstitutional,” said Farley, an assistant federal public defender.

The case against Zada opens a new, untested front for President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign, which has flooded the nation’s federal court system with immigration proceedings, sometimes based on novel or shaky legal foundations.

The court, established in 1996, had never received a petition until this month, when the Justice Department filed an application seeking Zada's removal. The court has a specific authority to conduct deportation proceedings for individuals whom the Department of Justice classifies as “alien terrorists.”

FBI agents arrested her Tuesday at her Fort Worth, Texas, home. She is not charged with any crimes.

“This is a runaround for bringing a criminal case,” Farley said during the court's first-ever public hearing.

Ericksen, a senior judge who sits in Minnesota and was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, acknowledged that the court was operating without a clear blueprint.

“We probably read the same law review articles. There aren't that many,” the judge told Farley.

An FBI memo dated July 15 said it “developed information” that Zada is an IS supporter who had her children pledge their loyalty to the terrorist group. The memo says she “supported” a plot by relatives to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack in the United States.

Zada is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. Court filings identify her as the mother and mother-in-law of two Afghan men who were convicted in Oklahoma for their roles in the 2024 Election Day plot. Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, was sentenced in November to 15 years in prison and court records show he previously agreed to be removed from the U.S. after his release.

Her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, previously worked as a security guard for an American military installation in Afghanistan. He pleaded guilty to conspiring and attempting to provide material support to IS. Prosecutors have said he took steps to advance his attack plans by ordering AK-47 rifles, liquidating his family’s assets and buying one-way tickets for his wife and child to travel home to Afghanistan.

Zada was led into the courtroom by U.S. Marshals Service deputies. Interpreters translated the proceedings for Zada, who answered the judge's questions with head nods instead of words. The judge cautioned that the court was still in the process of building up its “infrastructure.”

“This is not a criminal matter,” the judge told her. “This is a civil matter that arises under the immigration code.”

Justice Department attorney Hayden O'Byrne read aloud a brief summary of the case but noted that the FBI's investigation of Zada involves classified information that cannot be made public. The judge assured Zada that the federal courts routinely handle cases involving classified information, even though her case is the first of its kind.

Eriksen one of five federal judges from different districts across the country who are appointed to the court by the chief justice of the United States.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that Congress created the court to deport “alien terrorists who never should have been here in the first place.”

“The allegations in this case show the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family aiding in a plot to launch a mass casualty attack on American voters on Election Day. The Department’s application in this court makes clear that terrorists have no place in the United States of America,” Blanche added.

Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases in human history before it was eradicated in 1980, largely thanks to vaccination. For centuries, the virus had killed about one-third of the people it infected and left most survivors with deep and sometimes disfiguring scars.

Outbreaks struck Asia and Europe and eventually spread to the Americas, where colonial writings, administrative records and missionary reports documented how it killed millions and devastated Indigenous populations who had never been exposed to the virus.

Now there's scientific evidence for the spread: An analysis of Chilean mummies provides the strongest genetic link yet to the virus as it existed outside of the Americas, and provides a better picture of how it reached remote populations through colonization, said geneticist Shigeki Nakagome with Trinity College Dublin.

In the new study, Nakagome and colleagues examined 13 bone samples previously collected from an archaeological site at Camarones, in northern Chile.

Researchers found evidence of two smallpox infections in ancient DNA from the leg bone fragments of an adult man and woman.

From dating the remains and peeking at the genes, scientists concluded the two likely died between 1492 and 1631. Scientists also compared the genes in this version of smallpox to other versions and fit it neatly between European strains from medieval times and later versions. This was important molecular evidence, suggesting that the strains of smallpox infecting people in the Americas evolved first from Europe.

“Nobody would ever question that smallpox came to this hemisphere from colonization, but this proves it,” said Patricia Foster, a biologist at Indiana University. She had no role in the new research, which was published Thursday in the journal Science.

Exactly which population brought smallpox to the Americas from the Old World remains unclear, said the study authors. European settlers came in different waves to the Americas following the explorations of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean in 1492 and Amerigo Vespucci along the South American coast about a decade later. The disease also could have passed through Africa as part of the introduction and expansion of the slave trade.

These smallpox infections in South America were identified in an area with no previous record of the disease, opening new questions about how the virus got so far south — possibly spreading along Indigenous trading networks that had long pre-existed the arrival of Europeans.

Studying various strains of the virus also allowed scientists to pinpoint how it evolved over time, turning off certain genes to become more effective at its deadly mission.

In addition to confirming the history of smallpox, the research also shines a light on the human cost. The two sick individuals studied were between 18 and 35 years old, and the disease is likely what killed them.

The findings point to how devastating the disease was across the Americas, wiping out entire populations and leaving them vulnerable to European conquest, said study coauthor Constanza de la Fuente Castro, a biological anthropologist at the University of Chile.

“It wasn't just cultural or demographic. It's literally written into biological evidence that we can still recover and read today,” de la Fuente Castro said.

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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.

“He ran into that water despite those conditions that are deadly. You have 10 foot waves; you have riptides and currents coming in,” Sumit Rai told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “It is not safe for him to go into that water. So he’s risking his own safety.”

Rai’s son Nathaniel was standing in shallow water when he lost his footing and was pulled into the ocean Saturday by powerful swells that suddenly came ashore at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, about 60 miles (about 100 kilometers) down the coast from San Francisco. Rai, who was in his home city of Dallas, said he heard about what happened when he spoke to his kids on the phone that evening.

“My son told me that he drowned and my son told me that he went unconscious,” he said. “He was very subdued, still in a state of shock.”

By the next morning, Rai had watched the video of the rescue that has since caught the attention of President Donald Trump.

Ryder Williams, 16, the lifeguard who saved Nathaniel, said he saw the boy lose his footing in ankle-deep water. He radioed in and then raced toward Nathaniel.

“After the first wave, I was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard,” he said in a statement.

California State Parks, which employs the lifeguards at that beach, said the boy was swept about 15 yards (13.7 meters) into the ocean before the lifeguard made contact with him.

In the video, Williams can be seen diving into a coming wave while holding tight to the boy.

Another lifeguard jumped in to help, along with some bystanders, who Williams said he warned to go back to the shore.

“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely,” he said. “This is my job and I love what I do. I’m thankful to my fellow lifeguards who perform rescues just like this every day.”

The boy had no serious injuries, and after an medical evaluation he was released to his family, the California State Parks said in an emailed statement.

Rai said his son told him that he got sand in his lungs and was coughing it out after getting to the shore. Now his son, who is expected back from California in a few days, is dealing with the psychological effects of what happened.

“He’s still been thinking about it a lot. It’s on his mind,” he said. “It bothers him when he’s sleeping. So it’s obviously traumatizing.”

Rai has reached out to Williams and said he hopes to be able to thank him directly.

“What he did, I can never ever repay," he said. "I'm forever grateful.”

The players won't be punished for the bet, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

The league posted the initial video from All-Star Weekend, days before Bueckers’ Dallas Wings and Reese’s Atlanta Dream were set to play Wednesday night. The clip featured Bueckers and Reese placing what appeared to be a personal wager on the game. It was presented with the caption, “We did?” with a laughing emoji followed by, “Paige Bueckers on the bet she made with Angel Reese at All-Star Weekend on tonight’s matchup.”

The WNBA moved quickly to delete the message, but not before it was shared on social media.

“While the social media post was intended to be lighthearted, WNBA players are well aware of the league’s policies prohibiting betting on WNBA games and receive training every year reinforcing those policies,” a league spokesperson said Thursday. “We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally.

“We will also use this as an opportunity to reemphasize with the players involved that conversations about wagering on WNBA games, even when intended as a joke, can have negative consequences.”

The Wings and the Dream both deferred to the league statement when asked for comment.

The league’s collective bargaining agreement states that any kind of wagering is strictly prohibited and that players can be fined, suspended or even disqualified from the WNBA at the sole discretion of the commissioner.

The Dream rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat the Wings 82-81 on Wednesday, with Reese notching 22 points and 12 rebounds and Bueckers finishing with 16 points and six assists.

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WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

The emergency appeal comes after a lower court reinstated the damages in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that followed more than two decades of litigation.

The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority said in court documents that paying the hefty judgment now would “destabilize critical government services Petitioners provide in the West Bank, injure innocent citizens, and jeopardize regional security.”

They asked the justices to pause payment as they appeal the reinstatement of the verdict.

The lawsuit was filed by victims of attacks in Jerusalem in the early 2000s that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more. Families brought their lawsuit under the Anti-Terrorism Act, a law aimed at opening U.S. courts to victims of international terror attacks.

A federal court in New York tossed the original verdict on appeal and continued to rule in favor of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority as Congress revised the law to allow suits to go forward. In 2025, the Supreme Court sided with the families and revived the lawsuits.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to reinstate the verdict in March. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said at the time that the families were pleased and relieved by the decision, saying it would allow “justice to be done.”

They declined to comment on Thursday's petition.

The suspension came a day after the team apologized for an exchange that took place between one of its co-owners and two fans during the team’s 105-95 loss Tuesday night to the Indiana Fever. The Storm didn’t elaborate on the nature of the incident and didn’t say which Storm co-owner was involved.

But on Thursday the team said it respects the league’s decision to fine and suspend Keaton.

“We remain committed to creating a welcoming and respectful environment for anyone who attends a Storm game,” the team said.

The incident occurred Tuesday night during an evening that began with a demonstration outside Climate Pledge Arena. The team didn't say if the exchange was related to the protest.

Ahead of the game, a crowd of a few dozen gathered to both support Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and to promote a statewide ballot initiative, IL26-638, that would bar transgender students from participating in girls’ athletics at Washington schools.

Some members of the group carried signs in support of Cunningham or wore T-shirts depicting the XX and XY chromosomes. Some of them were also inside the arena during the game.

Cunningham voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports in an ESPN article published last week. Cunningham was booed by Storm fans when she checked into Tuesday’s game, as well as when attempting her first free throws of the night.

Cunningham was not made available to answer postgame questions.

Kelsey Mitchell and Monique Billings addressed the media instead, alongside head coach Stephanie White.

When White was asked about the rally and Cunningham’s recent comments, a Fever public relations representative intervened with the following statement:

“Neither our organization nor Sophie had any knowledge of this demonstration and no contact with its organizers,” the statement said. “Our only goal as a team, whether at home or away, is to win basketball games and make Fever fans for life, and we are united in that mission.”

Storm head coach Sonia Raman also briefly addressed a question about the pregame protest following her team’s seventh consecutive loss.

“Seattle and this organization and Climate Pledge, we always want to be an area where people feel welcome coming into this building,” Raman said. “I think we’ve always done a really good job with that. So, I know our organization was working closely with Climate Pledge and the security just to make sure that everybody feels safe and included and welcome when they walk in this door.

“From what I understand, that was successful.”

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Europe is sweltering under an exceptionally hot and arid summer, creating tinderbox conditions for unprecedented fires that have flared from the Atlantic coast to the eastern Mediterranean and forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate homes and vacation spots.

Firefighters battled flames in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Greece and Turkey on Thursday and were tamping down smoldering forests in southwest France where 224,000 people had been forced to flee. Romania shut down both reactors at its Cernavoda nuclear power plant due to low water levels in the Danube River used to cool them.

Hollywood star George Clooney wrote to his local mayor that his family evacuated the southeastern French town where they've settled and that “we have no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment.” Clooney's publicist Guido Gotz shared the message to Brignoles Mayor Didier Brémond with The Associated Press.

Clooney wrote that he and his wife Amal, a human rights lawyer, were committed to the town and that, whatever happens, “we’ll be part of making it whole.”

The fire near Brignoles, in the Var region, flared Wednesday, forcing 700 people to evacuate, the mayor's office said. It said they were allowed back Thursday once the fire was tamed.

Returnees in France clear away ash

In the Bordeaux region of southwest France, wildfire evacuees streamed back to nine localities that authorities now deem safe after round-the-clock combat with the huge fire that ignited last week. Returnees included 50-year-old Sanachit Pho Ne Keo and his wife, relieved to discover that apart from black ash on an outside terrace, their home in Martignas-sur-Jalle wasn't damaged.

“Everything seems OK and it’s a good feeling!” he said.

“The fire was pretty close, the last smoking embers are still close,” he added. “But we could’ve expected worse.”

Regional health authorities recommended that returnees wear gloves and face masks as they clean up and wash children’s toys and pets’ feeding bowls and paws. France’s public health agency reported that call-out doctors and hospital emergency wards in Bordeaux had seen a spike in cases involving asthma sufferers last weekend when the raging wildfire was still spewing choking smoke clouds.

“It's the first somewhat optimistic day,” said Sophie Brocas, prefect of Bordeaux's Gironde region who gave the go-ahead for nearly two-thirds of the 224,000 evacuees to go home, including 60,000 allowed back to three Bordeaux suburbs on Tuesday.

Still, returnees were told to keep phones on and pack bags in case they have to be evacuated again.

The A63 highway south of Bordeaux also was reopened, clearing a major artery for road traffic with Spain and vacationers as France enters its peak August holiday period.

“Our feeling is that we’re getting back to the path of a normal life,” Brocas said Thursday evening.

Fire still smoking but not spreading

Gironde authorities said the blaze is no longer growing beyond the 420 square kilometers (about 162 square miles) already affected — an area four times that of Paris.

Capitalizing on the shift of momentum, police water cannons usually used for riot control are being added to the effort to extinguish embers and flare-ups, involving 3,300 firefighters and two dozen planes and helicopters dumping water and retardants, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said.

More aid came from other countries, with Luxembourg, Slovakia, Latvia, Germany and Serbia sending fire crews, adding to aircraft and other assistance provided by other countries, and Ukraine also offering help, Nuñez said.

Crews using heavy diggers continued ripping up trees and bushes to carve barriers of land between woodlands that burned and those that didn't, boxing in the blaze with firebreaks — now exceeding a total of 130 kilometers (80 miles) through the forests.

Emergency crews also set fires deliberately to burn away scrub that could fuel the wildfire.

“If we light a fire here, we know that our fire will move toward the incoming fire. So we’re not taking much of a risk,” said Lt. Col. Jérôme Jallet, overseeing a burn.

A heat wave — France's fourth of the year — gave way Thursday to cooler weather, higher humidity and even a little rain, helping the effort.

Tinderbox conditions across southern Europe

Successive heatwaves have created tinder-dry conditions across swaths of southern Europe and whack-a-mole emergencies for fire crews, with blazes flaring as others are extinguished.

Greece was tackling large fires on the islands of Crete, Paros and Andros, a day after three firefighters died.

In Spain, firefighters fought blazes in northwestern Zamora and eastern Castellón, after making progress against infernos in the Madrid region and Ávila that prompted the government to declare a national fire emergency for the first time.

At the peak of evacuations, a third of a million people were driven from homes and vacation sites in France and Spain.

In France, two firefighters suffered light injuries battling a woodlands blaze in the eastern Burgundy region and four were injured in the southern Var region on a fire brought under control with a dozen planes and helicopters dropping water and retardant, authorities said.

In Germany, firefighters using drones and helicopters battled an Alpine forest fire near the Austrian border, the dpa news agency reported.

On a heath of birch trees, heather and wildlife in Suffolk, east England, wind-whipped flames burned across an area the size of 140 soccer pitches and forced hundreds of people to evacuate homes, vacation cottages and a mobile home park, fire services said. New U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham called it “a very serious incident.” The southern half of the U.K. is suffering drought.

In Turkey, firefighters and aircraft battled forest fires in four western provinces, including tourist areas Mugla and Antalya.

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Turnbull reported from Martignas-sur-Jalle, France, and Leicester reported from Paris. Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Jill Lawless and Samuel Petrequin in London, Suman Naishadham in Madrid, Elena Becatoros in Athens, Stefanie Dazio in Berlin, Andrew Wilks in Ankara, Turkey, and Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England contributed to this report.

U.S. filings for jobless aid in the week ending July 25 rose by 9,000 to 197,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week's figure was revised up by 1,000 to 188,000 but remains the lowest in more than 50 years.

Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 207,000 new applications.

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

Despite surging oil prices resulting from the U.S.-Iran war, the American job market remains healthy. However, analysts say a prolonged war and higher than normal energy costs may eventually upend that, forcing companies to trim their costs by reducing head counts.

Following a 6.6% rise a day earlier, the price for a barrel of U.S. crude fell slightly more than 1% Thursday to $83.36 a barrel. Gas prices in the U.S. are also back up above $4 a gallon on average. Besides squeezing consumers’ budgets, it also hits businesses hard, especially those which are heavily dependent on fuel.

Also Thursday, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation metric, PCE, came in at 3.7%, still well above its 2% target. On top of that, the government reported Thursday that the U.S. economy grew at an unexpectedly sluggish 1.5% pace in the April-June quarter.

If inflation remains elevated, Fed officials say they are ready to raise interest rates to combat higher prices, raising costs for businesses and making them less likely to hire.

In its expansive June jobs report earlier this month, the government reported that employers pulled back on hiring, adding only 57,000 jobs. That’s less than half the previous month’s total and a sign that companies remain cautious about adding to their head counts. The unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% from 4.3% in May, though that decline is mostly because many out-of-work people gave up looking for jobs and were no longer counted as unemployed.

June’s tepid hiring comes after a relative surge in job gains the previous three months, countering concerns that the war in Iran could trip up an already wobbly labor market.

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

Among the companies that have trimmed their workforce recently are Verizon, UPS, Amazon, Disney, Starbucks, Walmart and Microsoft.

The Labor Department's report Thursday also showed that the four-week moving average of weekly jobless claims, which softens some of the weekly volatility, fell by 5,000 to 202,750.

The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending July 18 was 1.78 million, a decline of 7,000 from the previous week.

The Hollywood star behind the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise and other films made the statement in a letter to Didier Bremond, the mayor of the town of Brignoles, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) east of Marseille, publicist Guido Gotz told The Associated Press in an email.

Addressed “Dear Didier,” the letter said Clooney and his wife Amal, a human rights lawyer, had “no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment." But as they evacuate Brignoles they wanted to assure Bremond that, whatever happens to the community, “we’ll be part of making it whole,” the letter said.

The fire near Brignoles broke out Wednesday afternoon and burned some 100 hectares (250 acres), local officials said. The blaze was far smaller than a vast inferno that has swept up the region around Bordeaux in southwestern France in recent days.

About 700 residents were evacuated and were allowed to return to their homes on Thursday after the fire was brought under control, they added.

Water-bombing helicopters remained deployed over the area after the evacuation order was lifted, the regional administration said. It said weather conditions remained unfavorable, with high temperatures and winds expected to pick up again in the afternoon.

The French government in December announced that the Clooneys along with their twins Ella and Alexander were awarded French citizenship.

The couple purchased their estate in France in 2021, and have been living there with their children. In an interview with Esquire last October, Clooney described their “farm in France” as their primary residence.

Superintendent Mark Rendell said the academy serves both brand-new educators and those who have relocated to the area.

“These are all the teachers that are new to our district. They may be brand new to teaching, fresh out of the box. Or they may be teachers who’ve moved to Florida or Brevard County that have some teaching experience from out of state. We want to welcome them, give them kind of the lay down on how we do things in Brevard,” Rendell said.

This year, 270 new teachers attended the academy — down from previous years — but officials say that’s a good sign. The district had fewer vacancies to fill heading into the new school year.

“So, we had to hire fewer teachers. So, it’s awesome. We actually are set to open the year at 99% filled in our classroom teacher positions. We actually only have about 50 vacancies right now,” Rendell said.

The district is hoping to reach 100% staffing by the end of the year.

One new recruit is no stranger to the classroom. Pat Kelly is returning to Brevard Public Schools after having taught there in the past, bringing with him five decades of teaching experience.

“This is my 51st year,” Kelly said. “I taught here for two years, from 2019 to 2021.”

Kelly says he’s back because he believes in the work the district and its schools are doing.

“They have a very family-oriented team and I’m just looking forward to doing whatever I can do to help in the community, the classroom, on the athletic and basketball court as well. So, I’m really excited about coming back to Brevard,” Kelly said.

The first day of school in Brevard County is Aug. 10.

In a release, deputies said they responded to the 5500 block of Old Cheney Highway around 5 p.m. after receiving reports about the shooting.

Upon arrival, they found the teen girl, who had been shot, deputies added. She was taken to the hospital, where she later died.

“All parties remained on scene, and there is no threat to the community,” the release reads. “The investigation is still in its early stages, and we have no further information to release at this time.”

On Thursday, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as Skyler Ley’shea Bradford.

No additional information has been provided at this time.

The Oakland hip-hop pioneer is still recording, touring and talking slick more than four decades after he began selling homemade tapes on the streets of the Bay Area. While the genre has long treated aging like an unwritten career-ending offense, Too $hort is breaking the rule and challenging the culture’s elder statesmen to keep going with him.

His latest proof is “Sir Too $hort Vol. 2: Drink & Smoke,” his 23rd studio album, produced entirely by longtime collaborator Lil Jon. It arrives Friday, exactly 20 years after the release of his enduring hit “Blow the Whistle.”

Too $hort, whose catalog also includes classics like “The Ghetto” and “Shake That Monkey,” says he isn’t interested in slowing down anytime soon. That was certainly evident when he and E-40 performed at the NFL Honors in February.

In an interview with The Associated Press this week, Too $hort reflected on turning 60, challenging hip-hop’s age limits, preserving the legacy of Lil Jon’s late son, DJ Young Slade, the staying power of “Blow the Whistle” and why he has no plans to stop until “the wheels fall off.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

AP: You recently turned 60, but you’re still releasing albums, touring and influencing the culture. When you first started selling homemade tapes on the streets of Oakland, did you ever imagine you’d still be doing this more than four decades later?

TOO $HORT: At the age of 14 or 15, my mentality was, “Let people hear this music. We’re going to rock some house parties and high school dances and sell some tapes to fans in the streets.” When I got my foot in the door, I knew this was going to be my job. It was always “till the wheels fall off.” It was never, “Let’s do this for 30 or 40 years.”

I’ve always said the day hip-hop is no longer my job is probably the day I’ll stop. But the love I have for hip-hop won’t allow me to stop recording. I’ve never taken a long break. I’ve continuously been in the studio, continuously doing shows. I just keep it going because it’s my job.

AP: Why do you think you’ve remained relevant when so many careers have come and gone?

TOO $HORT: I truly love making music. It’s never felt like work. I could have stopped after “Blow the Whistle” and been like, “Story told.” But somebody’s got to go out into these uncharted waters and blaze the trail. Look at E-40,Snoop Dogg,Fat Joe and the other guys who kept going after the kids were grown and the grandkids were on the way.

Who laid the rule down that in hip-hop you gotta stop at 40? Every milestone they said was old. First it was 30, then it was 40, then it was 50. Now we got senior citizen rappers, and this ... is real. Hip-hop is entering the place where jazz, blues and R&B have older artists who are still performing and recording. We should too.

AP: Twenty years after its release, “Blow the Whistle” is still played everywhere from NBA arenas to the Olympics. Why do you think that record has endured?

TOO $HORT: I don’t know if you could give me the ingredients and tell me how to do it again; I don’t think I could. It had to happen organically. I give Lil Jon a lot of credit because he’s made a lot of songs we’ve loved since the day they came out. We make good music together, and that’s why I’m excited for people to hear what we’re still doing 30 years after we first worked together.

AP: This album reunites you with Lil Jon, but it also features work from his late son, Slade, who died in February. What did that collaboration mean to you?

TOO $HORT: His son passed away after we finished recording. We had actually done about twice as many songs as ended up on this project. I saw how it affected Jon, and I had recently lost my brother, so I knew that feeling of loss. The whole time, Slade was producing or co-producing a lot of the tracks I was working on. The first thing that came to me was that I’d be more than proud to be part of his son’s legacy and give something to the world that would help him live forever. Jon keeps saying, “Slade’s legacy,” and I’m just trying to be a part of that and show the world we lost another good, talented person.

AP: You and E-40 celebrated Bay Area hip-hop together during your 2020 Verzuz appearance. Fans still love seeing you two together. Would you ever team up again, whether for another Verzuz, a tour or something else?

TOO $HORT: We did one in 2020, but it wasn’t a battle. We had a good time. We did a lot of laughing, a lot of togetherness. I didn’t want to battle 40 then, and I don’t want to battle him now. That’s my best friend in hip-hop. I’d sign up for me and 40 against anybody. That’d be fun. They haven’t had two groups. … I put that out there: Who wants to battle Too $hort and E-40 in Verzuz?

Following a few days of respite, fears of a wider war have grown, with renewed fighting threatening to engulf even more countries: Jordan said Thursday it intercepted Iranian missiles for the second consecutive day, while Kuwait said a strike in the northern part of the country killed one person. Also this week, drones caused fires on ships at an Egyptian port, and Saudi Arabia said it came under fire from Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

The war — which in its early days President Donald Trump said would last four to five weeks, although he warned it could take longer — has caused the price of fuel to spike and roiled the global economy. As months have passed, concerns have deepened about using up the stockpile of weapons the U.S. needs to defend its bases and allies.

Meanwhile, the war is unpopular among Americans, and a new AP-NORC poll says Trump’s approval rating on Iran has dipped slightly since last month.

The recent pause in fighting, which began over the weekend and spurred hopes among mediators of diplomatic progress, ended with increasing missile and drone attacks across many countries in the Middle East.

“We note with concern that the security situation remains precarious,” said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, whose country has been a key mediator.

Talks “are ongoing to normalize the situation, particularly the situation in the Strait of Hormuz,” he told reporters.

The US and Iran trade strikes

An Iranian strike hit a Chinese firm’s building in Kuwait on Thursday, severely damaging the structure and killing a worker, Kuwait’s military said, hours after Jordan’s air defenses shot down five missiles launched from Iran.

No injuries were reported from Jordan’s interception, Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency said, quoting the spokesman for the country’s armed forces. Both countries are U.S. allies and host American troops.

The attacks came after the U.S. military said it completed “a heavy wave of strikes against Iran,” conducted in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan.

The military's Central Command said in a social media post that the U.S. struck dozens of targets belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance and defense sites.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said three people were killed and two were wounded in a strike on the island of Qeshm, which lies just off the Iranian mainland in the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial waterway for the world's energy supplies that has been at the center of the conflict.

The latest barrage came after the U.S. partnered with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers.

Fires were reported on two natural gas vessels at an Egyptian port

Also on Wednesday, British maritime security firm Ambrey said drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a U.S.-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. No injuries were reported.

The office of the Egyptian prime minister said initial investigations showed the fires on the two vessels had been caused by a drone.

Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have been spared direct military action during the war. A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have denied they were behind the attack.

The war has wreaked havoc on the global economy

Since Iran began threatening and firing on ships in the Strait of Hormuz early in the war, the conflict has wreaked havoc on the global economy as energy shipments through the waterway ground to a near halt. Much of the diplomacy around ending the war has focused on reopening the strait, through which 20% of oil and natural gas shipments passed in peacetime.

The already limited ship traffic through the strait has plunged to wartime lows during the recent exchange of strikes, from 82 ships during the week of July 13-19 to just 39 from July 20-26, Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a shipping data and analysis firm, said in an webinar.

Fighting elsewhere has squeezed energy supplies further.

Saudi Arabia has accused the Iraqi militias of firing drones against its oil facilities over the past days. An umbrella group of Iraqi militias initially denied the allegations, while the Houthi rebels said they had attacked Saudi energy facilities as part of a separate but related conflict.

The Houthis have also declared a blockade of Saudi shipping and threatened to choke off another crucial Middle East trade route, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from the Red Sea into the Gulf of Aden. That route became even more important during the war, as Saudi Arabia used it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

While some Saudi oil exports are continuing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait despite the blockade, Lloyd’s List Intelligence said much of that oil now follows an expensive and time-consuming workaround: It travels from Saudi Arabia on tankers to the Egyptian city of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea coast before being pumped overland through a pipeline to the Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir. Then it's loaded on tankers again.

The Suez Canal is not deep enough to handle the largest and most economical tankers when they are full loaded with oil.

On Monday, the Houthis said they had launched drones targeting facilities used to transport oil across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The rebels said the attack was in response to a Saudi drone they said breached Yemen’s airspace.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met Wednesday with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly about the private meetings.

They said the Saudi decision to join the U.S. attacks against the Iraqi militias was meant to send a message to Iran that the kingdom would not tolerate Iran or its proxies targeting the Saudi oil industry and other critical infrastructure. At the same time, the defense minister underscored to Trump and Vance that the Saudis want to see a de-escalation in the war and for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations.

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin and Aamer Madhani in Washington, Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad and Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed.

Elijah Bieniemy was arrested Monday in connection with the late-Sunday shooting. He has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling.

Bieniemy remained in the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on Thursday. He had a court date to hear motions scheduled for later in the day, and a preliminary hearing date had been set for Aug. 31. But both appearances have been continued pending a mental health evaluation, according to records available from the Virginia judiciary system.

The sheriff's office in Loudoun County, Virginia, has said the investigation is ongoing. No motive has been provided.

Eric Bieniemy remained away from the Chiefs on Thursday as they continued with their second full-squad workout of training camp. Pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck have assumed most of his responsibilities, while coach Andy Reid continues to have a significant role overseeing the offensive system.

“Eric's a big part of this, and so I love having him here,” Reid said, “but right now it's important that he takes care of business, and everybody knows that. So everybody's game is picked up, and they're working hard, and Eric will be back soon enough to jump in there and do his thing. But he's got to take care of that first.”

Reid declined to provide a timetable for Bieniemy's return to the team.

Mia Bieniemy, the coach's 57-year-old wife, has been released from the intensive care unit, where she was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds. Reid said that she was “doing better, and great from where she was.”

Eric Bieniemy helped the Chiefs reach three Super Bowls and win two of them, then left to become the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders — the reason the Bieniemy family still has a home in Virginia. The staff there was fired after one season, though, and Bieniemy spent a season apiece at UCLA and coaching running backs with the Chicago Bears.

He was hired to replace Matt Nagy as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City earlier this year.

“We stay in touch with him and keep him abreast of everything that's going on,” Reid said. “He's got the tape (of camp practices). He can watch with whatever spare time he's got there.”

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

The Squeeze, currently in 14th place, need a few wins to get into the playoffs, and they’re hoping for some magic in front of a good crowd.

“It’s incredible, especially being the home team,” said Squeeze player Jack Sock about playing pickleball at Disney. “I think we will have amazing crowds and a lot of support this weekend. It’s going to be really fun; the energy will be great, and I’m excited to play pickleball here at Disney.”

The professional pickleball players got a chance to play with Minnie Mouse and Goofy, a moment New Jersey 5s player Anna Leigh Waters said she didn’t see coming.

“I would have been very surprised if you told me I’d be playing pickleball with Minnie Mouse,” she said. “Most surprising partner for sure.”

The tournament will run Thursday through Saturday with championship games on Sunday. Tickets can be found on the main website to see the pros up close.

Orlando Squeeze player Yates Johnson encourages people to come out and see the difference on the professional level.

“Some people are like, ‘Bro, there’s pro pickleball? That’s crazy,’” he said. “But once people see it in person, they’re pretty amazed at how fast it is because we are so close to each other. It’s kind of unlike anything in sports.”

Interlochen Center for the Arts operates a summer camp and performing arts school that draws students from around the world. It hired a law firm in 2024 to investigate reports of sexual abuse by faculty and staff. Subsequently, it expanded the work to include information about Epstein, the 66-year-old financier who killed himself in jail in 2019.

Interlochen removed Epstein's name from a lodge after he was convicted of sex offenses in Florida in 2008. The building, renamed the Green Lake Lodge, was recently demolished after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages about him that had been compiled over the years.

Sanghavi Law Office says it collected 70 accounts from alumni alleging “physical conduct of a sexual nature” by 47 faculty and staff members affiliated with Interlochen from the 1950s through the 2010s, most before 2000.

“The information gathered during this investigation is, simply, devastating,” the 97-page report says, noting that alumni reported grooming, flirting, sexual touching and sex.

Interlochen said it has provided names of people accused of misconduct to Grand Traverse County authorities in northern Michigan to determine what steps, if any, might be taken. None are currently employed there, and more than a third are dead.

“We are deeply sorry for the harm experienced by members of our community and extend our apologies to those impacted by abuse at Interlochen,” president Trey Devey and board chair Barrett Rollins said in a letter to the community posted online.

“While the vast majority of the incidents described in the investigation took place many decades ago, and reports of abuse at Interlochen have significantly decreased over the past 25 years, the passage of time does not diminish the experiences of our alumni,” they said. “Sexual abuse committed by an adult in a position of power or trust against a student is wrong, then and now.”

Interlochen today “is fundamentally different from the institution described in this report,” Devey and Rollins wrote, with comprehensive safety policies and a changed culture.

Epstein, who played the bassoon, was an Interlochen camper in 1967. He donated more than $400,000 to the school between 1990 and 2003.

Two women told investigators that Epstein engaged in conduct of a sexual nature with them, one of them at the Interlochen lodge that bore his name.

He brushed against her body “over her clothes, in a manner in which he indicated was accidental,” according to the report.

Epstein also paid for her to visit him in New York while she was a student. She said “every time he was ‘handsy’ with her, she would freeze until he would stop,” the report states.

The other woman said she gave Epstein a massage at his home, according to the report, and he may have asked her to remove her top. She never had any further contact with Epstein or his girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Outside of the school investigation, at least two Interlochen alumnae made allegations of grooming and abuse against Epstein and Maxwell, according to federal records and media reports. Their identities were not made public.

One testified against Maxwell in 2021 when she was convicted of sex trafficking. It’s unclear whether those women spoke to the law firm hired for the Interlochen investigation.

___

This story has been corrected to show the name of the center's president is Trey Devey, not Trey Davey.

If confirmed by the full Senate, the 54-year-old would become the 22nd director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard.

Schwartz appeared to be on shaky ground after a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee this month. The chairman, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and others questioned whether she would be willing to stand up to Republican President Donald Trump's health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., if he ordered CDC to do something that was unsupported by science and good public health practice.

But when the committee met last week, Cassidy said he had spoken with Schwartz after that hearing and to others who knew her.

“I’m confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not,” said Cassidy, whose support was necessary for the nomination to go forward.

The committee's near party-line vote Thursday moved Schwartz’s nomination ahead.

Among those who opposed her was Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent.

“The issue at hand is not complicated," Sanders said last week. "Will we have people in the Trump administration who have the guts to stand up to people who are anti-science and into conspiracy theories?”

The CDC has faced more than a year of unrest

The CDC has been in turmoil since Trump returned to office last year.

Largely due to layoffs and resignations, the agency has lost 3,000-plus employees, more than one-quarter of its workforce. Morale has plummeted as a succession of mostly temporary leaders have come and gone. The front office has been staffed by political appointees with little or no training in medicine or public health.

When Schwartz was nominated in April, public health experts were cautiously optimistic, citing her background. They also noted she was the choice of Trump and not Kennedy, a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement before he was tapped to oversee the CDC and other federal health agencies.

Kennedy had promised not to change the nation’s vaccination schedule but later attempted a substantial rewrite of vaccine recommendations for kids. Some of those efforts were put on hold this year by a federal judge.

Kennedy’s actions have rankled Cassidy, a physician who initially expressed doubts about Kennedy as Trump's pick to be health secretary. Cassidy ultimately signed off on Kennedy after the nominee promised not to change the nation’s childhood vaccine recommendations.

Public health groups seek reassurance

At Schwartz’s hearing, Cassidy and some other senators asked her what she would do if Kennedy or other political appointees instructed the CDC to make changes that were not supported by science. Schwartz pledged to “never betray the science,” but she repeatedly declined to dissent from some of the actions Kennedy has taken.

The National Public Health Coalition, an organization of former and current CDC workers, was not reassured by her responses and said senators should require specific written commitments from Schwartz on scientific independence, evidence-based vaccine policy, conflicts of interest and other issues.

“The public needed to hear clear commitments about how she would protect CDC guidance from political pressure," the group said in a statement. “Too often, her stated commitments were incomplete, vague, or missing.”

At the hearing, Schwartz said she was unaware that CDC programs that worked to prevent smoking and promote vaccinations had been curtailed. She declined to commit to taking down a CDC website that suggests a link between childhood vaccines and autism. She said she had not seen it, though she agreed existing medical evidence has not found a link.

Last week, Cassidy said that “as a sign of good faith” officials at the Department of Health and Human Services had modified the page. But this week, it continued to argue that “vaccines do not cause autism” is not an evidence-based claim, despite numerous studies that have found no such link.

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, interpreted Schwartz's performance as someone trying to please different factions. He disagreed with how she answered several questions, but continued to support her nomination.

Schwartz is qualified, might be able to rebuild the CDC’s depleted command structure and could start to rebuild public trust in the agency by focusing on bipartisan concerns such as foodborne disease outbreaks, he said in a recent interview.

Dr. Daniel Jernigan, a former top CDC official who resigned in August, echoed that.

If Schwartz is not confirmed, “it will mean a continued rudderless journey for CDC," he said.

For Kennedy, "having to start over is probably what he wants — many more months with no one stopping him from pursuing the same anti-science and anti-vaccine efforts he has been pursuing,” Jernigan said.

The CDC has had several leaders under Trump

Schwartz was the third Trump nominee for the office in the past 18 months.

The first was a former Florida congressman, Dr. David Weldon. His Senate hearing in March 2025 was canceled an hour before it was to begin. Weldon said at the time that he had been told not enough senators were willing to vote for him.

The White House then moved on to Susan Monarez, who had been serving as the CDC’s acting director. Monarez was confirmed by the Senate, but she was ousted in less than a month. Trump administration officials said she was not aligned with the president's agenda so they terminated her.

Since then there have been a series of HHS officials as acting CDC director.

The committee also advanced a controversial health nominee

The CDC position is one of a number of leadership vacancies among federal health agencies, including surgeon general and commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Also unfilled is the job of assistant health secretary for preparedness and response. That official oversees preparations and response to public health emergencies and disasters and is involved in decisions about funding next-generation vaccines against pandemic flu or other infectious disease threats.

Trump wants Sean Kaufman in that post, and the Senate committee on Thursday approved the nomination by a party-line vote.

In LinkedIn postings, Kaufman has made comments cheered by vaccine skeptics, arguing against hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns and saying he served as an expert witness to advocate for people who refused the COVID-19 vaccine. He also supported a Trump administration decision last year to cancel projects to develop vaccines using mRNA technology.

“Mr. Kaufman has said some pretty stupid things and irresponsible things regarding immunization,” Cassidy said.

But Cassidy said he spoke to HHS officials and was assured that personnel changes are being made at the department to provide “better oversight to ensure that science, not ideology, is driving decision-making.”

Cassidy also said he has been assured that if Kaufman is confirmed, "he will not be involved in vaccine policy and nor will he be the ultimate decision-maker on certain issues.”

Sanders, who voted against Kaufman, said: “I think the American people are owed better than what President Trump has nominated.”

___

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.

Growth in U.S. gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — decelerated from 2.1% in the first three months of 2026, the Commerce Department reported Thursday, coming in below economists' expectations. But consumer spending — which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity — increased at a 3.2% annual clip, up from 0.5% in the January-March period.

A measure of the economy’s underlying strength – which strips out volatile government spending and trade numbers – looked good, expanding at a 3.9% annual pace, up from 1.7% from January through March.

Business investment, excluding housing, rose at an 8.4% pace, down from 10.6% from January through March but strong, reflecting a surge in investment in artificial intelligence.

Imports are subtracted from the economic figures because GDP is only supposed to count what is produced in the United States. Imports rose at an 11.5% pace, partly on a surge in shipments of computer chips and other products that support AI investment. The imports shaved 1.5 percentage off second-quarter GDP growth.

"The consumer rescued the quarter,'' said Olu Sonola, head of U.S. economics at Fitch Ratings. “AI investment remains a powerful growth story, but the import surge underpinning the buildout is a reminder that an AI boom does not automatically translate into an equally large boost to U.S. GDP.”

The Commerce Department also said Thursday that its personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the one favored by the Fed, rose 3.7% last month from June 2025 , down from a 4.1% year-over-year increase in May. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core consumer prices were up 3.3% from a year earlier, little-changed from 3.4% increase in May. Prices actually fell 0.1% from May to June on a 9.2% drop in the price of gasoline and other energy products.

The PCE prices were about in line with economists' expectations. But the year-over-year increase in prices has been stuck above the Fed's 2% target for more than five years, and some Fed officials are getting impatient with progress against inflation.

The Fed on Wednesday chose to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the fifth straight meeting. But three regional Fed presidents dissented, saying they wanted to raise rates to combat elevated inflation.

The American economy has been surprisingly resilient in the face of the Iran war and the spike in energy prices it caused. The job market has bounced back this year from a lackluster 2025, giving consumers the wherewithal to spend. Employers are adding an average 92,000 jobs a month this year, compared with fewer than 10,000 a month in 2025 when high interest rates and President Donald Trump’s erratic use of tariffs discouraged businesses from hiring.

Higher costs have frustrated Americans ahead of November’s midterm elections, which will determine whether President Donald Trump’s Republicans keep full control of Congress

A new AP-NORC poll found that the public is souring on the Iran war. And about 7 in 10 U.S. adults — 72% — say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to prevent domestic oil and gas prices from rising, up from 67% in March.

The 49-year-old Green discussed his diagnosis this week on Tyler Dunne’s “Go Long” podcast.

“I know unfortunately there’s a day we eventually, where our clock stops ticking,” Green said. “The way I look at it, my clock is going to stop ticking when I want it to stop ticking.”

Green said it’s similar to the approach he took while running the ball during a 12-year NFL career in which he rushed for 9,205 yards and 60 touchdowns. His last season was 2009.

Green said his symptoms began when his feet started twitching in his sleep.

“I knew something was going on long before that,” he said.

Parkinson’s is a neurologic disease that robs people of control over their movements. It typically starts with tremors and is characterized by slow movement, a shuffling gait, stiff limbs, balance problems and slurred speech.

Green said he sometimes sleepwalks and has no recollection of it afterward. He called his short-term memory “trash,” but said his long-term memory is better.

He expressed optimism about his long-term outlook while pointing out he exercises regularly and has a “super clean” diet.

Green rushed for at least 1,163 yards each season from 2000-04 while playing for the Packers. He earned four straight Pro Bowl appearances from 2001-04.

He rushed for 8,322 yards as a Packers player, the highest total in the franchise’s storied history. He set a Packers single-season record by rushing for 1,883 yards in 2003.

Green’s NFL career began with the Seattle Seahawks, who selected him out of Nebraska in the third round of the 1998 draft. He spent two seasons with Seattle before getting traded to Green Bay in April 2000.

He played for the Packers from 2000-06, spent 2007-08 with the Houston Texans and returned to Green Bay for one last season.

Green’s announcement comes two years after former Packers teammate Brett Favre disclosed that he has Parkinson’s disease. Green said he spoke with Favre a couple of weeks ago to catch up but added that he planned to call the Hall of Fame quarterback to let him know “he has a brother right behind him.”

___

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

As of Tuesday, 3,442 cases had been recorded, with 1,521 deaths, according to the latest government update. The sharp rise since last week partly reflects a backlog of cases and deaths that had not yet been confirmed or recorded, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

The outbreak, declared on May 15, has been linked to the Bundibugyo virus for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Delays in contact tracing, difficulties accessing affected areas, mistrust from communities and violence by armed groups and some residents have hampered the response, the Africa CDC said.

The outbreak is mostly concentrated in eastern Congo’s remote Ituri province, which accounts for nearly 90% of cases, but there have been others confirmed in five provinces, including one of the country’s largest cities, Kisangani.

Neighboring Uganda declared itself free of Ebola on Tuesday following the discharge of the country’s last patient in mid-June.

Ebola is rare, but highly contagious and can be contracted via bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The disease it causes is severe and often fatal.

Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya said Thursday that 63% of confirmed deaths in the last two weeks occurred outside of treatment centers.

Kaseya said this is largely due to the “unsafe handling of infected bodies” by residents. Traditional burial practices in some communities involve touching the bodies of the deceased, which can be highly contagious.

The restrictions that health authorities have placed on such funerals, along with widespread misinformation asserting that the deadly virus isn’t real, have angered some residents and led to attacks on health facilities.

In Ituri’s Nyakunde health zone, international partners supporting the Ebola response had to temporarily relocate after a July 15 attack on a hospital and a treatment center, sparked by a patient’s death.

Officials say the relocation of these partners, including Africa CDC and Mercy Corps, has disrupted surveillance, contact tracing and supplies.

Dr. Désiré Duabo, chief medical officer for the health zone, said foreign aid groups and agencies had provided much of the supplies, equipment and operational support, and warned that the small stocks left are “almost depleted.”

Attacks such as the one in Nyakunde are causing anxiety among health workers and making it difficult for them to carry out their duties, said Pierre Akilimali, the Ebola response incident manager at the National Public Health Institute of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“They are working amidst risks of infection as well as risks to their personal safety,” he said.

Local health officials say security has since stabilized and are urging partners to return, with Africa CDC saying teams could redeploy as soon as next week.

The latest outbreak has killed more people at a quicker rate than any previous outbreak, including in 2014-2016 when 28,000 cases were reported, of which over 11,000 people died. That outbreak took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths.

The World Health Organization says the global risk of spread remains low because Ebola does not travel through the air, making it much harder to spread than respiratory viruses. Cases detected outside the affected region have so far been quickly identified and contained without leading to sustained transmission, the agency said.

In Congo, however, the risk of the spread remains “very high,” according to the WHO.

——

Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.

Gilbert police had recommended negligence charges. But Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt was unlikely.

“The family had multiple childproof locks and safety measures in place, and multiple adults were present in the home, all of whom believed someone was watching the child,” Mitchell said Wednesday. “Additionally, the investigation found no evidence that the parents exhibited any obvious signs of impairment.”

First responders were dispatched to the home on Feb. 8 in response to a reported drowning. They performed life-saving measures on the 18-month-old child before taking him to a hospital where the boy was pronounced dead about an hour later.

But about five hours later, police were notified that the child was breathing, and he was flown to another hospital. The boy survived.

Earlier this month, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where the child was initially taken, called it “a heartbreaking situation” but declined to release further details.

The hospital said it conducted a "thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care.”

Gilbert police officers who were at the hospital said they saw possible signs of life multiple times, but the child was still taken to a “cold room,” which serves as a morgue, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The records also indicated tension between officers and a doctor who reportedly told one, “Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.”

Now through Sept. 7, Baby Shark is making waves just in time for Shark Appreciation Week, July 27–Aug. 1.

Families can catch Baby Shark and Pinkfong live at Seaport Theater, where guests are invited to sing, dance and — yes — doo doo doo along with the global sensation. The interactive show is included with park admission, as are meet-and-greet opportunities with the characters.

Shark-themed bites are also on the menu, including Shark Fin PB&J Sandwiches, MacAttack Shark Bites, Baby Shark Cookie Dippin’ Dots and Shark-cuterie Boards. Guests 21 and older can also raise a glass with the limited-time Shark Margarita, available exclusively during Shark Appreciation Week.

Beyond the fun, SeaWorld’s animal care experts will host daily Aquarist Talks at Shark Shallows throughout the week, offering guests a closer look at why sharks are essential to healthy ocean ecosystems.

The park is also marking a milestone — the 10th anniversary of Mako, Orlando’s tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster.

Pass members can purchase a limited-edition Guy Harvey commemorative card for $5, with 100% of net proceeds, before taxes, benefiting the Guy Harvey Foundation’s shark conservation efforts.

Tickets to SeaWorld Orlando start at $59.99. For more information, click here.

SeaWorld Orlando’s Shark Encounter sheds light on the ocean’s top predator

Shark appreciation goes beyond the screen for Shark Week — and at SeaWorld Orlando’s Shark Encounter, the staff sees daily how sharks help the ocean.

Sharks are apex predators, meaning they keep fish populations balanced and ocean ecosystems healthy.

“They’re one of the ocean’s cleanup crews. Without sharks, there’d be dead fish washing up on the beaches constantly,” said Brett Kieslich, Shark Encounter Aquarium Supervisor. “There’d be diseased fish that would be passing on those diseases and parasites to other animals, causing even more and more death. Yeah, they basically keep the oceans healthy by making specific populations stronger."

Despite their fearsome reputation, shark bites are exceedingly rare. In fact, a person is far more likely to be struck by lightning than bitten by a shark. 

The incident began around 7 p.m. Wednesday when a trooper responded to reports of a driver of a 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander heading east in the westbound lanes of State Road 528.

According to FHP, the trooper activated his emergency lights and siren as the SUV approached his patrol car and other traffic. The driver did not stop and passed the trooper, prompting a pursuit.

Troopers said the driver continued traveling the wrong way “without regard for the safety of others.” Near mile marker 32, the SUV turned around and began heading in the correct direction. The trooper continued the pursuit and conducted a PIT maneuver, causing the SUV to overturn in the westbound lanes near mile marker 30.

Troopers helped the driver, a 25-year-old Melbourne woman, out of the vehicle. She suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Authorities said once she is discharged, she will be taken for further evaluation under the Baker Act. Criminal charges of reckless driving and fleeing and eluding are pending.

The case remains under active investigation.

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Hey, I’m News 6 producer Brooke Savage, the writer behind this Setting The Stage newsletter.

Let’s check out what’s going on. ⤵

🪄 Into the woods to grandmother’s house!

A Tony Award-winning musical starring the voice behind Disney’s Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” is performing at Dr. Phillips Center.

The beloved musical from Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine brings together classic fairy tales, including “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Rapunzel.”

The production is self-produced by the Dr. Phillips Center and it stars Tony Award Nominee and Disney Legend, Jodi Benson, as The Witch, alongside a cast of local performers and creative team. Our News 6 Insiders even had a chance to chat with her before the show!

The musical is inside Steinmetz Hall through Sunday. I posted the details here.

🎤Orlando Vocal Collective debuts intimate concert experience

One of the most popular performances at Creative City Project’s annual IMMERSE festival has its own show.

The Orlando Vocal Collective is bringing an intimate concert experience through expanded vocal arrangements, thrilling harmonies, and world-class lead vocals.

The show will feature an ensemble of 11 singers and a four-piece band. They will reimagine beloved songs from the iconic sounds of Janet Jackson and Earth, Wind & Fire to Beyoncé and Michael Jackson.

Chris Keough, the founder of Orlando Vocal Collective, gave me a behind the scenes perspective on what to expect. The show runs at a venue in the heart of downtown Orlando Aug. 6-8. Tickets are $38 per person.

🎭 A Reminder of the Broadway shows to come...

I know I had this in my last newsletter, but I just wanted to give you a friendly reminder of what you have to look forward to. I put together the Broadway shows coming to Orlando, The Villages, Daytona Beach, and Melbourne.

Dr. Phillips Center: Hamilton, Sept. 29 - Oct. 18

The Sharon: The Carpenters Songbook: A Live Celebration, Oct. 30

Peabody Auditorium: The Neil Diamond Musical A Beautiful Noise, Nov. 24

King Center: Mrs. Doubtfire, Dec. 1–2

🎶 What’s happening in showbiz:

👑 Now - Sunday: “Diana: The Musical” at Theater West End in Sanford

✝️ Now - Sunday: “Sister Act” at Athens Theatre in DeLand

🎉 Now - Aug. 9: “All Shook Up” at Sonnentag Theatre at the IceHouse in Mount Dora

🔵 Now - Aug. 30: “Dear Evan Hansen” at Titusville Playhouse

🏡Aug. 6-9: “Next to Normal” at Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando

🚛 Aug 8-9: Monster Jam Freestyle Mania at Kia Center in Orlando

🍇Aug 12: The Wiggles at Hard Rock Cafe Orlando

⚡Aug. 14 - Sept. 6: “Grease“ at Henegar Performing Arts Center in downtown Melbourne

🖼️ Aug. 20: Free Admission to Orlando Museum of Art

😂 Aug 21-23: Marlon Wayans at Funny Bone Comedy Club Orlando

✈️ Aug. 26 - Sept. 27: “Come From Away” at Orlando Shakes

🎙️Aug. 28-29: Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm at House of Blues in Disney Springs

That’s a wrap for this week’s “Setting The Stage” newsletter.

If you have any story ideas on the theatre and arts scene, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at bsavage@wkmg.com.

Also, let me know if there are any local theatres you want me to cover more often.

- 🎭 Brooke

In a release, police said they began the investigation in mid-May after the child — identified as Jonnie Jordan — was taken to a local hospital in an “unresponsive state.”

Per investigators, Jordan was brought there by her father — Jerome Jordan, 35 — and his sister just after 6 a.m. on May 18.

“Hospital staff pronounced Jonnie deceased,” the release reads. “Early on, investigators believed this may have been an overdose based on Jerome Jordan initially urging medical staff to provide his daughter with Narcan.”

Police added that the child had been taken to the hospital from 4625 Explorer Drive in West Melbourne.

On the evening of May 17, though, she and her father were at the home of Charlene O’Connell, who lives along Malibu Circle Northeast in Palm Bay, police noted.

“O’Connell is the mother of two of Jerome Jordan’s other children,” the release continues. “While at O’Connell’s residence, Jonnie Jordan gained access to Kratom pills that belonged to Jerome Jordan and Charlene O’Connell, and ingested as much as two and a half pills.”

According to detectives, both Jerome Jordan and O’Connell were aware that the toddler had ingested the substance and saw her lips go blue before she suffered a seizure and began breathing abnormally.

However, neither of them called 911 or sought medical attention for the girl, with Jerome Jordan instead bringing her back to his sister’s apartment on Explorer Drive and putting her to bed, police said.

“When he woke up, that is when he brought her lifeless body to the hospital,” the release states.

The Medical Examiner later conducted an autopsy on the girl and determined she died of a drug overdose involving mitragynine — a substance found in Kratom.

Investigators explained that Kratom is used for its “stimulant, analgesic, and opioid-like effects,” and while it may be sold over the counter in various legal forms, some synthetic blends can contain illegal substances like 7-OH.

On Wednesday, police announced that Jerome Jordan and Charlene O’Connell had been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect with great bodily harm. Both are held with no bond.

“I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision,” Mason jr. wrote on the Grammys' official Instagram page.

On Wednesday, all seven BTS members — RM, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, Jung Kook and Jin — shared the same note on Instagram, stating that they would not be submitting their comeback album, “ARIRANG” or its songs for Grammys.

“We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” they wrote, just over a month after the Recording Academy announced five new Grammy categories, which include best Asian pop music performance.

According to the rulebook, the category recognizes releases across K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and beyond. But some fans viewed it as a racialized barrier for Asian performers.

In his statement, Mason jr. stated that the new category was created in order to celebrate more voices across the Asian music industry — not to separate those artists from other awards.

“I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation. The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia,” he wrote. “More categories mean more artists' work is recognized. It's never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters.”

He added a reminder that submitting in a genre category — such as the new Asian pop award — does not exclude an artist from submitting to the general field categories like album, song and record of the year.

“Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive,” Mason jr. said. “An artist can absolutely pursue both.”

BTS has never won a Grammy, though they’ve been nominated for five: three times in the best pop duo/group performance category as well as album of the year (for their contributions to Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres”) and best music video for “Yet to Come.”

In fact, no K-pop act had ever won a Grammy before this year, when “Golden” from the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” took home the trophy for best song for visual media. It capped a highly visible night for K-pop at the Grammys — an institution where the genre has long been undercelebrated despite its massive international following.

“We’re standing here saying, send back that descendant, send her back to the place that enslaved people built,” Bush said. “This is our moment.” The crowd chanted “send her back.”

A progressive firebrand who started her political career as a Black Lives Matter organizer in Ferguson, Bush served two terms before losing a primary challenge to Wesley Bell, a moderate local prosecutor.

They're now locked in an intense rematch that will serve as one of the clearest referendums on Democrats' shifting political landscape, including anger at the party establishment, rising skepticism of the U.S. alliance with Israel and the growing clout of democratic socialists.

Both candidates are Black, with political careers rooted in the modern civil rights movement that began with the police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014. But they've taken divergent paths since then, and the race will test whether voters want to reelect Bell, who has fashioned himself as a pragmatist, or return to Bush, who views legislating and activism as inseparable.

Bush lost to Bell by less than six points two years ago. She blamed her loss on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's spending in the race and told supporters that “all they did was radicalize me.” This time, her scathing criticisms of the war in Gaza and Democratic leaders have become more commonplace within the party, and she claims to have the “moral authority” in the rematch.

“It’s not that they’re necessarily scared of me. They’re scared of what comes with me. They’re scared of y’all,” Bush told an audience of pro-Palestinian activists, Black Lives Matter organizers and democratic socialists who had traveled from across the country to canvass for her in the summer heat. Some held portable fans or poured water on themselves to cool off as they listened to hours of speeches by Bush’s allies near St. Louis’ landmark Gateway Arch.

While Bush was in the park, Bell met with senior citizens at a historic Black church. He has dismissed Bush's attacks by arguing that he has been a more effective lawmaker, and he rallied with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday night, a sign of support from the Democratic establishment.

“She’s not a serious candidate,” Bell said in an interview. “In this election, the choices are clear. I wake up every day working for St. Louis, and the folks in St. Louis know that I’m going to wake up working for them. And then we’ve got an opponent, Cori, who wakes up thinking about Cori. And we’ve seen it over and over. And that’s why she was fired.”

A personally bitter rematch with national stakes

Early voting for the Aug. 4 primary began Tuesday, but the two candidates have been trading recriminations for months. They accuse each other of misconduct and impropriety.

Bush criticizes Bell over a lawsuit he's facing from protesters who allege they were assaulted at his town hall last year, and a settlement over employment discrimination claims made by someone who worked in Bell's office when he was a prosecutor.

Bell highlights a previous Justice Department investigation into Bush's campaign spending, including how she paid her husband as part of her security detail.

Both candidates deny any wrongdoing.

AIPAC's role has also drawn national attention to the district at a time when the organization, which advocates for a closer U.S.-Israeli relationship, has been a lightning rod within the Democratic Party.

“Cori is the knockout blow to AIPAC,” said former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a close ally of Bush who was also defeated in 2024 by an AIPAC-backed primary challenger in a redrawn New York congressional district. Ahead of the recent rally, Bowman recorded a social media video last weekend calling on progressives “from New York to California” to help mobilize voters during early voting.

Deepening hostility toward Israel has spurred concern about antisemitism among some moderate Democrats and Jewish Americans, who believe anti-Israel rhetoric too often bleeds into prejudice. Bush's recent event included some Jewish faith leaders who share her criticism of Israel, as well as others who echoed hateful tropes.

One former union leader, Jay Ozier, condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war monger," condemned the “Israel lobby buying elections” and declared that "we need a representative who is willing to turn over the tables of the money changers.”

The crowd, including Bush, applauded the remarks, and Ozier later defended by noting it was a biblical reference to Jesus chasing merchants out of the Jerusalem Temple.

Bush declined to directly address the comment about “money changers.”

“We condemn anti-Semitism. We condemn anti-Muslim hate, behavior and rhetoric at every chance we get," Bush said in an interview. "But will Wesley Bell call out those who won’t stand against anti-Muslim sentiment, even in our own community? Will he stand up and fight for the liberation of the Palestinian people?”

AIPAC has spent more than $1.2 million against Bush this year through United Democracy Project, its political action committee, about the same as the group spent opposing her in 2024. New Democrat Majority, which backs moderate House Democrats, has spent an additional $1 million against Bush.

“She was a terrible, ineffective member of Congress who didn’t deliver for St. Louis. We were happy to see her go,” said Patrick Dorton, spokesperson for United Democracy Project.

Bell has emphasized his positions on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees, and he has defended his support of military funding for Israel.

“I think it’s important that we stand with our allies, and there’s going to be times when we disagree and we work those out,” Bell said. “But what we’ve learned in Iraq, what we learned in Afghanistan, is that we can’t do it alone. We need our allies and we also need to be transparent with the American people.”

District's activist history is shaping campaign

Many residents said their vote would hinge on how candidates had managed issues like procuring recovery funds for a tornado that devastated the St. Louis metropolitan area last year. There was also pervasive discomfort with the role of money in the race.

Allison Johnson said that she and her husband were divided over who to back in the Democratic primary. Her husband was more moderate and liked Bell’s performance in office, but she was concerned about how AIPAC had “dumped” money into the district.

“It doesn’t seem like it should be big money should be influencing this race,” she said.

The primary is also dispiriting for some longtime residents, who watched both Bush and Bell rise as figures in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Bell was elected to the Ferguson city council and later prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County.

“He’s the best person for the job. When he was on council, he and I worked together to get the police reform done,” said Ella Jones, the former mayor of Ferguson and first Black person to hold the role in the city's history.

Bush was a pastor turned activist and triage nurse in the wake of the 2014 Ferguson protests. She won her House seat on a promise to bring her maverick persona into the halls of Congress.

“I like Cori, I think she is the best choice and has a clear commitment to St. Louis," said DeRay McKesson, an activist who gained notoriety as a lead organizer during the 2014 protests in Ferguson. “She’s not afraid to challenge power.”

We’ve compiled a non-exhaustive list of upcoming Space Coast launches so you can know what to expect.

[RELATED: Best spots to watch a rocket launch]

Keep checking back, though, because as most space enthusiasts know, launch schedules are subject to change due to weather, technical reasons, and range restrictions.

I repeat: All launch dates and times are tentative!

• Date: Aug. 5
• Vehicle: Falcon 9
• Mission: AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 11-13 mission
• Launch Time: 3:42-5:18 a.m.
• Location: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

• Date: TBD
• Vehicle: Blue Origin New Glenn
• Mission: Blue Origin will launch a Blue Moon lunar lander carrying NASA payloads on a demonstration mission.
• Launch Time: TBD
• Location: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Launch Complex 36

• Date: TBD
• Vehicle: Boeing Starliner
• Mission: An uncrewed Boeing Starliner will deliver cargo to the International Space Station and undergo in-flight validation of a series of system upgrades.
• Launch Time: TBD
• Location: TBD

• Date: TBD
• Vehicle: ULA Atlas V
• Mission: TBD
• Launch Time: TBD
• Location: Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

• Date: Q4 2026
• Vehicle: ULA Vulcan
• Mission: Sierra Space will launch its uncrewed Dream Chaser space plane atop a ULA Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
• Launch Time: TBD
• Location: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Launch Complex 41

Whether Hill — the only player in the NFL's Super Bowl era to amass 1,000 or more yards passing, rushing and receiving — continues to play professional football remains to be seen. He did not announce his retirement.

“I’ve taken time this offseason to think carefully about what comes next for my family and me,” Hill said in a social media post on Wednesday night. “I still don’t have a clear answer about what the future holds, but I know that returning to New Orleans is not in the cards."

Hill's announcement was largely anticipated; he sold his New Orleans-area home during the offseason and had not signed an extension with the Saints after becoming a free agent in March.

Soon after Hill's post, the Saints posted a highlight video, narrated by record-setting, Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Drew Brees, thanking Hill for his contributions to the franchise.

On the eve of training camp, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said he had spoken to Hill, but wanted to keep those conversations private for the time being. The uncertainty surrounding those conversations lasted little more than a day.

“As training camp begins, I didn’t want my silence to be misinterpreted," Hill said. "As hard as it is to put into words, I wanted to express my gratitude. To the city of New Orleans: thank you.”

Hill's NFL career began as an undrafted free-agent QB with Green Bay during the 2017 offseason. When he was waived at the end of training camp, the Saints, then coached by Sean Payton, claimed him.

Payton, now coaching the Denver Broncos, initially planed to groom Hill as a possible successor to Brees at QB. But not wanting to let the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Hill's athleticism go to waste, the Saints decided to try him out on special teams as a returner, an upback on punts and covering kicks.

After Hill proved effective in those roles, he became a change-of-pace, running QB who also chipped in at running back, tight end and receiver, earning him the moniker of the Saints' “Swiss Army Knife.”

While Hill never won the full-time starting QB job, he started nine times because of injuries. The Saints went 7-2 in those games.

Hill now has career statistics of 2,554 yards and 34 touchdowns rushing; 2,426 yards and 12 TDs passing; and 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns receiving. In 2023, Hill became the first NFL player in half a century to have 10 touchdowns rushing, passing and receiving.

During his final home game for the Saints, Hill surpassed the career 1,000 yard mark as a receiver and also threw a touchdown pass. He waved goodbye to fans as he left the field after the game, saying he wasn't sure if he'd play in the Superdome again.

If he does, it'll be in a different uniform.

“Taysom’s career to this point as a member of the Saints organization has been remarkable in all facets,” Loomis said in a statement. “His intelligence, unique athletic ability, versatility and unselfishness have benefited this team in many facets for the past nine seasons. Additionally, he’s been a great teammate, excellent leader and mentor."

___

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

The bank’s monetary policy committee voted 6-3 to keep the rate at 3.75%, in line with the expectations of most economists. Policymakers have kept the rate at that level since December after four rate cuts in 2025.

The split decision highlights growing tensions within central banks around the world about how to respond to stubbornly high inflation and concerns that the war in Iran will lead to another round of price increases. The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept its key rate at a range of 3.5% to 3.75%, with Chairman Kevin Warsh saying the Fed “will not hesitate to act” to keep inflation under control.

“The impact of the energy shock on the UK economy remains uncertain,” the committee said in a summary of its deliberations. The interest rate changes required to meet the inflation target “will depend on the scale and duration of the shock, and how it propagates through the economy,” it added.

But three policymakers disagreed, saying the potential inflationary effect of the recent surge in energy prices was too great to ignore, even though price spikes earlier in the war haven't yet pushed up prices and wage demands in Britain. All three voted to raise rates by a quarter point to 4%.

“I remain concerned about more insidious second-round effects driven by catch-up dynamics in wage and price setting,” committee member Huw Pill said. “While these may be slower to emerge, they could prove more lasting and create greater intrinsic inflation persistence.”

Adjusting central bank interest rates, which serve as a benchmark for loans and credit cards, is the primary tool central banks use to control inflation. Higher rates make it more expensive to borrow money, tending to reduce spending and lower prices. Lower rates make it cheaper to borrow, tending to increase spending and boost prices.

Consumer price inflation in the U.K. slowed to 2.6% in the 12 months through June from 2.8% the previous month, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. While the drop was bigger than economists expected, inflation remained above the bank’s 2% target for a 21st consecutive month.

Renewed attacks by the United States and Iran in the Middle East sent oil prices soaring this month due to concerns about the continued disruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all crude oil and natural gas traded once passed in peacetime

Brent crude, the benchmark for world oil prices, jumped to more than $100 a barrel on July 23 from less than $71 three weeks earlier as the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran broke down. Brent crude traded for about $92 a barrel on Thursday.

In Britain, economists are also closely watching the tax and spending policies of new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to see if his efforts to shield consumers from rising prices and spur economic growth are likely to add to inflation.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the proposal Tuesday, calling it an effort to remove unnecessary delays and keep pace with the rapid growth of the commercial space industry.

“The FAA is launching a new initiative to streamline commercial space licensing, making it faster and easier for innovators to secure approvals to launch rockets, reenter spacecraft, and operate launch and reentry sites,” Duffy said in a release.

The Transportation Department said the proposal would allow the FAA to waive “unnecessary environmental laws and regulations that are slowing American innovation.” The release also says requirements needed to protect “public health and safety, property, national security, or U.S. foreign policy interests would not be impacted.”

The proposal specifically mentions requirements connected to the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, parts of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act and several other environmental and natural resource laws.

The proposal comes as the number of launches from the Space Coast continues to climb, with government, military and commercial missions all competing for access.

Mark Nathan, a Brevard County environmental advocate, worries removing environmental requirements could have lasting consequences.

“To waive federal environmental regulations or requirements, if you will, to streamline commercial space launches is insanity,” Nathan said. “I believe here we are trying to put back our past mistakes regarding the river and other environmental issues.”

Nathan, who has helped push for local fertilizer restrictions to protect the Indian River Lagoon, said he supports the space program but believes environmental protections should remain in place as launch activity expands.

The Space Coast Chamber sees the issue differently.

Anne Conroy-Baiter, president and CEO of the Space Coast Chamber, said the growing space industry fuels businesses across Brevard County.

“The space industry has a ripple effect on the economy on the Space Coast,” Conroy-Baiter said. “For every dollar put into space, it ripples down to hospitality, manufacturing, tourism and all the other sectors that are affected.”

She said more launches are expected as demand continues to grow, but added that economic development and environmental protection must move forward together.

“It’s an ongoing push and pull,” Conroy-Baiter said. “We are essential to the economy, and we are essential to the national security of the United States. So that balance has to happen.”

The FAA’s proposal is not yet final. The agency says it will accept public comments for 30 days before deciding whether to issue a final rule.

The Orlando Vocal Collective is bringing an intimate concert experience through expanded vocal arrangements, thrilling harmonies, and world-class lead vocals.

“People can expect to experience Orlando Vocal Collective in a much more intimate, honest and personal way,” said founder, Chris Keough.

“At IMMERSE, our performances are built to fill the city streets. They’re large, high-energy experiences celebrating some of the most iconic artists in music. This show gives us the opportunity to bring the audience closer and focus on the heart of what makes OVC special: the voices, the arrangements and the connection between the performers.”

The show will feature an ensemble of 11 singers and a four-piece band. They will reimagine beloved songs from the iconic sounds of Janet Jackson and Earth, Wind & Fire to Beyoncé and Michael Jackson.

Keough gave a closer look at what it takes to put together a show like this.

“Before we choose a song or step into rehearsal, there are weeks of conversations covering budgets, venue agreements, schedules and all the less glamorous, but completely necessary pieces,” Keough explained.

“Once we know the when and the where, we can begin defining the what. We start narrowing down a stage design that doesn’t simply hold the performance, but feels like part of the show itself. Every visual choice helps us understand the world a little more clearly,” said Keough.

Performances are 75 minutes and take place at a venue in the heart of downtown Orlando.

“I hope people leave believing a little more deeply in what can happen when artists are given the space to fully become themselves. OVC began as an idea for one performance, and now we are stepping into a room of our own, building a world around these voices and asking audiences to meet us there. To me, that says something powerful about what is possible when people believe in an idea, nurture it, and allow it to grow.”

The show runs Aug. 6-8. Tickets are $38 per person. Click here for more information.

Polar bears Aleut and Gregor wasted no time and were rolling in the beds of ice cubes after entering their outside enclosure.

The twins looked to have fun with the ice treat that was meant to keep them cool amid the extreme temperatures forecast to soar to 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) later in the day.

“The bears cool off with it and at the same time it's an enrichment of their life in the zoo,” said zoo spokesperson Filip Mašek.

The zoo began providing ice to some of the animals two years ago in response to climate change and the increasing number of days with extreme temperatures.

The polar bears, who were born in Nuremberg, Germany, 16 years ago and have adapted to the European climate, were the ones who enjoyed it the most.

This year, the plan was to order ice for the animals in July and August, which are traditionally the hottest months. But the first heat wave struck early and the Czech Republic experienced its hottest day ever with 41.9 C (107.4 F) on June 28.

“The weather keeps surprising us,” Mašek said. He said the ice will be ready sooner next year. “We’ve been taught a lesson.”

Other animals that have benefited from the provision of ice to keep cool in previous years include otters, elephants and parrots.

Some animals in the zoo are used to heat, others could stay in the shade or inner enclosures and use various pools to keep cool. Gorillas were given pieces of ice with frozen fruits in the previous years.

The 44-inch (112-centimeter) steel-tipped pole passed through the flesh beneath Cifaldi’s left arm, missing any vital organs, and protruded from his back. After conferring with his friends — and considering the high cost of a helicopter rescue — Cifaldi knew who would save him: himself.

“I was like, ‘We’ve got to get off this mountain.’ And they're both like, ‘I don’t know about that,’" Cifaldi said of his friends' initial reaction. “I’m pretty confident this is outside my chest wall. ’Tis but a flesh wound.”

The 32-year-old nurse, who works in wound care at a hospital in Billings, Montana, did a self-assessment. He was alert. There was little pain or blood. And the pole wasn’t moving. The group used a satellite-based communication device, a Garmin inReach, to contact local authorities and inform them of their plan to self-rescue.

Then they started hiking out. They carefully descended from the plateau along an unmarked route, navigating through boulders and snowfields before bushwhacking their way to an established trail.

After more than six hours in which they traveled about 10 miles (16 kilometers) and descended roughly 5,000 feet (1,500 meters), the group reached a trailhead where one of them, Cifaldi's friend Jesse Ross, had parked a vehicle.

“The only reason it was possible at all was his confidence,” Ross recalled. “Who are we to say anything? He's the medical person. Our job is just to support at that point.”

Cifaldi had long wanted to climb Granite Peak. At 12,800 feet (3,900 meters), Montana’s tallest mountain is prone to unpredictable weather including dangerous lightning storms and bitter cold. Hundreds of people annually try to reach the rocky summit; many come up short. In 2019, authorities said a 65-year-old Minnesota man who was an experienced climber fell about 150 feet (45 meters) to his death after reaching nearly the top of Granite Peak with his son.

As Cifaldi and his companions started hiking out, the pole awkwardly sticking out of his side, Stillwater County Search and Rescue team commander Ty Williams monitored the group's progress via a dispatcher who took calls from the group.

The first call came in at 9:44 a.m. on July 20, right after Cifaldi impaled himself. At 1:30 p.m. the trio said they were getting closer to the trailhead and to let the nearest hospital know they were coming, Williams said.

"There was no danger to anybody else. He didn’t want our help and so we’re not going to essentially violate his rights or go against his wishes by forcing our help on him,” Williams said.

By about 3:30 p.m. the hikers were in Ross' vehicle headed to the nearest clinic, Cifaldi said.

When they arrived, they were told Cifaldi needed more advanced treatment in Billings. So they got back in Ross' truck and kept driving to the hospital where he works, St. Vincent Regional Hospital.

Doctors removed the pole, bandaged him up and Cifaldi was back at work this week.

"I think 99 times out of a hundred I would make the same decision," Cifaldi said as he sat in Ross' front yard in Billings. “Search and rescue coming to help you is free. The flight's not. That was a factor in me deciding to self-rescue. But the fact that I had two experienced great friends with me and we had the ability to contact search and rescue if something went wrong made that a lot more of an easy decision.”

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off just after 3 a.m., carrying a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office on a mission designated NROL-95. Minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s booster returned and landed back at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — triggering the sonic boom that residents in Orange and Seminole counties reported hearing overnight.

The mission, NROL-95, carried a classified national security payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. The nature of the payload was not disclosed.

The launch marked the seventh flight for the first-stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched KF-01, IMAP, NROL-77, GPS III-9, CRS-34, and one Starlink mission.

What is a sonic boom?

When SpaceX launches or lands a rocket booster at Cape Canaveral, residents across Central Florida may hear a sonic boom — a thunderous sound created when an object travels faster than the speed of sound.

Temperature, humidity and wind all affect how far and how loudly those booms travel, meaning Orlando-area residents are more likely to hear them during Florida’s warm, muggy summers than during cooler, drier winter months.

[WATCH: News 6’s Ginger Gadsden hears sonic booms for first time]

Share your photos and videos

Did you see or hear the launch?

Share your rocket launch photos and videos on News 6 by visiting the PinIt!| ClickOrlando page, choosing the Space channel, and selecting “Rocket Launches” as your category.

Au is the first publicly known arrest under Macao’s national security law since its 2009 enactment and critics say his case signals Beijing’s emphasis on security and intolerance of dissenting voices, even though Macao’s pro-democracy activism has never been as influential as the movement in neighboring Hong Kong.

Au is accused of providing false information to anti-China organizations overseas to incite hatred against Beijing and the government in Macao, which has become a Chinese casino hub.

He has faced several restrictions since his arrest including the choice of a lawyer, raising concerns over the fairness of a future trial.

Au's daughter in London, Au Hon I, said a lawyer found by the family was not allowed to see him in prison and authorities seized books from his home linked to the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement.

“For almost a year my family could not speak with my father as he was kept in cruel incommunicado detention,” she said. “Now we are still unable to speak to him about his case nor provide him with a lawyer so he can properly fight his case.”

The family learned through a court statement that the 69-year-old had a preliminary proceeding on July 2, she said. The statement said his lawyer was appointed by the court and approved by Au.

“He always believed in the justice system of Macao,” his daughter said. “He believed it so much that he feels that he will be protected by the very own justice system that is putting him in where he is right now.”

The Macao government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Au accused of assisting anti-China groups

Macao is a former Portuguese colony that has operated, like Hong Kong, as a special administrative region since its return to Chinese rule in 1999. Au served as a lawmaker in the legislature dominated by Beijing loyalists before stepping down in 2021.

Prior to his arrest, Au remained a rare voice who regularly criticized government measures and political development on Facebook and in interviews, although many considered his critiques to be mild.

When he was arrested, police alleged Au had colluded with an unspecified anti-China group outside the city and provided false and seditious materials for public display online or abroad. He also was accused of maintaining long-term contact with multiple entities beyond Macao that oppose China and repeatedly providing false information to them or their media outlets.

A court upheld the indictment on July 2, ruling Au was the “perpetrator” in multiple offenses including subverting state power, breach of confidentiality and establishing contact with organizations, groups or people outside Macao to commit acts endangering national security.

A defendant convicted on multiple charges could face up to 30 years in prison.

The judge also approved the appointment of Au's lawyer, citing the need to protect national security interests and a binding opinion issued by the city's national security committee, which is led by Macao Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai.

The court said Au's rights were ensured by law. The prosecution office website said this kind of preliminary hearing is not open to the public.

There was no indication whether the trial would be public and a date was not announced. Macao law allows judges to hold proceedings behind closed doors when the court and the security committee decide hearing a case publicly could harm national security.

Macao's treatment of Au differs from Hong Kong cases

While Au's case has no precedent in Macao, Hong Kong has made over 400 arrests linked to acts alleged to endanger national security and convicted more than 180 people under a yearslong crackdown that began after Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020.

Critics say Au's situation, in some ways, is even more difficult than Hong Kong cases.

Former media mogul and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was arrested in 2020. But even Lai, who received the harshest sentence of 20 years imprisonment, could receive visits in jail from his family shortly after he was locked up. While a British lawyer was blocked from representing Lai, he was able to hire other lawyers of his choice.

“It’s much worse than Hong Kong,” Au Hon I said of her father's case.

Michael Polak, a barrister who represents Au overseas, said the Portuguese consulate requested but was denied access to Au, who also is a Portuguese citizen. That situation is similar to Lai, a British citizen denied U.K. consular access because China does not recognize dual nationality.

Polak called on Portugal and the European Union to speak up about Au's case. The Portuguese consulate did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The EU said in a statement that denial of judicial due process violates Au’s rights and it continues to raise concerns directly with Macao authorities.

Macao and Hong Kong have distinct legal landscapes

Macao lawyers need approval from designated judges to participate in proceedings considered necessary for national security protection and the requests are vetted by the security committee.

Jorge Menezes, a Portuguese lawyer who practices in Macao, said while Hong Kong’s security law was implemented more forcefully, the former British colony's courts still have a strong tradition of separation of powers.

Lawyers in Macao typically don’t fight for civil rights in the same way as their peers in Hong Kong and judges are less independent, he said.

“The trial itself will be a farce,” Menezes said. “It’s a politically conducted trial.”

Hong Kong has a more influential legal community, while Macao is “the land of silence” where complaints are less likely, he said.

Urania Chiu, a lecturer in law at Oxford Brookes University in England, said clear comparisons between Hong Kong and Macao are difficult because Au is the first person arrested under the casino city's security law.

Still, Chiu pointed to the inability of journalists to learn details of Au's case and his family's difficulties in contacting him, noting “the complete secrecy that all of these procedures have been conducted in.”

Au's case takes a toll on his family

Au Hon I said she was saddened to see her father portrayed as “a villain” even though he had spent much of his life putting the needs of others above his own.

“Seeing all that, like kind of like swept away, it’s really heartbreaking,” she said.

Before his arrest, her father told Au not to mind him and “live your life” if he encountered trouble. She isn't leaving him alone, but that comes with a cost.

“I don’t think it would be wise for me to set foot in Macao again, which is also very sad because I don't know when I could ever see my dad again,” Au said as she wept.

Some of these storms could be on the stronger side, packing winds up to 50 mph and can lead to localized flooding in low-lying areas. These storms will begin to develop around lunchtime, between 12-1 p.m.

These storms will continue to spread throughout Central Florida as the afternoon rolls on, becoming more widespread by mid-afternoon. These storms will persist through the afternoon commute and into the evening. Due to the increased instability in our atmosphere from a weak frontal boundary to our north, these showers will linger later into the evening. Scattered showers are possible through 10 p.m.

Friday

With energy and moisture from this front lingering, elevated rain chances stick around for Friday. Spotty storms are possible Friday morning, primarily near I-75. Storm chances spread eastward into the afternoon as storms scatter themselves across the area for the second half of Friday.

This weekend

With another cold front approaching the Deep South into the weekend, another round of deep moisture will push into Central Florida.

High rain chances persist for both Saturday and Sunday. Highs will remain in the upper 80s to low 90s. We will gradually transition back to our typical sea breeze pattern as we move into next week.

It’s also chance for some 2 million voters to pass judgment on the governing Labour Party, whose sagging popularity Burnham hopes to revive. Polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with vote-counting starting Friday morning.

Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years until he won a special election for a seat in Parliament last month with the intention of challenging then- Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.

Burnham’s momentum spurred Starmer to announce he would resign after just two years in office. Burnham was the only candidate in Labour’s leadership election, and he became prime minister on July 20.

He has established a branch of the prime minister’s office in the city, dubbed “No. 10 North,” to help fulfil his pledge to give local leaders more powers and spread economic growth around the country.

The Greater Manchester region has a population of about 3 million and includes the city of Manchester and surrounding towns. Burnham won three straight mayoral elections, in 2017, 2021 and 2024, and Labour candidate Bev Craig, the current leader of Manchester City Council, is hoping to retain the mayoralty for the party.

Burnham said serving as mayor had been an “immense privilege,” and he urged voters to back Craig to “build on the progress we’ve all made together.”

Craig faces six other candidates, including Sian Astley from the anti-immigration party Reform UK, which won big in many areas of Greater Manchester in local elections in May.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Astley, a city councilor, is “someone with real-life experience of building successful businesses from scratch, not yet another career politician who will keep enriching the city center while leaving behind towns and communities like Bolton and Wigan” on the outskirts of Greater Manchester.

Labour has also lost voters to the Green Party, which won a special parliamentary election in the Gorton and Denton district of Greater Manchester in February, pushing Labour into third place and heightening concerns in the governing party about Starmer’s leadership. Those worries came to a head after the May election rout, leading to Starmer’s fall and Burnham’s rise.

Voters can mark a first and second choice on their mayoral ballots. If no candidate reaches 50% of the votes on the first round, the top two compete in a runoff in which the second-preference choices of eliminated candidates are added.

Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester, said, “Labour want a show of strength in a city region where the party has long been politically dominant.”

“A big win in his former stomping ground will provide a significant boost for Andy Burnham,” Ford wrote in a blog post for the U.K. in a Changing Europe think tank.

The results are a stark repudiation of the Republican president's approach to the conflict, which has dragged on far longer than he originally predicted.

About two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran, which began Feb. 28, has not been worthwhile, according to the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37% of Republicans.

The poll was conducted July 23-27, as the U.S. and Iran paused attacks following a nearly two-week escalation in the war. During the escalation, the U.S. targeted Iranian military and commercial sites while Iran attacked U.S. military facilities in the Middle East, resulting in additional deaths of American service members. Since the war began, 18 U.S. service members have been killed, but the Trump administration has sought to revise those numbers.

The survey reinforces how unpopular the Iran war has become at home, a potential problem for congressional Republicans up for reelection in November who have defended Trump’s military actions. Just 28% of U.S. adults now approve of how Trump is handling Iran, a slight decline from 34% last month. Even Republicans appear to be increasingly unhappy with the prolonged conflict. Roughly 61% of Republicans approve of how Trump is handling Iran, an apparent decline from 71% in June. The margin of sampling error for Republicans is 6 points, so the decline is considered slight, but it’s still noteworthy given Republicans’ much higher approval of how Trump is handling the presidency overall.

Trump’s overall approval rating is at 33%, slightly below where he stood at this point in his first term and similar to where former President Joe Biden stood about one and a half years into his presidency, when inflation peaked.

Robert McClary, a 52-year-old Republican from Sugar Grove, Ohio, is skeptical the war could be brought to an easy conclusion and disapproves of Trump’s handling of it. McClary voted for the president once, in 2016, but recalls that during the last election, Trump campaigned on not starting new wars in the Middle East.

“I don’t have any trust in this administration at all and to why they brought us into this war, why they’re putting our soldiers at risk again,” he said.

The findings also indicate that most Americans’ goals for the conflict may not be aligned with Trump, who has repeatedly said the war was launched to keep a nuclear weapon out of Iran’s hands. While about two-thirds of U.S. adults say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to keep Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon — with Republicans especially likely to say this — even more Americans say it’s highly important for the U.S. to keep gasoline prices low or negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Iran.

McClary added: “I really don’t know what you can do now. I mean, you’ve kind of gotten yourself buried into this mess.”

Relatively few want military action against Iran to continue

There’s little appetite among Americans for a prolonged conflict.

Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults want to continue military action in Iran, while about 3 in 10 say the U.S. should pause military action and seek a renewed ceasefire through negotiations. About 2 in 10 want to completely stop military action in Iran and roughly one-quarter don’t know enough to say.

About half of Republicans say the U.S. should continue military action against Iran, particularly those who identify as “very conservative.” Republicans who identify as MAGA — part of Trump’s Make America Great Again movement — are much likelier than non-MAGA Republicans to say the war should continue. Non-MAGA Republicans are more likely to want a ceasefire or a complete halt to the military action.

Jennifer Norton, a 71-year-old Republican from Crossville, Tennessee, supports military action in Iran but has been displeased to see prices rising for things like beef roasts and hamburgers. Norton lives on a “modest income,” and things are getting expensive.

“I am getting a little impatient, but when I start to dwell on that for a minute, I remember Mr. President Trump is a brilliant businessman,” she said. “He can’t tell us exactly what he’s doing, but I trust that he’s doing something. I mean, he is doing fine.”

Independents and Democrats are more likely than Republicans to want to stop military action against Iran immediately, although about 3 in 10 Republicans want either a pause or complete stop to military action.

Ryan Sloan, a 39-year-old Republican in Lakeland, Florida, has come to disapprove of the conflict in Iran recently because he wants a better explanation from the Trump administration about why the war intensified in late July.

“Let’s face it, not everybody’s going to be happy with him,” Sloan said. “I just wish I’d have had more transparency about why things were going on the way they were.”

Most say it’s important to keep gas prices down

Many Americans continue to be concerned about the pocketbook impact of the Iran war. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults — 72% — say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to prevent domestic oil and gas prices from rising, up slightly from 67% in March.

Oil topped $100 a barrel last week, ending a brief period of lower prices when hostilities between the U.S. and Iran eased in June. Gas prices rose above $4 per gallon on average, and the elevated fuel price is hitting consumers in other ways, too. Inflation cooled last month but remains elevated, and consumer spending has slowed, with signs that Americans are taking advantage of sales and other incentives.

There are also indications that fluctuating gasoline prices are an increasingly big problem for many Americans. About 4 in 10 say the cost of gas for their car is a “major source” of stress in their life right now, compared with about 3 in 10 in February.

Mikal Baker, a 47-year-old political independent in Sandy Springs, Georgia, disapproves of the war in Iran and is frustrated by the effect on gas prices.

“I don’t see the benefit. I don’t see the total benefit of the American citizen for this war,” he said. But Baker is skeptical it will ever come to an end. “I can’t say it will ever be over with.”

Some Americans may be hoping that gasoline prices could stabilize or go down. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned about being able to afford gas in the next few months, down slightly from 45% in March.

Republicans prioritize keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon

Even as most Americans prioritize keeping gas prices from rising, a similar share say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Iran.

About 7 in 10 Americans say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to reach a ceasefire agreement, slightly higher than the roughly two-thirds who say it’s at least “very” important to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. That’s also well above the 4 in 10 who say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to prevent Iran from threatening Israel.

Early in the conflict, Trump said the United States’ primary objectives were to degrade Iran’s military capability, eliminate their Navy and Air Force, keep them from gaining nuclear weapons and protect U.S. allies in the region.

Republicans, in particular, say it’s highly important to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. About 8 in 10 say this is at least “very” important, compared with roughly 7 in 10 who say that about preventing oil and gas prices from rising and negotiating a permanent ceasefire with Iran.

Sloan, the Florida Republican, believes it’s important to keep Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon, adding: “We are most definitely their number one targets once they do have nuclear capabilities.”

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,165 adults was conducted July 23-27 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 6.0 for Republicans overall and plus or minus 5.4 for Democrats overall.

"All because of Trump,” he said.

It was a message the Republican president repeated while touring a collection of new vehicles, predicting that "it’s amazing what tariffs will do for General Motors" before autographing a white Corvette commemorating America’s 250th anniversary. He later told a crowd of cheering supporters that “Michigan is thriving.”

That's not exactly true, according to many metrics. Tariffs have cost businesses in Michigan and across the country billions of dollars while helping to stoke inflation that has continued to run hot — despite Trump's assurances his business background would wipe it out.

Many Americans believe tariffs have pushed prices higher and the war in Iran has increased gasoline prices, hurting consumer confidence in the economy while keeping Trump's approval ratings low.

There are few places where contradictions between the president's boasts and the economic reality of his tariffs are more likely to collide ahead of November's midterm elections than in battleground Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday. Trump won the state in 2016 and then again in 2024, after it had flipped to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

During Trump's rally in Milford, northwest of Detroit, the crowd was adoring. But even some of his ardent supporters said prices are too high and tariffs had caused short-term economic pain — even as they still support him overall.

Lisa Scherer, a 64-year-old who used to run a landscaping company and work as a bus driver and union steward, acknowledged high gas prices are “hurting a lot” and it's “very rough” to afford things.

“But I’m just hoping, if we hang in there,” she said, emphasizing she still thinks the president is doing a good job.

Michigan and Canada have deep trade ties

Though the Supreme Court struck down many of the tariffs Trump ordered upon first returning to the White House, his administration has launched new import taxes and recently invoked the Tariff Act of 1930 to accuse Canada of using discriminatory practices and plans to impose 50% tariffs on many imports from that country.

Michigan relies on supply chains that are heavily integrated with Canada after decades of policies that encouraged reducing bilateral trade barriers. That included the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement from Trump’s first term. Trump chose not to renew that trade pact, setting up years of negotiations.

GM said it was “honored to spend time showcasing our vehicles and facilities” for Trump. But automakers have long said tariffs increase production costs — so much so that the president offered them a reprieve from his auto parts tariffs, extending in October what was supposed to have been a short-term rebate until 2030.

Veteran Michigan pollster Bernie Porn said Trump's rosy words can't hide how his tariffs are helping intensify voters' concerns about inflation and affordability.

“When I was listening to him, I said, ‘What planet are you on?’" Porn said.

Porn noted that some Republicans nationally are worried their voters won't be motivated to turn out in November and “I doubt if Michigan is going to be very different."

“He is like an anchor around Republicans,” Porn said.

Trump's policies don't bother Joe Miskovich, the 57-year-old owner of an aerospace business from Fenton, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Milford. He said of tariffs that “the American public needs to look at the bigger picture."

People need to see, Miskovich said, that "yes, granted, there might be a little higher increase in price. But the long-term effect is going to be absolutely positive to the nation.”

Trump is helping decide next week's primaries

As he's done in key midterm primary races nationwide, Trump has used his endorsements to help ensure candidates he sees as most loyal or potentially helpful to his policies prevail. In Michigan's Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, Trump has endorsed congressman John James over rival Perry Johnson.

Also speaking was former Rep. Mike Rogers, who's again running for Senate after narrowly losing to Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin two years ago.

More national attention has been focused on the state's Democratic Senate primary, which will decide if Rogers faces Rep. Haley Stevens or progressive favorite Abdul El-Sayed. But Rogers said Michigan needs a senator who promotes Trump's agenda, not someone who works to stymie it.

“This is the time that we will stand up and get Michigan up off of her knees,” he said at Trump's rally.

Scherer, who once ran the landscaping company, drove nearly five hours from her home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, to see Trump's speech. She's nonetheless worried the president has left behind some supporters like herself who helped get him back to the White House.

“I’m brutally honest, like Trump is, aren’t I? He’s forgot about the people on a fixed income,” said Scherer, who lives on Social Security benefits of $1,100 per month. “But I look at it like, I guess, no pain, no gain.”

Automakers plan to increase domestic production — eventually

Republican Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall praised tariffs at Trump’s rally, while also noting the president last year announced a new fighter jet mission that secured the future of the state’s Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

“This is what putting Michigan first looks like,” he said.

Some auto companies have pledged to ramp up U.S. production, yet those benefits aren't being felt yet. GM announced in June 2025 it planned to invest $4 billion to shift some vehicle production from Mexico to the U.S. starting next year.

Ford and Stellantis, which owns Chrysler, have a similar timeline for expanding domestic operations.

Toyota also said it would invest $3.6 billion and relocate production of its Tacoma pickup from Mexico to Texas, but that will happen over roughly four years.

In the meantime, Michigan has seen only modest increases in auto sector job creation during Trump's second term, while jobs tied to auto parts manufacturing declined by about 4,000 statewide through June when compared with the same month last year.

Michigan has lost 8,300 manufacturing jobs since Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April of last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Among some of Trump's base, economic worries show

Outwardly, the rally was a lovefest. When Trump told of encountering a “beautiful” waitress in Las Vegas during the 2024 campaign, a man in the audience bellowed, “You're beautiful!”

Later, the crowd began chanting “10 more years!” when Trump talked about needing to leave office after January 2029.

“Trump is, like, No. 1. You know, he’s the best,” said Rose Stroud, 75, who attended the rally from Commerce, Michigan. “He thinks about the people, about what they need.”

Some attendees insisted the president should get the benefit of the doubt — even as concerns about kitchen table issues tick up.

“There’s always a method to the madness, and people sometimes don’t understand or get it," said Roy Parks, 49, a self-employed handyman, photographer and videographer from Milford. “But there’s always a reason he’s doing things a certain way, and it may not make sense at first, but after six, 12 months, it all comes together."

He said the same goes for tariffs: "You may not like it at first, but it’s a short-term pinch, short-term pain, but long-term good. It works out in the end. It’s for the best.”

“When you rip off the Band-Aid right away, it stings," Parks added. "But, after a few minutes, there’s no pain. You have to go through a little bit of pain at first to get to long-term good.”

The European Commission said it would like the public financing to draw an additional 20 billion euros ($22.8 billion) in private investment.

“Access to the raw scale of computing power within AI gigafactories is a strategic necessity for Europe as AI development accelerates,” said Henna Virkkunen, the Commission executive vice president overseeing tech sovereignty.

The efforts by Brussels to establish “ tech sovereignty ” have gained urgency as leaders worry about dependence on technologies from foreign providers, which they say could be “weaponized” against Europeans. U.S. President Donald Trump has railed against the EU over its tech regulations and China has limited the supply of minerals critical to the sector.

Firms can now bid for contracts to build gigafactories that are planned to have at least 100,000 cutting-edge AI chips, making them roughly four times more powerful than the data centers currently running in the EU.

The EU's current computing power — delivered by a network of 19 AI data centers from Finland to Spain — will more than double when these seven gigafactories come online.

Europe lags far behind the U.S. and China in crucial sectors for the development of AI, according to a 2025 assessment by the U.S. Federal Reserve. China has an enormous electrical power capacity for data centers while the U.S. bags the lion's share of private AI investment.

Europe doesn’t manufacture many of the millions of components needed for data centers and electricity in the EU can cost double or triple what it does in the U.S. and China, according to a Commission report presented to European Parliament in June.

“European businesses and public authorities will continue to rely on US AI providers to the detriment of European service providers struggling to work at the frontier,” said the report, which listed the bloc's top five cloud service providers as all American. “Dependence on hyperscale cloud and AI computing service providers, particularly for highly critical use cases, will continue to expose data to third-country access and carry risks to service continuity, endangering operational autonomy.”

France's Mistral now runs the one of the largest AI data center in the EU so far at its campus in Paris. Mistral makes the Le Chat chatbot but it hasn't kept pace with American AI companies like OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, and Chinese rivals like DeepSeek.

While political leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron have raised the alarm about Europe lacking homegrown AI companies, deep anxieties run rife across the continent about the economic disruption and privacy implications of the nascent technology.

The Commission said AI products developed with the growing network of data centers will “follow EU standards on data protection, safety, security and ethics,” perhaps referring to the bloc’s Digital Services Act and its Digital Market Act.

In June, 40 mayors around the world signed a pact to curtail the negative impact of the construction of AI data centers on the natural resources, energy prices or climate targets of cities from Phoenix to Melbourne.

What the proposal says

An EPA docket shows that Google is pushing to do so as part of a “debug program.”

A Federal Register notice earlier this year indicates that if approved for a permit, Google would release the 32 million mosquitoes into Florida over the course of two years:

• Half in year one
• The other half in year two

What Google is trying to do — and why

More specifically, the program is aimed at releasing sterile mosquitoes — dubbed “good bugs” — to bring down populations of mosquitoes that actually spread diseases like:

• Zika
• Yellow fever
• Dengue

Per officials with the program, this method could help prevent the spread of such diseases without relying on unsustainable pesticides or attempting to clear all standing water in an area — something they say is simply unfeasible.

How the “good bugs” work

“Our good bugs are male mosquitoes that have a naturally-occurring bacteria called Wolbachia, which makes them unable to have offspring with wild female mosquitoes," the program’s website reads.

Google’s program describes the approach this way:

• The released mosquitoes are male
• Male mosquitoes can’t bite or spread disease
• Wolbachia makes them unable to produce viable offspring with wild female mosquitoes
• The goal is to reduce future generations of disease-carrying mosquitoes

Public comments: thousands weigh in

Public comment on the proposal ended on June 5, though there are over 2,700 comments on the docket alone, with many voicing opposition to the project.

“A tech company should not be involved in this kind of genetic modifications and releasing bugs into the public,” one such comment from June 18 reads. “What are the ramifications for the wildlife? For humans when they bite us? Has that been studied for 5 or 10 years? If so, where are the results? I am tired of humans playing God!”

What the CDC says about modified mosquitoes

According to the CDC, though, genetically modified mosquitoes have successfully been used in parts of Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Panama and India to control mosquito populations that carry dengue, Zika and chikungunya.

Since 2019, over 1 billion such altered mosquitoes have been release, the agency reports.

“(Genetically modified) mosquitoes will only work to reduce numbers of target mosquito species (e.g., Ae. aegypti), and not other mosquito types,” CDC officials wrote. “Most communities have more than one type of mosquito.”

What happens next

As of Wednesday, Google’s permit proposal was still under review by the EPA.

If approved, state and local authorities must still approve the release of the mosquitoes before the project can begin.

Uthmeier made the declaration via X, claiming that “Fauci’s lack of candor to Congress is unbelievable.”

Republican federal lawmakers have been heavily critical of Fauci, who repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions from senators during a committee hearing this week over his handling of the pandemic.

“It’s past time we get the truth of what happened during COVID,” Uthmeier wrote.

Fauci's lack of candor to Congress is unbelievable.

My office is launching an investigation into Dr. Fauci. It's past time we get the truth of what happened during COVID.

— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) July 29, 2026

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky subpoenaed Fauci to appear before the Senate committee. It’s part of Paul’s yearslong accusations that the now-retired infectious disease expert had lied about the pandemic, something Fauci has called “preposterous.”

Paul closed the hearing by saying lawmakers will vote next week on whether to hold the now-retired infectious-disease expert in contempt for refusing to testify.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

That law — SB 168 — officially went into effect on July 1, and it makes the following changes:

• Gambling Houses: Any place that’s been used as a gambling house at least twice within a 12-month period is now considered a “public nuisance.”
• Daily Fines: Local governments may now impose maximum fines of $500 per day (up from $250) if nuisance activity continues beyond one year.
• Longer Oversight: Local governments can keep continuing jurisdiction over a property in one-year increments until the nuisance is resolved.
• Lien Enforcement: The law allows foreclosure on liens unpaid for three months and mandates foreclosure if the nuisance continues after two years.
• Attorney-Fee Expansion: If an ordinance allows attorney fees tied to public nuisance investigations, nuisance abatement boards must also award fees for qualifying work by legal assistants.
• Cap Removed: The $15,000 cap on total fines is removed under the new law.
• More Options: The law eliminates restrictions that prevented local governments from pursuing other remedies against public nuisances.

[RELATED: Is this Florida Man the world’s most annoying neighbor?]

Why the bill was filed

The Legislative analysis points to examples of illegal gambling enforcement and concerns about related crime, citing a 2025 Tallahassee investigation that resulted in the seizure of cash and hundreds of illegal gambling machines, as well as broader public-safety concerns raised by law enforcement.

Potential impacts

The bill analysis describes the fiscal impact as indeterminate, noting:

• Private sector: Property owners or businesses could face increased fines.
• Government: Cities and counties could see changes in revenue and costs, including potential foreclosure litigation expenses.

The United Arab Emirates-based app, which reports having 1 billion users worldwide, faces a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($38 million) if convicted in the Australian Federal Court for “alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Thursday.

The civil action is a test of Australia's 2021 law requiring tech platforms to work to keep illegal and pro-terrorism material off their networks.

Telegram denied the claims. “We reject these allegations and will contest them in court,” a spokesperson said in a written statement sent on Telegram.

Regulator says app must take responsibility

The platform is one of the world's most popular messaging apps. The Australian regulator is taking issue with what's shared in group chats of up to 200 people and channels with unlimited reach.

“This case concerns content linked to some of the most notorious acts of known extremist violence in recent history, including material associated with the Christchurch and Buffalo terror attacks,” Inman Grant said in a statement.

“We allege that this content remained accessible on the service long after Telegram had been put on notice,” she said.

The crimes cited by Inman Grant were ideologically-driven massacres performed for online audiences. Years later, digital artifacts of the massacres are still confounding regulators, who fear the power of videos and so-called manifestos to radicalize others.

In Buffalo in 2022, an American white supremacist livestreamed on Twitch part of a shooting at a supermarket in which he killed 10 Black people. He cited among his motivations the crimes of an Australian white supremacist who in 2019 livestreamed on Facebook a shooting at two Christchurch mosques, where he murdered 51 Muslim worshippers.

Telegram channels established after these and other hate-fueled crimes were populated by users who endorsed the killers and shared videos and other content from the massacres. The Australian watchdog's claim, filed to the federal court Wednesday, said the unlimited broadcast size of Telegram channels meant the app must take responsibility for culling harmful material.

Telegram says it blocks 'terrorist-related communities'

The messaging app's statement said that the platform's “extensive anti-terrorism efforts are well-documented," adding a link to its published figures recording blocked content and channels. More than 150,000 “terrorist-related communities” have been blocked from the platform this year, according to the figures.

Inman Grant said eSafety began urging Telegram to comply with its own policies in March 2024, but the platform had been “non-responsive” for months.

The Australian official said that changed after France arrested Telegram’s Russian billionaire founder and CEO Pavel Durov in August 2024 over allegations that his platform was being used for illegal activity, including drug trafficking and the distribution of images of child sexual abuse. He was released after four days of questioning on bail of 5 million euros ($5.7 million).

Telegram had "become more compliant initially with us and with other regulators after France took action against the company,” Inman Grant said.

“They've still kept a permissive hosting environment for terrorist content,” she added.

The Australian court case also related to IS beheadings and other “horrific material used for propaganda and for radicalization,” she said.

“When platforms are alerted to terrorist content, they must act,” Inman Grant said.

On Wednesday, Russia’s Federal Security Service accused Durov of aiding what it called terrorist activities. The service also said it was adding Durov’s name to international wanted lists.

Telegram said in its statement supplied to The Associated Press on Thursday that it is committed to protecting user privacy and human rights such as freedom of speech and assembly. It said it had played a prominent role in pro-democracy movements around the world, including in Iran, Russia, Belarus, Myanmar and Hong Kong.

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Graham-McLay reported from Wellington, New Zealand.

Smith's family said in a statement Wednesday that Smith died following a bout with CTE-caused dementia.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the loss of our beloved Billy Ray Smith Jr., who passed away peacefully surrounded by family,” the statement said. “Billy Ray faced his long journey with dementia caused by CTE with unmatched bravery, dignity, and strength. Billy Ray brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the world as a devoted father, husband, son, and loyal friend."

Smith played 10 seasons with the Chargers after being drafted with the No. 5 overall pick of the 1983 NFL draft out of Arkansas. He was named to the Chargers' 50th anniversary team after racking up 15 career interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries and 13 forced fumbles.

Smith became the sports director at the ABC affiliate in San Diego following his playing career and was co-host of a long-running radio show while covering college and professional football for national TV broadcast.

Smith was a two-time All-American at Arkansas and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. He starred at Plano Senior High School in Texas.

His father, Billy Ray Smith Sr., also played at Arkansas and in the NFL from 1957-70 with the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts.

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

Despite their soaring profits, the companies’ shares have fallen sharply this week in South Korea’s volatile stock market, where retail investors often drive sharp swings in share prices, as concerns grow over their plans to spend massively on increasing manufacturing capacity and the prospects of intensifying competition from China.

Samsung’s second-quarter operating profit was a more than 19-fold increase from a year earlier, and nearly all of it came from its semiconductor business, which benefited from rising chip prices driven by demand for AI servers and increased shipments of advanced high-bandwidth memory chips used to power AI applications. That outweighed an operating loss in its mobile, TV and home appliances division, partly due to higher component costs.

Samsung’s quarterly revenue of 171.5 trillion won ($119 billion) was also an all-time high. The company said it expects demand for its memory products to remain strong in the second half of the year, driven by continued expansion of AI infrastructure and broader adoption of agentic AI. Demand for server chips is expected to accelerate further, keeping the market undersupplied, it said in a statement.

Samsung’s report came a day after SK Hynix also reported a record second-quarter revenue of 60.5 trillion won ($42 billion). However, SK Hynx’s profit was still below the loftier market expectations and the company’s shares declined by more than 9% on Wednesday. Samsung’s share prices have also declined this week.

Kim Jaejune, an executive of Samsung’s memory chip division, said the company expects the gap between chip supply and demand to widen further in 2027. He said Samsung plans to begin construction of its second semiconductor fab in Taylor, Texas, before the end of this year, with the goal of starting production by 2030.

Kim said Samsung has secured long-term chip supply contracts with what he called the “five major global data center clients” — a possible reference to Amazon Web Services, Google, Meta, Oracle and Microsoft –- and is in talks with other major technology companies as demand for AI infrastructure surges.

“Despite our efforts to increase production, demand growth is outpacing our efforts,” he said in a conference call.

Samsung and SK Hynix together produce about two-thirds of the world’s memory chips. While the companies have embarked on major investments in semiconductor manufacturing facilities and data centers as South Korea expands its AI ambitions, some analysts say there are growing concerns about whether such massive spending will ultimately generate sufficient returns.

Shares of South Korean chipmakers have also been pressured by concerns over intensifying competition from China, with reports that a state-owned Chinese company had begun mass-producing domestically developed immersion deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines, a key technology for advanced chipmaking. Investor concerns were also heightened by the strong stock market debut of Chinese memory chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies, some analysts say.

Samsung and SK Hynix last month announced plans to invest a combined 800 trillion won ($554 billion) in a new chipmaking hub in the country’s southwest to capitalize on surging AI-driven demand.

The chiefs of Samsung, SK and South Korean automaker Hyundai joined President Lee Jae Myung on his San Francisco trip last week, where they announced hundreds of billions of dollars in planned cooperation with major U.S. technology companies, including AI firms OpenAI and Anthropic and chip designers Nvidia and Broadcom. The agreements span chip technologies, data centers and other AI infrastructure.

In a roundtable with foreign media last week, Kim Yong-beom, Lee’s chief policy adviser, said the initiatives reflect how global technology companies are rushing to secure long-term partnerships with South Korean chipmakers as they seek reliable supplies of memory chips for AI.

However, the volatility of the companies’ stock prices, along with those of other global tech firms, shows that investors are shifting their focus from short-term earnings to long-term sustainability, Son In-joon, a semiconductor analyst at South Korea’s Eugene Securities, said in a report this week.

Wildfires that have burned an area four times the size of Paris and driven 220,000 people from homes and some of the region's tourist attractions promise to sting France's already squeezed economy.

“It’s a physical apocalypse when you see all these sites where there’s nothing left aside from burnt homes and forests, and then there’s the economic apocalypse,” said Patrick Seguin, president of the regional chamber of commerce, his voice choking with emotion in a phone interview.

It's “going to be a stab in the back for what remains of our economy.”

Le Grix de la Salle is among entrepreneurs bracing for pain. French government appeals for people to avoid the region are causing consternation.

“It’s incredible that they’ve said such a thing, especially when wine tourism is becoming more and more important,” Le Grix de la Salle said.

Bordeaux’s legendary wine has seen consumption plunge as young people turn to other beverages and competition from vineyards abroad has grown. U.S. President Donald Trump ’s tariffs have given winemakers — and much of the global economy — an added hangover.

“The wine business has been in crisis for several years now and it’s worsening with the geopolitical problems, the now widespread problems of inflation and the fact that wine is falling out of fashion among younger people,” Le Grix de la Salle said.

“Tourism was really the only dynamic part of the business that was still growing, both for us and, more generally, for Bordeaux wines,” he said. “And now this comes along as a brake.”

His family's Grand Verdus wine estate is roughly 35 kilometers (20 miles) from the fires that have raged since last week on the other side of the Garonne River that runs through Bordeaux. Bordeaux's Gironde region is mainland France’s largest by area and the fires have hit only a small percentage of it. But the mark on its reputation is sizable.

“How did they not think about protecting that sector? And the cultural sector, too. There’s so much to visit in Bordeaux. There are so many museums, there are châteaux. It’s unbelievable,” Le Grix de la Salle said.

The region in southwest France is replete with vacation spots for tourists lured by soft-sand beaches, winemaking châteaux, some of France's largest pine forests and the historic city of Bordeaux, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The oyster-rich Arcachon Bay draws foodies. But the fire and evacuations have emptied some prime spots.

The chamber of commerce says 39,000 businesses have been affected in the region that's a hub of defense and aerospace industries, including Airbus, Dassault and Thales.

Even before the fires, the chamber of commerce said rising energy costs were squeezing profits. Some 94% of businesses responding to a poll of regional enterprises in mid-July said they face difficulties.

“We’re getting more and more calls from heads of small- and medium-sized businesses, tiny businesses and craft businesses that are calling for help and saying, ‘What am I going to do tomorrow?’” Seguin said.

Two commercial courts in the cities of Bordeaux and Libourne reported a 37% increase in business liquidations from June 2025 to the same month this year, he noted.

Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said some restaurateurs told him that reservations have plummeted. He is pushing back against other officials' pleas that people avoid the region. He repeatedly has noted that the city hasn't been evacuated and isn't closed for business.

“The museums are open, the cafes and restaurants are open,” he said. “Life also goes on in our beautiful city.”

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Keaten reported from Lyon, France, and Leicester reported from Paris.

Despite several days of relative calm, both sides carried out military strikes in the last 24 hours that once again risk a return to all-out war — and further expansion in the region — while little is clear about what strategy, if any, American or Iranian officials have for a path forward.

While President Donald Trump and his allies have spent recent days arguing that Iran is begging to return to the negotiating table, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Tuesday that his country has made no requests to restart the diplomatic track in more than two weeks.

Following a thwarted attack on the U.S. base in Jordan, Trump turned back to threats Wednesday even while sustaining the prospect of continued talks.

“They’ve already apologized, but, you know, we got to smack them a little bit,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. He added: “It’s our turn, and we’ll see if we get there with an agreement at some point. But we’re going to hit them very hard.”

Hours later, the strikes followed as the U.S. military said it launched a “a powerful response to yesterday’s attempted Iranian attacks on U.S. forces based in the Middle East” in a social media post. It did not immediately disclose the targets of the attack.

There's a sense of déjà vu as the Republican president has vacillated for the past several months between insisting a deal was near to end the war and Tehran's nuclear program and then using vulgarities and threats to get Iran to capitulate to U.S. demands — to no avail.

The stakes for continued U.S. military action have never been higher for Trump and his party as the conflict, unpopular among many Americans, has jolted the world economy just months before critical midterm elections in November. The renewed fighting also has killed and injured more American troops and been complicated by concerns that the U.S. is further drawing down stockpiles of key air defense systems needed to defend its bases and allies.

In the past day, Iran said it fired ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a key U.S. military hub for the region, which Trump said were intercepted. And Saudi Arabia joined the U.S. in striking multiple logistics and weapons sites used by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.

The first publicly announced joint U.S.-Saudi strikes followed drone attacks on the kingdom, complicating a conflict that now includes nearly every country in the region. A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military operations, said the two attacks were not connected.

Saudi defense minister makes White House visit

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met separately Wednesday with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly about the private meeting.

The defense minister conveyed the view of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto leader, that Iran has lost leverage in Syria and Lebanon but is still managing to provide support to the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq, according to one of the people familiar with Prince Khalid’s talks with Trump and Vance.

The Iran-aligned Houthi group earlier this week said it fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker, days after declaring it was imposing a naval blockade on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.

The Saudi decision to join the U.S. attacks against the Iraqi militias was meant to send a message to Iran that it wouldn’t tolerate Iran or its proxies targeting the Saudi oil industry and other critical infrastructure, the person added.

At the same time, the defense minister underscored to Trump and Vance that the Saudis want to see a de-escalation in the war and want Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations.

Drone strikes also ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at a port in Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator that is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have been spared from direct military action during the war. A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict.

The U.S.-Saudi strikes came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed his first meeting with Trump since they launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28.

An Israeli official briefed on the meeting Tuesday at the White House said Netanyahu assured Trump that it is the U.S., not Israel, that is in the driver's seat with Iran, attempting to push back on the notion that he’s increasingly out of step with his closest ally on the way ahead.

Yet, Israeli officials also have privately expressed concern that Trump, with midterm elections looming, is trying to “keep this war on a low flame,” according to a person familiar with Netanyahu's government’s internal deliberations. The person and the Israeli official were not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The person added that Israeli officials have become increasingly concerned about Trump’s sensitivity to surging oil prices as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to global energy shipments and about the growing trepidation among some in the U.S. administration about the burn rate of critical missile interceptors.

The recent fighting with Iran used up more of the U.S. military’s already diminished stockpiles of Patriot and THAAD interceptors, potentially putting American troops at more risk if hostilities resume, according to an analysis released this week from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has told Trump that the state of the munitions stockpile could have an impact on military operations in Iran, according to another U.S. official. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations, said the message was delivered as part of Caine’s regular duties of providing military advice and options to Trump.

A history of failed diplomacy plagues US-Iran prospects

The Trump administration does not seem to have a strategy to resume negotiations with Iran over ending the conflict.

Despite efforts by some mediators to get talks restarted — or at least find a point at which they could begin again — the administration is not actively pursuing talks at the moment, a senior U.S. official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the latest developments in the region suggested that any resumption in direct diplomacy was not imminent.

Analysts called the uncertainty and lack of strategy a result of deep, growing mistrust between Washington and Tehran, especially after an interim ceasefire proposal signed in mid-June collapsed in recent weeks.

Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, said senior Iranian officials were nearly unanimous in their decision to approve that memorandum of understanding with the U.S.

“But now none of them believe that Trump is a reliable negotiating partner,” he said. "The problem, I think, is that Trump also has now the same impression about the Iranians."

In some respects, the on-again, off-again nature of talks and back-and-forth military attacks should not be surprising.

The history of U.S. negotiations with Iran after 1979 is littered with failure, false starts and stops, and military actions that have nonetheless stopped short of the kind of conflict the two countries are now in.

Despite its flaws, the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran secured by the Obama administration was the first major agreement between the two countries since the Algiers Accords in 1981 that ended the American hostage crisis and laid a patchwork path for the resolution of other issues, including the unfreezing of Shah-era Iranian assets seized by the U.S. after the Islamic Revolution.

However, even from the beginning, both sides accused each other of violating the terms of these deals.

Accusations of violations of the Algiers Accords, which led to a period of great animosity, including U.S. support for Saddam Hussein’s Iraq during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, became the norm.

Despite the semi-rapprochement around the 2015 nuclear deal, Trump’s withdrawal from it in 2018 during his first term, his imposition of a “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign against Tehran, and the U.S. assassination of Iran’s top military leader Qassem Soleimani in early 2020, sent the relationship to new lows.

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Amiri reported from New York. Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed to this report.

Central Command said in a social media post that over two hours the U.S. struck “dozens” of targets belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, including military command centers as well as missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance and defense sites.

The new strikes came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to hit Iran “very hard” after it targeted a base in Jordan that hosts U.S. troops.

Iranian state media said two people were injured in attacks on the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz and that explosions were also reported in Khuzestan province to the northwest.

Elsewhere, drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a U.S.-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. No injuries were reported.

The flare-ups on multiple fronts after several days of relative calm raised the risk of a return to all-out war. It also underscored the difficulty of winding down a five-month conflict that has jolted the world economy and is unpopular among Americans. The fighting was also likely to add to concerns that the U.S. is further drawing down already diminished stockpiles of sophisticated munitions needed to defend its bases and allies.

Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have been spared direct military action during the war. A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict.

Asked during an Oval Office event if Iran was responsible for the strikes on the natural gas vessels, Trump responded: “It's a little more of the same.”

“In the meantime, we’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them," he added.

Saudi Arabia had accused the Iraqi militias of firing drones against its oil facilities over the past two days. An umbrella group of Iraqi militias initially denied the allegations, while another Iran-backed group — the Houthi rebels in Yemen — said they had attacked Saudi energy facilities as part of a separate but related conflict.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met separately on Wednesday with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly about the private meetings.

They said the Saudi decision to join the U.S. attacks against the Iraqi militias was meant to send a message to Iran that it wouldn’t tolerate Iran or its proxies targeting the Saudi oil industry and other critical infrastructure. At the same time, the defense minister underscored to Trump and Vance that the Saudis want to see a de-escalation in the war and Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations.

Before the latest eruption, mediators had expressed optimism about bringing the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table. An interim agreement collapsed in recent weeks over renewed fighting in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy supplies that Iranian attacks have again effectively closed.

A regional official said mediators are “still trying with both sides” to restore calm and get the ceasefire back on track. He gave no details on whether progress was being made and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door diplomacy.

The renewed hostilities sent oil prices spiking. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 7.3% to $88.093 a barrel.

Jordan intercepts missiles and US strikes militias in Iraq

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it fired missiles Tuesday at Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a key U.S. military hub for the region, in a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency.

Jordan’s military said five Iranian missiles had been intercepted and destroyed.

The U.S. military later announced that American and Saudi fighter aircraft had struck multiple logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq in response to the alleged drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.

The Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of primarily Shiite Iranian-backed armed groups that is officially under the command of the Iraqi military, said at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 wounded in the overnight strikes.

Six Iranian advisers were also killed, according to two Iraqi militia officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. Iran's deputy governor for political, security and social affairs in Markazi province told Iranian state media that four advisers were killed.

The coalition joined the fight against the Islamic State group after it seized large sections of Iraq in 2014. The Iraqi government later designated the coalition as an “independent military formation” within the armed forces, but the militias have significant autonomy and some have attacked U.S. facilities.

Iraq’s government decried the U.S.-Saudi attacks, though a Fox News reporter said in an on-air segment that Trump told him they were done in coordination with the Iraqi government.

Iraq’s National Security Council said the strikes had been carried out “while the Iraqi government was in contact with relevant parties to investigate and address all the concerns raised by the Saudi and American sides.” It said “a number of innocent people” had been killed and wounded.

A visit to Saudi Arabia by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi that had been scheduled for Thursday was postponed indefinitely, said two Iraqi government officials on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Attacks on Saudi oil facilities could worsen global energy crisis

Saudi Arabia is also locked in a renewed conflict with the Houthis. The rebels have declared a blockade of Saudi shipping that could choke off another crucial Middle East trade route, the Bab el-Mandeb strait from the Red Sea into the Gulf of Aden.

On Monday, the Houthis said they had launched drones targeting oil facilities used to transport oil across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, a key bypass for Saudi exports blocked by Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

The rebels said the attack was in response to a Saudi drone they said had breached Yemen’s airspace.

Planet Labs satellite imagery from Monday analyzed by AP showed damage to Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq oil-processing facility. The massive facility is capable of processing approximately 7 million barrels of crude oil per day.

Iran rejects Oman proposal for managing Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz has been a major flashpoint in the conflict. Iran's deputy foreign minister said his country had rejected a proposal from Oman, which lies on the other side of the strait, to jointly manage ship traffic.

In an interview with Iran’s state-run television, Kazem Gharibabadi said Oman's proposal included dividing the strait into two routes.

Iran offered a counterproposal with a temporary plan for the transit of vessels through its territorial waters, he said, adding that Tehran's policy is for the strait “never to return to its prewar situation,” when ships moved freely.

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Toropin reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo; Abby Sewell in Beirut; David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany; Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece; Matthew Lee, Zeke Miller and Aamer Madhani in Washington, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Son scored two goals in a three-minute span in the first half off assists from Carles Gil to propel the MLS All-Stars past the LIGA MX All-Stars 4-3 in Wednesday night’s Major League Soccer All-Star Game.

The Los Angeles Football Club forward celebrated both goals with his signature “camera” celebration — mimicking holding an old-fashioned camera, framing the shot with his fingers and then pretending to snap a picture.

Son was named the game's MVP.

“I had great players, amazing players around me and that made my job easier,” said Son, who played for South Korea in the World Cup. “Scoring two goals makes the night really special.”

Chicago Fire’s Philip Zinckernagel and FC Cincinnati’s Evander da Silva Ferreira also scored for the MLS All-Stars in front of 35,197 at Bank of America Stadium.

Luis Gabriel Rey sent a running header off a free kick past Matt Freese, the United States men’s national team goalkeeper, 10 minutes into the game to give Liga MX a 1-0 lead.

Then Son took over.

The LAFC forward fielded a pass from Gil on the left side of the pitch, settled the ball and slid a well-placed shot past a diving Carlos Acevedo to even the score at the 20-minute mark.

Son gave MLS the lead for good just moments later when Gil hustled to stop the ball from going out of play and fired a pass back in front of the goal. Son buried the shot in the back of the net.

“He’s an unbelievable player,” said Hany Mukhtar, a midfielder for Nashville FC, said of Son. “He’s a world class player for a reason. He shows it every week, and we all know how good he is. We see it in training, and I’m not surprised at what he did.”

Zinckernagel made it 3-1 MLS in the 42nd minute when he scored off a rebound.

Liga MX got to within 3-2 early in the second half on a goal by Salomon Rondon, before Ferreira’s goal in the 58th minute gave MLS some cushion. Jose Pardela added a late goal in extra time for LIGA MX to make it 4-3.

Messi sits out after Argentina’s deep run in World Cup

MLS’ biggest star, Lionel Messi of Inter Miami, did not play.

Messi was not at the game after Argentina made a deep run in the World Cup before falling to Spain in the finals. Messi has 12 goals and eight assists for Inter Miami at the All-Star break.

He and teammate Rodrigo De Paul received an excused absence from Major League Soccer.

Charlotte hopes ASG is a precursor to 2031 World Cup

Charlotte is hoping that hosting the MLS All-Star Game serves as a precursor to being selected as a host city for the 2031 Women's FIFA World Cup.

The city has strongly supported its Charlotte FC team, and the stadium also drew rave reviews from the USMNT team after its friendly against Senegal, which was well attended.

Bank of America Stadium is undergoing a $1.3 billion renovation project that should be completed by 2030.

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

Just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, Titusville officers responded to a traffic crash on South Hopkins Avenue just north of Knox McRae Drive.

According to a news release, Eric Blythe, 52, of Titusville, was driving southbound on South Hopkins Avenue when he struck a juvenile bicyclist who entered the roadway traveling eastbound. The child was thrown into the vehicle’s windshield and transported to a local children’s hospital with serious but stable injuries.

The child was not wearing a helmet. The age of the victim was not given.

Officers detected multiple indicators of impairment and arrested Blythe on charges of driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury and DUI refusal to submit, the news release states.

He was booked into the Brevard County Jail on a $15,500 bond.

“Choosing to drive impaired is a decision that can change lives forever in a matter of seconds,” said Interim Chief Wright. “No destination, celebration, or convenience is worth risking the life of a child or anyone else on our roadways.”

The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are possible.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Titusville Police at 321-264-7800 or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Line at 1-800-423-TIPS.

Redding, a teacher and single mother of two, says rising prices have made it harder to keep up with everyday needs — and she’s not alone. During our interview, I helped with her kids, holding her little girl as Redding opened up about the reality many Central Florida families are facing.

“Food, supplies, things to make sure your hygiene is good, cost of living, necessities for living — the cost of everything has gone up and it’s extremely hard nowadays,” Redding said.

That’s why the nonprofit A Gift For Teaching has spent decades providing free school supplies to teachers and students.

“An unfortunate fact is that more than 50% of students show up for the first day of school without the essential school supplies,” said Chad McClellan with A Gift For Teaching.

On Wednesday in Washington Shores, A Gift For Teaching handed out close to 600 backpacks for children in need. Back in June, volunteers packed about 30,000 backpacks to help make sure kids across Orange and Osceola counties have what they need on day one.

“They show up without loose leaf paper. They don’t have pencils. They don’t have the dry erasers for the boards. They don’t have notebooks — all these things that they need to succeed,” McClellan said. “All those essentials are in their bag now, so when they show up it’s at least taking the burden off those families, those students and teachers because as you know, teachers will come out of pocket for their students.”

And many of those teachers — like Redding — need help themselves.

“You’re just doing the best that you can,” Redding said.

She says sometimes “doing your best” means being vulnerable and accepting help when it’s offered.

A Gift For Teaching says it will continue handing out the rest of the tens of thousands of backpacks across 120 schools in Orange and Osceola counties.

ATC Management told broadcaster RTE Hansard's family was “deeply shocked and heartbroken.”

News of his death brought tributes from fellow musicians including Bruce Springsteen, who said on Instagram he was “heartbroken” at the loss of “a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man.”

Irish police said a man in his 50s died in single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan, on the western outskirts of the Irish capital, before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. The man, who they did not name, was treated at the scene but pronounced dead a short time later.

Hansard combined acting and a musical career. He played a member of a Dublin soul band in the hit 1991 movie “The Commitments” and won an Oscar in 2008 for the song “Falling Slowly,” which he co-wrote for the indie musical “Once" with co-star Markéta Irglová.

“Once,” a love story about two struggling musicians, was later adapted for Broadway, again with songs by Hansard and Irglová. It won eight Tony Awards in 2012, including best musical.

Hansard was long-serving front man for rock band The Frames, half of rock duo The Swell Season with Irglová and released solo albums including “Didn’t He Ramble,” which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2016.

Ireland's President Catherine Connolly said he was one of Ireland’s great singer-songwriters.

“Glen was one of the vital driving influences of the Irish music world, bringing people together in the sharing of live music," Connolly said. "He will be sorely missed by all who knew him or experienced his work.”

Actor-comedian Chris O’Dowd said Hansard’s “energizing melodies and soulful, searching voice made the tough times more manageable, the stagnant times more beautiful, and the joyful times even more memorable.”

Hansard started out as a busker on the streets of Dublin. He became famous for leading the Christmas Eve busk outside Dublin's Gaiety Theatre, where members of the public gathered to see famous Irish musicians perform in aid of a homelessness charity.

Former Irish president Michael D. Higgins said Hansard was a “wonderful musician and performer” who also "placed great emphasis throughout his life to the importance of tackling the problems of society."

At the funeral of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan in 2023, Hansard performed a rousing version of The Pogues' song “Fairytale Of New York” with Irish singer Lisa O’Neill that had the congregation dancing in the aisles of the church.

Hansard is survived by his wife, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and their 3-year-old son, Christy.

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A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Hansard was awarded an Oscar in 2007. He received the award in 2008.

Dr. Norman Beatty, an associate professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine, said he has seen patients who had close contact with armadillos or areas where the animals had been.

“I have found patients coming who have either directly held an armadillo … or have also just manipulated the soil, the armadillos in their garden and burrows into their house, things like that,” Dr. Beatty said.

Florida Department of Health data show the state has reported 17 leprosy cases so far this year, including seven in Central Florida.

Dr. Beatty said the apparent increase may be tied to growing awareness and recognition of the disease — and the fact that armadillos often live close to people.

“My impression is we have a couple of things happening here. One, again, we have a growing recognition of the disease. You know, the armadillo … is close to humans,” Dr. Beatty said.

Hansen’s disease is rare, but it is curable, doctors say. Dr. Beatty said people should watch for symptoms that can include skin changes and loss of sensation.

“Multiple of these red lesions or patches on different parts of the body, arms and trunk,” he said. “But the hallmark is typically, we start losing sensation at that site of that lesion.”

While Dr. Beatty said fewer than 5% of armadillos are believed to carry the disease, he said new diagnoses still happen.

“It does happen. We have patients come into our clinic with new diagnosis every month.”

Last year, Florida reported 36 leprosy cases. With 17 cases already reported this year, the state is on pace to match that total, if not exceed it.

Even with the increase, doctors say there is no need to panic. They recommend avoiding direct contact with armadillos and using caution when working in soil where the animals may have been digging.

Rescue boats raced toward a simulated crash site roughly 500 yards off the beach, where smoke bombs stood in for the wreckage and smoke a downed plane would leave behind. Coast Guard helicopters hovered overhead, lowering rescue baskets and pulling volunteers to safety, while Sheriff’s Office drones provided aerial surveillance of the scene.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the exercise was larger in scope than previous drills the agency has conducted.

“This one has been several years since we’ve done something like this. We’ve done something on a smaller scale, but this bringing in the Coast Guard, FWC... we’ve done training in the county, but bringing in these other assets means a lot,” Chitwood said.

Crews worked in coordinated roles during the drill — some tasked with locating victims in the water, others focused on quickly pulling them to safety. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also participated alongside the Sheriff’s Office and Coast Guard.

Chitwood said that while a plane crash into the ocean is a rare event, emergency agencies cannot afford to be caught unprepared.

“If a plane goes into the water, there would be an active search, rescue and recovery mission in place,” he said.

The sheriff drew a parallel to another type of high-stakes, low-frequency emergency that law enforcement regularly trains for.

“It’s just like active shooter training. It’s not going to go — God forbid you have an active shooter — it’s not going to go the way the training scenario is, but you have to be able to use all of those tools and all of those techniques,” Chitwood said.

He added that the goal of training is not perfection but preparation.

“What you can do is hone your skills so when a scenario completely comes out of the ordinary, you’re able to adjust, adapt, overcome and utilize everything you have,” Chitwood said.

Andrew Friedman downplayed Ohtani's right biceps soreness, too.

“If it weren't for the knee, he would be pitching right now,” Friedman said Wednesday. “We didn't want to put him in a position where he was altering his mechanics to try to protect the knee in any way.”

The team's president of baseball operations said Ohtani is keeping his right arm active with plyometric throws using a medicine ball that takes the strain off constantly landing on his left leg.

“It keeps getting better,” Friedman said. “Does he feel 100% in his arm? No, but neither does any pitcher in late July.”

The team wants Ohtani's knee to feel as good as possible before he begins a throwing program on flat ground or off a mound.

“I feel confident that relatively soon he’s going to start getting out and start ramping up for catch-play and bullpens and getting him back,” Friedman said.

That belief is based on the progress Ohtani says he's felt so far and an MRI done on his knee during the All-Star break that came back clear. That's also when he had a lubricant injection in his knee.

In the meantime, Ohtani will continue serving as the designated hitter. He has said his knee doesn't bother him when he's hitting.

“If there was something structural, then we would be much more concerned,” Friedman said. “The fact that there’s not and the fact that it does keep improving suggests that we’re on the right path.”

Friedman said Ohtani's current unavailability on the mound hasn't created an acute need to add pitching with the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaching. The Dodgers have been mentioned as a possible destination for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal of Detroit.

“We’re always open-minded to different things,” Friedman said, “but the biggest thing for us is to do everything we can in the offseason to not put ourselves in a position in July where you absolutely have to do something because it is far and away the worst time to acquire a player.”

Ohtani is 8-2 on the mound with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts over 85 2/3 innings.

The four-time MVP hasn't pitched since July 3. His form didn't look the same in his handful of starts before the All-Star break due to the sore knee that first flared up on June 11 and led to him overcompensating with his upper body, creating tightness in his right biceps.

“The stuff was still in a really good place, execution was a little bit off from what we’ve typically seen from him,” Friedman said. “I'll bet on him to execute.”

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

The deaths on Crete brought a fatal new dimension to a wildfire emergency stretching from the Atlantic coast to the eastern Mediterranean. At the peak of the evacuations, a third of a million people were driven from homes and vacation sites in France and Spain.

In France’s Gironde region, the country’s biggest blaze had not spread during a calm night, authorities said. But as temperatures approached 40 C (104 F) Wednesday afternoon and winds strengthened, the reprieve threatened to be short-lived.

The landscape was so combustible that investigators believe routine brush-clearing work near a high-voltage line may have sparked the inferno, even though the work appeared to comply with regulations.

At the command center in Lège, firefighters bent over maps spread across a car hood, tracking three danger zones: northern Cap-Ferret; the wooded corridor around Marcheprime, Cestas and Saint-Jean-d’Illac; and a military site near Martignas, where a major outbreak forced a large deployment.

Both firefighters and residents mobilize against the blaze

More than 2,200 firefighters and over 20 aircraft remained mobilized, backed by crews from across France and European partners.

“We strike quickly and strike hard at any new smoke emissions,” Gironde fire commander Matthieu Jomain said.

Beyond the command center, civilians were trying to hold the line themselves. At Souge, volunteers flooded the edges of dirt tracks while a local digger driver plowed through still-burning soil, trying to keep flames from crossing back when the expected west wind arrived. In Lacanau, residents pumped water from a lake into tanks headed for hot spots and firefighters’ cisterns.

“If one day the fire starts in our neck of the woods, I know very well that all the people here would do the same for us,” said Flavien Dubuch, 33, who drove from Saint-Émilion with his father to help.

Hottest day this week

The advance of major fires in the Landes and Var regions has been halted. That left Gironde as France’s biggest remaining wildfire battle, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said.

The Gironde fire forced 220,000 people to flee at the peak of the crisis. Tens of thousands have since been allowed home, but authorities warned that the danger had not passed.

Extreme heat strips moisture from vegetation and drives down humidity, turning grasses, brush and forest litter into faster-burning fuel.

Investigators believe contractors working near a high-voltage line for power-grid operator Enedis ignited the blaze while using a brush-cutting machine, Bordeaux prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul said.

Météo-France said Wednesday would be the hottest and driest day of the week, with elevated wildfire danger across every region of France. Drought now covers mainland France and Corsica, with soils nearing the record dryness reached in August 2022.

Smoke from the Gironde and Landes fires also pushed particulate pollution higher across both departments, regional air-quality monitors said.

More evacuations ordered in France

Gironde authorities ordered 4,000 more people out of tourist sites along the Atlantic coast on Tuesday, widening what may be France’s largest peacetime evacuation.

“The situation remains complicated. That’s clear. We’re not out of the woods,” said Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas, who also authorized 60,000 evacuees to return to three Bordeaux suburbs untouched by fire.

The opposing movements — thousands ordered out of coastal resorts as others returned with mobile phones on and emergency bags packed — captured how precarious the situation remains.

The disruption was spreading beyond the burn zone into Bordeaux’s peak tourism season.

Edouard le Grix de la Salle, who runs Château du Grand Verdus with his brother, said official appeals to avoid the region threatened its wine-tourism trade. “How did they not think about protecting that sector?” he told The Associated Press.

At one point the Gironde blaze created a black thundercloud, electrified and lit from within, that generated lightning, violent winds and new fires beyond the original front. The pyrocumulonimbus was the first recorded in France.

Fire in Greece turns deadly for firefighters

Two firefighters died Wednesday while battling a wildfire in the Rethymno region of Crete, Greece’s fire department said. They were among about 125 firefighters confronting flames fanned by strong winds, with four helicopters and four water-dropping planes deployed.

The circumstances of their deaths were not immediately clear. The department said they died “in the line of duty to protect the lives and property of citizens and the natural environment.”

A third firefighter also died Wednesday outside the fire perimeter, after tackling a separate blaze in Greece’s southern Peloponnese region.

Tens of thousands begin returning home in Spain

At the height of the crisis, roughly 330,000 people were driven from homes and vacation sites across France and Spain.

Tens of thousands of people began returning home in central Spain after firefighters made progress around Madrid and Ávila. Evacuation orders were lifted for about 20,000 people in the Madrid region, while stay-at-home restrictions ended for another 14,000.

But 10,000 people remain under evacuation orders in Castellón, where a fire was still out of control as Spain braced for its fourth heat wave of the summer.

More than 1,160 square kilometers (448 square miles) have burned across France this year, according to the Interior Ministry.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, warming at more than twice the global average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service. Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness contributing to the spread and intensification of fires in France and Spain, Copernicus said.

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Adamson reported from Paris. Elena Becatoros in Athens, Suman Naishadham in Madrid, Alex Turnbull in Souge, France, and John Leicester and Masha Macpherson in Paris contributed.

The Senate Judiciary Committee had been expected to vote Thursday on whether to advance Blanche’s nomination to the full chamber. But resistance from two Republican senators on the committee who could block Blanche's nomination threw his confirmation into doubt.

A spokesperson for the committee said in a statement Wednesday night that the vote would be postponed “as work continues to secure sufficient support.” The delay came after hours of negotiations between the Justice Department and Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis over the controversial settlement that afforded Trump and members of his family protection from tax audits.

At the center of the fight is the resolution of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. It included a deal to drop tax claims against the president and a now-scrapped plan to create a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who believe they were wronged by the Justice Department. The department said in June that it was no longer moving forward with the “Anti-Weaponization Fund" amid bipartisan outrage, but officials have said the audit immunity agreement remains in place.

Cornyn and Tillis have demanded additional assurances in writing that the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is dead and have pressed for clarification on the scope of the tax immunity deal. Cornyn has said he wants the administration to modify that piece of the settlement to make clear that it covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.

Cornyn, who recently lost the Republican primary in Texas, accused the Justice Department earlier Wednesday of “stonewalling" and said “the ball is in Blanche’s court."

“We’re been trying to help them get to a conclusion here and they won’t let us. It’s befuddling to me,” Cornyn told reporters.

Blanche didn’t answer shouted questions from reporters as he left Capitol Hill, where he had been meeting with senators Wednesday. The Justice Department sent Cornyn and Tillis new language Wednesday evening in an effort to satisfy their demands, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk about sensitive discussions surrounding Blanche’s confirmation.

After the vote was postponed, the department said in a statement that it looks “forward to continuing to work productively with Senators to address any concerns.”

Trump on Wednesday downplayed any concerns about Blanche's path to confirmation, calling his attorney general pick and former personal attorney “outstanding."

“Maybe John Cornyn’s upset with me because I didn’t endorse him,” Trump told reporters in response to questions about the senator's requests.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the state's Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, easily defeating Cornyn. Trump had endorsed Paxton.

Some lawmakers have questioned whether the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” could be resurrected absent a commitment in writing from the Trump administration that it is not moving forward, especially since Trump has expressed continued support for the idea. Blanche had previously resisted requests for a formal written retraction, though he told senators at his confirmation hearing earlier this month that the administration would be willing to help craft legislation to bar the creation of the fund.

The settlement resulting from Trump's lawsuit over his leaked tax returns has drawn intense scrutiny both in Congress and in court. The judge handling the case said in a scathing ruling earlier this month that Trump had effectively engaged in self-dealing through the lawsuit and that she was troubled Blanche had signed the settlement, given his prior representation of Trump.

Blanche has said he disagrees “with the judge’s insinuations" about him.

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Associated Press reporters Seung Min Kim and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.

The Alien Terrorist Removal Court is scheduled to hold a hearing on Thursday in Washington, D.C., for the government's petition to deport Nazira Haji Zada, of Fort Worth, Texas. Nazira was arrested earlier this week.

An FBI memo dated July 15 said it “developed information” that Nazira is an Islamic State supporter who had her children pledge their loyalty to the terrorist group. Nazira “supported" a plot by relatives to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack in the U.S., the memo says.

Court filings identify Nazira as the mother and mother-in-law of two Afghan men who were convicted in Oklahoma for their roles in the 2024 Election Day plot. Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, was sentenced last November to 15 years in prison and court records show he previously agreed to be removed from the U.S. after he is released from prison.

Her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, previously worked as a security guard for an American military installation in Afghanistan. He pleaded guilty to conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group, and prosecutors have said he took steps to advance his attack plans by ordering AK-47 rifles, liquidating his family’s assets and buying one-way tickets for his wife and child to travel home to Afghanistan.

The Alien Terrorist Removal Court was established in 1996 but had never received a petition until this month, when the Justice Department filed an application seeking Nazira’s removal. Documents in support of that application were unsealed Wednesday night ahead of a scheduled hearing Thursday.

The long-dormant court has a specific authority to conduct deportation proceedings for individuals whom the Justice Department classifies as “alien terrorists.”

The court is comprised of five federal judges from different districts across the country who are appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, with all proceedings, at least for now, taking place at the federal courthouse in Washington.

“Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court three decades ago to remove from the United States alien terrorists who never should have been here in the first place,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.

“The allegations in this case show the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family aiding in a plot to launch a mass casualty attack on American voters on Election Day. The Department’s application in this court makes clear that terrorists have no place in the United States of America,” Blanche added.

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit a day earlier in the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu also left at least 62 people injured, six of them seriously, the prefectural government said. The tally has been steadily growing, fanning fears it may continue to rise.

Some of the most serious damage was at the Aeon Mall shopping center in the town of Kashima, which was bustling with thousands of people when the quake happened. The company said some 3,000 customers were evacuated to a parking lot before a gas explosion happened in another part of the mall, where some people were still working.

Fumika Ono was shopping at a mall with her older sister when the ground shook so fiercely she lost her balance and ducked. Children began screaming and goods scattered on the floor.

The 19-year-old was among the crowd of shoppers who managed to escape safely.

The sweltering weather heightened worries about the survivors as rescuers braved the heat. It remained unclear how many people might still be missing.

The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people. Witnesses said the explosion shook the area as much as the quake.

Three people remained missing, while four deaths were confirmed at the mall site, according to Aeon President Akio Yoshida.

“We take it seriously that an explosion happened and precious lives were lost,” Yoshida told a news conference in Kumamoto, where he bowed deeply along with two other executives.

Japanese media footage of the mall showed that part of the ceiling had caved in, and metal pieces and other debris were scattered about as helmeted and masked rescue workers searched the area.

Kiyoshi Matsunaga, 74, who lives in the mall's neighborhood and was at a supermarket just a few blocks away, said Tuesday's quake reminded him of a deadly quake 10 years ago that hit Kumamoto and killed 50 people.

He stopped in his tracks when the shaking began while he was pushing his cart toward a cash register. Things scattered from the shelves. He could not move, he recalled.

“I was frightened," he said.

Japan is one of the most quake-prone nations in the world.

In the Nuyamazu district, a pair of temple gates at a 16th-century Buddhist temple collapsed. They had just been repaired five years ago.

Yuki Kiyozumi, deputy chief priest at the temple, recalled how she had to crawl on the floor because the shaking was so violent. She had just returned home from a meeting and was about to feed her cat.

“I don’t even know if or how we can rebuild them again,” she said, while cleaning up damaged ornaments and furniture.

In nearby Yatsushiro, a chimney collapse at a Nippon Paper Industries factory killed five people while seven others were rescued from the debris, according to the Kumamoto prefectural government disaster team.

Four people were still believed to be trapped there, it said.

In the first reported death of a foreign national, a Vietnamese technical intern was killed after a crane fell on him at a factory where he worked, according to the Vietnamese government. He had arrived in Japan in January. Seven other Vietnamese technical interns at the factory evacuated safely.

Separately, a Vietnamese woman married to one of the workers was injured when a wall collapsed and was being treated at a hospital.

Nearly 34,900 homes were still without electricity and some 15,000 homes without running water, Kumamoto officials said. More than 8,800 people left their homes to stay in over 400 shelters, where power sources were being added to provide air conditioning.

Aerial police footage showed some homes in residential areas were completely flattened, including a few that crumbled into a nearby river.

Service members of Japan's Self-Defense Force joined rescue workers in the search and rescue operations. Hundreds of professionals were helping with the effort, including firefighters from Taiwan.

“There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said. “We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can.”

Takaichi said the government was preparing to deliver food and other necessities to hard-hit areas. She also offered her condolences to the victims and sympathy to their relatives, while urging those affected by the quake to take care of themselves under the hot weather.

Bullet train services remained suspended. Although operations at Aso Kumamoto Airport resumed Wednesday, some airlines canceled flights as a precautionary measure.

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Associated Press writers Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo and Aniruddha Ghosal in Hanoi, Vietnam, contributed to this report.

The teen repeatedly shot an untraceable ghost gun into a crowd, police said, and the King County prosecutor’s office filed charges of first-degree assault with a firearm and unlawful possession of a handgun.

In a statement supporting the charges, police said preliminary testing of bullets recovered from the two bystanders killed showed they did not match that weapon.

The shooting in the waning hours of the Bite of Seattle festival near the Space Needle left three people dead, including a 19-year-old suspect, and at least four bystanders injured, including a toddler. Police believe it was gang-related, and they continue searching for others who might have been involved.

Police Chief Shon Barnes had previously said there was possibly another person with a gunshot wound that investigators were looking to speak with, but the department said Wednesday there was no eighth victim.

Testing on shell casings found at the scene suggest four weapons were fired, the statement said. Police said they recovered three guns, but only two of them had been fired, which means two weapons involved in the gunbattle were not found at the scene. It isn’t clear which weapon or weapons fired the bullets that hit the festival attendees.

Dozens of officers were at Seattle Center, a sprawling park, providing security for the event, when the shooting began. Some heard the gunshots, and one officer saw the 15-year-old firing, police said.

A witness told investigators that he heard gunshots and saw the people around him duck, Detective Matt Blackburn wrote in the statement. The witness saw a man in a light blue top who started running; the witness believed that was where the first shots came from.

The witness reported that he then saw the 15-year-old unzip a bag that was strapped around his torso and pull out a gun with an extended magazine. The teen shot multiple times toward the other suspect, Blackburn wrote. Two shell casings from the teen’s ghost gun were found at the scene.

The teen surrendered when confronted by an officer. As police escorted him past the dead 19-year-old's body, he said, “Love you bro,” Blackburn wrote.

Prosecutors on Wednesday asked a judge to move the case to adult court, a decision that can take months after the judge considers arguments from both sides. The teen's public defender, Hong Tran, said in an email Wednesday the teen would contest the effort to try him as an adult.

If the teen is convicted as an adult, the charges would carry a sentencing range of about eight to 10 years in prison, plus possibly another five years for the firearm enhancement. However, judges in Washington may also choose to sentence juveniles as juveniles even if they are convicted in adult court.

In juvenile court, the charges would carry a sentencing range of two to 2 1/2 years. It was not immediately clear whether the firearm enhancement might add additional time in juvenile detention.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the dead bystanders as Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, and Ashley Whitehead, 56. The suspect killed was Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19.

Villalba was a husband and father of three known for his kindness and willingness to help others, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched Monday to help his family with funeral expenses.

Whitehead had just moved to Washington from Alabama a year ago and was enjoying the festival with one of her adult daughters when she was shot, her cousin Michelle Whitehead told The Associated Press. She was taken to the hospital and died in surgery, she said.

The police department opened an online portal on Wednesday for the public to share video and photos from the shooting.

Prosecutors said the defendant, Talil M. Vann, 25, also attempted to hire a hitman while jailed to kill the child victim — as well as the prosecutor and lead detective assigned to the case — in an effort to derail the prosecution.

Charges and sentence

Seminole County prosecutors convicted Vann at a June trial of:

• Two counts of capital sexual battery on a child under the age of 12
• One count of using a child in a sexual performance

At a hearing on Monday, a circuit judge sentenced Vann to:

• Two life prison terms for the sexual battery convictions
• 15 years in prison for using a child in a sexual performance

How investigators say the abuse unfolded

The State Attorney’s Office said Vann used Snapchat in 2024 to manipulate the child into meeting him.

According to prosecutors, the victim later told her mother she had received Snapchat messages months earlier from someone who claimed to be a girl from her school and offered money to help “catch her boyfriend cheating.”

Investigators said the messaging escalated and led to a meeting near the victim’s Altamonte Springs apartment complex.

Prosecutors: suspect played multiple roles in the messages

According to the State Attorney’s Office, after the victim texted the “classmate” her Cash App account information, Vann arrived at the apartment complex — allegedly posing as both:

• The school-aged girl
• The “cheating boyfriend”

The State Attorney’s Office said the girl took a photo of Vann outside the complex while he was wearing plaid pajama pants.

Evidence cited by prosecutors

Prosecutors said Vann pressured the child into sex and sex acts in a secluded area while recording videos on a phone.

The State Attorney’s Office said an Altamonte Springs Police detective later:

• Connected the Snapchat accounts to Vann
• Recovered phone videos that investigators said showed the sexual battery

Prosecutors said the man in the videos wore the same plaid pajama pants as the man the child photographed.

Alleged murder-for-hire plot while jailed

Prosecutors said that while Vann was jailed in 2025 on the sex-crime case, he tried to hire a hitman to kill:

• The child victim
• The prosecutor
• The lead detective

According to the State Attorney’s Office, Vann asked a fellow inmate to arrange the killings through someone outside the jail and offered a BMW he owned as payment.

Prosecutors said Vann’s written directions included a plan to target the detective with a pipe bomb strapped to a remote-controlled car.

Authorities: “hitman” was undercover

The person Vann believed he had hired was actually an undercover deputy with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, prosecutors said. The operation began after a confidential informant tipped off law enforcement, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

What prosecutors told jurors

Assistant State Attorneys Stewart Stone, Domenick Leo, and Martine McCarthy handled the trial, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said they used evidence of the alleged solicitation to commit murder to argue the defendant showed a “consciousness of guilt” on the underlying sexual battery charges.

In a statement, Leo said:

“While no jury verdict can undo the harm inflicted upon the child victim, today’s sentence ensures that the defendant was held accountable and that the community is protected from further harm.”

Case reassigned to senior prosecutors

The State Attorney’s Office said it reassigned Vann’s cases to other senior prosecutors before trial. The office said he was ultimately convicted and sentenced.

As part of the motion, the board said it supports the principles of a rare consolidation between two Olympic sport organizations. But the board also wanted a “definitive agreement that more specifically defines them and ensures governance autonomy for U.S. biathlon.” A working group is being set up and will present a draft by late August.

The board’s decision followed a long closed-door meeting to decide whether to remove the board’s chair, Bob Hall, over an ethics claim. It was dismissed.

The integration became necessary, officials said, to boost biathlon’s revenues and performance. It also drew concern among athletes who felt it might hurt the sport. Hall said the alliance means a $3 million improvement to its budget over the next four years.

Athlete representative Jake Brown said the board recognizes there could be good opportunities with the merger, but added, “we also need to do it right and do it with the membership, the community, athlete support.”

U.S. Biathlon Association’s board of directors began working on the proposal in March after the U.S. again failed to win a biathlon medal at the Winter Olympics, and told members in May.

Leading into the vote, U.S. Biathlon CEO Jack Gierhart told members the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee was cutting 22% of its funding and sponsors were pulling back. That led the board to consider an offer to join USSS, where biathlon would have access to more money and could add athlete services and expose more skiers to biathlon.

But the effort has sparked pushback and ethics complaints from longtime biathletes and supporters, who spoke out during town halls and started an opposition website, saying the board has fast-tracked a plan that threatens the sport’s future. The concern was biathlon would get lost among larger, more popular sports like Alpine skiing, they said. Decisions would be made by people who don’t know the sport and many fear losing financial support for the national team.

“I don’t want to see biathlon disappear into another organization,” said Art Stegen, author of the book, “Unique and Unknown: The Story of Biathlon in the United States.”

Merging Olympic sport organizations is rare. USSS CEO Sophie Goldschmidt tried to take over USA Surfing last year but dropped the bid after opposition from members. She's now in talks with USA Skateboarding, she said.

In April, USSS brought the U.S. Para Nordic ski team — cross-country skiing and biathlon — under its umbrella. The move continued the expansion of Para sports within the U.S. ski team.

Gierhart said USBA worked carefully to comply with federal law and ensure US Biathlon’s independence while taking advantage of a USSS collaboration.

Opposing opinions on whether merger is a good idea

USSS is a powerhouse in winter sports, overseeing 11 sports and 250 elite athletes, including Alpine ski champion Mikaela Shiffrin and snowboarding superstar Chloe Kim. They have a budget of $70 million and 40,000 members, compared with biathlon's $4 million budget and 1,407 members. Biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, has never won an Olympic medal. It's wildly popular in Europe.

Cross-country ski Olympian Kikkan Randall, who's on the USSS board, said the collaboration would benefit both groups.

“There's a recognition of how big biathlon is in Europe. Being able to tap into that popularity and marketability is really intriguing," Randall said.

But some biathletes feared USSS would cut the sport's funding, as it did for U.S. Ski Jumping in 2010 and Nordic Combined in 2014. Longtime biathletes Jon Schafer of Colorado and Marc Sheppard of Montana conducted interviews with people in biathlon and cross-country ski communities and produced an analysis of the merger that concluded working with USSS should be a “last resort.”

“The overwhelming consensus is that everyone is terrified of destroying the long-term future of the organization for possible short-term financial gain," they wrote.

U.S. Biathlon has held town halls, athlete meetings and working groups to discuss the merger. USSS has not reached out to clubs or members but has had board discussions, Goldschmidt said.

Stegen, sports lawyer Ed Williams and Olympian Joan Wilder filed a complaint Friday with the USBA ethics committee against Hall, saying he improperly hosted meetings on the merger without notifying members.

An ethics complaint was also filed against Dexter Paine, because he sits on the USSS and USBA boards. He recused himself before the merger vote.

A potential legal obstacle to the plan

Steven Bank, a law professor at University of California, Los Angeles, who specializes in sport law, said USSS has more diversified revenue sources, so it’s not surprising that the USOPC would want biathlon connected to it.

But a federal law could be an obstacle, he said.

Under the 1978 Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, a national governing body, like USSS and U.S. Biathlon, can’t be overseen by multiple international federations. USSS is under the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, while biathlon is under the International Biathlon Union.

The law was created to avoid legal disputes that can arise over things like picking national teams, governing standards and rules, he said.

Biathletes say growth could happen without a merger

Biathlon's funding would stay with its programs. Biathlon's board, which would expand to include USSS representation, would keep making decisions about governing the sport. Biathlon staff would transfer to USSS and biathlon would have two seats on the USSS board.

Biathletes who oppose the plan say there are other ways to grow the sport, pointing to existing programs that already are attracting more skiers.

Gierhart said the alliance could bring in more resources so they can help clubs get equipment and expand existing programs.

“The long-term implications of what this could bring is really profound from a growing-the-sport perspective and pushing support out to the communities and clubs that need it," he said.

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EDITOR’S NOTE — Martha Bellisle is an amateur biathlete who has won several U.S. national and world championship gold medals in the master’s division. She is a member of the U.S. Biathlon Association.

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https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

The show's new executive producer, Nick Bilton, announced the news in a staff memo Tuesday, shared on X. Joining Douthat and O'Donnell will be author Sebastian Junger, Trevor Phillips and Gianna Toboni. All will be contributors to the show.

The new journalists join current correspondents Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim and Bill Whitaker. Their hirings come two months after a shakeup at the storied program, led by the network's new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss.

Weiss installed Bilton, who has little substantive broadcast news experience, as executive producer, replacing Tanya Simon, who was let go after a 30-plus year tenure with the show. Also let go were correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega — and soon after, Scott Pelley, after a tense confrontation with his bosses over the changes.

In addition to the three dismissed, Anderson Cooper — whose primary job is at CNN — said earlier this year he was leaving of his own accord after two decades.

CBS News leaders enthused about the hires

Weiss and Tom Cibrowski, the CBS News president, praised the new hires in an internal memo. “We couldn’t be more excited about this news,” the two said, welcoming the new additions. “Onward!”

Bilton called Douthat “one of the preeminent public intellectuals in America today, a thinker of uncommon rigor and a journalist of deep empathy.” The columnist has spent nearly two decades at the Times and is an author of numerous books.

The producer called O’Donnell “a powerhouse.”

“You’ve seen her all over the network. She’s launched a new podcast. And you’ll see much more of her in our halls because Norah will be a correspondent on 60 Minutes."

Bilton praised Junger for his nonfiction work “The Perfect Storm,” about a catastrophic 1991 storm. The book “landed with an electric charge in the world of reported nonfiction, defining an intense and intimate form of storytelling and establishing Sebastian as a generational talent,” Bilton said.

Toboni joins“60 Minutes” as a contributor and CBS News as a national correspondent. Previously a senior correspondent with VICE News and VICE on HBO, she comes to the program from CNN.

Calling her a journalist of “extraordinary range,” Bilton noted that Toboni has interviewed members of ISIS, investigated cartel violence in Mexico and has written a book on the death penalty.

Also serving as contributor will be Trevor Phillips, announced last month as the news division's senior global affairs correspondent. Based in London, he is “one of the most respected and trusted voices in the United Kingdom for his ability to ask the toughest questions and hold anyone in power to account,” Bilton wrote in his memo.

‘60 Minutes’ has faced upheaval for a while

Turmoil had raged at “60 Minutes” for more than a year before the May shakeup. Much of it came after President Donald Trump sued the show over its editing of a 2024 interview with then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

That became part of a broader shakeup at CBS News after Weiss was named to the new role of editor-in-chief by parent company Paramount late last year following David Ellison’s arrival as the network’s corporate leader.

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Jocelyn Noveck covers the intersection of media and entertainment for The Associated Press.