THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered Friday as oil prices slipped for the first time in a week, but Wall Street is still heading for a losing week.

The S&P 500 was mostly unchanged. The index is on track for its second consecutive losing week, which hasn’t happened since March.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 167 points, or 0.3%, as of 2:51 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq fell 0.6% and was weighed down by sharp losses from several big stocks. Both indexes are also on track for weekly losses.

Micron Technology fell 7.5% and Nvidia fell 1.1%. Both companies have large market values that tend to weigh more heavily on the market. They were big reasons for the technology-heavy Nasdaq losing more ground and for the broader market being kept in check despite more gainers than losers within the S&P 500.

Wall Street is closing out a week of increasing pressure from a sharp escalation in the U.S. war with Iran. Heavy fighting in the Middle East again threatened to slow the global flow of oil and gas. Many of the buffers in the energy market from earlier in the year, including strategic reserves in the U.S., have also been weakened.

“If escalation continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the impact will land on an energy market with far less resilience than in the spring,” wrote Theodore Bunzel, head of geopolitical advisory at Lazard Asset Management, in a report.

Brent crude, the international standard, fell 4.2% to $96.51. It has generally been rising all week and moved back above $100 on Thursday before easing a bit. Before the Iran war began in late February it was trading around $72 per barrel.

Bond yields also eased and relieved some of the pressure on stocks. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.68% from 4.71% late Thursday.

Markets in Europe gained ground, while Asian markets closed lower.

The U.S. is also ramping up its global trade war with a fresh round of tariffs on dozens of nations. The new round of tariffs impacts nearly all U.S. imports and they are paid by companies importing those goods, who then typically pass the added costs along to consumers. That move came just as the clock was running out Friday on stopgap levies the president imposed after a stinging defeat for other tariffs at the Supreme Court.

Rising energy prices and fresh tariffs could result in hotter inflation, which has been squeezing consumers and looming over the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy.

The Fed meets later this month and has been closely monitoring prices and their impact. Rising inflation dashed hopes earlier this year for an interest rate cut. Wall Street has since leaned more toward a potential rate increase, which the central bank can use to help cool inflation.

Wall Street is anticipating one rate hike by the end of the year, with a nearly 36% chance that could happen at the upcoming meeting next week, according to CME FedWatch.

Higher energy costs threaten to take a bigger chunk out of household budgets, which means a shift in spending toward more basic needs, like gasoline. Nationally, a gallon of gasoline costs $4.10 per gallon, according to AAA. That’s still lower than this spring as the conflict in Iran expanded, but it’s almost a dollar higher than last year at this time.

Investors are worried about the impact to companies profits. Those profits and expectations for more growth are what typically justifies a stock's value. The latest round of corporate earnings showed that companies are still notching growth, but concerns are growing.

American Express fell 4.9% despite reporting a jump in profit during its most recent quarter. Amex maintained its profit forecast for the year and has been spending more heavily to keep wealthy individuals amid more competition.

Worries about the sustainability of broader profits are on top of lingering concerns about AI-focused tech companies. Companies like Alphabet and Nvidia have been spending heavily on AI technology. Investors are increasingly questioning whether those investments will produce profits to justify the large stock values that have been steering the broader market higher throughout the year.

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AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

Produced by environmental scientists, the report — which the state for more than six months had refused to release — said regulators should have more authority to reject industrial water withdrawal permits, force entities to examine alternative sources of water and clamp down on users who might be using more water than they should be.

The report noted limits around publicly available information on data center water use but did not lay blame with the industry for the concerns it raised about the aquifer.

The groundwater supply in Virginia’s populous eastern coastal plain region “is constrained, and current projections indicate declining availability in the near future,” said the report, which Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s office provided to The Associated Press Thursday.

Data centers use water, sometimes in large amounts, to cool their servers. Worries about data centers' impact on the quality and supply of both ground and surface water — and about tech companies’ failures to be as transparent as the public would like — have dogged projects around the country. The issues have become politically explosive heading into the midterm elections.

Perhaps nowhere are those topics more resonant than in Virginia, home to hundreds of data centers with more under development and where the sustainability of groundwater, the supply stored naturally under the earth's surface, in the coastal eastern region has been a long-running concern.

A wide range of interest groups had begun to publicly admonish the governor's administration for withholding the report; those reviewing it Friday said its findings were sobering.

“We’re standing on the ledge,” said Jay Ford, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Virginia policy manager.

Report says lawmakers should tighten regulations

Virginia enacted its first groundwater law in 1973, but legislators acknowledged it was “too permissive” and tightened it in 1992, the report said. The law remains in effect, but the report warns it should be strengthened again.

State Sen. Richard Stuart, a conservative Republican who represents Virginia’s coastal Northern Neck region and has made conservation a cornerstone of his legislative work, said he's been making noise about the issue for at least 15 years. Increasingly, local governments in his district are being told by regulators that they will have to shift to new surface water sources because of the strain on groundwater.

He said the water crunch is happening at the same time as many new data centers are coming online across his district. He wanted more specifics so he passed a bill requiring the study.

The report found that groundwater withdrawals in the region fell sharply roughly 15 years ago after a paper mill closed, which along with regulatory efforts helped water levels rise in the area’s biggest aquifer. Recently, however, those trends stalled, and levels throughout the aquifer are projected to resume declining, it said.

There likely isn’t enough groundwater to sustainably add any big, new industrial user, according to the study.

The report suggests the Legislature strengthen regulators' permitting authority; require applicants who want to tap large volumes of groundwater first examine surface water or water reuse; require better planning for local water use; and beef up funding for water management staffing and equipment.

Lawmakers should also weigh in on how they want regulators to prioritize drinking water for the public with current law, which directs them to consider protecting current uses.

Stuart said Friday that while he was still processing the more than 100-page report, its summary findings were worrisome, though they will help lawmakers make tough decisions moving forward.

“Folks worry about the lack of the ability for growth. A lot of them are talking about industrial and commercial. I’m worried about our citizens having drinking water, and I’m worried about our seafood industry because they need clean water,” he said.

Data centers would struggle to get a groundwater permit, study finds

The report said most existing and planned data center capacity is located in public water supply service areas that mostly draw from surface water. But it went on to note that no comprehensive public data exists about groundwater-sourced water withdrawals from the facilities.

While it’s also not clear exactly how many data centers are under development in the state’s eastern region, 371 are in operation across the state and another 438 are planned, according Cleanview, a company that tracks data centers and other power infrastructure development.

The report’s authors performed an analysis to evaluate what hypothetical water withdrawals from a data center would look like and whether they could be permitted.

“Under current conditions, it appears unlikely that a data center with evaporative cooling technology (or any comparable water user) would find a reliable, sufficient groundwater supply anywhere” in the region, the report said.

Groundwater management and quality as more data centers come online has also been a concern in states including Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Georgia and South Carolina.

Spanberger initially refused to release the report but says she will act on it

The state’s delay in issuing the report had raised transparency concerns and questions about its contents, partly because of its connection to data centers.

A wide range of advocacy organizations and a committee that advises state regulators on eastern Virginia groundwater issues had begun to raise concerns in June and July about why the report due in January had not yet been made public. Stuart said he had not been able to obtain a copy of it.

The AP sought the report under an open records request, and the Department of Environmental Quality withheld it. After AP requested comment for a story about the refusal to release the report, the governor’s office provided a copy late Thursday night.

Jack Bledsoe, a spokesperson for Spanberger, who took office in January, attributed delays in the report's release to a backlog of outstanding items from the previous governor's administration.

“This report represents the most comprehensive analysis of groundwater resources conducted in Virginia history. Governor Spanberger is committed to working with the General Assembly to carefully evaluate its findings, strengthen the Commonwealth’s groundwater management policies, and protect Virginia’s water supply for future generations,” Bledsoe said.

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Associated Press reporters Michael Phillis in Washington and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

Also, a series of explosions sounded near a military base hosting U.S. forces in northern Iraq and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, hours after the American military said it finished its 13th night of strikes against Iran. The conflict has flared again over the past week, as the U.S. has pounded Iran while Tehran has attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. assets and allies in the region.

Here's the latest:

Trump said he’d be ‘willing’ to call senators to help move stalled elections bill

“I’d certainly be willing,” Trump said when asked if he could be doing more to help the Republican-controlled Senate pass a stalled elections bill he wants to sign into law.

Trump said he helped move the bill through the Republican-controlled House by calling a few representatives and getting them on board to send the bill to the Senate.

He said Senate Majority Leader John Thune has “got four or five people that are very difficult,” including some “I put out of office.”

“So I understand how it feels. I mean, they’re doing the wrong thing,” Trump said, asking who wouldn’t be for showing ID and proof of citizenship to vote.

“No Republicans should put us in a position where they don’t approve of something like that,” he said.

Trump says he’s not feeling pressure to settle the Iran war ahead of the midterm elections

The president said, as far as the elections are concerned, “I’m not in a hurry.”

He said he won’t let rising gas prices and inflation continuing to run hot sway his decision on the war in Iran.

“We have to do it right,” Trump said, adding “elections take care of themselves.”

Trump was reelected in 2024 promising to bring down the cost of living but has seen prices rise dramatically in the months since the war with Iran began.

That has complicated things for Republicans hoping to maintain control of Congress.

Trump celebrates new nuclear reactors in his push to speed up power production

The president hosted executives from nuclear power companies in the Oval Office to celebrate a new milestone in the White House’s push to accelerate the growth of nuclear power in the U.S.

Last year, Trump signed four actions creating a pilot program aimed at having four new nuclear reactors go critical by July 4. Four companies ended up meeting that deadline, Trump said on Friday.

“America is building again, America is dreaming again, and we’re leading the world in pioneering the next generation of nuclear power,” he said.

Trump says U.S. will place ‘a major tariff’ on Mexico for diarrhea-causing parasite

Asked when it would be safe to eat lettuce again, after a diarrhea-inducing parasite found in lettuce produced in Mexico has affected patients in nine U.S. states, Trump said his government is “going to put a major tariff on tax on Mexico because of the lettuce.”

He added that his administration would also “put a big tariff on Canada because of the smoke” caused by hundreds of wildfires raging across Canada, which has carried smoke by winds into the U.S.

Trump defends subpoenas targeting New York Times journalists, says case isn’t over

A day after his administration withdrew subpoenas that would have required three New York Times journalists to testify about their sources, Trump said he isn’t retreating.

“We have a long way to go with that case,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday.

Trump said he supports the subpoenas, which were issued in response to a story about Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet.

“We’re not after journalists, we’re after leakers,” Trump said. “And the way you find them is through the journalists.”

Trump says US and Iran are talking, he thinks they’re being ‘serious’

“Sort of everybody” is involved in the talks with Iran to end the war, Trump said.

He said Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and “a lot of people” are talking to Iran.

“We’ll see what comes of it,” the president said.

“We’re talking to them right now,” Trump said. “I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason. But we are talking to them right now.”

Trump says Venezuela is ‘not really ready’ for election yet

Asked when that the country will hold elections after U.S. forces toppled President Nicolás Maduro, Trump responded, “They’re not really ready for them yet.”

He said the U.S. has brought economic benefits to Venezuela without elaborating, or mentioning the devastation of recent, major earthquakes there.

“They’re not ready yet for the elections, but at some point they will be,” the president added before mentioning the country’s prowess in the Miss Universe pageants once he owned.

Trump declines to answer question about possible war crimes in Iran

Answering questions from reporters, Trump was asked if he considers it a war crime to blow up civilian power plants and bridges, as he has repeatedly threatened to do in Iran.

Trump replied, “I wont respond to that question.”

The president has repeatedly threatened to blow up civilian infrastructure in Iran before backing down.

Democrats demand answers on Iran war casualties from Pentagon

Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee are demanding answers on how the Pentagon is handling the reporting of Iran war casualties.

In a letter Friday, the 12 lawmakers note that the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System, or DCAS, “has reported inconsistent casualty figures, raising additional questions about the transparency and reliability of the Department’s public reporting and statements.”

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell argued this week that the system is “regularly updated online” following news reports that information about injuries was being withheld.

However, the system now shows only 14 troops killed, though that total stands at 18. The system also shows only 420 troops have been wounded in the conflict. A U.S. official has told The Associated Press that the total is well over 500.

Parnell blamed “temporary data disruptions” in a social media post Thursday.

The lawmakers are seeking detailed information about the Iran war casualties as well as details about the reporting process of that data to DCAS

Trump’s newest tariffs face immediate court challenge

The Liberty Justice Center, a libertarian advocacy group that successfully challenged earlier Trump tariffs, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York, challenging the double-digit import taxes that Trump imposed Friday.

The Trump administration, invoking the Trade Act of 1974, targeted 16 U.S. trading partners with tariffs of 10% to 12.5%, charging that they had failed to crack down on imports produced by forced labor.

But the Liberty Justice Center calls the new tariffs a pretext to allow Trump to maintain a wall of tariffs around the U.S. economy after the Supreme Court struck down big global taxes he’d imposed last year.

The new levies took effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday as time ran out on temporary tariffs Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat.

“The administration allowed one global tariff to expire and immediately replaced it with another under a different statute,” said Sara Albrecht, chair of the Liberty Justice Center. “Changing the statute doesn’t change the law. Every tariff authority has limits, and every administration must respect them.”

Her group represented businesses that successfully challenged Trump’s 2025 global tariffs.

Trump says he’s ‘fine’ with Canada disinviting US from opening ceremony for new shared bridge

On social media, Trump says he’s OK with Canada’s decision “considering they are paying substantial TARIFFS to the United States.”

Canada alone is celebrating the completion of a new bridge to the U.S. over the Detroit River. The multibillion-dollar Gordie Howe International Bridge will serve as a critical path for trade and casual travel between the U.S. and Canada.

Canada scratched a joint gathering after Trump this week suddenly announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods entering the U.S.

Trump says US will investigate EU trade practices, claiming the bloc unfairly fined tech giants

The president says he’s opening the formal investigation because the bloc has unfairly levied billions of dollars of fines against Google, Apple and other U.S. companies.

Trump made the announcement a day after the EU hit Google with a fine of 890 million euros ($1 billion) after it said the technology behemoth broke digital antitrust regulations by setting up Google Play and its ubiquitous search engine to corral consumers toward its own services and apps to the detriment of competitors.

In a lengthy post on social media, Trump said he has warned the EU about its practice of fining U.S. tech companies. He named Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon and others.

Democrats select South Carolina for their first presidential nominating contest in 2028

The decision most likely cements a dramatic break from decades of tradition by keeping Iowa and New Hampshire off the top of the calendar and elevating more racially diverse states.

The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee weighed competing bids led by South Carolina and Nevada for the first spot. The choice will need to be approved by the full Democratic National Committee, which is scheduled to meet in August.

South Carolina or Nevada had been expected to go first, with each state aggressively campaigning for the coveted spot.

US embassies across the Mideast begin sending country-specific travel warnings for Americans

U.S. embassies across the Middle East sent out country-specific travel alerts to Americans, advising them that already limited options to leave the region may become more limited due to escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.

At least 11 embassies in the Mideast released advisories that echo broader “worldwide caution” and regional warnings that the State Department has put out since last weekend. The department was criticized for its messaging to Americans in the Middle East before and during the war that began in late February.

Neither the worldwide alerts nor the country-specific ones being released on Friday say that intensified hostilities are imminent but they note that some airlines have already canceled flights into the region and that others may follow suit.

The 11 embassies to issue the alerts are Bahrain, the virtual embassy in Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Netanyahu to visit Washington next week for meeting with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to travel to the United States for an official visit next week, his office said in a statement Friday. He’ll meet with President Trump in Washington on Tuesday, according to the statement, and also attend the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The last time the two leaders met in Washington was in February, just weeks before they launched a joint war against Iran. Since then, tensions have grown between the longtime allies, including over how to prosecute the war.

Israel had opposed Trump’s recent negotiations with Iran, while Trump was upset over Israeli military action in Lebanon, which he saw as a threat to his diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

But with Iran and the United State fighting once again, Israel has also signaled its willingness to rejoin the conflict. In recent days, Israeli officials have said they’re preparing to respond if Iran launches an attack on Israeli soil.

Second lady Usha Vance shares family photo after son’s birth

Vance added a message with her social media post thanking the public “for all the good wishes as we settle into life as a family of six.”

She included photos of her larger family seated on a couch, as well as a close-up of the baby.

Vance gave birth Sunday to Alec Neel Vance, her fourth child with Vice President JD Vance. Alec is also the first child born to a sitting vice president in more than 150 years.

He joins older siblings Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel.

White House correspondents’ dinner, redux: What will Trump have to say?

When guests arrive for the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Friday at Washington’s Waldorf Astoria hotel, security will be much tighter, the guest list smaller, the partying pared down.

That much, the correspondents’ association can control.

What remains out of its control — and perhaps the biggest question — is what the dinner’s most prominent guest, President Donald Trump, will bring to the table.

Call it White House Dinner 2.0, or Take Two, or, in Trump’s own words, a “HOT ticket.”

The big unknown is whether Trump will bring the fighting words (“rather nasty,” he said) against the press he’d planned to deliver in April — before the event descended into chaos when a gunman stormed a security checkpoint, forcing an evacuation of the room.

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The latest import duties might stick

Wendy Cutler, a former senior U.S. trade official, said the latest round of tariffs involved “few surprises” since they range just between 10% and 12.5%.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office spent four months investigating the basis for those tariffs to meet legal requirements under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974.

“Time will tell whether the third attempt to impose tariffs is the charm and this action stands up to legal challenges,” said Cutler, senior vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

These duties are less likely than earlier ones to be overruled by U.S. courts, she said.

Further tariffs may be coming in the fall related to alleged structural excess capacity of trading partners, she noted.

China opposes unilateral tariffs in ‘all forms’

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “opposes all forms of unilateral tariffs” in response to the new 12.5% tariffs, reiterating a longstanding statement by Beijing.

“Tariff wars and trade wars do not serve any parties’ interests,” ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference.

Trade tensions have clouded relations between China and the U.S., two of the world’s biggest economies, as Trump’s hefty “Liberation Day” tariffs resulted in a sharp drop in Chinese exports to the U.S.

Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who agreed to set up new boards of trade and investment at their mid-May meeting in Beijing, are expected to meet again in September.

US tariff hikes linked to claims of foreign forced labor dismay and anger trading partners

Trump’s latest set of tariff hikes drew objections Friday from America’s trading partners including China and Japan, with Australia’s trade minister slamming them as “completely unjustified.”

The administration announced extra tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 economies late Thursday, saying the countries had failed to adequately enforce a ban on goods made with forced labor.

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell rejected claims linking Australia, a major exporter of beef, gold and copper, to modern slavery.

“We believe that amongst all of the countries in the world Australia does take the issue of slavery, modern slavery, seriously, and will continue to do that,” Farrell told reporters in Adelaide.

Japan also protested the 12.5% tariff imposed on its exports, noting Tokyo had been reassured by the Trump administration that there would be no more tariffs on top of an earlier agreement on a 10% U.S. import duty.

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Journalists urge correspondents’ association to stand up to Trump at rescheduled press dinner

Hundreds of former or retired journalists and eight press freedom groups are asking the White House Correspondents’ Association to stand up to the Trump administration’s recent attacks on the media at its rescheduled dinner this week — a dinner President Donald Trump says he’ll attend.

The first dinner was cut short in April when a gunman, who prosecutors say was trying to assassinate Trump, opened fire at the Washington Hilton. The much smaller rescheduled dinner will take place Friday, with enhanced security precautions, at the capital’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel, formerly the Trump International Hotel.

The letter expands on a similar one issued in April, before the first dinner. It notes that since then, “the administration’s attacks on journalists and press freedom have become even more egregious.”

The letter, organized by former ABC News correspondent Lisa Stark and producer Ian Cameron, cites in particular the recent subpoenas by the Justice Department to New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns over the president’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet. Additional subpoenas of the journalists’ phone records have included even the mother of one reporter and two spouses.

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Explosions are heard near a US base in northern Iraq as US-Iran fighting escalates

A series of explosions sounded near a military base hosting U.S. forces in northern Iraq and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, hours after the American military said it finished its 13th night of strikes against Iran.

The conflict has flared again over the past week, as the U.S. has pounded Iran while Tehran has attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. assets and allies in the region.

The strait, which is a crucial passage for the world’s energy supplies, is at the center of the latest fighting since Iranian attacks can effectively shut the waterway, sending fuel prices soaring worldwide and causing widespread economic turmoil. The Iranian-allied Houthi rebels added further pressure this week by targeting two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, making good on a threat to cut off an alternative route for the region’s oil.

Despite the unpopularity of the war in the U.S. and the widespread damage it has caused in Iran and to the global economy, the latest round of fighting has no clear off-ramp.

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Trump imposes double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries as his 10% levies are set to expire Friday

President Donald Trump is going ahead with new double-digit tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners just as the clock runs out Friday on stopgap levies he imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court.

The United States will slap taxes of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners accounting for 99% of U.S. imports, charging that they have inadequately enforced bans on goods produced by forced labor.

“The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

The new tariffs will take effect just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expire at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Trump had turned to those temporary levies after the Supreme Court struck down his biggest and boldest tariffs in February.

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Simpson announced the arrest on Friday, saying that the man — identified as Roger Rodriguez Vega of Maitland — allegedly re-entered the state with livestock.

In a release, officials with Simpson’s office said that Vega had been denied entry at a Florida agricultural inspection station for failing to provide veterinary inspection documentation required under Florida’s New World Screwworm (NWS) emergency protections.

But Vega came back into the state anyway through Georgia to bypass the station, bringing 24 sheep and goats that originated from Texas — a high-risk area subject to enhanced import restrictions, the release shows.

Now, Vega faces 24 counts of unlawful entry of animals into the state, and one count resisting an officer without violence.

“Florida has taken a proactive and aggressive approach to protecting our livestock, agricultural industry, pets, wildlife, and food supply from the very real threat of New World Screwworm, and we will not tolerate anyone who breaks the law and attempts to circumvent those protections,” Simpson said.

That said, state officials assured that there haven’t been any cases of NWS reported in Florida — yet.

WHAT ARE NEW WORLD SCREWWORMS?

Per experts, the NWS are maggots that often enter animals through open wounds, feeding on an animal’s living flesh. As a result, infestations can be fatal if not treated.

“The New World Screwworm — a destructive parasite that targets warm-blooded animals — was eradicated from the U.S. more than four decades ago," state officials announced. “Its return would pose a serious threat to livestock, wildlife, and domestic animals, particularly in states like Florida with warm climates and abundant animal populations.”

Experts state that screwworm eggs are deposited in a “shingle-like manner” at the edges of superficial wounds, with larvae feeding by burrowing into the wound like a screw — hence the name.

While the NWS had been present in the southwestern U.S. since at least 1842, it was first documented as a major problem in 1933 after shipments of infested animals came in from the region.

At the time, the federal government and the state of Florida began developing tactics to deal with the threat, such as education programs, special insecticides, and radiation to sterilize the insects.

But in the meantime, producers lost out on tens of millions of dollars each year as the NWS ravaged livestock, data shows.

Eventually, the U.S. and Mexico worked together to push these infestations down to the southern borders of Mexico in 1986.

[RELATED: Millions of bioengineered mosquitoes may soon be released into Florida]

There was a brief reemergence in the Florida Keys affecting the endangered Key deer back in 2016, though the outbreak was ultimately eradicated.

However, Florida officials said that infestations have been spreading north from Panama since 2023, culminating in the discovery of NWS in a bovine in South Texas last month.

WHAT ARE THE NEW EMERGENCY RULES?

To prevent the NWS from infiltrating Florida again, Simpson’s emergency rule imposes temporary restrictions on the importation of warm-blooded animals originating from certain high-risk and infested areas.

The latest guidelines are as follows:

• HIGH-RISK AREAS
• • All warm-blooded animals originating from a high-risk area and entering Florida must be accompanied by an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI), valid for five days from the date of inspection, documenting that all animals listed have been inspected and found free of contagious and infectious diseases and pests, including NWS.
  • The OCVI must include the statement: “All animals listed on the OCVI have been inspected and are free from screwworm larvae infestation.”
• COUNTIES WITH CONFIRMED NWS DETECTIONS AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES
• • No imports of warm-blooded animals originating from a county with a confirmed NWS detection or any surrounding county until Friday, June 12.
  • Following June 12, all warm-blooded animals originating from a county with a confirmed NWS detection or any surrounding county and entering Florida must receive an FDACS Certificate of Animal Movement with a prior permission number obtained at least two days before arrival.
  • The FDACS Certificate of Animal Movement will require an OCVI and documentation that all animals have been treated with an effective prevention/treatment for NWS.
• RESCUE AND SHELTER ANIMALS
• • Rescue dogs, rescue cats, shelter dogs and shelter cats originating from states with confirmed NWS detections are prohibited from entering Florida until further notice.

Federal officials said that the USDA and Texas are implementing quarantines as necessary and working to release sterile NWS flies to fight potential population growth.

Meanwhile, signs of screwworm infestation in animals include the following symptoms:

• Wounds in living animals infested with maggots
• Blood-tinged discharge from the infested wounds
• Foul odor
• Discomfort
• Depressed/no eating
• Decreased milk production
• Seclusion from rest of herd or flock

If you come across a suspected case of screwworms or have questions about potential infestations, you can call the FDACS at (850) 410-0900 or click here.

In a release this week, the sheriff’s office said that the deputy — who is originally from the northeast — was supplied with “a leash, tape, patience, and some helpful citizens,” which was everything he needed to get the reptile to safer waters.

“No matter the size, gators can be dangerous,” the release reads. “If you find one in a situation where it could hurt others or itself, please call for help.”

Full body-camera video of the encounter can be watched at the top of this story.

British barrister Karim Khan was accused of sexual misconduct with a female aide, as outlined by The Associated Press in a series of stories, allegations which he has steadfastly denied.

By a large majority, the ICC’s 125-member states ousted Khan from his position, the first time a chief prosecutor has ever been removed from office.

The court's oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, concluded that Khan had committed “serious misconduct and serious breach of duty," said Päivi Kaukoranta, the body's president.

The 56-year-old Khan was temporarily removed from his duties at the ICC in June, pending Friday's vote, after a report by the executive committee of the court’s oversight body found he had committed “serious misconduct.” According to documents seen by the AP, Khan engaged in a sexual relationship with the woman and tried to prevent her from pursuing her allegations. Khan disputes those findings.

Early in the session, a motion brought by Sierra Leone that would have made it harder to oust Khan failed and diplomats quickly moved forward to vote on removal, several hours ahead of schedule, according to three diplomats familiar with the proceedings.

The lengthy and complicated process has pitted human rights advocates, staff and member states against one another at a time when the court is already facing daunting challenges, including a campaign by the United States to “ dismantle ” the ICC, which was established to prosecute people responsible for humanity’s worst crimes.

In a statement last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was launching a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty.”

Rubio said he will pressure member states to withdraw from the institution, sanction organizations that work with the court and ban staff from traveling to the United States. Countries that “enjoy the benefits of the U.S. security umbrella” will be called upon to reject the court’s jurisdiction over U.S. citizens.

Hours after the vote, Venezuela announced it would withdraw from the court. “Venezuela considers that the Court’s actions reflect a demonstrated geographical bias, which has disproportionately concentrated its work on African and Latin American countries, to the detriment of the Global South,” Félix Plasencia, the country's foreign affairs minister announced in a statement. Earlier this year, prosecutors at the court announced they were dropping an investigation into whether U.S. sanctions against Venezuela qualified as crimes against humanity, citing a lack of evidence. A separate investigation into possible crimes committed by Venezuelan security forces under former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will continue.

Trump’s administration already has brought sanctions against Khan and a dozen other ICC staff in retaliation for warrants the court has issued for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza and investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.

“Karim Khan believed that by launching a political witch hunt against Israel and issuing a politically motivated arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu, the world would ignore the grave sexual misconduct allegations against him. He was wrong," Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said in a statement.

The allegations have become entwined with the court’s investigation into the war in Gaza, experts said.

“Political considerations have been folded into this, especially as it is the first time a prosecutor has pursued warrants against a Western ally,” Iva Vukusic, a researcher at Utrecht University who has been following the process, told the AP.

Khan's removal will have no immediate impact on the arrest warrants in 2024 for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity, which can only be withdrawn by ICC judges.

___

Quell reported from The Hague, Netherlands,. Amiri reported from New York.

“As governor, I have one strategy: Get things done,” Whitmer said in a video posted on X. “Just like me, Haley will do whatever it takes to get things done for the people of Michigan.”

The announcement came as Whitmer was also expected to attend a campaign event in Detroit with Stevens.

Stevens is in a tight race for the Democratic nomination against El-Sayed, a progressive supported by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The winner of the Aug. 4 primary will face Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in November for a critical, battleground Senate seat now held by the retiring two-term Democrat Gary Peters.

Nope — to all of those teams.

The blaring headline in bold letters still seemed like a feverish dream to the bulk of a fan base that wasn't even alive the last time the franchise won a title, but it's true:

LeBron James is heading to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer made the announcement on social media Friday, saying it will be his “last decision” and that it comes after he strongly considered retirement.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James said.

A four-time NBA champion, James wrote he was “done” when his 23rd NBA season ended and that it was his last with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love this game," James wrote. “I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.”

The 41-year-old James is set to sign a modest $8 million, two-year contract on the veterans' minimum with the Sixers, according to ESPN. He made nearly $53 million last season.

“I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family,” James wrote. “What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning.”

James celebrated his decision on Instagram with a career highlight reel set to Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill's “Dreams and Nightmares,” the adopted sports anthem of city teams.

The video ends with the lyric, “hold up, wait a minute. Y'all thought I was finished?” and cuts to a 76ers' logo.

Fanatics already had his No. 23 jersey on sale for $125 with delivery not expected until the end of August. The company sold out within hours of the announcement.

Much as James did for Cleveland when he ended a 56-year championship drought for the city by leading the Cavaliers to the title in 2016, he can snap a lengthy title drought for the Sixers.

The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round by the NBA champion New York Knicks.

Most betting sites had the Sixers as 9-1 favorites to win the championship behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, as of Friday afternoon.

James joins a 76ers team that has not won an NBA championship since 1983 and has not advanced out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs since 2001.

The 76ers should boast one of the top starting fives in the NBA with second-year standout VJ Edgecombe, fellow All-Stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown — the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star and the league’s fourth-leading scorer this past season acquired in a stunning offseason deal with the Celtics.

Maxey posted an Instagram story of him celebrating in a gym and yelling “what!? what?!” over the news while Brown wrote on X “#throwtheballup.” Brown wrote the same phrase in his introductory note to Philadelphia, and it has already been branded on billboards throughout the city.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro even proclaimed Friday as LeBron James Day in the state.

Turned out with the Brown deal, new 76ers team president Mike Gansey — an Ohio prep basketball star with James — was just getting started with his summer of surprises.

No move, of course, hits like James' arrival.

Playing with his home team in Cleveland to the bright lights of Los Angeles and with the talent he took to Miami, James won an NBA championship everywhere he played. James left the Lakers after an eight-season run highlighted by the 2020 NBA title.

James is the NBA’s oldest active player at 41 and the only player in league history to have a career spanning 23 seasons; this coming season will be his 24th. Speculation has been rampant for more than two months about his future, officially starting in May when the Lakers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs.

James’ resume is beyond compare in NBA history. He’s a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP, and was a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He’s also coming off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. For his career, he’s averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.

James started his career in Cleveland in 2003 and spent seven seasons with the Cavaliers before heading to Miami for four seasons — where he won his first two NBA titles. He then returned to Cleveland for four more seasons, including that title run in 2016, and left in 2018 for the Lakers.

Cleveland and Miami were believed to be on James’ radar again as he weighed this decision.

“Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!” James wrote.

He eighty-sixed them all for a shot to win a title with the 76ers, a franchise with a career lineup that includes Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley and, for the next two seasons, LeBron James.

___

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

Much of what Dr. Grant Ho of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said on the stand was already known: She had been killed by two sharp force wounds to her upper body and her dismembered, decomposing body was found in the trunk of a Tesla.

But the details he shared of what the autopsy showed — and tellingly, what it was unable to determine because of how degraded her body was when it was found — made Friday's proceedings perhaps the most difficult so far. Photos shown from the autopsy brought uncomfortable shifting in seats and murmurs in the courtroom.

The defense seized on the uncertainties to suggest there might have been other causes of death, including an overdose or self-inflicted injuries.

The preliminary hearing began on Tuesday, and will be used by a judge to decide if the case should go to trial.

Rivas Hernandez's parents were in the building but stayed outside the courtroom for the autopsy testimony. D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, sat next to his lawyers in orange jail clothes and glasses, and did not show any emotion during the testimony.

Rivas Hernandez's body was discovered in a Tesla towed from the Hollywood Hills in September, nearly five months after authorities said Rivas Hernandez was killed.

Autopsy conclusions were hard to reach

Ho testified that he could not say when the death occurred — one of many challenges brought on by the body's degradation.

“It’s extremely difficult to tell,” Ho said.

He said she had been dead for “at least weeks.” Asked by Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman whether it could have been four to five months, he said “potentially.” Authorities believe she was killed in April 2025; her body was discovered last September.

Rivas Hernandez was found the day after she would have turned 15.

“She didn’t make it to her 15th birthday, correct?” Silverman asked. “Correct,” Ho replied.

Ho said there were many “skin defects” that could have been postmortem, but the two he identified as potential stab wounds had related internal trauma. One wound on the abdomen penetrated her liver. Another, on the left chest, damaged her ribs.

Ho said, “it would take minutes, at least,” for someone to lose enough blood to die from the injuries. The prosecution has asserted in a court filing that Burke “stood by while she bled out.” When pressed, he said it could have potentially taken an hour, but wouldn't commit to that.

Defense seizes on inconclusive drug test

He testified that toxicology tests, done only on her liver because no blood was available, showed a low level of alcohol that may have been caused postmortem by bacteria. He said the tests initially showed positives for benzodiazepines — medications typically used for anxiety — and methamphetamine. He said with further testing the benzodiazepine was negative. The methamphetamine was inconclusive, and as a result Ho said "I cannot say that it played any role in the death.”

Burke's attorney, Marilyn Bednarski, asked if decomposition could affect the accuracy of drug test results, and Ho agreed it could.

"In the toxicology report there is not enough information to support an overdose death, correct?" Bednarski asked. Ho said she was correct.

Bednarski asked if it helps in an autopsy examination to talk to the friends and family of the deceased about their life — if they had a mental health issue, were suicidal, were a frequent drug user or were violent.

Ho answered “potentially” to each of those but said there were no such conversations in this case.

Ho said he could not tell if there had been a struggle before death, or where the wounds came from.

“You can’t rule out that she was holding an instrument that caused either of those wounds?” Bednarski asked.

Ho said self-inflicted injuries usually include surrounding superficial “hesitation marks” — and those were not found — but otherwise he could not say.

Burke could stand trial for murder, mutilation and sexual abuse

Prosecutors are seeking to prove Burke began sexually abusing Rivas Hernandez when she was 13 and he was 18, then stabbed her to death when she threatened to reveal their long sexual history and crater his career. They allege he dismembered the body in his garage, and a police analyst testified in the preliminary hearing that samples pulled from apparent blood stains there matched the DNA of Rivas Hernandez.

Burke has pleaded not guilty to murder, sexual abuse of a child and mutilation of a body, and his lawyers have said he is innocent.

An indie-pop singer whose music and online presence brought him a huge following, D4vd's songs and videos often have dark and violent imagery often delivered through an alter-ego character he calls Itami. His breakthrough single in 2022 was called “Romantic Homicide,” one of several of his songs with more than a billion plays on Spotify.

As reported by our partners in Jacksonville, WJXT News 4 Jax, Florida recorded 36 confirmed cases of Hansen’s disease, also called leprosy, in 2025, according to Florida Department of Health figures reported by state and regional news outlets. State data cited in local reporting showed 27 of those 36 cases were acquired in Florida rather than abroad.

Through mid‑July 2026, Florida had reported 17 cases for the year, according to state health figures cited in local news coverage. Those counts are provisional and reflect cases reported to the Florida Department of Health as of the dates noted in the reports.

Public-health and university investigators say the increase has been concentrated in parts of Central Florida. The University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute said Brevard County accounted for 40 of the state’s 74 confirmed cases from 2019 through 2022 — far outpacing other counties in that period — and singled out counties along the Interstate 4 corridor for additional attention.

Florida Department of Health data reported in July 2026 listed cases across a range of counties, including Brevard, Charlotte, Duval, Highlands, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Miami‑Dade, Okeechobee, Orange, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter and Volusia. Local reporting noted that some cases were acquired outside Florida or outside the United States.

Scientists have long known that the nine‑banded armadillo can carry Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterium that causes Hansen’s disease. A 2011 genomic study found armadillos and many patients in the southern United States harbored essentially identical strains of the bacterium, supporting probable zoonotic transmission in some cases. A 2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report and subsequent university investigations documented rising numbers of locally acquired infections in central Florida and a growing share of patients with no travel to leprosy‑endemic countries.

Health officials emphasize that leprosy remains rare and that the overall risk to the general public is low. The disease most commonly spreads after prolonged, close contact with an untreated person; zoonotic transmission from armadillos is considered a recognized but uncommon route. Most people — roughly 95% — are naturally resistant to infection, federal health information notes.

Leprosy is curable. Standard multidrug therapy prevents disability and makes patients noninfectious soon after treatment begins. Public-health guidance advises people to avoid handling, skinning or eating armadillos; to wear gloves and wash exposed skin if contact is unavoidable; and to tell health care providers about any armadillo exposure when seeking care for persistent skin lesions, numbness or other symptoms suggestive of Hansen’s disease.

Officials said improving clinician awareness is critical because the disease can take years or even decades to show symptoms and is often misdiagnosed, delaying treatment that prevents nerve damage.

Colt Gray, 16, entered the plea Friday without having reached a deal with prosecutors. The Sept. 4, 2024, shooting also left several others wounded at the school of 1,900 students about 45 miles (73 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.

Gray, who was 14 at the time, was charged as an adult. His trial had been scheduled to start in mid-October.

A jury in March convicted his father, Colin Gray, on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. He is scheduled to be sentenced next week. Prosecutors said he gave his son the assault-style rifle used to open fire at the school.

Teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, died in the shooting. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire.

Teen faces life in prison

Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm questioned Gray to ensure he understood the consequences of his plea and was entering it voluntarily. Gray responded, “Yes, your honor,” each time.

Murder carries a minimum sentence of life in prison. The judge must decide whether Gray should be eligible for parole after hearing victim statements, evidence and each side's summary of the case.

Victim: ‘Those decisions were his and his alone’

Family members of those killed and students who were shot gave statements, expressing anger and grief, with most asking the judge to sentence Gray to life without parole.

Breanna Schermerhorn, whose son Mason was killed, said she doesn't forgive Gray. While adults around him missed warning signs, she said, he brought the gun and pulled the trigger.

“Those decisions were his and his alone,” she said.

Shayna Aspinwall, Richard Aspinwall's wife, lamented that the lives of their daughters, who were 2 and 5 when their father died, will be “forever marked by his absence.”

“It is a life sentence of grief and trauma for those left behind,” she said.

A teenage student who was shot told the judge she remembered feeling “really scared and confused because I saw Colt standing in the door with a gun.” The Associated Press is not identifying the girl, who is a minor.

She said she realized she had been shot and asked a friend to hold her hand. She asked other friends to call her brother to let him know she'd been shot and didn't know if she'd make it. She had multiple surgeries and wasn't able to walk for about a year.

“After the shooting, I struggled with so much anxiety, and I felt like my life was over,” she said.

Apalachee High School Principal Jessica Rehberg said Colt Gray’s “cruel actions” deserve “the harshest consequences.”

The hearing is expected to extend into next week, and Gray's defense attorney wrote in a court filing that he plans testimony from a psychologist, a juvenile detention center counselor and Gray's grandmother.

Investigator says Colt Gray carefully plotted the shooting

Barrow County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Jason Smith testified about the timeline. Gray told his second period teacher just before 10 a.m. that he needed to see a crisis counselor but instead went to a bathroom to prepare for the shooting, Smith said.

He emerged from the bathroom at 10:21 a.m., and when he was unable to reenter his classroom, he went down the hall to another classroom, where he opened fire and then shot other people in the hallway. He ultimately surrendered to law enforcement officers.

Smith said he interviewed Gray at the school and again at the sheriff’s office.

Prosecutors played a recording of Smith interviewing Gray at the school. The teenager is heard sobbing hysterically as he's questioned. He repeatedly apologized, said he wasn't trying to justify his actions and said what happened was “horrible" and “the worst nightmare for everyone involved.”

He talked about having uncontrollable urges and hearing people tell him to do things and said he was supposed to see a doctor soon: “I was so close to getting the help I need and the medication I need.”

Gray told Smith that right before the shooting he felt things were getting really bad and he feared he was going to be attacked.

The teenager was much calmer several hours later during the second interview. He told Smith he didn’t target anyone specifically and didn't know how many people he'd killed.

“Colt indicated that it was spontaneous, that it was a last minute thing,” that he heard voices and on the way to the crisis counselor and “decided to do the shooting,” Smith testified. But the investigation showed that the shooting had been planned in detail for some time, he said.

The investigator described pages of a notebook Gray had that included a detailed step-by-step plan to get himself ready in the bathroom that included notations like, “Don’t shoot anyone in the bathroom. You will alert people.”

On one page he wrote, “I’m not a killer,” and “I’m scared.” On multiple pages, the word “why” was written dozens of times. He also estimated the number of people he would kill and injure. On one page, he wrote, “Surprised if I make it.”

Sheriff’s deputies had previously interviewed Colt and Colin Gray in May 2023 about an online threat linked to the son. Colt Gray denied making the threat.

Investigators also found a shrine in Colt Gray's bedroom to Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, prosecutors have said. Gray told Smith he “became obsessed with him on an emotional level,” referring to Cruz.

An investigator testified during Colin Gray's trial that he had sought help for his son from a counseling service weeks before the shooting but then failed to follow through.

Colt Gray's mother, Marcee Gray, who was separated from Colin Gray, told investigators she had urged him weeks before the shooting to secure his guns and restrict their son’s access to them. Instead, over time, Colin Gray bought the teenager ammunition, a gun sight and other shooting accessories, records show.

The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said patients suffered head injuries, broken bones and cuts. At least five of the passengers had been discharged from hospitals, and one who was previously described as critical was in satisfactory condition Friday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg said.

The cause of the crash Thursday evening was not immediately known. It came less than three weeks after a seaplane carrying eight people made a rough landing in New York City’s East River, causing minor injuries.

Videos posted on social media show the aircraft turning to one side as it flies low over the water near several boats and the shore. The plane makes a hard landing, at first touching down on just one float, then briefly skips into the air before hitting land. The person recording the video gasps when a crunching sound is heard from the plane's impact just out of sight.

The plane was carrying a pilot and 10 passengers. It crashed at about 5:20 p.m. Thursday on Sucia Island, an uninhabited state park. Sucia is north of the main San Juan Islands, a rugged archipelago between Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia, that is a popular summer vacation spot known for its ferries, whale watching and hiking.

First responders and witnesses race to the scene

Dave Eastman was in a dinghy on the water when he saw the plane coming in. At first he was worried it was going to hit his boat, he said, but then he saw it flying low toward the island. He said there were six or seven boats in the area, including a couple of aluminum fishing boats, and everyone raced to help.

In the videos, passengers can be seen exiting the plane as black smoke rises and bright orange flames engulf the fuselage, which came to rest partially submerged against a large rock. Eastman took photos of the burning plane after those on board had been evacuated.

“It kind of just shook us up a little bit,” he said. “Knowing everyone’s OK, at least that everyone is alive at this point, that kind of helps ease the concern.”

Eastman, of Lynnwood, Washington, said Thursday started off with nice weather, but a storm with lightning hit the area around the time of the crash. It wasn’t clear if the storm played a role. Heavy rain began falling as the plane was burning, he said.

“An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was issued to mariners in the area, and numerous good Samaritan vessels responded to assist,” the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement Friday.

Several agencies scrambled to respond. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter while their Canadian counterparts mobilized a hovercraft, according to a recording of San Juan County dispatch audio posted by Broadcastify.

Sucia Island features a maze of coves, beaches and rocky points. The plane went down near Shallow Bay, which cuts a wide crescent into the island near a campground. Videos show several sailboats and other large pleasure boats were anchored there Thursday.

The same type of seaplane crashed near Seattle in 2022

The plane's operator said it was a DHC-3 Otter made by de Havilland Aircraft of Canada. That is the same model of floatplane as one that plunged into the waters of Puget Sound northwest of Seattle in 2022, killing 10 people.

Federal regulators ordered seaplanes to be inspected afterward, and investigators found a single component of a critical flight control system had failed.

The plane that crashed Thursday was operated by Kenmore Air, a tourism airline based near Seattle, which is a different company than the one involved in the 2022 crash. Founded in 1946, Kenmore Air bills itself as the largest seaplane operator in the U.S.

The Otter is a workhorse seaplane model that has been used widely for decades, aviation safety expert John Cox said.

The cause of the crash will be investigated

The NTSB may be able to quickly get an idea of what happened because investigators will be able to interview the pilot and witnesses and watch videos of the crash, Cox said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the wreckage of the seaplane was expected to be recovered Friday and moved to a secure location where investigators can examine it. The agency will publish a preliminary report in about a month, but the final report identifying the cause likely won’t be done for a year or more.

In a statement, the airline said it would not speculate about why the plane went down.

“We are grateful that everyone aboard has been accounted for,” Kenmore CEO David Gudgel said. He said the company canceled all scheduled flights for Friday and was cooperating with investigators.

The aircraft took off from Lake Union in Seattle, which is about 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Sucia Island, and was headed to Roche Harbor, the site of a historic hotel, marina and resort on San Juan Island.

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McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire, and Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut. Associated Press transportation reporter Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.

Corey Durell Ruiz, 38, was shot and killed on a city street Wednesday, the moments of his death captured in bystander videos that were later posted online. The race of the officer who fired his gun has not been released by police. Ruiz is identified as Black or Latino in Wisconsin court records.

“It does not matter who you are or what your past is, you should not lose your life as a result of an encounter with law enforcement,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Wisconsin court records show Ruiz had been in and out of jail over the past decade for mostly misdemeanor offenses including disorderly conduct, drug possession, auto theft, battery and invasion of privacy. He was also convicted of felonies including possession of cocaine and marijuana, robbery, strangulation, resisting an officer and causing bodily harm.

“He’s a human being. He had a family. He has parents who loved him, who brought him home, who cared for him,” Common Council President Sabrina Madison said, adding that she’s struggling to understand what she’s seen in videos of the shooting that have circulated on social media.

“My first thought is, when the officer’s walking away, why isn’t he walking away in cuffs?” Madison said. “I’m angry, there’s no way around it.”

Ruiz's family has retained Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney, who said the case must be examined for excessive force.

Shooting sparks turmoil in a fed-up community

Frustrated residents marched, and a memorial of flowers and signs grew near the place where Ruiz died. It was just blocks from where two other police killings happened in 2015 and 2012.

A group of about 20 protesters burst into Thursday's news conference, taking the microphone from police Chief John Patterson and arguing with some attendees who said they wanted to hear more about the investigation.

One protester held a sign saying “Corrupt cops deserve to die too!!!”

Moments earlier, the mayor said the shooting would be “rigorously investigated.”

Once the protesters quieted down, the chief resumed his presentation, promising his department's full cooperation with the state investigation.

Police have released few details

None of the four officers who were detaining Ruiz wore body cameras, but passersby recorded the confrontation on video, and accused the officers of overreacting.

“I thought, ‘Holy cow — what could have warranted that?’ It looked to me like they had him under control,” David Ortiz-Whittingham, who saw officers swarming and heard the gunshots, said Thursday. “Even now, knowing about the knife, did he have to die for it? Could this have been de-escalated?”

The police chief released few details Thursday, saying a Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation probe of the officer-involved shooting must run its course.

Earlier Thursday, Madison's independent police monitor, Aeiramique Glass, said police had not yet shared evidence or the officer's identity with her office, which will review the case and can recommend to the district attorney that charges be filed if warranted. She said the department and city are “obstructing what the community and the public” want.

“Let me do my job,” she said.

Patterson said the police were committed to cooperating with Glass.

The chief urges people not to draw conclusions

Patterson has urged caution in reading too much from the cellphone videos. He said none show the perspective of the officers, and additional unreleased video was being reviewed.

The officer who fired his weapon is an 11-year veteran of the force, the chief said. He and the three other responding officers will be placed on administrative leave.

Patterson said police were responding to calls that someone was attempting to enter parked vehicles, and the suspect fled on a bike before the officers surrounded him. One deployed a taser, but Patterson said the effort failed to control the man.

In the videos circulating online, the man can be seen standing before he's brought to his knees as the officers struggle to force him into a prone position. Then he falls quickly to the pavement after what sounds like three gunshots, and seems motionless as the officers handcuff him behind his back. Arriving officers then escort one of the officers a short distance away.

Patterson said he did not know the extent of the knife injuries sustained by the officer.

“This situation was clearly dangerous,” Patterson said before adding he was saddened by the loss of life.

A neighborhood now accustomed to police shootings

The shooting happened in the middle of an intersection in the popular Marquette neighborhood, less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the state Capitol. Bystander videos show numerous cars at the scene, with people watching as it unfolds.

“I saw everything! I saw everything! You did not need to kill him! ... We watched it all!” a woman yells in the video recorded by Ortiz-Whittingham.

Residents who dealt with two other police killings expressed frustration Thursday.

In 2015, a white police officer shot and killed Tony Robinson, who was biracial, on the same street. Large protests followed, but the district attorney filed no charges, determining the officer was justified. In 2012, Paul Heenan, a white musician, was fatally shot after he had been drinking and mistakenly entered his neighbor's house. That officer was exonerated as well.

The chief acknowledged that the neighborhood “has experienced a lot of trauma” and urged people to support one another.

“I want transparency. I want accountability,” Patterson said.

Questions about race and technology emerge

Black advocacy groups, protesters and politicians are speaking out against the shooting, which has also focused attention on the Madison Police Department’s lack of body-worn cameras. The force of around 500 is among the largest in the Midwest that doesn’t use the devices.

Madison, the Common Council president, said Thursday that she expects a police request for $400,000 to be approved, enabling the cameras to be phased in over the next three years. Others lamented that cameras weren't already being used.

The mayor said her budget, which has not yet been released, will include funding for body-worn cameras. Rhodes-Conway said the city needs to put together a policy for their use before the budget takes effect in January.

And now it's a talking point in the governor's race

The shooting has quickly infused itself into the race to succeed Gov. Tony Evers, who is not seeking a third term. Voting is already underway in the Aug. 11 primary.

Democratic socialist candidate Francesca Hong called the shooting “state sanctioned violence.” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a Democrat, said the reports are “painfully reminiscent of the tragedies we have witnessed in Kenosha, Minneapolis, and far too many communities.”

Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany called on his rivals to let the state investigation “establish the facts without politicians rushing to judgment.”

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This story was first published on July 23, 2026. It was corrected on July 24, 2026, to remove inaccurate information about the killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. The story previously corrected the name of a state agency to the Division of Criminal Investigation, not the Department of Criminal Investigation.

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Associated Press writers Ed White in Detroit and Jake Offenhartz in New York contributed to this report.

“There is significant pressure,” McCann said. “It’s not only the attacks from the legislature — and developers carry a lot of weight in Tallahassee and with the legislature — but it also comes locally.”

A city on the front lines

McCann brought two proposals before the Winter Springs Charter Review Committee this week, asking members to consider adding new supermajority protections to the city charter. Both measures would require at least four of the commission’s five members to agree — a 4-1 vote — before taking action, compared to the simple 3-2 majority currently required.

The first would apply before the city could sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of city-owned land, or release or materially weaken a conservation easement — a legal agreement restricting how land can be used to preserve its conservation value.

[WATCH: Oviedo council weighs new rule requiring supermajority vote for rural land annexation]

The second would require that same four-vote threshold before Winter Springs could annex any property within the Seminole County Rural Boundary, or extend city water, wastewater or other urban utility services into that protected area.

“I’m asking for a supermajority to act more as a guardrail than to block things,” McCann said. “Just need to know that people understand the decision they’re making — one that cannot be reversed.”

He described Winter Springs as uniquely exposed because of its proximity to the rural boundary, compared to other cities within Seminole County.

“Pappy’s Patch and Black Hammock — that is the beginning of the rural boundary that then extends east all the way out to the Brevard and Volusia County lines,” McCann said. “Winter Springs is on the front lines of those protections.”

McCann said the former Winter Springs Golf Course represents the kind of real, immediate threat — not just a hypothetical — that makes protections necessary for conservation easements too.

“Many times, different projects have come and entered into negotiations for large-scale developments on that property,” he said.

The property, located on the north side of West State Road 434, includes a public conservation easement that covers 133 acres. While the city does not own the underlying golf course property, it can decide whether or not to release any portion of the public conservation easement for development.

At the first meeting of the year, commissioners briefly discussed the closed course in The Highlands area as they consider what properties throughout the city are at risk of development, and how decisions made locally and in Tallahassee could impact what residents believe is best for their community.

McCann said residents who bought homes near the golf course did so with an expectation that the land would remain protected.

“Our residents bought their homes believing that they were going to be living on a golf course where even if they bought it more recently, they bought it with the understanding that the land was held in conservation,” he said. “We have a duty to our residents — our current residents, not necessarily developers — to protect their home value and to protect those values into the future.”

Decades of protection — and a regional precedent

McCann’s push is grounded in a long history of regional rural protection.

In 1988, Seminole County voters approved the Home Rule Charter, which serves as the county’s local constitution. In 1991, the Board of County Commissioners formally established the Rural Boundary in the county’s Comprehensive Plan, creating the Rural Area in eastern Seminole County to preserve agricultural land, protect natural resources and support a rural way of life.

In 2004, voters went further, approving a charter amendment that formally placed the Rural Area and Rural Boundary into the county charter itself.

Then, in November 2024, voters approved two additional charter amendments strengthening those protections — requiring at least four of five county commissioners to agree before removing property from the Rural Area or changing county-designated natural lands. Both measures passed with overwhelming support: approximately 84% supported the natural lands protection, and approximately 82% supported the rural area supermajority requirement.

McCann also pointed to a 1998 settlement process involving the Battle Ridge development dispute, in which Winter Springs, Oviedo, Seminole County, property owners and other parties negotiated protections for the eastern rural area. City records from that time describe a proposed settlement zone “where no one will annex.”

Winter Springs further formalized its commitment in 2006, adopting an ordinance which prohibits annexations east of DeLeon Street — a restriction incorporated into the city’s Comprehensive Plan specifically to protect the rural and environmentally sensitive Black Hammock area from future urbanization, according to McCann.

Oviedo moves first — Winter Springs may follow

Neighboring Oviedo has already acted. At its July 20 meeting, the Oviedo City Council voted 3-2 to place a charter amendment on the November ballot requiring a supermajority — a 4-1 council vote — before annexing any land within the Seminole County Charter’s rural area as of July 4, 2026.

McCann said Winter Springs should align itself with what its neighbors have already done.

“Oviedo has already requested the exact same thing,” he said. “We’re simply falling in line with our neighboring communities.”

What comes next — and when

Don’t expect to see these measures on the ballot this November in Winter Springs.

After the Charter Review Committee completes its review and makes recommendations, those recommendations go before the full city commission. If the commission acts, the measures could then be placed on a future ballot — but McCann said that won’t happen quickly.

“These two votes will not appear on the election ballot until 2028, unfortunately,” he said.

He also said he hopes residents see the importance of becoming involved in the process.

“I hope it gives them time to become informed — there’s a silver lining in that — and that they understand and will become informed on how important, how critical these protections are.”

McCann said his goal is simple: make sure the most consequential decisions require the most agreement. He framed the proposals not as opposition to growth, but as a commitment to responsible stewardship.

“The decisions that cannot be reversed — the decisions that will affect generations from now — should not be made without serious consideration and serious support,” he said.

The administration announced tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 economies late Thursday, saying the countries had failed to adequately enforce a ban on goods made with forced labor.

The new tariffs took effect just as stopgap levies Trump imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court expired at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

Countries object to what they call unfounded labor claims

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell rejected claims linking Australia, a major exporter of beef, gold and copper, to modern slavery and raising the tariff on its exports to the U.S. to 12.5% from the 10% level imposed after Trump’s “Liberation Day” hikes last year.

“We believe that amongst all of the countries in the world Australia does take the issue of slavery, modern slavery, seriously, and will continue to do that,” Farrell told reporters in Adelaide.

Australia believes the higher tariffs are “completely unjustified and we will continue to lobby the United States Trade Representative to remove all tariffs on Australian goods,” Farrell said.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the tariffs on his country, also subject to a 12.5% import duty, were “extremely disappointing,” unjustified and harmful to trade.

A U.S. investigation serving as the basis for the tariffs did not provide meaningful evidence to support allegations of forced labor.

“Tariffs are not the way — they drive up costs and uncertainty for businesses,” he wrote on X.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned the U.S. stance in comments on Channel News Asia.

“If you compare our labor laws to the ones of the United States, I mean we have, people have paid vacations, we have very good conditions, labor conditions for our employees, so it's not really grounded,” Kallas said.

Also facing a 12.5% tariff, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said it would “continue to engage the USTR (United States Trade Representative) to explore options.”

Some hope to forestall the new tariffs

Japan likewise protested the 12.5% tariff imposed on its exports, noting Tokyo had been reassured by the Trump administration that there would be no more tariffs on top of an earlier agreement on a 10% U.S. import duty.

“Our understanding is both sides are still committed to that,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said.

“It is regrettable that the measure imposes tariffs on the grounds of non-existence of measures banning imports of goods made by forced labor, even though Japan’s industry and trade are in line with international rules,” Kihara said.

South Korea’s trade ministry said the announcement eased some uncertainty over U.S. trade policy, but noted that a Section 301 investigation into alleged Korean excess production continues.

The combined duties on South Korean exports should not exceed 15%, the ministry said in a statement.

Thailand noted it is subject to the new 12.5% tariff by the U.S. under the forced labor provision, but the measure exempts around 2,120 items, representing more than half the value of Thai goods exported to the U.S.

China opposes unilateral tariffs in ‘all forms’

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “opposes all forms of unilateral tariffs” in response to the new 12.5% tariffs.

“Tariff wars and trade wars do not serve any parties' interests,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference.

Trade tensions have clouded relations between China and the U.S., two of the world’s biggest economies, as Trump’s hefty “Liberation Day” tariffs resulted in a sharp drop in Chinese exports to the U.S.

Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who agreed to set up new boards of trade and investment at their mid-May meeting in Beijing, are expected to meet again in September.

Some Chinese exporters say, however, the impacts are limited as the latest U.S. tariffs on China remain at lower levels than last year's rates, which were initially 34%.

“Of course it’d be best if they (the tariffs) are not there,” said Richard Chan, manager of Golden Arts Gifts & Decor, which manufactures Christmas trees and decorations in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan and supplies globally to those including Walmart.

Golden Arts' share of sales to the U.S., however, already have fallen as U.S. tariffs added more uncertainty. They have pivoted more to Europe, which now accounts for roughly 70% of their sales, Chan said.

The latest import duties might stick

Wendy Cutler, a former senior U.S. trade official, said the latest round of tariffs involved “few surprises” since they range just between 10% and 12.5%.

The U.S. Trade Representative's office spent four months investigating the basis for those tariffs to meet legal requirements under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974.

“Time will tell whether the third attempt to impose tariffs is the charm and this action stands up to legal challenges,” said Cutler, senior vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

These duties are less likely than earlier ones to be overruled by U.S. courts, she said.

Further tariffs may be coming in the fall related to alleged structural excess capacity of trading partners, she noted.

Experts say these tariffs may be less disruptive

Washington has generally tended to engage in increased trade friction, William Bratton of BNP Paribas said in a research note Friday.

“On the positive side, however, these tariffs are lower than the earlier (Emergency Powers Act) ‘reciprocal’ tariffs and appear to exempt a substantial proportion of Asia’s current trade flows with the U.S.,” he said.

The Trump administration has made tariff exceptions, however, including imported goods that the U.S. does not produce, Cutler noted.

“This should reduce the impact of these duties. Nevertheless, they will contribute to higher prices both for end consumers and businesses importing inputs and machinery,” she said.

Immediate pushback, legal and political

There was immediate pushback, both legally, and politically.

The Liberty Justice Center, a libertarian advocacy group that successfully challenged earlier Trump tariffs, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York, challenging the double-digit import taxes that Trump imposed Friday.

The group called the new tariffs a pretext to allow Trump to maintain a wall of tariffs around the U.S. economy after the Supreme Court struck down big global taxes he’d imposed last year.

“The administration allowed one global tariff to expire and immediately replaced it with another under a different statute,” said Sara Albrecht, chair of the center. “Changing the statute doesn’t change the law. Every tariff authority has limits, and every administration must respect them.”

Her group represented businesses that successfully challenged Trump’s 2025 global tariffs.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, a California Democrat questioned the reasons for the latest slew of tariffs.

“If he was serious, he would not be applying the same tariff rate to China, one of the worst forced labor abusers in the world, as he does to countries like Australia,” she said. “Then again, unlike China, Australia doesn’t manufacture any Trump corporation products.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said Americans will be the ones paying for the new tariffs.

“Instead of continuing his disastrous tariff scheme, the president must put the American people first and revoke these harmful policies that are making everyday Americans’ lives flat-out unaffordable," Gillibrand said. "At home in New York and across the country, people are struggling, and they need relief.”

___

Chan reported from Hong Kong. Associated Press writers Tong-hyung Kim in Seoul, South Korea, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Grant Peck in Bangkok and Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, as well as AP Economics Writer in Washington, and AP Business Writer Michelle Chapman in New York, contributed to this report.

California has become notorious for its ponderously slow vote counts that can drag on for weeks and sometimes longer, largely the result of multiple changes over the years that were intended to increase turnout but have done little to achieve that. Among the changes: Every voter receives a mail-in ballot that can arrive at an election office seven days late and still be counted, provided the envelope is postmarked by Election Day.

Yet even with that generous weeklong window, the primary driver of the higher rejection numbers is late-arriving ballots, according to data compiled by the secretary of state's office. Voting experts suspect the main problem is postmarks on ballots that came after Election Day, making them ineligible to be counted. The culprit could be U.S. Postal Service changes that might affect the timing of when postmarks are applied.

Late-arriving ballots drove the rejections

According to state data, 148,241 mail ballots were rejected in the June election, or a rate of 1.73% of all mail ballots.

In raw numbers, that's up from the 2024 primary, when 108,982 mail ballots were rejected, or a 1.56% rate. In 2022, 105,818 mail ballots were voided during the primary, or a rate similar to 2024.

Lateness accounted for 93,479 rejected ballots in June, by far the largest category for disqualifying a ballot. That was up from about 70,000 in the 2022 primary and about 76,000 in the 2024 primary, though turnout in those elections was smaller compared to last June.

Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the jump in rejected ballots because of lateness is a major concern that — along with postal procedures — might also be connected to a late surge in ballots in June. Many voters waited until the final days to make a decision in a wide-open and chaotic race for governor.

“Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count,” Alexander wrote in an email.

Rejection rates have fluctuated over time, but the growing number of those set aside for lateness compared to recent elections “does really demand the question why this is happening,” said Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy, a nonpartisan research group.

Lawmakers concerned about USPS postmark changes

In January, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators sent a letter to the U.S. Postal Service, alarmed that mail-processing changes might affect postmark dates for mail-in ballots during an election year that will determine control of Congress.

Updated agency policy says postmarks might not indicate the first day the Postal Service received the mail, but rather the day it was handled in one of its processing centers. Those centers are increasingly likely to be further away from certain communities because of recent consolidations within the Postal Service, which could further delay postmarks.

On Thursday, two Wisconsin Democrats, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Gov. Tony Evers, called on the Postal Service to address delays that caused hundreds of ballots to arrive after Election Day in the state in April. In June, a federal judge halted President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to create a federal voter list and limit who can receive a mail ballot.

Earlier this year, California election officials urged voters to send their mail ballots early, warning that Postal Service changes could lead to slower mail service.

In California, the highest mail ballot rejection rate in June — 3.52% — was in Tulare County, in the agriculture-heavy Central Valley. It was followed by Alpine County, south of Lake Tahoe, and Merced County, also in the Central Valley, which both notched a 3.36% rejection rate.

Mismatched signatures and multiple ballots in an envelope

Nearly 44,000 ballots were set aside because the voter’s signature didn't match the one on record with county officials. Over 8,300 ballots were rejected because there was no signature on the returned ballot envelope.

In 743 cases, the voter had already cast a ballot, so the mail ballot was voided. Other reasons for rejection included a ballot being missing from the return envelope, or multiple ballots were sent back in a single envelope.

The data didn’t break down the uncounted ballots by party registration.

Florida, Texas and other large population states quickly wrap up vote counting, while California is a national laggard.

After the June primary, President Donald Trump seized on California’s reputation as the national slowpoke in vote counting to renew his long-standing criticism of the state’s elections, while the Republican’s Department of Justice launched an investigation into Los Angeles County’s elections.

There is no indication of any widespread problems with mail voting, which has gained in popularity among Democrats and Republicans alike. A report by the Brookings Institution published in 2025 found that the number of cases of mail voting fraud was minuscule — about four cases per 10 million mail ballots.

With fighting flaring again and diplomacy appearing to sputter, both sides made moves suggesting an escalation was possible. U.S. embassies in the Middle East began alerting Americans in the region that options to leave could become more limited, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard advised residents of neighboring countries to stay away from bases with U.S. troops.

Vowing that Iran “will not bow to U.S.” bullying, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi noted ongoing discussions with two global powers often at odds with Americans — China and Russia — and warned in an interview with the semiofficial news outlet Tasnim that the Islamic Republic is “neither intimidated by threats nor will we yield to pressure.”

At the center of the fight is the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for world energy supplies that has been effectively shut down by Iranian attacks, sending fuel prices soaring and causing widespread economic turmoil.

US strikes sites across Iran and countries in the region are targeted

In the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, which is home to a contingent of American military advisers, security officials said Friday that U.S.-led forces had shot down five explosive-laden drones. Repeated blasts echoed in Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region, and plumes of black smoke were seen near its airport, where U.S. forces are based. U.S. military officials did not respond to a request for comment on the apparent attacks.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had targeted the U.S. base in Udairi, Kuwait, setting ablaze and destroying three ammunition and storage sheds. It also claimed to have struck a watchtower for the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, which it said was damaged.

U.S. Central Command did not respond to inquiries about the claims.

Both Bahrain and Jordan said they had intercepted aerial attacks by Iran on Friday.

As a barrage of assaults was aimed at bases of the United States and its allies, the U.S. hit a Revolutionary Guard naval base in northern Iran, according to the semiofficial news outlets Fars and ISNA. Blasts from U.S. bombardment were also reported on Iran’s Qeshm Island, a base for naval assets including drone boats that Iran can use to attack vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as in Isfahan province, home to a major Iranian air base and one of Iran’s nuclear sites.

Additional strikes reportedly hit Iran’s southwest Khuzestan province and southern Fars province.

Central Command said the latest barrage was designed to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters” as the Americans push to reopen the strait, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas transited in peacetime.

Houthi attacks give Iran more leverage in potential negotiations

Iran’s ability to effectively close the strait — and cause economic chaos far beyond the Middle East — gives it tremendous leverage in negotiations. Its Houthi allies increased that leverage when they targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday — increasing the risks of shipping through another vital route for Middle Eastern oil.

The attacks made good on the Houthis’ threat to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping. The strait at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, and around 12% of the world’s trade, including one-fourth of global container traffic, passes through there.

The passage has become more crucial for Saudi Arabia, which has been forced to divert millions of barrels of oil a day to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened “major military punishment” against the Houthis if their attacks on ships continue.

The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, dipped slightly Friday to about $96, but it is still up substantially from before the start of the war, when it was trading around $72 a barrel. Motorists in the U.S. saw gas prices tick up to an average of $4.11 a gallon, AAA said.

No signs of diplomatic breakthrough as war's human toll expands

Beyond the economic impact, the human toll was also apparent, with the Iranian Health Ministry reporting that 3,434 people have been killed since the war began.

In other developments, the International Maritime Organization said at least 6,000 mariners were stranded on about 400 vessels around the Strait of Hormuz. U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk called for “urgent action” to help them. His office said the seafarers are exposed to the fighting and some have been abandoned by their ships’ owners, leaving them to “fend for themselves without food, water, fuel, medical care, electricity or means to communicate with their families.”

There have been no public signs of progress in any negotiation efforts.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar of Pakistan, which has played a significant role in previous negotiations, met his Iranian counterpart, Araghchi, on Friday. But before the meeting, Araghchi appeared to brush off any attempts at mediation, saying he did not think the conflict needed more mediators, instead insisting the U.S. must change its position.

The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28 and have offered shifting goals for the war, including toppling Tehran’s government and eliminating its nuclear program.

Israel signaled its willingness to rejoin the conflict in recent days. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he would travel to the U.S. next week and meet with Trump.

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Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Erin Cunningham in Jerusalem, Matthew Lee in Washington, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed.

The Republican president made the announcement a day after the EU hit Google with a fine of 890 million euros, or $1 billion, after it said the technology behemoth broke digital antitrust regulations by setting up Google Play and its ubiquitous search engine to corral consumers toward its own services and apps to the detriment of competitors.

In a lengthy post on social media, Trump said he has warned the EU about its practice of fining U.S. tech companies. He named Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon and others.

“The United States of America is not a ‘PIGGYBANK’ for Europe, nor will we allow it to be!” Trump said, adding that his post should serve as notice of an immediate trade investigation “into the practice of ‘ROBBING’ American Companies and, in turn, the American Taxpayer.”

“The European Union will pay a very big price for this illegal and highly unethical conduct, which I have consistently warned them about,” he said.

In the post, Trump asserted that the penalties against the companies “will be entirely reversed” and predicted “a substantial TARIFF” would be placed on the EU “at the earliest possible moment.”

“Stay tuned!” he said.

Investigation follows new Trump tariffs

Trump's move comes a day after the White House announced double-digit tariffs on imports from more than 60 countries, accusing them of inadequately enforcing bans on goods produced by forced labor. The new tariffs replace temporary 10% worldwide import taxes that Trump imposed after the Supreme Court struck down his biggest tariffs.

The new tariffs are being implemented using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose import taxes and other sanctions against countries found to engage in “unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices.

José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google, said the company has worked hard to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act and has expressed its concerns about the effects of recent decisions by the European Commission.

"We appreciate the engagement by the administration and U.S. government,” he said.

Representatives of Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment. There also was no immediate comment from the Brussels-based European Commission.

Trump had threatened retaliation over EU fines

The EU's billion-dollar fine against Google was the latest major crackdown on Big Tech by Brussels, which has led the world in reining in some of the world’s largest companies from Silicon Valley to Beijing.

It has done so despite the risk of incurring the wrath of Trump, who has lashed out at the 27-nation bloc’s digital regulations in a broader campaign against Europe: imposing high tariffs, making threats to seize Greenland from Denmark by force, and rattling trust within the NATO military alliance.

Trump had threatened retaliation if American tech companies are penalized.

Google had recently lost its appeal of a $4.5 billion antitrust fine imposed by the EU for throttling competition and reducing consumer choice through the dominance of its mobile Android operating system.

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch and highest antitrust enforcer, said it was acting in the interest of consumers after an investigation of Google.

“The best products should succeed because they’re better, not because they’re owned by the company running the search engine. And European consumers have a right to be told by app developers where to sign up to the best offers, even when the app store owner does not get a cut,” said Teresa Ribera, the commission’s executive vice president for clean, just and competitive transition.

Google’s president of global affairs, Kent Walker, assailed the fine as “product degradation driven by a small group of self-serving complainants” that will hurt European businesses and consumers.

He said the EU’s Digital Markets Act forces Google “to strip away real-time search features Europeans love — like instant pricing and direct availability for hotels, flights, and restaurants — and dismantle safety protections on Google Play.”

The EU describes some of the world’s leading tech giants — Amazon, Apple, Google parent Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok owner ByteDance — as “gatekeepers” that control access for consumers.

“In the EU, businesses have the right to compete fairly. Gatekeepers have the obligation to ensure a level playing field and consumers the right to choose for cheaper alternative offers,” European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said. Alphabet reported $403 billion in revenue last year.

—-

Associated Press writer Kaitlyn Huamani in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

As the six-lane Gordie Howe International Bridge dominated the skyline behind them, officials lined up in Windsor, Ontario, to hail what one described as “one of the most significant infrastructure achievements in Canada's history.” The bridge opens to traffic on Monday.

“Some days are remembered because they mark the end of a journey. Others are remembered because they mark the beginning of something entirely new. Today is both,” said Chuck Andary, interim CEO of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which will operate the bridge.

Missing from the event: U.S. and Michigan representatives. Canada scratched a joint gathering after President Donald Trump this week suddenly announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods entering the U.S. A soloist sang the national anthem, “O Canada,” but the U.S. anthem was not performed.

“Our relationship has been challenged over the last few years, and President Trump is threatening tariffs just this month. But team Canada has never been more united,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford told the crowd, which applauded at times during his defense of the country.

Bridges are critical to moving goods between countries

More than 70% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., making America its largest trade partner, and Detroit is the No. 1 port for truck traffic on the U.S.-Canada border, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Howe bridge will instantly create competition. For nearly a century, the privately owned Ambassador Bridge has been the only route for large commercial trucks moving between the U.S. and Canada at Detroit. Businesses say the new span will be faster and less expensive.

The bridge is named for Howe, a Canadian icon — “Mr. Hockey” — who played on the other side of the Detroit River for the NHL's Detroit Red Wings. He died in 2016. Ford and Mark Wiseman, the Canadian ambassador to the U.S., wore hockey sweaters with Howe's No. 9.

Trump didn't attend, but his role was felt

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens repeatedly praised Howe and appeared to take a subtle dig at Trump. He said he recently texted Dr. Murray Howe to ask who might be his father's target these days if he had to slam someone into the hockey boards.

“He's a gentleman. He didn't answer,” Dilkens said. “But I think we all know who that person might be if Gordie was going to check one person into the board.”

Surrounded by family, Murray Howe thanked residents of both countries and specifically named Canadian officials and the U.S. president. He recalled how his father grew up in Saskatchewan before moving to Ontario at age 16 for a tryout with the Red Wings.

“This bridge will serve as an unmistakable symbol of the priceless bond and true friendship between the people of Canada and the people of the United States,” Murray Howe said, expressing the same long-term view as other speakers.

Canada paid for the bridge but will share revenue

Construction, which began in 2018, took years, partly because of a global slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada paid to build the bridge at an estimated cost of $6.4 billion. A recent agreement says Canada will share some toll revenue with the U.S. government for 15 years.

Trump praised his administration for that deal in a social media post while the Ontario event was in progress. “We changed the terms,” he said.

Michigan will also get a share, but not until Canada’s costs are recovered, likely decades from now.

The bridge is 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long and rises 151 feet (46 meters) above the Detroit River at its highest point. Pedestrians and bicyclists carrying proper identification will be able to cross it for free in a few weeks.

___

White reported from Detroit.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres quietly nominated the Austrian lawyer for a second term. After private consultations but no public discussion, the 193-member General Assembly scheduled a vote on his reappointment for Friday afternoon.

The U.S. State Department called the rushed vote “another example of the U.N.’s inherent corruption and incompetence.”

“Volker Turk has turned a blind eye to real atrocities and instead pursued a radical ideological agenda,” the department said. “We will not allow the UN Secretary General (SYG) to reward his crony with a cushy job extension he has done nothing to earn.”

The job of the U.N. rights chief, by its nature, is tricky: It requires speaking out against rights violations by the governments of the countries that make up the membership of the world body. For instance, Türk has sharply criticized Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Some suggest an extension for Türk until the end of the year

Türk's term expires on Oct. 11, and Russia’s U.N. Mission said it has proposed extending his term just until Dec. 31 — the day Guterres’ second five-year term as secretary-general ends.

Russia called Guterres’ effort to give Türk four more years as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights “unprecedented.” None of his predecessors have served two full terms since the job was created in 1993.

An extension just until the end of the year would leave the choice of a new human rights chief to the next secretary-general. Six candidates are vying to be the new U.N. chief.

Guterres sent letters to regional groups at the United Nations earlier this month informing them of his intention to reappoint Türk. The African group had no objection, but the Latin American countries had several, including Nicaragua, Argentina and Paraguay.

Israel's Foreign Ministry called Guterres' action to get a second term for Türk the U.N. secretary-general's “latest moral failure,” saying on social media that the choice should be left to his successor.

“After years of bias against Israel, the answer is accountability — not rewriting the rules,” the ministry said.

Guterres is ‘following the rules’ on the reappointment, UN says

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric, says Guterres is following the 1993 resolution that established a U.N. high commissioner for human rights and allows for a second term.

“The secretary-general is doing things in a very transparent manner, following the rules and his authority,” Dujarric told reporters Friday. “Consultations were had with member states prior to this and with regional groups.”

Türk “is ready to serve” a new term, rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said. She noted the job calls for the “promotion and protection of human rights everywhere, and as a part of this, he sees it as his role to engage with all states.”

As human rights chief, the longtime U.N. functionary who worked for Guterres at United Nations headquarters in New York, Türk has expressed concerns on issues in China as diverse as the fate of detained individuals — like artist Gao Zhen, lawyer Yu Wensheng and media mogul Jimmy Lai — and counterterrorism and assimilation practices that affect ethnic minorities including the Uyghurs in the regions of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Tibet.

Critics insist he could have done more to publicly follow up on a report issued by his predecessor, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, that said China’s discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang may amount to crimes against humanity.

Türk also has stopped short of joining independent U.N. rights experts who have accused Israel of genocide against Palestinians during its war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel vehemently denies those claims.

Critic focuses on approach to China's treatment of Uyghurs

Former head of Human Rights Watch Ken Roth called Türk “a disaster” and said “the biggest stain on Turk’s reputation is his utter abandonment of the Uyghurs.” He called them victims of the most severe state persecution that Türk has ignored.

The Chinese government denies the Uyghurs have been or are being persecuted. It maintains its policies in Xinjiang rooted out terrorism and religious extremism after sporadic bouts of violence rocked the region in previous decades.

Türk has used both private engagement with Beijing and public advocacy to support human rights in China, his office said. Roth called that “an admission that he is doing nothing, that he’s putting the plight of the Uyghurs on the deep back burner, and is just pretending to care.”

Roth said Türk has a major problem because the job of U.N. human rights commissioner “should be about stirring up public pressure, and you do that by being tough, provocative, timely.”

He “has succeeded in making a powerful position largely innocuous,” talking about issues in a way “that makes people’s eyes glaze over,” Roth said.

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Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Farnoush Amiri in New York and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Deputies responded to the scene on Avenue A Friday morning, where they found the victim suffering from deep stab wounds to his arm and chest. The victim told deputies he had fought back, taking the knife from his attacker and stabbing him in self-defense. Using a suspect and vehicle description provided by the victim, deputies issued a BOLO for the suspect’s vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.

The Daytona Beach Police Department spotted the vehicle almost immediately. The suspect, Edward O’Conner, 48, was taken into custody without incident during a felony traffic stop and then transported to the hospital for treatment.

Investigators said O’Conner stabbed the victim due to an ongoing feud involving the victim and O’Conner’s father. O’Conner is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and burglary with battery.

At last check, both men remained in stable condition at the hospital.

Kim birdied the final four holes of his bogey-free round at TPC Twin Cities to get to 14-under for the tournament.

This marks the fourth 59 on tour since 2024. Jake Knapp was the last to do so during the first round of the 2025 Cognizant Classic. Jim Furyk holds the tour record with a 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.

“Today was an awesome day, but still, I’m only halfway there so still need to kind of get focused up for the weekend,” said Kim, who shot 69 Thursday and holds a three-shot lead over first-round leader Ben Kohles after the Friday morning rounds.

Kohles shot a 2-under 69 to get to 11-under. His post-round interview was interrupted by a roar when Kim made his final putt.

“That’s sick,” he said smiling. “There’s a 59. I guess 62 wasn’t as good.”

Kim’s mindset is to not play “too protective.” That is not easy at the par-3 No. 17 and par-5 No. 18 where water lines each hole.

“I just kind of told myself like, ‘Hey, this is the way, this is the moment to get into the history books and let’s go for it, let’s not try to luck our way into it, let’s try to step up and hit some really good shots,’” he said.

Kim made a 17-foot birdie putt on No. 17, and a wedge from 124 yards landed pin high but rolled to the fringe of the 18th green, leaving an uphill putt with little break.

“I tend to leave those short when it’s that uphill and I just, last thing was just get it there, just don’t leave it short,” said Kim, who raised his hands and did a few fist bumps when the ball sank into the cup.

Kim, whose previous career low round was 62, made five straight birdies beginning on No. 3 and added three in a four-hole stretch beginning on No. 9.

Eight of his birdies were from more than 10 feet.

“When you hit a putt and it does exactly what you kind of envisioned before you hit it, it’s an awesome feeling. Felt like that all day out there,” said Kim, whose lone tour win came at the 2018 John Deere Classic.

Second in the Valero Texas Open in April, Kim's best finish in 12 tournaments since was 17th, and he missed four cuts, including the past three weeks at the British Open, Scottish Open and John Deere Classic.

Playing the previous five weeks, Kim thought about skipping this week’s tour stop.

“I felt decent energy-wise," Kim said, "so I went home after I missed the cut at the Open, just spent a couple days relaxing and came up here and really happy I did.”

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

The Bulldogs received 88 of 164 votes to reach the title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in early December. Texas was the second choice, with 57 votes, and Mississippi a distant third with six. Texas A&M, Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU and Kentucky also received votes.

Only 10 times since 1992 has the media’s preseason predicted champion proceeded to win the SEC title game.

Media also voted on preseason All-SEC teams, with Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss edging Texas’ Arch Manning for first-team quarterback.

Predicted order of finish

1. Georgia, 2,510 points

2. Texas, 2,449

3. Mississippi, 2,004

4. Texas A&M, 1,967

5. LSU, 1,961

6. Alabama, 1,930

7. Oklahoma, 1,914

8. Tennessee, 1,320

9. Florida, 1,217

10. Missouri, 1,105

11. South Carolina, 956

12. Auburn, 936

13. Vanderbilt, 751

14. Kentucky, 546

15. Mississippi State, 467

16. Arkansas, 262

First-team offense

QB: Trinidad Chambliss, Mississippi

RB: Kewan Lacy, Mississippi; Ahmad Hardy, Missouri

WR: Cam Coleman, Texas; Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama

TE: Trey’Dez Green, LSU

OG/OT: Trevor Goosby, Texas; Cayden Green, Missouri; Jordan Seaton, LSU; Earnest Greene III, Georgia

C: Drew Bobo, Georgia

All-purpose: Mario Craver, Texas A&M

First-team defense

DL: Colin Simmons, Texas; Will Echoles, Mississippi; Dylan Stewart, South Carolina; Princewill Umanmielen, LSU

LB: Whit Weeks, LSU; Xavier Atkins, Auburn; Rasheem Biles, Texas

DB: KJ Bolden, Georgia; Zabien Brown, Alabama; Bray Hubbard, Alabama; Ellis Robinson IV, Georgia

First-team specialists

PK: Tate Sandell, Oklahoma

P: Grant Chadwick, LSU

Return specialist: Ryan Niblett, Texas

Kickoff specialist: Tate Sandell, Oklahoma

Long snapper: Ben Anderson, Oklahoma

Second-team offense

QB: Arch Manning, Texas

RB: Jadan Baugh, Florida; Nate Frazier, Georgia

WR: Mario Craver, Texas A&M; Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma

TE: Lawson Luckie, Georgia

OG/OT: Dontrell Glover, Georgia; Michael Fasusi, Oklahoma; Michael Carroll, Alabama; Lance Heard, Kentucky

C: Mark Nabou Jr., Texas A&M

All-purpose: Ryan Niblett, Texas

Second-team defense

DL: David Stone, Oklahoma; Elijah Griffin, Georgia; Taylor Wein, Oklahoma; Quincy Rhodes Jr., Arkansas

LB: Raylen Wilson, Georgia; Suntarine Perkins, Mississippi; Kip Lewis, Oklahoma

DB: Kelley Jones, Mississippi State; DJ Pickett, LSU; Ty Benefield, LSU; Eli Bowen, Oklahoma; Peyton Bowen, Oklahoma

Second-team specialists

PK: Lucas Carneiro, Mississippi

P: Grayson Miller, Oklahoma

Return specialist: Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma

Kickoff specialist: Lucas Carneiro, Mississippi

Long snapper: Trey Dubuc, Texas

Third-team offense

QB: Gunner Stockton, Georgia

RB: DeSean Bishiop, Tennessee; Hollywood Smothers, Texas

WR: Ryan Wingo, Texas; Nyck Harbor, South Carolina

TE: Willie Rodriguez, Kentucky

OG/OT: David Sanders Jr., Tennessee; Patrick Kutas, Mississippi; Brandon Baker, Texas; Wendell Moe Jr., Tennessee

C: Braelin Moore, LSU

All-purpose: Jaden Baugh, Florida

Third-team defense

DL: Kam Franklin, Mississippi; DJ Hicks, Texas A&M; Gabe Harris, Georgia; Jayden Woods, Florida

LB: Arion Carter, Tennessee; TJ Dottery, LSU; Yhonzae Pierre, Alabama

DB: Keon Sabb, Alabama; Champ Anthony, Auburn; Khalil Barnes, Georgia; Jelani McDonald, Texas

Third-team specialists

PK: Alex McPherson, Auburn

P: Ethan Pulliam, Mississippi State

Return specialist: Vernell Brown III, Florida

Kickoff specialist: Terry Bussey, Texas A&M

Long snapper: Brett Le Blanc, Missouri

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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

The decision by the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee will need to be approved by the full organization, which is scheduled to meet in August.

South Carolina or Nevada had been expected to go first, with each state aggressively campaigning for the coveted spot.

President Joe Biden successfully pushed to move South Carolina to the front of Democrats’ 2024 calendar after the state revived his struggling 2020 presidential campaign. South Carolina has long been the first Southern contest and has served as a key test of candidates’ support among Black voters.

Jaime Harrison, a former DNC chair in attendance Friday, told The Associated Press after the vote that keeping his home state first on Democrats’ nominating calendar signaled to Black voters the value they bring to the party, especially after a Supreme Court decision aimed at weakening their voting power.

“I think we needed a strong statement to say to the most loyal members of our party, which are Black voters, that we’re going to stand up with you,” said Harrison, who also chaired South Carolina's Democratic Party. “It was just really important for us to stand up and say, ’We see you, we hear you, but most importantly, we’re gonna fight like hell for you. And your voices are important.'”

Democratic leaders in a handful of southern states had lobbied for South Carolina to reprise its role as the party’s first-in-the-nation contest holder, arguing in a letter to the DNC that the state best represents the initial playing field for presidential candidates to build the coalitions needed to win and serves as “a moral and political compass for our party and our nation.”

Democrats wanted more influence for diverse states

The overhaul reflects Democrats’ effort to give greater influence to states that better mirror the party’s diverse coalition, particularly Black and Latino voters, after years of a calendar led by Iowa and New Hampshire, two states with overwhelmingly white electorates.

Much of Friday's debate stood as a contrast on several fronts. South Carolina proponents argued they had the experience to stand up a lead-off primary, and served as a showcase for the Black voters whose support has become vital for Democrats.

“Black voters didn't just show up for this party in 2020. They saved us,” Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said, in making her argument for South Carolina. "They saved our entire country from Donald Trump.”

Nevada's supporters, meanwhile, portrayed their state as the party's future, in which they argued Latino voters play a larger and larger role.

“We are the battleground state," said Artie Blanco of Nevada, a DNC vice chair. "We win elections because we leave no voter untouched.”

The decision will also shape the opening stage of what is expected to be a crowded Democratic presidential primary. Without an incumbent or clear front-runner, the states that vote first could once again play an outsized role in determining which candidates gain momentum, attract donors and emerge as viable contenders.

Republicans still need to do their calendar. They're expected to stick with their traditional early-state lineup led off by Iowa and New Hampshire.

The calendar decision is one of the first milestones in what's expected to be a tumultuous two-year sprint to the Democratic nomination.

There has not been a truly open Democratic presidential primary — without an incumbent president or a dominant front-runner — in almost two decades.

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Kinnard reported from Columbia, S.C., and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

The decision to halt use of LPRs, manufactured by Flock Safety, was made after investigators said a Sumter County detective improperly accessed multiple law enforcement databases for personal reasons.

“While I do believe these systems are a valuable tool for law enforcement, due to these circumstances, I have ordered a complete internal audit of all the databases, and I have suspended the use of Flock,” Sheriff Breeden said.

While law enforcement advocates see LPRs as a valuable tool, civil liberties groups have raised concerns about data security and a lack of sufficient oversight.

Erik Field lives in Sumter County and has felt uneasy about seeing the cameras around his community.

[RELATED: Here’s where Flock cameras have been deployed across Central Florida]

“I’m an old dude that goes to the dog park, and I’m not worth having my picture taken 20 times,” Field said. “Law enforcement shouldn’t have such easy access to it for personal matters.”

While Field applauded the sheriff’s decision to suspend use of the cameras, there are others who hope it’s not permanent.

Bill Glynn said the cameras are needed in a lot of cases and law enforcement should have continued access despite cases of misuse.

“I think these cameras are terrific. They’ve solved way more crimes than they’ve caused,” Glynn said. “I think it needs to be cleaned up, obviously, but I’m for all these cameras.”

The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office has not said how many cameras are affected by the suspension.

Dozens of firefighters were injured, authorities said, but no deaths were reported in either country.

Some 125 square kilometers (48 square miles) have been consumed by the blaze that has raged since Wednesday near Cap Ferret. Located just 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Bordeaux, the peninsula normally offers stunning landscapes and sandy beaches as well as oyster-farming villages and upmarket resorts.

About 67,000 residents in France escaped a larger area as authorities ordered additional evacuations further south after a separate wildfire broke out. Both France and Spain have asked fellow European Union members for help.

“It’s quite impressive and even frightening," said Laurent Moretti, a resident in the town of Arès. “An evacuation on this scale has never happened before. All we really hope is that the firefighters can quickly get it under control.”

More than 20,000 people had already been evacuated from towns and vacation resorts on Thursday. The new evacuations were carried out by road, with boat shuttles provided for people who could not travel by their own means.

Local authorities in the Gironde department said 53 homes and a campsite have been ravaged by flames, adding that 42 firefighters were injured. Around 1,500 people who fled the peninsula arrived by sea in the city of Arcachon, some aboard small water taxis and others on larger boats.

The EU comes to the rescue

Hundreds of French firefighters have been deployed and additional ground and aerial reinforcements were sent Friday to tackle the blaze. Meanwhile, another major wildfire destroyed 25 square kilometers of land further south down the coast. It remained uncontained and strong winds hampered the work of firefighters.

Authorities believe the cause of both fires was accidental. Some 44,000 people have been evacuated in Gironde, and 23,000 in the Landes.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France will receive EU reinforcements including two Croatian Canadair firefighting aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor aircraft, and two heavy-lift Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that Italy and Greece are each sending two Canadair water-dumping airplanes.

Spain struggles to tackle multiple fires amid a heatwave

In Spain, the government declared a national emergency for wildfires for the first time as the blazes in Madrid and the nearby province of Ávila prompted the evacuation of some 25,000 people from towns west of the capital.

The fires are being fanned by a heat wave with temperatures expected to top 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) in parts of Spain.

The two major fires near Madrid merged into one single blaze that had quickly charred 30 square kilometers (11.5 square miles) by Friday afternoon. Regional President Isabel Díaz-Ayuso called it the worst in Madrid's history.

Francisco Martín, the central government representative for the region of Madrid, said that another 20,000 people had been ordered to shelter at home in towns west of the capital. Martín said more evacuations could be coming and that the priority now was to protect the town of San Lorenzo, the home of the Escorial, Philip II's 16th-century royal palace and monastery.

Meanwhile, a blaze in Ávila, less than two hours northwest of Madrid, had consumed 90 square kilometers (34 square miles), causing another 1,500 people to flee. Spain's Civil Guard arrested one man and is investigating another for allegedly having used heavy machinery in an area where it was prohibited for fire risk. Police believe a spark ignited the fire on Thursday.

“In my 60 years I have never seen something like this in my village, I have never seen fire of these dimensions,” Francisco Martínez, the mayor of Burgohondo, whose residents were preventively evacuated in Ávila, told Spain’s national broadcaster TVE.

Spanish television showed video taken by retreating residents of walls of flames topped by long plumes of smoke advancing through woods and scrublands. High winds and hilly terrain complicated efforts by firefighters, who combated the blazes with firetrucks and bulldozers.

“All around the town was smoke and fire, I was scared. Everything was fire and smoke, people were nervous,” 33-year-old Joaquin Espinosa told The Associated Press before he and his neighbors were evacuated from the village of Chapinería, located less than an hour's drive west of Madrid.

Strong winds complicate efforts

In one week, Spain has had the worst fires on record for both the regions of Castilla La Mancha and Madrid.

Firefighters were still trying to extinguish Spain’s second-largest ever fire in the Guadalajara province of Castilla La Mancha after it had destroyed some 320 square kilometers (120 square miles) over the last week. Thirteen people were also killed in a fire in southern Spain earlier this month, the deadliest fire in recent memory for Spain.

Spanish Minister for the Ecological Transition Sara Aagesen said that Spain has seen 1,140 square kilometers (440 square miles) already burned this year, more than five times the burned terrain it had through the first half of 2025. There were nine other serious fires in other parts of Spain active on Friday.

Sánchez called on Wednesday for a pact between political parties to fight climate change that he said is key to adapting to a more fire-prone climate. Spain has experienced record temperatures in recent summers and forest fires of increasing violence.

Wildfire analyst Raúl Quílez said that besides the impact of climate change, Spain’s rural areas have become more exposed to fires with the abandonment of farmlands that traditionally provided buffer zones around villages. Now, he said, trees and undergrowth often reach right to homes, putting them in harm’s way.

"That makes a perfect cocktail for this type of fires,” Quílez told the AP by phone from Valencia, where he works as an analyst for regional firefighters.

Arsonists abuse cats to set fires in Sicily

In Italy, as wildfires ravaged Sicily and other areas, civil protection officials said arsonists were behind some of the blazes and were using cats to help propagate the flames.

The head of the civil protection agency in Calabria, Domenico Costarella, said arsonists had attached rags soaked in flammable liquid to the tails of cats and then set them loose in fields to spread the fire.

Fueled by temperatures that have topped 40 C (104 F), low humidity and winds, the blazes have forced scattered evacuations and were blamed for the death of a firefighter responding to a fire in Caltanissetta.

Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness especially in southeastern Europe, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.

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Alicia León in Chapinería, Spain, and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this story. Petrequin reported from Paris. Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain.

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots opened camp on Friday, joining the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers. The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers report on Saturday, and the remaining 26 teams start on Tuesday.

Ten teams have new head coaches, 21 have new offensive coordinators and 14 brought in new defensive coordinators.

Here are the top stories to watch:

Will Aaron Donald come out of retirement?

The three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year is contemplating a comeback to team with star edge rusher Myles Garrett and increase the Rams’ chances of winning another Super Bowl in their home stadium.

Donald is 35 and hasn’t played since retiring after the 2023 season. He played a key role for Los Angeles when the Rams won the Super Bowl five years ago.

Will Patrick Mahomes be ready for Week 1?

The three-time Super Bowl MVP tore two ligaments in his left knee last Dec. 14 as the Chiefs were on their way to a 6-11 finish. Mahomes had surgery to repair his ACL and LCL a day later, and participated in Kansas City’s offseason practices. He is on track to play against Denver on Sept. 14, barring any setbacks. If Mahomes starts the opener, it’ll be eight months post-injury.

Will Baker Mayfield get a contract extension?

Mayfield is in the final season of a three-year, $100 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He tailed off after an outstanding start last season when he played through several injuries. Mayfield wants to stay with Tampa Bay and the Bucs want him. He’s expected to get around $55 million per season and it’s just a matter of when the two sides reach an agreement.

Which quarterbacks will win the competition for starting jobs?

There’s a battle between two lefties in Atlanta where Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. will compete. A change of scenery could help Tagovailoa regain his Pro Bowl form.

Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy fight for the starting job in Minnesota. Murray, a two-time Pro Bowl QB in Arizona, is the favorite to start Week 1. McCarthy was the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2024 and could even end up No. 3 behind veteran Carson Wentz.

Deshaun Watson has a shot to start in Cleveland after tearing his right Achilles tendon twice in a span of three months and sitting out the 2025 season. Watson is in the final year of a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Sheduer Sanders, who was 3-4 as a starter as a rookie, showed glimpses of his potential and will get an opportunity to win the job.

How many first-team reps will Fernando Mendoza get in camp and preseason?

Kirk Cousins is expected to start in Las Vegas but Mendoza could end up starting sooner than later. It’ll be interesting to see how many first-team snaps rookie coach Klint Kubiak gives Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, national champion and No. 1 overall pick.

How does Sean Mannion change the Eagles’ offense?

The 2024 Super Bowl champs won 11 games last season despite an inconsistent offense that cost Kevin Patullo his job as offensive coordinator. Sean Mannion took over after coaching Green Bay’s QBs last season. He was a journeyman quarterback in the NFL between 2015-23 and brings a new system that’s rooted in Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan’s philosophies of pre-snap motion, under-center plays and use of play-action.

He’ll be the sixth OC in seven seasons for Jalen Hurts, who won’t have A.J. Brown as his primary receiver this season.

Can the Seahawks transition from Kubiak to Brian Fleury seamlessly?

The Super Bowl champs replaced Kubiak with another one of Shanahan’s disciples. Kubiak and Fleury worked together previously in San Francisco. Fleury served in various roles with the 49ers and coaches tight ends and was the run game coordinator in 2025. He plans to keep much of Kubiak’s system, which allowed Sam Darnold to thrive.

How are players returning from injuries progressing?

QBs Bo Nix (ankle) and Daniel Jones (Achilles) are expected to be ready for Week 1. Nix was injured in Denver’s playoff win against Buffalo and missed the AFC title game. Jones got hurt in Week 14 last season as the Colts were in the middle of a 7-game losing streak to end a season they began 8-2.

Tight end George Kittle (Achilles) could return to San Francisco’s lineup in the first month. Giants running back Cam Skattebo (tibia/ankle), Dolphins RB De’Von Achane (shoulder), 49ers edges Nick Bosa (ACL), Mykell Williams (ACL), Jaguars cornerback Travis Hunter (LCL) and Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (ACL) are also coming back from significant injuries.

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

Clark called her conversation with Obama “a moment I’ll probably remember for the rest of my life.”

“It was obviously super cool. He just complimented me for the way that I handle everything, obviously with everything that’s been going on,” the Indiana Fever star said Friday after meeting Obama. “He’s somebody that has been in front of the media quite a bit and he reminded me, ‘When I got famous in my 40s, I didn’t have to do it in my 20s.’"

Obama spoke to the players for a few minutes on the basketball court at the center which opened last month.

“Some of you I’m meeting for the first time. All of you are extraordinary and I could not be bigger fans,” Obama said. “The way the game has been growing lately, the way it’s been picking up and people paying attention to your excellence, I think it’s been something for basketball fans, generally, a sight to see. It’s been making me happy.”

He spoke to the players for a few minutes before taking a group photo. Obama then spent about 10 minutes shaking hands with the players and taking photos with them, including Clark.

“I know many of you are involved in some wonderful ventures off the court, looking out for other young people and inspiring them. I just wanted to say thanks,” Obama said.

The former president gave a shout out to A’ja Wilson in his talk to the players and then went over and chatted with her as well.

After the photo-ops were done, Obama stepped on the court and talked with New York Liberty star Jonquel Jones, getting down in a defensive stance for a few seconds on her.

“I feel like as a hooper, you know when someone’s challenging you. So I was just like, let me go over there with the basketball, you know, do a little cross, bump him a little bit," Jones said. “And I knew that I would get him activated a little because he’s a hooper, too.”

Jones said she had met Obama once before.

“He’s a role model for me and it was nice to be able to have that moment,” Jones said. “Someone that I look up to, someone that has paved the way for a lot of people to be here and see him continuing, his family continuing to give back to the community when they’ve already done so much is just so inspirational.”

That was the extent of his time on the court. He told the players that he didn’t play 5-on-5 anymore to protect his Achilles. He did say that he broke in the court with a game of “horse.”

Obama was the first sitting U.S. President to attend a WNBA game when he and his daughter, Sasha, sat courtside in 2010 for a Washington Mystics game. He also has hosted many of them at the White House after they either won WNBA championships or NCAA titles.

Obama was gifted with a No. 44 WNBA All-Star jersey that the players were going to autograph later.

This was the first professional sport to use the basketball court at the center, which opened in June. Obama went to the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles in February. Obama said he unfortunately wasn’t going to be able to make the All-Star Game on Saturday because of a previous engagement with his wife, Michelle.

“It’s fitting for our 30th anniversary that we’re here as the first sports league to play in the Obama Presidential Center,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “Someone who has inspired hundreds of millions of people to dream big and accomplish things like President Obama has and his tie to basketball is amazing, too. I think there’s no more fitting person to be meeting with the players.”

After talking to the players, Obama went across the center to talk to a group of investors in the league and nearly 100 high school girls to talk.

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

The ballistic missile strike came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Kyiv with senior representatives of Raytheon, the U.S. company that makes the Patriot air defense systems that Ukraine desperately needs to counter the devastating ballistic missiles Russia uses to advance its invasion. Raytheon didn't immediately respond to an email inquiring whether any of its workers were at the event.

“Missiles for Patriot systems are the number one priority,” Zelenskyy said on social media, where he reported the attack.

The attack hit the grounds of a privately operated military training site that was hosting an event, acting regional military administration head Ruslan Oliinyk wrote on Facebook, citing preliminary information. The site is about 20-30 kilometers (12-19 miles) from central Kyiv, in the Bucha district.

Emergency crews responded to the area, where 27 homes and 44 vehicles also were damaged, Oliinyk said.

The Ukrainian Defense Industry Council, which describes itself as the country’s largest association of private defense manufacturers, said industry representatives were at the site when it was hit, although it did not immediately provide further details.

Ruslan Kravchenko, the country’s prosecutor general, opened a war crimes investigation into the attack and a separate criminal case over possible negligence in organizing the event.

Investigators will examine who approved its location, timing and format, and whether adequate precautions were taken, Kravchenko said.

The Ukrainian government imposed reporting restrictions on the attack.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian attack on a military plant in Russia killed six people and wounded 26 others, the regional governor said.

Zelenskyy meets with delegation from US company Raytheon

The Raytheon meeting came less than three weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to give Ukraine a license to produce Patriots. The pledge marked an important shift, as Trump recently adopted a more positive tone toward Zelenskyy.

In another sign that Ukraine is changing minds in Washington, ardent Trump ally Laura Loomer met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday. After years of minimizing the invasion, she rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for missile attacks on Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader said late Thursday that he held talks with a Raytheon delegation, adding that the company was ready to jointly produce Patriot interceptors with Ukraine. The system is comprised of radars, command-and-control systems, and different types of interceptor missiles.

The company made no immediate comment about the meeting on its website or social media accounts.

“Our teams — both at the government level and from the private sector — will stay in close touch to work (it) out,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

Zelenskyy is keen to move quickly on a coproduction agreement as Russia relentlessly fires ballistic missiles that are hard to stop and cause civilian casualties as well as inflicting huge damage on civilian areas.

Zelenskyy has for several years been pleading for more and quicker Patriot deliveries from Western partners. Ukraine has developed its own innovative air defenses, but large-scale production is vital.

Even so, experts and Kyiv officials have cautioned that setting up production in Ukraine would likely take years.

Ukraine hits another hub of Russia's biggest online retailer

When the Trump administration engaged in a diplomatic effort to end the war last year, Putin portrayed Russia as negotiating from a position of strength. The peace efforts have produced no results so far.

But since first attacking its neighbor in 2014, Russia has captured only around 20% of the country.

Now, the Russian army’s advance is stalling due to Ukraine’s successful front-line and mid- and long-range attacks using cutting-edge drone technology it has developed at home and that is now coveted by other countries, Western officials and analysts say.

Ukraine has expanded its campaign of disruption with bigger and increasingly frequent drone attacks inside Russia that are hitting high-profile targets, causing fuel shortages and piling pressure on Putin.

Ukrainian forces again targeted the logistical hubs of Wildberries, Russia’s biggest online retailer that is often compared to Amazon, the company’s founder said Friday.

Founder Tatyana Kim said Wildberries logistical facilities came under attack in St. Petersburg, the adjacent Leningrad region and in Simferopol — a city in illegally annexed Crimea.

Photos and videos published by Russian media showed massive plumes of smoke rising over St. Petersburg.

Ukraine struck four other Wildberries warehouses across Russia in recent days, sparking massive fires.

Kyiv officials want ordinary Russians to feel the consequences of the war and question whether Putin can keep them safe. The almost daily attacks have caused consternation in Russia.

Ukraine keeps targeting Russian oil facilities, weapons plants

Ukrainian long-range weapons hit an oil facility nearly 1,350 kilometers (840 miles) from the Ukrainian border, as well as a military plant, Zelenskyy said Friday.

The plant in Russia's Kirov region makes components for aircraft and missiles used in attacks on Ukrainian cities, he said.

The Ukrainian attack on the military plant killed six people and wounded 26 others, regional governor Alexander Sokolov said. He didn’t identify the plant, but Astra online news outlet said it was the Avitec plant, which makes air defense missiles and aircraft components.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported Friday that its air defenses shot down 571 Ukrainian drones overnight.

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This story was corrected to show that the Ukrainian attack that killed six people in Russia was on the military plant, not the oil facility.

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

The IOC said on Friday it has no jurisdiction to investigate Infantino’s alleged lack of political neutrality.

A London-based NGO formally complained this month to the International Olympic Committee ethics commission about Infantino, including his part in ensuring United States forward Folarin Balogun did not serve a mandatory one-game ban despite being sent off in the previous game.

The IOC’s Olympic Charter cites neutrality among “fundamental principles of Olympism” for sports bodies like FIFA and its 100-plus members, which has included Infantino since 2020.

No formal investigation will be opened, the IOC said, because the complaint by rights group FairSquare did not relate to FIFA’s or Infantino’s specific relations with the Olympic body.

The complaint “refers only to (FIFA’s) decisions on its governance and its management, including its relations with government, and to (FIFA’s) implementation of the rules of its sport,” the IOC said in a statement.

“Consequently, the complaint falls outside the IOC ethics commission’s jurisdiction,” the statement said.

The ethics body does not have independent powers to start investigations and sanction officials, but can make recommendations to the IOC executive board chaired by President Kirsty Coventry. She attended the World Cup final last Sunday at East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Action has been taken against just one IOC member in the past eight years for unethical conduct: Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, a key power broker who built a reputation as the “kingmaker” of Olympic elections.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak first tied to Taco Bell restaurants now includes Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. Previously the agency’s investigation included five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

The CDC, Food and Drug Administration and state health officials have been tracing the supply of the lettuce and interviewing people across the nation about the foods they ate two weeks before getting sick.

The number of cases linked to lettuce served at Taco Bell is now 1,947, including at least 98 people who had to be hospitalized. There have been no deaths, the agency reported on its website.

The total number of people sickened by the outbreak is likely higher than the official tally, given that not all cases are reported, the agency noted.

FDA officials earlier this week said they remain focused on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of the multistate outbreak. The company last week announced it was recalling iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico.

On Thursday, the FDA announced it was investigating a separate outbreak of cyclospora reported in 72 people. Regulators had not yet identified the products linked to the illnesses.

Overall, cyclospora cases have set a U.S. record. Since May 1, CDC has received reports of more than 4,100 laboratory-confirmed cases and is investigating more than 7,400 other likely cases across 41 states. Federal health officials have said that other “brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” could be tied to the outbreak as the investigation continues.

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.

On Thursday, Mexico health officials announced that the parasite was not detected in the lettuce or water at the Taylor Farms plant in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.

The results were announced following a visit by Mexican health authorities to the Taylor Farms plant between July 18 and 20, during which 10 samples of iceberg lettuce were collected. Four water samples also were collected for analysis, authorities stated.

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Fabiola Sanchez contributed to this story from Mexico City

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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.

A new campaign launched Friday will promote programs that let veterans who recently drove large military vehicles skip the required skills test for a commercial driver’s license. Other soldiers can attend a commercial driving school during their last six months of active duty. The GI Bill will also pay for 100% of commercial driver's license training and for some people even pay a housing allowance while they are in school.

The campaign will be part of a broader interagency effort to help veterans find good civilian jobs that the White House plans to announce on Monday.

The Transportation Department began enforcing existing English language requirements for truckers last summer. Concerns about truck driver qualifications then took on more urgency after an August crash in Florida, when a truck driver performed an illegal U-turn that killed three people. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that driver, who is from India, should never have been licensed in the first place.

Audits conducted in every state uncovered numerous non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses that remained valid long after an immigrant's work permits had expired or were issued without properly verifying their citizenship status.

Since then, about 26,000 drivers have been pulled off the road for failing to demonstrate English proficiency, and the Transportation Department said 30,000 commercial licenses were canceled because they were issued illegally. The federal government has tried to withhold millions of dollars of highway funds from California and New York for failing to comply and revoke thousands more licenses, but that has wound up in court. Several other states — including Pennsylvania, Minnesota and North Carolina — have been warned they are at risk of losing funding.

“We are removing more and more dangerous foreign drivers off our roads every day and restoring the integrity of America’s trucking industry,” Duffy said. “Our new Freedom Haulers campaign will help build on these successes and get the word out that there’s never been a better time for America’s former service members to get behind the wheel of a big rig.”

The federal government has been actively enforcing CDL rules

The trucking industry has applauded the administration's effort to get unqualified drivers off the road and close down sham CDL schools, and companies praised this new effort to get more veterans behind the wheel.

“Veterans make up 15% of our workforce and bring the highest levels of leadership, discipline and technical skills that are essential to our success. We are dedicated to providing them with meaningful careers and a supportive environment where they can thrive," said Derek Leathers, who is chairman and CEO of Werner Enterprises.

Cole Stevens, who is chief strategy officer at the trucking company that bears his last name, said veterans' backgrounds make them great drivers.

“Some of the best drivers and industry leaders I’ve had the privilege of working with are military veterans," Stevens said. “Their integrity, accountability, and mission-first mindset make them an incredible asset.”

In addition to enforcing existing restrictions, the government announced plans to restrict which immigrants can qualify for a non-domiciled commercial driver's license and require them to take the test in English, but those rules are being challenged in court.

The only immigrant drivers who can get a license under the new rules are holders of an H-2A, H-2A or E-2 visa. H-2A is for temporary agricultural workers while H-2B is for temporary nonagricultural workers, and E-2 is for people who make substantial investments in a U.S. business.

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.

Some immigrant groups have said they believe that many drivers are being unfairly targeted. The spotlight has been on Sikh truckers because the driver in the Florida crash and the driver in another fatal crash in California in October are both Sikh.

Truck driving may appeal to veterans

The Transportation Department plans to work with the Pentagon and Departments of Veterans Affairs and Labor to promote the career field as a good job that offers independence to veterans who don't want a desk job in civilian life.

Veterans still have to study the rules and pass the written test for a commercial driver's license, but soldiers who recently drove big military vehicles over 2.5 tons (2.25 metric tons) can skip the skills test. The government said more than 40,000 veterans have already used that program, which can enable them to get on the road within a few weeks.

The Transportation Department said that truck drivers currently make an average of $70,000 a year, as the truck market has tightened up and rates have increased.

Veterans who served for at least three years can also use the money from the GI Bill program to pay for CDL training, and they might even qualify for a housing stipend.

A lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City on behalf of Rhonda Grayson and Jeffrey Kennedy names Principal Chief David Hill and the Muscogee Nation Citizenship Board as defendants.

It says that Hill and the citizenship board are violating an 1866 treaty between the tribe and the U.S. government by refusing to recognize Black Creek Freedmen as citizens as ordered by the Muscogee Nation Supreme Court in July 2025.

The board denied the applications of Grayson and Kennedy in 2019 after it incorrectly determined they could not identify a lineal descendant of the tribe, but the court said the pair are entitled to tribal citizenship.

However, Hill and the board have not yet issued the citizenship cards, denying Grayson and Kennedy their “right to vote and the ability to participate fully as members of the Nation,” according to the lawsuit.

Last August, Hill blocked the tribe’s citizenship board from issuing citizenship cards until leaders decide how to change the tribe’s constitution. The tribe's headquarters is in Okmulgee, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City.

A spokesman for the Muscogee Nation said late Thursday afternoon that it had not yet been served with the complaint.

“We would point out that federal law and precedent is clear that matters of Muscogee Nation law and governance are to be addressed through the Nation’s own governmental institutions,” the Muscogee Nation said in a statement.

“We are committed to ensuring that the Muscogee Nation’s Constitution and laws are followed fairly and consistently,” the statement said. “Getting policies right is always more important than getting them done quickly. Anything less would undermine the integrity of our governmental processes and the rights of our citizens.”

The Muscogee Nation is one of five tribes in Oklahoma that once practiced slavery.

Under the 1866 treaty, the tribe abolished slavery and granted citizenship to the formerly enslaved. The Muscogee Nation adopted in 1979 a constitution that restricted membership to the descendants of people listed as “Muscogee (Creek) Indians by blood” on the Dawes Rolls, a census of members of the five tribes created around 1900.

When the Dawes Rolls were created, people were listed on two separate rolls: those who were Muscogee and those who were identified by the U.S. government as Freedmen.

The court's 2025 ruling also directed the board to apply the treaty of 1866 to future applicants who can trace an ancestor to either roll. The decision could create a path to tribal citizenship for thousands of new members who are not Muscogee by blood.

Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons, a Black Creek Indian who is one of the lawyers representing Grayson and Kennedy, said Thursday that there are about 100,000 Black Creeks across the United States.

Successful legal cases were brought against two of the five Oklahoma tribes, the Seminole Nation and the Cherokee Nation, which have since granted citizenship to Freedmen descendants.

“Every day of non-compliance is another day that Black Creek Freedman are denied our birthright and our very identity as citizens,” said Grayson, president of the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band.

“The fight is bigger than every one of us,” she told reporters Thursday. “It belongs to every Black Creek Freedman descendant who has carried this history, protected these stories and refused to let our identity be dismissed or diminished.”

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This story was first published on July 23, 2026. It was updated on July 24, 2026, to make clear that the Muscogee Nation Citizenship Board’s determination was incorrect when it said the Creek Freedmen citizenship applicants could not identify a lineal descendant of the tribe.

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Williams is a member of AP's Race & Ethnicities Team. He reported from Detroit.

John Lau has since entered a plea of not guilty. He is set to appear for a hearing on Sept. 17.

The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. on June 23 along Barna Avenue and River Oaks Drive. According to FHP, Lau — who was driving a police vehicle — ran off the roadway and overturned several times. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash triggered an administrative review that led to Lau’s firing. City Manager Tom Abbate said Lau was terminated “following a preliminary administrative review of violations of City Personnel Policy.”

According to a termination letter obtained by News 6, the city listed the reason for termination as a violation of “City Policy on Drugs and Alcohol refusal to submit to a drug test.”

Deputy Chief Tyler Wright was named interim chief of police, Abbate added.

Lau began his career with the Titusville Police Department in 1992 and was appointed police chief in 2012.

That much, the correspondents’ association can control.

What remains out of its control — and perhaps the biggest question — is what the dinner’s most prominent guest, President Donald Trump, will bring to the table.

Call it White House Dinner 2.0, or Take Two, or, in Trump’s own words, a “HOT ticket.”

The big unknown is whether Trump will bring the fighting words (“rather nasty,” he said) against the press he’d planned to deliver in April — before the event descended into chaos when a gunman stormed a security checkpoint, forcing an evacuation of the room.

“The president looks forward to finishing what he started,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday, confirming Trump's attendance. “I encourage everyone watching tomorrow night to tune in for what promises to be a very entertaining and memorable evening."

Trump has been coy about what he might say

As for Trump himself, he indicated last month he wasn’t sure. “I don’t know whether or not I will give the same rather nasty statements, at least as it concerns certain people, but we will soon find out," the Republican president wrote on his Truth Social platform. “In any event, it will be a ‘HOT’ ticket!”

Besides the pared-down approach, there is another change at Friday’s dinner: two additional awards. One will be presented to Victor Gonzales, the Secret Service agent who was staffing a security checkpoint in April and was struck in his protective vest.

“Officer Gonzales … ran toward danger so that thousands of others could make it home safely," Weijia Jiang, WHCA president, said in a statement. “His courage stemmed from a dedication to service, which we are looking forward to honoring this week.”

A second award will be presented to the staff of the Washington Hilton hotel, site of the first dinner.

Jiang and her fellow board members worked hard to bring about a WHCA dinner 2.0, not wanting to let a violent act remain the final image. Announcing the rescheduling, she emphasized the dinner’s stated purpose: “a celebration of a free press and the vital role of journalism in our democracy for over a century.”

“We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on the 250th anniversary of America and everything we stand for,” Jiang said.

There's still lots of criticism of the event

But it’s also clear that some people feel the dinner should not be rescheduled at all.

Many never felt the dinner was a good look in the first place, with the sight of journalists in formal wear cozying up to their sources, or the objects of their reporting.

“It undermines the public faith in how the press does its work, and it makes it look like we are pals with the people we cover,” Kelly McBride, an ethics expert at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank, said when the deliberations were taking place.

The new dinner comes during a time of fast-increasing tension between the media and a president who, in his second term, has tried to exert pressure on media outlets he is unhappy with in a variety of ways. That pressure has ranged from sanctions against members of the White House press corps to regulatory actions through the Federal Communications Commission to outright lawsuits.

Those tensions have only escalated since April, with the latest example reaching a New York courtroom on Thursday. There, criticized by a federal judge for sloppy legal work, the government withdrew subpoenas that would have compelled three New York Times reporters to testify about their sources for articles about Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet.

That escalation was the impetus behind a letter from a coalition of press freedom groups and hundreds of former journalists, urging the WHCA to stand up to Trump forcefully at the dinner.

“We believe it is hypocritical to celebrate the First Amendment in front of the man who relentlessly attacks it,” the letter says. “We urge the WHCA to condemn the administration’s actions from the podium and pledge to fight all attempts by his administration to undermine this core pillar of a functioning democracy.”

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Jocelyn Noveck covers the intersection of media and entertainment for The Associated Press.

Merz's presentation of an incomplete set of changes, however, raised questions and risked undermining his effort to generate new momentum.

Merz took office less than 15 months ago with pledges to reform and turn around Germany’s economy, Europe’s biggest, after years of stagnation. But that economic turnaround has been slow to start. And the middle-of-the-road coalition of Merz’s center-right Union bloc and the center-left Social Democrats, two traditional rivals, has yet to persuade voters that it can produce results.

That has resulted in Merz’s popularity sinking to rock-bottom levels, while the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, has gained support on the back of widespread discontent.

Merz tries to seize an opportunity

Merz took the opportunity to make a series of changes after a senior ally quit as the leader of his bloc's parliamentary group over personal conduct that undermined his credibility. Merz plans to put his chief of staff, Thorsten Frei, in that job.

The German leader said Health Minister Nina Warken will take Frei’s place at the chancellery, a post that is key to the smooth functioning of the government. She will be the first woman to take that job. Another close ally, Carsten Linnemann, the general secretary of Merz’s Christian Democratic Union party, will become health minister.

Merz said there will be further Cabinet changes, but didn’t offer details. He said those decisions will take “a few days yet, and perhaps more time.”

“The personnel changes follow a clear line,” he said. “We want a government that works with great vigor and pleasure and also represents the personal diversity of our society and politics. We are a reform government and want to continue showing that.”

Difficult regional elections are ahead

The governing parties face three difficult regional elections in September. In the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt on Sept. 6, AfD is hopeful of winning a majority that would give it control of a state government for the first time.

After months in which voters were turned off by squabbling in the coalition, Merz’s government recently embarked on big plans for potentially painful change — including a proposed reform of the creaking pension system that would include raising the retirement age gradually, income tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners and an effort to slash red tape.

“The government has found its rhythm, despite some criticism,” Merz declared last week. “We have delivered, and we have recognized the dimension of the tasks we face.”

Ally quit over surrogacy

Only days later, though, he faced a new distraction. Jens Spahn quit as leader of the Union’s parliamentary group — one of the most powerful positions in the coalition — after it emerged that he and his husband had used the services of a surrogate mother in the U.S. to have a baby.

Surrogacy isn’t allowed in Germany. Merz’s party opposes allowing it, a position that it reaffirmed at a convention in February, and Spahn himself had spoken out against it in the past. That prompted accusations of double standards.

Frei will now take Spahn’s job, a position he’s widely considered better suited to than coordinating the chancellery. Frei was the Union’s parliamentary chief whip under Merz when the center-right was in opposition.

Warken takes his place at the chancellery after shepherding the first of the government’s reforms, meant to curb rising costs in the German health insurance system, through parliament earlier this month.

Merz said she has showed that “she can push through reforms against resistance," praised her as a tough negotiator and said that “she is also at home with the security policy issues” that are important at the chancellery.

Linnemann, a conservative who lacks government experience, will take her place at the Health Ministry. Merz said that “we must maintain the course of reform” in health policy and that requires a “steadfast” minister.

Merz took no questions and didn't mention multiple German media reports that he also plans to replace Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder. That issue remained open Friday afternoon amid reports that a candidate had first accepted the job, then changed his mind, and the uncertainty drew negative headlines.

Merz’s coalition last year set up a huge fund to underpin an effort to upgrade worn-out transport infrastructure, but frustration remains — for example with the unreliability of the national railway.

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel argued that Merz had caused “yet more chaos” with his reshuffle and said in a post on X that the government being preoccupied with itself doesn't do justice to Germany's “many-faceted” problems.

“Germany needs new elections,” she wrote. The next national election isn't due until early 2029.

The recommendation comes after a months-long investigation. The special prosecutor was assigned in May and noted in her report that Espinosa did not cooperate with the investigation at first, delaying the process by filing an appeal.

What the 13-page report found

The special prosecutor, operating through the Ninth Judicial Circuit, laid out several ethics complaints in the 13-page investigative report. The report recommends taking no action on most of them — including allegations that Espinosa cut off a speaker during a meeting and helped fast-track city refunds for friends.

The BOOST 2.0 program is a different story.

According to the report, Espinosa voted as mayor to expand the BOOST 2.0 program, which offers grants to small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the first $375,000 allocated for the program, Espinosa received $50,000 — nearly 20% of the entire fund.

The special prosecutor wrote: “The BOOST 2.0 program was created to help Kissimmee’s small business survive a pandemic, not to enrich the official who controlled it.”

The report states Espinosa should pay the money back.

What happens next

The special prosecutor is not only recommending impeachment but also calling on the city to refer the case to law enforcement, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Chief Financial Officer’s office.

On Friday, a day after the report was filed, Espinosa was slated to be a speaker during the grand opening of an affordable apartment complex for seniors in Osceola County. The mayor was not on the program and a Kissimmee spokesperson told News 6 the mayor would not be attending and that another city staff member would be present to represent Kissimmee during th event.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logged 2,318 cases of measles as of Thursday, according to an agency update on Friday.

The nation had 2,289 cases in 2025, the worst year for measles in more than three decades. Now, 2026 has easily become the U.S.’s worst year for measles since 1991, as major outbreaks in South Carolina, Utah and Arizona have sickened hundreds and smaller clusters of cases sparked in other states.

In November, international health officials will meet to determine if the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles-free status. The U.S. eliminated local measles spread in 2000 by maintaining high vaccination rates, which have fallen in recent years to below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks.

Measles cases are undercounted

While measles cases in the U.S. are climbing, it may be impossible to say exactly how far-reaching the spread is. Public health departments and disease researchers have long acknowledged that official counts are incomplete, because some people get sick and don’t seek out treatment — something not unique to measles.

Furthermore, experts say the spread might be greater than what’s known because the virus is one of the most contagious known to medicine and vaccination rates nationwide have declined. National vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella — which dropped to 92.5% among kindergartners in the 2024-25 school year, from 95.2% in 2019-20 — obscure even lower rates in certain communities.

In Utah, where public health officials have fought measles for more than a year, the virus has sickened more than 700 people during that time, according to the state health department. Experts relying on mathematical modeling and genetic analyses indicate that a large outbreak on the Utah-Arizona border could be around three to four times bigger than what’s currently known, state epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen said.

The picture is muddier in South Carolina, which had the nation’s largest outbreak in 35 years. There, the 997 total is likely an undercount, the state health department has said, but it doesn’t know by how much.

Dr. Brannon Traxler, acting director of the state department of health, said the undercount is “impossible to know and may vary during the course of an outbreak.”

Data gaps can make it hard to reliably estimate an outbreak’s true scope. Experts say hospitalization rates can be a good barometer, but measles hospitalizations are not required to be reported in every state.

“If we really had some kind of solid gold standard for the percentage of all cases that have hospitalization or some measure of severity, then that would be another way of estimating the outbreak size that we could see if it’s consistent with these other methods,” said Damon Toth, an applied mathematician at the University of Utah’s medical school who is working on one of the Utah outbreak analyses.

Researchers are still analyzing the 2025 Texas outbreak

In Texas, researchers are still working to estimate the size of the state’s 2025 outbreak and early findings show it might have been nearly twice the size of the 762 known cases.

Rémy Pasco, a mathematical epidemiologist at the University of Colorado Boulder who is working on the analysis, said the undercounts were unsurprising. In the absence of an adequate community vaccination rate — 95% according to health experts — “there’s just not much you can do about measles once you have it,” he said.

The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more linked cases. But by the time three such cases are identified in communities with low vaccination rates and less disease surveillance, “either you missed the previous ones or you’re going to have a lot more,” he added.

Dr. Varun Shetty, Texas’ chief state epidemiologist, said there were instances where people tested positive for measles but health officials couldn’t confirm who else was in the person’s household or if they were sick.

“What we’re able to count and report is almost always an underestimate of what actually occurred, because it relies on people being willing to be able to get tested, to share information with healthcare providers and with public health,” Shetty said. “Sometimes that just doesn’t happen.”

The state health department previously reported that 182 probable measles cases went unconfirmed in March 2025 among minors in Gaines County — the epicenter of the outbreak — due to a lack of information. The confirmed case count for the western Texas county for the whole outbreak is 414.

Shetty expects to keep seeing measles cases and even outbreaks because so many people are unprotected.

“It’s really critical, not only for individual people, but for communities, to have high vaccination coverage,” he said.

Vaccination is about protecting others, physician says

Dr. Mark Roberts, retired director of the Public Health Dynamics Lab at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, worries most for the people he calls “innocent bystanders.”

Research and measles modeling by his team shows those who cannot get vaccinated — young babies, people with weak immune systems and those who rarely don’t get robust immunity from the vaccine — bear the brunt of outbreaks early on.

Some people see skipping vaccination as like deciding not to wear a seat belt in a car, Roberts said.

“Not vaccinating your kid is like saying, ‘I don’t want my car to have brakes,’” he said. “Because it’s other people that you can hit. It’s not just you in your car. It’s other people.”

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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.

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: July 30
• Vehicle: Falcon 9
• Mission: NROL-95 mission
• Launch Time: 2:37 a.m. - 3:21 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

“It’s been just really rewarding to see the team kind of like, carry a little bit more confidence in their step,” Cantú told The Associated Press. “Maybe I’ve got some new confidence too.”

The feat caps a trajectory that began with Cantú getting his first star right out of the gate when Californios opened in 2015. He got a second one in 2018. At a June ceremony in San Diego, Cantú, with his wife Carolyn by his side, received his third star and a crisp white Michelin chef's jacket.

The accolade feels like validation not just for Californios but for the notion that Mexican food in Mexico and across the diaspora can be an elevated experience. Similar to fine dining Chinese restaurants just a few miles away from Californios, Mexican American restaurants have dealt with criticism for daring to charge more and offering tasting menus. Meanwhile, few bat an eye at French and Japanese restaurants with similar prices.

Shoot for the Michelin stars

The Michelin Guide, started in 1889 by French brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin, created a star-ranking system in the 1920s. Today, the guide has ratings for over 40,000 restaurants. To evaluate a restaurant, Michelin sends undercover inspectors posing as regular diners. The inspectors said Californios ascended the ranks because it has never been “afraid to cross borders” on the plate, according to Michelin’s website.

From the first bite, Californios patrons experience the Texas-born Cantú's blend of Mexican culture with California ingredients. He starts a meal with a sope, a small hand-formed masa cake made with white corn and beans from a farm in nearby Santa Rosa. Then, with a spatula, caviar made in partnership with a Sacramento sturgeon farm is carefully placed on top.

“It’s just really, really delicious and kind of feels like a warm hug,” Cantú said. “It feels comforting.”

Michelin inspectors agreed.

Californios deserved a three-star promotion, one of five inspectors said on Michelin’s website, for dishes consistently “executed with such precision, refinement and clarity without losing the Mexican identity — things like kombu or the matsukasa yaki fish taco.”

Sometimes Cantú and his team would try to guess if a diner could be an inspector. That turned out to be a good reminder that “every guest gets the same quality of presentation and hospitality,” the chef said.

Mexican food's growing recognition comes as immigration enforcement gets harsher

In the past few years, Michelin has starred a number of Mexican restaurants including a 10-by-10 foot (3-by-3 meter) taco stand in Mexico City. The growing recognition comes at a precarious time for immigration enforcement policies and the treatment of immigrants — even those in the U.S. legally.

Not someone who seeks to inject politics into food, Cantú could not ignore constant headlines about federal immigration operations — some of which have resulted in deaths including a Mexican man in Houston and a Colombian man in Maine earlier this month. Immigrants are “the backbone of all these dish pits and kitchens,” Cantú said. He has shown support through gestures. In March, he collaborated on an “anti-ICE” fundraising dinner.

“The culinary world is like a huge supporter of immigrants and the need for immigrants and the need to treat people with respect,” Cantú said. “It’s hard for me to say much more.”

Being in a blue state, Cantú is certain most of Californios’ diners share that sentiment.

Gustavo Arellano, a food writer and journalist who’s also Mexican American, believes the cuisine’s popularity really helps humanize the immigration debate.

“You see this especially like in small Southern towns where the rhetoric is ‘I’m against illegal immigrants. I don’t want too many Mexicans,'” Arellano said. “But, then they look at the Mexican restaurant in town and they’re like ‘Well, not them.’”

Californios shows Mexican food is just as worthy of fine dining

Growing up, Cantú watched his father and uncle in Texas run a Mexican restaurant and tortillería. As a chef working at high-end establishments in Austin and San Francisco, he found himself asking, “Why is no one doing Mexican cuisine and treating it with like extreme care?”

Inspired by the Bay Area, he settled on the name Californios. It's a nod to descendants of Spanish and Mexican settlers who settled in the 1700s and 1800s in what would become California.

Californios started with a $57 four-course tasting menu. The pushback was immediate.

“There was a ton of like, ‘This is not Mexican cuisine,’” Cantú said. “Even from our families, you know, trying to explain a contemporary cuisine to a lot of people is totally foreign because people kind of think that cuisine exists in a cookbook and that it doesn’t change.”

Californios is at the forefront of what some call “alta California” cuisine, where the children of Mexican immigrants or immigrants themselves use classical chef training with Mexican flavors. The term refers to the former Spanish province north of Baja California; Arellano describes it as an “ideology” that originated in California and has spread across the U.S.

Raised flavor profiles and prices ultimately raise skepticism. Arellano argues people think this way partly because they're trying to keep Mexican food in a box.

“There's always going to be a knee-jerk reaction,” Arellano said. “It goes to this myth that Mexican food should be cheap because Mexicans, all of us are supposedly working class that cannot afford higher-end stuff. That's classist.”

Cantú plans to keep bringing attention to his Mexican-California brand of fine dining. A cookbook is in the works.

“Mexican cuisine is one of the most diverse and complex cuisines in the world,” Cantú said, “and there’s countless Mexican immigrants in the United States and Latin immigrants who have their own ideas and concepts of what things can be.”

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Tang reported from Phoenix.

Greetings, followers. It’s Haley, voice of the In the Loop: Theme Park Scoops newsletter.

Busch Gardens is turning up the volume this weekend with the debut of Lion & Hyena Ridge, a reimagined habitat where five young male lion brothers and two hyenas now reign.

But not every roar lasts forever. Kumba — the record-breaking coaster that’s thrilled riders since 1993 — closes the following weekend, the latest long-standing attraction to say goodbye following Scorpion in 2024 and Stanley Falls in 2025.

Busch Gardens has long leaned into nostalgia, and Kumba’s farewell is no exception.

One reader summed up the Kumba legacy perfectly. Kyle Cocita reached out after reading about the coaster’s closure, reflecting on the thrill he and his brother, Cory, shared riding it as kids growing up in Tampa — including 22 rides in a single day, with 19 consecutive trips in the front row.

“It was a beast. It was conquered many times over by two brothers from Tampa. Two ordinary kids fought our way through impatient and excited lines of G Force hungry animals that all wanted the same thing. They all wanted a piece of the beast and a taste of glory,” Kyle wrote.

Turns out, the legend of Kumba isn’t ending. Click here to see how the thrill is evolving.

SeaWorld Orlando

Shark season arrives 🦈

SeaWorld Orlando is going all-in on sharks this summer with Baby Shark, Pinkfong, Shark Appreciation Week and a celebration of Mako’s 10th anniversary.

Click here to read more and vote in our favorite coaster poll!

Walt Disney World

Park hoppers🦘

Part of this summer’s buzziest Walt Disney World addition is Bluey’s Wild World at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

The News 6 Daytrippers recently got an up-close look at Jumping Junction, a walk-through experience where kangaroos and wallabies roam freely and, as always, the animals are very much in charge.

Click here for a visual tour.

Gaylord Palms Resort

Christmas news in July 🚂

I always anticipate a theme drop for seasonal traditions, and that includes the theme reveal for ice! at Gaylord Palms.

This year, a fan favorite is back: The Polar Express is returning to the Kissimmee resort’s iconic 20,000-square-foot, walk-through ice experience. Nearly 40 master ice carvers from Harbin, China will spend roughly 35 days sculpting beloved scenes from the classic story inside a 9-degree environment.

Click here for an early guide on this year’s holiday lineup.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Collect space🧑‍🚀

Space fans, clear some shelf space.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is offering collector’s Artemis II crew trading cards this weekend only — available while supplies last — as part of its Artemis: A Celebration of Exploration event.

Universal Orlando

Halloween horror hype 🎮

Universal Orlando just dropped two major Halloween Horror Nights 35 announcements.

A beloved horror franchise and one of the biggest names in gaming are both getting the scare zone and haunted house treatment this fall.

Legoland Florida

Bricking news 🎃

Legoland Florida is promising this year’s Brick-or-Treat will be its biggest yet — and it’s already delivering on that.

The returning Halloween event will feature a brand-new immersive trick-or-treat neighborhood packed with candy, interactive challenges and LEGO Monster mischief.

Click here for the dates and details.

Covering all of Central Florida’s theme parks — and beyond — in one weekly newsletter brings me a satisfying feeling.

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

See you next week!

- Haley

Palestinians in the West Bank have been facing a wave of violence as Israel’s hard-line government, dominated by settler leaders and supporters, has overseen a surge in settlement construction over the past four years. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and an obstacle to peace.

4 Palestinians and 2 Israelis killed as fear of violence escalates

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli soldiers shot and killed four Palestinians in the village of Tell in the northern West Bank while the military reported the deaths of two soldiers, one of whom was a settler in a local defense squad.

Two other Israelis and four more Palestinians were wounded, health officials said, and the Israeli military announced it was preparing for an “extensive” counterterror operation in the West Bank. It said it conducting a manhunt for Palestinians suspected of attacking Israelis and that it had apprehended two during a raid in Nablus.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a joint statement with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, called Friday for more troops to the West Bank and the razing of the homes of the accused in Tell, as well as collecting weapons and revoking work permits in the village.

“The security forces must be allowed to act freely and with full force against terrorism,” they said.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich went farther, saying that the villages of Tell, Iraq Burin and Beit Furik “need to look exactly like the refugee camps in Nablus and Tulkarm,” referring to the mass demolition campaign that displaced tens of thousands in the West Bank towns last year.

“It is necessary to evacuate the population there for their protection and to clear these villages of terrorist infrastructure,” Smotrich said. “A sharp, determined, and unequivocal military action is required here and now.”

Human rights group B’Tselem warned the violence could spin out of control as Israeli settlers and soldiers amass near multiple Palestinian cities.

“Israeli violence is spreading across the West Bank, fueled by Israeli politicians openly calling for revenge,” said Yuli Novak, the group’s executive director. "We know where this leads. Millions of Palestinians are now completely exposed to further attacks, with no one protecting them.”

An unclear confrontation at the center of the tension

The exact circumstances of Friday’s incident remained unclear, but Israeli media reports and interviews with local Palestinian officials suggested a group of settlers entered Tell and were confronted by residents who were fearful of an attack.

The village is off-limits to Israelis as part of Area B under the 1993 Oslo Accords struck after the first Palestinian Intifada.

According to the Israeli military, one of the villagers took one of the settlers’ weapons and fired on the group, killing Benayahu Mellet, 32, a security guard in a settlement nearby.

In a video of the incident, confirmed by the Israeli military and circulated online by the military correspondent for Israel’s Army Radio, two armed men in civilian clothing, as well as at least one Israeli soldier, are shown pointing their weapons at a group of Palestinians who had gathered in a field.

At one point, the two armed men rushed toward several Palestinian residents with their guns drawn. In the footage, the residents try to push them back and appear to disarm one of the men before opening fire.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it killed the man who took the settler’s weapon and that he was armed when soldiers shot him. But a separate video, published by Israeli media outlets and confirmed by the military, showed Israeli forces firing on a group of Palestinians in the same field who were already on the ground.

More than a dozen gunshots can be heard in the footage, which is less than a minute long. The military said the suspect was one of the people killed in the field. It did not respond to questions about why soldiers killed the other men — all of whom were related — or how long after the original altercation the killings took place.

Later, army chief Eyal Zamir said he was sending more troops to the occupied West Bank.

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, a settler group in the northern West Bank, posted a video online in the wake of the Tell confrontation demanding the government crack down hard on Palestinians.

“We demand an iron fist and for the government to carry out a wide military operation against the Palestinian Authority and against Hamas,” he said.

Settlers have long targeted villages in the northern West Bank

Five Palestinian villages surrounding Nablus were attacked by Israeli settlers on Friday, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The towns and villages surrounding Nablus sit in one of the most violent parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In addition to newly approved settlements, at least nine farming outposts dot the area and attacks by Israeli settlers, army incursions and confrontations have become frequent.

Palestinians and human rights groups have increasingly documented armed settlers entering villages in the area. Livestock theft, arson and the defacement of mosques are routinely reported.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, since the beginning of this year, 87 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank governorates, including 21 by Israeli settlers.

Israeli deaths have repeatedly been followed by revenge against nearby Palestinian communities called “price tag” attacks.

That pattern followed the March 21 death of 18-year-old Yehuda Sherman, who was killed when a Palestinian vehicle struck his ATV near Beit Imrin. Senior politicians, including Smotrich, attended Sherman’s funeral and called for vengeance.

At the time, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs documented 32 settler attacks affecting 30 Palestinian villages and communities across the West Bank, about a third near Nablus governorate over the following two days. Settlers torched homes and vehicles, vandalized property and assaulted residents, injuring at least 32 Palestinians, according to OCHA.

More than 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by the Palestinians for an independent state along with the Gaza Strip.

——

McNeil reported from Brussels, Bwaitel from Ramallah and Cunningham from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Sam Metz in Ramallah contributed to this report.

The New York-based company said Friday it earned $3.11 billion, or $4.53 a share, compared to $2.89 billion, or $4.08 a share, in the same period a year earlier. The results beat analysts' forecasts, who were looking for AmEx to earn a profit of $4.40 a share, according to FactSet.

AmEx continues to benefit from global economic growth that has disproportionately benefited the wealthy and high net worth individuals, as its customer bases skews heavily toward those demographics with the Platinum Card, Gold Card and other high-end credit cards. Its customers often put almost all of their spending on credit cards, and pay those cards off at the end of each month. The average AmEx customers spent $6,759 on their cards in the quarter, up from $6,393 in the same period a year earlier.

But at the same time, the company is spending heavily to keep those customers as it faces increased competition from other high-end credit card products like JPMorgan Chase's Sapphire Reserve Card, Citigroup's Strata card and Capital One's Venture X brand. The company's quarterly expenses rose 12% from a year ago, costs that went into increased marketing as well as refreshes of its credit card products.

While the company upped its guidance on how much revenue it expects to bring in this year, the company did not change its profit outlook for the year, as the company plans to put more resources into marketing and bringing in new customers. The company also expects to put additional investments into technology like artificial intelligence, like many other Fortune 500 companies.

Those efforts seem to be paying off. The company signed up another 3 million customers in the second quarter, of which three-quarters of those new customers signed up for an AmEx card with an annual fee.

The lawsuit comes amid growing concerns about how quickly the United States Postal Service will be able to deliver ballots ahead of the November midterms. Control of Congress is at stake, and Wisconsin voters will be electing a new governor as well as determining control of the Legislature.

The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission warned the U.S. postmaster general in May that any delay could deprive citizens of their fundamental right to vote. In January, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators also wrote the postal service, raising concerns that a change in how it postmarks mail could invalidate many mail-in ballots.

The lawsuit comes after the mail-in ballots of nearly 150,000 California voters were rejected, the vast majority of them because of late postmarks, despite the state's efforts to count every valid vote in the June primary.

In Wisconsin, at least hundreds of ballots were not counted in the April election because they arrived late, based on an elections commission survey of election clerks. More than 300 ballots in Milwaukee and more than 100 in Fond du Lac were rejected for arriving too late.

The lawsuit was filed in Dane County circuit court by the liberal Madison-based Law Forward firm and Washington, D.C.-based Fair Elections Center on behalf of a voter and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.

A spokesperson for the elections commission had no immediate comment.

“Every voter in Wisconsin that puts an accurately requested absentee ballot in the mail on time expects their vote will be counted,” said Debra Cronmiller, executive director of League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, in a statement. “Delays in mail delivery prevent that. It is time to have a remedy for these eligible voters.”

Currently in Wisconsin, voters are prohibited from casting a provisional ballot in person on Election Day. The lawsuit is asking a judge to rule that if a voter's absentee ballot has not arrived, they can then cast a provisional ballot. Absentee voters in the state can track the status of their ballots, so they would know on Election Day whether it has been received.

Provisional ballots are set aside by election officials and only counted if a voter's absentee ballot is not delivered on time. If the absentee ballot does arrive on time, the provisional ballot would not be counted.

In Wisconsin, ballots must arrive at the clerk's office by the end of voting on Election Day in order to be counted.

Gerald Tucker is accused of using his truck as a deadly weapon after deputies say he rammed a sales van carrying five people inside a Leesburg neighborhood.

The incident happened June 29 at the Plantation at Leesburg, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said it began when a member of a door-to-door sales crew knocked on Gerald Tucker’s door.

According to an arrest report, the company was already doing window installation work in the area and offered Tucker a free estimate. Deputies said Tucker “was not happy about them being there and told them to leave.”

Investigators said the situation escalated when a manager arrived to pick up the canvasser. According to deputies, the manager saw Tucker chasing the crew down the street in his truck.

Body camera video released by the sheriff’s office shows Tucker speaking with deputies after the incident.

“I was parked right here, diagonally in the road,” Tucker said in the video.

[VIDEO: Florida deputy investigates ramming incident involving HOA vice president]

When asked why by the deputy, he responded, “To stop them from going.”

Deputies said Tucker followed the sales crew through the neighborhood and repeatedly tried to block their vehicle. The sheriff’s office also released cellphone video it said was recorded by one of the passengers inside the van.

Investigators said the chase ended when Tucker drove his truck into the van while five people were inside.

In body camera video, a deputy asks Tucker why he was following the group.

“You’re not supposed to solicit in here,” Tucker responded.

Tucker was arrested and charged with five counts of battery with a deadly weapon. He was released the next day on a $10,000 bond.

Tucker and the HOA were contacted for comment, including questions about whether he is still serving on the board, whether he will face any disciplinary action and what the HOA wants residents to know. No response had been received as of this report.

In the span of 24 hours, Jin was 15 time zones away, digging into an In-N-Out hamburger in Los Angeles and watching fireworks with his family on the eve of Independence Day, marking America's 250th anniversary.

“It’s so dramatic. It's unimaginable,” the pastor told The Associated Press outside the nation's capital.

He said he was suddenly released after being held since October, then put on a plane to the U.S. after President Donald Trump raised his case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May.

“It's a miracle,” Jin said this week.

Jin has led one of China's most influential underground churches, which defy government restrictions by not being registered with authorities. He is an exceptional case of a high-profile Chinese detainee going free following a U.S. request at a time when Beijing's leadership has only become more unyielding to foreign pressure.

Chinese pastor credits Trump for his release

Jin said Chinese authorities released him without forcing him to make a confession or going through a show trial, dropping the charges instead. He said he did not know if there was any deal or swap for his release and credited Trump's “unique diplomacy.”

“It has results,” the pastor said.

Trump, when leaving Beijing in May, told reporters that he brought up Jin's case and that Xi said he would “strongly consider the pastor.” Trump also has vowed to “save our Great Christian population” worldwide.

When asked about Jin's release, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the country manages religious affairs in accordance with the law. “We firmly oppose interfering in China's internal affairs with so-called religious issues,” the ministry said.

Jin is handed new Nikes and taken on an unknown journey

Jin said he was called suddenly to gather his few belongings, including a Bible, on July 3. He was handed new clothes and a new pair of Nike shoes. He was told he was being moved from the detention center in the southern city of Beihai, where he had been locked up for 266 days.

“Could it be that these people, now pressured, would put me under home arrest?” Jin said he wondered. He had heard from his lawyers that Trump had brought up his case with Xi less than two months earlier.

But he crossed out that possibility when the police van whisked by his old neighborhood and took him to a high-speed train station.

He was escorted into a train car with no other passengers, just police officers, who were recording video. Jin said he still did not imagine he could be freed because China rarely responds to outside pressure and many other Christian pastors and political activists are still locked up.

“I thought they would move me to a secretive place,” he said. A release was “too good to believe.”

He and the officers traveled some 470 miles to the southern metropolis of Guangzhou and then headed to the international airport, Jin said.

A temporary court was set up in a VIP room at the airport, where prosecutors read out a document, the pastor said.

After declaring “criminal evidence solid and criminal facts established,” the lead prosecutor informed Jin of the decision not to indict him on charges including illegal business activity and fraud stemming from running an unregistered church.

China has cracked down on the pastor's church

Jin founded Zion Church in 2007, and it grew into one of the most influential independent congregations in China. They are different from officially sanctioned places of worship, which accept Communist Party rule.

In 2018, authorities in Beijing shut down the church's physical sanctuary after the congregation refused to install surveillance cameras. Jin sent his family to the U.S. but stayed behind to keep developing the church, which met in small groups and gained a strong online following during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In October 2025, Jin and other church leaders were detained in another crackdown.

Pastor gets back his passport and heads to America

At the airport, Jin said he was handed his passport before stepping on a plane. A U.S. diplomat had been waiting for him for hours.

For the nearly 13-hour flight, Jin was too excited to sleep. When he landed in Los Angeles, the pastor said he was welcomed by U.S. officials and given a fee-free one-year visa.

He reunited with his family after a yearslong separation and got to hold his three grandchildren for the first time — the youngest was barely a month old.

His daughter Grace Jin Drexel, who had lobbied for months for her father’s release, said she didn’t recognize him at first because he lost a lot of weight and had visibly aged.

Now free, Jin is working for the release of other Christians

Jin said he would be working to help free the eight other Zion Church members and other Christians detained in China. That includes Wang Yi, pastor of the Early Rain Covenant Church, who is serving nine years in jail.

To that end, Jin met House Speaker Mike Johnson this week, along with relatives of three detained Christians in China.

“I am free in this country, so warmly welcomed, so I am making a special call not to forget that many more are still detained,” he told AP, choking up. “I hope we will continue to strive for them to be free.”

The Republican speaker said Jin's release had bipartisan support. “This is something we all agree on,” Johnson said. “It’s about religious freedom around the world.”

Jin said another hope is for China to legalize independent churches.

“Probably the most important wish in my lifetime is that Chinese churches can be recognized by their own government,” Jin said.

___

Associated Press writers Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to the report.

In a combative first news conference, the ex-Liverpool manager warned the German media he'll quit if he believes they're intruding on his family's privacy.

He also hinted Germany could be his last job in coaching and admitted he hasn't been an avid follower of international games.

Klopp's targets are Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup

Klopp was the German federation's top target and now he's signed a contract through to the 2030 World Cup. At his presentation Friday, he said it was “a big honor” to take the job and signaled it could be his final role as coach.

Klopp said Friday he would be prepared to leave without any severance pay if it doesn’t work out, or if criticism becomes overwhelming, and threatened to resign if the media doesn’t “leave my family in peace.”

“Jürgen Klopp has no career after the national team,” he said. “Ideally, this will be the highlight of my career, my life, my working life. I will put everything into it that I possibly can.”

He replaces Julian Nagelsmann, who resigned amid heavy criticism after Germany’s loss to Paraguay meant it failed to reach the last 16 of a men’s World Cup for the third time in a row.

Klopp indicated he believed Nagelsmann and England's coach Thomas Tuchel had been treated unfairly in the media. “I'm doing the job even though I've heard how you treated Julian, although I've heard how England treats Tuchel,” he said, without specifying what exactly he thought was the problem.

Klopp wants to make German soccer cool again

It is Klopp’s first coaching job since he left Liverpool in 2024 citing fatigue. He said he was “recharged” in comments while in talks over the Germany job.

Klopp signaled he plans to make some surprising squad selections and said his mission isn't just to win games, but to bring back a buzz around the team.

Klopp himself admitted that “it's been a while” since he watched national team games outside of major tournaments.

“I want to create something with the national team that means that people go home after the game and think ‘That was really cool.’ That's what I'd like to see happen,” he said.

Klopp's arrival follows talks during the World Cup

The man known for thrilling “heavy metal football” at Liverpool, Klopp was Germany’s preferred candidate as soon as Nagelsmann quit.

Over weeks of talks, the 59-year-old German — 20 years older than Nagelsmann — stayed in the United States as a World Cup pundit for a German-language broadcaster.

The federation also held talks with the Red Bull group, where Klopp spent the last year and a half as “head of global soccer” advising its worldwide group of soccer clubs.

German federation president Bernd Neuendorf said there wouldn’t be a typical release fee paid to Red Bull for Klopp. Instead, the federation pays one million euros ($1.14 million) to a Red Bull-linked charity and has agreed to hold three national team games in the eastern city of Leipzig, where Red Bull backs the city’s Bundesliga club team.

Klopp faces a tough introduction to his first national team job with four Nations League games in 11 days against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia in late September and early October. The first major milestone will be the 2028 European Championship.

Mertesacker joins Klopp in Germany setup

Germany hasn't won a knockout game at a World Cup since beating Argentina in the 2014 final. Now a player from that team will be working alongside Klopp.

Former defender Per Mertesacker joins Klopp as the federation's new managing director for sport, with a role overseeing the German men's national teams and an emphasis on bringing players through youth national teams to star for the senior team. He will start the role in January and joins after eight years running Arsenal's academy.

Klopp is reunited with two of his assistants from his Liverpool days, Peter Krawietz and Pep Lijnders, weeks after Lijnders left a role as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Man City. Ex-Germany player Sven Bender also takes an assistant role.

In an unusual arrangement, Klopp's longtime agent Marc Kosicke joins the coaching team in a role focusing on strategy and administration, but won't be a federation employee.

___

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

The decision at a U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization meeting in South Korea came days after Israel’s Foreign Ministry urged the committee to reject efforts to designate the small West Bank town of Sebastia and the Lebanese castles, calling the nominations a “weaponization of cultural heritage.”

At their meeting in Busan, members of the UNESCO committee decided to place Sebastia and five castles in Lebanon’s Mount Amel area on both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger after reviewing the nominations on an emergency basis, citing ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

Sebastia, a hilltop town about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is identified by scholars as ancient Samaria, capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel. The area’s archaeological remains span the Iron Age, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods. Christian and Islamic tradition holds that John the Baptist was buried there, according to a UNESCO website.

Sebastia’s nomination, first submitted by the Palestinian delegation to UNESCO in 2012, argued that World Heritage status was needed to help preserve the site, saying it remains largely undeveloped under Israeli control and requires additional conservation despite attracting tourists.

The designation comes as Israel, which does not recognize a Palestinian state, moves to expropriate large swaths of land around the site, even as it faces pressure to crack down on violence by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian territory.

The five castles in the Mount Amel region are recognized for their layered architectural heritage, combining Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk and local influences, reflecting the evolution of fortified architecture over nearly nine centuries, according to a UNESCO description.

Adel Naim Daoud Atieh, a member of the Palestinian delegation to UNESCO, said the World Heritage designation rewards the perseverance of Sebastia’s residents, “who have protected this extraordinary site through generations, despite occupation, restrictions, and repeated attempts to separate them from their own heritage.”

Israel withdrew from UNESCO in 2019, accusing the organization of being biased against it and of downplaying its historical ties to the Holy Land. A member of the Israeli delegation, which is attending the Busan meetings as observers, said it was a “shame politicization has ruined UNESCO and led to mockery of history.”

In Tuesday’s statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused the Palestinian delegation of waging a “hostile, one-sided campaign” at UNESCO by falsely portraying Sebastia as an area facing an emergency, calling the effort a political attempt to “erase the site’s profound, well-documented Jewish and Christian history.”

The ministry also objected to efforts to list Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon as a World Heritage site. The castle was part of the nomination covering five castles in the Mount Amel area.

The ministry said Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, has turned Beaufort Castle into a military stronghold by building tunnels beneath the site and launching rockets from the area, and accused UNESCO of ignoring those developments.

UNESCO and the Lebanese embassy in South Korea declined to comment on the Israeli claims about Hezbollah. At Friday’s meeting, a Lebanese delegate said the castles have been used “only for cultural and tourism purposes” since Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 and accused Israeli media of circulating images of tourist facilities as military tunnels.

The UNESCO committee on Wednesday placed another Lebanese site, Tyre, an ancient Phoenician city in the southern part of the country, on the list of world heritage sites in danger.

In a statement released Thursday, sheriff’s officials said an internal audit found “improper and unlawful” use of agency database systems to monitor an individual. The audit identified irregular activity tied to Detective Brandy Almany, who has been employed with the agency since 2019, the release said.

According to the sheriff’s office, a criminal investigation was opened the same day. Investigators allege Almany circumvented procedures and accessed databases including:

• CCIS (Comprehensive Case Information System)
• Flock Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR)
• DAVID (Driver and Vehicle Information Database)

Investigators said the information was sought in connection with the ex-wife of Almany’s husband, and that the searches were not tied to legitimate investigative work.

Officials also alleged Almany created electronic records that falsely indicated the searches were connected to valid sheriff’s office investigations, using unrelated case numbers and false justifications.

Almany was interviewed and “immediately suspended from duty,” the release said. The case was then presented to the Office of the State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit for review.

[Watch the Sumter County sheriff’s full statement below]

After that review, the sheriff’s office said an arrest warrant was issued on Thursday, charging Almany with:

• Official misconduct (F.S. § 838.022(1)(a))
• Offenses against computer users (F.S. § 815.06), including allegations she exceeded authorized access to:
• • sheriff’s office computer systems and software
  • the DAVID database
  • the CCIS database

Sheriff Patrick Breeden said that, upon Almany’s arrest, she was notified of her pending termination per procedure. The agency said it is awaiting additional audit results from the various databases, which could lead to more charges.

In the statement, the sheriff described the arrest as a step toward “accountability and transparency,” and said he would not tolerate conduct that does not meet the agency’s standards.

The sheriff’s office also said it has ordered a complete internal audit of all database activity, and has suspended the use of Flock in response to the case.

The work takes place at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, the country's capital, where federal police have set up a “gold lab” that collects and analyses samples from across the country.

The objective is to determine if a newly acquired sample — gold seized in a police raid, for example — comes from a protected area, meaning it has been illegally mined. It's called “gold fingerprinting” — tracing the origin of gold samples with high precision.

Tracing gold is like looking at a person's DNA, experts say

At the lab, sparkling gold flakes are kept in tiny, coin-shaped vessels, but the most valuable thing about them is the data they hold. Each speck is unique because while it forms in nature, inside a rock or a riverbed, the gold deposits absorb particles from the area, such as traces of silver and copper.

And that's the fingerprint. It allows the investigators to determine if gold seized during a police raid was actually mined in the area its purported owner claims it came from, or if it was illegally sourced from a national forest or Indigenous land — in which case its analysis would match stored data from the protected area.

Gustavo Geiser, a federal police forensics expert, says the method has been developed since 2019 in collaboration with Brazilian universities. The investigators use tools such as X‑ray fluorescence spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy and laser ablation mass spectrometry.

“As we advanced, the forensic examinations became increasingly complex,” Geiser said, but the question before them was always the same: “Where did this gold come from?”

If the forensics prove a gold sample was illegally mined, the information then helps police build a case and move forward with further investigations and possibly charges.

Criminals insert illegally mined gold into legal markets

Those involved in environmental crimes in the Amazon frequently resort to fraud to introduce their goods into legal markets, not just when it comes to gold but also for cattle and timber. Lately, a worldwide surge in gold prices has only spurred on the mining rush in the Amazon rainforest.

Amazon Mining Watch, a platform that uses satellite imagery to track mining, estimates that about 496,000 hectares (1.2 million acres) of rainforest have been cut down for mining since 2023, including some 223,000 hectares (551,000 acres) in the Brazilian Amazon.

Brazil's Federal Court of Accounts, its top audit institution, said last year there was evidence indicating that mining permits granted by the National Mining Agency to small-scale miners were being used to pawn off gold extracted from protected areas in the Amazon.

Greenpeace, in its own independent report in May, based on publicly available records, satellite imagery and aerial surveillance, detailed how the scheme works.

On paper, an owner of a legally authorized mine in the Amazon would declare that tons of gold had been extracted at that mine.

However, satellite and aerial imagery would show that there had not been any activity at the site of the legal mine. Meanwhile, images of bordering Indigenous lands, where mining is banned, would reveal large-scale mining operations — a “ghost mine” scam as Greenpeace calls it.

A federal court in Para, a northern state severely impacted by illegal mining, issued an order this month for institutions like the Central Bank and the National Mining Agency to enact effective control and traceability of all gold, from the mines to the markets. Brazil’s federal prosecutors also filed a lawsuit against the National Mining Agency, seeking better oversight of mining permits.

Prosecutor André Porreca, who is leading the case, said the permits have become a front used "to launder gold extracted by criminal organizations from Indigenous territories and protected areas.”

Geiser, the forensic expert, says the Brasilia gold lab is an important piece of the puzzle that helps battle crime and strengthen global gold supply chains.

“Being able to state that it (gold) has a legitimate origin and therefore is valid for inclusion in a country’s or a bank’s financial reserves, I believe provides solidity not only to the market but also to the countries’ financial bonds,” he said.

There is no data on how many criminals the lab has helped put behind bars, but Geiser says crime networks have recently begun exploiting neighboring countries such as Venezuela, French Guiana and Suriname, to launder illegally mined gold. Samples from abroad have made it to his lab, where they have joined the constantly growing database, he said.

The growing crime has also forced regional countries to strengthen collaboration through the Amazon International Police Cooperation Center, headquartered in the Brazilian city of Manaus.

Illegal gold mining leads to devastating mercury contamination

The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and a key regulator of global climate, so anything that degrades it could accelerate global warming, researchers say.

A 2023 analysis by MapBiomas, a nonprofit that monitors land-use, said that over 90% of Brazil’s mining is taking place in the Amazon region, with nearly 40% of it illegal, in protected areas.

Though illegal gold mining is a relatively small driver of deforestation, compared to agriculture, the harm it inflicts on the environment is nearly impossible to reverse — especially because of the use of mercury to extract gold. Once the gold is separated, the mercury is released into the rivers, contaminating water sources and fish essential to Indigenous life.

A 2023 study by Fiocruz, a Brazilian science institute, said 21.3% of fish in Amazonian markets exceeded the World Health Organization's safety limits for mercury levels — with children between 2 and 4 years old consuming mercury at levels up to 31 times the recommended maximum.

Brazil signed the U.N. agreement known as the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which commits it to eliminate mercury use in gold mining.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy published a draft this month on easing out mercury that's up for debate, meant to take place until Aug. 7. Federal prosecutors have urged that Indigenous groups — the ones most affected by the contamination — be consulted, but that has not yet happened.

A total ban on mercury would both curb environmental contamination and also bolster forensics investigations, according to Geiser of the federal police, whose lab can detect any traces of mercury in its samples.

“It will make it even clearer that any mining using mercury ... is illegal,” he added.

___

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

The action exposed children to cyberbullying, unwanted contact and predatory behavior, commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said.

“Children’s content must never be visible to strangers,” he said. If TikTok does not take steps called for by the European Union's landmark Digital Services Act, “minors are exposed to predators, to grooming and to cyberbullying,” Regnier said, adding that children aged 13 to 15 can “easily” change their accounts from private to public and the private accounts of minors aged 16 to 17 can be seen by anyone on the internet. “We do not accept this,” Regnier said. “Putting default settings for minors is not a beauty contest under the DSA. It must be effective.”

The investigation comes on the heels of back-to-back crackdowns on Big Tech by Brussels, which has led the world in regulating tech behemoths including Meta and Apple.

TikTok can now defend itself and reply to the findings. If unsatisfied with the Chinese firm’s response, the European Commission could issue a so-called non-compliance decision and possible fine worth up to 6% of the company’s total annual revenue.

The Chinese social media firm, whose parent company ByteDance is based in Beijing, said in a statement it would review Brussels' findings and “continue to engage constructively with the Commission.”

“Protecting minors online is a goal we share, and we are committed to building on our strong track record of continuous improvement,” TikTok said in a statement.

If unsatisfied with the firm’s response, the commission could issue a so-called non-compliance decision and possible fine worth up to 6% of the company’s total annual revenue.

The commission estimates most of TikTok's 170 million users in the EU are children, with 7% of children aged 12 to 15 spending four to five hours daily on the app.

The 27-nation European Union found in February that TikTok had breached another aspect of its digital rule book with an “addictive design” of features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling that could harm the physical and mental health of users and minors especially.

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.

The International Medieval Combat Federation's annual world championship roared into gear in northern Denmark this week. First staged in Spain in 2014, it features armor-clad competitors fighting with 14th-century medieval weapons. But it’s also a modern combat sport with safety rules and sporting conventions.

A mixture of historical and modern techniques

“It’s historically inspired,” combat federation spokesperson Kamila Studencka said. “It’s a mix of modern techniques with historical ones. We have something between full combat sports and fencing.”

And while the swords and axes are blunted, the battles are anything but harmless reenactments. Studencka said some competitors are attracted by “the violence,” while others prefer the technical aspects of face-to-face duels.

“Some people like the friendship and being a team member … to be a part of something bigger,” she added.

This year’s championship is being held in the shadow of Spøttrup Castle, a formidable Danish fortress that was completed around 1520.

The event has drawn fighters from 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, China, and Brazil.

Brazilian competitor Rodrigo Sinckevicius, who traveled with a team of eight from São Paulo, said he previously competed in jiu-jitsu and other mixed martial arts, but when he first saw this kind of medieval combat, he “couldn’t believe it.”

“People falling and grabbing and the sound of the steel cracking, it’s like something that you cannot fake,” added the 33-year-old, who works in sales back home.

Duels and team events

The four-day championships, which opened Thursday, see competitors battle in one-on-one “duels” made up of two one-minute rounds each. Opponents are eliminated after hitting the ground three times or when they submit. If neither happens, marshals declare a winner based on points scored.

There are also chaotic mass-team events, known as “Buhurt,” in which up to 10 competitors on either side participate.

Martin Gill, from Milton Keynes, England, said he first got involved “to hit someone in the face with an ax.”

“This had that kind of niche appeal to it, that people were willing to consensually come up and say, ‘You can hit me in the face with the ax, as hard as you can,’” the 37-year-old geotechnical engineer said.

The IMCF says fighters wear thick, shock-absorbing padded garments beneath the armor to distribute the force of impact, and that fights are strictly controlled by trained marshals who enforce the rules of engagement. It says that overall injury rates are comparable to those in mainstream full-contact martial arts.

Gill said almost everything the competitors wear, including his 30-kilogram (66-pound) suit of armor, is historically accurate. Some outfits and fighting techniques are informed by the writings of 14th-century Italian knight Fiore Dei Liberi and German fencing master Johannes Liechtenauer.

“We follow manuscripts as best we can,” said Gill. “Everything is legitimate techniques from all of their writings throughout the 14th century.”

A growing sport

Nearly 600 fighters are taking part in this week's championship. The sport, an unflinching blend of mixed martial arts, fencing, and historical reenactment, has been growing in popularity.

Competitor Alex King, a 37-year-old financial crime specialist from Shoreview, Minnesota, said that when he first started three years ago, there were just 10 or so members in his local team. Now there are over 50.

“In America, it’s definitely growing, with the short videos you see now highlighting the sport,” King said. “A lot of people have become interested.”

The last big event in the U.S. featured over 40 teams, he added.

Men and women compete in separate events. Miisa Kaivos, a 27-year-old bartender from Helsinki, Finland, said the women’s side of the sport is also “drastically growing all around the world.”

“It’s amazing to see,” said Kaivos. “It’s always nice to come to these events and fight each other, and have that awesome girl power.”

Now those scattered acts of giving have a name and a public face: the Brighter Days Ahead Foundation. Launched in May, it will focus on causes Grande has advocated for in the past, including LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive health, immigrant rights, and mental health. Grande is doing this at a moment when philanthropic support for these causes is eroding, said Shauna Nep, Grande’s philanthropic adviser.

“We’re seeing the support for the kinds of issues she cares about going down drastically and the attacks going up aggressively,” Nep said.

This summer, Grande is using her Eternal Sunshine Tour to fund and promote the foundation, highlighting national and local nonprofits at each tour stop. Names of her grantee organizations are shown on screens in the center of the arena during the pre-show countdown. And fans who donate to the nonprofit can enter a sweepstake for a chance to win a trip to see her final tour date in London.

“The fan experience is still completely intact,” Nep said. “We’re meeting them where they are instead of taking them away from anything.”

Tour funds will be split among the featured local organizations, though none have been distributed yet. The grants announced so far have come entirely from Grande’s personal giving, a foundation spokesperson said.

In many ways, Grande, who also starred in the “Wicked” movies, is following in the footsteps of earlier generations of entertainers who lent their names to once controversial causes like HIV/AIDS and created their own foundations to help move large sums of money.

But today, celebrities’ platforms are larger than ever, giving them even more sway, noted Genevieve Shaker, who teaches courses on celebrity philanthropy and fundraising leadership at Indiana University’s Lilly School of Philanthropy.

“In the past, prior to social media, celebrities might be more dependent on traditional media to share stories about what they’re doing,” she said. “Now they have their own kind of media empire where they can leverage lots of channels to communicate, including about philanthropy and causes and nonprofits.”

Nonprofit Trans Lifeline is grateful for celebrity support

Trans Lifeline, which runs a crisis hotline for transgender people, is one of the nonprofits Grande has supported. The group has received $125,000 total — $75,000 in emergency funding last June and $50,000 when the foundation formally launched in May.

The money helped Trans Lifeline relaunch a microgrants program that distributed $100,000 directly to trans people across the country in partnership with five grassroots organizations, said Dante Alviar Horton, its executive director. Some of the funding also went toward improving benefits for the organization’s direct service crisis workers.

Trans Lifeline relies almost entirely on individual donors. Visibility gained from celebrity supporters has helped sustain the group, Alviar Horton said. He pointed to Trans Lifeline’s recent collaboration with designer Conner Ives on the “Protect the Dolls” T-shirt campaign, which raised more than $500,000 after celebrities like Pedro Pascal began wearing the shirts publicly.

“I was grateful that there were people in the celebrity sphere that cared enough to be like, ‘This matters,’” Alviar Horton said.

Celebrity philanthropy has often been dismissed as image management, allowing entertainers to have red carpet moments without putting much money or thought behind their advocacy efforts. Grande resisted creating a formal foundation for years for exactly that reason, Nep said.

“She does not want anyone to think that she thinks of herself as a philanthropist,” Nep said. “She knows she’s an artist.”

However, Nep, who has worked with the singer since 2018, encouraged Grande to formalize her giving so she could strategically move money to nonprofit groups and more easily collaborate with funding partners.

Grande's Brighter Days Ahead Foundation is a fiscally sponsored project of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a public charity established in 1942 to support Hollywood’s philanthropic efforts. It allows celebrities, including Charlize Theron and Olivia Rodrigo, to easily create nonprofits to raise and distribute funds.

The largest of her foundation’s four funds is “Protect and Defend,” which supports organizations doing legal and legislative work for transgender youths, immigrants, and reproductive rights. The foundation is the largest funder for several of the grassroots organizations it supports and typically provides unrestricted grants. These groups typically get little support from institutional and government funders. Transgender-focused organizations, specifically, have seen funding dwindle as needs increase, Nep noted.

Grande's advocacy looks to meet the moment

Grande has been a longtime advocate for causes at the center of her philanthropy. In 2019, she donated roughly $250,000 in concert proceeds to Planned Parenthood after several states passed abortion restrictions. She has publicly discussed her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, expressed appreciation for her gay and transgender fans, and has spoken out against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

Grande’s activism and personal connection to these issues echo an earlier era when celebrities led the charge on funding for AIDS and HIV, Shaker said. Elizabeth Taylor co-founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research, or amfAR, in 1985 after watching friends suffer from HIV/AIDS and its stigma. For similar reasons, singer Elton John founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, the same year he first publicly identified himself as gay.

The political climate facing transgender people today rivals what HIV/AIDS advocates confronted decades ago, said Anne Aslett, CEO of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Back in the 1980s and ’90s, John was watching close friends like singer Freddie Mercury succumb to AIDS-related illnesses, she said.

It was “really, really tough” to raise money for HIV/AIDS work among the broader public, including within the entertainment industry, she said. Because of his global stardom, John was able to humanize the cause for people, even those who didn’t share his views on politics or sexuality, Aslett said.

From the outset, the foundation was shaped by his authentic interest in supporting AIDS research and his insistence on listening to people with lived experience of the epidemic, Aslett said. That is what has helped sustain the organization for more than three decades, she said. But that personal interest and connection aren’t enough to really drive philanthropic success.

“Artists are hard-wired to pay attention to human emotion,” Aslett said. “They’re very empathetic. But that alone isn’t enough. They have to have a good structure underneath to make it work.”

_____

Stephanie Beasley is fellowship director and a senior writer at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

According to those who attended, Grayson’s 4-year-old son fell into the St. Johns River at Ed Stone Park. Grayson immediately went into the water and helped save him, but she did not survive.

One woman, Kris Perone, said she has children and grandchildren and could not imagine doing anything different in that moment.

“It hurts to see that because I would do exactly the same thing she did,” Perrone said. “I would jump right in.”

Perrone said she is a close friend of Grayson’s mother, and that people who knew Grayson understood how deeply she loved her children.

As balloons floated into the sky, grief and admiration mixed for many who came to pay their respects.

“One thing about it, she didn’t play about her kids. If you know, you know.”

The balloon release served as a final tribute — honoring a mother’s sacrifice and the love she had for her family.

China claims virtually the entire sea passage, a key global trade route, despite a 2016 arbitration ruling based on the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea that invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims.

Clash happens in the same area for second day

The latest high-seas faceoff happened near Scarborough Shoal for the second day in a row. The Philippine coast guard said a Chinese coast guard ship approached a Philippine government fisheries vessel at a distance of seven meters (23 feet) in what it called a “reckless” maneuver that created a serious risk of collision.

The Philippine coast guard strongly condemned “the dangerous and unprofessional actions of the China coast guard,” saying the shoal “is an integral part of the Philippine territory and its surrounding waters form part of the country’s territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.”

The Chinese coast guard said multiple Philippine ships, including three coast guard vessels, gathered in the waters on Friday and that it issued verbal warnings, deployed interception measures, and used water cannon to expel them.

“We sternly warn the Philippines to immediately cease its infringing and provocative actions or bear all consequences that may arise,” it said in a statement.

A clash on Monday at the Second Thomas Shoal left two injured.

Violence in South China Sea high on ASEAN agenda

The decades-long territorial standoffs were high on the agenda of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their Asian and Western counterparts in three days of closed-door talks that started Tuesday in the Philippine capital.

The ASEAN ministers discussed the South China Sea disputes Tuesday and issued a joint statement in which they said that “concerns were expressed by some ministers on the land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the area, including actions that put the safety of all persons at risk, and damage to the marine environment.”

The 11-nation regional bloc’s top diplomats welcomed “significant progress” in negotiations with China on a code of conduct that aims to prevent a major armed confrontation in the disputed waters. They said they aim to conclude the negotiations this year.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, met Wednesday on the sidelines of the ASEAN talks and discussed Monday's clash at the Second Thomas Shoal, calling the incident “escalatory.”

Two Philippine sailors aboard a boat were injured after being hit by wooden poles by Chinese coast guard personnel in a separate boat, the Philippines said. China accused Philippine sailors of attacking the Chinese with oars and long sticks.

Nearly a week of ministerial meetings in Manila was capped Friday with the commemoration of ASEAN’s 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, a nonaggression pact, where Philippine Foreign Sec. Theresa Lazaro said that in a time of global uncertainty, peace needs to be always defended.

“Peace is a daily choice,” Lazaro said. “It requires continuous labor, deliberate restraint, inclusive dialogue and an unyielding adherence to the rule of law.”

___

Associated Press video journalist Joeal Calupitan in Manila, Philippines and writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report.

FIFA asked one of its disciplinary prosecutors Monday to report back on testy on-field confrontations after Spain’s 1-0 win in extra time Sunday to dethrone the defending champion.

Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes physically tangled with Spain players Eric Garcia and Gavi, and Spain captain Rodri was hit in the stomach as he ran past Argentina defender Nahuel Molina.

“It cannot be allowed,” De la Fuente told Spanish public broadcaster TVE on Thursday, adding he did not see the incidents at the time while “celebrating with other people.”

“In any case, I find it intolerable and unacceptable from players of that caliber, whom I had been praising in the days before and who have a magnificent coach,” the Spain coach said.

FIFA has given no details of the remit for its investigator, or if witness statements could be sought from Spain players and staff.

Argentina assistant coach Roberto Ayala apologized Wednesday for his confrontation with Dani Olmo, which he described as a shove and not a punch.

Coach praises Spain's restraint

De la Fuente praised his players in the TVE interview for how they handled the situation at MetLife Stadium.

“I want to highlight our behavior in the face of that kind of aggression and provocation,” the coach said. “Our players always kept their composure and behaved like true professionals.”

The Spain squad stood in a guard of honor for Argentina players walking to the podium to get their medals from U.S. President Donald Trump. Minutes later, when Rodri lifted the trophy, most of the Argentina squad turned their backs on the ceremonial moment.

Unclear timetable for FIFA action

FIFA disciplinary rules allow a special prosecutor to “request the opening of disciplinary proceedings and propose that disciplinary measures be imposed on member associations, clubs and individuals.”

FIFA gave no timetable for any cases, and it is unclear when any potential bans for Argentina players would apply as the team does not have competitive games scheduled in the coming months.

___

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

Friday

The highest rain chances, between 20 and 40 percent, will be across areas south of Orlando.

Any stronger storm will be capable of frequent lightning, gusty winds, and torrential downpours before activity gradually shifts inland and weakens this evening.

Even with a few more storms around, temperatures will climb into the low 90s inland, with some mid 90s possible around Orlando and areas north and west.

Heat index values will range from 100 to 107 degrees, creating widespread moderate to major heat risk.

Weekend outlook

Moisture continues building into Central Florida this weekend, bringing a return to a more typical summer pattern with scattered to numerous afternoon (50-70%) thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday.

Storms will become slower moving, increasing the chance for locally heavy rainfall and isolated minor flooding in spots that see repeated downpours. Frequent lightning and gusty winds up to 40 to 55 mph will also remain possible.

Temperatures stay in the low to mid 90s through the weekend, with heat index values once again climbing above 100 degrees before storms develop each afternoon.

FDOT is in the design phase for a project on East Colonial Drive from Avalon Park Boulevard to Chuluota Road. The plan could add lanes, build shared-use paths on both sides of the roadway and make intersection improvements. It also includes additional stormwater drainage ponds.

To see what the corridor looks like now, News 6’s Amy Russo drove the route Thursday morning and quickly saw why FDOT is looking at upgrades. She reports the road is heavily traveled, with drivers moving through multiple busy intersections — and many bicyclists sharing the corridor, too.

FDOT officials said about 46,000 vehicles travel this stretch each day. Under the current concept, the roadway would go from four lanes to six lanes, adding one lane in each direction and separating traffic with a raised median.

One unique piece of the proposal would add a new access road intended for school buses, connecting the Orange County bus depot at East River High School with State Road 50 near the Corner School Drive intersection.

FDOT is also proposing new pedestrian crossing improvements at Sandy Creek Lane, where the existing sidewalk runs very close to the roadway.

If approved, construction could begin as soon as fall 2027.

The ranking examines Tripadvisor reviews covering a wide swath of places and activities, including museums, natural wonders, and other tourist destinations.

In 2025, the No. 1 attraction was determined to be the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex at Merritt Island.

The space-based attraction also landed at No. 3 on the worldwide ranking, boasting over 15,000 five-star reviews.

However, it fell a couple of ranks this go-around.

For 2026, the Empire State Building in New York City placed No. 1 instead, followed closely by the Sun Studio in Memphis at No. 2.

“The Empire State Building is arguably the most iconic building in New York City. Visitors can expect two observation decks, with sweeping skyline views. Other than a classic photo-op, you can learn about the building’s history through informative displays and videos, then have a meal at one of the seven on-site restaurants.”

Tripadvisor, "Best of the Best Things to Do"

That said, it isn’t all doom and gloom for the Space Coast icon. The KSC Visitor Center came in third place for this year’s ranking.

The only other Florida ranking on this year’s list is the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, which came in just below at No. 4.

Meanwhile, the full ranking is as follows:

Chinese companies will not be allowed to export dual-use items, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes, to the 14 European organizations, China’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement.

Additionally, foreign companies are barred from providing to the 14 entities dual-use items made in China.

The European companies affected include Czech vehicle manufacturer Tatra Trucks, Italian electric motor maker Lafert SpA, German manufacturer Sindlhauser Materials GmbH and French drone manufacturer Cavok UAS.

A Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson said the measures were taken in retaliation for the E.U. on Thursday adding 14 mainland Chinese and Hong Kong enterprises to its latest list of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

The measures are intended “to safeguard national security and interests, and to fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, in response to the E.U.’s egregious actions,” the spokesperson said.

The E.U. on Thursday adopted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia targeting banks, cryptocurrency companies and military equipment manufacturers among other categories. The sanctions included entities from other countries such as China, India and Turkey, believed to provide Russia with dual-use goods and technology.

“That’s something needed around here,” Luendy Melo, a Kissimmee resident, said.

Melo says she’s seen firsthand how isolating aging can be without the right support system.

“I know a couple like seniors myself that I used to live with and they’re like, children would like, pay for the housing, but then they would just be living by themselves. I think it’s important that they have like a community,” Melo said.

Buen Vecino, the latest affordable housing complex in Osceola County, was developed by the Osceola Council on Aging in partnership with Osceola County and federal, state and local partners. The community provides 60 affordable apartments for residents age 62 and older, offering safe, stable and accessible housing.

Supported in part by a $5.2 million investment from Osceola County, the project was made possible through a collaborative partnership among the Osceola Council on Aging, Osceola County, the City of Kissimmee, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Spectrum.

The site’s location in Buenaventura Lakes was intentional, placing seniors close to the services and amenities they rely on most.

“There’s plenty of doctors nearby, like the hospital by the, the Walmart, a couple clinics nearby, and everything’s kind of walkable,” Melo said.

Apartments are available to one-person households earning up to $40,250 annually, or two-person households with a combined income of up to $46,000.

The community features modern amenities including in-unit washers and dryers, a clubhouse, walking trails, supportive services and a Digital Learning Lab designed to help residents build digital skills and stay connected.

During the grand opening ceremony, Spectrum will present a $15,000 grant to the Osceola Council on Aging to support the Digital Learning Lab as part of the company’s Beyond the Build Tour in Florida.

For neighbor Juan Diaz, the need for affordable options for seniors couldn’t be clearer.

“It’s very important because a lot of seniors are looking for living spaces. And sometimes they’re paying high rent. And so they need places. So, to be able to, that they could afford,” Diaz said.

Melo agrees the complex will make a real difference.

“I think it’s going to help a lot of people in the community,” she said.

Wangchuk’s fast became a rallying point for India’s “Cockroach” protests, which began more than a month ago demanding education reforms after alleged leaks in some of the country’s most competitive entrance exams. Since then, the movement has tapped into broader public anger over unemployment, government accountability and economic opportunity, drawing professionals, families and activists to demonstrations in New Delhi and cities across the country.

The demonstrations have become one of the most sustained waves of public dissent against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in recent years, with thousands joining after police used tear gas and batons to disperse marchers trying to reach Parliament on Monday.

The call for nationwide protests on Friday was issued in solidarity with students who were beaten by police during a march to Parliament,

In a post on X, Wangchuk said he ended his fast in the presence of two federal ministers after appeals from dozens of members of parliament and following “a long negotiation on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country.” He did not elaborate on his talks with the ministers.

Protest organizers said demonstrations would continue until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, insisting on comprehensive examination reforms, and compensation for the families of students who died by suicide after exam paper leaks.

After separate talks with two ministers on Friday, the organizers said the government had asked until Saturday afternoon to respond to their demands. Government minister J.P. Nadda confirmed that the two sides would meet again on Saturday.

“We won’t let Sonam sir’s sacrifice go in vain,” said Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of Cockroach Janta Party, using the nickname protesters have given the renowned activist. Dipke's party is the satirical group that has spearheaded the movement, named after a remark by the country’s chief justice of the supreme court comparing some unemployed young people to cockroaches.

Modi publicly addressed the protests for the first time on Thursday, announcing fast-track courts to prosecute cases involving examination paper leaks. In a separate video message, Modi also said his government would introduce legislation in Parliament to crack down on exam paper leaks.

The announcements did little to calm the movement, as protesters said they failed to address their demands for government accountability.

Fabeha Sayyed, 23, said Modi’s video message showed he was finally paying attention to the issue, but she questioned why he had not asked the education minister to resign.

“If he were so concerned about the protests, about the students and the families of students who committed suicide, then it is not hard for him to get a person to resign,” she said.

Discussion

At 1000 PM CDT (0300 UTC), the remnants of Bertha were located near latitude 30.0 North, longitude 96.0 West. The remnants are moving toward the west near 14 mph (22 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue tonight.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1008 mb (29.77 inches).

Watches and Warnings

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

None.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

Land Hazards

STORM SURGE: Water levels may remain elevated through the next high tide cycle along the Louisiana and Texas coastline but should subside thereafter.

RAINFALL: The remnants of Bertha are expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches with isolated totals to 4 inches tonight over South Texas. This rainfall may produce isolated flash flooding, especially in urban areas.

For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall associated with Bertha, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?ero.

SURF: Swells generated by the remnants of Bertha will continue to affect the Louisiana and Texas coast through tonight. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office.

A depiction of rip current risk for the United States can be found at: hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?ripCurrents

License plate readers, or LPRs, photograph and electronically log the tag numbers of passing vehicles while potentially using artificial intelligence to collect additional data like the vehicles’ model or color.

LPRs manufactured by Flock Safety and other companies are usually visible to motorists, but law enforcement agencies are often reluctant to publicize the specific locations of where such devices are deployed.

[You can check out the DeFlock map below]

“I don’t think anybody likes mass surveillance and being watched all the time,” said Ed Vogel, a researcher who works with the privacy organization DeFlock. “I think we need to pause and slow down because a lot of this is being adopted very quickly.”

Using public records and crowdsourced reports, DeFlock is building an online map that has already documented the locations of nearly 75,000 LPRs across the U.S.

[BELOW: Is LPR data public record? Here’s what Florida law says]

The DeFlock map shows hundreds of LPRs in Central Florida communities like Orlando, Titusville, Sanford and Ocala.

While most of the devices were purchased by government and law enforcement agencies, private companies like retailers and apartment complexes also own LPRs.

Lowe’s Home Improvement uses the technology for security, fraud prevention and asset-protection purposes but will also share data with law enforcement solely in connection with criminal investigations, according to the company’s website.

News 6 independently verified the locations of dozens of cameras plotted on the DeFlock map, including several located in Lake County.

The Mount Dora Police Department told News 6 it uses LPR technology to assist with criminal investigations, locate stolen vehicles, and support efforts to identify missing or endangered people.

Other Central Florida law enforcement agencies have previously cited similar reasons for purchasing LPRs.

When 13-year-old Madeline Soto was first reported missing in 2024, Kissimmee Police used LPRs to prove her mother’s boyfriend lied about driving the teen to school that morning.

[BELOW: Why did Stephan Sterns make a 300-mile trip while investigators searched for Madeline Soto?]

Instead, the LPR data revealed that Stephan Sterns, who was later convicted of raping and murdering Soto, drove his car in the opposite direction of the school.

Information from LPRs and other traffic cameras helped search teams successfully narrow down the location where Soto’s body was found, court records show.

“LPRs are not used to monitor law-abiding citizens or track individuals’ daily activities,” the Mount Dora Police Department said in a statement. “The technology captures license plate data visible from public roadways and is used in accordance with Florida law, departmental policy, and established data retention and access controls.”

Mount Dora police believe discussions about the placement, usage or operational aspects of public safety tools like LPRs could compromise law enforcement strategies and effectiveness.

But Vogel thinks citizens have a right to know where LPRs have been deployed and how governments use them.

“Once you really understand their full capabilities, and how much data they’re collecting, who has access to that data, I think it raises a lot of concerns,” said Vogel. “There’s very little democratic conversation happening regarding their use, their adoption, and why the police even need them.”

Prosecutors are alleging that D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, killed the girl then dismembered her in the garage after she threatened to reveal their sexual relationship and crater his career. Police technicians took the samples from a rubber floor mat, a rowing machine and a Tesla charger in the garage, and Los Angeles police criminalist Samantha Tosch testified that they matched Rivas Hernandez.

The testimony came on the third day of a preliminary hearing where a judge will decide if Burke should stand trial on charges of murder, sexual abuse of a child and mutilation of a body. He has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have said they will vigorously defend him.

Tosch said the matches of several samples were “one septillion times more likely to occur if it originated from Celeste rather than anyone else in the population,” and pointed out the number had 24 zeros.

Prosecutors had previously said in a court filing that her DNA was found in the garage, but the evidence hadn't previously been shown publicly.

DNA evidence and testing key to hearing

Testing was also done on a trash bag in the garage and stained cleaning wipes inside it. Tosch said the bag swab showed a mixture of DNA from four people, at least two of them male — and one of them that she said was Burke's.

Rivas Hernandez's DNA was found on the wipes but not the bag. Burke's was not on the wipes.

Another police criminalist testified that most of the garage stains were not visible to the naked eye and were uncovered by a chemical test that makes the area glow blue. A photo displayed in court showed the rubber mat cloaked in bright blue.

Tosch conceded under questioning from the defense that she couldn't say with certainty that the DNA profiles came from blood, and could've been from touch.

“It’s possible that they did not come from blood?” Burke's lawyer, Blair Berk, asked.

“I cannot with any certainty say that they came from blood,” Tosch replied.

Under further questioning by Berk, Tosch also acknowledged that it can't be determined how DNA got on a spot, and that it's even possible for it to transfer between people. And she acknowledged there's no way to clearly establish how long the DNA had been there.

Defense questions how and what police tested for DNA

Burke's lawyers have previously given little indication of any counternarrative they may present about how Rivas Hernandez was killed and how her dismembered body was found in the trunk of Burke’s Tesla about five months later.

But they began giving glimpses into their defense strategy as they pressed various prosecution witnesses on why they didn't conduct more DNA testing on items found in the singer's home and car.

Berk dwelled on a pair of small chain saws found in Burke's garage, where prosecutors say he dismembered the body. Lauren Wallace, another LAPD criminalist, testified that initial chemical tests showed no signs of blood on the saws, so the handles were not swabbed for any DNA left behind by someone who touched it.

“If an item has somebody else’s DNA on it, you wouldn’t be able to see that at the time,” Berk said.

“No you’re not able to see touch DNA,” Wallace said, then reiterated that the blades had tested negative for blood.

“But that doesn’t preclude at all that there could be somebody else’s touch DNA,” Berk said.

An indie-pop singer whose music and online presence brought him a huge following, D4vd's songs and videos often have dark and violent imagery often delivered through an alter-ego character he calls Itami. His breakthrough single in 2022 was called “Romantic Homicide,” one of several of his songs with more than a billion plays on Spotify. His debut full-length album, “Withered,” was released two days after prosecutors say Rivas Hernandez was killed.

On Thursday, he wore orange jail clothes and glasses, sitting at the defense table calmly and intently watching the witnesses testify. He did not betray any emotion during the proceedings but was seen during the recess interacting with and smiling with his attorneys.

Rivas Hernandez's parents were back in the courtroom Thursday afternoon, sitting in the front row. They did not have a visible reaction to the mostly technical testimony.

D4vd relationship with teen began when she was 13

Prosecutors are seeking to prove Burke began a sexual relationship with Rivas Hernandez when she was 13 and he was 18.

They said in a court filing that she had grown jealous of his relationships with other women and threatened to expose him and ruin his multimillion-dollar career the night before she was killed. The court filing said he sent a car to pick her up on the night of April 23, 2025, and stabbed her when she arrived at his home.

Prosecutors say he kept the body for weeks or months in the front trunk of the Tesla, where it was found after the car was towed 4 1/2 months later.

They said the the 22-year-old Volpato, who switched allegiances from Italy to Australia before the World Cup, was allegedly clocked at 50 kilometers per hour (30 miles per hour) over the designated speed limit when police stopped him on Sydney’s Anzac Bridge early Friday morning.

He was subjected to a roadside drug test which returned a positive result for cocaine, police said in a statement on Friday.

Volpato made three appearances for the Socceroos at the World Cup.

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

Unlike nearly every other similarly sized city, Madison doesn’t require its police to wear them.

The absence of that footage has left residents in the dark about key moments leading up to the shooting, when police say Corey Ruiz pulled a knife during a struggle with four officers, injuring one of them. That officer then fired the shots, according to police. All four officers have been placed on administrative leave pending a state investigation.

In the meantime, the deadly encounter has reignited a contentious debate about body cameras, one that has long vexed local officials and pitted some of the city’s progressive groups against each other.

This past November, the Madison Common Council rejected a proposal to redirect funding from a police oversight group to a body-camera program. A new proposal to allocate $414,800 for a three-year roll out of the program is expected to be approved by the legislative body.

Police Chief John Patterson has described the proposal as “modest,” adding that the cameras had become “essential tools for the modern police officer.”

Law enforcement experts tend to agree and some expressed surprise that the city’s nearly 500 officers weren’t already using the cameras.

“There are very, very few agencies of that size that do not have a body-worn camera program,” said Michael D. White, a criminal justice professor at Arizona State University who led training on camera adoption for the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Madison has a long-standing tradition of being an innovative, progressive police department, so it’s startling,” he added.

As far back as 2016, roughly 80% of police departments with 500 or more sworn officers had acquired body-cameras — a figure that White said was now approaching 100%.

Over the last decade, Madison officials have repeatedly debated adopting the cameras. Committees have borne subcommittees, which have produced feasibility studies, amendments and hours of debate.

Local officials primarily blame budget concerns, along with political inertia, for the ongoing stalemate. Another common source of opposition, identified in a 2021 feasibility study, came from community groups worried the cameras would be used to surveil and criminalize marginalized groups.

“I cannot approve something that doesn’t have a policy and procedure behind it that is potentially going to hinder the community more than help the community,” said Veronica Figueroa, then a member of the body-worn camera subcommittee.

As camera adoption has become more widespread in recent years, those concerns have largely faded away, according to Common Council President Sabrina Madison.

But she said local officials have largely been preoccupied by another issue: finding shelter for a homeless population that has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was like: if we’re going to figure out anything, we’re going to figure out how to fund shelter operations,” Madison told The Associated Press on Thursday. “So the last couple years, that’s where the focus has been.”

The city did briefly conduct a body camera pilot program in the summer of 2024. A subsequent report found the cameras had little impact on officers’ behavior or the community’s feeling toward police.

Dr. Broderick Turner, an independent researcher who analyzed the program and authored the report, noted the length of the pilot — only 90 days — meant there was little time for anyone to notice a meaningful difference. And he described demographic differences in the city's response.

“Black communities tend to want body cameras, but Madison is majority white,” Turner said. “The groups opposed were less impacted by crime and less impacted by policing.”

For some in the city, Wednesday’s shooting has surfaced memories of Tony Robinson, an unarmed 19-year-old who was fatally shot by Madison police in 2015.

His death ultimately led to the creation of the Office of the Independent Police Monitor.

This past winter, Madison lawmakers shot down a budget proposal that would have paid for a body camera program by cutting funds to the monitor.

Katey Nelson, a member of the police civilian oversight board, said the amendment had presented residents with a “false choice.”

“There are cuts that can be made with the Madison Police Department or the County Sheriff’s department, but they’re trying to pit similar agendas against each other,” she said.

“Nobody can agree on anything,” Nelson added. “Now we’re here, looking at another police shooting where we don’t have what we need to make sure the officers are held accountable.”

The opening-night practice session on Nov. 16, 2023, was halted after nine minutes when Carlos Sainz Jr. drove over a water valve cover that severely damaged his Ferrari. Practice didn't resume until the early morning hours of Nov. 17, ending at about 4 a.m. local time.

Fans were removed from the viewing areas before the 90-minute session took place.

Those who had tickets for only that practice session or bought three-night tickets are eligible for compensation under the settlement. Claims must be filed by Aug. 27.

Liberty Media and the Las Vegas Grand Prix did not admit fault under the settlement. A final approval hearing is scheduled for Nov. 4 at U.S. District Court of Nevada.

The $500 million race in 2023 was supposed to be F1's coming-out party on the Las Vegas Strip, and the practice-night crash as well as the disruptions to Las Vegas-area residents during months of preparation didn't make for a promising start.

But the race itself was among the best on the circuit that season, and Max Verstappen sang “Viva Las Vegas” as he crossed the finish line for his 18th victory that year.

F1 announced a 10-year extension last month that will keep the circuit in Las Vegas through at least 2037.

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

Loomer had spent years minimizing Russia's invasion of Ukraine and amplifying Russian propaganda to her nearly 2 million followers. This week she had a change of heart.

“Just experienced my first air raid in Ukraine. Sirens blaring. This is everyday for every Ukrainian,” Loomer wrote on X during her visit to the country. “I often said I don’t care. Looking back, that wasn’t very nice of me to say.”

“We need to have moral clarity,” she added Thursday.

It was a stunning reversal for a woman who had spent years criticizing U.S. support for Ukraine's defense, declaring it “a country full of Nazi apologists” — a claim used by Russia to justify its yearslong invasion — and “led by a Jihadi apologist.”

The skepticism of Ukraine has been shared by other major conservative influencers, including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The issue became a major point of contention between more traditional Republicans, like former Vice President Mike Pence, and Trump's MAGA base. Vice President JD Vance was among the earliest and most vocal critics of continued U.S. military aid to the country, and he and Trump clashed with Zelenskyy in a heated Oval Office meeting.

It was unclear what had prompted Loomer's trip or how she had arranged the meeting with Zelenskyy, which she plugged as an interview for her Rumble show, “Loomer Unleashed.”

She posted a photo of the two and later a clip from the interview in which she asked Zelenskyy about the Oval Office confrontation and how his relationship with Trump seemed to have improved since then. Zelenskyy credited a brief conversation at the Vatican for the detente — one he called a “historic moment, because we changed the relations during 15, 20 minutes.”

Loomer and the White House did not respond to requests for comment on the trip, but Trump gave his stamp of approval on social media.

“Very good!!!” he wrote on Thursday evening.

The meeting was confirmed earlier by Dmytro Lytvyn, a spokesperson for the president, who said that no Ukrainian government institution had organized the visit. He added that Zelenskyy's office first learned that Loomer was in Ukraine through social media.

“It is really important that @LauraLoomer is in Ukraine and sees things with her own eyes as they are,” Zelenskyy's office had written Tuesday.

“It takes courage to come to Ukraine and not be deterred by Russian propaganda or air raid sirens. Thank you, Laura,” the office added Thursday.

In addition to the meeting with Zelenskyy, Loomer also visited the Dormition Cathedral of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of the country’s most significant religious landmarks, which came under Russian attack last month.

The attack on the monastic complex of golden domes in the heart of Kyiv, which is also known as the Monastery of the Caves, sparked a fire that caused significant interior and exterior damage, according to UNESCO. Zelenskyy had called it Moscow’s “biggest crime yet against Christian culture.”

Russia denied responsibility for the attack, claiming, without offering evidence, that the complex was hit by one of Ukraine’s U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles — saying that it might have veered off course due to its age.

In a video recorded from inside the church, Loomer accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of hypocrisy by portraying Russia as pro-Christian.

“I just don’t think that you should be allowed to say that you’re protecting Christianity if you’re trying to drone strike Jesus Christ,” she said.

Sergiy Kyslytsya and Tetyana Berezhna, two top Ukrainian officials, were among those who met with Loomer and joined her for the visit.

The meeting comes amid continued hostilities between Russia and Ukraine that have been overshadowed in recent months by the war with Iran.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday at an annual gathering of foreign ministers in Manila that the administration is poised to help end the “senseless war” in Ukraine but acknowledged there was no quick path to a deal.

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Colvin reported from New York.

“There was this emptiness to it,” recalls Myers, of Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh.

He turned to the biblical Book of Psalms — its hymns, poetry and prayers covering “the entire spectrum of human existence and emotion, from elation to utter despair,” Myers recalled. “Something told me it’s in there somewhere, the inspiration that I need."

He started reading all 150 chapters, in order. When he got to 121, he found words that clicked: “My help comes from God, maker of the heavens and the Earth."

“There it was,” Myers says today. ”My faith did have the answers. It just took time to be able to find them."

Myers, 70, is retiring this month as spiritual leader of Tree of Life, a position he had assumed just over a year before the shattering events of Oct. 27, 2018.

On that Sabbath morning, a gunman shot his way into the synagogue, shouting antisemitic invective and murdering 11 worshippers from the three congregations sharing the building — Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life.

In the nearly eight years since, the congregation has worked to grieve and heal. It endured a long-delayed trial leading to the gunman's death sentence. It experienced the disruptive pandemic and the groundbreaking for a new building.

“My mission has come to a conclusion to the best that I could,” Myers said in an interview. “It was time for the next chapter also for the Tree of Life. It’s time to step aside so that there is space for new voices."

Rabbi says goodbye with signature blend of scripture and pop culture

Myers plans to return to his native New Jersey to be near his daughter and granddaughter. He wants to catch up on reading, do some writing, check off some “bucket list” goals with his wife. He also plans to work more on healing his own inner wounds after prioritizing the congregation's needs.

“As Mr. Spock says in ‘Star Trek II,’ the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,” says Myers, who frequently glides between scriptural and pop culture references.

Myers similarly quoted from the Beatles and Broadway’s “Rent” in a farewell address to his congregation on July 17. He thanked congregants, clergy, public officials, the police officers who risked their lives to rescue him, some suffering serious injuries.

He recalled each victim by name. “May your memories always be for a blessing,” he said. He concluded by having the congregation join him in singing Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.”

Members, in interviews, pay tribute to Myers and what he achieved.

“He was really just a new rabbi and hardly broken in yet, and we went through the thing that we went through,” says Audrey Glickman, a survivor of the attack. "He has steered a constant ship and taken care of everyone, and I think he has earned himself a rest."

His journey to Tree of Life started in his childhood synagogue's choir

Myers grew up near Newark, New Jersey, recalling summers at the beach at Asbury Park, where transistor radios were tuned to pop music stations. As a boy, he sang soprano in his synagogue choir. By his mid-teens, he was leading that choir and developing his distinctive high tenor voice — one that, in 2018, was heard worldwide as he sang the traditional Jewish mourner's prayers for those who fell.

Myers started college as a pre-med student but soon pivoted toward his deep interests in Judaism and music. He went to school to become a cantor or hazzan, a type of Jewish clergy who leads worship.

After several years serving congregations in New York and New Jersey in the middle-of-the-road Conservative denomination of Judaism, he studied for ordination as a rabbi and came to Tree of Life. It was a small Conservative congregation, sharing its building with two others in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, the heart of Jewish Pittsburgh.

Sabbath services had just begun that Saturday morning. After hearing gunfire in the lobby, he urged worshippers to flee if they were able — and those who were frail to lie down or hide. He took shelter as he heard gunshots ring out.

“I was praying,” Myers recalled on the witness stand during the gunman's 2023 trial. “I thought about the history of my people, how we’ve been persecuted and hunted and slaughtered for centuries, and how all of them must have felt the moments before their death, and what did they do.”

He asked God to forgive him for being unable to save his congregants. He expected to die but was escorted to safety by police officers.

He was still wearing his prayer shawl.

After surviving the attack, Myers' leadership stood out

In the days afterward, the funeral services unfolded. Alan Hausman, a lay leader in the congregation who has long worked in public safety, accompanied Myers throughout that week. Responding to deadly emergencies “takes a toll on you,” Hausman says. “And he kept going.”

With its damaged building a crime scene, Tree of Life began worshipping at a nearby synagogue, Rodef Shalom. For Myers and others, it was crucial to resume their Jewish observances in defiance of the killer's intentions.

There were uplifting moments. Sam Schachner, the congregation’s then-president, recalls his son's bar mitzvah a few weeks after the attacks — the first truly joyful event after Oct. 27.

Myers “could have reasonably said, ‘I’ve been through a lot. Can we postpone this?’” Schachner says. “He didn’t. He had this ability to be there for others when he was going through such pain.”

Then the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the healing. Myers led remote services from his home. But presiding over his daughter's outdoor wedding helped, fulfilling another Psalm's promise. “God turned my mourning into rejoicing,” he says.

After resuming in-person worship, the three congregations braced for a long-delayed trial. It began in the spring of 2023, just as Myers' daughter was expecting her first child.

Myers told prosecutors that if the baby was a boy, he would attend his circumcision even if it conflicted with Myers' scheduled testimony -- unwilling to “let the shooter deprive me” of partaking in a key Jewish rite. Instead, a granddaughter arrived, and Myers was on the witness stand as scheduled.

The lengthy trial concluded with the conviction and death sentence of the gunman, who remains on death row.

With shared trauma, Tree of Life bonds with church shooting survivors

Tree of Life began a meaningful relationship with Mother Emanuel AME Church of Charleston, South Carolina, a historically Black congregation where a racist gunman killed nine Bible study participants in 2015. Members visited each others' congregations, and Myers developed a bond with Emanuel's pastor, the Rev. Eric Manning.

When Myers testified, Manning was in the courtroom. They understand each other. Manning believes it's important to speak out against rising antisemitism and other forms of hatred — a word he refuses to utter, speaking only of “H.”

“Antisemitism is the world’s oldest disease,” he says. “It doesn’t require any sort of prescription or inoculation to eliminate. It requires people to honor the worth and dignity of every human being.”

Most of the aging and damaged Tree of Life building has been demolished. Plans for a new building, while scaled back from original designs, call for a memorial to the victims, along with antisemitism exhibits, a sanctuary and event space.

The building is slated to open in 2028, says Carole Zawatsky, who heads the nonprofit, The Tree of Life, which is overseeing the project in cooperation with the similarly named congregation.

“The memorial is there to remember each of the 11 victims. To always ground us,” Zawatsky says.

Myers was “the right guy at the right time,” says Robin Friedman, current president of the congregation. She calls it a ”bittersweet" departure.

Recently about 50 Jewish families, many with young children, joined the congregation, bringing their own energy and ideas. That has boosted hopes for the future.

Says Glickman: “We intend not to let the shooter win and not to fade away into history.”

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AP video journalist Jessie Wardarski contributed. She and Smith were among the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette journalists who shared the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for coverage of the synagogue massacre.

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

Fox was embraced at Auckland airport by his father, former All Blacks rugby player Grant Fox, as he arrived with his wife Anneke and two children. Fox birdied the final hole at Royal Birkdale last Sunday for his first major win.

“It’s good to be back,” he said.

A few hours later, media found the 39-year-old Fox at his local bakery, enjoying his favorite steak, bacon, jam and cheese pie. He hopes in coming days to able to show off his trophy to New Zealand, to get in some fishing and maybe a round of golf.

But first, sleep. Fox has had a hectic schedule of travel and interviews since his win.

“I had a glass of wine, took a couple of sleeping pills and had more sleep last night than I’ve had the last four nights. It’s nice," Fox said. "I’m sure jetlag’s going to get me and I feel like I’m going to be pulled in every direction possible over the next 10 days or so we’re home. It’s definitely nice to be home.

“I’ve got the golf clubs. We’ll see how it goes over the next couple of days. I’d like to catch up and play with some mates. I've had a look at the forecast and it doesn’t look real good over the next little while. I don’t want to play golf in the rain if I have to. But I’d like to get out on the course."

Fox hopes to be able to thank New Zealanders and others for their support.

“The support’s been unbelievable, to be honest; I can’t thank people enough," he said.

Two-time US PGA Championship-winner Justin Thomas "reached out and said, remember all the little things because they’re great to draw back on when you really need it.

“Having someone who has gone through that — winning a major, accomplishing some dreams and then going through some down times as well,” Fox added. "I can imagine being able to draw on that is really important and a good nugget of advice.”

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

The National Hurricane Center said wind gusts of tropical storm force were still possible along the upper Texas coast Thursday evening, and water levels in the area may remain high from storm surge. By late evening, the hurricane center declared Bertha had dissipated.

Its remnants are still expected to produce 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) of rainfall, with isolated totals up to 4 inches (10.1 centimeters) that could trigger flash flooding in coastal and south Texas, the hurricane center said.

Bertha first grazed southern Louisiana on Wednesday in a slow crawl westward. The storm weakened as it made its second landfall about 75 miles (115 kilometers) northeast of Galveston, Texas, on Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said. It remained a tropical storm for a few hours before being downgraded to a depression, marked by maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (61 kph) or less.

Thick clouds associated with Bertha prompted SpaceX to call off Thursday evening’s planned Starship launch from the southern tip of Texas. The space-skimming test flight was rescheduled for Friday, when the forecast called for clear skies.

No deaths or significant damage have been reported since Bertha formed Monday in the Gulf of Mexico south of the Florida Panhandle. The storm caused some coastal flooding as its center first struck land Wednesday in Louisiana southwest of New Orleans, but its heaviest rains stayed over the Gulf waters.

That rainfall south of the storm's center began moving inland along Texas' southeastern coast Thursday afternoon. Tropical storm force winds on Thursday extended as far as 140 miles (225 kilometers) from the storm’s center, the hurricane center said.

A tropical storm warning was discontinued by evening from Sargent, Texas, to the Vermilion and Cameron Parish line in Louisiana.

Galveston businesses stay open as offic

ials predict a 'windy day’

In Galveston, an island city of 53,000 people southeast of Houston, local officials urged residents to brace for a “windy day” and secure any outdoor objects that might become airborne projectiles.

“While no significant impacts are forecast, some gusty storms may blow through the island throughout the day,” Galveston’s Office of Emergency Management said in a Facebook post Thursday.

The Galveston Historic Seaport canceled its sightseeing boat tours Thursday afternoon as a precaution, but was otherwise operating normally, said employee Jesi Hahn.

“We’ll definitely be open,” Hahn said. “We usually close for big hurricanes.”

At the nearby Harbor House Hotel and Marina, employee Justin Timber said he wasn’t aware of any canceled reservations.

“It seems like a normal day,” he said. “Restaurants are clicking. Everything’s great.”

In Florida, storm damages a boardwalk and topples a Waffle House sign

Electrical outages across the Gulf Coast were minimal, according to the website poweroutage.us. Still, Bertha’s passage wasn’t harmless.

In Pensacola, Florida, officials closed an area around a storm-damaged beach boardwalk, Mayor D.C. Reeves said Thursday on Facebook. He posted a photo showing part of the boardwalk’s support structure ripped away and a fence damaged nearby.

Strong gales earlier in the week knocked over a Waffle House sign onto a car in Panama City Beach, Florida. Heavy surf and the threat of rip tides had prompted warnings at Gulf Coast beaches for swimmers to stay out of the water.

Bertha is the second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical Storm Arthur in June brought heavy rainfall to the southeastern U.S.

In the eastern Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Fausto churned far from land Thursday. The hurricane was more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph).

The hurricane center said swells generated by Fausto could cause life-threatening surf and rip tides in parts of southern California.

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Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia, and Thanawala reported from Atlanta. AP journalist Marcia Dunn in Cape Canaveral, Florida, contributed.

At an event for season-ticket holders next to SoFi Stadium on Thursday night, the Rams revealed a new uniform that pays tribute to their 1951 NFL championship team with a yellow jersey and blue satin numerals in the style used 75 years ago. The Rams then introduced a white alternate uniform with blue numerals emulating the Rams' primary look during the 1960s, an era best known for the team's Fearsome Foursome defensive front.

The uniform with yellow jerseys and white pants is dubbed “Classic Sol,” while the all-white alternates with blue numerals are called “Fearsome White.” The Rams will still wear the three uniforms they used last season as well, including their main home and away looks along with their all-black “Midnight Mode” Rivalries uniform.

The Rams will debut their Classic Sol look on Monday night at home in Week 2 against the New York Giants, and they’ll come out again for a high-profile Thursday night home showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs in December. The Fearsome White uniforms will come out on Thanksgiving Eve for a home game against the Green Bay Packers.

While designing these long-anticipated alternates over the past several years, the Rams' creative team focused on creating throwbacks with modern twists that will remind and educate the 21st-century fan about the franchise's roots.

Cory Befort, the Rams’ creative executive director, said fans have repeatedly expressed interest in uniforms that would amplify the historic achievements of a franchise that has relocated several times, but still spent most of its existence in Southern California.

“It felt like it was time, but we wanted to do it with intention and meet the moment,” Befort said.

The Rams spent 49 years in Southern California before former owner Georgia Frontiere moved them to her native St. Louis in January 1995. New owner Stan Kroenke brought the Rams back home in 2016, and he opened their multibillion-dollar stadium complex in Inglewood in 2020.

The Rams were founded in Cleveland in 1937, but moved out west in 1946 to become Los Angeles’ most significant major professional sports team to that point. They subsequently won the city’s first major pro sports championship in 1951, beating the Cleveland Browns in the NFL title game at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

That team celebrated its victories at a bar called Tom Bergin’s in the Fairfax district, and it even donated a championship banner to the still-operating Irish tavern. The wordmark used in the Rams’ Classic Sol throwbacks is pulled directly off that banner, and the numerals are designed to mimic the 1951 jerseys.

Even the blue numerals and shoulder stripes themselves are throwbacks: The creative team decided to use authentic satin, which doesn’t stretch like modern uniform material, so the satin stripes are sewn individually onto pieces of gold polyester to prevent excessive ripping and tearing.

“These uniforms are a celebration and reminder of the moments and people that built the Rams into what and who we are today,” Rams chief marketing officer Kat Frederick said. “Every detail was intentionally designed to honor the grit and greatness of our history while delivering a modern look for today’s players and fans."

The Fearsome Whites are topped by a helmet with a white horn and a white facemask in a departure from the usual blue facemask, while the jersey shoulders have their own small numerals and a continuous blue stripe, just like the 1960s look. The blue chest numerals are outlined in black on the new jerseys.

The Rams launched a rebranding in 2020 for the opening of their new stadium, but never introduced their full NFL complement of five uniform alternatives — a “closet,” in league parlance — until now.

The Rams already unveiled a revamping of their primary uniforms from that rebranding earlier this year, notably eliminating the jersey numerals' unique color gradient — the fade on the colors at the bottom of the numbers — and dumping the nearly-white uniform color called “Bone” in favor of a traditional white shade. The creative team also simplified its Ram head logo and monogram logo.

The team will alter its game presentation depending on which uniforms are being worn at SoFi, Befort said, with new field paint and stenciling along with additional changes that won't be revealed until September.

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

Shortly after the new attacks were announced, Iranian state media reported explosions in the port city of Bandar Abbas, a critical hub for moving military supplies as well as trade cargo, where two people were reportedly injured.

Blasts were also reported on Qeshm Island, home to stores of naval assets including drone boats that Iran can use to attack vessels on the Strait of Hormuz, as well as to the northwest near Andimeshk, Omidiyeh and Firuzabad. Four people were killed and five wounded in a U.S. missile attack on the outskirts of Ahvaz on the Karun River, Iranian state media said.

U.S. Central Command said the latest barrage was designed to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters” as the Americans push to regain control over the strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas transited in peacetime. It said the strikes ended shortly before 5 a.m. local time Friday.

Meanwhile, the Houthis threatened to shut down another key trade route, with the world economy already reeling from Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and the U.S. have stepped up attacks as they vie for control of the strait, setting off a scramble for alternative routes.

President Donald Trump threatened “major military punishment” against the Houthis if their attacks on ships continue.

“If they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves,” Trump wrote on social media.

As the rhetoric escalated, so did the economic fallout. The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, spiked more than 6% to about $100 a barrel. That's the highest level since May, before the two sides reached a preliminary peace agreement last month that has since collapsed.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi of Iraq, which has close ties to both the U.S. and Iran, was in Tehran on Thursday to call for peace and dialogue, and he promised not to allow Iraqi territory to be used for attacks on Iran, his office said. Al-Zaidi met with Trump earlier this month in Washington.

Houthi attacks are a ‘double whammy’ on oil shipments

The Houthis' SABA news agency said the rebels had struck two tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, in the Red Sea, causing fires on both. There were no reports of casualties.

It was the first reported Houthi attack on a vessel since they announced a blockade of Saudi-linked shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait earlier this week in retaliation for the kingdom’s blockade on Yemen and a recent attack on the international airport in Yemen’s rebel-held capital, Sanaa.

Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is a vital shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Around 12% of the world’s trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, passes through there, moving between Europe and Asia via Egypt’s Suez Canal.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported an attack set the Encelia ablaze overnight in the Red Sea. It did not mention the Layla.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said it received a report of a tanker being struck by “an unknown projectile” 130 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, in the Red Sea.

The Houthi attacks put at risk oil shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port on the Red Sea and present a “double whammy” on top of the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, said maritime data and analysis firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

Saudi Arabia has diverted millions of barrels a day of oil exports to Yanbu via an overland pipeline as the war has bottled up the Persian Gulf.

The Houthi threat “raises questions on the viability of this route,” Lloyd’s said in slides accompanying an online webinar Thursday.

Both sides dig in over Strait of Hormuz

Iran says it has the right to manage traffic and potentially charge fees in the Strait of Hormuz, which was open to all toll-free before the war. It has attacked ships using a route through the strait that is overseen by U.S. forces and intended to be outside Tehran’s control.

Trump said on social media Thursday that sanctioned Iranian funds in the possession of the U.S. will cover the expense of fixing boats damaged in the war.

“Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls,” Trump said.

It was unclear what legal mechanisms Trump would use to seize and spend the funds, but he said that doing so would be “the fair and equitable thing to do.”

Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, said such a seizure of assets would be an “incendiary” precedent.

"Those who celebrate or profit from such funds should remember: once governments normalize confiscation, no one’s assets are safe," Abbas Araghchi said on social media early Friday. “Ensuing chaos will not be pretty or peaceful.”

In response to Iran’s attacks, the U.S. began the widening campaign of strikes across Iran and restored a naval blockade of Iran's ports. U.S. Central Command said it has redirected about a dozen commercial vessels and disabled one since the blockade resumed.

The war of words has also escalated. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would adopt an “eye for an eye” policy on U.S. strikes against its infrastructure. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio retorted that Trump's policy is “a head for an eye.”

“The price will continue to get higher every single night until they come to their senses,” Rubio told reporters while traveling in the Philippines for a regional summit.

Iran’s health ministry said Thursday that 55 people have been killed and 629 have been wounded since renewed U.S. airstrikes began on June 27.

Iran has responded to U.S. attacks by targeting energy infrastructure and desalination plants providing drinking water in parched neighboring Gulf countries.

Polls have shown the war is unpopular among Americans, a fact reflected in the narrow passage Thursday of a resolution in the U.S. House to halt the war. Though a handful of Republicans crossed party lines to support the measure, the vote remained largely symbolic.

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece, and Binkley from Washington. Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Michelle L. Price and Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; Konstantin Toropin and Matthew Lee in Washington; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

As the deputies conducted a routine business check at Eclipse Social club in late 2022, records show they discovered “casino style digital slot machines” and other illegal gambling devices.

On the same day the deputies visited the establishment, state prosecutors claim the gaming room’s owner exchanged text messages with Lopez.

“Your deputies is at the eclipse,” Krishna Deokaran reportedly wrote in a text message accompanied by a photograph of one of the deputies.

“Let me know if they say anything,” Lopez replied, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Deokaran later told state investigators he gave Lopez between $600,000 and $700,000 in proceeds from the gambling business, often placing the cash in manila envelopes, court records show.

Prosecutors allege Lopez used his influence as sheriff to protect the gambling operation.

Lopez has pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges and is awaiting trial.

“You are relying on fragmented evidence to create a fundamentally misleading impression on this complex criminal matter,” Lopez’s attorney Migdalia Perez told News 6 in response to this story. “By selectively presenting facts, you are simply manufacturing a biased narrative against Mr. Lopez.”

Last year Deokaran pleaded guilty to money laundering, a felony punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. He will be sentenced on an undetermined future date.

Four others, including Lopez’s estranged wife Robin Severance Lopez, have pleaded guilty or no contest to crimes stemming from the state probe.

In September 2022, records show four Osceola County deputies performed a “routine business check” at the property on West Irlo Bronson Highway because the building’s previous tenant, a restaurant and Hookah lounge, had attracted criminal activity.

Video from the deputies’ body-worn cameras show a security guard opening the front door of Eclipse Social Club as the uniformed law enforcement officers walked inside.

[You can watch the footage below]

“During the business check I witnessed a room containing what appeared to be numerous casino style digital slot machines,” Deputy Sheriff Christopher Rumbaugh wrote in an incident report.

The report noted that some of the machines displayed payouts in excess of $10,000.

Rumbaugh documented several possible violations of state law related to the security guards’ uniforms, weapons, and identification documents.

The business also failed to display its occupational license as required by county ordinance, the incident report states.

While the deputies were inquiring about the license, one of the security guards placed a phone call to a man named Chris, video footage obtained by News 6 shows.

Court records indicate Deokaran used the nickname Chris.

“If (your license) is not available for us to review, you can’t run your business. You can’t operate,” one of the deputies told the man on speakerphone.

“We do have a license,” the man responded.

The deputies exited Eclipse Social Club about a minute later without taking any immediate action to close the business, the video shows.

According to prosecutors, Deokaran sent a text message to Lopez that same morning about the deputies’ visit.

“He said I have shut down,” the text message stated.

Lopez responded to the text message about two hours later, court records indicate.

“I’m here bud,” the sheriff allegedly texted Deokaran. “You should have no issues.”

In September 2022, the same month the deputies conducted the business check, records show the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation received a Crime Line tip that Eclipse Social Club was “operating as a casino”.

Court records do not indicate whether personnel from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office or someone else provided that tip to multi-agency task force.

Eclipse Social Club remained open for nearly two more years until state agents executed a search warrant at the business in August 2024.

In January 2025, five months before agents arrested Lopez, Rumbaugh was interviewed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

“I found it very suspicious in the fact that we got a business operating in Osceola County that had no paper trail on it,” Rumbaugh told state investigators. “It was basically an electric casino.”

While speaking with FDLE, Rumbaugh described an exchange that occurred during the 2022 business check that was not recorded on his body-worn camera because the device reportedly malfunctioned.

While Rumbaugh was talking on the phone to the establishment’s owner, the deputy claims the owner said he was very good friends with Lopez and had the sheriff’s direct cell phone number.

Rumbaugh told FDLE that he immediately reported his findings about Eclipse to two of his supervisors at the sheriff’s office.

The deputy also recalled drafting an email to another supervisor who happened to work with the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, records show.

All three supervisors reported to Lopez, Rumbaugh noted.

The deputy told FDLE he was originally concerned he was going to get in trouble for going to Eclipse due to the sheriff’s alleged friendship with the owner.

But Rumbaugh said two supervisors told him, “Don’t worry, we got your back and so does (a supervisory captain).”

Rumbaugh told state investigators that Lopez “knew everything that was going on” at Eclipse and “the Sheriff was good with it and saw no problem,” court records state.

The move was announced in a statement Tuesday by Nicaragua's congress, which is firmly in the hands of Ortega and his wife and co-President Rosario Murillo. It said the latest constitutional overhaul will ensure Nicaragua's “peace, security and stability.”

The legislature was following through on Ortega's announcement from the weekend that “there won’t be anymore elections,” reflecting both his effort to extend his nearly 20-year rule and remove any chance of the opposition gaining power.

Under Ortega, the government has carried out a sweeping crackdown on dissent following a violent suppression of protests in 2018. Authorities have jailed opposition politicians, religious leaders and others, and also shut down thousands of civil society organizations in the country.

The congress has repeatedly amended the constitution to concentrate power in Ortega's hands and eliminate any shred of democratic independence and dissent in the country.

Ortega's remarks on Sunday, during a speech marking the anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution, effectively canceled Nicaragua’s next elections. The vote was originally scheduled for November 2027 after the government-controlled congress voted in January 2025 to extend the five-year presidential term by one year.

Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, on Wednesday sharply condemned Nicaragua's developments, saying that “people of all political viewpoints must be allowed to vote and run for office.”

“These latest developments further deepen the severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, the dismantling of civic space, and the steady erosion of the rule of law,” Türk said in a statement.

Nicaragua’s government declined to comment on the criticism, saying in a statement, “Thank you for your interest.”

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the move by Ortega and Murillo to eliminate elections in Nicaragua “lays bare their true authoritarian nature.”

“The United States calls on the international community to join forces to demonstrate to the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship that it cannot expect to maintain business as usual with other nations when it is thwarting the basic tenets of our democratic hemisphere,” Rubio wrote in a statement.

The Trump administration — despite harsh words, sanctions and repeated criticisms — has made few major moves against Nicaragua’s government. In nearby El Salvador, where President Nayib Bukele, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, has also whittled away democratic checks-and-balances and gone after critics, the U.S. administration has largely praised the leader.

In a series of votes, outside experts to the Food and Drug Administration advised the agency to drop current restrictions barring pharmacies from producing injectable peptides with names including BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV.

The panel’s vote is not binding but is likely to embolden Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has described himself as a “big fan” of peptides and vowed to overturn FDA restrictions put in place under President Joe Biden.

Across several votes, the panelists voted 8-6, with one abstention, in favor of putting the peptides on FDA’s list of substances considered safe for pharmacy compounding. If FDA follows that advice, telehealth companies are expected to ramp up marketing of the chemicals for wellness and cosmetic uses.

Thursday’s vote tally reflected the unusual makeup of the panel. Prior to the meeting, more than a half-dozen people with connections to the peptide industry were added to the group, including doctors, pharmacists or consultants who work in the field.

“I voted yes because it’s time to put this decision back in the hands of the patient, the physician and the pharmacist,” said David Pope, chief pharmacy officer of Xifin Pharmacy Solutions, after the vote on BPC-157.

The panel will vote Friday on three more peptides. The FDA isn't required to follow the group's advice, though it usually does.

FDA scientists remain unconvinced of peptide safety and benefits

The positive votes came despite highly critical reviews from FDA staff scientists, who said there was little data that BPC-157, TB-500 and the other chemicals can be safely used for medical purposes.

Panel members with backgrounds in academia, rather than peptides, mostly voted against the substances, which are widely advertised on social media.

“I’m concerned we’re responding to a market-induced demand rather than a decision based in solid science,” said Dr. Elizabeth Rebello of the University of Texas MD Anderson Center.

Peptide supporters include podcaster Joe Rogan and longevity influencers such as Gary Brecka, a supporter of Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda who sells peptides through his website.

But medical experts describe the marketplace as a “Wild West” of unproven, unregulated drugs that could cause serious harm, including infection, allergic reactions or other problems.

“This is really alarming,” said Rita Jew, a pharmacist and president of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, in an interview ahead of the meeting. “There aren’t that many other substances people are injecting into themselves where you see that the clinical evidence is so lacking.”

In recent years, the FDA has warned Americans about the risks of injecting peptides like BPC-157 and TB-500. In 2023, both were placed on a list of substances considered to be too high-risk for pharmacy compounding. But Kennedy announced their removal from that list earlier this year.

Gap between FDA-approved drugs and wellness peptides is wide

Peptides are the building blocks of more complex proteins, triggering hormones inside the body needed for growth, metabolism and healing. Drug companies have brought several to market as medications, including mainstay treatments for diabetes and weight loss.

But most peptides sold online are promoted for unproven uses, often combined in “stacks,” to purportedly heal injuries, build muscle, rejuvenate skin or increase energy.

FDA scientists said they could find little data on the effectiveness of peptides for proposed medical uses like ulcerative colitis, wound healing and opioid addiction.

Five studies of BPC-157 reviewed by the agency “were of short duration, had small sample sizes and evaluated doses that were likely exploratory in nature,” the staffers said.

For TB-500, regulators said they could not find any human studies using the compound.

Even determining which form of the peptides should be used was unclear to regulators, since substances like TB-500 aren't recognized as official pharmaceutical ingredients in the U.S.

“There’s no way to know what the substance actually is, was or will be tomorrow because that name has no legal meaning,” said Russell Wesdyk, an associate director in FDA’s drug center.

Peptide supporters push for easier access

The panel votes are only one part of more than 18 hours of discussions and presentations scheduled across two days.

During several public comment periods, the panel heard from more than two dozen speakers — including doctors, lawyers and peptide entrepreneurs — urging that the substances be made more widely available.

Brigham Buhler, a wellness clinic owner whose clients include Rogan and other celebrities, said allowing U.S. pharmacies to compound peptides would steer Americans away from unvetted products imported from China and other foreign countries.

“It’s crucial to allow patients to have safe and effective access to these treatment options,” Buhler said. “Individuals who have gotten these resources are going to continue to utilize these products.”

After the meeting, the FDA will review the votes, discussion and public comments before making a decision on each of the peptides.

FDA-watchers say the most likely outcome may be a temporary policy reassuring pharmacies that they won’t be targeted for compounding the peptides under review. Formally placing the substances on FDA's list of drugs that are safe for compounding would require new regulations, which can take months or years to draft.

“We’re still going through this process, but I think it’s more than likely that the process will end up at the result that Secretary Kennedy wants,” said Nathan Beaver, an attorney specializing in FDA issues.

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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.

The United States will slap taxes of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners accounting for 99% of U.S. imports, charging that they have inadequately enforced bans on goods produced by forced labor.

“The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

The new tariffs will take effect just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expire at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Trump had turned to those temporary levies after the Supreme Court struck down his biggest and boldest tariffs in February.

Now he's tapping more durable tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose import taxes and other sanctions against countries found to engage in “unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices. Trump used Section 301 to impose big tariffs on China in his first term, and they survived court challenges.

More Section 301 tariffs are likely coming: The U.S. Trade Representative’s office has launched a probe into whether 16 countries — accounting for 70% of U.S. imports — have overproduced goods, pushing down prices and putting U.S. companies at a disadvantage in global markets. The administration has yet to complete that investigation.

Trump, who argues that high tariffs will revive American manufacturing, last year overturned decades of U.S. policy that favored lower tariffs and ever-freer trade. Invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, he imposed double-digit tariffs on imports from almost every country on Earth, saying America’s longstanding trade deficit amounted to a national emergency.

But the Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorize tariffs. The decision forced the administration to pay refunds to importers that had paid the tariffs.

In response, Trump announced 10% worldwide tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. But he can only use Section 122 levies for 150 days; time runs out on them Friday.

The administration initially proposed the forced labor tariffs last month. Since then, some countries have tightened forced labor enforcement and qualified for lower tariffs, said a senior administration official who spoke under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. For example, the official said, the tariff on imports from India initially was set at 12.5% but now will be 10%.

Some products — including oil and gas and fertilizer — are exempted from the new tariffs announced Thursday. Also being spared are products that qualify for duty-free status under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the North American trade pact Trump negotiated in his first term.

The tariffs drew immediate fire from critics.

“Today’s forced labor justification is too convenient to be taken seriously,” said U.S. Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee. “Forced labor is a real and pervasive problem in our supply chains and demands serious enforcement. It should never be cheapened into a pretext for a tariff policy built on dubious legal theories and personal grievances.''

Brazil, which faces a 12.5% forced-labor tariff, called the U.S. move “arbitrary and unjustified” in a statement. It plans to trigger its reciprocity law — which could call for retaliatory tariffs on the United States — and take a complaint to the World Trade Organization. The United States, the Brazilian government said, “chose to manipulate an issue of great importance to human rights and the struggles of workers worldwide in order to accuse 59 countries and the European Union of unfair practices.”

Chile's Undersecretary for International Economic Relations Paula Estévez said that the country has “solid labor institutions, a robust regulatory framework and a firm commitment to the prevention and eradication of forced labor.” Chile faces a 12.5% rate.

“The Government of Chile considers that the application of this measure to our country is inconsistent with these standards, as well as with the technical, political, and legal background presented throughout the investigation process,” she said.

Tariffs are paid by companies in the United States that import foreign products. The importers usually try to pass along the cost by charging consumers higher prices. Americans are already frustrated by the high cost of living. So the administration is taking a risk in rolling out new tariffs ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Human rights watchers say that it’s reasonable to be skeptical of the motivation behind the tariffs. But they say the levies could make an impact on the problem of forced labor.

The tariffs are being imposed on countries that the U.S. found either failed to impose or failed to effectively enforce a ban on importing goods made with forced labor.

Forced labor is defined by the International Labor Organization Forced Labor Convention of 1930 as “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself (or herself) voluntarily.”

According to the latest statistics from the ILO, which is a U.N. agency focused on human and labor rights, about 27.6 million people were in forced labor worldwide on any given day in 2021.

“We’ve gone on record for years now advocating for import bans, not as a magic bullet, it’s not a silver bullet, but as a potentially effective tool in combating forced labor across the globe,” said Martina Vandenberg, founder and president of The Human Trafficking Legal Center.

“It’s possible to be extremely critical of tariffs, as we are, and to be very concerned about blanket tariffs used as bludgeons against countries,” she said. “And yet I think it’s undeniable that there is a significant response in terms of the adoption of import bans.”

However, Vandenberg and her organization urged in testimony that the tariffs be implemented in a phased approach to give countries time to implement a ban or a plan for enforcement.

“Our concern is that the import bans will be thin slips of paper with no enforcement,” she said. “Countries need time to build import ban mechanisms that are meaningful and enforceable.”

In a statement, Dominic LeBlanc, the Canada-U.S. Trade Minister, said the move “is not unexpected.”

LeBlanc said Canada shares the U.S.’s objective of ensuring that goods produced with forced labor don’t enter the supply chain.

“We will continue engaging constructively with the United States on this matter, as well as other outstanding issues, over the coming weeks to the mutual benefit of our citizens,” LeBlanc said.

Kenya Davis, partner at Boies Schiller Flexner, said the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, a U.S. federal law passed in 2021 that prohibits the importation of goods made wholly or in part in China’s Xinjiang region or by designated entities, is the most significant legislation related to forced labor that the U.S. has passed before the tariffs.

“The level of effectiveness is certainly up for debate, but it certainly has drawn attention to the issue of labor trafficking and forced labor,” she said. “And so, if nothing else, these import bans will serve that function of bringing greater awareness to forced labor.”

But without a “comprehensive approach” that provides transparency about what the investigations consisted of, and programs that provide countries aid in enforcing bans, “I’m very cautious in my enthusiasm about the (tariffs),” she said.

Isabelle Glimcher, senior research scientist for global labor at the NYU Stern Center for Human Rights, said one flaw in the tariffs is that they focus on levying the tax on countries based on goods they import — not goods they make domestically.

But she said the impending tariffs threat has spurred several countries — such as India — to amend their foreign trade policies to include a forced labor import ban. European Union forced labor regulations due to go into effect later next year are also contributing, she said.

“Not all of these things are necessarily or wholly attributable to the Section 301 investigations, but does seem like countries are responding and starting to take all of this seriously,” she said.

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Anderson reported from New York. AP Writers Nayara Batschke in Santiago, Chile, Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo and Jim Morris in Vancouver, Canada, contributed to this story.

The footage shows that the incident happened on the afternoon of July 18, with dozens of riders passing through an intersection near East Colonial Drive and North Fern Creek Avenue.

“Come out, have fun, and make good memories, but not like this,” OPD said in a release. “Reckless driving, running red lights, blocking traffic, and blocking an ambulance and other emergency vehicles from responding puts everyone at risk, including the drivers themselves. This type of dangerous behavior will not be tolerated.”

The footage also shows body-camera video of officers making arrests, though no details were released about the identities of the suspects.

No additional information has been provided at this time.

Rubio, who held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in the Philippine capital, alluded to how U.S.-mediated talks have stalled. He called them “unsuccessful or at least unfruitful” in the past but insisted that President Donald Trump was committed to the work “if conditions and factors have changed to make that possible.”

“That’s been the challenge — an end that both sides can accept," Rubio told reporters. "We’ve tried and we’ll continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about. And we’re prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself.”

Rubio met Lavrov and several other leaders, including China's foreign minister, on the sidelines of an annual gathering by foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila.

America's top diplomat said the U.S. is focused on Asia even as it steps up fighting with Iran, seeks a pathway to end Russia's war in Ukraine and pressures the Cuban government to make changes.

ASEAN talks focused on international conflicts

Three days of closed-door talks that started Tuesday have centered on the escalating fighting in the Middle East and tensions in the South China Sea, where a new clash flared Thursday.

“There’s always going to be a concern that America is so focused on one place that it can’t focus on another,” Rubio said. But he noted that the U.S. remains “engaged in Asia every single day,” citing strong partnerships and economic ties across the region.

After meeting with Rubio, Lavrov largely ignored questions from reporters. The Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow said he emphasized to Rubio “the unacceptability of further arming” Ukraine and accused European countries of pursuing Russia’s “strategic defeat.”

Lavrov reiterated Russia’s readiness for “a political and diplomatic resolution of the conflict” and commitment to agreements reached at a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump in Alaska last year, the Russian ministry said.

But Rubio said “we’ll have to find new suggestions and new ideas” that are acceptable to both sides. There has been no change to Washington’s military support for Ukraine, with weapons being purchased by NATO allies and transferred to the war-ravaged country, he said.

Separately on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that his priority is finding a way to get back to negotiations.

U.S. efforts to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war have been overshadowed by the outbreak of the Iran war earlier this year. Renewed strikes by Washington and Tehran have been intensifying after an interim ceasefire deal collapsed.

“The price will continue to get higher every single night until they come to their senses,” Rubio said. He insisted Tehran is “begging” for talks but Trump does not see the use in responding because “Iran is clearly not ready to make a deal, at least not one they’re willing to live by.”

Trump has warned Iran that the U.S. will destroy one Iranian bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by saying the country’s defense doctrine was an “eye for an eye.”

“The president’s policy is a head for an eye,” Rubio said. “They will pay a very heavy price for the things they’re doing.”

China defends maritime military actions

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong renewed her country's alarm over the Chinese navy’s recent test-launch of a missile from a nuclear-powered submarine in the region, saying the lack of notification to the Philippines and Pacific nations where the missile flew over and landed was destabilizing.

“It comes in the context of a rapid military build-up of China’s nuclear arsenal without the transparency or reassurance the region expects,” Wong told a university forum in Manila on Thursday. “This is why Australia has described the test as provocative and destabilizing.”

China has defended its actions, saying the launch was part of annual exercises and that it gave countries in the area appropriate notice in advance.

Rubio met Wednesday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and said they discussed a new altercation this week between Chinese and Filipino forces in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety. Rubio called the incident “escalatory.”

“Those need to be managed very carefully, because obviously, a conflict — be it economic or otherwise — between the U.S. and China would have a dramatic global impact,” Rubio said.

He also said they talked a lot about Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s planned trip in September, noting he believes Xi will have a “very positive visit when he comes to Washington.”

In Beijing, the Chinese coast guard said it took necessary measures, including monitoring and blocking, to drive away two Philippine ships that disregarded repeated warnings from the Chinese side in a fresh confrontation Thursday. China said its operations were professional and lawful and urged the Philippines to stop its provocative actions infringing on Chinese territory.

The Philippine coast guard, however, said the two fishing vessels were harassed while bringing fuel aid to Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough shoal. It said a Chinese coast guard ship tried to spray one vessel with a powerful water cannon but missed, calling these “illegal, coercive and aggressive actions.”

The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized China’s assertive actions in the South China Sea to the disadvantage of smaller claimant countries like the Philippines, Washington’s oldest treaty ally in Asia. Taiwan and ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have also been involved in the often-tense territorial standoffs.

ASEAN aims to conclude yearslong negotiations with China on a proposed non-aggression pact by this year, according to a draft of a joint communiqué seen by The Associated Press. The code of conduct aims to prevent a major conflict in the disputed waters, a key global trade route, that could draw in the United States.

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Associated Press journalists Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, Haruka Nuga in Bangkok and Fu Ting in Washington contributed to this report.

British barrister Karim Khan has been accused of sexual misconduct with a female aide, as outlined by The Associated Press in a series of stories, allegations which he has steadfastly denied.

The saga has dragged on for more than two years and has had profound implications for the global tribunal, which is already under enormous pressure. Earlier this month, the United States, which has long criticized the court, announced a campaign aimed at dismantling the 24-year-old institution.

The 56-year-old Khan was formally removed from his duties at the ICC in June after the executive committee of the court’s oversight body found he had committed “serious breach of duty and serious misconduct” by engaging in a “sexual relationship ... (that) escalated over time” and tried to prevent the woman from pursuing her allegations, according to documents seen by The Associated Press. Khan disputes those findings.

Khan faces an unprecedented removal vote

Now his future lies in the hands of the 125 nations who make up the court's oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, who are holding a special session in New York. It will culminate in a vote where a majority would need to support a resolution to oust him.

Khan will not be present at the closed-door meeting, as he is barred from entering the United States after being sanctioned by the Trump administration over the court’s investigation into Israeli officials for the military's conduct in the conflict in Gaza.

His lawyers have complained about his absence at the meeting. “We know of no court or tribunal in any proper and fair legal system that bars a person facing the gravest professional sanction from being heard,” Tayab Ali and Sareta Ashraph wrote in a letter to the ASP seen by the AP.

He goes into the vote banned from practicing law in his home country of the United Kingdom after being suspended by the British Bar Standards Board pending their own investigation into the allegations against him.

The outcome of the vote, which is secret, is unclear. The court’s host state of the Netherlands will vote for his removal, the country’s foreign minister Tom Berendsen wrote in a letter to parliament. The Netherlands is the only country to have publicly announced its position.

The Gaza investigation complicates the case

The allegations have become entwined with the court’s investigation into the war in Gaza. “Political considerations have been folded into this, especially as it is the first time a prosecutor has pursued warrants against a western ally,” Iva Vukusic, a researcher at Utrecht University who has been following the process, told the AP.

The court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity. That decision sparked considerable backlash, including multiple rounds of sanctions against Khan and other court staff by the Trump administration.

A divided court faces an uncertain future

The lengthy and complicated process has created huge divisions at the court at a time when the institution already is under tremendous strain. “There has been splintering over how the court has handled this,” Lucy Gaynor, a historian of international criminal tribunals at the University of Amsterdam, told the AP.

In April, a group of staff members within the prosecutor’s office sent a letter to the oversight body expressing serious concerns about Khan’s potential return, writing that his “leadership has been materially diminished.”

Last week, a group of Palestinian organizations issued a public letter expressing concerns about the investigation, including accusing the executive committee of “unwarranted political interference” and “subverting the disciplinary process.”

Should Khan be removed, his replacement will have to be elected later. His office is currently being run by his two deputy prosecutors.

Vukusic said that regardless of the outcome, “the court is going to walk away bruised and battered and wounded and less able to face the greater threats.”

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said a reduction in fighting and the fact that Israel was allowing more aid into Gaza had a “significant impact, albeit unevenly across areas.” But it said most families in the war-battered enclave still weren't getting nearly enough to eat.

“Even small disruptions to humanitarian access could rapidly reverse recent gains,” the report warned.

Covering a period of April through June, the IPC report shows that although conditions have markedly improved since last year, there’s no immediate prospect of pulling Gaza’s 2.1 million Palestinians out of this crisis.

Israel’s military controls more than half of Gaza, leaving Palestinians confined to squalid tent camps and heavily damaged urban neighborhoods. Failing sewage systems have contributed to routine disease outbreaks and left residents with inconsistent access to basic services.

The lines at charity kitchens remain long and prices remain elevated, according to Palestinians in the territory and data from the Gaza Chamber of Commerce.

“The situation is very tragic,” said Rana Abu Bakr, a displaced mother who says her family relies on a charity kitchen in Khan Younis each day. Other than that, she said, “There’s no water, no food, nothing to drink. Prices are exorbitant.”

For children, living such a long time without enough food has contributed to a rise in reported cases of “stunting,” a condition where impaired growth causes lifelong consequences, the IPC report said.

“Many children are still going hungry, and some children may never fully recover from prolonged lack of proper nutrition,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement.

Israeli strikes and shelling have also killed more than 1,185 people since last October’s agreement, according to the territory’s health ministry.

More aid has helped the food crisis in Gaza, but not ended it

The IPC is a panel of food security experts that the United Nations and aid agencies rely on. It measures things like how many households experience extreme food shortages, how many young children show bodily signs of malnutrition and how many people are dying from starvation.

It has declared famines in other places, including parts of Sudan and Somalia. But the declaration last August of famine in parts of Gaza was its first in the Middle East.

IPC uses five phases to classify food insecurity. Last summer, it confirmed the most severe classification — famine — in Gaza Governorate, which covers Gaza City. Thursday’s report classified all five governorates in the territory as now being in Phase 3 “crisis” conditions. It estimated that more than 200,000 residents were experiencing the higher Phase 4 “emergency” conditions.

Although acute food insecurity — when households can't get enough food to survive — remains at crisis levels, the authority said acute malnutrition — the physical effects of not eating enough — declined to levels classified as acceptable, despite last year’s warnings.

Israel says the hunger assessment is flawed

Israel strenuously denied allegations of widespread hunger and manmade famine in Gaza, calling them lies. But after imposing an almost total blockade on humanitarian aid from early March to mid-May last year, it began allowing more aid into the territory. Israel controls the flow of all food entering Gaza, both aid and commercial goods sold in markets.

The IPC's latest findings were rejected by the Israeli military body overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza, called COGAT. It said the IPC overlooked Israeli data showing the number of trucks entering Gaza was nearly three times a required amount Israel independently calculated using World Food Program benchmarks.

Israel argued that the bigger problem was how food was distributed in Hamas-controlled areas, not how much was getting in.

Aid groups, however, say Israel has increasingly relied on commercial traders instead of humanitarian organizations. Medical workers in Gaza say this shift has left many people eating food that's less nutritious.

“A lot of these things coming in on these trucks are harmful,” Tanya Haj-Hassan, an American pediatrician who has worked in Gaza, said earlier this year. That's because sugary drinks and other packaged foods could shock kids' bodies after months of acute malnutrition, she said.

COGAT acknowledges that commercial goods account for about half of what enters the territory since the October ceasefire, but denies giving them priority over aid.

There are signs things are getting worse, report says

As the world’s attention has shifted to Iran, efforts to advance reconstruction, demilitarize Gaza or transition governance to a U.S.-led Board of Peace have mostly stalled.

The IPC said the fragile and partial improvements could deteriorate. Roughly 1.4 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity through the end of the year, about 200,000 more than current levels.

The report warned that programs, including for pregnant and breastfeeding women, were shrinking in size “due to funding constraints and uncertainty” over whether Israel will continue allowing international aid groups to operate, the report said.

Israel introduced new registration rules for international NGOs last year that require organizations to disclose extensive information that some aid groups say could endanger staff and force them to halt operations.

“These gains are good, but they are due to the level of humanitarian assistance — particularly food assistance — we’ve been able to bring into Gaza in the past seven months,” Ross Smith, the World Food Program’s director of emergency preparedness and response. “It’s really critical that these gains are maintained. And for that we need to have continued access and continued funding.”

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Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press journalists Najib Joubain in Cairo and Sam Mednick in Tamariu, Spain, contributed.

“The idea began as a place of refuge,” said Dennis Paez, the priest who led the project. “This is a place where no questions (are) asked.”

The replica was inaugurated in 2024 in Alfonso, a town in Cavite province about 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of the capital. Since opening, it has hosted Catholic pilgrimages, including celebrations for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in mid-July. The 67-square-meter (720-square-foot) structure mirrors the exact dimensions, shape and look of every stone at the original site.

According to Catholic tradition, the house in Ephesus is where Mary spent much of her life after Jesus’ crucifixion and before her assumption into heaven. The apostle John is said to have brought her to the region to escape persecution in Jerusalem.

Paez said the replica took about 10 months to complete. Workers of different faiths took part in the construction, something Paez viewed as the Virgin Mary bringing all of her children together.

“The apostolate of this place is to accept people with unconditional positive regard,” added Paez, who is also a psychologist specializing in supporting youth. “There is no therapy here. The therapist is our Mother.”

Marian devotion shapes Filipino faith

In the country of about 113 million people, nearly 80% identify as Catholic.

Philippine faithful often refer to the Virgin Mary as the Blessed Mother. Processions honoring her are held regularly throughout the country.

“We are a long-suffering people,” Paez said. “Our wealth is really our faith and our faith is such like that because of the Blessed Mother.”

Religious historian Michael Delos Reyes said that Filipino devotion to the Virgin Mary dates back to the time Spanish colonizers introduced Christianity in the 16th century. However, that devotion has also found expression in more recent moments of the country’s history.

Delos Reyes said that some attributed the 1986 People Power Revolution that led to the ouster of then-President Ferdinand Marcos to the Virgin’s intercession. And in 2013, when the Typhoon Haiyan ravaged Tacloban, devotees looked to the Blessed Mother for hope.

Filipinos turn to Mary for comfort

“To Jesus through Mary” is a phrase that reflects the central place Mary holds in Filipino Catholic life.

“Her maternal dimension is what Filipinos find meaningful, as well as her power to intercede on believers’ behalf,” said Deirdre de la Cruz, a professor of history and Southeast Asian studies at the University of Michigan.

Marian iconography and rosaries frequently adorn Filipino cars, public transportation, individual altars and shrines both in urban and rural landscapes, De la Cruz added.

“As someone who is known to provide comfort, Mary is a very familiar figure and someone to whom one can appeal in difficult times,” she said.

Daphne Oseña Paez, who recently visited the replica, said that despite being raised Catholic her devotion was not as strong as it became in adulthood. It began with a trip to Mexico, where she saw the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and it deepened years later after enduring a difficult pregnancy that made her seek refuge in her faith.

“We don’t pray to Mary herself, but Mary intercedes for us,” Oseña Paez said. “In my times of trouble, and I’ve had a lot, I really clung on to the love and comfort of her as a mother.”

A pilgrimage closer to home

Donated Marian icons line the walls inside the replica. At the center stands a statue of Mary modeled after the one in Turkey, alongside a relic said to be from her veil.

Most of the displayed images were donated by art collector and Philippine culture advocate Maritess Pineda. She said her devotion to Mary led her to start a collection that has finally found a home.

Other Filipinos felt drawn to contribute in their own way. Rupert Suarez and his wife had visited the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus years earlier. When he learned about plans to build a replica in the Philippines, he joined the the project.

“I usually pray to the Mother,” Suarez said. “It’s so very blessed that we already have this replica built.”

The site has received little public promotion since its inauguration. Yet Father Paez said pilgrims have visited.

“I don’t at all think that it is me bringing them,” Paez said. “It’s The Blessed Mother asking them, inviting them to come.”

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Hernández reported from Beijing.

___

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

The withdrawals in U.S. District Court followed a remarkable back-and-forth between a visibly irritated Judge Arun Subramanian and government lawyers. They come at a time when the Trump administration is vigorously going after news organizations whose reporting and coverage it doesn’t like — and also trying to crack down on leaks inside the government.

The government’s turnabout in the face of vigorous legal opposition and a stern reprimand from a judge marked the latest instance of the Justice Department making aggressive moves to compel journalists to identify their sources before a grand jury — only to later retreat. The administration recently withdrew similar subpoenas that sought to compel testimony from journalists for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal related to separate national security coverage.

Subramanian said he otherwise would have granted the newspaper’s request to reject the subpoenas because regulations pertaining to subpoenas served on journalists maintain that they should be issued as a last resort in an investigation.

“Subpoenas are the last step, not the first step, but the last step,” the judge said, citing rules set to protect against violations of the First Amendment. He said the government’s actions had turned the law and the regulations “on its head.”

“When you see something like this, if this were a civil proceeding, what I would normally do is ask the parties to show causes why sanctions should not be issued,” the judge said, referencing punishment for lawyers for egregious actions.

After the hearing, the Justice Department lashed out at Subramanian in a statement, saying he “threatened our attorneys with sanctions unless subpoenas were withdrawn, and blocked us from presenting the meticulous process of this investigation.”

“The grand jury has a right to hear testimony from all material witnesses in a federal criminal investigation. This judge’s conduct overrides clear longstanding principles and common sense — blocking the grand jury from receiving core evidence in a national security investigation,” the statement said.

“Make no mistake,” it added, “this investigation remains ongoing, and we will pursue justice against those threatening national security by leaking classified information, a serious federal crime.”

Government attorneys upbraided by judge

Subramanian noted that with protections for journalists at stake, the government was required to ensure it could not obtain what it needed from any other sources before issuing subpoenas to journalists.

A Justice Department lawyer, Sean Buckley, cast the government’s missteps as inadvertent errors and said: “No one was trying to pull a fast one.” Buckley apologized for other subpoenas that sought records for phone numbers belonging to one reporter’s mother and two of the journalists’ spouses.

“That was an error, judge, which we own,” Buckley said. “It was a consequence of trying to move quickly.”

“These things are starting to pile up,” Subramanian said, becoming increasingly testy.

The hearing was held publicly despite efforts by the Trump administration to keep secret the litigation spawned by subpoenas it served on the Times’ journalists to try to get them to divulge their sources.

The newspaper’s lawyers had challenged the validity of the grand jury subpoenas, along with subpoenas issued for phone records of several Times journalists and some of their relatives. Senior Times officials, including the paper’s managing editor and general counsel, sat in the gallery watching during Thursday's proceedings.

The request for phone records raised questions about the extent of the investigation being carried out by the Justice Department.

David McCraw, the Times’ chief newsroom lawyer, said after the hearing in a statement that it “was an important affirmation of our country’s commitment to a free press.”

“We are pleased that the government finally conceded that the subpoenas violated the law, but they should never have been issued in the first place,” he said. “We will not be deterred in the face of tactics like these.”

Court action comes after reporting on new Air Force One jet

The new jet in question, a present from Qatar that Trump’s administration spent $400 million to retrofit and upgrade, recently entered service. But Trump used an older model Air Force One jet to leave a NATO summit in Turkey earlier this month.

The Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that the switch had come at the urging of the Secret Service and that the newer plane lacked some of the advanced security features of the older Air Force One aircraft, including antimissile capabilities. On social media, Trump rejected claims of security concerns.

The Times wrote in a letter to the judge several days ago that two subpoenas seek records beginning on Jan. 1, long before the newspaper published articles on July 8 and July 9 that became the basis for the grand jury subpoenas.

It said that lengthy stretch of records sought would indicate that the purpose of the subpoenas might have been “to forage for information about the Journalists’ source relationships more broadly.”

The Times argued for the phone records subpoenas to be disallowed on the grounds that the government had acted in “bad faith” and ignored its own protocols by not giving the journalists advance notice that records were being sought and by demanding the information “without first conducting any serious investigation.”

The Justice Department has justified the grand jury subpoenas by saying that “reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.” The department also said it had complied with its own regulations in issuing the subpoenas and had taken “certain” investigative steps before seeking them. It said it was authorized to delay disclosure of the phone records subpoenas but decided to alert the journalists’ lawyers “so that counsel could advance any arguments—regardless of merit—in furtherance of their motion.”

In fighting the subpoenas, the Times' lawyers highlighted how the government's carelessness could have exposed sensitive information that had nothing to do with the journalists. The mother whose phone records were mistakenly sought is a mental health professional with confidential client relationships and one of the two spouses is the general counsel of a law firm, the lawyers said.

At Thursday’s hearing, a final rebuke from the judge to the government came when he asked its lawyers to assure him that it won’t repeat a scenario that left one journalist being served a subpoena by an FBI agent while he was home watching the family-friendly movie “The Sheep Detectives,” about sheep on a quest to solve the murder of their shepherd.

Said the judge, to loud courtroom laughter: “I can’t think of anything more inconsistent with ‘Sheep Detective’ than an FBI agent showing up at your door.”

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Associated Press Writer Eric Tucker reported from Washington

Richardson had the top time of 10.90 seconds in the women's race. That was despite taking an extra moment in the starting block to make sure she didn't false start and shutting it down early to conserve energy. Richardson is a big favorite to win with reigning 100-meter world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden skipping the event to focus on the 200.

The semifinals and final will be held Friday at Icahn Stadium.

Lyles, the reigning Olympic champion, started slow — just like Richardson — but quickly powered up to full speed. He finished in 9.97 seconds to edge Ronnie Baker in the second heat. The top time was turned in by Christian Coleman, who went 9.96 in the first heat. Kenny Bednarek, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 200, won his heat as well.

Bednarek and Lyles were involved in a shoving and shouting match at U.S. championships last summer as they crossed the finish line of a hotly contested 200-meter final at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

The fourth and final heat of the men's race Thursday contained some drama. There was a false-start warning given to the field and then, after settling back into the starting blocks, the sprinters were instructed to stand back up. Soon after, another false start was called and Ja’Darien Parker was disqualified. Courtney Lindsey ended up winning the heat.

There were several champions crowned Thursday night, including Madison Wiltrout (javelin), Isaac Grimes (long jump) and Rudy Winkler (hammer throw). In the women's 10,000 meters, Sydney Vaught made a decisive move at the midway point to drop most of the pack. She then pulled away on the last lap to beat Katie Izzo. Vaught finished in a time of 33 minutes, 30.60 seconds.

The men's race saw Woody Kincaid patiently wait for his opportunity to take control. He overtook Grant Fisher with around 200 meters to go and held Fisher off down the stretch for the win. Kincaid finished in 30:13.66.

This is a fast track, with Jamaican great Usain Bolt breaking the 100-meter world record by running 9.72 seconds at Icahn Stadium in 2008. Bolt would eventually lower the mark to its current time of 9.58 at the 2009 world championships in Berlin.

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

Thursday's announcement by Harbinger Sports Group did not say what percentage of the Athletics it had acquired. Cuban, who maintains a minority stake in the Mavericks, is the general partner and president of the Atlanta-based group. Atlanta Falcons minority owner Rashaun Williams is the founder and chief investment officer.

Co-founder and CEO Steve Cannon is vice chairman of AMB Sports and Entertainment that oversees Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Falcons. Managing partner Jonathan Mariner is the former chief financial officer for Major League Baseball.

“We are minority investors looking to make our investors a lot of money,” Cuban said.

John Fisher is the majority owner of the A's and is overseeing construction of a $2 billion, 33,000-capacity domed stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

“We are very pleased to welcome Harbinger Sports Partners as an investor in the Athletics,” the team said in a statement. “The experience of their principals across sports, media, and entertainment, combined with their long-term perspective, makes them a valuable addition to our ownership group as we work to build the future of the franchise in Las Vegas.”

This is Harbinger's first investment, according to its news release, and it has raised more than $460 million in less than six months. Investing in the A's is part of “a long-term strategy centered on the Las Vegas sports market,” the group said.

“Las Vegas represents one of the greatest sports investment opportunities of our generation,” Williams said in a statement. “We’re not simply investing in a baseball franchise. We’re investing in a city that has fundamentally changed the economics of professional sports.”

The company touted the success of professional sports in Las Vegas, pointing to the increased valuations of the NFL's Raiders and NHL's Golden Knights since they began playing in the city and saying it expects the A's to receive a similar boost. The Raiders moved from Oakland in 2020 and the expansion Golden Knights launched in 2017.

“Our conviction is simple,” Williams said. “The next decade of sports ownership will look very different than the last. We believe Las Vegas will sit at the center of that transformation, and Harbinger intends to be one of the firms helping shape its future.”

The A’s are playing the second of three planned seasons at a minor league ballpark in West Sacramento, California.

Club officials have said the Las Vegas ballpark is on target to open in time for the 2028 season. The stadium already is becoming part of the city's skyline, with work being performed on the upper deck.

“As someone who helped lead the development of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, I was incredibly impressed with the Athletics’ vision,” Cannon said in a statement. “The new ballpark will be more than a baseball stadium. It will become a year-round entertainment venue and another landmark destination on the Las Vegas Strip.”

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AP Sports Writer Schuyler Dixon in Dallas contributed to this report.

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

The Kissimmee resort announced “The Polar Express” will headline this year’s ice! attraction, a 20,000-square-foot, walk-through experience carved entirely from approximately 2 million pounds of ice.

Based on the beloved children’s book, “The Polar Express” follows Hero Boy — a doubting young child whisked away on a mysterious train on Christmas Eve. The conductor leads him and a group of children on an extraordinary journey to the North Pole, where Hero Boy discovers the true spirit of Christmas through friendship and bravery.

Nearly 40 master ice carvers from Harbin, China will spend roughly 35 days sculpting larger-than-life scenes from the film inside a 9-degree environment. Featured scenes include the Polar Express train arriving at Hero Boy’s house, the iconic hot chocolate scene and a grand arrival at the North Pole.

“From a full-size train locomotive engine carved completely from solid ice to the many interactive moments and beloved scenes, it’s a one-of-a-kind attraction,” said Ross Barker, Gaylord Palms general manager. “We can’t wait for our team and the talented ice carvers to bring this magical story to life in a truly memorable way.”

The immersive Christmas celebration runs Nov. 13 through Jan. 3, 2027.

The Polar Express last appeared at Gaylord Palms’ ICE in 2019. The resort cited strong guest demand as the reason for its return.

Beyond ice!, the 65-acre property will offer a full slate of holiday programming, including “POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance” — a cirque-style Broadway production that won a Telly Award for Best Immersive Family Holiday Show — along with Alpine Village, a Christmas Carousel, ice tubing, a Naughty or Nice Escape Room and holiday dining experiences.

For more ticket information, click here.

Gangs and drug traffickers are increasingly encroaching on Ashaninka land and using the rivers in the Amazon and adjacent land for drug routes. Ashaninka leaders say they’ve reported violent episodes — as recent as this month — and asked for protection, including a meeting with Brazilian officials in the capital on Thursday. Security forces have been deployed. But in this region, their presence is usually temporary, while the threats remain permanent, various Indigenous groups say.

The invasion of Ashaninka territory is part of a broad transformation of the Amazon border as criminal routes expand, through what experts call the Solimoes River route.

Indigenous territories are key to this route. Experts say protecting Indigenous land is one of the most effective ways to curb deforestation in the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest and a key regulator of global climate. But the very forests these communities help protect leave them vulnerable: Dense tree cover in remote, hard-to-reach areas offers attractive hiding sites for drug traffickers.

Despite appeals to authorities, Ashaninka and other Indigenous people say the Brazilian government's help falls short.

“There is an institutional and intercultural blind spot in the public security services provided to Indigenous peoples,” said Maj. Jonatas Soares, a police officer based in the border city of Tabatinga, in Brazil’s Amazonas state near Colombia and Peru.

“The state formally recognizes their territories, yet it fails to translate that presence into continuous protection tailored to their specific needs.”

Indigenous communities become vulnerable as criminal networks expand into the Amazon

The Solimoes River route, which includes a series of navigable rivers flowing from the Peruvian border to Manaus in Brazil, has become a primary route over the past decade for moving cocaine produced in Peru, Colombia and Bolivia to the Brazilian ports on the Atlantic coast, where it is then funneled into domestic and overseas markets, particularly in Europe.

This route is now mostly controlled by the Brazilian gang Red Command, according to Col. César Mello, a retired Amazonas state police officer and professor at the Federal University of Para and the University of the State of Amazonas.

The remote location of Indigenous territories, lack of government oversight, language barriers and cultural differences “make Indigenous peoples a vulnerable population and an attractive source of labor for criminal organizations,” said Col. Mello.

Criminal groups often recruit Indigenous youth by offering them money and status in communities where economic opportunities are scarce. When that doesn't work, they use violence, Col. Mello added.

Preserving traditions has strengthened the Indigenous resistance

The Ashaninka have become an enduring block to trafficking networks in Peru and Brazil.

In the past, drug traffickers approached the community seeking to build a clandestine airstrip inside their territory. The Ashaninka refused.

“We have a long history of opposing any kind of illegal activity,” said Francisco Piyãko, coordinator of the Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Jurua River.

Local tensions escalated earlier this month after a group of armed men reportedly invaded the Kampa Indigenous territory, located along the winding Amonia River in the western Amazon. On July 6, a group of five Spanish-speaking men, carrying machine guns, threatened families and searched for the territory’s main leaders.

Piyãko filed a formal complaint with Acre state authorities and the Brazilian Army, prompting the deployment of security forces.

“It’s one thing for outsiders to enter our territory to steal resources, like timber and wildlife. But this was different. They entered our land looking for our leaders, intending to kill them,” Piyãko said.

Brazil’s Ministries of Indigenous Peoples and Justice did not respond to requests for comment. The Brazilian Army and the Acre state government’s press office also did not respond.

The Foreign Ministry said its representatives would welcome the Ashaninka leaders in Brasilia to hear their concerns and assess further applicable actions with Peru's government.

Earlier this year, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino ordered the federal government to intensify efforts against criminal organizations operating in the Amazon, citing official records and investigations that showed their growing presence and threat to Indigenous communities.

The community is shaken by the recent threats but determined to resist. Piyãko stressed, however, that confronting armed criminal groups is not the Indigenous responsibility but the duty of the state — both Brazil and Peru.

“They allowed this to happen through their absence, so they bear that responsibility,” he added.

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The “Cockroach” protests began more than a month ago over leaks in some of the country’s most competitive entrance exams for medical colleges and government jobs. The movement has since expanded beyond exam grievances, drawing professionals and families while channeling broader frustration.

Thursday’s demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in New Delhi, followed overnight clashes in which police used tear gas and batons to disperse crowds, the second such confrontation this week.

On Monday, thousands of protesters had defied restrictions and marched toward Parliament before police broke up the demonstration with tear gas and batons.

Protesters regrouped by Thursday morning, returning to the protest site despite roadblocks, while authorities suspended Delhi Metro services at 16 stations to limit access to the demonstrations.

Modi tries to contain protest fallout

The issue of exam leaks has become a powerful symbol of frustration for millions of young Indians. Protesters are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, examination system reforms and compensation for families of students who died by suicide after exam paper leaks.

Facing mounting pressure, Modi addressed the issue publicly for the first time Thursday, announcing fast-track courts to handle examination paper leak cases. Fast-track courts are special courts created to speed up cases in India’s notoriously slow justice system.

“Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth!,” Modi wrote on X.

The announcement failed to calm protesters, who said Modi was not addressing their demands for accountability and reform.

“Rather than providing solution which is convenient for him, he should work toward a solution which is convenient for the nation and set an example,” law student Daksh Bhargava said.

Cockroach party stays true to satirical origins

Leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party, which launched the protest movement, said they would not end the demonstrations until the education minister resigned. Staying true to the movement’s tongue-in-cheek style, its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, responded by posting a meme of Pradhan captioned, “Hi, my name is Nothing.”

The Cockroach movement began as online satire campaign in May and moved to the streets in June through smaller protests across cities. It gained momentum after prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the demonstration and began a hunger strike that has lasted more than three weeks. Police forcibly transferred Wangchuk to a hospital over the weekend.

Protests reflect rising youth anger

For many young Indians, the protests have become one of the few visible expressions of dissent in a country where demonstrations against Modi’s government have led to a broader crackdown on activists, opposition figures and public protests.

The movement’s rapid growth beyond student groups reflects wider frustration among young Indians and echoes a broader trend across South Asia, where young people have driven anti-government movements in recent years.

The movement also has gained a following among Indians of all ages over concerns about government accountability, unemployment and economic opportunity.

Opposition parties have backed the protests, using the issue to challenge the government in Parliament. Demonstrations and solidarity events have been held in other Indian cities, reflecting how the movement has spread beyond the capital.

India has one of the world’s youngest populations, with millions entering a labor market that has struggled to create enough secure, well-paying jobs. Despite years of rapid economic growth, many young people say their prospects have not improved.

As one of the country’s largest voting blocs, India’s youth could also become an increasingly important political force ahead of future elections.

Trump said the Dodgers edging the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 last fall capped “a hell of a series." He indicated he was surprised to learn that the Dodgers had never before won consecutive titles but also mused about a third in a row.

“I’m thrilled to say welcome back to the White House," he said. "And maybe I’ll see you again next year.”

The president saluted the team in the East Room in April 2025 to mark their 2024 World Series championship over the New York Yankees. He said before the latest event that he was most excited about meeting Ohtani, whom he compared at length to the legendary Babe Ruth — even saying the Dodgers star was arguably the best hitter and pitcher in baseball.

"It’s truly a great — when you talk about a brand — it's one of the great brands anywhere in the world,” Trump said of the Dodgers. He spoke in front of a table with two World Series trophies and a Trump 47 jersey, which the team presented to him.

The Dodgers also gave Trump what looked like a replica of a World Series ring. That prompted Trump to exclaim: “Wow. Do I have to report this? I don't want to report this" before slipping the ring into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

Trump says Iran war has kept him from following baseball closely

Those in the crowd wore blue Dodgers caps to guard against bright overhead sun, and the band played a jazzy instrumental version of Randy Newman’s “I Love LA” before Trump took the stage.

Trump described last year's World Series' epic Game 3 during which the Dodgers won 6-5 in 18 innings. Trump said he stayed up until around 3 a.m. to watch, noting that “it was a long one, but it was amazing.”

“I thought it was a game that you were going to lose about four or five times, and you ended up winning,” he said, adding, “Luck is OK, too, right?” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts agreed: “Luck is OK.”

“But with talent you get a lot of luck,” Trump continued.

The president said he spoke briefly with Roberts before the event and learned that his team currently has the best record in baseball, noting, “I've been a little busy with Iran and some other things.”

That was his only reference during the event to fighting in the Middle East, which has escalated on both sides in recent days.

Roberts also spoke briefly, saying, “We’re going for a three-peat.”

Championship baseball teams have been coming to the White House since 1869, when President Ulysses S. Grant hosted the Cincinnati Red Stockings. They were the first fully professional team to visit the White House and went undefeated that season, though the World Series wasn’t established in its modern form until 1903.

Sports teams' visits to the Trump White House have sometimes been a source of controversy. In 2018, the president rescinded an invitation to the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles after many players suggested they might skip such a trip.

Dodgers star right fielder Mookie Betts wasn’t at Thursday’s Rose Garden event, though he did make the 2025 visit. He said he prefers to spend the team’s scheduled days off with his family.

The Dodgers originally considered coming to the White House this past April during a series with the Washington Nationals, but a crowded early season schedule didn’t permit that. Instead, they’re in the nation’s capital during the off-day between a just-completed series against the Philadelphia Phillies and Friday’s opener against the New York Mets in Queens.

The White House has changed since the Dodgers' last visit

Over the past year, Trump has revamped the Rose Garden and added a patio area reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. At Thursday's event for the Dodgers, he referenced the “ Walk of Fame ” installed on the colonnade, which features plaques of past presidents along with partisan insults against Joe Biden and other Democrats.

“I could put some of the great Dodgers on the wall," Trump joked, “but I figured maybe it's more appropriate that we put the presidents.”

Trump, a baseball fan and New York native, has for years been closely associated with the Yankees, whose late, longtime owner George Steinbrenner was a close friend. Trump referenced Steinbrenner on Thursday, saying, “He would do anything to win" before telling the Dodgers' team owners, "But you’re doing the same thing.”

The president isn't always so complimentary of teams, though. During a rally in Georgia on Wednesday, he praised the ownership of the local Atlanta Braves and slammed the Mets for their sky-high payroll and losing record.

Trump was joined on stage during that event by former Braves manager Brian Snitker, and Mike Plant, president and CEO of the Braves Development Company.

”You know, the Mets have the highest salary in baseball, and they lose all the time," Trump said then. And I’m like, maybe we can steal this guy.”

“There are teams like that, where they never go down,” Trump said. “Then you have other teams — ‘We’re rebuilding.’ They’ve been rebuilding for years. I don’t want to mention teams ’cause I know all the owners. They’re all friends of mine.”

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This story has been corrected to show Game 7 was last November, not last October.

Arch Manning of Texas, the latest in the long line of football's royal family of quarterbacking, took 20 minutes worth of questions Thursday to close out SEC Media Days. He mostly spoke about 2026.

“I'm not worried about anything in the future right now,” he said. “I’m worried about getting through this interview.”

He did just fine.

Sporting a burnt-orange necktie and a Longhorn pin on his lapel, the son of Cooper, nephew of Peyton and Eli, and grandson of Archie ran the gantlet with reporters lined up three-deep to speak with him.

— How does it feel to be compared to others, both in and out of your family? “I’m trying to do better not comparing myself to others. They say comparison is the defeat of joy.”

— Is he looking forward to leading the Longhorns into Uncle Peyton’s old stomping grounds, Neyland Stadium at Tennessee? “They’ve got a good coach and good players. We’re excited to go. I’m not going to make it about me.”

— What’s his favorite hobby? Answer: golf. “I broke 80 for the first time last week. Well, pretty much. I gave myself a putt.”

Certainly, there's still work to do for the 22-year-old junior-to-be, whose body and reputation took a beating with the Longhorns over a tumultuous, 10-3 season in 2025.

Heading into his second season as the starter, Manning insists he tries to minimize the expectations that have been heaped on him since he emerged in high school as a surefire star-to-be — or the criticism from those who said his 3-2 start last year that dropped him down those NFL draft boards made him one of the biggest busts in college football history.

“Everyone has an opinion and people get paid to talk in the media, so there's really nothing you can do,” he said. “I'm trying to control the controllables.”

He got sacked 23 times last season and was under pressure more than that. Because he's a Manning, everything from his reactions after bad plays to his release time — somewhere around 3.2 seconds — got dissected way more than would those of a typical above-average college QB.

Texas opened last season with a 14-7 loss to Ohio State and followed that five weeks later with a six-sack, 29-21 loss to a Florida team that turned out not to be very good.

Standing out in the loss to the Gators was the image of Manning virtually folded in half, sandwiched by a pair of linebackers, after one of the six sacks. And a video of him plopping down on the bench, dejected, after one of his two interceptions that day. That he came back from that game to go 7-1, throw 20 touchdown passes and get the 'Horns back in the playoff conversation sometimes gets overlooked.

Texas plays both teams again this year, starting with the Buckeyes on Sept. 12. The Longhorns brought in receiver Cam Coleman from Auburn and a pair of running backs, Hollywood Smothers (N.C. State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State), to help their star QB.

“I think what he got put through probably would have melted or destroyed 99% of people in his shoes,” coach Steve Sarkisian said. “All he did was stay consistent and true to who he was, which was to continue to work hard, continue to be a great teammate, try to get better, and he did.”

And that, Manning said, is pretty much the goal again for 2026.

If he lives up to expectations, then it would be no big surprise to hear his name called first come draft day. He is scheduled to graduate in December. Neither that — nor any conversation about his family, his future or his place in the game — are going to shift his focus.

“I just want to be remembered as a good teammate and someone who did whatever it took to help the team win and help the team get closer,” he said. “I'm not really worried about my legacy. I just want to win games and have a good time.”

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The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not yet announced the news, said Scourton will be placed on injured reserve this week.

Scourton is expected to have a second opinion on the diagnosis, the person said

It’s a huge blow for the Panthers, who were counting on Scourton to be a top pass rusher opposite recently signed free agent Jaelan Phillips.

Scourton, a second-round pick in 2025 out of Texas A&M, had an outstanding rookie season for the Panthers, playing in 17 games with eight starts. He finished the season with 47 tackles, five sacks and nine quarterback hits while developing into a key starter for the NFL’s 15th-ranked defense.

“I'm just sick about it,” Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said Thursday night.

Scourton went down on a wet field late in practice during team drills. Players immediately gathered around him on one knee.

Scourton held his hand over his face as he was led into an awaiting cart.

As he was leaving the field, the cart stopped and Canales and every player on the roster individually walked over to hug Scourton before he was taken to the training room.

“They care about each other,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “Whenever you’re in a group of people doing something hard together, it has a way of creating a special bond. Between all the workouts and going through a full season and an offseason and all that, it means something to the guys. I’m proud of that.”

Scourton appeared to be engaged in a block with an offensive lineman at the time of the injury.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was near the play at the time, but said he did not see what happened.

He praised Scourton for how quickly he has developed into a leader on defense.

“It’s been really cool to see him come into his own,” Young said. “He has a super-high motor, has great energy. He’s fun to be around. He turns into that different competitor when he’s on the field. We feel that during practice. He has raised the level of (intensity at) practice many times. We don’t know anything yet (on the injury), but we’re just praying for him.”

It's unclear who will take Scourton's place in the starting lineup.

The defending NFC South champions are struggling out of the gate with setbacks.

Panthers longtime right tackle Taylor Moton is out after a blood clot was discovered in his lungs. With left tackle Ickey Ekwonu still recovering from a torn patellar tendon in his knee suffered in last season's wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Panthers will begin the season without both starting tackles on the sideline.

Both are expected to return at some point this season, Morgan said.

Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is dealing with a foot laceration and did not practice Thursday. Defensive tackles Tershawn Wharton (neck) and Bobby Brown (hamstring) were also out.

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

David and Sara LeBlanc had a rotating display of the roughly 6-foot-tall (1.8-meter-tall) ornaments decorating their Ogunquit lawn until officials in the small coastal town deemed them to be impermissible advertising for their attached restaurant, The Omelette Factory.

The couple initially resisted the town's removal order, insisting the roosters were meant to comfort their daughter Pyper, not advertise their business.

“Roosters don’t lay eggs,” David LeBlanc told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

But they eventually came to an agreement with the town allowing them to keep two of the roosters in front of their home.

As for what to do with the others? That's where friends, neighbors and complete strangers came in.

It started with a beloved stuffed rooster

The LeBlancs took in Pyper as a foster child and later adopted her. She arrived with a stuffed rooster, and roosters became her favorite animal, her parents said. When her father took her to a Tractor Supply Store to play with baby chicks last year, she noticed a large rooster sculpture for sale and asked her dad what it was saying.

“I think he wants to come home,” David LeBlanc said he told her.

Eventually, their collection grew to more than two dozen roosters, which they set up in batches for seasonal and holiday displays. Pyper took to hiding behind one each morning while waiting for the school bus, which her parents said helps her regulate her emotions and navigate transitions.

But the couple ruffled feathers when they added a rooster to their restaurant’s logo, which is featured on its shirts and other merchandise. Although the LeBlancs said they view the rooster as a “family crest,” the town saw their lawn statues as advertising.

A code enforcement officer, Tyler McOsker, issued the LeBlancs $450 in fines and ordered them in April to "remove all unpermitted signage, including but not limited to rooster statues."

McOsker didn't respond to an email requesting comment. But he told the Zoning Board of Appeals in June that he had no idea the roosters were connected to Pyper’s autism diagnosis until the couple appealed the fines. He also pointed to a May 2025 article in a local weekly newspaper that described the roosters as a “fun and unconventional way to announce that The Omelette Factory is officially open for business.”

“That, to me, is the definition of a sign. You’re announcing you’re opening,” McOsker told the board.

David LeBlanc said the reporter misinterpreted a customer’s joke about the roosters serving as an “Open” sign.

“We never said that,” he said.

The town offers a compromise

The zoning board discussed the issue last month. At one point, board member Jay Smith voiced frustration at the lack of medical proof that the roosters were necessary.

“I’m inclined to think there may be some merit to a comfort animal on the front lawn … but the point is, how many does it take?” he said.

Autism spectrum disorder is a complex developmental condition that affects different people in different ways, and comfort objects are frequently incorporated into therapy for autistic children to help manage transitions, support emotional regulation and provide a sense of familiarity, Beverley Cush Evans, a professor of special education at Lesley University, told the AP.

“It’s part of who they are and what they need," she said.

Eventually, the board decided it lacked the authority to rescind the fines but tried to accommodate the family by granting a disability variance that essentially deemed two roosters necessary for Pyper’s access to the home.

“I want to emphasize we’re talking about two roosters. If they have babies or multiply in the night — no,” another board member said.

The variance requires the roosters to be part of a railing, however, and for now, they are just bolted to the steps. The couple has been fined another $500 for noncompliance.

A show of support

David LeBlanc said he is moving on from the dispute and is focusing on the good that has come from it. The family has given roosters to others to “foster” and show their support for autism acceptance, starting with a man named Sam who lives up the road. Though Pyper was sad to see them go, she understands the adage about making lemonade, LeBlanc said.

“She understands that the roosters being taken away were the lemons, and Sam and his friends, fostering them, are the lemonade,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”

Thanks to news coverage and a Roosters of Ogunquit Facebook page, the story has spread far and wide. One supporter wrote in from New Zealand sharing pictures of his children with a rooster statue in their yard.

Hetal Patel, who owns a motel in nearby Wells and has a relative with autism, wanted to buy a rooster after hearing about Pyper. They were sold out in the Ogunquit area, though, so she and her son went to New Hampshire last week to get one.

“We found the last one,” she said. “We couldn’t wait to put it out. People were so supportive, they were honking. It was so nice to see all the love for Pyper.”

The letters have raised concerns among some state lawmakers, including one who said some constituents who received them are U.S. citizens.

Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher told state lawmakers during a hearing this week that it appears “a lot of old data was picked up somehow" when the division conducted voter roll maintenance that compares its list with information held by the Division of Motor Vehicles. The process usually yields about 200 names for further review, she said.

Beecher estimated during Wednesday's hearing that the number of letters sent was around 3,500, but a Division of Elections spokesperson, Steve Kirch, on Thursday said the total was 3,048.

The revelation comes at a time of heightened sensitivity surrounding claims of noncitizen voting. Research and prosecutions have shown it to be extremely rare, but President Donald Trump and his allies have raised alarms since the presidential election cycle two years ago that noncitizen voting is widespread.

The president also has been trying to push voting changes through Congress that would require people to provide documents proving their citizenship to register to vote and a now-halted executive order that sought to create a federal list of verified voters, even though voter rolls are maintained by the states.

Citizenship verification 'is not disenfranchising' voters

The Alaska letter asks recipients to affirm their citizenship status via letter, phone or email, and Beecher said the division is not requiring paperwork or documentation. Those who receive the letter are moved to a list of “inactive” voters. If the division doesn't hear back from the recipient, they still would be able to cast a special kind of ballot that also requires voters to attest to their qualifications to vote, she said.

“It is not disenfranchising the individual from being able to vote, but it’s a measure the division has to take to make sure that we only have citizens voting,” she said.

People who respond to the letter to say they are citizens will be moved back to the active list, Kirch said.

State Rep. Andrew Gray, a Democrat, said the only people who had contacted his office about the letters were people who are citizens. Another Democrat, state Rep. Ashley Carrick, asked if the letters were related to Alaska's decision late last year to share detailed data about the state's voters with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Beecher said it was not: “It has nothing to do with that,” she said, adding: “The information that we have received is specifically from DMV.”

She said the Division of Elections has not heard from the Department of Justice “regarding any list or the list that we provided that they identified noncitizens on that.”

DMV says request it received was ‘nonroutine’

Alaska was one of at least 16 states that have provided or said it would provide to the Trump administration detailed information about its voters — including dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers, according to the Brennan Center. Alaska and Texas also signed agreements. The information is being run through a Department of Homeland Security program that checks for citizenship but has been criticized for its potential to flag eligible voters.

Voting and civil rights groups in Alaska earlier this year sued over the state's sharing of the information. That case is still pending.

In response to questions, the Division of Motor Vehicles released a memo Thursday saying the Division of Elections in March provided the agency “with a list of approximately 15,200 DMV license and identification applicants and requested that DMV provide citizenship information for these records.” The memo described it as a “nonroutine request.”

The memo said the Division of Elections followed up in June, seeking clarification. The DMV said it responded to say that data it provided “included only those records where DMV’s latest confirmed status for an individual was other than ‘Citizen.’”

Kirch said his agency had sent the DMV its “entire voter list and they ran ours against theirs.”

Officials unsure why so many voters had their status questioned

Beecher, during the legislative hearing, said it remained unclear why the list of voters identified as potential noncitizens was so large this time. It is possible people applied to get a driver's license before they were citizens and since then became citizens but that didn't show up in DMV records, she said.

“I believe that people probably don’t realize that all of these governmental entities don’t necessarily talk to each other,” she said.

Kirch gave an example on Thursday. He said if a person was not a citizen some years ago when they received their driver's license but since became a citizen and registered to vote when they applied for the annual dividend the state pays to residents from its oil-wealth fund, data from the DMV would still show them as not being a citizen.

He said people should update their information with the DMV to ensure they are not flagged in future citizenship checks.

Emiliano Grillo, Jackson Koivun and Gary Woodland opened with 64s, and Scheffler topped the group at 65 in his first appearance in the event.

Coming off a fourth-place finish Sunday in the British Open, Scheffler was 1 under through eight holes, then birdied five of the next eight.

“I didn’t hit a bunch of fairways early, but I was able to kind of manage my way around and get out of some trouble areas without making any bogeys. That was important keeping my momentum going,” he said. “Once I started to hit fairways and gave myself some looks, was able to start making some birdies.”

Kohles’ second shot from 241 yards out on the par-5 finishing hole settled 4 feet from the cup. The short putt capped a career-best round for the 36-year-old who has split the season between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours.

In a nine-hole stretch beginning on No. 6, he birdied every other hole and added another birdie at No. 15 to tie for the lead at 7 under.

“I was just in control all day,” he said.

Three weeks ago, Kohles nearly got his first career win, but a double bogey on the final hole resulted in a third-place finish at the John Deere Classic.

“Of course you would like the outcome to be different, but you’ve just got to keep putting the pedal down and see where you go,” he said.

Koivun birdied four holes on the front nine and three on the back during a bogey-free round at the TPC Twin Cities where scores are traditionally low. In the tournament’s seven previous years, the average winning score was 19 under.

“Playing smart, playing for a score. Just executing when the time is right and getting aggressive when you can,” he said. “Just felt like I did a good job of taking advantage of that today.”

In his 13th tour start, but just third as a professional, 64 is the lowest score in Koivun’s 43 career rounds. The 21-year-old turned professional in June after dominating at Auburn, including a school-record 11 wins.

Grillo made birdie on five of his first seven holes and added three straight birdies starting at No. 12. However, he played the final three holes in 1-over.

“Any day beating Scottie Scheffler is a good day, so I’ll take that,” he said.

Defending champion Kurt Kitayama shot 68.

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

Trump said earlier Thursday that a new agreement reached with Saudi Arabia for a civilian nuclear program will require the kingdom to normalize relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. Trump added that the new nuclear deal, which is expected to last 30 years and involve U.S. firms, does not allow for enrichment of uranium. But experts are concerned the deal lacks guardrails to prevent uranium enrichment to weapons-grade levels.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels are threatening to blockade Saudi Arabia, a threat that could widen the Iran war and further disrupt global oil supplies and international trade. The Houthis said on Thursday they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, as international oil spiked to $100 a barrel.

The House on Thursday narrowly passed a resolution to halt U.S. military action in Iran, sending a largely symbolic warning to Trump for the second time. The 214-208 vote requiring congressional approval for the war comes as the Senate is expected to consider a similar resolution later Thursday morning.

Here's the latest:

US military says it’s launching strikes on Iran as clashes escalate over shipping routes

U.S. Central Command once again said the strikes are designed to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters” as the U.S. pushes to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz and restore the flow of international shipping.

Trump says Iran’s frozen assets will pay for repairs to damaged ships

The president said on social media that sanctioned Iranian funds in the possession of the U.S. will cover the expense of fixing boats damaged in the war.

“Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls,” Trump said.

It was unclear what legal mechanisms Trump would use to access and spend the funds, but he said that doing so would be “the fair and equitable thing to do.”

Some products are exempted from new tariffs, including oil and gas

Some products — including oil, gas and fertilizer — are exempted from the new tariffs announced Thursday. Also being spared are products that qualify for duty-free status under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the North American trade pact Trump negotiated in his first term.

Tariffs are paid by companies in the United States that import foreign products. The importers usually try to pass along the cost by charging consumers higher prices.

Americans are already frustrated by the high cost of living, so the administration is taking a risk in rolling out new tariffs ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Trump imposes double-digit tariffs on countries before Friday deadline

Trump is going ahead with new double-digit tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners just as the clock runs out Friday on stopgap levies he imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court.

The United States will impose taxes of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 countries, charging that they have inadequately enforced bans on goods produced by forced labor.

The new tariffs come as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expire at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

Trump had turned to those levies after the Supreme Court struck down his biggest and boldest tariffs in February. Now he’s tapping more durable tariffs under a 1974 trade law.

Trump expands a voluntary pledge to protect consumers from high utility bills from AI data centers

Trump is asking governors and electricity companies to join a pledge aimed at shielding U.S. consumers from higher utility bills because of data centers.

This move highlights the controversy surrounding the development of artificial intelligence before the November midterm elections.

Trump initially announced the pledge with leading AI and tech companies in March, but voters remain concerned about affordability and competition for resources. A recent analysis shows increased electricity demand could raise utility bills by 15% to 40% by 2030.

Opposition to data centers has become bipartisan. Some governors have taken steps to address these concerns.

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Government withdraws subpoenas of 3 reporters for The New York Times after admitting legal errors

The government has withdrawn subpoenas that would have compelled three New York Times reporters to testify about their sources for articles about Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet. The withdrawals in U.S. District Court followed a remarkable back-and-forth between a visibly irritated Judge Arun Subramanian and government attorneys.

They come at a time when the Trump administration is vigorously going after news organizations whose reporting and coverage it doesn’t like — and also trying to crack down on leaks inside the government.

The government’s retreat in the face of vigorous legal opposition and a stern reprimand from a judge marked the latest instance of the Justice Department pulling back on its aggressive efforts to compel journalists to identify their sources before a grand jury. The administration recently withdrew similar subpoenas that sought to compel testimony in Virginia from journalists for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

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Trump is looking forward to meeting Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani

“I’ll meet a man who’s just about the best pitcher in baseball and just about the best hitter in baseball,” Trump said of the upcoming appearance while speaking at an event at the EPA headquarters in Washington.

He was referring to Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers designated hitter and pitcher.

Trump also mentioned Babe Ruth, himself a legendary pitcher and hitter, and suggested that Ohtani was superior to Ruth.

“So we’re going to meet him and all of the people of the Dodgers,” Trump said. “They won the World Championship, and we see the champions, the Super Bowl champions and the baseball and basketball, all of them. They like to come over to the White House.”

Los Angeles edged the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 last October to become the first repeat World Series champions in a quarter century.

Trump says communities ‘can’t fight’ data centers, should embrace them

Trump said elected officials and other leaders need to do a better job convincing their communities “how great” data centers are.

Speaking at an event to promote his Ratepayer Protection Pledge, Trump said local communities should accept new data centers that power AI and supercomputers.

“You can’t fight it. You have to go with it, and you’re going to have all that protection, and we’re giving you automatic protection” from rate increases, Trump said Thursday at the Environmental Protection Agency.

Communities that host data centers “are going to make a tremendous amount of money,’′ Trump said. “You’re going to reduce taxes, and you’re going to have something that if you don’t have it, everybody else wants it. Your community and your state’s going to become rich, and there’s very little disruption. You might as well do it yourselves.”

US heaps more sanctions on Cuba energy and financial concerns

The Trump administration has imposed more sanctions on Cuban officials and organizations affiliated with a military-run company that it has previously designated for U.S. penalties.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was targeting nine companies and two people linked to Grupo De Administración Empresarial, or GAESA, for sanctions. GAESA is a military conglomerate that was hit with sanctions in May.

The sanctions also apply to Cuba’s public health minister for his role in overseeing medical assistance overseas that Rubio says is a front for human trafficking.

The move is the latest escalation in the U.S. pressure campaign against the Cuban government, which the administration earlier this week accused of running a decades-old espionage and influence campaign inside the United States to promote left-wing or communist ideology. But it also comes just two days after the delivery of some $60 million in U.S. humanitarian aid to the island.

Trump says trip to Dover was ‘a very sad day’ for him while playing down Iran war death toll

A day after he attended the dignified transfer of four U.S. service members killed in the Middle East, Trump mourned their deaths while comparing the war’s death toll to longer, costlier conflicts.

“I had a very sad day yesterday. I went to Dover. Four great American patriots killed,” Trump said. “That’s 18 in two wars. And one is too many, but it’s 18, whereas in Vietnam we lost 200,000.”

He added that “we want to get it over with, and we want to do it right, but we have to do what we came to do.”

US hits Mexican drug cartel members with new sanctions

The Trump administration has imposed new sanctions on more than 50 members of a Mexican cartel it accuses of narcotrafficking, including its new leader who took over the organization after the death of his stepfather known as “El Mencho.”

The Treasury Department on Thursday said it had targeted the leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, or CJNG, Juan Carlos Gonzalez. Gonzalez is a dual U.S.-Mexico citizen, along with dozens of other CJNG members, for sanctions. The sanctions include freezing any assets they may have in the United States or that come into contact with financial institutions under U.S. jurisdiction.

The Treasury said the move was the largest ever single action it has taken against the group, which the U.S. accuses of widespread drug smuggling and violence and was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the State Department in February 2025.

US designates Muslim Brotherhood official, several others accused of supporting Hamas as terrorists

The Trump administration on Thursday designated a senior official of the Muslim Brotherhood and several individuals and entities accused of providing support to Hamas as terrorists.

This comes after the U.S. labeled three Middle Eastern branches of the organization in January with the same severe label, making it a criminal offense to provide material support to the group.

In a statement, the Treasury Department said that two of the entities listed are “sham charities” tied to the Muslim Brotherhood that “funneled substantial funding to Hamas’s military wing.”

Leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was founded in Egypt in 1928, have previously said they disavow violence, with the branches in Egypt and Lebanon denouncing their inclusion on the U.S.’s list.

US providing over $200M in aid to international Red Cross

The State Department says roughly two-thirds is going to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which focuses on the protection of civilians in conflict.

The remainder is directed to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, an umbrella group of national organizations like the American Red Cross.

The “rapid, flexible and global focus” of the funding is part of efforts to help aid groups respond to natural disasters, the needs of people in conflicts and build on existing humanitarian aid channels, the department said.

ICRC said the U.S. has been its top donor for years and committed $363 million last year and a similar amount this year.

Trump will welcome the World Series champion Dodgers to the White House

Trump is welcoming Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House.

Thursday’s event in the Rose Garden celebrates the team’s second consecutive World Series title. The Dodgers previously celebrated their 2024 win with Trump in April 2025.

Trump has added personal touches to the White House, including a Mar-a-Lago -inspired patio where the team event is being held.

Championship baseball teams have been coming to the White House since 1869, when President Ulysses S. Grant welcomed the Cincinnati Red Stockings.

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A member of Vance’s Secret Service detail is being investigated over a suspected news leak

The Secret Service says a member of Vice President JD Vance ’s security detail is being investigated over a suspected news leak.

An agency spokesperson said Thursday that the member faces an internal investigation and potential criminal inquiry over allegations that the person compromised “operational and information security.”

The Secret Service said the investigation is tied to a report from MS NOW last week that said some Secret Service agents had privately expressed frustration over last-minute travel requests from Vance and his family. The Secret Service did not disclose the identity of the member under investigation.

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Leavitt says Trump is ‘final dealmaker’ on potential US-Saudi nuclear agreement

The U.S. Energy Department and Saudi government announcement on Wednesday made no mention of the civil nuclear deal being contingent on the kingdom normalizing relations with Israel.

So Trump’s social media post on Thursday asserting that the deal was subject to the Saudis joining the accord — what would be a monumental achievement for the administration if it ever happens — was unexpected.

When asked by a reporter why the condition was not mentioned in the initial announcement, Leavitt said the president was the “final dealmaker” and has called on Saudi Arabia to join the accords “on numerous occasions.”

White House says Trump is losing patience with Thune

Asked if Trump is frustrated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Leavitt said, “The president spoke about this directly yesterday.”

She was referencing comments Trump made at a rally Wednesday in Georgia where he expressed frustration that his agenda is hampered in the Republican-controlled Senate by rules requiring 60 votes to advance most legislation — including the SAVE America voting bill he talks about often.

Trump’s Republican Party doesn’t have 60 members in the Senate.

The president told the rally, his voice rising as he spoke: “Everybody call John Thune at the Senate. He’s the leader of the Republican Party. And tell him to get this stuff approved.”

Leavitt added Thursday at the White House: “His patience is running out.”

Trump administration to announce new tariffs on Thursday

Leavitt said Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, will announce “later” on Thursday a new set of tariffs.

After the Supreme Court in February rejected Trump’s ability to declare an economic emergency to impose sweeping import taxes, Trump unveiled 10% global tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 that could only be in place for 150 days. Those replacement tariffs are set to expire Friday.

Greer in March launched a series of investigations using Section 301 tariffs from the Trade Act of 1974. Those taxes could replace the expiring tariffs.

The Section 301 investigations applied to countries with industrial excesses that disadvantage U.S. goods and trade partners that fail to adequately enforce restrictions on importing goods made by forced labor.

Tate brothers won’t get help from the White House

Asked whether the White House would intervene in the extradition of social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, press secretary Karoline Leavitt flatly rejected the idea.

“No, we’ve already answered that question,” Leavitt said before moving on at a Thursday briefing.

The Tate brothers are fighting their extradition to the United Kingdom, where they’re accused of rape and sex trafficking. They were arrested by federal authorities on Saturday in Miami.

White House says Trump has been consistent in demanding Saudi Arabia join Abraham Accords

Leavitt said Trump’s assertion that Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords as part of a civilian nuclear deal is a position he’s long held.

“It will eventually, hopefully be finalized with the condition that the president spoke about this morning,” Leavitt said.

Saudi officials have yet to comment since Trump announced that the deal, announced Wednesday by the two countries, is subject to joining the accords.

But Leavitt made the case that the president’s decision is hardly surprising, saying “this is something he has raised in previous conversations and also said many time in the past” with Saudi officials.

Trump to deliver remarks at Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president will honor his friend and ally at a funeral service next week.

“On Tuesday afternoon, the president will deliver a tribute honoring the life and legacy of his dear friend, Sen. Lindsey Graham, at the National Cathedral,” Leavitt said during a Thursday briefing.

Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, died July 11.

Trump is taking his next Cabinet meeting on the road

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Trump will hold a Cabinet meeting on July 31 — and there’s a twist with this one.

The president will host the Cabinet at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains. Leavitt said the meeting “will be a lot of fun and something different for the Cabinet to experience together.”

Trump last visited Camp David in June to celebrate Father’s Day and his 80th birthday with family.

US to target cyber scammers and online ‘sextortionists’ with travel bans

The Trump administration announced Thursday it would begin revoking or denying visas to foreigners involved in cyber scams and online “sextortion” of minors, barring them and their family members from traveling to the United States.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the policy was a response to Americans being bilked of at least $10 billion in 2024 in online investment scams by transnational criminal organizations, many of them with Chinese connections, and American children being specifically targeted by overseas predators.

“This policy targets individuals responsible for, or complicit in, cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime, such as those involved in cyberscams, and sextortion,” Rubio said. “By restricting visa issuance to those who are responsible for or complicit in these criminal enterprises, we are sending a clear message: The United States will go after those who prey on our citizens.”

Member of Vance’s security team faces investigation for allegedly compromising information

A member of Vice President JD Vance’s security detail is being investigated for allegedly “compromising operational and information security,” according to the U.S. Secret Service.

Agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said the person faces an administrative investigation and “potential criminal inquiry” over alleged misconduct.

“While we will not comment on the specifics of this matter, one principle is unequivocal: any conduct that potentially threatens the safety of a protectee will not be tolerated,” Guglielmi said in a statement.

Vance’s office referred questions to the Secret Service.

China hands over fugitive to the US ahead of expected Xi-Trump meeting

Chinese police on Thursday handed over a wanted U.S. fugitive to American authorities at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China’s Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.

The case is part of law enforcement cooperation to implement “important consensus” between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Trump, the ministry said. Trump visited Beijing in May and Xi is expected to travel to the U.S. in September.

The ministry did not reveal the suspect’s name but said the fugitive was suspected of sexually assaulting minors and fatally shooting his wife in 2004. It said Interpol issued a red notice calling on law enforcement worldwide to capture the suspect the following year.

After a U.S. request, Chinese police conducted investigations and captured the suspect, the ministry said.

Trump has insisted continued US attacks against Iran don’t mean a return to war

Continued American airstrikes are occurring even as diplomatic efforts show little public sign of progress and officials on both sides have dug in on the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy that remains largely closed. The unpopular war threatens further worldwide economic disruption and is sending fuel prices up ahead of midterm U.S. elections this fall.

As the House debated the resolution Wednesday evening, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., read out names of 18 service members killed since the war began.

“To belittle this mission is to belittle and demean the very service these members gave their life for,” Mast said. “Their sacrifice was not meaningless. This operation is bringing reckoning for the hundreds of times Iran has attacked and killed people of the United States of America.”

The top Democrat on the panel, New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, said presidents are supposed to make the case to Congress.

House again passes resolution seeking to halt military action in Iran

The House on Thursday narrowly passed the resolution to halt U.S. military action in Iran, sending a warning to Trump for the second time as the war has escalated and the future of the conflict is increasingly uncertain.

The 214-208 vote requiring congressional approval for the war comes as the Senate is expected to consider a similar resolution later Thursday morning. Though the votes forced by Democrats are largely symbolic, they’re meant as a strong signal to the Republican president that his support on Capitol Hill is chipping away as the war drags on and lawmakers in both parties have questioned his administration’s endgame.

The war has had “no clear mission, no strategy, no end goal,” said Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat who led the resolution on the House floor.

The resolution narrowly passed after a handful of Republicans voted with Democrats to end the war. But the vast majority of Republicans voted to back the war and cede congressional war powers to Trump.

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Mideast oil producers step up plans to bypass the Strait of Hormuz

Before the war in Iran, roughly 15 million barrels of Persian Gulf oil were shipped each day through the Strait of Hormuz. Within a few years, much of that oil could bypass the strait.

As Iran’s chokehold over the strait drags on and oil prices surge, countries across the Gulf are planning to spend billions of dollars to build pipelines enabling them to redirect more supplies to ports on the Red Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Mediterranean.

At least seven major pipeline projects are under construction, in the planning stage or being discussed as possibilities, according to government officials, oil companies and analysts. The war has been a wake-up call for Gulf oil producers, who are determined to become less dependent on a transit point that hugs Iran’s coast.

But alternatives to Hormuz are also vulnerable to disruption. And some alternative routes will take the oil on longer and more expensive paths to market.

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A three-judge panel on Thursday declined to issue a preliminary injunction against the new districts, paving the way for them to be used in the Aug. 6 primary elections. Tennessee had revised its congressional districts in May, shortly after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities.

President Donald Trump has urged Republican-led states to redraw districts to their advantage to try to hold on to a slim U.S. House majority in the November elections. Tennessee is among eight GOP states to do so since last year. Trump is hoping the mid-decade redistricting can help Republicans buck a historical pattern in which the president’s party typically loses seats in midterms.

Opponents of Tennessee’s new congressional districts had argued in court that Republican lawmakers who passed the plan were motivated at least partly by racial discrimination, in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

Republicans have insisted they were motivated only by partisan politics, seeking to win the lone Democratic-held seat among the state’s nine districts. Legislatures are free to draw partisan districts under a 2019 Supreme Court ruling.

The federal judges — two Trump appointees and one appointee of former President Barack Obama — wrote in their opinion that the lawsuit is unlikely to succeed because the plaintiffs “lack any direct evidence of racial motivation."

“The road to a reliably 9-0 map runs through Memphis,” the ruling states. “Thus, political motivations readily explain the map’s dilutive effects.”

The Supreme Court in late April struck down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana as an illegal racial gerrymander. That decision weakened protections in the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 that allowed minorities an opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice. It also opened a pathway for Republicans in several Southern states to cite political intentions while redrawing voting districts with large minority populations that have elected Democrats.

In Tennessee, Republicans carved up a Memphis-based district with a majority-Black population that has been represented for about two decades by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, who is white. The metropolitan area was instead placed in parts of three districts, with Cohen’s reshaped district stretching a couple hundred miles eastward before reaching north toward the Nashville suburbs.

Cohen announced soon after the redraw that he was ending his bid for reelection.

Amber Sherman, a Memphis voter and plaintiff in the lawsuit, criticized the ruling, saying it’s “painful” to head into an election under a map that weakens the voices of Black voters.

“We deserve the same opportunity to shape our future as anyone else,” Sherman said. “When our voting power is diluted, our neighborhoods have a harder time making their voices heard on the issues that shape our daily lives.”

Ari Savitzky, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union Voting Rights Project, told the judges in mid-June that Republicans who are “essentially an all-white-controlled legislative body" chose to destroy the state’s lone pocket of Black political power in federal elections.

Attorney Taylor Meehan, representing Tennessee election officials, rejected the assertion of racially discriminatory motivations. She also argued it was too late to revert to Tennessee’s previous congressional districts, noting that primary election ballots already had been finalized using the new boundaries. Early voting began July 17.

“Racial data was turned off” when crafting the new districts, Meehan said. “The map was drafted for politics.”

The president first announced the pledge with leading AI and tech companies in March, but that initial commitment has done little to comfort voters who are already grappling with affordability issues as they worry about competing for electricity, water and land with tech companies controlled by billionaires. It's unclear, with electricity demand already growing, whether consumers would see genuine savings.

Trump is doubling down on the pledge at a time when the broader social contract is being rewritten by AI, a technology that is evolving so quickly in its capabilities that governments are struggling over how to provide oversight.

The president, in remarks about the pledge at the Environmental Protection Agency, called on the gathered executives and governors to sell the public on data centers, stressing that the cities and towns that do have them will be “rich.”

“You have to convince your community,” Trump said. “You can’t fight it. You have to go with it.”

The president added: “If you don’t take all that money, somebody else is going to take it. You might as well do it yourselves.”

Concerns about data centers cross party lines

The president promised that electricity prices would drop because of the nonbinding pledge, saying there would be a surplus of power. It's not clear that data centers generating their own electricity will be sufficient to overcome the rising demand for electricity, but that did not deter Trump from saying that utility bills — a major concern for voters — will be lower.

“Electricity bills for American families will actually come down," Trump said. “They’re going to have a lot of electricity left over, and they’ll put that into the grid.”

The White House said Thursday the pledge has been signed by 23 governors and at least 187 companies, including 55 utilities and 27 data center developers. Signers include some of the nation’s biggest utilities such as NextEra Energy, Duke Energy, American Electric Power, Southern Co. and Pacific Gas & Electric.

Data center developers that have signed the pledge include Equinix, Digital Realty and Prologis.

A slowdown in data center construction could derail what has been one of the dominant drivers of U.S. economic growth, in addition to possibly ceding the U.S. edge in cultivating the technology to China and create national security risks.

But AI's increasing ability to perform basic tasks — such as driving, analyzing spreadsheets and writing software — also potentially threatens millions of jobs. That has created mounting public resistance as tech companies concentrate historic levels of wealth in the hands of a select group of tycoons.

The increased electricity demand could cause monthly utility bills to rise by 15% to 40% by 2030, according to a recent analysis by ICF, a consulting and technology services company.

Opposition to data centers has spiraled into a bipartisan issue. Voters are worried about the environmental impact, use of AI in schools and the prospect of data centers making their communities more expensive and less livable. Data center companies say their facilities help to generate tax revenues for school districts and reduce property tax burdens for homeowners.

The opposition has spread into the Republican stronghold of rural Texas and led to frustration with Gov. Greg Abbott, who is now among the 23 Republican governors who signed Trump’s nonbinding pledge.

Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for Texas governor, has been using the issue to challenge Abbott before the November election.

“They are owned by the richest men in the world,” she said of data centers. “We’re all footing the bill. There are no rules. It is the Wild West of data centers.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, signed an order to ban construction of large server warehouses in her state for a year. In May, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed a law that he said would prevent utilities from passing along energy costs from data centers to residential and small-business customers.

Already, dozens of state legislatures or utility commissions have moved to put in place requirements that data centers pay the cost of their electricity, including new power plants or transmission system upgrades. But it's not

Tech companies are pushing growth of data centers

In California, however, the industry opposes legislation designed to protect consumers from electricity price increases attributable to data centers, said Matthew Freedman, a staff attorney for the Utility Reform Network.

“It is disappointing, but perhaps not surprising, that the same tech companies signing the Ratepayer Protection Pledge are simultaneously opposing efforts at the state level to force them to deliver on their promises,” Freedman said.

In an interview with The Associated Press last month, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, whose computer chips are enabling the AI revolution, said America’s weakness is a lack of power generation for further developing the technology.

Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, xAI, OpenAI and Amazon are among the companies that have already committed to the Trump administration’s “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” that consumers will not shoulder the cost of the data center build-out.

Despite the pledge, there are challenges on addressing issues with electricity prices.

The White House has complained that PJM Interconnection, which oversees electric power in 13 states from Virginia to Illinois, can’t ensure adequate electricity supplies at reasonable prices in the AI-driven boom.

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said Thursday that PJM —- the nation’s largest grid operator — has failed to implement a bipartisan statement of principles signed by the Trump administration and all 13 governors in the region.

“The Trump administration strongly advises PJM and its member companies to proactively reform its stakeholder process, reform its board governance, and implement the Statement of Principles before it is too late,” Rogers said.

There are efforts to formalize Trump's pledge as law, with the House Energy and Commerce Committee approving a bipartisan bill. The bill would require data centers to bear the costs of grid upgrades.

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Associated Press writer Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pa., contributed to this report.

The investment coincides with the team announcing it has reached a long-term extension on a stadium naming rights deal Thursday with Bank of America.

The additional investment in the 30-year-old downtown stadium brings the total cost of renovations to $1.3 billion.

The project is expected to be completed by 2030.

The Panthers released new stadium renderings highlighting enhancements and a broader vision of what is referred to as the new “Charlotte corridor,” which includes a 4,400-seat music venue designed to help make the city a more attractive year-round weekend destination.

“The long-term extension with Bank of America reflects the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to the Carolinas,” Tepper, the owner and chairman of Tepper Sports & Entertainment (TSE), said in a statement. “For over three decades, Bank of America Stadium has helped create lasting memories for our fans and we’re excited for them to see what’s ahead. Our goal is to create experiences that enhance the passion and energy of the region while transforming this corridor into a weekend destination for world class sports, entertainment and community events.”

Bank of America Stadium is currently home to the Major League Soccer’s Charlotte FC, as well as the Panthers.

It regularly hosts concerts as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship, the Duke's Mayo Bowl and, most recently, a soccer match between the United States and Senegal which served as a precursor to the World Cup.

What about a first-ever Super Bowl in Charlotte?

When asked directly if the Panthers are considering submitting a bid to host a first-ever Super Bowl in Charlotte, team president and TSE CEO Kristi Coleman replied, “We would love to get a Super Bowl. ... I think doing projects like this help you get it. It for sure helps your resume.”

Of course, there are other factors that go into ultimately landing the NFL’s biggest event, including number of hotels and other infrastructure.

“Does this guarantee (a Super Bowl)? No. But does this help? Yes,” Coleman said.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who was in Charlotte on Thursday night for a ceremony celebrating the stadium renovations, was asked about the feasibility of Charlotte hosting a Super Bowl.

“I think if the growth (in this city) continues that is probably somewhere down the line,” Goodell said.

Who is paying for the additional renovations?

The additional renovations are privately funded with no additional taxpayer money required.

TSE will pay for any overage costs and ongoing maintenance associated with the project.

The city of Charlotte originally contributed $650 million to the project in 2024 with TSE adding the additional $150 million, bringing the original cost of stadium renovations to $800 million after Tepper decided to remain in the stadium rather than build a new one.

What's going to be new at the stadium?

The entire stadium and its surroundings are being reimagined.

Renderings released Thursday showcase expanded indoor-outdoor gathering spaces across all levels, a 500-level social patio with sweeping views of Uptown Charlotte. There will also be larger and more dynamic scoreboards and displays and improved audio.

Seating options have been upgraded with premium offerings including technology designed to create a more connected and personalized experience.

When finished, the entire exterior of the stadium will look completely different to Panthers fans with a fresh, modern, open-air look that includes a signature illuminated crown for the Queen City skyline.

The black metal gates that surround portions of the stadium will be removed, creating a more welcoming park-style setting.

The renderings also include expanded retail and food and beverage options, increased restroom capacity, and flexible event spaces that will support game days while serving community, corporate and other special events during the offseason.

Included in what Panthers officials now call the “corridor” is the new entertainment venue outside of the North gate.

The goal: Making Charlotte a weekend destination

Coleman said the goal of everyone involved has been to bring Tepper’s vision to life.

Over the past few years the Panthers have brought some of the team’s fans to opposing cities to see what they like about other stadiums. They have also listened to suggestions and criticisms from existing permanent seat license holders about the game day experience in Charlotte.

“Our fans from Raleigh or Charleston and other places would say ‘we want this to be a weekend destination, not just for Sundays,’” Coleman said.

The need for music was high on the fans' wish list, Coleman said.

Such was the impetus for the building of the entertainment venue that will host 80 to 100 concerts and events during the year, as well as provide enhanced hospitality on NFL game days.

“So now people can come on a Friday and go to a concert, go to a soccer match on Saturday and then stay for a Panthers game on Sunday,” Coleman said. “That was really the vision.”

Coleman said the renovations have something everyone throughout the stadium can benefit from whether sitting in the lower bowl, upper bowl or luxury suites.

“I'm so excited that every fan will experience something different," Coleman said.

Charlotte Mayor Rob Harrington called the project an investment in Charlotte’s future “preserving an iconic venue, enhancing the fan experience, and ensuring Bank of America Stadium continues to create unforgettable memories while giving visitors countless reasons to return to our city for years to come.”

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