The winner from Honor, a Chinese smartphone maker, completed the 21-kilometer (13-mile) race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, according to a WeChat post by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town, where the race kicked off.

That was faster than the human world record holder, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who finished the same distance in about 57 minutes in March at the Lisbon road race.

The performance by the robot marked a significant step forward from last year's inaugural race, during which the winning robot finished in 2 hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds.

But the race wasn’t without hiccups — one robot fell flat at the start line, another bumped into a barrier.

Beijing E-Town said about 40% of the robots navigated the course autonomously, while the others were remotely controlled.

State media outlet Global Times reported that a separate, remotely-controlled robot from Honor was the first to cross the finish line in 48 minutes and 19 seconds. But it said the winning one used autonomous navigation and received the championship under the event’s weighted scoring rules.

State broadcaster CCTV reported that the runners-up, which were also from Honor and used autonomous navigation, finished the race in about 51 minutes and 53 minutes respectively. A robot served as a traffic officer to direct the participants with its arm gestures and voice, CCTV added.

In China, technology has evolved into an area of competition with the U.S. with national security implications. Beijing’s latest five-year plan vows to “target the frontiers of science and technology.” Speeding up the development of products like humanoid robots and their applications is part of the 2026-2030 plan for the world’s second-largest economy.

London-based technology research and advisory group Omdia recently ranked three Chinese companies — AGIBOT, Unitree Robotics and UBTech Robotics Corp. — as the only first-tier vendors in its global assessment for shipment numbers for general-purpose embodied intelligent robots.

They all shipped more than 1,000 units of the robots last year, with the first two companies shipping more than 5,000 units, the report said.

Deputies responded to the 9200 block of Sommerset Hills Drive just after 1 a.m. on April 18 for reports of a shooting.

Investigators say a house party was taking place with an unknown number of guests. The residence was rented as a VRBO.

VRBO has a number of guidelines in its Disruptive or Unauthorized Events Policy. We reached out to the company Saturday night, so far they have not responded.

According to deputies, one of the victims later died at the hospital. The other two remain in the hospital in stable condition.

No suspect is in custody at this time, deputies said. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to call Crimeline anonymously or contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office directly.

This story is developing. Check back for updates...

The hedge fund manager-turned-liberal activist is using his personal fortune to saturate TV screens and mobile phones with advertising, while his competitors accuse him of trying to use his vast wealth to buy the state’s most powerful job.

Steyer's ads — in which he promises to bring down household costs or rails against federal immigration raids — appear inescapable at times in heavily Democratic Los Angeles, the state’s largest media market. Data compiled by advertising tracker AdImpact show Steyer has spent or booked over $115 million in ads for broadcast TV, cable and radio — nearly 30 times the amount of his nearest Democratic rival.

If he makes it through the June 2 primary election, Steyer could easily eclipse the 2010 record set by Republican Meg Whitman, who spent $178.5 million in a losing bid for governor, much of it her own money. At the time, it was the costliest campaign for statewide office in the nation’s history.

Even when ad buys from all his major competitors are combined, along with ad purchases by independent committees supporting candidates, Steyer is outspending the field by tens of millions of dollars.

“Billionaire money is flooding our state in an attempt to buy this election,” former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, one of Steyer’s chief rivals, warned her supporters this month.

Mail-in ballots are set to go out to voters next month. Steyer is among a crowd of candidates hoping to seize a spotlight after former Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell's dramatic departure from the race following sexual assault allegations that he denies.

But while Steyer has ticked up in polling amid his spending splurge, he has not broken away from the field, leaving some wondering if he's getting value for his dollars.

“If your first round of ads doesn’t move you dramatically (in the polls), the third, fourth, fifth, six, seventh and eighth rounds won’t either,” said veteran Democratic strategist Bill Carrick, who for years advised the late Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. “There is something inherently holding Steyer back.”

In recent prior campaigns for governor, at this stage a leading candidate was taking control of the race. This year, voters appear to be shrugging at a contest that lacks a star candidate among seven leading Democrats and two Republicans.

“Somehow the campaign is frozen,” Carrick added.

History shows that money doesn’t always translate into votes.

Billionaire developer Rick Caruso spent over $100 million in 2022 in his bid to become Los Angeles mayor, much of it his own money, but he was handily defeated by Mayor Karen Bass, who spent a fraction of Caruso's total. Billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent more than $1 billion of his own money on his 2020 presidential bid before dropping out. And Steyer’s money was unable to lift him into contention in the 2020 presidential contest, when he dropped out early in the year after a poor finish in the South Carolina primary.

Steyer has never held elected office.

In a 2019 interview with The Associated Press, Steyer was asked what he would say to people who think he’s trying to buy the presidency.

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Steyer said at the time, before adding, “I’m never going to apologize for succeeding in business. That’s America, right?”

His campaign did not respond directly when asked about similar criticism facing his run for governor.

“Tom now stands as the only Democrat with the grassroots energy, institutional backing and resources to advance to the general election,” spokesperson Kevin Liao said in a statement.

The governor's race was recently reordered by two developments: Swalwell, a leading Democrat, abruptly withdrew from the race then resigned from Congress, following sexual assault allegations. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump endorsed conservative commentator Steve Hilton.

Still, there is no clear leader.

Polling in late March and early April by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found a cluster of candidates in close competition: Democrats Steyer and Porter, Republicans Hilton and Chad Bianco, and Swalwell. Other candidates were trailing. The polling was conducted before Swalwell withdrew.

Democrats have feared the party’s large number of candidates could lead to them getting shut out of the general election in November. That’s because California has a primary system in which only the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party.

Leading Democrats are all claiming to have picked up support since Swalwell's exit. Steyer nabbed one plum endorsement, when the influential California Teachers Association, which previously backed Swalwell, recommended him.

In his ads, Steyer promises to “abolish” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has been staging raids across California. In another, he laments the state's punishing cost of housing, “Everybody needs an affordable place to live,” he says.

Confusion over the critical chokepoint threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy and push the two countries toward renewed conflict, even as mediators expressed confidence a new deal was within reach.

Iran’s joint military command said on Saturday that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces.”

Two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. It reported the tanker and crew as safe, without identifying the vessel or its destination. TankerTrackers.com reported vessels were forced to turn around in the strait, including an Indian-flagged supertanker, after they were fired on by Iran.

Saturday's developments came after U.S. President Donald Trump said the blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the U.S. that includes its nuclear program. Tehran had reopened the strait Friday to commercial vessels.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the strait and further limits would squeeze already constrained supply, driving prices higher once again. Iran’s Friday announcement about the opening of the crucial body of water, through which 20% of the world’s oil is shipped, came as a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon appeared to hold.

Despite the escalation, Pakistani officials say the United States and Iran are still moving closer to a deal ahead of the April 22 ceasefire deadline.

The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, nearly 2,300 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.

Here is the latest:

Another Israeli soldier dies in combat

Israel’s military says another soldier died in combat in southern Lebanon, the second death announced in under twelve hours.

It brought the total number of soldiers killed in Lebanon to 15, and was the second soldier killed in combat since the ceasefire.

The military said another soldier was badly wounded in the same incident, along with four moderately wounded and four lightly injured.

It was the second soldier to die since the ceasefire. The first died because of wounds sustained during combat, the military said.

UN chief condemns attack in Lebanon that killed French peacekeeper

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, says Guterres has strongly condemned the killing of a French peacekeeper and the wounding of three others in an attack in southern Lebanon.

The U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon came under attack with small-arms fire Saturday morning. Two of the injured were hurt seriously, France’s president and the force known as UNIFIL said.

Both President Emmanuel Macron and the UNIFIL force blamed Hezbollah, but the Lebanese militant group denied involvement.

Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz fully closed, state media reports

The navy of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it extended the closure to the corridor it had earlier designated for the safe passage of vessels through the strategic waterway and declared the strait fully closed until the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and ships is lifted.

On Friday, Iran said vessels could move through the strait in coordination with it and against the payment of a toll.

But in a statement late Saturday carried by Iran’s state media, the navy warned that any violating vessel would be targeted.

Iran considers the U.S. blockade a violation of the ceasefire between the two countries. Two vessels were attacked earlier on Saturday in the Strait of Hormuz and off Oman’s coast, at least one of them by Iranian gunboats.

Israel says one of its soldiers has been killed in Lebanon

The military said the soldier, an officer, was killed in south Lebanon on Friday, the day after the start of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that has otherwise largely held.

It said two other soldiers were injured in the incident, but didn’t release any more details.

This brings to 14 the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the latest war in Lebanon.

Hezbollah leader dismisses ceasefire paper published by US

Naim Kassem, head of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, in a statement read on the group’s al-Manar TV said a paper published by the U.S. State Department that it described as the text of a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel “means nothing at the practical level, but it is an insult to our country.”

“Everyone knows that the government of Lebanon has not met or approved this statement,” he said.

The text published by the U.S. described the 10-day truce as a gesture by Israel “to enable good-faith negotiations” toward a permanent peace agreement with Lebanon. The text gives Israel the “right to take all necessary measures in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.” It does not mention any similar right for Lebanon or Hezbollah.

Kassem said the truce should entail “a complete cessation of all hostilities” and that Hezbollah “will respond to enemy violations.”

Israel’s military kills two UNICEF-contracted truck drivers in northern Gaza

The Israeli military killed two UNICEF-contracted truck drivers at a water point in northern Gaza Strip, forcing the UN agency to suspend its operations in the area, UNICEF said.

Two other people were also injured in the attack that occurred Friday at the Mansoura water filling point in Gaza City, UNICEF said in a statement.

The firing took place “during routine, water trucking operations, with no changes in movement or procedures,” it said.

The Israeli military claimed that troops opened fire on suspected militants in the area of the so-called Yellow Line, which separates Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of Gaza. It said the incident was being investigated.

UNICEF said the point is being used multiple times a day to keep providing hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza City with clean water from the Mekorot water supply line.

The agency said it suspended on-site activities until security conditions in the area are restored.

India summons Iran’s ambassador after Indian-flagged tankers shot at near Strait of Hormuz

India on Saturday summoned Iran’s ambassador in New Delhi after two Indian vessels were forced to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following reports of gunfire from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

India’s foreign secretary conveyed New Delhi’s “deep concern at the shooting incident” at two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz to the Iranian ambassador, a statement by India’s External Affairs Ministry said.

The foreign secretary told the Iranian envoy that Tehran had earlier facilitated the safe passage of several ships bound for India. The statement said the Indian official urged the Iranian ambassador to “convey India’s views to the authorities in Iran and resume at the earliest the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait.”

Macron says a French soldier was killed and 3 were wounded in attack on peacekeepers in Lebanon

A U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon came under attack with small-arms fire Saturday morning leaving one French peacekeeper dead and three wounded, two of them seriously, France’s president and the force known as UNIFIL said.

The attack near the southern Lebanese village of Ghandouriyeh came after a 10-day ceasefire went into effect at midnight Thursday between Israel and Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group.

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Pakistan prime minister returns home after regional visits ahead of expected US-Iran talks

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif returned home Saturday after visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey ahead of an expected second round of talks between the United States and Iran.

Sharif’s office said in a statement that he was received by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi upon arrival in the eastern city of Lahore.

It said Naqvi, who visited Iran earlier this week along with army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and other officials, later met Sharif and briefed him on their talks with the Iranian leadership.

Hezbollah denies links to attack that left one French peacekeeper dead in south Lebanon

The Iran-backed group in a statement called for caution when assigning blame and judgment, until the Lebanese army completes its investigation of the incident.

Hezbollah said the peacekeeping forces should coordinate with the Lebanese army in their operations.

Hezbollah expressed surprise at the hasty accusations leveled against it, especially given the silence of these same parties “when the Israeli enemy attacks UNIFIL forces.”

Iran says it is reviewing new US proposals

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement that Pakistan’s army chief, serving as an intermediary, presented the proposals to Iran when he recently visited Tehran, and they were still under review.

It was not revealed what was in the proposals.

The council said Iran has yet to respond, but further talks would require the U.S. to abandon “excessive demands and adjust its requests to the realities on the ground.”

It also said that Iran will maintain full control over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until “the war fully ends and lasting peace is achieved in the region,” adding that it would collect detailed information on passing vessels, issue transit certificates and impose tolls.

The council added that it considered the U.S. naval blockade a violation of the ceasefire, and there would be no reopening of the Strait of Hormuz until that was lifted.

Trump says Iran ‘got a little cute,’ but there are good conversations happening

President Donald Trump says that U.S. talks with Iran are going well and that he expects to have more information “by the end of the day.”

Trump made the comments Saturday morning during a White House event where he signed an executive order directing the Food and Drug Administration to expedite review of certain psychedelic drugs designed as breakthrough therapy for mental illness.

Trump declined to take reporters’ questions about Iran but said, “We have very good conversations going on.”

He says Iran “got a little cute,” later adding, “They wanted to close up the strait again,” referring to the Strait of Hormuz.

“They can’t blackmail us,” Trump said.

Pope Leo XIV says ‘not in my interest at all’ to debate Trump but will keep preaching peace

Pope Leo XIV said Saturday that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate U.S. President Donald Trump about the Iran war, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace.

Leo spoke to reporters aboard the papal plane flying from Cameroon to Angola.

He addressed the spiraling back-and-forth saga of Trump’s critiques of his peace message, which have dominated news headlines this week. But the American pope also sought to set the record straight, insisting that his preaching isn’t directed at Trump, but reflects the broader Gospel message of peace.

“There’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself,” he said.

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Turkish Vice President says US-Iran negotiations will take time to conclude

Cevdet Yilmaz, whose country has been supporting Pakistan’s efforts to bring the sides together, told The Associated Press there are many “complex issues” on the table.

Yilmaz said he still believes talks between Iran and the United States would continue.

“We would all like these talks to end all at once, in a very short time. But we need to be realistic. These comprehensive negotiations will take some time,” Yilmaz said.

The vice president also said that a comprehensive settlement between Iran and the United States would be a prerequisite for free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

“What is the root cause here? The ongoing war. Therefore, the end of this war will provide the greatest guarantee,” he said.

US says 23 ships turned back since Iran blockade started

The U.S. military says it has forced 23 ships to turn around near the Strait of Hormuz since it imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

In a post on X, the Central Command said U.S. forces are still enforcing the blockade “against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas.”

The blockade ordered by President Donald Trump started April 13 as part of U.S. pressure on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

In response to the continued blockade, Iran reimposed restrictions on transit through the strait.

British military say container vessel attacked near the Strait of Hormuz

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said an unknown projectile hit the vessel, 25 nautical miles (46 kilometers) northeast of Oman.

Some containers on the vessel were damaged, it said.

The attack is the second on Saturday, after two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the key waterway.

Iran’s supreme leader sends defiant message

Iran’s “valiant navy” is “ready to inflict new bitter defeats on its enemies,” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said.

Khamenei’s defiant remarks came as Iran swiftly reimposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz.

In a message celebrating the anniversary of the establishment of Iran’s army, he hailed Iran’s drone strikes that targeted Israel and the U.S. interests across the region during the war.

Indian ships reverse course in Hormuz strait, vessel tracker says

Two Indian vessels have had to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following reports of gunfire from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, a vessel-tracker said.

TankerTrackers.com said the vessels include an Indian-flagged supertanker, carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.

Iranian gunboats fire on tanker, British military says

The British military says two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz after Iran said it had reimposed restrictions on the vital waterway.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the tanker and crew were reported safe, without identifying the vessel or its destination.

Iran said earlier it was reimposing restrictions on the strait in response to a U.S. blockade on Iranian shipping and ports. Iran has prevented vessels from crossing throughout the seven-week-long war, except for ones it authorizes.

Iran says it won’t hand over enriched uranium to US

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh dismissed claims from U.S. President Donald Trump over the uranium and sounded a note of caution with regard to future talks between the two countries.

Speaking to the Associated Press in the Turkish city of Antalya, Khatibzadeh said the Iranians were not ready for a new round of face-to-face talks with the U.S. because the Americans “have not abandoned their maximalist position.”

On Friday, Trump said the U.S. will go into Iran and “get all the nuclear dust,” referring to the 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites badly damaged by U.S. military strikes last year.

Lebanese leaders discuss future talks with Israel

The meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam came during a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

According to a statement from Aoun’s office, the pair discussed Lebanon’s “readiness for negotiations” with Israel. Lebanon and Israel have been in a state of war since 1948.

Earlier this week, the two countries’ ambassadors to the U.S. held a meeting, in the first direct talks in decades.

U.S. President Donald Trump has invited Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, although no date has been set yet.

Aoun has said he is ready to go anywhere to “liberate my country, protect my people and save my nation.”

Iran reimposes restrictions in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reimposing restrictions on the critical waterway after the U.S. said the move would not end its blockade.

The country’s joint military command said “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces.”

It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.

The announcement came the morning after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the U.S., including on its nuclear program.

Pakistani leader heads home from Turkey ahead of U.S.-Iran talks

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has left for home after visiting Turkey, where he attended a diplomacy forum in Antalya.

Whiie there, he met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ahead of the second round of U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad.

While at the forum, Sharif discussed recent regional developments and ongoing diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington with Erdogan and the Qatari emir.

Pakistan is expected to host the second round of talks between Iran and the United States early next week

Iran announces partial reopening of its airspace

Iran has announced a partial reopening of its airspace after a seven-week hiatus because of the war, state media reported.

The Civil Aviation Organization said air routes over eastern Iran were reopened at 7 a.m. (0330 GMT), according to the state-owned IRAN newspaper. It said flights at the country’s airports would gradually resume but did not give a timeframe.

Iran’s airspace had been closed since the U.S. and Israel began striking Iran on Feb. 28. The partial reopening has come more than a week into a ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.

Iranian lawmaker clarifies conditions for transit through Hormuz

A senior Iranian lawmaker said only commercial vessels authorized by the Revolutionary Guard are allowed to transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission, said in a social media post late Friday that commercial vessels must pay “required tolls” before transiting the strait, using a route set by Iran last month.

“The time has come to comply with the new Maritime Regime of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said. “These regulations are determined by Iran, not by social media posts!”

He warned that the mechanism could change “if the U.S. attempts to create any disturbance for Iranian ships.”

Strait of Hormuz only open during ceasefire, Iranian military official says

Iran’s Defense Ministry spokesperson said the Strait of Hormuz is only open during a ceasefire and conditionally, two Iranian semiofficial news agencies reported.

Brig. Gen. Reza Talaei-Nik said “military vessels and those linked to hostile forces have no right” of transit, according to the ISNA and Mehr news agencies.

Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Lakers, who pulled off an impressive win without their top two scorers.

Both teams played the opener without their most important player. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have been out indefinitely with injuries since April 2, while Durant was a late scratch with a bruised right knee.

Los Angeles thrived by hitting 60.6% of its shots while holding the Rockets to 37.6% shooting with pesky defense.

Alperen Sengun scored 19 points and Jabari Smith Jr. had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who finished one game behind Los Angeles in the regular season. Amen Thompson added 17 points, but Houston's young core got off to an inconsistent start after becoming the firm favorite in this series due to the Lakers' injury woes.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

The Lakers acquired Kennard from Atlanta in early February, and the NBA’s most accurate 3-point shooter became a key reserve before he seized a major role over the past two weeks in the absence of Los Angeles’ starting backcourt. He hit four 3-pointers in Game 1 while making nine of his first 12 shots.

Durant must wait at least one more game to make his Rockets playoff debut after banging knees with a teammate in practice Wednesday. Reed Sheppard took his spot in the starting lineup and hit five 3-pointers while scoring 17 points, but the Rockets struggled for consistent half-court offense in Durant’s absence despite grabbing 21 offensive rebounds.

The Lakers took the lead for good on their first bucket of the second half, and they pushed their advantage to 16 points in the fourth quarter. Kennard scored 16 points after halftime, while The 41-year-old James began his 19th NBA postseason with an inspired, eight-assist first quarter followed by several gritty baskets down the stretch.

Los Angeles also got a boost from veteran guard Marcus Smart, who had 15 points and eight assists with four 3-pointers in his Lakers playoff debut. Smart said before the series that success would come down to “willpower” — and the Lakers clearly had more for starters.

Bronny James began the second quarter playing alongside his famous father in the first significant playoff minutes of the 21-year-old's career.

___

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

Rain chances remain low overall, with about a 20% coverage for showers and storms. Cloudy skies are expected to increase ahead of the front. Most rain activity will be spotty and lower in intensity, and there are no current indications of severe conditions.

Temperatures across Central Florida will start off mild, with overnight lows in the lower 60s. Sunday is forecast to bring above-average highs. The humidity is also expected to creep up a bit, so if you have outdoor plans, staying hydrated is a good idea.

After the front pushes through, a drop in temperatures is expected. Monday could see a high around 80 degrees in Orlando, and Tuesday is forecast to remain comfortable in the low 80s. The region should stick with mostly 80s throughout the week before the lower 90s make a comeback next weekend.

Planning a trip to Daytona Beach for Jeep Beach? Conditions are forecast to be warm and pleasant on Sunday, with highs in the upper 80s.

Looking ahead to the work week, Monday morning could be especially breezy, with wind gusts expected up to 30 miles per hour. These winds are likely to stick around into the afternoon hours before settling down.

The News 6 Pinpoint Weather 7-day forecast suggests that after the front moves out, rain chances will stay minimal for several days, giving Central Florida a stretch of sunny and pleasant spring weather. By next weekend, temperatures are expected to rebound into the lower 90s.

Have a great weekend, Central Florida! Don’t forget to share your weather photos with News 6 using PinIt!

The only question surrounding the Heisman Trophy winner is when he’ll make his debut.

Mendoza, who led Indiana to its first national championship, is an overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1-overall pick in the NFL draft next Thursday. He won’t be in Pittsburgh to hear NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announce his name, choosing instead to celebrate his big night with family and friends in Miami.

The intrigue starts with the second pick. Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese was widely considered the choice for the New York Jets but Texas Tech edge David Bailey has gained momentum.

Here’s the third edition of the AP’s 2026 mock draft in order of picks:

1. Las Vegas Raiders: FERNANDO MENDOZA, QB, INDIANA

Mendoza is a precise pocket passer with prototypical size, poise and maturity. The Raiders have some playmakers — Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty — and spent more than a quarter-billion in free agency. Cousins gives Mendoza a mentor in the QB room. Part-owner Tom Brady can provide Mendoza with valuable advice. The Raiders haven’t won a playoff game since losing the Super Bowl following the 2002 season and have only reached the postseason twice in that span. They need Mendoza to be a franchise QB.

2. New York Jets: ARVELL REESE, EDGE RUSHER, OHIO STATE

We’re sticking with Reese. He’s a freak athlete — he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash — who played off-ball linebacker and standup edge. He has the talent to be an elite edge rusher who can make an immediate impact for the Jets.

3. Arizona Cardinals: DAVID BAILEY, EDGE RUSHER, TEXAS TECH

Bailey is another immensely athletic edge with elite upside. The Cardinals could trade down to add more draft assets or look at bolstering the offensive line. Bailey would join Josh Sweat to give Arizona two pass rushers who can create havoc.

4. Tennessee Titans: JEREMIYAH LOVE, RUNNING BACK, NOTRE DAME

The Titans reloaded in free agency, revamping the secondary and adding depth on defense along with another target for Cam Ward in wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. They have a tough choice here between Love or giving new coach Robert Saleh a star on defense: edge Rueben Bain Jr. and linebacker Sonny Styles. If general manager Mike Borgonzi sticks with the best available player, it’s Love.

5. New York Giants: SONNY STYLES, LINEBACKER, OHIO STATE

Styles’ impressive combine performance helped him soar into the top five on many draft boards. Protecting Jaxson Dart is a priority for the Giants so they’d have their choice of best offensive lineman in the draft at this spot but Styles is a supremely gifted defensive player.

6. Cleveland Browns: CARNELL TATE, WIDE RECEIVER, OHIO STATE

Tate is a consistent route runner with excellent hands and enough speed to be a top playmaker. The Browns added three veteran offensive linemen but still could target a tackle. Tate gives them a No. 1 receiver that’s hard to pass up.

7. Washington Commanders: MANSOOR DELANE, CORNERBACK, LSU

Delane is the best cover corner in the draft. He’ll provide a significant boost for a defense that’s thin in the secondary.

8. New Orleans Saints: RUEBEN BAIN JR., EDGE RUSHER, MIAMI

Bain is a versatile rusher who can line up on the edge or inside against guards, creating mismatches. He’ll be a huge asset for the Saints.

9. Kansas City Chiefs: FRANCIS MAUIGOA, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, MIAMI

Mauigoa is a three-year starter at right tackle who would replace Jawaan Taylor and provide Patrick Mahomes more protection. Getting Mahomes a playmaking receiver is also an option. So is an edge rusher. But Mauigoa is strong value slipping to this spot.

10. New York Giants: SPENCER FANO, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, UTAH

After getting this pick for Dexter Lawrence, the Giants get a blocker for Dart. Fano’s arm length became a topic after the Super Bowl but he has the natural talent to succeed.

11. Miami Dolphins: MAKAI LEMON, WIDE RECEIVER, USC

After trading Jaylen Waddle and releasing Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins need to get Malik Willis a top receiver. Lemon is an elite playmaker who creates matchup nightmares for defenses in the slot.

12. Dallas Cowboys: CALEB DOWNS, SAFETY, OHIO STATE

Downs is an elite, versatile playmaker who gives new Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker a potential superstar to anchor the secondary. Downs has top-five talent but only slips because of potential value.

13. Los Angeles Rams: JORDON TYSON, WIDE RECEIVER, ARIZONA STATE

He’s an exceptional route-runner with speed who catches the ball in traffic. The Rams were interested in some high-profile wideouts so drafting Tyson upgrades a dynamic group that includes All-Pro Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

14. Baltimore Ravens: OLAIVAVEGA IOANE, GUARD, PENN STATE

Ioane fills a big need for the Ravens on the interior of their offensive line and fits their run-blocking scheme nicely.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: KELDRIC FAULK, EDGE RUSHER, AUBURN

Scouts rave about Faulk’s leadership and he has obvious talent. The Buccaneers need a standout pass rusher and Faulk’s the type of player who fits general manager Jason Licht’s character criteria. A trade down to add more picks also is a possibility.

16. New York Jets: DENZEL BOSTON, WIDE RECEIVER, WASHINGTON

Boston is strong, fast and has elite ball skills. He has the frame (6-foot-4, 212) of receivers that new offensive coordinator Frank Reich has relied on in his system. The Jets could trade down and still get Boston or Omar Cooper Jr. and stockpile even more picks.

17. Detroit Lions: KADYN PROCTOR, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, ALABAMA

Proctor started at left tackle as a freshman and allowed just two sacks in his three seasons. He has great size — 6-foot-7, 352 pounds — and plenty of athleticism. Proctor even had five runs for 16 yards.

18. Minnesota Vikings: DILLON THIENEMAN, SAFETY, OREGON

Thieneman had an impressive combine, running a 4.36 40-yard dash that was faster than some of the NFL’s best receivers. A three-year starter, he’ll step right into Brian Flores’ defense.

19. Carolina Panthers: KENYON SADIQ, TIGHT END, OREGON

The Panthers improved their defense in free agency by adding edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd. If Sadiq is available, they’d get the best tight end in the draft at this spot, giving Bryce Young a potential favorite target.

20. Dallas Cowboys: JERMOD MCCOY, CORNERBACK, TENNESSEE

McCoy is a consistent corner with outstanding ball skills often mocked to the Cowboys at No. 12. Dallas gets a defensive back who can anchor the secondary.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: MONROE FREELING, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, GEORGIA

Freeling has elite athleticism and is considered a potential top-10 pick. He just needs more experience after starting one season on the right side. Freeling has the athletic ability to adapt to a new spot.

22. Los Angeles Chargers: PETER WOODS, DEFENSIVE TACKLE, CLEMSON

Woods is a powerful, versatile defensive lineman who fits the type of player coach Jim Harbaugh wants on defense.

23. Philadelphia Eagles: BLAKE MILLER, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, CLEMSON

Miller started 54 games in college and can step in right away and play if the Eagles need him. He provides an eventual successor to right tackle Lane Johnson.

24. Cleveland Browns: T.J. PARKER, EDGE RUSHER, CLEMSON

Parker’s production dipped after big numbers in 2024 but he’s a strong, powerful edge with potential to flourish. He makes it three straight Clemson players in this mock.

25. Chicago Bears: ZION YOUNG, EDGE RUSHER, MISSOURI

The Bears lost several starters in the secondary and adding a defensive back is an option but a strong rusher also helps significantly. Young is a disruptive force who brings energy and leadership.

26. Buffalo Bills: CASHIUS HOWELL, EDGE RUSHER, TEXAS A&M

Despite acquiring D.J. Moore, another playmaking receiver is an option. Edge also is a priority and Howell has proven he gets to the quarterback and finishes.

27. San Francisco 49ers: K.C. CONCEPCION, WIDE RECEIVER, TEXAS A&M

Concepcion is a speedy, elusive wideout who gives Brock Purdy and the 49ers a top target and another playmaker on offense. Despite signing Mike Evans in free agency, San Francisco can’t pass up a confident player who already declared he’s the best receiver in the draft.

28. Houston Texans: KAYDEN MCDONALD, DEFENSIVE TACKLE, OHIO STATE

McDonald is another Buckeyes player going in the first round. He’s a natural run defender who’ll clog the middle of the line.

29. Kansas City Chiefs: OMAR COOPER JR., WIDE RECEIVER, INDIANA

After giving Mahomes a blocker with the ninth pick, the Chiefs add a potential top target late in the round. Cooper is a versatile playmaker who is known for getting yards after the catch.

30. Miami Dolphins: AVIEON TERRELL, CORNERBACK, CLEMSON

Terrell is an athletic cornerback who is projected higher in the draft. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is a possibility if he’s still available but the Dolphins signed Malik Willis.

31. New England Patriots: MAX IHEANACHOR, OFFENSIVE TACKLE, ARIZONA STATE

Iheanachor is an athletic former basketball player with ideal size who will need time to develop but projects as a potential starter right away.

32. Seattle Seahawks: JADARIAN PRICE, RUNNING BACK, NOTRE DAME

Price replaces the departed Super Bowl MVP and provides the Seahawks with a natural runner in the backfield. With Kenneth Walker III gone and Zach Charbonnet recovering from a knee injury, Price fills a need. Seattle could trade out of the first round, add more picks and potentially get Price early in the second.

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

OG Anunoby added 18 points and Josh Hart had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks in their first postseason game under Mike Brown after making four trips in five years under Tom Thibodeau, capped by their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2000 last year.

The No. 3 seed in the East again this season hosts Game 2 on Monday night.

CJ McCollum had 26 points and Jalen Johnson added 23 for the Hawks, who went 20-6 after the All-Star break to earn the No. 6 seed.

“We know that they’re going to be ready for Game 2,” Brunson said. “So quick turnaround and extreme focus.”

Brunson, who already owns the Knicks' record with eight 40-point games in the postseason, was almost halfway to another in the first quarter. He made his first six shots and had 19 points as the Knicks led 30-24.

Brunson didn't do as much in the second half, but Towns took over after he was just 1 for 6 for six points at the break.

“We did a great job as a team just fighting and continuing to find ways to score and also impact winning,” Towns said.

The teams got off to sizzling starts, with the Knicks opening 8 for 9 and Atlanta 6 for 7, before play slowed to a crawl in the third quarter. McCollum was reviewed for a hostile act and called for a technical foul after kicking his leg up on a jumper into Brunson's groin area, and the Hawks twice intentionally fouled Mitchell Robinson, and the poor foul shooter went 1 for 4.

By the time the Hawks got going again, it was too late.

With the Knicks up by eight, Towns hit a 3-pointer, and after Gabe Vincent's basket, Jordan Clarkson had two buckets and Towns had a three-point play and a 3-pointer for a 10-0 burst that made it 106-87 with about 4 1/2 minutes remaining.

Atlanta ran off 11 straight to cut it to 106-98, but Towns scored to restore the double-digit lead.

“I like the way we came back at the end of the game,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “They were resilient in that situation, it was just too little, too late.”

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Kirill Kaprizov added a goal and two assists and Mats Zuccarello had three helpers for the Wild, who have lost nine consecutive playoff series since 2015. This was an impressive start in a long-expected matchup of Central Division rivals who finished behind Presidents' Trophy winner Colorado.

“A great stepping stone for us,” said defenseman Quinn Hughes, back after missing the end of the regular season with an illness.

“I think throughout the lineup tonight we came in and the guys were focused,” coach John Hynes said. “The thing I like is when we came in, I thought that we executed well. When it was time to check, we checked well. But I just thought we had the right mindset in how we need to play. And that was throughout the lines.”

Game 2 is Monday night in Dallas.

Dallas allowed the first goal in 15 of its 18 playoff games last year, and gave up three power-play goals in a 5-4 win over the Wild just nine days earlier.

The Stars trailed for good only 5 1/2 minutes into the series when Ericksson Ek scored on a pass from Boldy to make it 1-0. Ericksson Ek added another power-play goal past Jake Oettinger in the third.

Even though the Stars have made the West final each of the past three seasons, they are 1-7 in Game 1s at home during that span.

“I don’t even know what the record was coming into it,” said Glen Gultzan, who returned last summer for his second stint as the Stars coach. “The first period was tight, they executed on the power play. But we couldn’t get our game going at all in the second. I thought that they certainly, to a man, were better than us.”

Kaprizov and Boldy, the first Wild teammates with 40 goals in the same season, scored during a three-goal surge in the first 6 1/2 minutes of the second period for a 4-0 lead. Ryan Hartman scored in between, after having the primary assist on Kaprizov's goal.

Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston both had 45 goals as the first Dallas teammates with 40 goals in the same season. They combined on the Stars' power-play goal with 4:50 left in the second, Robertson scoring on a back-hander after gathering a pass from Johnston.

Minnesota went with the 23-year-old Wallstedt in net over playoff-experienced Filip Gustavsson, who in his playoff debut three years ago had 51 saves in a 3-2 double-overtime win at Dallas.

“He’s done a lot so far,” Hughes said. “I think we’ve got a lot of belief in both of those guys, and to be honest I didn’t think about it for a second. ... We’ve got a lot of good pieces around here that keep everyone calm.”

Wallstedt's first NHL game was a 7-2 loss at Dallas in January 2024, but that was only one of five games he played for the Wild until this regular season, when he went 4-1 with a 1.82 goals-against average and .936 save percentage his last five starts. He also had four shutouts in a six-game span early this season.

The Wild still led only 1-0 with Dallas on the power play midway through the first period when Wallstedt, shielded and looking to the right of traffic, reached back to his left to make a glove save on a shot by Robertson.

Oettinger, who grew up about 30 miles from Minnesota's home arena, stopped 23 shots to open his 11th postseason series as the Stars starting goalie.

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Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is pending a physical.

The Giants now have the fifth and 10th picks in the first round. They’re heading into their first draft under new coach John Harbaugh after finishing 4-13 last season.

The Bengals paid a hefty price for the 28-year-old Lawrence, who asked for a trade because he wanted a new contract. He’s in the middle of a 4-year, $90 million extension signed in 2023.

Barring a trade, it’ll be the first time Cincinnati doesn’t have a first-round pick since 1989, when the Bengals traded the next-to-last pick in the draft (No. 27) to Atlanta for a second-round pick (No. 35), a fourth (No. 89) and a 10th (No. 256).

The 6-foot-4, 340-pound Lawrence had a career-high nine sacks in 2024, but only registered a half-sack last season. He made the Pro Bowl in 2022-24 and was a second-team Associated Press All-Pro in 2022 and 2023.

The Bengals ranked near the bottom in several defensive categories last season. They were 31st in yards allowed, 30th in points allowed and 30th against the run.

With Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins leading a dynamic offense, improving the defense was a must this offseason. Lawrence gives Cincinnati a proven star in the middle of the defensive line, though the cost was steep.

The Giants will be the 22nd team in the common draft era (since 1967) to have two top 10 picks and fifth in the last five years. They did it in 2022 with Kayvon Thibodeaux (fifth) and Evan Neal (seventh). The Bears took Caleb Williams first and Rome Odunze ninth in 2024. The Texans selected C.J. Stroud second and Will Anderson Jr. third in 2023. The Jets got Sauce Gardner fourth and Garrett Wilson 10th in 2022.

On Tuesday, Giants general manager Joe Schoen said the team was having productive talks with Lawrence’s camp.

“We’d like for Dexter to be here, and at some point we’ll come to a resolution here, whatever that may be,” Schoen said. “We’ll see. But conversations have been really good, they’ve been productive and we’ll see what happens here down the road.”

But owning two top 10 picks was too good to pass up.

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AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow and AP Sports Writers Joe Reedy and Stephen Whyno contributed.

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

Hoyos, who had been serving as club's sporting director, took over coaching duties after Javier Mascherano unexpectedly left the club due to personal reasons. Mascherano led Inter Miami to the 2025 MLS Cup title in his only full season with the club.

Messi, who opened the scoring when he converted a penalty kick in the 13th minute, scored the go-ahead goal in 79th minute. After a Colorado turnover near midfield, Messi cut back near the right corner of the penalty box and flicked a rising shot that split a pair of defenders and slipped inside the back post.

Messi has seven goal this season, tied with Sam Surridge and Petar Musa for most in MLS.

Miami (4-1-3) hasn't lost since a season-opening 3-0 defeat to Los Angeles FC.

Yannick Bright was shown a straight red car in the 87th minute and Miami played a man down the rest of the way.

The Rapids (4-4-0) had won back-to-back games and three of their last four

Bright drew a penalty conceded by Josh Atencio and Messi converted from the spot to open the scoring.

Mateo Silvetti, along the right end line, played an arcing cross to the back post where Berterame slammed home a header to make it 2-0 in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time.

Bertarame made his first career start and scored his first goal in MLS last time out in a 2-2 tie with the New York Red Bulls.

Rafael Navarro scored in the 58th minute for the Rapids. The 26-year-old forward scored two goals in a 6-2 win over Houston last time out and has six goals this season.

Darren Yapi subbed on for Hamzat Ojediran and, moments later, scored on the counter-attack to make it 2-2 in the 62nd minute.

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It was a discrepancy not lost on Minnesota coach Chris Finch.

“Well, the 16 free throws from Murray was a head scratcher,” Finch said after a 116-105 loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 of their first-round series Saturday. “I thought we played really good defense on him.”

Murray, though, begs to differ.

“I thought I got fouled on every single one of them,” Murray said after finishing with 30 points. “I don’t know what everybody’s talking about. Real fouls.”

By going 16 of 16, Murray earned a spot in the Nuggets' record book. It's the most free throws without a miss in a playoff game in team history, breaking the mark of 14 by Bryant Stith at Utah on May 17, 1994. It's the most free throws Murray has attempted in a game in his NBA career.

When his long-range jumper wasn't falling — he was 0 for 8 from the 3-point line — Murray simply took it closer to the hoop. He shot eight free throws in the second quarter alone.

“A lot of those ones in the second quarter, we were there,” Finch said. "We were physical. We were vertical. He initiates the contact, he spills away and then he gets rewarded for it.

“Sixteen free throws is a lot. It’s almost as many as we shot all game.”

Murray and Nikola Jokic were quite a 1-2 combo. Jokic finished with his 22nd playoff triple-double. He had 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Denver improved to 15-7 when Jokic has a triple-double in a postseason game.

It was Murray's show for much of the game. He also had seven assists and five rebounds in more than 39 minutes.

“He’s been so good all year,” said Nuggets coach David Adelman, whose team gears up for Game 2 on Monday night. "Jamal has been Jamal all year, tough-minded.”

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards is finding his stride, too, as he rounds back from a right knee injury. He had 22 points and seven assists in just over 38 minutes.

“It wasn’t the Ant we’re used to seeing, but is pretty much as expected in where he is in trying to find his rhythm,” Finch explained.

Edwards felt the same way.

“A little fatigued,” Edwards said. “Other than that I felt good."

Edwards was 6 of 7 from the foul line.

“Jamal helped them. He shot, what 19 — how many free throws did he shoot?” Edwards said, looking down at the stat sheet. “Sixteen for sixteen from the free-throw line. So that helped them a lot.”

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The Lexington Minutemen are marking the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington in Massachusetts on Saturday, as they do every year. Thousands of people — some in colonial costumes, gathered on the Lexington Green to witness the historic clash, many booing the British troops and cheering on the patriots. The battle, which marked the start of the American Revolution 251 years ago, ended with eight Americans killed and 10 wounded — the dead scattered on the grounds as the British marched off.

Among the soldiers represented there was Prince Estabrook, an enslaved man who joined his white neighbors on Lexington Green in April 19, 1775, as British troops approached. He was wounded that day but went on to serve in multiple deployments throughout the war.

“I wasn’t surprised that we didn’t know about it,” said Price, a 95-year-old Black Korean War veteran who played the role of Estabrook for 50 years. “I was surprised that there was one Black soldier out here.”

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Estabrook and other patriots of color are being celebrated through programs nationwide that aim to tell a more complete story of the birth of the nation.

Telling the whole story

Museum exhibits, documentary films and lectures have traditionally focused on the white leaders of the American Revolution, such as Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Paul Revere.

Christopher Brown, a British Empire historian at Columbia University, said the Revolution has long been portrayed as a “simple story and a moral story that celebrates American origins and that looks to the American past in a kind of idealized version of what the present is.”

But in recent decades, “a more accurate view of the past” has emerged that showcases the diverse collection of men and women who played critical roles in the fight for freedom.

“There were Black men in the ranks who were fighting in Concord and Lexington and fought on Bunker Hill,” he said. “They knew all of the work that women were doing to support the revolutionary effort. The fact that we didn’t know that is more of a sign of our lack of curiosity and the need for greater research.”

The National Park Service estimates that by the end of the Revolution more than 5,500 patriots of color — including Black and Indigenous people — served on the colonial side, while many runaway slaves fought for the British.

“Finding this out, I was very proud,” said Jason Roomes, a descendant of three formerly enslaved men from Rhode Island, Cato, Pero and Ceasar Rome. Roomes learned in his 40s all three Black men fought in the American Revolution for the colonial side.

“Proud that my family has been here and fought for the creation of this United States,” he said.

The stories of Black patriots cannot be told without mentioning slavery, which was legal at the time in all 13 Colonies. Some Blacks who fought were enslaved and others fought in the hopes of gaining freedom. Indigenous soldiers made similar calculations, even as tribes fought for their very survival.

But despite the documented military diversity of that time, efforts to promote such stories are under pressure. The Trump administration has ordered the removal or censorship of some exhibits highlighting the history of slavery and enslaved people, the Civil Rights Movement and the mistreatment of Indigenous people.

Roger Davidson, Jr. an associate professor of history at Bowie State University, said failure to recognize that important part of history can impact communities of color today.

“If you’re not seen as having contributed to society, to the military, to any of it, then people can sort of overlook you,” Davidson said. “It plays into, and I hate to put it this way, but it plays into some people’s biases. Why should we pay any attention to you in the present day, politically, socially, economically, if you have not contributed?”

Remembering patriots of color

MA250 has handed out millions of dollars in grants to commemorate the battles across Massachusetts that helped lead to America's independence. Among the beneficiaries is the Black Heritage Trail in Concord that highlights the lives of Black residents in the town during the Revolution.

Museum exhibitions celebrating Black patriots have also received grants. Among those highlighted is Crispus Attucks, a sailor of African and Indigenous ancestry who died on March 5, 1770, when British troops fired on a crowd in what is known as the Boston Massacre. Another, Salem Poor, was born enslaved but purchased his freedom before fighting at Bunker Hill.

American Ancestors, a nonprofit history and heritage center in Boston that also received MA250 funding, opens its “Patriots of Color” exhibit next week, throwing a spotlight on the lives of 26 Black and Indigenous men and women who played a role in the American Revolution. They include: Prince Ames, a Black and Narragansett man from Andover, who was forced to join the Continental Army in place of his enslaver; and Paul Cuffe, a Black and Wampanoag businessman, who petitioned the Massachusetts government to reject taxation without representation.

Some of their descendants will attend the opening of the exhibition.

“By telling these lesser known stories, we want to highlight that ordinary people made a tremendous difference in the arc of the country’s history,” Ryan Woods, president and CEO of American Ancestors, said.

The details of Estabrook’s life

Records about Prince Estabrook's life are scant, but according to the National Park Service, he was likely born in the Lexington area around 1740. His father was enslaved by landowner Benjamin Estabrook, so Prince was born into slavery.

It is unclear what his life was like before he trained as a soldier in the Lexington militia. The Park Service says he was serving under the command of Colonel John Parker on April 19, 1775, when his left shoulder was struck by a musket ball. He recovered from that injury and went on to serve eight years with the militia and the Continental Army.

After the Revolution, he was granted freedom and returned to Lexington, where tax records from 1790 indicate he joined Benjamin Estabrook’s payroll as ‘a non-white freeman.’ It is unclear if he ever married, had children or owned property.

According to family records, he died in 1830, around the age of 90, and was buried in the same cemetery as Benjamin's son, Nathan, in Ashby, Massachusetts.

Price, who has handed reenactment duties to a younger colleague but still attends the early morning reenactment every year, says it is important to know about the soldier's life.

“Keep the story alive to make sure that everybody knows, everybody that we can get in touch with, everybody knows that Prince Estabrook was here,” Price said. “He was a viable person. He did his role, he did his part in fighting for the country.”

Leo's arrival in Angola, the oil-and-mineral rich former Portuguese colony, marked the third leg of his four-nation African voyage. En route from Cameroon, he spoke again of the ongoing back-and-forth with U.S. President Donald Trump over the Iran war.

Leo, history’s first U.S.-born pope, said that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate Trump, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace, justice and brotherhood in Africa.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance later wrote on social media that “I am grateful to Pope Leo for saying this.” Vance, a Catholic convert, suggested earlier in the week that Leo “be careful” when speaking about theology.

In Angola, Leo met with President Joao Lourenco and delivered his first speech to Angolan government authorities, in which he referred repeatedly to Angola’s tortured history of colonial plunder and civil war.

“I desire to meet you in the spirit born of peace and to affirm that your people possess treasures that cannot be bought or stolen,” he said. "There dwells within you a joy that not even the most adverse circumstances have been able to extinguish.”

A long-suffering people

Angola, which has a population of around 38 million, gained independence from Portugal in 1975. But it still bears the scars of a devastating civil war that began straight after independence and raged on and off for 27 years before finally ending in 2002. More than a half-million people are believed to have been killed.

For years, the civil war was a Cold War proxy conflict, with the United States and apartheid South Africa backing one side and the Soviet Union and Cuba backing the other.

Angola is now the fourth-largest oil producer in Africa and among the world’s top 20 producers, according to the International Energy Agency. The country is also the world’s No. 3 diamond producer and has significant deposits of gold and highly sought after critical minerals.

But despite its varied natural resources, the World Bank estimated in 2023 that more than 30% of the population lived on less than $2.15 a day.

“You know well that all too often people have looked — and continue to look — to your lands in order to give, or, more commonly, in order to take,” Leo told the Angolan authorities.

The pontiff said: “It is necessary to break this cycle of interests, which reduces reality, and even life itself, to mere commodities.”

While in Cameroon, Leo had railed against the “chains of corruption” that were hindering development, as well as the “handful of tyrants” who were ravaging Earth with war and exploitation. He raised similar points in Angola.

“How much suffering, how many deaths, how many social and environmental disasters are brought about by this logic of extractivism! At every level, we see how it sustains a model of development that discriminates and excludes, while still presuming to impose itself as the only viable option.”

Jose Eduardo dos Santos, the late former president who led Angola for 38 years from 1979 to 2017, was accused of diverting billions of dollars of public money to his family, largely from the country’s oil revenue, as millions struggled in poverty.

After Lourenco took over as president, his administration estimated that at least $24 billion was stolen or misappropriated by dos Santos. Lourenco’s administration has vowed to crack down on corruption and has worked to recover funds allegedly stolen during the dos Santos era.

But critics note that Angola still has deep problems with corruption and have questioned if Lourenco’s actions were more aimed at political rivals so as to consolidate his power.

In his speech Saturday, Lourenco said that the Angolan government was committed to improving the lives of its people, but it was a “complex and difficult challenge.” He also called for an end to the Iran war and asked the pope to continue using his “moral authority” to push for peace and understanding among people.

A legacy of slavery

Angola, on the southwest coast of Africa, was considered to be the epicenter of the trans-Atlantic slave trade as a Portuguese colony. More than 5 million of the roughly 12.5 million enslaved Africans were sent across the ocean on ships departing from Angola, more than any other country, though not all of them were Angolans.

The highlight of Leo’s visit to Angola is expected to be his visit on Sunday to Muxima, south of Luanda. It’s a popular Catholic shrine in a country where around 58% of the population is Catholic.

The Church of Our Lady of Muxima was built by Portuguese colonizers at the end of the 16th century as part of a fortress complex and became a hub in the slave trade. It remains a reminder of the inextricable link hundreds of years ago between Roman Catholicism and the exploitation of the African continent.

Leo has Black and white ancestors who included both enslaved people and slave owners, according to genealogical research. He's going to Muxima to pray the rosary, in recognition of the site becoming a popular pilgrimage destination after believers reported an appearance by the Virgin Mary around 1833.

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Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.

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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.

After the game finished 2-2 following extra time, Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero saved shots by Alexander Sorloth and Julián Álvarez and Pablo Marín converted the last kick to clinch the shootout 4-3.

“It has been an unbelievable journey and my feeling is it could be just the beginning,” the 48-year-old Matarazzo said. “You visualize success, and you trust your players, but until you cross the line you don’t feel it. With that penalty I took a few moments to realize it, and it was pure joy for our players and staff.”

Sociedad needed 14 seconds and just three players to touch the ball directly after kickoff to take the lead through Ander Barrenetxea.

Ademola Lookman equalized for Diego Simeone’s side with a goal in the 19th minute, but a penalty by goalkeeper Juan Musso allowed Mikel Oyarzabal to restore Sociedad’s advantage in first-half injury time.

Álvarez stroked a shot into the right corner to make it 2-2 in the 83rd.

The New Jersey-born Matarazzo took over Sociedad in December when it was two points above the relegation zone in the Spanish league. Four months later, the Basque Country club has won the cup and is in the upper half of the La Liga table.

Atletico will now turn its focus to the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal staring later this month.

“We fought back from the 1-0 and 2-1 and had chances to win it. We can only congratulate our rival, which was more clinical at key moments,” said Simeone, who after a point-blank miss by Alex Baena in the final minutes went down on his hands and knees with his head briefly pressed to the turf.

Fastest goal in a cup final

Opta Statistics said Barrenetxea’s goal was the fastest ever in a Spanish cup final.

The opening goal against Atletico’s vaunted defense was about as simple as they come: ball to goalkeeper, long ball down the right flank, where Gonçalo Guedes was free to send in a cross for Ander Barrenetxea to head it home.

The sequence exposed a series of less-than-ideal defending. Neither Nahuel Molina nor Giuliano Simeone intercepted reachable balls; Matteo Ruggeri let the shorter Barrenetxea outjump him for the header; and goalkeeper Juan Musso perhaps could have made a more sprightly effort to stop the shot from bouncing past.

Lookman again proved the most-impactful winter signing by a Spanish side – his goal was his seventh for Atletico – when the former Atalanta forward received a pass from Antoine Griezmann just inside the area and sent a left-footed shot inside the post.

Oyarzabal went to the spot after Musso slammed into Guedes while disputing a high ball in the box. Oyarzabal lived up to his reputation as a penalty expert, slotting his try home. The Spain striker also scored a penalty for the only goal in the 2020 cup final against Athletic Bilbao.

Sociedad was in control and only minutes away from the title when Atletico finally mounted a good team move to unsettle Sociedad’s defense for the first time and set up Álvarez in the second half.

Goalies shine late

Musso made up for his earlier mistakes by making back-to-back saves in extra time. And Álvarez went close to netting a winner when he hit the woodwork in the 100th.

Otherwise, Atletico created several chances it couldn’t finish off to get the title-clinching goal.

Then it was Marrero’s turn to shine as he guessed right on the first two penalties by Atletico’s strikers before Marín fired his shot into the top corner.

“I knew that if we got to penalties, I believed in myself, my teammates believed in me, our fans believed in me,” the 24-year-old Marrero said before the winners received the trophy and medals from Spanish King Felipe VI.

“I still can’t believe it,” Marrero said. “The boy who dreamed about this since he was young has fulfilled his dream.”

Griezmann will now need to help steer Atletico past Arsenal in the European semifinals to have another shot at finishing his final season in Spain with a title before the club’s all-time leading scorer joins Orlando City in the MLS next season.

“We want to win the Champions League,” Atletico’s veteran midfielder Koke Resurrección said. “But tonight is a hard night. We will have time to think about the Champions League.”

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Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and a bloody nose in a physical game between the Northwest Division foes. There were 42 fouls called, along with an unsportsmanlike technical on Jaden McDaniels for pushing Jokic in the back and a technical on Nuggets coach David Adelman. Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon picked up late technical fouls, too.

Denver has won 13 straight since losing on March 18.

Murray, who was 0 for 8 from 3-point range, and the Nuggets trailed by as many as 12 points early, but used a 17-2 run in the third quarter to build a double-digit lead. The Timberwolves, who were held scoreless for more than four minutes at one point in the third, trimmed the deficit to 97-95 with 6:23 left.

Jokic had a five-point stretch to help hold off Minnesota. Murray had one of the biggest shots of the game from halfcourt. With the shot clocking winding down, he heaved it at the hoop and it grazed the rim to reset the clock. It eventually led to a dunk from Gordon that gave Denver a 108-101 lead with 1:50 left. Gordon had 17 points despite early foul trouble.

“Winning a grimy game, it's good,” Adelman said. “Both teams are experienced and used to winning these games. They know what it means to play in a physical matchup.”

Game 2 is Monday night.

Anthony Edwards scored 22 points while playing on a sore right knee. He also had seven assists to become the franchise's career postseason assists leader. Donte DiVincenzo had four 3-pointers.

“We’ve got to make smarter, more solid plays,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. ”We've got to be more composed."

These teams are so evenly matched that the Nuggets lead 15-14 in regular-season and playoff matchups since the 2022-23 season. Both have won a playoff series against each other during the stretch.

The first quarter featured two challenges, a technical foul on Adelman and a flagrant on McDaniels for not giving Murray enough room to land on a long jumper. It also saw Gordon pick up three fouls, with his third on an offensive call that led to Adelman's technical.

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Fitzpatrick felt he was playing well enough there was no need to panic.

One big swing with the driver, two shots holed from off the green — for birdie and eagle — and Fitzpatrick steadied himself for a 3-under 68 to lead Scheffler by three shots going into Sunday.

Scheffler opened with five birdies in six holes to get back in the tournament, and he closed with two birdies on the last two holes for a 64 that put him in the final group Sunday.

“The bogeys that I made today, I didn’t feel like I kind of hit it off the planet and I was scrambling and stuff,” Fitzpatrick said. “I just felt that they were holes that I didn’t really make my par on, and I felt like I was making good enough swings to make a turnaround on the back nine. Obviously, some nice momentum with the hole-outs.”

Scheffler finished by smashing a 9-iron from 196 with the wind at his back to 10 feet that briefly tied Fitzpatrick for the lead, just not for long.

Fitzpatrick rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt from off the green at the par-3 14th. He was right of the green on the par-5 15th and chipped in for eagle to restore the margin to three shots.

Fitzpatrick, the 2023 winner of the RBC Heritage, closed with three pars to reach 17-under 196.

He started another warm, breezy day with a one-shot lead over Viktor Hovland (73), four clear of everyone else. Fitzpatrick goes into the final round with four players within four shots of the lead, starting with the No. 1 player in the world.

“Good to be back in the tournament,” Scheffler said. “I was a little bit behind the 8-ball going into today, but had a nice round to put myself back in position.”

So did Brian Harman, who recovered from a slow start for the second straight week. The former British Open champion opened with a 71 and had his best score ever at Harbour Town with a 63 that left him four behind along with Si Woo Kim (66) and Sepp Straka (67).

Even before Fitzpatrick teed off, Scheffler was making a move — a pair of birdies in the 6-foot range, a pair of birdies from the greenside bunkers on the par 5s and a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 6.

“It felt like I had already gotten myself into contention there,” Scheffler said, figuring the last group had not even started.

Fitzpatrick went long on the first hole and left and long on the third, both times failing to save par. He made another bogey on the par-3 seventh, and by then an entire cast of contenders were back in the tournament.

Scheffler, Harman and Kim each had at least a share of the lead at one point. Harman closed out his round by holing a bunker shot on the par-3 17th.

“Just tried to keep the pedal down. It’s going to take a low number to win,” Harman said.

But it started to turn for Fitzpatrick when he ripped driver on the 315-yard ninth, the ball landing on the front of the bunker and hopping onto the green to about 75 feet away, leading to a two-putt birdie. Three holes later, he converted a 10-foot birdie putt and was on his way.

Scheffler and Fitzpatrick played together the opening two rounds, and the Englishman put seven shots between them to the 36-hole lead.

Scheffler, coming off a runner-up finish in the Masters, figured he would need one of his best rounds to at least have a chance. He also needed a little help. His 64 was the best score of the 14 players ahead of him, and all but three of those players did no better than 68.

“Fitzpatrick goes out today and shoots 64, that’s going to make things really hard for me,” Scheffler said. "You need a tiny bit of help, but I can’t control what those guys are going to do. If somebody shows up and shoots 28 under on this golf course, sometimes you just get beat.

“So going into today I was just going to do my best and see where that left me.”

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The HC-130 Hercules crew saw the vessel early in the day about 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers) northeast of the Mariana’s last known position, the Coast Guard said. It was 34 nautical miles (63 kilometers) northeast of Pagan, a small island north of Saipan in the western Pacific Ocean.

The agency said in a statement that it confirmed the overturned ship matched the description of the Mariana, a 145-foot (44-meter) dry cargo vessel registered in the U.S.

The Mariana suffered engine failure Wednesday as a massive typhoon bore down on Saipan and nearby islands with fierce winds and relentless rain. After the crew reported that the boat had lost its starboard engine and needed assistance, the Coast Guard set up a one-hour communication schedule with the vessel.

But contact was lost Thursday. A HC-130 plane launched that morning to conduct a search, but it returned to Guam due to heavy winds.

The Mariana's last known position was about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north-northwest of Saipan, which is about 3,800 miles (6,115 kilometers) west of Hawaii.

Coast Guard officials in Honolulu were gathering information on the capsized ship, the agency said in a statement.

The guard did not know the nationalities of the Mariana's missing crew members.

A U.S. Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon crew; a Coast Guard cutter; and a Japanese coast guard aircrew and vessel equipped with a specialized dive team were to take part in the search.

Typhoon Sinlaku triggered floods, tore off roofs and overturned cars on Saipan. Officials said the storm’s large size meant that the island endured roughly 48 hours of fierce winds, which delayed responders’ ability to assess damage and help communities.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit late Friday put on temporary hold the order by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon halting part of the project. The panel scheduled a hearing for June 5 to review the case.

In his ruling Thursday, Leon continued to block above-ground construction of the 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom addition while allowing only below-ground work to continue on a bunker and other “national security facilities” at the site.

Trump tore down the East Wing last fall to build the massive ballroom in that space. The National Trust for Historic Preservation later sued to block construction, arguing that Trump had overstepped his authority by moving forward with the project without first getting approval from key federal agencies and Congress.

Leon ruled in favor of the nonprofit group at the end of March, but put his decision on hold for a brief period while allowing the underground work to continue. The administration appealed.

Trump has said the ballroom is a long-overdue addition to the White House complex and argues that he has the right to build it because the cost will be covered by donations from wealthy individuals and corporations, though taxpayer dollars will pay for the security aspects.

But even with the deeper roster, Mitchell still has the mentality of delivering the statement in the first game of a series.

The All-Star guard did that again Saturday afternoon with a game-high 32 points in the Cavaliers' 126-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

It is an NBA-record nine straight games in which Mitchell has scored at least 30 points in a series opener.

“It’s not something like I’m searching for,” said Mitchell of trying to put up at least 30 to start a series. “It’s just something that I’m playing my game. Just trying to set a tone of aggression by getting downhill, taking the open shots, taking what’s given to me and obviously making the defense have to react.”

Mitchell’s streak began with the Utah Jazz during the 2020 playoffs — held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, during the COVID-19 pandemic — when he scored 57 points against the Denver Nuggets. That remains a Jazz playoff record and the third-highest-scoring performance in NBA postseason history.

Mitchell is 5-4 during this run in series openers, including 3-3 with Cleveland since coming over in a trade from Utah in September 2022.

James Harden, who was acquired from the LA Clippers in a trade-deadline shocker, helped settle the Cavaliers during a close first half, but it was Mitchell and Max Strus who helped deliver the knockout blows to the Raptors in the second half.

Mitchell had 13 points in the first half to Harden's 15 as the Cavaliers were up 61-54 at halftime. Mitchell scored 11 and Strus added eight as Cleveland dominated the third quarter and were up by 21 going into the final 12 minutes.

“That’s his job. That’s what he gets paid the big bucks for being aggressive, taking shots and doing his thing. We understand that, so our job is to just go out there and fulfill the roles and do other things to impact the game,” Harden said. “I think for me, it's trying to get more assists and trying to get into the paint. We've got shooting, we've got bigs who are versatile and athletic. My job is to get them the ball.”

Harden finished with 22 points and 10 assists that led to 23 points. Six of the assists went to center Jarrett Allen and forward Evan Mobley.

Mitchell's 30th point came on a driving layup with 9:28 remaining to extend Cleveland's lead to 106-84. The nine-year veteran shot 7 of 13 from inside the paint, which is something that pleased coach Kenny Atkinson.

“I said that before the game, how we’ve changed our mindset where we’ve become more rim- and paint-oriented. Don, he can try to do those pirouette 3s, but I think he was locked in on getting to the rim and made some really good decisions," Atkinson said.

Mitchell is averaging 33.1 points in series openers, second-highest in NBA history for a player who has taken part in at least 10 postseason series. His playoff average of 28.4 points is tied with LeBron James for sixth-best among players with at least 50 games.

“I thought we handled the environment and the crowd pretty well. They had a lot of guys scoring at a high rate and they got a lot of easy shots, getting to the rim and dunks," said Toronto's Scottie Barnes, who scored 21 points.

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Brevard County Mosquito Control, along with other county and state partners, hosted the event from April 16 through April 18, offering residents a free way to dispose of unwanted tires.

Officials say the effort targets a major public health concern: discarded tires that collect standing water and create ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes that can carry diseases such as dengue fever.

“All that water in there is perfect breeding ground for the mosquitoes, which is exactly what Brevard County doesn’t want,” said Mosquito Control Director Joseph Faella.

Faella said many of the tires collected come from residential properties, including yards and garages, but can become a problem when left outdoors.

“A lot of times it’s just the tires that they’ve had in their yard, maybe in the garage. But what we don’t want is for them to wind up outside breeding mosquitoes,” Faella said. “Mosquitoes have the opportunity to lay eggs in those tires. So by pulling them over here, we can get them out of the neighborhoods.”

Residents who took part in the event said removing old tires helps protect both people and pets.

“All the rainwater and the tires filling up and the mosquitoes — it’s not safe for us or the dog,” one resident said.

Officials said the collected tires are treated to kill mosquito larvae before being transported to the landfill.

By the end of the event, mosquito control officials said more than 2,500 tires were collected across two Brevard County locations over the three-day period.

The effort wasn’t limited to Brevard. Volusia County Mosquito Control Division also hosted a drive-thru Tire Amnesty event Saturday in New Smyrna Beach, allowing residents to quickly and safely dispose of unwanted tires at no cost.

Brevard County officials said residents can still dispose of up to four tires for free at the county landfill. Tires must be off the rim and properly prepared for drop-off as part of ongoing county waste management and mosquito prevention efforts.

No deaths were reported following Friday's storms, which barreled through the Upper Midwest and delivered the latest round of severe weather to batter the region. Officials braced residents for a long recovery in some rural communities.

“We are extremely fortunate that this storm did not result in loss of life or serious injury,” Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall said of the storm that hit Lena, Illinois.

Officials in Wisconsin and Minnesota echoed those sentiments.

In central Wisconsin, a reported tornado that tore through the cities of Kronenwetter and Ringle left behind damaged homes and some residents briefly trapped in their basements, Ringle Fire Chief Chris Kielman told reporters.

Marathon County Sheriff Chad Billeb said he had not seen this much devastation during his 34 years in law enforcement.

“A lot of people are going to need a lot of help,” Billeb said.

In Kronenwetter, neighbors were helping each other clear debris from their properties, and Wisconsin Public Service was working to restore power. Police Chief Terry McHugh said it could be a lengthy process.

He noted that the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin has partnered with United Way of Marathon County to help residents whose homes were damaged.

In Olmsted County, Minnesota, sheriff's officials said tornadoes caused “multiple levels” of damage. At least 30 homes were damaged in Marion Township, with a number of those sustaining damage that was described as significant. Officials went door to door to check on people.

The National Weather Service said the damage was likely caused by tornadoes and surveys of the affected areas would be conducted over the weekend.

On Friday in Illinois, Leo Zach, 14, had just gotten to the high school band room for a music competition when the building started shaking and the power went out. The room was packed with students, and some were very scared and had panic attacks.

“I’m definitely on the luckier side of how that could’ve happened,” he said. “I was just trying to stay calm, help other people.”

When they got outside, they found some of the windows blown out in the gym and part of the school's roof ripped off.

Photos and video posted online showed a garage totaled, bricks torn from buildings and fences demolished.

Lena is a village of nearly 3,000 people, located about 117 miles (188 kilometers) northwest of Chicago.

Rachel Nemon was going to pick up her stepson from Lena's middle school when she had to pull into a car wash to take cover from the storm. She watched a large tree get ripped from the ground and sparks fly feet in front of her.

“This is something that you see online, not in real life, especially in a small town in Illinois,” she said.

The meeting comes as Mamdani, a democratic socialist who marked his 100th day in office just over a week ago, is also trying to build a working relationship with Republican President Donald Trump.

Obama and Mamdani did not take questions after reading the book “Alone and Together” to the children and leading a singalong of “The Wheels on the Bus.”

The former two-term president and standard-bearer for the Democratic Party has offered to be a sounding board for Mamdani, 34, whose star power, youth and progressive agenda has made him stand out in Democratic politics.

Mamdani took office in January after a campaign centered on making New York City a more affordable place to live, centering his agenda on refocusing the vast power of government toward helping the city’s struggling working class.

Mamdani has met twice with Trump at the White House in November and February to discuss issues affecting New York.

Despite those friendly meetings, their relationship has shown signs of strain recently, with Trump posting on social media Thursday that Mamdani was “DESTROYING New York” with his taxing policies and threatened to pull federal funding for the city.

It was a disappointing Saturday for the two London giants in the Premier League, starting with Tottenham conceding an equalizer deep into stoppage time to draw 2-2 with Brighton.

That kept Spurs, ever-presents in England's top flight since 1978, in third-to-last place and in grave danger of relegation with five games left.

Chelsea then lost 1-0 at home to Manchester United in a showdown between teams fighting for a place in the top five and therefore Champions League qualification. Matheus Cunha scored the only goal.

While United strengthened its grip on third place, Chelsea stayed in sixth and is looking increasingly unlikely to get back into Europe's top competition next season. That would be a huge financial blow to Chelsea's American ownership which has spent heavily to build an underperforming playing squad.

Tottenham still winless in 2026

Tottenham is still without a win in the Premier League in 2026 — a stretch of 15 matches. That's a remarkable run for one of the country's so-called “Big Six” which played in the Champions League this season as the reigning Europa League winner.

Yet Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi still believes his team is capable of winning all of its remaining games and staying up.

“Now it's difficult to hear my words,” he said, "but if you watch the players and analyze the level of the players, I think we can win five games in a row.

“Not to be arrogant because I am not arrogant, especially now, but we have the quality enough to fight and win games in a row.”

Georginio Rutter's late equalizer for Brighton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium meant last-place Wolverhampton's impending relegation was put off for bit longer. However, Wolves are destined for the drop, with their 3-0 loss at Leeds meaning they are 15 points from safety with five matches remaining.

Xavi Simons looked as if he'd won the game for Tottenham when he cut inside and curled a finish into the top corner in the 77th minute, sparking joyous celebrations by newly hired manager Roberto De Zerbi. The Italian, formerly Brighton's manager, was taking charge of his second game and first at home.

Earlier, Pedro Porro gave Tottenham the lead with a 39th-minute header, before Kaoru Mitoma volleyed home an equalizer in first-half stoppage time.

Tottenham is a point behind West Ham, which visits Crystal Palace on Monday, and two behind Nottingham Forest, which hosts Burnley on Sunday.

Wolves have been in the Premier League for the past eight seasons but are now on the brink.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted a stoppage-time penalty to round off the win for Leeds after early goals by James Justin — with a bicycle kick — and Noah Okafor.

Leeds is eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Fernandes nears assist record

Man United moved 10 points clear of Chelsea and looks certain to qualify for the Champions League after a big win sealed despite not having four center backs available.

Cunha converted a cut-back from Bruno Fernandes, who now has 18 assists for the campaign — two off the Premier League record held jointly by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry.

Chelsea was without Joao Pedro, who was injured in training this week, and lost Estevao to an injury midway through the first half.

Chelsea has lost its last three league games and five of its last six games in all competitions, piling the heat on inexperienced manager Liam Rosenior.

“At the moment, any small mistake we are making and the ball ends up in the back of our net,” Rosenior said, “and that has to change.”

Howe under more pressure afte

r latest Newcastle loss

Newcastle's players were jeered after a 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth, the team's third straight defeat in the Premier League.

It left Newcastle in 14th place in the 20-team top flight with five games remaining of the campaign and manager Eddie Howe under increasing pressure.

Adrien Truffert grabbed the winner in the 85th minute as eighth-place Bournemouth extended its unbeaten run to 13 straight league matches.

Brentford's fifth straight draw

Brentford failed to boost its unlikely Champions League qualification hopes by drawing a fifth straight game in the Premier League, this time 0-0 at home to Fulham.

Brentford could have climbed above Chelsea, which plays Manchester United later, and into sixth place with a win but missed a slew of chances. Top scorer Igor Thiago hit the goal frame.

Leicester heading for third tier

Ten years after winning the Premier League, Leicester looks to be heading to the third tier of English soccer.

A 1-0 loss at Portsmouth on Saturday left Leicester in second-to-last place in the Championship, eight points from safety with just three games left.

Wrexham, the Welsh club owned by Hollywood celebrities, moved just two points off the playoff places with a 2-0 win over Stoke.

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James Harden had 22 points and 10 assists while Evan Mobley had 17 and seven rebounds for fourth-seeded Cleveland, which hosts Game 2 on Monday night.

It was a playoff career high in points for Strus, who missed the first 67 games this season with a broken left foot that occurred during offseason training.

“When you see the work he’s put in all season, it’s for this moment, right? This is a regular occurrence with Max, maybe not 24 (points), but just the energy level and boost he gives us,” said Mitchell, who has scored at least 30 points in an NBA-record nine straight series openers. “You give him credit for his journey, it can be a lot on the mental for him to continue to stick with it.”

RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Scottie Barnes had 21 for the Raptors, who were playing in their first playoff game since 2022. Toronto was missing point guard Immanuel Quickley because of a mild right hamstring strain.

Jamal Shead started in place of Quickley and had 17 points, including five 3-pointers.

Barrett's 3-pointer pulled the Raptors to within 45-41 before Cleveland broke it open with a 27-9 run over the last 1:11 of the second quarter and first seven minutes of the third.

Strus scored 11 points during the spurt and made all three of his 3-pointers as the Cavaliers went 10 of 16 from the floor, including 5 of 8 beyond the arc.

“We just kept saying in the timeouts (during the first half to) stay with it. We’re going to get separation,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We needed that separation for our confidence. Going into halftime if you are down, it’s a harder conversation with the players to trust what we’re doing.”

Cleveland's largest lead was 24 points (100-76) on Sam Merrill's 3-pointer 13 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Toronto came into the game averaging a league-leading 18.9 points per game, but Cleveland held them to a season-low three.

“If we allow our opponent to score 126 points, it’s going to be tough to beat them," Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. "Unfortunately, we had a very bad start to the third quarter with lack of execution. We were way too stagnant tonight.”

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She’s 48 years old, works at a hospital, describes herself as a conservative and voted for Trump in the last election. But that doesn't mean she's going to vote out her Republican state senator just because he defied the president's demand to redraw Indiana's congressional map.

“I’m not going to say that ‘because this is what the president wants, this is how I’m going to vote,’" Wise said from her front step on a sunny, springtime afternoon.

Indiana's primary on May 5 has become an unlikely test of Trump's grip on the Republican Party. After state senators defied White House pressure by opposing redistricting, Trump has endorsed seven primary challengers in races that rarely attract any attention from Washington.

The campaign, backed by national organizations such as Turning Point Action and pro-Trump groups that have spent more than $4.2 million on advertising, has no precedent in recent memory. Gov. Mike Braun and U.S. Sen Jim Banks, both Republicans, are also working against incumbent state senators in a display of deference to Trump.

One of their targets is Spencer Deery, a first-term state senator who knocked on Wise's door while canvassing her West Lafayette neighborhood via electric scooter.

“This is about one thing only,” he told The Associated Press. “And that’s control.”

An avalanche of campaign spending

Deery represents the 23rd Senate District, a seven-county swath of farmland that borders Illinois to the west, runs north to West Lafayette and touches the outskirts of Terre Haute to the south.

Four years ago, Deery's campaign spent $142,000 to win his seat in a race where fewer than 11,000 people voted. One of the primary candidates he defeated was Paula Copenhaver, a veteran Republican activist and local party chair.

Now Trump has endorsed Copenhaver, an aide to Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, and Deery is facing a nearly $1 million avalanche of spending. One television advertisement declared that “State Sen. Spencer Deary voted against President Trump’s agenda.”

“It’s about sending a message that any state that does not get in line or any lawmakers that do not get in line with the political forces in D.C. should be on the lookout,” Deery said. “That should concern you in a constitutional democracy.”

Deery has spent $167,000 so far, and he hasn't had any help from outside groups.

A Trump-backed opponent

Copenhaver declined to respond to telephone calls and text messages from The Associated Press after originally saying she was willing to discuss the campaign. Trump endorsed her in January by calling her a “MAGA Warrior” — a reference to Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement — and “a terrific Candidate for Indiana’s 23rd State Senate District.”

He wrote on social media that Copenhaver was “running against an incompetent and ineffective RINO incumbent named Spencer Deery who, for whatever reason, betrayed his voters by voting against Redistricting in Indiana.” RINO means “Republican in name only.”

The White House leaned heavily on Indiana lawmakers last year to break with precedent and adopt a new congressional map, part of an unusual nationwide cascade of redistricting that Trump hopes will help Republicans protect their thin U.S. House majority in November's elections. Vice President JD Vance met with Indiana politicians in Washington and Indianapolis, and Trump weighed in by conference call.

Some opponents of the proposal faced threats. Deery was targeted by a false police report intended to provoke a dangerous situation by sending a SWAT team racing to his home.

But the Republican-controlled state Senate voted against redistricting in December, a defeat for the president.

Trump tried to brush it off afterward, telling reporters in the Oval Office that “I wasn't working on it very hard.”

Making the rounds on the campaign trail

As Deery moved from door to door in the neatly manicured suburb at the edge of a clover field in northwest West Lafayette, a pair of motorcyclists out on a Saturday ride stopped to encourage him.

“I wanted to thank you for having the courage to vote against the redistricting,” one of them said.

Annette and Curtis Williams politely chatted with Deery at their door. Curtis said Trump’s threat to unseat Deery is “inappropriate.” Neither he nor his wife would say how they planned to vote.

Beckie Eikenberg, a quality assurance associate at an Indiana pharmaceutical company, has seen the advertisements targeting Deery, but she does not trust them. The 47-year-old who calls herself “libertarian on the conservative side,” spoke with the state senator at the end of her cul-de-sac.

She voted for Trump but wrinkled her brow when asked if the president should have a say in Indiana’s congressional map.

“He doesn’t necessarily know what’s going on within our state. He’s not here. He doesn’t see the day to day,” she said.

Governor stays allied with Trump

The campaign to oust incumbents is also intended to dislodge Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Rodrick Bray, who helped block redistricting and has faced criticism from Trump.

Bray is not up for reelection this year, but Braun wanted primary challengers to commit to opposing him as Senate leader, according to three people familiar with the demand. The people were not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump political aides said they were monitoring the campaigns. Representatives for Banks, the U.S. senator allied with the White House, did not return messages seeking comment.

Braun, the Republican governor, said he is backing the primary challengers not because of redistricting but because he needs help to advance his agenda. For example, he was at odds with Bray over property taxes earlier in his term.

Braun is putting $500,000 from his political action committee into state Senate races.

“Whether you supported this or that, my goal is to get enterprising senators and representatives,” Braun said Monday. “So when it comes to what you do to either support or not support certain legislators, for me, it’s going to mostly be based on, ‘Are you willing to help me take Indiana into places that all states would want to be?’”

One of Braun's predecessors is working against him in the primary. Former Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican who stepped away from politics after leaving office in 2015, has been quietly working to protect incumbents targeted by Trump.

Daniels recorded a video and helped raise money for Deery, who was chief of staff to the former governor when he became president of Purdue University.

Deery said his vote against redistricting was not about defying Trump or the president's allies.

“I don’t work for them,” Deery said. “I work for my voters, my constituents.”

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Associated Press videojournalist Obed Lamy in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

“I actually wasn’t arguing,” Quatraro said. “I was just trying to get some clarification. We’ve been told that if the pitcher’s on the rubber, he’s about to start and then he goes to touch the PitchCom, it should be a balk because it’s essentially doing starting and stopping twice.

“That’s what I was trying to get some clarification on. So, I was not out there to get ejected, but that’s the way it ended up."

After Maikel Garcia was stranded at second base and nearly picked off, Quatraro raced out to start arguing with Ceja and Chris Guccione as the Royals took the field.

“They said it wasn’t a balk,” Quatraro said. “Their interpretation of it was that it was not a balk.”

The argument did not appear heated initially, but when Quatraro turned away he was tossed. Bench coach Paul Hoover took over as manager for Kansas City.

“It's just a difference in how different crews interpret it and how they call it,” Quatraro said.

It was Quatraro’s eighth career ejection since becoming Kansas City’s manager in 2023.

After Quatraro was tossed, the Royals lost their sixth straight and for the ninth time in 11 games.

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The strait is closed until the U.S. blockade is lifted, Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy said Saturday night, warning that “no vessel should make any movement from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, and approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered as cooperation with the enemy” and be targeted.

New attacks on the strait, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil normally passes, threatened to deepen the global energy crisis and push the countries into renewed conflict as the war entered its eighth week.

A fragile ceasefire is due to run out by Wednesday. Iran said it had received new proposals from the United States, and Pakistani mediators were working to arrange another round of direct negotiations.

Iran’s joint military command earlier said “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces.”

Revolutionary Guard gunboats opened fire on a tanker and an unknown projectile hit a container vessel, damaging some containers, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. India's foreign ministry said it summoned Iran's ambassador over the “serious incident” of firing on two India-flagged merchant ships, especially after Iran earlier let several India-bound ships through.

For Iran, the strait's closure — imposed after the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28 during talks over Tehran's nuclear program — is perhaps its most powerful weapon, threatening the world economy and inflicting political pain on President Donald Trump. For the United States, the blockade keeps up pressure and could strangle Iran's already weakened economy.

Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued defiant remarks on Saturday, saying the navy stands “ready to inflict bitter defeats on its enemies.” He has not been seen in public since being elevated to the post following his father's death in Israel’s opening barrage.

A turnaround a day after Iran said the strait was open

On Friday, Iran announced the strait's reopening to commercial vessels after a 10-day truce was announced between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. The reopening caused oil prices to fall.

Trump, however, said the U.S. blockade of Iran's ports “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the United States. Trump had imposed the blockade after a round of historic face-to-face talks in Pakistan between the countries ended without an agreement.

U.S. forces have sent 23 ships back to Iran since the blockade began on Monday, U.S. Central Command said Saturday. Trump's comments triggered an outcry.

“Americans are risking the international community, risking the global economy through these, I can say, miscalculations,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told The Associated Press, adding that the U.S. is “risking the whole ceasefire package.”

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a statement calling the blockade a violation of the ceasefire and said Iran would prevent “any conditional and limited reopening” of the strait. The council has recently acted as Iran’s de facto top decision-making body.

Since most supplies to U.S. military bases in the Gulf region come through the strait, “Iran is determined to maintain oversight and control over traffic through the strait until the war fully ends,” the council said. That means Iran-designated routes, payment of fees and issuance of transit certificates.

The Revolutionary Guard navy statement later indicated that no vessel should attempt a transit at all.

Pakistan pushes for progress toward a new deal

The renewed standoff over the strait came hours after Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country was working to “bridge” differences between the U.S. and Iran. Pakistan is expected to host a second round of negotiations early next week.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said “new proposals” from the U.S. had been put forward during a visit to Iran by Pakistan’s army chief and were being reviewed.

But Khatibzadeh said the Iranians were not ready for a new round of face-to-face talks because the Americans “have not abandoned their maximalist position.”

He also said Iran will not hand over its stock of 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium to the United States, calling the idea “a nonstarter.” Khatibzadeh did not address other proposals for the enriched uranium, saying only that “we are ready to address any concerns.”

Trump said Saturday that Iran “got a little cute” but that “very good” conversations were happening, and more information would come by day's end. “They can’t blackmail us,” he added.

On Friday, Trump said the U.S. will go into Iran and “get all the nuclear dust,” referring to the enriched uranium, which is believed to be buried under nuclear sites badly damaged by U.S. military strikes last year.

French peacekeeper is killed in Lebanon

French President Emmanuel Macron said a French soldier was killed and three others were wounded Saturday during an attack on U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. “Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah,” Macron wrote on social media. The UNIFIL peacekeeping force also blamed Hezbollah.

Hezbollah denied involvement.

Pakistan's foreign minister said fighting between Israel and Hezbollah had been a key sticking point in U.S.-Iran talks, and the declaration of a ceasefire in Lebanon was seen as a boost to efforts for an Iran agreement.

It was unclear to what extent Hezbollah would abide by a truce it didn't play a role in negotiating, especially with Israeli troops still occupying a stretch of southern Lebanon.

In Beirut, displaced families began moving toward southern Lebanon and the capital's southern suburbs despite warnings by officials not to return home until it was clear whether the ceasefire would hold.

The Iran war has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,290 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed.

__ Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Suzan Frazer and Andrew Wilks in Antalya, Turkey, contributed to this report.

The head of the International Energy Agency has warned that European countries could run low on jet fuel within weeks, forcing the continent's airlines and carriers that fly to Europe to significantly reduce flights. Many airlines have already raised checked bag fees or added fuel surcharges as the global price of jet fuel increased from about $99 per barrel at the end of February to as high as $209 a barrel at the beginning of April.

In a sign of the conflict’s ongoing repercussions for travel, Air Canada said Friday it planned to suspend its service to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from June 1 until Oct. 25 to lower its fuel costs. Other airlines, ranging from U.S. carriers like United and Delta to Air France-KLM, SAS, Philippine Airlines and and Cathay Pacific in Europe and Asia, have reduced routes and either increased ticket prices or said they would hike them if the war keeps oil from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

“It’s very hard for the airlines to make predictions in this environment, so they’re going to be conservative, and that’s why it’s likely that their prices will remain elevated for some time until things really stabilize,” said Shye Gilad, a former airline captain who now teaches at Georgetown University’s business school.

With airfares and fees on the rise, consumers still can make choices that determine how much of their travel budgets will get taken up by paying to get to and from their destinations.

Act quickly

While consumers may be tempted to see if the war ends before buying airline tickets, the “wait-and-see" approach to booking flights is riskier this year, travel experts say, especially the longer the war goes on and the closer to summer and other peak travel periods it gets.

“Presuming there is a lasting ceasefire — or better yet, peace agreement — it will take a few months for normal levels of jet fuel production and delivery to resume,” airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, said.

Iran's reversal on Saturday of its decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and President Donald Trump's insistence on maintaining a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports illustrated the shakiness of prospects for oil flowing reliably again from the Persian Gulf and with it, an easing of the price pressure on airlines and their customers.

“My advice to travelers is this: If you find a flight whose schedule fits yours, with a fare you can afford, and on an airline you can at least tolerate, book it,” Harteveldt said. “But — and I cannot emphasize this enough —do not book a Basic Economy fare,” the cheapest but also the most restrictive airline ticket class.

Along with charging for checked bags and seat selection, most North American airlines do not give refunds or travel credits to passengers with Basic Economy tickets if they don't cancel their trips within 24 hours of purchase. Policies may vary, but spending more for a Standard Economy ticket provides more flexibility, according to Harteveldt.

Paying more up-front for a refundable ticket also prove advantageous because “if the prices start to dramatically change, you can cancel and rebook for the better price,” Gilad said.

Travel experts say that for now, longstanding booking guidance offers a baseline for how early to reserve a flight to get the lowest airfare: international flights are typically the cheapest about two to five months in advance, and domestic trips about three to six weeks out.

Last-minute bookings and other situations that typically command higher prices are likely to keep climbing, Gilad said.

“Remember, especially if you’re traveling on the major airlines, they’re going to have more ability to adjust fares. If you book too close to your travel date, you’re going to pay more," he said. "The farther out you can book, the better.”

Keep an open mind

Travelers who don't want or need to reach a specific place at a specific time can find it easier to save on airfare. Shifting departure or return dates by a day or two — especially from peak weekends and holidays to midweek — often yields big price differences.

Choosing a different destination also may pay off. A flight from the U.S. may be significantly cheaper to one European city than another. Since budget airlines and trains connect much of Europe, and trains, an airport it cost less to get to can still provide easy access to a lot of other places.

Consumers not set on a certain arrival destination can try tools like Skyscanner’s “Explore Everywhere” feature to look for less-expensive options.

Looking beyond the closest airport for departures also can make a meaningful difference. Major hubs tend to offer more flights and lower fares than smaller regional airports.

In some cases, booking a separate short flight or train to a hub will unlock a cheaper long-haul airfare — think Milwaukee versus Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Travel light

Sticking to a carry-on bag, when possible, can help avoid the higher fees for checking luggage that many major U.S. airlines introduced recently, including Delta, American, United, Southwest and JetBlue.

If packing light is not an option, plan ahead because airlines typically charge more to add bags closer to departure, especially within 24 hours of a flight.

Redeem your points

While fares are going up, the number of airline points needed for many flights has not increased at the same pace, said Adam Morvitz, CEO of points.me, a loyalty rewards redemption search platform.

Airlines still need to fill seats, Morvitz said, and offering more of them for fewer points is one way to do it.

Customers without enough frequent-flyer miles or credit card points for a round-trip ticket still can redeem their travel rewards for one leg of a journey and free up cash for other travel expenses.

Many travelers redeem points directly through their credit card’s booking portal, where they’re typically worth about 1 cent each, Morvitz said. Transferring points to airline loyalty programs often unlocks significantly better value because most major credit card issuers partner with a range of airlines.

Take American Express, whose points can be transferred to Air France’s Flying Blue program. Travelers who don’t want to book with Air France still can use those points with the airline's partner carriers, such as Delta, Morvitz said.

“Points are a form of wealth, and consumers should recognize that those points increase spending power," he said.

Explore travel credit cards

For those new to travel credit cards, sign-up bonuses may yield benefits that can be put to use as soon as this summer. Some bonuses are large enough to cover a flight after meeting a minimum spending requirement.

"Even if you were to travel the entire year, taking one trip per month, you would still earn more points simply by signing up for the card than actually sitting on a seat and flying,” Morvitz said.

Points and rewards can add up through everyday spending on groceries, dining and gas. Some cards include perks like free or discounted checked bags.

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AP writers Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit, Mae Anderson in New York and Lisa Leff in London contributed to this story.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, an outspoken critic of U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, hosted two overlapping events about democracy and progressive politics in Spain’s second-largest city.

Democrats U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz were present alongside the leaders of Brazil, South Africa and high-ranking officials from other left-leaning governments.

While no foreign leader criticized Trump by name in public, the staunchly unilateral position of the American president that breaks with decades of U.S. foreign policy, including his derision of NATO and the United Nations, hung over the meetings.

“We all see the attacks against the multilateral system, the repeated attempts to undermine international law and the dangerous normalization of the use of force,” Sánchez said.

Trump again lashed out on Saturday on social media at Sánchez, who has faced Trump’s scorn for not allowing the U.S. to use jointly operated military bases in Spain for operations related to the Iran war and for refusing to raise military spending from 2% to 5% of GDP.

“Has anybody looked at how badly the country of Spain is doing. Their financial numbers, despite contributing almost nothing to NATO and their military defense, are absolutely horrendous. Sad to watch!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Sánchez says the right's time is running out

Spain, like the U.S. and other developed countries, is in debt, but it has one of the world’s leading economies under Sánchez.

Sánchez told the rally of progressive politicians and party members held later on Saturday that the populist right “screams and shouts not because they are winning but because they know their time is running out.

“They know their vision of how the world should be ordered is falling apart due to the tariffs and wars,” he said. “Their embrace of climate change denial, of xenophobia, or sexism is their greatest error.

“They have tried again and again to make us embarrassed of our beliefs. That ends now. From now on they can be the ones who feel ashamed.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, and other leaders and officials, including Cabinet members from the United Kingdom and Germany, were in attendance at the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy that kicked off Saturday's double-header of political events at the Barcelona convention center.

Later in the day, Sánchez, Lula and Ramaphosa stayed put to attend the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilization, where some 6,000 left-leaning elected officials, policy analysts and activists exchanged ideas.

“The far right is international, so we must be too,” German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil told a crowd of activists.

Democrats join rally

Sen. Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, spoke at the progressive rally and he didn’t shy away from blasting Trump while celebrating the loss of power of Trump's ally Viktor Orbán in elections in Hungary last week.

“Donald Trump is out to end our democracy,” Murphy said. “We are not on the verge of a totalitarian takeover, we are in the middle of it.”

But, he said, “Americans are watching what is happening across the world, and the victory in Hungary just one week ago lifted our sails.”

Walz, Kamala Harris' vice presidential candidate who has faced a violent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement migration crackdown in Minnesota, threw barbs at U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who campaigned for Orbán and has backed far-right parties in Europe.

“Unlike our current vice president, I’m not here to arrogantly lecture or scold you, I am not here to pick a fight with the Pope or host a rally for any local wannabe authoritarians,” Walz said.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, former U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders all sent video messages played at the rally.

Progressives exchange ideas

Among concrete proposals to come from the events, Ramaphosa said South Africa will present a draft resolution to establish an International Panel on Inequality, aiming to tackle the growing wealth gap both within and between nations, to the U.N. General Assembly in September.

Sheinbaum plugged her idea that governments commit to spending the equivalent of 10% of their military budgets on reforestation projects.

“Each year, instead of planting the seeds of war, we will plant the seeds of life,” she said.

Sánchez argued for the importance of regulating social media to stop the spread of hate speech and disinformation. His government also said that it is working with Lula's Brazil on a tax for the ultrarich.

Lula, who met with Sánchez in a bilateral summit on Friday in Barcelona, kept the focus on how to invigorate the progressive moment. He avoided naming Trump except when he called for U.N. Security Council members to “fulfill their obligation and guarantee peace.”

“Stop this madness of war because the world cannot bear any more wars,” Lula said.

The California Insurance Department said the three used a person in a bear suit to stage fake attacks inside a Rolls-Royce and two Mercedes in 2024, then submitted fraudulent claims seeking nearly $142,000 in payouts from insurance companies. The department called it “Operation Bear Claw.”

Two Los Angeles-area men and a woman pleaded no contest to felony insurance fraud and were sentenced to a weekend jail program, followed by probation, the department said in a news release Thursday. Two of them were ordered to pay over $50,000 in restitution.

A fourth person faces a court hearing in September.

The group is accused of providing several videos from the San Bernardino Mountains of a bear moving inside the vehicles to the insurance companies as part of their damage claims, the department said. Photos provided by the insurance department show what appeared to be scratches on the seats and doors.

A California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist reviewed the footage and concluded it was “clearly a human in a bear suit,” the insurance department said.

After executing a search warrant, detectives found the bear costume in the suspects’ home, the department said.

Bears breaking into homes or trash cans in search of food have become a problem in California from Lake Tahoe in the Sierra down to the foothill suburbs of Los Angeles, where some have been known to raid refrigerators and take dips in backyard pools and hot tubs.

Eta was feted by the Union Berlin fans before the game, but the team was unable to live up to the sense of occasion as it slumped to a 2-1 defeat at home to Wolfsburg, which was previously winless in 12 games.

Eta had spoken before the match of just wanting to get on with the job, deflecting attention from her own barrier-breaking achievements, and focusing instead on her task of securing Bundesliga survival for Union.

She was appointed as interim coach with five games to go before the end of the season. Now it’s four, and Union is a point closer to the relegation zone, just six points away, despite dominating toward the end against Wolfsburg.

“First of all, of course I’m disappointed that we lost this game. But I’m very happy with how we approached it today, with the lads’ performance," Eta said. "We talked about a lot of things this week. We also saw the lads training with good energy, with great conviction, and we implemented the plan we’d developed over the past few days very well today.”

Her team missed a host of good chances, with Wolfsburg goalkeeper Kamil Grabara proving to be the decisive figure, while lapses at the back allowed Patrick Wimmer and Dženan Pejčinović to score early in each half for the visitors.

“Today it was simply about focusing on the essentials. In the end, it was about football, and I was really looking forward to playing this Bundesliga match here," Eta said. "Ultimately, it’s bitter and disappointing that we’re leaving here without any points.”

The 34-year-old Eta became the first female coach across the top divisions of the “big five” European leagues in men’s soccer, but she didn’t dwell at all on her achievement.

‘Football-goddess’

Before the game, Union fans greeted each player’s name during the lineup announcement with a roar of “Fussballgott!” (football-god), and there were cheers and applause when it came to announcing the coach’s name.

“Fussballgottin!” the fans roared — football-goddess.

Eta previously became the first female assistant coach in the men’s Bundesliga in 2023, also at Union, and had been coaching the under-19 men’s team at the club, where she’s affectionately known as Louie.

She made four changes to the team that lost at bottom side Heidenheim the weekend before, bringing back Union veteran Christopher Trimmel.

“For Louie, of course it’s difficult to impose all the new things in just three or four days so everything can be implemented immediately. That’s perfectly understandable. It would have been difficult for any coach, and yet we still managed to execute a solid match plan well. A lot of things worked out,” Trimmel said. “I’m staying positive.”

Union next faces Champions League-chasing Leipzig away, then relegation-rival Cologne at home. It will face former coach Urs Fischer – who led the team to promotion in 2019 – at Mainz, before ending the season at home against Augsburg on May 16.

“We clicked quickly,” Union defender Derrick Köhn of Eta’s impact as head coach. “She shared her game plan with us, and we implemented what she gave us. There’s not too much new, so we feel very, very comfortable with her. We tried, especially today, to give her the win as a present, but unfortunately, we didn’t succeed. As I said, we’ll move on. We’ll try to analyze this and then prepare for Leipzig and try to give her her present there.”

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

At least 14 people were wounded and taken to hospital.

The 58-year-old attacker was not named by police, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was born in Russia, as authorities worked to piece together a motive for the violence.

The mass shooting — unheard of in wartime Kyiv following Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — took place in a busy central district of the city, outside an apartment block and a nearby shopping center, leaving bodies on a crowded street as bystanders fled for safety.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw victims’ bodies in the street covered with emergency blankets before they were taken away.

“The assailant has been neutralized. He had taken hostages and, tragically, killed one of them. He also murdered four people on the street. Another woman died in the hospital due to severe injuries,” Zelenskyy said.

“It has been established that the attacker set fire to an apartment before taking to the streets with a weapon," Zelenskyy said in a video posted online. "He had a prior criminal record, had lived in the Donetsk region (in eastern Ukraine) for a long period, and was born in Russia.”

Ukraine’s special tactical police units stormed the convenience store after attempts to contact the gunman with a negotiator failed, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.

The hostages were supermarket customers and staff.

“We tried to persuade him, knowing that there was likely a wounded person inside. We even offered to bring in tourniquets to stop the bleeding, but he did not respond,” Klymenko said. “Consequently, the order was given to neutralize him.”

The minister said the gunman had a valid weapon's permit.

During the 40-minute standoff, a female negotiator wearing body armor and standing behind an armored vehicle used a loudspeaker to call out to the assailant, urging him: “The people are not to blame for this. Please let them go, and we will talk with you.”

Ukraine’s security service, or SBU, described the killings as an act of terrorism.

The shooting took place in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district, where several residents said they recognized the gunman.

“I knew him by sight. He seemed like an educated, refined man. You’d never guess he was some kind of criminal,” said 75-year-old Hanna Kulyk, who lived in the same apartment block as the attacker.

“He didn’t socialize much with people — just a greeting and he’d be on his way,” she said. “He lived alone.”

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Associated Press journalists Vasilisa Stepanenko and Dan Bashakov in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.

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An earlier version of this story was corrected to say the gunman shot bystanders, not the government.

Sánchez, an outspoken critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, was hosting a summit of like-minded progressive leaders from around the world Saturday, while Machado extolled Trump's ouster of Nicolás Maduro in January.

Earlier this year, she presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize.

“What happened in the last few hours at the meeting (Sánchez) held in Barcelona with several leaders and political figures from different countries demonstrates why such a meeting was not advisable,” Machado told reporters Saturday.

Machado insisted at an earlier event she will be returning to Venezuela, but declined to say when, or how, and acknowledged the challenges implicit in a return to her country.

Her multistop European tour, during which she met with the leaders of France, Italy and the Netherlands, comes while Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez has continued in her temporary role, exceeding its initial 90-day limit, while the U.S. government has lifted some sanctions against her.

Machado criticized Rodríguez’s government, saying it represented “chaos, violence and terror,” and reiterated her belief in the need for democratic elections in Venezuela. Machado added she did not regret presenting Trump, whose administration has largely sidelined the crusader for democracy, with her Nobel.

She said she was in permanent contact with officials in the Trump administration and trusted Washington's phased process in Venezuela since Maduro's removal.

“There is one leader in the world, one head of state, who has risked the lives of his country’s citizens for the freedom of Venezuela. And that is Donald Trump,” Machado said, referring to the U.S. military operation in January.

The opposition leader drew a huge crowd in the Spanish capital’s Puerta del Sol, standing beside Madrid’s conservative regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who feted her earlier in the day.

Some 600,000 Venezuelans live in Spain, home to the largest population anywhere outside the Americas. Many fled political persecution and violence, but also the country’s collapsing economy. A majority live in the capital, Madrid.

Ahead of Venezuela's 2024 presidential elections, Machado crisscrossed the country, rallying millions of voters looking to end 25 years of single party rule. When she was barred from the race, a previously unknown former diplomat, Edmundo Gonzalez, replaced her on the ballot. But election officials loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner despite ample credible evidence to the contrary.

Machado, revered by millions in Venezuela, went into hiding but vowed to continue fighting until democracy was restored. She reemerged last December to pick up her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway, the first time in more than a decade that she had left Venezuela.

On Saturday, 27-year-old Venezuelan migrant Grehlsy Peñuela said she still placed her hopes for her country in Machado and her eventual return to Caracas.

Peñuela, who held signs with the faces of her two cousins she said remain incarcerated in Caracas as political prisoners, would consider returning to Venezuela only under one condition.

“That the current government completely steps down,” she said.

Both President Emmanuel Macron and the UNIFIL force blamed Hezbollah, but the Lebanese militant group denied involvement.

The attack near the southern Lebanese village of Ghandouriyeh came after a 10-day ceasefire went into effect at midnight Thursday between Israel and Hezbollah.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2 when the Iran-backed group launched rockets into Israel after the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran, killing top officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The war, in which Israel invaded parts of Lebanon, left nearly 2,300 people dead in Lebanon, more than 1 million people displaced and caused widespread destruction.

“Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah,” Macron wrote on social media. “France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest those responsible and assume their responsibilities alongside UNIFIL,” the U.N. mission in southern Lebanon.

Investigation launched

In Beirut, three judicial officials said that Lebanon's Military Tribunal opened an investigation over the attack and is in contact with the army's intelligence department to work on identifying the perpetrators. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Hezbollah denied links to the attack, calling in a statement for caution in assigning blame and judgment until the Lebanese army completes its investigation to determine the full circumstances. Hezbollah said that peacekeepers should coordinate with the Lebanese army in their operations.

Hezbollah expressed surprise in the statement at the hasty accusations leveled against it, especially given the silence of these same parties “when the Israeli enemy attacks UNIFIL forces.”

Macron identified the dead soldier as Staff Sgt. Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment from Montauban. He said that three of Montorio’s “comrades in arms were injured and evacuated.”

“The nation bows in respect and extends its support to the families of our soldiers and to all our military personnel engaged for peace in Lebanon,” he said.

His death came nearly a month after a drone attack on March 12 targeted a Kurdish military base in Iraq's Erbil region, killing French Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion and wounding six others.

French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin said Saturday that the soldier was killed during an ambush. She said he was on a mission to open a route toward a UNIFIL post that had been isolated for several days, because of fighting in the area between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

The ceasefire took effect in Lebanon on Friday, but it wasn't clear to what extent Hezbollah would abide by a truce that it didn't play a role in negotiating.

“He was caught in an ambush by an armed group at very close range,” she said on X. “Immediately hit by a direct shot from a light weapon, he was pulled back under fire by his comrades, who were unable to resuscitate him.”

UNIFIL said that a patrol that was clearing explosive ordnance along a road in the village of Ghandouriyeh on Saturday to reestablish links with isolated UNIFIL positions came under small arms fire from non-state actors. UNIFIL said that one peacekeeper succumbed to his wounds and three others were wounded, two of them seriously.

Macron demands clarification

Macron spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam following the attack “in order to call on the Lebanese authorities to shed full light on this incident, to identify and prosecute those responsible without delay, and to do everything possible to ensure the safety of UNIFIL soldiers, who must under no circumstances be targeted,” Macron's office said.

Salam posted on X that he ordered an investigation into the attack and to bring the perpetrators to justice. Aoun and Lebanon's parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri condemned the attack.

The Lebanese army condemned the attack in a statement adding that it will continue its “close coordination” with UNIFIL. The army said that it's working to detain the perpetrators.

Macron also reiterated “the importance of full respect for the ceasefire by all parties and reaffirmed France’s commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty, for the benefit of all Lebanese people and regional stability.

Israel strikes on Lebanon

Earlier Saturday, the Israeli military said it had conducted aerial and ground strikes in southern Lebanon after it identified several incidents in which militants “violated the ceasefire understanding” by approaching areas close to where Israeli troops are located.

The military mentioned for the first time what it called a “Yellow Line,” saying militants tried to approach it from the north.

There is no mention of a “Yellow Line” in the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The U.S. State Department said Thursday that according to the ceasefire agreement, Israel reserves the right to defend itself “at any time, against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks.”

Senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qammati told Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed TV on Saturday that the group won't tolerate any Israeli strikes like those which happened after the November 2024 truce, when Israel continued to carry out almost daily airstrikes.

“This time we will not practice the strategic patience policy,” Qammati said.

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Samuel Petrequin reported from London.

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This story has been corrected to show that the French president’s first name is Emmanuel, not Emmanual.

Hoffenheim forward Andrej Kramarić scored two penalties on Saturday – the second one in stoppage time – to deal Dortmund a second consecutive defeat that opens the way for Bayern to seal the title at home against Stuttgart on Sunday.

Bayern, which has five games remaining compared to Dortmund’s four, leads by 12 points and needs just one more point to be sure of finishing top.

“It would certainly round off this week nicely,” Bayern's board member for sport Max Eberl said after Bayern’s Champions League quarterfinal win on Wednesday.

It would be Bayern's 13th German championship in 14 years, and the first step in a potential treble of trophies this season.

Bayern faces Bayer Leverkusen away in the German Cup semifinals on Wednesday, before it can turn attention to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semifinals.

Eta loses first game in charge

Marie-Louise Eta became the first female coach to take charge of a Bundesliga game, but her Union Berlin team failed to live up to the occasion as it lost 2-1 to Wolfsburg.

Eta was appointed interim manager this week and now has four more games to ensure Union stays in the top division before she takes over Union’s women’s team for next season.

Patrick Wimmer and Dženan Pejčinović scored early in each half for visiting Wolfsburg to end its 12-game run without a win and revive its hopes of escaping relegation. Wolfsburg remains second to last but it’s just two points behind St. Pauli in the relegation playoff place with four rounds remaining.

Union ultimately paid the price for a lack of efficiency after creating the better chances and finishing strongly. Oliver Burke’s goal in the 85th minute was too late for the Köpenick-based team, which was also frustrated by late saves from Wolfsburg's Kamil Grabara.

“If you shoot 26 times at goal or try to shoot at goal then you're doing a lot right, and from that point of view the performance was in order today,” Union right back Christopher Trimmel said. “Still, we need to improve on some aspects.”

Union, which has only won two games in 2026, fired Steffan Baumgart after last weekend’s loss at Heidenheim and finds itself just six points above the relegation zone.

Leipzig takes big step toward Champions League

Ivorian teenager Yan Diomande scored again as Leipzig moved closer to qualification for Europe's premier competition with a 3-1 win at seventh-place Eintracht Frankfurt.

The 19-year-old Diomande scored Leipzig's winner in a 1-0 success against Borussia Mönchengladbach last weekend and proved decisive again with the opener in Frankfurt.

Antonio Nusa and Conrad Harder also scored as Leipzig moved third, three points above Stuttgart and five points above fifth place Hoffenheim.

Leverkusen's Champions League hopes suffered a blow in a 2-1 loss at home to Augsburg, dropping it to sixth, two points behind Hoffenheim.

The top four qualify for the Champions League.

Werder Bremen boosted its survival hopes with a 3-1 win at home against Hamburger SV in their northern derby. Bremen moved level with the visitors on 31 points, five points above St. Pauli.

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

“It might still go on. It may not,” Kerr said after the Warriors lost in Phoenix and were eliminated from the play-in tournament.

He shared an embrace with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the team's two constants from the Warriors' title runs with Kerr, near the team's bench in the game's final moments.

Kerr wouldn't reveal what he said in that moment. “None of your business,” he said, smiling.

The NBA later posted video of the exchange on X and Kerr could be heard saying: “I don’t know what’s gonna happen next, but I love you guys to death. I thank you. I appreciate you."

Green and Curry both made clear that they want Kerr back. Kerr's future has been the subject of speculation for some time, fueled in part by him coaching this year on the final season of his existing contract. The Warriors missed the playoffs this season for the fourth time in the last seven years.

“I want Coach to be happy. I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe you know he’s the right guy for the job,” Curry said. "I want him to have an opportunity to again enjoy what he does. So, whatever that means for him, you know, everybody’s plan is their own. And I’m not going to try to tell anybody what to do. He knows how I feel about him. That shouldn’t even need to be said.”

Added Green, when asked if he could even fathom the Warriors without Kerr on the sideline: "I just don’t deal with change well. I don’t love it. So, I don’t want to think about that. I hope that’s not the case. but we’ll see what happens.”

The 60-year-old Kerr just finished his 12th season with the Warriors. He's 604-353 in that span, led Golden State to the NBA Finals in each of his first five seasons — and once since then as well — plus guided the U.S. to Olympic gold at the Paris Games in 2024.

His playoff record of 104-48 is nearly unmatched; among coaches with at least 100 playoff games in their career, his .684 playoff winning percentage is second only — and barely — to Phil Jackson, who went 229-104 (.688).

Kerr said he'll meet with Warriors owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy to chart a path for what's next. He suggested that might come in a week or two.

“We'll talk about what’s next for the Warriors, what the plan is this offseason,” Kerr said. "And we will come to a collaborative decision on what’s next. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I still love coaching. But I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date. there’s a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas and all that.

"And, if that’s the case, then I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise, in front of our fans in the Bay and to coach Steph Curry, to coach Dray and the whole group.”

Kerr wouldn't say what some of the factors are that might sway his decision, calling those private.

“If it’s right, it’s right," Kerr said. “And if it's not, it's not.”

There will be talks with Curry as well; the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history, who just finished his 17th season — all with Golden State — said he plans to play for “multiple” seasons after this and would be interested in an extension.

“It'll be a busy summer for the Warriors,” Curry said, smiling.

The Warriors were 37-45 this season, dealing with injuries the entire way. They rallied Wednesday from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers and move into Friday's play-in finale, only to fall short against the Suns.

And now, the Warriors wait to see what's next.

“This was as tough a season as you can have, with the injuries, with all kinds of adversity," Kerr said. "And they battled, and they battled the entire season. They kept going the other night just to, you know, continue the season, to show that kind of fight. And then tonight, we just didn’t have it. But the competitive desire was there. And I’m proud of the group for finishing the season the right way by continuing to fight and trying to win every game.”

Kerr — who won five championships as a player, to go along with his four rings as a coach — has spoken often of his good fortunes within the game. He played for Lute Olson at Arizona, played with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in Chicago, played with David Robinson and Tim Duncan in San Antonio and played for Jackson and Gregg Popovich as a pro.

And coaching Curry — the greatest face of a franchise he's ever seen, he said — is another honor, Kerr has insisted.

“The only thing I’ve learned is that I’m the luckiest guy in the NBA’s history," Kerr said.

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The flotation device was worn by Laura Mabel Francatelli, a first-class passenger on the doomed ocean liner, and is signed by her and other survivors from the same lifeboat.

It was the star among items in a sale of Titanic memorabilia by Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers in Devizes, western England, and sold to an unidentified telephone bidder for well over the presale estimate of between 250,000 and 350,000 pounds.

A seat cushion from one of the Titanic lifeboats sold at the same auction for 390,000 pounds ($527,000) to the owners of two Titanic museums in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri.

The prices include an auction-house fee known as the buyer's premium.

“These record-breaking prices illustrate the continuing interest in the Titanic story, and the respect for the passengers and crew whose stories are immortalized by these items of memorabilia,” auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said.

Billed as the world’s most luxurious ocean liner and described as “practically unsinkable,” the Titanic hit an iceberg off Newfoundland during its maiden voyage from England to New York. It sank within hours on April 15, 1912. Some 1,500 of the 2,200 passengers and crew died.

The Titanic is still a subject of worldwide fascination, in part because of the range of passengers aboard the ship, from paupers to plutocrats.

Francatelli was traveling with her employer, fashion designer Lucy Duff Gordon, and Lucy’s husband Cosmo Duff Gordon. All three survived in the ship’s lifeboat No. 1, which was launched carrying 12 people despite having capacity for 40. Its failure to pick up survivors from the frigid water became a source of controversy.

The record auction price for a piece of Titanic memorabilia is 1.56 million pounds (almost $2 million at the time) paid in 2024 for a gold pocket watch given to the captain of RMS Carpathia, the ship that rescued 700 Titanic survivors.

The bill was approved by the Senate on Friday in a last-minute scramble to prevent the authority from expiring within a matter of days. Trump and Republican leaders have pushed for its renewal, calling it a matter of national security. Critics are concerned about its impact on civil liberties.

At the center of the debate is Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and other agencies to collect and analyze vast amounts of overseas communications without a warrant. In doing so, they can incidentally sweep up communications involving Americans who interact with foreign targets.

Extending the program has become a recurring fight.

Trump and GOP leaders have been pushing for a clean 18-month renewal, while the House Republicans on Thursday came out with a five-year extension with revisions to appease skeptics. After both of those bills collapsed, leaders pivoted to the stopgap measure.

Critics want changes including a requirement for warrants before authorities can access the emails, phone calls or text messages of Americans.

Trump signed the bill Saturday without any immediate comment. The authority was set to expire on Monday.

Ibogaine and other psychedelics remain banned under the federal government's most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs. But the administration is taking steps to ease restrictions and spur research on using the drugs for medical purposes, including conditions like severe depression.

“Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life,” Trump said as he signed an executive order on the drugs. The Republican president said his directive will help “dramatically accelerate” access to potential treatments. "If these turn out to be as good as people are saying, it's going to have a tremendous impact,” he said.

Veteran organizations and psychedelic advocates have long contended that ibogaine, which is made from a shrub native to West Africa, has great promise for hard-to-treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction.

Trump’s announcement follows pledges by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other administration officials to ease access to psychedelics for medical use, an issue that has won rare bipartisan support.

Joining Trump in the Oval Office were his top health officials, conservative podcaster Joe Rogan and Marcus Luttrell, the former Navy SEAL whose memoir about a deadly mission in Afghanistan was the basis of the film “Lone Survivor.” Rogan said he texted Trump information on ibogaine and the president responded: “Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let's do it.”

“You’re going to save a lot of lives through it,” Luttrell told Trump during the ceremony. “It absolutely changed my life for the better.”

The Food and Drug Administration next week will issue national priority vouchers for three psychedelics, which the agency's commissioner, Marty Makary, said will allow certain drugs to be approved quickly “if they are in line with our national priorities.” The vouchers can cut review times from several months to a period of weeks. It is the first time the FDA has offered that fast-tracking to any psychedelics.

The FDA is also taking steps to clear the way for the first-ever human trials of ibogaine in the U.S.

Trump's action surprised many longtime advocates and researchers in the psychedelic field, given that ibogaine is known to sometimes trigger potentially fatal heart problems. The National Institutes of Health briefly funded research on the drug in the 1990s, but discontinued the work due to ibogaine's "cardiovascular toxicity.”

“It’s been incredibly difficult to study ibogaine in the U.S. because of its known cardiotoxicity,” said Frederick Barrett, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. “If the executive order can pave the way for doing objective, scientific research with this compound, it would help us understand whether it is truly a better psychedelic therapy than others.”

No psychedelic has been approved in the United States, but a number of them are being studied in large trials for various mental health conditions, including psilocybin, MDMA and LSD. All those drugs remain illegal, classified as Schedule I substances alongside drugs such as heroin. Two states — Oregon and Colorado — have legalized psychedelic therapy with psilocybin.

Ibogaine was first used by members of the Bwiti religion in African nations like Gabon during their religious ceremonies.

In recent years, U.S. veterans have reported benefiting from the drug after traveling to clinics in Mexico that administer it.

Backing from veterans groups and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry led to a law last year providing $50 million for ibogaine research in that state. Perry, who co-founded a group called Americans for Ibogaine, recently appeared on Rogan’s podcast, making the case for reducing federal limits on the drug. It was his second time talking about ibogaine on the popular podcast in the past two years.

Trump's order calls on the Department of Health and Human Services to direct at least $50 million to states that have enacted or are developing programs to advance psychedelic drugs for serious mental illness. It's described as a federal-state partnership to provide funding, technical assistance and data sharing.

Ibogaine is known to cause irregular heart rhythms and has been linked to more than 30 deaths in the medical literature, according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, a nonprofit that conducted some early studies in patients outside the U.S.

The group's co-executive director, Ismail Lourido Ali, said Trump's order might encourage other states to follow the Texas model.

“The stigma around Schedule I drugs is significant,” Ali said. “It feels like this would give pretty substantial cover for Republican governors and legislatures to step into the ring in terms of funding research programs at their universities.”

Owners of ibogaine clinics said the impact of the order will not be immediate.

“There will be no insurance coverage, it will still be considered unapproved and non-covered care,” said Tom Feegel of Beond Ibogaine, which operates a clinic in Cancun, Mexico. “But what it does mean is that ibogaine shifts from being fringe and underground to being federally acknowledged.”

Feegel says his clinic treated 2,000 people with ibogaine last year for between $15,000 and $20,000 per person. The company also gave free treatment to about 100 veterans.

Clinics that use the drug typically monitor patients’ heart readings and have emergency medical equipment on hand.

One of the only recent studies conducted by U.S. researchers found that veterans treated with ibogaine showed improvements in symptoms of traumatic brain injury, including PTSD, depression and anxiety. The Stanford University study was small — enrolling 30 veterans who received the drug in Mexico. It did not include a placebo group for comparison, an essential feature of rigorous medical research. Patients in the study received a combination of ibogaine mixed with magnesium intended to reduce heart risks.

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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.

In an interview with The Associated Press on the margins of a diplomacy forum in Turkey, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh also said his country will not hand over its enriched uranium to the United States, rejecting claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“I can tell you that no enriched material is going to be shipped to United States,” Khatibzadeh said. “This is non-starter and I can assure you that while we are ready to address any concerns that we do have, we’re not going to accept things that are nonstarters.”

On Friday, Trump said that the U.S. will go into Iran and “get all the nuclear dust,” referring to the 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites badly damaged by U.S. military strikes last year.

Khatibzadeh said there have been many exchanges of messages between the sides but accused the United States of holding firm on demands Iran deems to be excessive.

“We are still not there yet to move on to an actual meeting because there are issues that the Americans have not yet abandoned their maximalist position,” Khatibzadeh said. Iran was seeking the finalization of a “framework agreement” before moving to an in-person meeting, he added.

The Iranian official would not go into specifics of the negotiations with the United States or say which issues remain unresolved but called on Washington to address Iran’s concerns, including sanctions imposed on Iran.

“The other sides also should understand and address our main concerns, which are illegal unilateral sanctions that Americans have imposed on Iranians and this economic terrorism which has targeted Iranian people to suffocate them and make them to revolt against the political structure inside Iran,” Khatibzadeh said.

Asked whether Iran would respond to renewed attacks by Israel on Lebanon despite the ceasefire, Khatibzadeh said: “Iran has no option, just to stop aggressors once and forever.”

Trump said that Israel is “prohibited” by the U.S. from further strikes on Lebanon and that “enough is enough” in the Israel-Hezbollah war.

The State Department said the prohibition applies only to offensive attacks and not to actions taken in self-defense.

The Iranian official renewed Iran’s position that Tehran’s actions were defensive and in response to unprovoked aggression occurring in the middle of negotiations.

He also reiterated Iran's position that the ceasefire must extend to Lebanon, where Israel had been fighting with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

When the U.S. and Iran declared a temporary truce last week, Pakistan and Iran said it extended to Lebanon, but Israel — and later the U.S. — denied this. Israel then launched a series of airstrikes on central Beirut, prompting Iran to announce it was once again closing the Strait of Hormuz. Following implementation of a truce in Lebanon Friday, Iran said it had reopened the strait.

“Iran negotiated with good faith, accepted a ceasefire and told everybody that this ceasefire should include all countries, including Lebanon,” Khatibzadeh said. “Then the other side said that, it is not committed to this and then started atrocities.”

He said that a “new protocol” would be put in place for the Strait of Hormuz as part of the negotiations with the U.S. and it would “remain open and safe for all civilian passage.”

Trump has said a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will remain and attacks will resume if no agreement is reached with Iran.

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The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/

Trump called Newsom "stupid,” “low IQ,” “mentally disabled” and unfit to become president. Muller knew it was part of a political feud — Trump is a Republican and Newsom is a Democrat who is expected to run for the White House in 2028 — but Trump’s words felt personal.

“We’ve had to overcome so many deficits, and for someone to, on a national stage, say, yeah, they will never be like us — that definitely came as an emotional sting to me,” said Muller, an incoming student at Auburn University whose dyslexia was identified as a child.

It was one more entry in Trump’s history of denigrating the intelligence of his foes and mocking those with disabilities. Yet this time he was maligning tens of millions of people, calling their abilities into question and undermining years of progress fighting stigma around dyslexia.

Among those with dyslexia, his remarks aroused feelings from anguish and anger to dismay. It cut across politics, drawing a rebuke from supporters and critics alike.

Muller's mother, Marilyn, voted for Trump three times and says she still supports his politics. But she was hurt when Trump linked dyslexia with low intelligence — a dated myth that she has spent years trying to dispel.

“It works against everything I do on a daily basis,” said Marilyn Muller, a literacy advocate in Florida. “It was probably one of the more ignorant comments I have ever heard come from his mouth.”

A learning disability often misunderstood

Trump’s comments clash with a large body of research finding that dyslexia and IQ are unrelated. They also conflict with statements he issued during his first term for national awareness months, heaping praise on the “extraordinary contributions” of those with dyslexia and noting that their ranks include top industry executives and inventors.

Often misunderstood, dyslexia affects the link between the brain and printed language, making it difficult for people to read. Dyslexia often emerges in childhood as kids learn to read and write. It is estimated to affect up to 20% of the world population.

“All of a sudden, you’re not doing so well in school and then people will tell you, oh, you’re not trying, you’re not smart or whatever, and none of that’s accurate. You just have this difference in that bridge from language to print,” said John Gabrieli, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Newsom has for years discussed his dyslexia, including in a children's book he wrote in 2021 as well as a new memoir. On his recent book tour, he talked about memorizing speeches because he is unable to read them. He described it as a struggle and a gift, saying it forced him to develop other skills.

Trump latched on to some of Newsom's comments. “He can’t read a speech, he can’t do almost anything,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting in March. “He’s actually a very stupid person.”

He added: “I think a president should not have learning disabilities.”

Trump acknowledged his departure from decorum, saying it’s “highly controversial to say such a horrible thing.” He went on to say it at least four more times.

Newsom's office declined to comment for this story and referred to the governor's social media posts. “Learning differences don’t define your limits, they shape your strengths,” Newsom wrote in one post. “And no one, not even the President of the United States, gets to decide your worth.”

Little GOP pushback to Trump's comments

In Utah, Lia Beatty said she has become inured to Trump's brash behavior, but she still sees danger in his latest tirades. People listen to the president, and young people with dyslexia might hear those comments and believe they count for less, said Beatty, 27, who has dyslexia and runs a university neurobiology lab.

“The harm isn’t necessarily in the headline. It’s what happens quietly,” she said. “It’s the student in the classroom who stops raising their hand, the college applicant who hides how they learn, the employee who doesn’t pursue a promotion that they’re more than qualified for.”

Until she saw his comments circulating on social media, Beatty had been keeping quiet about her acceptance to a doctoral neuroscience program at Dartmouth College. She made it public in a social media post aiming to undercut Trump.

“I think it’s important to acknowledge that, yeah, the rooms — they weren’t made for us, but we’re still getting in them,” Beatty said.

On Capitol Hill, there is a strong history of bipartisan support for people with dyslexia. A House caucus is devoted to the issue, with vocal champions from both parties. Yet there has been little Republican pushback to Trump’s comments.

Trump's remarks did not come up Wednesday at a congressional roundtable on dyslexia, organized by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., whose daughter has dyslexia and whose wife runs a school for children with dyslexia. After the event, Cassidy refused to respond directly to Trump's remarks.

“All I can say is that a child with dyslexia will grow to be, often times, a very talented adult,” Cassidy, who is up for reelection but did not get Trump's endorsement, told The Associated Press. “There’s people who have self-identified as dyslexic who have become CEOs of hospitals and of great businesses.”

There has been no comment from Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., co-chair of the dyslexia caucus.

Some in Trump's circles have detailed struggles with dyslexia

Advocates have noted that some past presidents probably did have dyslexia.

Woodrow Wilson wrote about his difficulty learning to read and he became an early adopter of the typewriter as one of many workarounds, said John M. Cooper, a presidential historian and Wilson biographer.

Some in Trump’s circles have spoken about difficulties with dyslexia.

Gary Cohn, the architect of Trump’s signature tax bill from his first term, has talked at length about struggling with dyslexia as a child. He went on to become a business titan and president of Goldman Sachs.

Advocates say Trump’s words threaten to reverse years of progress unwinding stereotypes. His comments also raise questions about promises his administration has made to protect students with disabilities even as Trump dismantles the Department of Education, which oversees the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, said it will be hard for families to trust Trump's education appointees “when their boss is making these really stigmatizing and really inaccurate statements.”

In Decatur, Georgia, Meagan Swingle said Trump’s comments made her sick to her stomach. She brought it up with her 15-year-old son, Enrique, who has dyslexia, knowing he might hear about the remarks at school. Enrique, who excels in math and science, brushed it off, she said.

But it stuck with her.

“I don’t know that he remembers a time like I do when, whether you were a Democrat or a Republican or an independent, you could expect a higher standard from the president of the United States,” she said. “ We build people up, we don’t tear them down.”

Leo spoke to reporters aboard the papal plane flying from Cameroon to Angola as part of his 11-day tour of Africa.

He addressed the spiraling back-and-forth saga of Trump’s critiques of his peace message, which have dominated news headlines this week. But the American pope also sought to set the record straight, insisting that his preaching isn’t directed at Trump, but reflects the broader Gospel message of peace.

“There’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself,” he said.

“Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.”

Trump launched the criticism on his social media platform Truth Social on the night of April 12, when he criticized Leo’s preaching about peace as the war, which began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 and was followed by Iran’s retaliation, raged on. Trump accused Leo of being soft on crime, cozy with the left and said that the first American pontiff owed his election to Trump.

Leo has issued consistent calls for peace and dialogue, and has denounced the use of religious justification for war. Specifically, he called Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable.”

The Vatican has stressed that when Leo preaches about peace, he is referring to all wars ravaging the planet, not just the Iran conflict. The Russian Orthodox Church, for example, has justified Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as a “holy war.”

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Leo referred specifically to his remarks earlier this week to a peace meeting in Bamenda, Cameroon. The city is the epicenter of a separatist conflict that has been raging in the western, Anglophone region of the country for nearly a decade.

Leo said that his remarks, in which he blasted the “handful of tyrants” who were ravaging Earth with war and exploitation, were written two weeks ago, long before Trump’s criticisms began.

“And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all,” he said.

Looking ahead, however, he said that he would continue preaching the Gospel.

“I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all the Catholics throughout Africa,” he said.

He drew attention to some upcoming liturgical readings about what it means to be Christian and to follow Christ, promote fraternity and brotherhood, “but also looking for ways to promote justice in our world, promote peace in our world,” he said.

Leo arrived later Saturday in Angola, the third stop on his four-nation tour. A message of peace would be especially relevant for the southern African country, which was ravaged by a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002 but has left deep scars.

Leo will meet with Angolan President Joao Lourenco and deliver his first speech before government authorities, when he hopes to bring joy and encouragement to Angola's long-suffering people.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday the league is not looking into the matter. The Patriots didn’t immediately respond to a question about whether the team has launched its own review of Vrabel’s actions.

The New York Post last week published the photos of Vrabel and Russini at the Sedona hotel and said they were taken before the annual NFL meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29.

The NFL's personal conduct policy states: “Everyone who is part of the league must refrain from ‘conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in’ the NFL.”

Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a player with New England, is preparing for his second season as coach of the Patriots. He was the AP NFL Coach of the Year after leading the team to a 14-3 finish last season, which ended with a 29-13 loss to Seattle in the Super Bowl. Vrabel previously won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award with Tennessee in 2021.

Vrabel and Russini, who are both married, released statements to the Post after publication of the photos downplaying what the photos depict.

Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where she held various roles, including “SportsCenter” anchor, NFL analyst and insider. She hosted a podcast for The Athletic and made appearances on its video platform.

“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini said in her resignation letter.

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Police said Saturday that they aren't currently linking the incident to recent attacks on Jewish charity ambulances and a Persian-language media organization.

The Metropolitan Police force said that detectives weren't treating the incidents as acts of terror, but Counter Terrorism Policing London is leading the investigation “due to the similarities of each attack.”

Police said that on Friday night a man was spotted leaving a bag containing three bottles of fluid outside a building, which was previously used by the Jewish community. He attempted to light the contents, which failed to ignite fully, and then fled. No arrests have been made.

Friday’s incident in the Hendon area is close to Golders Green, where four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity were torched on March 23. Four people have been charged over that attack.

Police are also investigating an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in northwest London on Wednesday. On the same day, what police called an “ignited container” was thrown into a Persian media organization’s premises in Wembley, another part of northwest London. Two men and a teenage boy have been charged with arson.

No one has been injured in any of the incidents.

One line of investigation is whether the incidents are linked to Iran. The U.K. has accused Iran of using criminal proxies to conduct attacks on European soil targeting opposition media outlets and the Jewish community. Britain’s MI5 domestic intelligence service says that more than 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-backed plots were disrupted in the year to October.

One tricky bit: Coming up with formulas that don’t smell like pot roast.

“You see it everywhere, so we were like, ‘Why don’t we do this?’” he said. “Some of the feedback is, ‘We don’t want to smell like beef,’ so we add things like lavender and wild orange to kind of counter that potential beef smell.”

From moisturizers made with beef tallow to salmon sperm facials, consumers have become more interested in animal-based skin care products in recent years. Promoted as natural alternatives to synthetics, they're gaining popularity across social media and high-end spas as well as at farmers’ markets and in home kitchens.

Some experts connect the products' rise to an increased focus on the health impact of chemicals, as well as pro-meat messaging from the Make America Healthy Again movement.

“There’s been a movement in the last couple of years to embrace animal-based foods,” said Norah MacKendrick, an associate professor of sociology at Rutgers University who has studied why consumers are worried about chemicals in their personal care products. “I think some of that is probably spilling over into the cosmetic world.”

Natalee Keenan, 31, said she was looking for natural skin care products when she decided to give tallow a try. The first product she purchased felt beefy and heavy on her skin, but the western Pennsylvania woman said she recently found a whipped tallow balm scented with coconut that feels much lighter.

“I use it sparingly,” she said, adding a tiny bit has been enough to keep her skin feeling smooth.

Here’s what experts have to say about animal-based skin care, including cautions about a lack of medical evidence for their effectiveness.

Chemists, farmers say animal byproducts can be a way to use industry waste

The cosmetics industry moved away from many animal-derived ingredients decades ago amid concerns about animal testing and disease outbreaks like mad cow, said Perry Romanowski, an independent cosmetic chemist who studies how skin care ingredients are formulated.

For years, those concerns, along with the rise of vegan beauty products, pushed many brands to avoid animal-based ingredients altogether. But recently, some of those materials have started to reappear in skin care products and are often marketed as natural alternatives.

Jamie Moody, founder of Sonoma Mountain Beef in Northern California, said she started making tallow products in an effort to reduce waste. “Since the trend toward clean products remains strong, I believe the market will continue to grow,” she said.

Vander Dussen, the California rancher, said he and his wife are “just kind of jumping onto the fad that’s already there.” He added: “In today’s world, it’s very important not only what you are putting on your face but where it comes from.”

Kelly Pratt, who owns a spa in Tampa, Florida, said demand for treatments like salmon sperm DNA facials have surged because clients report improvements over time. Cassandra Hutchison, an aesthetician who gives the treatments at the spa, said the ingredient is intended to repair skin and keep inflammation down. She said it helps in hydration, making skin look healthier and repairing damage to the outer layer of skin that keeps moisture in and irritants out.

Prices vary, but a tub of tallow balm at Target costs about $15 more than a tub of petroleum jelly. And while there are some salmon sperm products like masks you can apply at home, many have to be applied at a spa, which comes with its own costs. Still, that hasn't deterred some consumers, whose searches for terms like “beef tallow for skin” have jumped in recent years and remained higher than ever before, according to Google Trends.

Experts say these may not be best choices

Turning waste from an animal product into something people use is certainly an example of sustainability, experts said.

But neither beef tallow nor salmon sperm have robust medical data to support their effectiveness, said Dr. Angelo Landriscina, a New York City dermatologist who has taken to social media to debunk what he sees as skin care misinformation.

Dr. Heather Rogers, a Seattle dermatologist, agreed there’s no medical evidence that tallow on your skin is helpful. She said it can be rancid and hard to use, and additives to make it smell more pleasant can be irritants.

Romanowski, the cosmetic chemist, said consumers should keep their expectations realistic. He said only a few skin care ingredients, including retinol, a vitamin A-derived ingredient commonly used to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3 that helps with redness and strengthens the skin, have strong evidence behind them. Others, he said, may offer only modest benefits that are difficult for consumers to notice.

How the politics of meat and chemicals weigh in

Corrin Dial, 32, owns Lowcountry Family Farms with her husband in South Carolina. Neither of them grew up farming, she said, but decided to try it after he got out of the Marine Corps.

Dial said she was looking for a natural balm for her baby about two years ago and decided to try whipping tallow. She said she thinks many people are coming to it to avoid chemical products, citing one customer who had cancer and was told by her doctor to be careful of anything she puts on her skin. “A lot of people are moving away from the chemical stuff, they’re trying to get into healthy eating and using more products where they know exactly where it came from,” she said.

MacKendrick, the sociologist from Rutgers, speculated that mothers, who as a demographic have become increasingly aware of how chemical substances affect children, are driving some of the move toward animal-based cosmetic products.

“We find that mothers are making these decisions for the household,” MacKendrick said. “Buying cosmetics for children or personal care products for children is considered high-stakes work.”

Landriscina pointed out that ingredients like salmon-based skin care getting touted as “the hottest new thing” can be rooted in an idea that other cultures, especially in places like Korea, are somehow ahead of the curve or have more innovation in their skin care. That's a bit different than the “back to basics” mentality that can draw people to ingredients like beef tallow. But he said whether people are interested in something old or something new, their skin care choices should be rooted in evidence.

Romanowski said the beauty industry is under pressure to constantly introduce something new.

“You should think of the cosmetic industry more like the fashion industry because you can only do so much with the shirt, right?” said Romanowski. “You can change the color, you can do some aesthetics thing, but it’s still a shirt and it’s the same thing with cosmetics.”

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Diab reported from Tampa, Fla., Taxin reported from Santa Ana, Calif. and Walling reported from Chicago.

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Follow Melina Walling on X @MelinaWalling and Bluesky @melinawalling.bsky.social.

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

There were a record-tying three teams — Charlotte at 44-38, Miami at 43-39 and the Los Angeles Clippers at 42-40 — that finished over .500 this season but failed to qualify for the playoffs.

The only other years when that happened were 1971 and 2022.

In NBA history, teams with records over the .500 mark have gone to the playoffs just over 95% of the time. For teams going at least 43-39 (or the equivalent in shorter seasons), that in-the-playoffs rate was 97.3%, until this season.

Miami now has finished over .500 in 25 of its 38 seasons. Of the first 24 Heat teams with winning records, 100% wound up going to the playoffs.

“My first year as a head coach, we won 43 games and we were the fifth seed,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We were the 10th seed this year with 43.”

If playoff teams only counted ...

If the playoff teams were their own 16-team league, counting only their games against one another in the standings, the top overall seed in these playoffs would be Detroit.

The Pistons went 30-12 against the other playoff clubs, just ahead of Oklahoma City (31-14) and San Antonio (29-14).

The Thunder had the biggest point differential in games against other playoff teams (8.4 per game), while the Thunder and the Spurs both had the most double-digit wins (18 apiece).

The money matters

The playoff pool for this season is the most in NBA history, with $35,740,226 to be divided up among the 16 teams.

As the team with the NBA’s best record, the Oklahoma City Thunder are already assured $2,161,408 from that pool. If the Thunder win the NBA title, they will claim more than one-third of the pool — $12,805,503.

Teams get shares for finishing with a top-six record in their conference, plus for making the playoffs and the size of the shares increase for advancing to later rounds. There’s about a $5 million difference between winning and losing the NBA Finals.

Hawks hit 50

Atlanta is in the playoffs for the 50th time, the Hawks becoming the fourth franchise to hit that total.

The other three? The Los Angeles Lakers (66), Boston (63) and Philadelphia (55).

It’ll be at least four more years before the 50-playoff-appearance club grows. New York has made 46 appearances, including this year’s.

It's 17 and counting for James Harden

James Harden has yet to win an NBA championship. But at least he gets into the playoffs — every single year.

That's right: 17 years in the league, 17 playoff trips for Harden.

He and the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Toronto Raptors in Round 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Cavs will be the sixth team that Harden appears with in the postseason, after stints with Oklahoma City, Houston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Clippers and now Cleveland.

Harden enters the series with the Raptors 14th on the league's career playoff scoring list, two points behind No. 13 Larry Bird. He's 59 points behind No. 12 Dwyane Wade, and if the Cavs make any sort of deep run would figure to have a chance to reach the top 10 in playoff scoring sometime this spring.

Lots of minutes

Houston had three players (Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr.) finish among the top five in minutes played during the regular season. Thompson was first, Durant second, Smith fifth.

— It was the first time that a team had three of the top five in minutes played.

— It was the fourth time in the last decade that teammates finished first and second on that list. New York’s Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart finished in those spots last year, the Knicks’ Julius Randle and RJ Barrett did in 2020-21 and Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns did in 2016-17.

— Durant played more minutes this season than he has in any season since 2013-14.

Milestones await

Some stat milestones that could await in these playoffs:

— Houston's Kevin Durant is 15 points shy of 5,000 for his playoff career. He'll be the seventh player to hit that number.

— The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James — who already holds league records for playoff games, games won, games lost, points scored, field goals made, field goals attempted and steals, among other things — needs seven more steals to get to 500. Nobody else even has 400.

— If New York gets to the Eastern Conference finals, Mike Brown (who has 50 playoff wins) would pass Tyronn Lue (57) and move into the top 20 all-time for coaching playoff victories.

Nuggets playing? Take the over. Celtics? Take the under

When the Denver Nuggets play, you're going to see a lot of points.

How many points? Well, probably more than what oddsmakers tell you to expect.

Denver's games went over the Vegas over-under total — the number of total points expected in the game from both teams — 63.4% of the time this season. That's the second-highest rate in the last 12 seasons, topped only by Indiana's games going over the total 65.3% of the time in the 2020-21 season.

Other betting nuggets from this season:

— Among the 16 playoff teams, Boston (59.8%) covered more often than any other team, followed by San Antonio (57.3%). Charlotte covered in 61% of its games but missed the playoffs.

— Speaking of the Celtics, only 36.6% of their games went over the total. That's the lowest rate in the NBA in at least 12 years.

— Oklahoma City was favored in 78 of its 82 games, as would probably be expected.

A Game 1, in Detroit

It's been a long time since Pistons fans can say this: Game 1 is at home.

The opener of the Detroit-Orlando series on Sunday will be the first time the Pistons open any playoff series on their home floor since 2008 — an Eastern Conference semifinal matchup, also against the Magic.

Detroit wound up winning in five games before falling to Boston in that season's East finals.

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

More than 61% of the Lower 48 states is in moderate to exceptional drought — including 97% of the Southeast and two-thirds of the West — according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. It's the highest levels for this time of year since the drought monitor began in 2000.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's comprehensive Palmer Drought Severity Index not only hit its highest level for March since records started in 1895, but last month was the third-driest month recorded regardless of time of year. It trailed only the famed Dust Bowl months of July and August 1934.

Because of record heat, much of the West has had exceptionally low levels of snow in the first few months of the year, which is usually how the region stores water for the summer. A different drought — connected to the jet stream keeping storms further north — has put the South from Texas all the way to the East Coast into a separate drought that just happens to coincide with what's going on in the West, said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center.

It would take 19 inches of rain in one month to break the drought in eastern Texas and more than a foot of rain to solve the deficit for most of the Southeast, NOAA calculated.

“Right now 61% of the country is in drought and that’s steadily been going up for the calendar year,” Fuchs said. “We just haven’t seen too many springs where this amount of the country has been in this kind of shape.”

Sticking out like a sore thumb is a highly technical but crucial measurement of “the sponginess'' of the atmosphere — or how much moisture the hot, dry air is sucking up from the land it's baking. It's called vapor pressure deficit. It's 77% above normal and more than 25% higher than the previous record for January through March in the West, said UCLA hydroclimatologist Park Williams.

That level of moisture-sucking from the ground “wouldn't have appeared possible” before now, Williams said.

Drought usually peaks in summer, not spring, and that's what worries meteorologists.

“Fire tends to respond to heat and drought in an exponential manner,” Williams said. “For each degree of warming, you get a bigger bang in terms of fire than you got from the previous degree of warming.”

In Arizona, cacti are blooming months early and the worry about water has already started, said Kathy Jacobs, director of the Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions at the University of Arizona.

“Those of us who are dependent on the Colorado River, of course, are very concerned about the fact that we don’t have a negotiated path forward in the middle of what appears to be possibly the worst year of drought that we’ve all experienced,” Jacobs said. “We have lots of reservoirs that are not full.”

Yale Climate Connections meteorologist Jeff Masters said his biggest concern is what drought will do to agriculture and then food prices. If America has a poor crop year because of the drought, it could be a global problem. A strong natural El Nino weather oscillation is predicted, which often reduces crop yield in other places across the globe, such as India.

UCLA's Williams said the drought and hotter weather are driven by both natural variability and human-caused climate change with randomness a slightly bigger factor.

“All weather is now affected by climate change,” Arizona's Jacobs said. “There is no such thing as weather that's divorced from climate trends. But this extreme event is extreme in the way that we’ve been expecting: extreme heat waves, intense drought.”

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

Yet so far, it’s been the office running elections in the state’s most populous county that has commanded much of the spotlight.

Republican Justin Heap is an election skeptic who will be overseeing his first statewide election in Maricopa County. He has been engaged in a bitter legal feud with the county board of supervisors over election procedures, has put in place a controversial system for checking signatures on mail ballots and has run voter records through a federal system to check for noncitizens despite questions about its accuracy. Heap also has made overtures to the Trump administration in its quest for voter and election records.

His actions have drawn heated comments from members of that board, which splits election oversight with Heap’s office, and rebukes from the attorney general and secretary of state. A ruling this week in the legal case will give Heap more authority over election operations.

The turmoil has created an air of uncertainty about how the midterm elections will go in a county that has been a regular target of election conspiracy theorists and is pivotal for deciding statewide races in one of the nation’s most important political battlegrounds.

State Sen. Lauren Kuby, a Democrat who sits on a legislative elections committee and represents part of Phoenix, said the discord between the recorder and county board is sowing confusion and distrust.

“We’re one of the biggest counties in the country, and we have all of our election administrators fighting right now," she said. "So I imagine if you’re a voter, you’re pretty confused and worried.”

The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, which Heap runs, did not provide a response to questions despite multiple requests for comment. Heap did issue a statement in response to the court ruling, saying it “restores both the authority and the resources necessary for my office to do its job.”

A power struggle and heated accusations

Heap took office after defeating the incumbent in the 2024 Republican primary. He quickly began challenging the board of supervisors, which is majority Republican.

He sued them in June 2025 with the backing of America First Legal, a conservative group founded by Stephen Miller, now a deputy chief of staff in the White House. The lawsuit accused the board of negotiating an agreement with Heap's predecessor to transfer money, information technology staff and certain election functions away from his office, including management of ballot drop boxes, processing of early arriving ballots and placement of sites used for early voting.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ended up largely siding with Heap in the case. The board's chair, Kate Brophy McGee, said the board will consider an appeal.

Before the ruling, supervisors had called Heap's lawsuit frivolous and “full of falsehoods” as part a power struggle that at times has boiled over. A budget meeting in January devolved into heated accusations, with Supervisor Thomas Galvin, a Republican, saying Heap “continues to lie over and over again.” In a statement issued afterward, Heap dismissed the incident as a “juvenile temper tantrum.”

The board proposed a settlement earlier this year but did not receive a counteroffer from Heap.

New way to check voter signatures

Once in the job, Heap changed the process for checking voters’ signatures on their mail ballot envelopes.

The new procedure involves workers of both political parties reviewing signatures and more workers conducting additional reviews of signatures deemed to be questionable, Heap told the board during a meeting last fall.

But some elected officials and observers say they are concerned the new policy could lead to otherwise eligible ballots being rejected. Galvin said the rejection rate in the November 2025 local election was “huge” relative to past elections.

He has said he worries the new signature verification process is a “looming disaster” and expressed concern that many people “who legally and validly voted last November saw their ballots be rejected for arbitrary reasons.”

Heap says the new policy is faster and more secure. “In the end, the signatures either match or they don’t,” he told the board.

Checking citizenship, but accuracy is a question

Heap has promoted his office’s use of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE system to identify people on the voter rolls who may not be citizens.

The office said that through the system, it found “137 registered voters who are not U.S. citizens” and that 60 of those “voted in prior elections.” The Maricopa County attorney’s office has said it received 207 names from the recorder’s office to review for voting eligibility.

Voting by people who are not U.S. citizens is rare, and the SAVE system has been criticized by some election officials and experts who say it frequently identifies eligible voters as noncitizens. Arizona's secretary of state, Democrat Adrian Fontes, said in an interview that the program is unreliable.

“The SAVE system is notoriously inaccurate,” he said. “You can’t depend on that to take somebody off the voter rolls or to start the removal proceeding.”

The recorder’s office announced its use of the SAVE system the same day Heap attended a news conference outside Phoenix, where then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was promoting a congressional bill that would require documented proof of citizenship to register and vote.

Fontes said his office has not received any additional information from the recorder about the alleged noncitizen voters and that the timing of the announcement makes it seem like “more of a headline grab than anything without more information.”

Fears of undermining confidence in elections

Heap’s presence at Noem’s February news conference was not the only instance when the recorder has appeared close with the Trump administration.

Correspondence obtained from the recorder’s office through a public records request shows a willingness to defer to the U.S. Department of Justice. This year the department seized ballots and other records related to the 2020 election from Georgia’s Fulton County, which includes Atlanta.

Meanwhile, the FBI subpoenaed similar Maricopa County records from the state Senate president.

Harmeet Dhillon, who oversees the department's Civil Rights Division, wrote to Fontes, Heap and county officials in September seeking preservation of county election records. Heap replied the next day, stressing in his letter that his office is “committed to full cooperation with the Department of Justice as it conducts its investigation," before adding: “We share your goal of safeguarding election integrity.”

As it has done in other states, the department sued Arizona months later for failing to comply with its request for detailed voter information.

The state’s attorney general, Democrat Kris Mayes, told a local media outlet that Heap is “trying to undermine Arizonans’ trust in our election system” and warned him not to provide voter lists to the federal government.

With the state’s July primary approaching, some observers are concerned that Heap’s feuding with the board and other actions could undermine public confidence in elections.

“The voters need to have a sense that this county is well-run, that the recorder and the board of supervisors have the best interest of every voter,” said Pinny Sheoran, state advocacy chair with the League of Women Voters of Arizona. “And that is frayed with this discord.”

Speaking to reporters Friday after Marie-Thérèse Ross returned to France, Hervé Goix, said the family's “absolute priority” is to protect her.

"To preserve her health and her rest, and for her to be able to rebuild herself,” Goix told a press conference alongside his two siblings in the town of Orvault, in western France.

“We are particularly relieved today to see our mother again, to have her back," he said. “She has necessarily gone through a difficult ordeal.”

Ross returned to France after a harrowing 16 days spent in federal immigration custody, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Friday. Without elaborating, Barrot said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement methods were “not in line” with French standards and “not acceptable to us.”

Ross entered the U.S. last June after marrying a retired U.S. soldier who had been stationed in her home country in the 1960s, court records show. But after her husband died of natural causes in January, a dispute arose over his estate. Ross’ stepson — a U.S. federal employee — allegedly intervened to have her taken into immigration custody, an Alabama judge found.

Federal immigration agents detained Ross in Alabama on April 1 after she overstayed her 90-day visa, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She was then held at a detention facility in Louisiana as French officials expressed concern about her well-being.

Goix, who told The Associated Press that she had been in the process of applying for a green card when she was taken into custody, added during the press conference that “the essential thing is that she is truly safe, that she regains her comfort, that she is surrounded by her children and grandchildren."

The mayor of Orvault, Sébastien Arrouët, told French media he spoke with Ross and said “she is delighted, she is happy, she is relieved.”

“Put yourselves in her place, in a country she knows a little bit, it all happened to her so suddenly,” he said. “We don’t realize the psychological violence. She needs to process all this, and the most important thing is that she is back with us.”

Ross was taken into custody in her nightgown and was unable to bring her phone, passport and other identification with her, records show.

Sunshine will be dominant for the first half of the weekend.

Clouds will go on the increase later in the Sunday as a cold front approaches Central Florida.

Highs Sunday top out around 90 degrees.

Next week

Outside of a few stray showers early Monday, most will be dry. Extra clouds and much cooler temperatures will return by Monday afternoon.

Highs fall to around 80 degrees on Monday and the upper 70s on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Beach forecast

While the weather will be fantastic at the beach, be mindful that the rip current risk remains elevated through at least the weekend.

Make sure you are swimming near a lifeguard and paying attention to the conditions.

Soriano pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning of the Angels' 8-0 victory over the Padres on Friday night, ending San Diego's eight-game winning streak with yet another dominant outing by Los Angeles' right-handed Dominican ace.

Soriano (5-0) has an ERA of 0.28 after allowing just one run in his first 32 2/3 innings this season. He leads the majors with 39 strikeouts while allowing only 11 hits, and he's tied with Milwaukee's Aaron Ashby for the lead with five wins.

Except for occasional control problems, Soriano has been overwhelming every lineup he faces — and Drake Baldwin's first-inning homer for Atlanta on April 6 is still the only run he has allowed all season. His 17-inning scoreless streak is the second-longest in the majors this season, and opponents are batting .104 against his 0.73 WHIP — both the best in baseball.

“It's like a hot knife through butter,” Angels slugger Jo Adell said. “It's pretty crazy. It's really special, and he's a special talent. He's always had the stuff to compete at this level, and he's doing what an ace does. Whatever he's done, just keep doing it.”

And after five straight dominant starts, Soriano has reached rare company.

The most recent pitcher to allow one earned run or fewer in each of his first five starts in a season with at least 15 total innings pitched was the Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela in 1981, when he won the NL Cy Young award in his groundbreaking rookie season. Walter Johnson also did it in 1913 — and nobody else.

Soriano is also the only pitcher in major league history to go at least five innings while yielding one or fewer earned runs and three or fewer hits in each of his first five starts to a season.

“I just feel confident to keep pitching like that,” Soriano said. “I believe in my catcher, and we’re on the same page. I think that’s a big part of the results we’re having.”

While Soriano dazzled his previous two opponents with back-to-back, 10-strikeout outings over 15 combined innings to win the AL Player of the Week award, he actually didn't overwhelm the Padres' veteran lineup.

San Diego drew four walks and forced Soriano to throw 99 pitches. The Padres loaded the bases in the third before Soriano got Jackson Merrill to ground out, but San Diego eventually chased him with a single and a walk with two outs in the sixth.

“The thing that impressed was that to us, he had to grind a little bit tonight,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “I think that's the maturity showing up, where he's learning how to pitch — and I say this lightly — without his best stuff. He learned how to navigate a great lineup over there without his best stuff ... and it was pretty incredible. You can't say enough.”

Soriano has a 99-mph fastball and a sinker that ranks among the best in baseball, but he's also mixing in a curve that has flummoxed his opponents. The combination has been too much for any opponent through his first five starts.

“Knowing him from the past, you always thought of the high-90s sinker, and then he comes in breaking out the curveball,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “That pitch was very impressive from the dugout. Gave our guys trouble at the beginning. It's really hard to lay off that pitch, and it complements his sinker. He did a great job tonight mixing his pitches. ... He's just a really good pitcher.”

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

The common factor: Both are being done in the name of Charlie Kirk.

The laws are among the first of what could become multiple state tributes to the conservative activist who was killed while speaking at a Utah university last year. More than 60 Kirk-themed bills have been proposed in over 20 states seeking to promote his ideology, establish official days of remembrance or affix his name to roads and public places, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural.

Just like Kirk, who was known for his provocative campus debates, the measures are not without controversy.

Republican lawmakers in Kansas overrode the veto of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to enact a law that she said would “cause confusion for courts and schools.”

In Tennessee, where Republicans firmly control state government, some Democrats denounced the pro-Kirk legislation by recounting what they described as racist remarks he made about Black pilots and Black women in government positions.

“How many times have we sat here and endured this? The Charlie Kirk Saves America Act, whatever the heck it is? Come on guys. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s move on,” Democratic state Rep. Sam McKenzie said during a committee meeting where Republicans endorsed the “Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act.”

That's not to be confused with Tennessee's “Charlie Kirk Act,” which Republicans also recently passed. That bill addresses campus free speech, including a ban on attendee walkouts that intentionally disrupt a speaker.

The variety of bills in Kirk's name “shows just how deeply his influence is being felt, especially in the fight to restore intellectual diversity and core American values in education,” said Matt Shupe, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, which Kirk founded.

Tennessee touts Christian values in Kirk's name

A Kirk-named law signed this week by Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee extols the historical “influence of Judeo-Christian values on the freedom and liberties ingrained in our culture.”

It gives permission for public schools and higher education institutions to teach about religion's positive role in American history. And it lists 19 examples, beginning with the organization of the Pilgrims as a church and including George Washington's direction for Army chaplains, Benjamin Franklin's appeal for prayer at the constitutional convention and the impact of Christian evangelist Billy Graham.

Tennessee is one of several Republican-led states to partner with Turning Point USA to promote its high school chapters, called Club America. Dozens of club leaders from Tennessee attended a state Senate committee hearing last month to support the religion-in-history legislation.

Ben Mason, a junior from Providence Academy in Johnson City, said Kirk helped him “to understand that America began with Judeo-Christian values.”

“This, of course, does not mean that you must be a Christian or even believe in God to be in America, but you will hear about our roots," Mason told lawmakers.

But Senate Democratic Leader Raumesh Akbari raised concerns.

“Our public schools are really not the place to push one religion over another," she said. "I know that is not the stated intent of the bill, but I think that ends up being the result.”

Kansas cites Kirk to promote free speech

Lawmakers turned Kirk's name into an acronym for the “Kansas intellectual rights and knowledge” act, which deems outdoor areas on college campuses as forums for free expression. The bill's preamble praises Kirk and cites a 2024 incident at Kansas State University in which Kirk's microphone was shut off at the end of his allotted time, leading Kirk to wade into the crowd to continue taking questions.

The measure limits security fees charged to student organizations for events and bans designated “free speech zones” that restrict the location of such activities. The attorney general — or any who believe their rights were infringed — can sue an institution seeking damages of at least $500 per violation, and $50 for each day it continues.

The bill is similar to the Campus Free Expression Act, promoted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. About half the states already have campus free-speech laws, according to the foundation.

“Charlie Kirk was assassinated for exercising his right to free speech and introducing young people to conservative values,” Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson said after Kelly’s veto was recently overridden. “His mission and legacy will live on and protect the free speech rights of all college students in Kansas for decades to come.”

Democrats, while decrying Kirk's assassination, were unified in opposing the bill. Democratic state Rep. Jerry Stogsdill said legislators should not honor an activist whose statements promoted “hate, bigotry, misogyny and racism.”

More Kirk bills are pending in state capitols

In Louisiana, Republicans have proposed a bill dubbed the “Charlie Kirk Success Sequence Act.” The measure would require public schools to teach that the keys to success include earning a high school diploma, immediately entering the workforce after high school or college, and marrying before having children.

A Senate committee advanced the bill this week after overcoming objections.

“Why muddy this bill up by putting a controversial political figure’s name on it?” asked Democratic Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews, whose attempt to remove Kirk's name failed in the Republican-dominated committee.

“In the last 20 years, I cannot think of anyone that’s had the type of impact on our students, on our campuses and in our cities as Charlie Kirk,” said Republican Sen. Rick Edmonds, who authored the bill.

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Associated Press writers Sara Cline, John Hanna and Jonathan Mattise contributed to this report.

The Suns took the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday in Game 1. The Warriors' season is over.

Green shot 14 of 20 from the field, including 8 of 14 on 3-pointers. Jordan Goodwin scored 19 points, had nine rebounds and was a menace on defense with six steals.

Booker and Golden State's Draymond Green were both assessed two technical fouls late in the fourth quarter after exchanging words multiple times and were ejected.

The 38-year-old Curry couldn't get many clean looks and finished with 17 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 23 points.

Phoenix led by five at the break and built a 69-53 advantage with 5:12 left in third after a fast-break layup by Royce O'Neale. It was 85-72 with 10:12 remaining.

There was reason to believe the lead wasn't safe. Phoenix blew an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead in a loss to Portland on Tuesday night, while Golden State clawed back from a 13-point fourth-quarter hole to beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, which led to the winner-take-all matchup Friday.

The Warriors looked as if they might have another comeback brewing — Curry hit a 3-pointer that cut the margin to 85-78 with 9:30 left — but the Suns responded with the next seven points.

The Suns avoided becoming the first team to lose both play-in tournament games on their home floor. The current format was established in 2021.

Golden State's Kristaps Porzingis played through right ankle soreness, the result of an injury Wednesday against the Clippers. The 7-foot-3 center played just 15 minutes and finished with 11 points.

The Suns built an early 13-2 lead after the Warriors turned the ball over four times. Phoenix pushed the advantage to 33-15 through one quarter after Golden State shot just 30%, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range.

But the Warriors recovered, cutting it to 50-45 by halftime.

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

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies were greeted by 3 inches of snow that blanketed Coors Field as their four-game series got off to a frigid start Friday.

Dodgers pitcher Emmett Sheehan took advantage of the frosty mid-April day when he came out on the field in shorts to make a snowman about four hours before the game's scheduled first pitch.

The snow stopped about three hours before the game began and Colorado’s grounds crew, which placed a tarp over the infield to shield it from the snowfall, used a plow to clear snow from the outfield. By the first pitch, it was 35 degrees and sunny — with the only remnants of snow on the pine trees behind the wall in center field.

It was the coldest first pitch in Dodgers history.

“It was a dry cold,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said with a laugh after the game.

The bats were back out and the white stuff gave way to green grass after the shovels slugged at the snow, which came one day after the high temperature in Denver was 75 degrees.

In front of a crowd of 28,783, the Dodgers won 7-1 behind a pair of home runs from Max Muncy and a strong outing from starter Tyler Glasnow, who gave up two hits and one run in seven innings.

The start of the game didn’t mark the end of the teams’ weather-related woes. The National Weather Service issued a freeze warning for the Denver area that will be in effect from 8 p.m. locally Friday until 8 a.m. Saturday, with sub-freezing temperatures dropping down into the 18-to-24 degree range overnight.

“There was still ice on the field and it was only getting colder, but you can’t complain about it,” Muncy said. “You’ve got to go out there and they have to play through it also.”

The projected high is 57 on Saturday, according to the weather service, and 74 on Sunday before reaching 79 on Monday for the series finale.

The Dodgers come in from wrapping up a six-game homestand on Wednesday in Los Angeles, where the high was 73 on Friday.

“We were told right from the start the game was going to start on time,” Muncy said. “When you know you have to go out there and play, obviously the weather sucks, but if there’s no question of you may not play or may get delayed or you may play a doubleheader, when there’s no question of that, it’s easier to just kind of block out the noise, go out there and get ready. Today was thankfully one of those days.”

—

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

That all came crashing down days before Thanksgiving 2025, when he and a mutual friend unknowingly took a lethal cocktail of fentanyl and carfentanil they may have mistaken for cocaine.

“I heard the word ‘autopsy’ and I literally just collapsed to the floor,” his mother, Kelley Nalewaja said, recalling the call she received from his wife. “Even if somebody had been there prepared with Narcan — even if somebody had called 911 in time — he was not going to survive.”

Carfentanil, a weapons-grade chemical that authorities say is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl, has seen a drastic resurgence across the U.S., killing hundreds of unsuspecting drug users.

The rise coincides with a recent crackdown by the Chinese government on the sale of precursors used to make fentanyl. Those regulations are likely prompting traffickers in Mexico to use carfentanil to boost the potency of a weakened version of fentanyl, according to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration intelligence bulletins reviewed by The Associated Press.

The surge of a drug so deadly that less than a poppy seed-sized amount can kill a person comes as fentanyl seizures and overall drug overdose deaths continue a multiyear decline.

“You’re talking about not even a grain of salt that could be potentially lethal,” said Frank Tarentino, the DEA's chief of operations for its northeast region, which stretches from Maine to Virginia. “This presents an extremely frightening proposition for substance abuse dependent people who seek opioids on the street today.”

Carfentanil surge

A decade ago, carfentanil exploded into the North American drug supply, causing hundreds of unsuspecting drug users to overdose, only to see a major dip after China banned it, closing a key regulatory loophole in the U.S.

But the situation has shifted dramatically in recent years.

In 2025, DEA labs identified carfentanil 1,400 times in U.S. drug seizures, compared with 145 in 2023 and only 54 in 2022, according to DEA records viewed by AP.

Traffickers in Mexico may be experimenting with producing carfentanil themselves, authorities say, while others could be procuring it from China-based vendors skirting the country's regulations by spamming online forums in other countries with ads for the drug.

Complicating matters for the cartels are the extreme dangers associated with manufacturing carfentanil, Tarentino said.

“You can't just dabble in this,” he said. “This is not some mad scientist on Reddit you’re going to get to go out to a rudimentary laboratory in Mexico to make carfentanil.”

Dip in overdose deaths and fentanyl seizures

U.S. overdose deaths have fallen for more than two years — the longest drop in decades. Experts point to several possible explanations, including the overdose-reversing drug naloxone being more widely available and the expansion of addiction treatment. Some have also tied it to the regulatory changes the U.S. has pressed for in China.

Experts say that even multiple high doses of naloxone might not be enough to reverse an overdose when carfentanil is involved.

Fentanyl seizures, along with several other illicit drugs, have also dipped. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that fentanyl seizures plunged to about 12,000 pounds (5,443 kilograms) in 2025 — less than half the amount seized in 2023.

But even as fentanyl numbers fall, it remains a major focus of the DEA. Just recently, the agency's proposed budget included a $362 million increase centered on cartel-driven fentanyl trafficking.

“Anyone who takes a pill that is not prescribed to them by their doctor is playing a game of Russian roulette with their life,” said Sara Carter, President Donald Trump's drug czar. “But if those terrorists think they can continue this chemical warfare without consequences, they are wrong.”

Researched as a chemical weapon

While the prevalence of carfentanil still pales in comparison to fentanyl, experts are nevertheless alarmed by the increase of a substance researched for years as a chemical weapon and deployed by Russian forces on Chechen separatists in 2002.

The DEA's annual quota for lawfully manufactured carfentanil — veterinarians use it to tranquilize elephants and other large animals — is just 20 grams, an amount that can fit in the palm of your hand.

“It’s like a biological weapon,” said Michael King Jr., founder of the Opioid Awareness Foundation. “If the world thinks we had a problem with fentanyl, that’s minute compared to what we’re going to be dealing with with carfentanil.”

In 2024, overdose deaths involving carfentanil nearly tripled compared to the previous year, with 413 deaths across 42 states and Washington, D.C., according to the most recent data available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Carfentanil definitely has that potential of spreading throughout the United States unless law enforcement really focuses in on carfentanil and they develop intelligence as to how these drug addicts are getting it,” said Mike Vigil, a former chief of international operations at the DEA.

In recent months, the DEA has documented several large seizures of carfentanil. In October, the DEA Los Angeles Field Division found 628,000 pills containing carfentanil, while in September, officials seized more than 50,000 counterfeit M30 pills from a person at a gas station in Washington state that turned out to be a mixture of carfentanil and acetaminophen.

‘All about money’

In some cases, frequent drug users have become tolerant to fentanyl and are seeking out carfentanil, despite the danger, because of the sudden euphoria it promises, explained Rob Tanguay, senior medical lead for addiction services with Recovery Alberta, a health agency in Canada. It appeals to the drug market, he said, because so little of it goes such a long way toward supply.

“The toughest part about all of this,” he said, “is that this is all about money.”

After Michael Nalewaja's death, his mother decided against a large funeral.

Instead, she organized a town hall in her hometown of El Dorado Hills, California, bringing together local officials along with mothers who had gone through something similar.

As she grieves her son, an adept salesman full of charisma who had recently gotten a national award by the electrical union, she's pushing for major legislative and judicial changes so others don't go through what she did because of a drug she said was never meant for humans.

“It’s not an OD; it’s not an overdose,” she said. “It’s a murder weapon.”

___

Associated Press writer Joshua Goodman in Miami contributed.

Body-camera footage shows what happened after the shooting, but not the shooting itself. That’s because the deputy’s body worn camera was not activated at the time.

[BELOW: Bodycam footage shows aftermath of deputy shooting]

Family and friends gathered on Friday night to remember Reed. Strong emotions filled the air.

“He’s in a better place, I believe that,” said Reed’s father. “There will never be another Timotheus Reed.”

Pictures of Reed with the words “Forever loved,” “No justice no peace” and “Say his name” were scattered throughout the vigil.

[BELOW: Listen to the full 911 call]

Tears in eyes, voices cracking and heartbreak filled the brief moments of silence.

“That officer must be held accountable, he must be held accountable,” said Reed’s father. A person who attended the vigil said this: “to the sheriff, to the mayor, to anybody that has any kind of power, stand up!”

Reed, according to the sheriff’s office, was the suspect in a stabbing in Leesburg, although his cousin, who says he was at the scene at the time, claims he was never stabbed and never told anyone he was.

The sheriff’s office says a knife was found near the area where the deputy encountered Reed. Those at the vigil believe the use of deadly force was not necessary.

“They should have never discharged their firearm,” said family friend Polo. “They should have been appropriate, they should have figured out what took place, de-escalate it if possible.”

The family says they have retained an attorney and are fighting for answers.

“The father lost his son, a mother lost her baby boy, you got kids that lno longer have a father. They deserve answers,” said Polo.

He claims there will be more protests and rallies planned in the coming weeks.

Iran’s Friday announcement about the opening of the crucial body of water, through which 20% of the world’s oil is shipped, came as a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon appeared to hold.

U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said the American blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the U.S., including on its nuclear program.

Asked by a reporter Friday night what he will do if there’s no deal when the ceasefire expires next week, Trump said, “I don’t know. ... But maybe I won’t extend it, so you’ll have a blockade and unfortunately we’ll have to start dropping bombs again.” But he also told reporters accompanying him aboard Air Force One to Washington that a deal is “going to happen,” and flatly rejected the idea of restrictions or tolls by Iran on the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump had earlier celebrated the Iranian announcement, posting on social media that the strait was “fully open and ready for full passage.” But minutes later, he issued another post saying the U.S. Navy’s blockade would continue “UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that ships would use routes designated by the Islamic Republic in coordination with Iranian authorities, suggesting Iran planned to retain some level of control over the channel. It was not clear if vessels would have to pay tolls.

Iranian officials said the blockade was a violation of last week’s ceasefire agreement between Iran and the U.S. The strait “will not remain open” if the blockade continues, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, posted on X early Saturday.

A data firm, Kpler, said movement through the strait remained confined to corridors requiring Iran’s approval.

U.S. forces have sent 21 ships back to Iran since the blockade began on Monday, U.S. Central Command said on X.

Trump says new talks could happen soon

Trump imposed the blockade as part of his effort to force Iran to open the strait and accept a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire to end almost seven weeks of war that has raged between Israel, the U.S. and Iran.

The president's decision to continue the blockade despite Iran’s announcement appeared aimed at sustaining pressure on Tehran as the fate of the two-week ceasefire reached last week remained uncertain.

Direct talks between the U.S. and Iran last weekend were inconclusive, as the two nations could not agree about Iran’s nuclear program and other points.

Trump suggested a second round of talks could happen this weekend.

“The Iranians want to meet,” he said in a brief telephone interview with the news outlet Axios. “They want to make a deal. I think a meeting will probably take place over the weekend.”

Oil prices fell Friday on hopes the U.S. and Iran were drawing closer to an agreement . The head of the International Energy Agency had warned that the energy crisis could get worse if the strait did not reopen.

Two Iranian semiofficial news agencies seemed to challenge Araghchi's announcement about the strait.

Considered close with Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, the Fars news agency issued a series of posts on X criticizing what it said was a lack of clarity over the decision to reopen the waterway and a “strange silence from the Supreme National Security Council and the negotiating team.”

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has recently acted as the country's de facto top decision-making body, amid doubts over the status of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was reportedly wounded early in the war.

The Mehr news agency also said the decision to reopen the strait needed “clarification” and required the supreme leader’s approval.

Truce in Lebanon could help US-Iran peace efforts

The ceasefire in Lebanon could clear one major obstacle to an agreement between Iran, the United States and Israel to end the war. But it was unclear to what extent Hezbollah would abide by a deal it did not play a role in negotiating and which will leave Israeli troops occupying a stretch of southern Lebanon.

Trump said in another post that Israel is “prohibited” by the U.S. from further strikes on Lebanon and that “enough is enough” in the Israel-Hezbollah war.

The State Department said the prohibition applies only to offensive attacks and not to actions taken in self-defense.

Shortly before Trump's post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel agreed to the ceasefire in Lebanon “at the request of my friend President Trump,” but that the campaign against Hezbollah is not complete.

He claimed Israel had destroyed about 90% of Hezbollah’s missile and rocket stockpiles and added that Israeli forces “have not finished yet” with the dismantling of the group.

Celebrations in Beirut

In Beirut, celebratory gunshots rang out at the start of the truce. Displaced families began moving toward southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs despite warnings by officials not to return to their homes until it became clear whether the ceasefire would hold.

The Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon had reported sporadic artillery shelling in some parts of southern Lebanon in the hours after the ceasefire took effect.

An Israeli strike in the area of Kounine hit a car and a motorcycle, killing one person and wounding three, including a Syrian citizen, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Friday. It was the first airstrike and first fatality reported since the truce took effect.

There was no immediate response from the Israeli army or Hezbollah.

An end to Israel’s war with Hezbollah was a key demand of Iranian negotiators, who previously accused Israel of breaking last week's ceasefire with strikes on Lebanon. Israel had said that deal did not cover Lebanon.

The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,290 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.

Israel says it will keep troops in Lebanon

Israel’s hard-line Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would continue to hold all the places where it is currently stationed, including a buffer zone extending 10 kilometers (6 miles) into southern Lebanon. He said many homes in the area would be destroyed and Lebanese residents will not return.

Hezbollah has said Lebanese people have “the right to resist” Israeli occupation and that their actions “will be determined based on how developments unfold.”

Israel and Hezbollah have fought several wars and have been fighting on and off since the day after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Israel and Lebanon reached a deal to end the earlier fighting in November 2024, but Israel has kept up near-daily strikes in what it says is an effort to prevent the Iran-backed militant group from regrouping. That escalated into another invasion after Hezbollah again began firing missiles at Israel in response to its war on Iran.

Mediators seek compromise on three points

In the Iran war, mediators are pushing for compromise on three main points: Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages, according to a regional official involved in the mediation efforts.

Trump on Friday suggested Iran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium.

“The USA will get all the nuclear dust,” Trump said in a speech in Arizona. “We’re going to get it by going in with Iran with lots of excavators.”

Nuclear dust is the shorthand Trump frequently uses to refer to the highly enriched uranium that is believed buried under nuclear sites the U.S. bombed during last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran.

If true, it would be a major concession from Iran and would lock in a key demand of the U.S. to end the conflict. Neither Iran nor countries acting as intermediaries in the conflict have said Tehran has made such an agreement.

Trump said no money would exchange hands to end the war.

___

Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Ben Finley in Washington, Samy Magdy and Amir Rajdy in Cairo, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Abby Sewell in Beirut and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

Works wonders, actually.

Facing elimination and clearly wanting no part of it, the Magic might have put together one of their best performances of the season Friday night. They rolled past the Charlotte Hornets 121-90 in an Eastern Conference play-in game, moving into the playoffs for the third straight season and getting a matchup with top-seeded Detroit as their reward.

“When you play with a sense of desperation and urgency, when you know you’re either going home or extending your season, that’s what it looks like,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “There (are) no second chances.”

Mosley is the first coach to lead the Magic to three consecutive playoff appearances since Stan Van Gundy took Orlando there in five straight years. Van Gundy was at Friday's game as an analyst for Amazon Prime Video.

“I've got to be honest. Charlotte is shrinking from the competition,” Van Gundy said on the broadcast, as the Magic were running away in the second quarter — building what became a 35-point lead shortly before halftime. “They look like they don't want any part of this.”

That's exactly how Orlando wanted it. It was bully ball, and it worked.

“We’re going to need more of that in the playoffs,” Magic forward Franz Wagner said.

Added Magic forward Paolo Banchero: “We were just relentless with that tonight. ... It was just a complete effort from the whole team.”

Charlotte coach Charles Lee, who has engineered quite a turnaround over his first two seasons with the Hornets, said he hopes his team doesn't forget the lessons that Orlando taught them in this one.

“I hope that this fuels us this offseason, because we’ve done a ton of really good things and gave ourselves an opportunity,” Lee said. “You’re one step away from being in the playoffs. I don’t want to discredit that. But this has got to hurt a little bit.”

Orlando dealt with injuries all season, and going 2-8 in a 10-game stretch late in the regular season could have absolutely sunk any postseason hopes. But the Magic — even with a loss in Wednesday's play-in opener at Philadelphia — have now won six of their last eight, heading into a no-pressure matchup against heavily favored Detroit.

“We did what we were supposed to do,” Mosley said. “There’s a reason we can be happy tonight. But at the end of the day, we still have more work to do.”

___

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

However, Trump added that the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ships and ports “will remain in full force” until Iran reaches a deal with Washington to end the war.

Oil prices dropped 9% and Wall Street rallied to a record after Iran said the strait is open, allowing tankers to resume shipments from the Persian Gulf. Stocks are heading for a third straight weekly gain, on hopes the U.S. and Iran can avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy.

A 10-day ceasefire in Israel and Lebanon began at midnight and appears to be holding after more than a month of war between Israel and Hezbollah, although the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group is not a party to the deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is “not yet finished” with Hezbollah. The militant group said its response will depend on how events unfold.

The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, nearly 2,300 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.

Here is the latest:

Trump rejects notion of tolls by Iran on Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump flatly rejected the idea when a reporter asked about the prospect of restrictions or tolls managed by Iran on the Strait of Hormuz.

“Nope. No way. No. Nope,” Trump said. He said there can’t be tolls along with restrictions. “No, they’re not going to be tolls.”

More than 20 ships turned back by US blockade

US Central Command says that since the blockade began on Monday, 21 ships returned to Iran at the direction of U.S. forces.

U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier on Friday that the American blockade of Iranian ports would remain “in full force” until Iran reaches a deal with the U.S., including on its nuclear program.

Australia says opening of Strait of Hormuz is ‘positive news’

“We hope that it certainly holds. This was positive news that we received last night,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.

“But we know that it’s very fragile and we don’t assume the best. What we do is prepare as best we can for the uncertainty which is there,” Albanese added.

Israel experiences first 24 hours without incoming strikes since Iran war started

It’s been more than 24 hours since air raid sirens went off in any part of Israel — and that last time, very early on Friday morning in a small community at the border with Lebanon, turned out to be a mistaken identification.

Since the Iran war started on Feb. 28, Iran, then Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants and eventually the Houthis in Yemen sent barrages of missiles and rockets into Israel, sometimes more than a dozen times a day. Hezbollah kept up firing right until a ceasefire went into effect Friday.

In Israel’s major metropolitan areas of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, but also in villages in the country’s desert south and hilly north, sirens and alerts sent residents to bomb shelters and safe rooms throughout the day and night.

The strikes have killed 23 people and wounded about 600 more, according to Israel’s emergency services.

Iran warns US blockade risks fresh Strait of Hormuz closure

Iran’s parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf posted on X early Saturday that if the U.S. blockade continued, “the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open.”

On Friday, Iran had said it fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels, but U.S. President Donald Trump said the American blockade on Iranian ships and ports would “remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the U.S.

And a data firm, Kpler, said later Friday that movement through the strait remained confined to corridors requiring Iran’s approval.

Trump says US will go into Iran and excavate uranium

“The USA will get all the nuclear dust,” Trump said in a speech in Arizona. “We’re going to get it by going in with Iran with lots of excavators.”

Iran has yet to confirm that its agreed to give up the 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites badly damaged by U.S. military strikes last year.

Giving up the uranium and agreeing to U.S. troops entering Iranian territory would be huge concessions by Iran.

Trump insisted that “no money will exchange hands in any way, shape or form” as part of a potential deal with Iran to end the war.

China willing to take custody of highly enriched uranium from Iran, AP source says

China is open to taking possession or downgrading some 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium that Trump says must be removed from Iran as part of a deal to end the war, according to a diplomat familiar with Beijing’s thinking on the matter.

At the moment, it appears Trump wants the U.S. to take custody of the material that is believed buried under nuclear sites badly damaged in an American bombardment last June.

But China, which is Iran’s biggest trading partner, is signaling it would be open if asked by Washington and Tehran to take the uranium or down-blend to levels that could be used for civilian applications, said the diplomat who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

In 2015, under the Joint Comprehensive Plan for Action, Iran shipped approximately 25,000 pounds (11,000 kg) of low-enriched uranium to Russia to meet an essential requirement to fulfill that nuclear deal. — By Aamer Madhani

USS Ford returns to the Middle East

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has again entered the waters of the Middle East, two defense officials told the Associated Press.

The Ford, which until recently was operating in the Eastern Mediterranean, transited the Suez Canal, along with a pair of destroyers, the USS Mahan and the USS Winston S. Churchill, and is now operating in the Red Sea, one official said.

Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.

The Ford is returning to the Red Sea after more than a month in the Mediterranean following a major fire in a laundry space that forced the ship back to port for repairs. The carrier also broke the record for the longest aircraft carrier deployment since the Vietnam war this week.

The Ford’s arrival makes it the second aircraft carrier in the region in addition to the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. The USS George H. W. Bush is also heading towardH.W. Bushn and is currently off the coast of South Africa, according to one defense official.

Vessel movement remains constrained in the Strait of Hormuz

Data firm Kpler said ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz remained confined to corridors requiring approval on Friday evening, hours after the U.S. and Iran announced full reopening of the strategic waterway.

Iran’s state media reported the country’s conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the beginning of the war, included that all commercial vessels transiting must go through a route designated by Iran and in coordination with the IRGC Navy.

Kpler said that “markets have responded with cautious optimism” to the reopening decision, but warned that underlying supply dynamics remain tight, and a “full normalization in trade and confidence is likely to take months, not weeks.”

Oil prices fall sharply and Wall Street rallies to a record as Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz

Oil prices dropped back to where they were in the early days of the Iran war, while U.S. stocks raced to another record.

The S&P 500 leaped 1.2% Friday after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz is open again for commercial tankers carrying crude.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average leaped as many as 1,100 points before paring its gain and ended with a jump of about 870 points, or 1.8%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.5%.

A freer flow of oil could take pressure off prices not only for gasoline but also for groceries and all kinds of other products. Oil prices fell 9%.

Iran’s navy chief says Trump’s naval blockade is ‘piracy and maritime theft’

The commander of the Iranian navy, Shahram Irani, said Friday evening that Trump “has blockaded his friends” and not Iran, as the U.S. said its blockade will remain in place after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial traffic.

In a statement carried by Mizan, Iran’s official judiciary news agency, the navy chief said Trump’s blockade is just “empty words” and that no one is listening to him.

The U.S. military says it has turned 19 ships back to Iran since imposing the blockade earlier this week.

Lebanese president says negotiations are ‘not a weakness’ and the country has reclaimed its sovereignty

President Joseph Aoun struck a defiant tone in his first address since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took hold, saying he wants Lebanon to chart its own course after weeks of war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The president said he wants to see Lebanon “flourishing, not committing suicide.” He condemned Hezbollah’s rocket fire into northern Israel that triggered the latest round of fighting, and criticized Iran’s role in arming and backing the group.

He framed both as violations of Lebanese sovereignty, and again vowed to disarm non-state groups, including Hezbollah.

In a pointed response to Hezbollah’s criticism of Lebanon’s direct talks with Israel and claims that Beirut lacks leverage, Aoun said the country will make its own decisions and stand by demands shared across Lebanese society, not ones dictated by Iran or its allies.

“There will be no concessions to any principle, no infringement of the sovereignty of this country,” he said.

Aoun also reiterated calls for Israel to halt attacks, withdraw troops, release detainees and allow displaced people to return.

US Treasury sanctions Iraqi militias backed by Iran

The U.S. imposed sanctions on seven senior commanders of Iraqi militias that are supported by Iran, including groups like Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, for allegedly planning and carrying out attacks on U.S. personnel and coalition forces in the region.

Officials have said the move is part of a broader effort to counter Iran’s influence in Iraq and deter further violence against U.S. interests.

The action also signifies a U.S. strategy of using economic pressure, not just military force, to target Iran’s network of allies, while warning global banks and firms to stop doing business with anyone tied to these groups.

“We will not allow Iraq’s terrorist militias, backed by Iran, to threaten American lives or interests,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said Friday. “Those who enable these militias’ violence will be held accountable.”

Head of US Central Command says ships are moving through the Strait of Hormuz

“We’ll see what this looks like going forward. But I think we should all remain optimistic,” Adm. Brad Cooper told reporters Friday after Iran announced the vital waterway was open to commercial vessels.

US Central Command leader says military will clear mines in Strait of Hormuz

The top commander in the Middle East confirmed that the U.S. military will be working to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz but would offer no details on the scope of the task.

“It’s a mission that we’ve undertaken,” Cooper told reporters on a call Friday before adding that he wouldn’t want to “characterize” the extent to which the critical waterway has been mined by Iran as part of a weekslong conflict with the U.S. and Israel.

Cooper said that it was “well within our ability to remove mines.”

Earlier on Friday Trump said in a social media post that “Iran, with the help of the U.S.A., has removed, or is removing, all sea mines!”

US Central Command chief says military still has ‘eyes on every Iranian port’

The top U.S. military leader in the Middle East said Friday that the American naval blockade of ships tied to Iran will remain in place for as long as Trump “says it will remain in effect.”

Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads Central Command, told reporters on a phone call that “U.S. forces have eyes on every Iranian port.”

“We are watching every Iranian ship in every port. Period. Full stop,” Cooper said, adding that the U.S. military presence can stay in the region indefinitely.

“We’re well-provisioned. We’re well-manned. We have all the forces necessary to sustain this for as long as necessary,” Cooper said.

Iran threatens ‘reciprocal measures’ if US blockade continues

In comments published by Iranian state media Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei slammed the ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

He said the Strait of Hormuz remains under the supervision of Iran, which is serious about its commitments. But if the U.S. violates its own commitments, then “Iran will take the necessary reciprocal measures.’’

“No leniency will be shown in this regard,” he said.

First cruise ship transits the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war began

The vessel-tracker MarineTraffic said the Malta-flagged passenger vessel, reportedly sailing without passengers and bound for Oman, departed Dubai on Friday after remaining docked for 47 days.

It said the Celestial Discovery ship is expected to arrive in Oman on Saturday.

Hours earlier, Iran and the U.S. said the strategic waterway, which has been effectively closed since the beginning of the conflict, will be fully open to commercial traffic.

UN chief says opening the Strait of Hormuz is ‘a step in the right direction’

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated the United Nations’ position: “We need the full restAntónio Guterresnational navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz to be respected by all parties,” his spokesman said.

Guterres supports diplomatic efforts “to find a peaceful path forward out of the current conflict in the Middle East,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

“He also hopes that, together with the ceasefire, this measure will contribute to creating confidence between the parties and strengthen the ongoing dialogue facilitated by Pakistan,” the spokesman said.

What exactly did Trump ‘prohibit’ Israel from striking in Lebanon?

The State Department said Trump’s announced prohibition on Israeli strikes inside Lebanon applies only to offensive attacks and not to actions taken in self-defense, and referred to the third point of Wednesday’s agreement by Israel and Lebanon.

That point says “Israel shall preserve its right to take all necessary measures in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.” It adds that Israel “will not carry out any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian, military, and other state targets, in the territory of Lebanon by land, air, and sea.”

With the ceasefire only a few hours old, Israel has already launched at least one deadly drone strike in southern Lebanon, according to the health ministry there. During the previous ceasefire, Israel struck what it said were Hezbollah targets almost daily.

Trump suggests a second round of direct US-Iran talks could happen this weekend

“The Iranians want to meet,” Trump said in a brief telephone interview with the news outlet Axios. “They want to make a deal. I think a meeting will probably take place over the weekend.”

Despite the ceasefire, an Israeli drone strike in Lebanon kills 1 person

An Israeli strike in the area of Kounine hit a car and a motorcycle, killing one person and wounding three, including a Syrian citizen, Lebanon’s health ministry said Friday. It was the first airstrike and first fatality reported since a 10-day truce between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah took effect overnight.

The Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon had reported sporadic artillery shelling in some parts of the south in the hours after the ceasefire took effect.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel has maintained that it still has the right to strike in Lebanon in response to perceived threats despite the ceasefire. There was no immediate response from Hezbollah.

Thousands head home as US-brokered truce holds in Lebanon

A fragile calm settled over parts of Lebanon on Friday as a 10-day ceasefire brokered by the United States took hold between Israel and Hezbollah, prompting thousands of displaced families to begin the journey home — even as uncertainty, destruction and Israeli warnings against going back to parts of southern Lebanon clouded their return.

By early morning, cars were backed up for kilometers on the route leading south to the damaged Qasmiyeh bridge over the Litani River, a key crossing linking the southern coastal city of Tyre to the north. Vehicles piled high with mattresses, suitcases and salvaged belongings crept forward through a single reopened lane, hastily repaired after an Israeli airstrike just a day earlier.

Drivers heading back to their villages along coastal highways cheered each other, flashed victory signs and exchanged blessings.

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Iranian media reports a challenge to the FM’s post declaring Strait of Hormuz open

Two semiofficial news agencies in Iran are casting doubt on an earlier announcement from Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, that the Strait of Hormuz was being opened to global traffic.

Considered close with the powerful Revolutionary Guard, Fars news agency appeared to challenge Iran’s reported decision to open the strait in a series of posts on its X account.

The posts condemned a “strange silence from the Supreme National Security Council and the negotiating team.”

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has recently acted as the de facto top decision-making body in the country, as doubts swirl over the status of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was reportedly injured early in the war.

Mehr news agency also has said that the reported decision to reopen the strategic waterway needed “clarification” and “requires the (Supreme) Leader’s approval.”

The Magic earned the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Their reward is a matchup with top-seeded Detroit, a best-of-seven that begins Sunday on the Pistons' home floor.

The Magic were physical from the outset, and the Hornets were never in the game. Franz Wagner had 18 points for the Magic, along with seven rebounds and six assists.

Wendell Carter Jr. finished with 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting, while Desmond Bane scored 13 and Jalen Suggs added 12 for the Magic.

Orlando led by 31 at halftime, the biggest midpoint lead in the play-in tournament’s seven-year history. It has been utilized in this format — four teams qualifying from each conference, playing to decide the final two playoff spots on each half of the bracket — since 2021.

LaMelo Ball — who the NBA said should have been ejected from Tuesday’s season-extending win over Miami for an uncalled flagrant foul against Bam Adebayo -- led the Hornets with 23 points, 21 of them coming in the third quarter.

But the game was long decided at that point. Orlando raced out to a 27-10 lead, stretched it to 68-33 late in the first half, and the Hornets never even got within 20 points the rest of the way.

Miles Bridges, who has played more games than any other active player without a playoff appearance, scored 15 for the Hornets. Brandon Miller scored 14 and Kon Knueppel added 11.

The Hornets, who have now missed the playoffs in 10 straight seasons, were outrebounded 49-34 and shot only 34%. Orlando shot 50%.

The Magic were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two postseasons and have not won a playoff round since 2010. But they went 2-2 against the Pistons this season.

The Hornets, who beat the Magic in their last three regular-season games, have not been in the playoffs since 2016. It's the longest active drought in the NBA.

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

In a release, deputies said the shooting was reported around 8:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of Weston Point Drive.

Upon arrival, responding deputies found two men in their 20s who had been shot, the release shows.

[RELATED: Man drives into Brevard County canal with ex in car, deputies say]

“Both were transported to a local hospital, where one of the men died,” deputies wrote. “The other man is in stable condition.

Deputies are now investigating what happened.

No additional information has been provided at this time.

The report said immediate liquidation is not expected, but the airline’s latest financial pressure has renewed fears about its future.

That uncertainty matters in Orlando, where Spirit remains a major presence at Orlando International Airport. GOAA’s February 2026 passenger report shows Spirit carried 462,864 passengers at MCO that month, about 9.63% of the airport’s traffic.

“If the low budget guy goes away, that’s good for competition if you’re an airline, bad for fares if you’re that paying passenger,” News 6 business analyst Donovan Myrie said. “You don’t have that low budget airline, that low fare built in and you’re going to be paying higher fares.”

That was also the concern for some travelers at MCO Friday.

“It’s a little disheartening, since they probably are the cheapest way to fly,” Spirit passenger Stacy Conrad said. “People looking for a short-term getaway, a weekend, a quick business trip, it’s going to be doing them a disservice.”

Conrad said losing a budget airline would hit families especially hard, especially when airfare is often one of the biggest costs of a trip.

“If you’re trying to take your kids there, maybe for the first time, and it costs you $500 round trip for all of you to fly on a budget airline, well, that saves you a lot of money,” she said. “That’s a whole day’s ticket for all of you to get into Disney.”

Spirit has said in its restructuring materials that flights and operations continue during bankruptcy. In a March restructuring announcement, the airline said it still expected to emerge from Chapter 11 by early summer.

For now, Spirit is still flying. But if the airline’s financial problems keep getting worse, travelers who depend on cheap fares may be the ones who feel it most. Reuters also reported that Spirit’s recent fuel-cost problem stems from prices rising far above what the airline had assumed in its restructuring plan.

The so-called general license means U.S. sanctions will not apply for 30 days on deliveries of Russian oil that has been loaded on tankers as of Friday. It extended a similar 30-day license issued in March for Russian oil that had been loaded by March 11. The extension underscores how the fallout from the Iran war has boosted Moscow’s ability to profit from its energy exports, which had been restrained since the invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Bessent ruled out extending the license. “We will not be renewing the general license on Russian oil, and we will not be renewing the general license on Iranian oil,” he said. The administration did not immediately explain the reversal.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Padres aren't commenting publicly on the process.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the imminent deal with private equity billionaire Jose E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones. The team is expected to be sold at a valuation of $3.9 billion in a record deal for a Major League Baseball team, easily topping the approximately $2.4 billion paid by Steven Cohen for the New York Mets in 2020.

The 53-year-old Feliciano is the co-founder and managing partner of Clearlake Capital, a private equity firm based in Santa Monica, California. The firm was part of an investment group that purchased Premier League club Chelsea in 2022, with Los Angeles Dodgers minority owner Todd Boehly becoming the Blues' chairman.

Seidler's family began to explore a sale of the Padres last November, two years after the death of the popular Peter Seidler. His brother, John Seidler, has served as the Padres' chairman since then.

Peter Seidler was part of a group that bought the Padres in 2012 for $800 million, and he became the team's primary owner in 2020. He enthralled San Diego's baseball fans with his free-spending eagerness to win the Padres' first World Series, and general manager A.J. Preller built a series of exciting teams that have reached the MLB playoffs in four of the last six seasons — a first in team history — despite playing in the same division as the dominant Dodgers.

The Padres' current players reacted with excitement about the news of the potential sale to Feliciano — and the reported size of the billionaire's deal particularly caught these millionaires' attention.

“I think it’s special that they went out there and put that number out there for us,” slugger Manny Machado said in Anaheim before the Padres opened a series with the Los Angeles Angels. “Tells you everything they want for the organization. Looking forward to some conversations with them, and what they see for the future of San Diego. ... That’s a big stepping stone, $3.9 billion.”

The Padres' potential sale price reflects their value as San Diego's only franchise in North America's four traditional major sports leagues, leading to a passionate fan base in their attractive home at downtown Petco Park. The Padres have set attendance records in each of the past three seasons, capped last season by drawing a whopping 3,437,201 fans — the second-most in the majors to the Dodgers, who play in their much larger stadium in Chavez Ravine.

“You look at what’s going on in our city and just the state of baseball in general, and this game is in an amazing place,” said infielder Jake Cronenworth, who has been with the Padres since 2020. “For the market that we’re in, and what the team just sold for, I think it shows where the game is. Not only is it close to $4 billion, but for it to break the record is very, very impressive.”

The Padres finished last season with the majors’ ninth-highest payroll at around $217 million, still down significantly from its peak under Seidler.

The current team, which arrived at Angel Stadium on an eight-game winning streak, boasts a lineup anchored by Fernando Tatis Jr., Machado and Jackson Merrill — who are all signed through at least 2033 — along with closer Mason Miller, who has become the most dominant reliever in baseball.

Potential buyers also were clearly not frightened off by the Padres’ relative lack of media revenue. The team is expected to benefit immensely from any new media deal that would accompany baseball's next collective bargaining agreement.

Feliciano was born and raised in Puerto Rico before attending Princeton and Stanford. He co-founded Clearlake Capital two decades ago.

Machado, a Miami native with Dominican ancestry, was excited by the prospect of a second Latino owner in baseball alongside the Angels’ Arte Moreno. Machado holds a minority ownership stake in Major League Soccer's San Diego FC.

“That is unbelievable, having another Latin come and be an owner,” Machado said. “I think that tells you a lot about where baseball is heading. Blessed to have another Latin owner that can bring that Latin culture to San Diego, which is already a big part of the Latin community. I know he’s going to bring a lot of great things to the organization, to the city itself.”

The BlueCo consortium formed to buy Chelsea also owns Strasbourg in France's Ligue 1. Chelsea has been among the Premier League's biggest spenders since Boehly and his partners took over the club, although it has yet to produce significant success.

Any sale of the Padres must be approved by 75% of MLB owners.

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

The actor told Harper’s Bazaar she is “very grateful” to be welcoming a child with partner Tanguy Destable, 45, a French electronic music producer known by his stage name, Tepr.

“Tanguy and I are very excited,” she told the outlet. “I’m just very grateful. I know it’s such a privilege and a miracle.”

The actor shares two older children, son Aleph, 14, and daughter Amalia, 9, with ex-husband Benjamin Millepied. Portman and Millepied divorced in 2024.

A publicist for Portman, Keleigh Morgan, confirmed news of the pregnancy but did not give further details.

Portman has spoken about how she grew up the child of a fertility doctor.

“I grew up hearing about how hard it is to get pregnant,” she told Harper's Bazaar. “I have so many people I love who’ve had such a hard time with it that I want to be respectful around that as well. It’s such a beautiful, joyous thing, and it’s also not an easy thing.”

She also said she is feeling good physically, with “more energy than I thought I might.”

Portman's upcoming projects include Cathy Yan's “The Gallerist,” about an unusual art world caper, and Lena Dunham's “Good Sex” on Netflix.

Lanez, 33, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, filed the federal lawsuit seeking $100 million in damages on Tuesday against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the warden and guards at the prison in Tehachapi where he was being held.

The suit says he was stabbed 16 times in the back, torso, head and face in an “unprovoked life-threatening attack” by inmate Santino Casio, who used a homemade “shank.” Lanez had a collapsed lung and had to be airlifted to a hospital, it says.

Lanez is serving a 10-year sentence for shooting hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in the feet after a dramatic and high-profile 2022 trial in Los Angeles.

Prison officials say he was attacked May 12, 2025, by Casio, who is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. Casio had another 2008 conviction for assault by a prisoner with a deadly weapon and another in 2018 for manufacturing a deadly weapon.

“The choice to house Casio with Peterson was known or should have been a known danger,” the lawsuit says. It alleges that correctional officers' response was slow, and no special measures like flash grenades or smoke bombs were used to stop Casio. It says the institution housed the men together despite the rapper's “high-profile celebrity status,” which made him a target.

There is no record of Casio being charged in the assault. An attorney who represented him previously did not respond to messages seeking comment at the time.

Lanez was transferred to another prison, the California Men's Colony, in San Luis Obispo County.

The lawsuit also says the defendants unlawfully seized his songbooks with unpublished lyrics that are of great future commercial value and refused to return them.

In response to a request for comment, Department of Corrections spokesperson Ike Dodson said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit was first reported by TMZ.

Lanez was convicted of three felonies in December 2022: assault with a semiautomatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle; and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.

A California court rejected his appeal in November.

Megan, whose legal name is Megan Pete, testified at trial that in July 2020, after they left a party at Kylie Jenner’s Hollywood Hills home, Lanez fired the gun at the back of her feet and shouted for her to dance as she walked away from an SUV in which they had been riding.

She had bullet fragments surgically removed from both feet. It was not until months after the incident that she publicly identified Lanez as the person who fired the gun.

The 32-year-old Canadian Lanez began releasing mixtapes in 2009 and saw a steady rise in popularity, moving on to major label albums, two of which reached the top 10 on Billboard’s charts.

Jesse Latzman says the first sign something was coming was crews walking through the neighborhood, placing survey markings. Then, a notice eventually came from Colorado-based WIDEOPENWEST or WOW! on a door hangar message that work will be starting soon.

“Things seemed to be fine,” Latzman said. “And the next thing you know, like, this is just basically destroyed and water is flowing.”

According to WOW!, a water line break occurred around 2:30 p.m. Thursday in an area where telecommunications contractors were preparing to run conduit in the public right-of-way. The company says the contractor quickly contacted city officials to report the leak.

However, Latzman says the water ran uninterrupted for far longer than it should have.

“The city couldn’t turn off the valves, which created a much, much bigger issue,” he said.

The water had nowhere to go but downhill — straight through the cul-de-sac and into the neighborhood pond.

“The pond is several feet higher, but the water is just absolutely rancid,” he said.

A good portion of pavement disappeared in the process, and bulldozers worked through the night to dig deep enough to access and repair the water main.

A spokesperson for WOW! tells News 6 that city officials shut the water off shortly before 10 PM.

Latzman says crews also hit Spectrum lines during the dig. Then, around 10:15 p.m. that same night, the neighborhood lost power.

“It’s like a hurricane, manmade, it feels like. I mean, we lost like every, every utility possible,” he said.

Power was restored after about three hours, according to Latzman.

News 6 reached out to the city of Longwood, which posted about the water main break and emergency repairs underway on Facebook. It says the entirety of Hidden Oaks subdivision remains under a precautionary boil water notice at this time. As a precaution, residents are advised to bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, or making ice.

“I would have loved to have washed my face this morning, but I let that go,” Latzman said.

His bigger concern is what may be lurking underground.

“Water has been moving underground,” he said. “This neighborhood doesn’t need these houses to have a sinkhole form because work was not properly done or was hastily done.”

WOW! says it is working with its contractor and city officials to obtain more information about how the incident occurred and to determine next steps.

But Latzman says accountability — not just repairs — is what he is really after.

“I want to make sure there’s accountability. That this is more or less on record,” he said. “People don’t just say, ‘Okay, we finished the job,’ and then six months down the road, we’ve got problems from this damage if it’s not properly repaired.”

Latzman says he contacted News 6 after he saw our reporting in Altamonte Springs, where subcontractors with “WOW!” have torn apart residential lawns cable and sewer lines as they cut a path for underground fiber optics.

You can read the full statement from a WOW! Spokesperson below:

Yesterday afternoon at about 2:30 PM a water line break occurred in an area where telecommunications contractors were preparing to run conduit in the public right-of-way.

The contractor quickly contacted city officials to report the leak. City officials shut water off at the site shortly before 10 PM.

We are working with the contractor and city officials to obtain more information as to how the incident occurred and to determine next steps.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley in Sacramento, California, made the ruling late Friday afternoon, finding that eight attorneys general and DirecTV were likely to prevail in their legal bid to stop the merger. The attorneys general, all Democrats, and DirecTV contend the merger will lead to higher prices for consumers, stifle local journalism and that the deal runs afoul of federal laws designed to protect against monopolies.

The deal, announced last year and approved by the Federal Communications Commission, would create a company that owns 265 television stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, most of them local affiliates of one of the “Big Four” national networks: ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

That would likely give Nexstar the power to raise the retransmission fees it charges to video programming distributors like DirecTV, which means higher bills for consumers, Nunley wrote. The company also has a track record of consolidating local television news stations when it owns more than one station in a market, the judge said, meaning viewers “will lose options for where to get their local news.”

The deal could also force distributors like DirecTV to comply with Nexstar’s demands for higher broadcast fees or risk leaving subscribers potentially unable to watch things like Sunday NFL football games, the judge said.

Stopping the merger for now is “in the public interest,” Nunley wrote.

Attorneys representing Nexstar and Tegna did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nexstar’s attorneys told the court the deal has already been reviewed and cleared by the FCC and the Department of Justice. They said the FCC order commits the company to expand local journalism and programming, not shrink it.

The merger needed the approval of the Republican Trump administration’s FCC because the government had to waive rules that limit how many local stations one company can own. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in March that the company had agreed to divest itself of six stations.

The judge said the FCC clearance process for the deal was “unusual,” and that the regulatory oversight “did not curb the manifest anticompetitive effects of this acquisition.”

The Department of Justice, which is tasked with conducting antitrust reviews of these types of mergers, announced it was closing its investigation of the deal in March through “early termination,” the judge noted, ending the review process sooner than is normally required by statute.

“In unusual circumstances — with the FCC’s quasi-adjudicatory licensing proceeding still pending — the President himself weighed in publicly in February and urged federal regulators to approve the deal to ‘knock out the Fake News,’” Nunley wrote.

The preliminary injunction is designed to keep things as they are until the lawsuit is fully decided, Nunley said.

New York Attorney General Letitia James called the ruling a “critical victory” in a statement released Friday evening.

“Consolidating hundreds of local TV stations under one corporate owner would mean higher prices and lower quality programming for consumers,” she wrote. She later continued, “We will keep fighting our case to ensure fair competition among local TV stations that serve communities across the country.”

Schmidt’s family said in a statement that he fought a brain tumor for 15 years “with courage, dignity and resilience . . . while remaining a role model of determination, generosity and love of life. Oscar leaves a legacy that transcends sport and inspires generations of athletes and admirers in Brazil and worldwide.”

Schmidt is beloved in Brazil for committing to the national team for 19 years and becoming one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history. He also starred in a historic victory over the United States in the final of the 1987 Pan American Games.

“The biggest player of Brazilian basketball history bids farewell as an absolute symbol of sport, the holder of a trajectory that redefined the boundaries of what was possible in a court,” the Brazil Basketball Confederation said in a statement. “His death closes an era. But his greatness remains.”

Chose Brazil over NBA

Schmidt, who never played in the NBA, began his professional career in 1974 and most of it was at home and Italy, where he became a childhood idol of future great Kobe Bryant.

In 1984 the NBA’s New Jersey Nets drafted him in the sixth round and he trained with them but declined a contract. At the time NBA players were not allowed to play for national teams. Schmidt said he had no regrets at his Hall of Fame induction.

“I was the choice (No,) 144,” he said. His idol Larry Bird laughed next to him. “They came to offer me a no-cut contract to play for the New Jersey Nets. I said thank you very much but if I play one game here I will never again play for my national team.

“Three years later we beat the Americans here in the U.S. Sorry, that was the greatest thing I did in basketball.”

Bird released a statement Friday, saying: “I always admired Oscar and considered him a friend. He was, without a doubt, one of the greatest players to ever play the game. It was an honor of a lifetime when Oscar asked me to present him at his well deserved induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. My sincere condolences to Oscar’s family.”

Kerr compares Schmidt to Steph Curry

Golden State coach Steve Kerr said in comments before the Warriors played the Phoenix Suns on Friday that Schmidt “was one of the greatest shooters I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Just no conscience, just a little bit, you know, of a Steph Curry mentality,” Kerr added. "Never, ever thought twice about letting it fly, just a beautiful player with an incredible mentality.”

Kerr played against Schmidt at the 1986 world championships and tore his ACL during the game.

“He literally picked me up, carried me off the floor,” Kerr said. "It was an incredible gesture on his part. And over the next few years, he really exploded.”

"I was so sad to hear about the news today. Only 68 and the guy was absolutely beloved in Brazil. So to all our Brazilian fans, I just want to say my condolences, and from the Warriors, we’re feeling for you.”

Portland Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter and NBA champion Anderson Varejao, two Brazilians in the league, praised Schmidt while passing along their condolences on social media.

Holy Hand

Standing 2.03 meters (6-foot-8), he was a keen 3-point shooter in the 1980s when many coaches advised against it. That earned him the nickname “Mão Santa” (Holy Hand). Schmidt didn’t believe he was worthy of the tag.

“I don’t have a holy hand. I have a trained hand,” Schmidt used to say in interviews.

He debuted for Brazil at 19 in 1977 and made 326 appearances, averaging 23.6 points per game.

He played in a record-tying five Olympics and four World Cups. He’s the all-time leading scorer in both tournaments. He still has seven of the 10 highest scoring games in Olympic history and he holds the single-game records for points scored in the Olympics (55 vs. Spain in 1988) and World Cup (52 vs. Australia in 1990).

“More than results and medals, Oscar represented values that define the Olympic spirit; dedication, resilience and respect to the opponents,” Brazil’s Olympic committee said in a statement.

The 1987 Pan Am Games victory in Indianapolis marked the first time a U.S. team lost a major international tournament on home soil. Brazil won 120-115 and Schmidt led with 46 points.

Schmidt retired in 2003 at 45. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be the unofficial career highest scorer and his known tally of 49,737 points for club and country was eclipsed by LeBron James in 2024.

Hall of Fame honors

Schmidt was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, and the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

After retirement, Schmidt became one of his country’s most popular motivational speakers. He often talked about his battle with the brain tumor diagnosed in 2011, his love for Brazil and basketball.

Schmidt is survived by wife Maria Cristina Victorino, whom he married in 1981, and two children. One of them, Filipe, spoke about his father’s death on social media.

“Now you rest in peace, dad. You are in the hall of fame of life,” he said.

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AP Sports Writer David Brandt contributed from Phoenix.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

The Angels announced Anderson's death Friday morning without immediately disclosing the cause or location.

Anderson reached the majors with the then-California Angels in 1994 and played for the club until 2008, primarily as a left fielder. Known for both his superb swing and his no-nonsense professionalism, Anderson was a fixture in the heart of the Halos' batting order for his entire tenure, becoming the franchise's career leader in games played (2,013), hits (2,368), RBIs (1,292), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796), doubles (489) and grand slams (eight).

“The Angels organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons, Garret Anderson,” Angels owner Arte Moreno said in a statement. “Garret was a cornerstone of our organization throughout his 15 seasons, and his stoic presence in the outfield and our clubhouse elevated the Angels into an era of continued success, highlighted by the 2002 World Series championship. Garret will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Angels fans for his professionalism, class and loyalty throughout his career and beyond. His admiration and respect for the game was immeasurable.”

The Angels will wear a memorial patch this season bearing Anderson's initials, the team announced. The club held a moment of silence for Anderson at Angel Stadium before its game against the San Diego Padres, and both teams lined up on the field to watch a video of Anderson's career highlights.

“Been talking to teammates that played with him this morning, and just hearing the great things they said about him,” three-time AL MVP Mike Trout said. “Seeing some of the numbers this morning, it was incredible what he brought. Nothing but great things people were saying about him. The baseball family lost a good one.”

Anderson was a three-time AL All-Star who finished as high as fourth in the AL MVP balloting during his 17-year major league career. He won two Silver Slugger awards, and he memorably won both the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game MVP award in 2003 in Chicago.

His 272 career homers are third in Angels history behind Trout and Tim Salmon. Only Trout has scored more runs in an Angels uniform than Anderson.

“He did everything right,” said Angels manager Kurt Suzuki, whose 16-year career as a major league catcher overlapped with the end of Anderson's playing career. “There was never anything flashy. Everything that he did was just professional. When you have your kids playing the game, for me anyway, that's who I want my kids to model themselves after. Just play the game right, do things right, never bring attention to yourself. And that's the type of player he was. He was phenomenal at it, too.”

In 2002, Anderson batted .306 and drove in a team-leading 123 runs for the then-Anaheim Angels, who won 99 games and earned a wild-card playoff berth. The Halos stormed through the playoffs to this franchise's only championship, overcoming a 3-2 series deficit to Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants to win the World Series.

Anderson was a key factor in the Fall Classic, batting 9 of 32 with six RBIs. He drove in the final three runs of the series with a tiebreaking three-run double in the third inning of the Angels' 4-1 victory over the Giants in Game 7.

Anderson's other baseball accomplishments included a 10-RBI game on Aug. 21, 2007.

Anderson finished his career with Atlanta and the Los Angeles Dodgers before his retirement in 2011. He batted .293 with 2,529 hits, 287 homers and 1,365 RBIs in the majors.

Anderson was inducted into the Angels' Hall of Fame in 2016, and he had regularly worked for the team as a television broadcaster on its pregame and postgame shows over the ensuing decade. He lived in coastal Newport Beach with his family.

Anderson was born in Los Angeles on June 30, 1972. He attended Granada Hills High School in the suburban San Fernando Valley before the Angels drafted him in the fourth round in 1990.

The Angels said Anderson is survived by his wife, Teresa, daughters Brianne and Bailey, and son Garret "Trey" Anderson III.

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

Maria Medetis Long told defense lawyers involved in the investigation that she was no longer participating in the Brennan investigation. Her departure from the investigation came after she conveyed doubt that there was sufficient evidence for a criminal case against Brennan, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press to discuss internal Justice Department conversations.

The Justice Department did not dispute that Medetis Long was no longer part of the investigation but also did not elaborate on the circumstances of her departure. The department said in a statement that “as a matter of routine practice, attorneys are moved around on cases so offices can most effectively allocate resources. It is completely healthy and normal to change members of legal teams.”

CNN first reported Medetis Long's departure from the investigation. She referred a request for comment to a spokesperson for her office, who did not immediately provide a statement.

Medetis Long heads the national security section at the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of Florida, which for months has been scrutinizing Brennan in connection with one of President Donald Trump's chief grievances — the U.S. government's years-old investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign for the White House.

Brennan served as CIA director under President Barack Obama and was in the position when the intelligence community published a detailed assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The Justice Department last year received a referral from Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, asserting that Brennan had given false testimony about the preparation of that assessment — a claim Brennan and his lawyers have vigorously denied.

Investigators who in recent months have issued a flurry of subpoenas have been preparing for additional interviews in the probe, though it remains unclear whether any charges will be brought or what impact Medetis Long's departure will have on the case or on witnesses' willingness to cooperate.

Trump this month replaced Pam Bondi as his attorney general, frustrated by the lack of progress in criminal investigations against political opponents like Brennan.

Her deputy, Todd Blanche, is now acting attorney general and has said that Trump has the right and duty to be involved in seeking investigations against people he has had “issues with.”

Last year, Trump effectively forced out the acting U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, after Siebert did not push forward with criminal charges against two other Trump foes, former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. A hastily installed loyalist prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, subsequently secured indictments against Comey and James but the cases were thrown out after a judge concluded that Halligan was unlawfully appointed.

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Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.

A senior State Department official met with the grandson of retired Cuban leader Raúl Castro last week during the trip, according to a department official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

The official did not say who from the U.S. met with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, whose grandfather is believed to play an influential role in the Cuban government despite not holding an official post. A second U.S. official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was not part of the delegation that visited Havana.

U.S. officials have previously said Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and a longtime Cuba hawk, met the younger Castro in the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis in February.

During last week's extraordinary diplomatic push, which was reported earlier by Axios, the U.S. delegation urged Cuba to make major changes to its economy and way of governing because it would not let the island nation become a national security threat in the region, the State Department official said.

It marked the first U.S. government flight to land in Cuba other than at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay since 2016.

Cuba’s crises have deepened following a U.S. energy blockade, coming as the Trump administration has described its government as ineffective and abusive. In return for easing sanctions, U.S. demands have included an end to political repression, a release of political prisoners and a liberalization of the island’s ailing economy.

Along with those similar topics, the sides last week also discussed a U.S. proposal to provide free and reliable internet to the island through a Starlink satellite connection, the State Department official said.

The talks were revealed after Trump said earlier this week that his administration could focus on Cuba after the war in Iran ends.

“We may stop by Cuba after we finish with this,” he said. He described it as a “failing nation” and asserted that it has “been a terribly run country for a long time.”

In response, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the U.S. has no valid reason to carry out a military attack against the island or attempt to depose him but that the country was ready to fight back if needed.

“The moment is extremely challenging and calls upon us once again, as on April 16, 1961, to be ready to confront serious threats, including military aggression. We do not want it, but it is our duty to prepare to avoid it and, if it becomes inevitable, to defeat it,” Díaz-Canel said.

He was speaking during a rally that drew hundreds of people to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the declaration of the Cuban Revolution’s socialist essence.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment about the talks last week.

Attorneys for the family of Charles Adair renewed their demand Friday that video of what happened be released publicly in announcing the wrongful death lawsuit.

Filed earlier this month, the lawsuit names the Wyandotte County sheriff, the unified government for the county and Kansas City, Kansas, and Richard Fatherley, who was charged last year with second-degree murder in Adair's death.

“The public has a right to transparency when someone dies in custody in this manner,” Ben Crump, an attorney who is representing the family, said in a news release.

Crump and another civil rights attorney, Harry Daniels, were allowed to view video of what happened. The sheriff’s office has declined a records request from The Associated Press seeking the video.

Adair was arrested last July on misdemeanor warrants for failure to appear on multiple traffic violations. At the time, Adair’s leg needed to be amputated and was so badly infected that he was taken straight to the hospital, a Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent wrote in the affidavit.

Before Adair was cleared to return to the jail, he was diagnosed with a type of bone infection that sometimes develops in people with diabetes. A medical screening also found he was schizophrenic, the affidavit said.

The lawsuit said he was incoherent and that deputies believed Adair’s medical condition “was affecting his brain.”

After having his leg rewrapped the following evening, he got into an argument with the deputy who was wheeling him back his cell. Adair ultimately threw himself out of the wheelchair, the affidavit said.

Once he was back in his cell, he was placed on his stomach on the bottom bunk, with his legs and knees on the ground. He repeatedly yelled “Help!” the lawsuit and court records said.

The lawsuit noted that Adair was complying with commands but that Fatherley “pressed his body weight onto Mr. Adair's back.” Other deputies then removed Adair's handcuffs while Fatherley shifted his weight forward.

The lawsuit said none of the other law enforcement officers who were present intervened and that the deputies failed to modify their tactics to account for Adair’s apparent mental health impairment.

The lawsuit also said that Fatherley, who is on administrative leave and free on bond, wasn't cut off from his sheriff's office email after he was charged, allowing him to communicate with other members of the sheriff's office and employees that he knew were witnesses.

Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Capt. Michael Kroening said Fatherley's email was deactivated on April 13 after the litigation was filed. He declined to comment further because the litigation is pending. A county spokesperson didn't immediately return an email seeking comment.

A status conference in the criminal case against Fatherley is set for next month. His attorney, James Spies, has said that Adair’s death was “a tragic accident” but it was not a result of Fatherley’s actions. A phone message left at Spies' law firm Friday wasn't immediately returned.

The man, Pedro Hernandez, 65, has been behind bars since his 2012 arrest. He is due back in court in June for a status update. A trial date has not yet been set.

Etan vanished on a two-block walk to his school bus stop on the first day his mom let him go unaccompanied. He was among the first vanished kids to be pictured on milk cartons, and the May 25 anniversary of his disappearance became National Missing Children’s Day.

New York Judge Michele Rodney turned away his lawyers' arguments that prosecutors waited too long to charge Hernandez and that he can’t get a fair trial now, after decades of media coverage.

“The court will carefully work, together with the parties, to ensure that jurors are selected who promise to be fair and to consider only the evidence and the law, despite what they have learned about the case from the media,” Rodney wrote.

Hernandez's lawyers declined to comment afterward. Prosecutors had no immediate comment.

Hernandez was a 19-year-old corner store clerk in Etan’s neighborhood, but the man didn't become a suspect until investigators got a 2012 tip that he had told various people in his life years ago that he’d killed a child or young man in New York.

Hernandez then told police — after seven hours of questioning and before being told he had a right to remain silent — that he had strangled Etan in the shop basement after enticing him there with the offer of a soda. Hernandez later was read his rights and recapped his statement on video, telling authorities: “Something just took over me.”

Defense lawyers said all of Hernandez’ admissions amounted to the imaginings of a mentally ill and intellectually limited man, haunted and confused by a highly publicized tragedy that had happened near his workplace.

Hernandez' 2015 trial ended in a jury deadlock, a 2017 retrial yielded a conviction, and then a federal appeals court overturned the verdict. The court said the 2017 trial judge mishandled a jury question about determining the validity of Hernandez’ confessions.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office pledged to retry the case but also asked the U.S. Supreme Court to restore Hernandez’ conviction. The high court isn’t obliged to hear the case and hasn’t yet said whether it will.

Rahm, coming off a rough showing at the Masters, added a 4-under 67 on Friday to his opening 65 to take a one-shot lead at LIV Golf Mexico.

“It takes a lot to win, and you also need a little bit of luck,” Rahm said. “I’m clearly playing good enough, I just need to take advantage of the opportunities I’ve been giving myself.”

Rahm led by one shot over Matthew Wolff (65), Tom McKibbin (65) and Harold Varner III (66) at Chapultepec Golf Club.

Speculation was running rampant on Wednesday that LIV's main source of funding — Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund — was on the verge of drying up. O'Neil said in a memo to staff that the 2026 season would proceed without interruption and at “full throttle.”

Questions remained whether that would last beyond the end of the year, and O'Neil added to the intrigue in an interview with U.K.-based TNT Sports.

“The reality is that you’re funded through the season, and then you work like crazy as a business to create a business and a business plan to keep us going," O'Neil said. "But that’s not different from any other private equity-funded business in the history of mankind.”

The interview later was removed from TNT Sports' social media account and replaced with a different version.

In a previous interview with LIV's broadcast team, O'Neil was bullish about the future.

“Given the momentum of this business, we’re really excited about where we are and the position where we are,” O'Neil said.

He said he met with 50 people at the Masters and rolled out a plan that “might surprise people.” LIV Golf has said some of its metrics such as ticket sales and team sponsorships have increased, and O'Neil is projecting 10 of the 13 teams and four of the 14 events will be profitable.

But there is a substantial cost involved with prize funds ($30 million for each tournament) and operations. The newsletter Money in Sport reported in February that LIV Golf already had spent $5.3 billion and was projected to surpass $6 billion by the end of the year.

“This notion of bringing teams to market, I had two calls this morning,” O'Neil said on the LIV broadcast. “This notion of, ‘Do you have to raise money?’ Probably this is business. But if we keep the trajectory going the way we are and the revenue growth going, this is going to be a really good business for a really long time.”

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

Troopers said the crash originally happened late at night back in October in the Deltona area.

At the time, a vehicle had changed lanes into the path of another car, sparking a chain-reaction crash that involved multiple other vehicles, the FHP reported.

In all, three people died, troopers revealed. One was a motorcyclist, and the other two were a Flagler County deputy county administrator, Jorge Salinas, and his wife.

However, the offending vehicle fled the scene, but on Friday, troopers announced that the driver — identified as 23-year-old Lindsey Isaacs of Ocala — had been arrested.

Isaacs now faces the following charges:

• Leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury
• Reckless driving, causing serious bodily injury
• Leaving the scene of a crash involving death (3 counts)
• Vehicular homicide (3 counts)

[BELOW: Loved ones remember victims killed in Volusia County hit-and-run crash]

Authorities have not offered a potential motive for Monday morning's attacks. Among the victims was an auditor for the Department of Homeland Security who was walking her dog near the suspect's home.

The suspect in the shootings, Olaolukitan Adon Abel, a 26-year-old U.K. native, is charged in state court in DeKalb County with two counts of malice murder, aggravated assault and firearms counts. He also is facing a federal firearms charge, along with another man who is accused of buying the gun used in the shootings for him, prosecutors announced Friday.

Adon Abel lived with six others in separate units of a home listed on PadSplit, a platform offering low-cost shared housing. He was granted U.S. citizenship in 2022 while serving in the Navy and stationed in the San Diego area.

Long-running issues inside a communal home

Three roommates told The Associated Press that Adon Abel and a male roommate were screaming at each other late Sunday night over how cold Adon Abel kept the house in Panthersville, a suburb southeast of Atlanta.

“He (kept) the house freezing,” roommate Angela Britton said Friday. "It’s not the first time they got into it about the AC. But that time was a real big argument.”

Another roommate, Lakisha Mckinzie, said the fight scared her so much that she called her mother before bed and asked her to pray for her and her roommates' safety, telling her there had been a lot of “chaos and tension” in the home.

Mckinzie said she had been afraid of Adon Abel ever since he inappropriately touched her last month after asking her on a date. Mckinzie said he frequently knocked on her door late at night, but she never answered. She said she complained to her landlord multiple times, but no action was taken. PadSplit did not respond to a request for comment about whether it knew about Adon Abel's alleged behavior in the home.

After the argument, the roommates said Adon Abel packed up a large duffel bag and drove off shortly after midnight Monday morning.

Around 12:50 a.m., and about 5 miles (8 kilometers) away, 31-year-old Prianna Weathers was fatally shot outside a Decatur-area fast food restaurant, investigators said.

Then, around 2 a.m., a 49-year-old homeless man was shot multiple times while sleeping outside a grocery store in Brookhaven, about 12 miles (19 kilometers) northwest of the first attack, Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley said. The man, whose name hasn’t been released, remains hospitalized in stable but critical condition, authorities said Thursday.

DHS worker Lauren Bullis, who was out walking her dog a few hundred feet from Adon Abel's home, was found around 7 a.m. with gunshot and stab wounds.

Authorities have linked Adon Abel to all three attacks, though it is unclear whether he knew any of the victims — police have said they believe at least one victim was targeted at random.

Georgia State Patrol troopers stopped Adon Abel’s car around 11 a.m. Monday in Troup County, not far from the Georgia-Alabama border. Inside the vehicle, investigators said they found ammunition and shell casings matching those at the scene of Weathers’ killing. Police found the gun and shell casings on the ground near Bullis, Hertzberg said.

Federal charges have now been filed

Adon Abel is now also facing prosecution in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm, officials announced Friday.

He was charged with a firearms violation along with a 35-year-old homeless man, Damon Marquis Yarns. U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg, the top federal prosecutor for northern Georgia, said Yarns acknowledged buying the gun used in the shootings for Adon Abel and falsely stating on a federal form that he was the owner.

Adon Abel is accused of illegally possessing the gun as a person previously convicted of a felony.

Monday's crimes led Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to issue a statement raising concerns that Adon Abel was granted U.S. citizenship when Joe Biden was president. Mullin has catalogued a litany of the defendant’s previous alleged crimes, but it is unclear whether any of them happened before he became a citizen.

Adon Abel pleaded guilty in October 2024 in San Diego County, California, to charges of assault with a deadly weapon and criminal vandalism over what authorities there said was an attack on two police officers and another person, according to California court records.

Online court records show that someone listed with a similar name and the same birth date pleaded guilty last June in Chatham County, Georgia, to four misdemeanor counts of sexual battery.

Yarns is accused of buying the 9 mm pistol used in the shootings at a federally licensed firearms dealer in Atlanta on Feb. 20. Hertzberg said that a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives interviewed Yarns on Thursday, and Yarns said he had purchased the gun for a Nigerian or British man he knew only as “Abdul or Obie,” then identified Adon Abel from a photo.

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Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas.

The incident happened Thursday as the soldiers were participating in a “land navigation training event” in Arctic Valley, part of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s training area.

The soldiers were receiving medical care as of Friday, a military official told the Anchorage Daily News. Messages sent to base spokespersons were not immediately returned to The Associated Press on Friday.

The soldiers’ conditions were not released pending notification of relatives.

Both soldiers used pepper spray on the bear, the official said. Few other details were available about the incident because it was still under investigation.

“The safety and well-being of our personnel is our highest priority,” Lt. Col. Jo Nederhoed, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division, said in an email to the Anchorage Daily News.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is investigating what it says appears to have been “a defensive attack" by a bear that had recently emerged from a den. The area near where the incident occurred has been closed to recreational activity by base officials, the department said.

Samples were collected by investigators with the aim of positively identifying the species and gender of bear involved, the department said.

The base encompasses 100 square miles (259 square kilometers) within the Municipality of Anchorage, where up to 350 black bears and 75 brown bears roam freely.

The pretrial testimony came as Robinson’s attorneys pressed a Utah judge to ban cameras from his case. They said live broadcasts of the proceedings are tainting potential jurors, by feeding into speculative stories based on Robinson's courtroom demeanor and alleged confessions.

Media organizations, prosecutors and Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, want the court to allow cameras. They argue transparency is the best way to guard against the misinformation and conspiracy theories that concern Robinson’s defense team.

Robinson’s parents sat behind him for Friday's hearing in a half-full courtroom. His father lowered his head and stared down at his hands while the defense played a Fox News clip in which a commentator identified as a former FBI agent opined that Robinson was a sociopath.

“It's turning outside the courtroom into like a reality TV show,” said defense witness Bryan Edelman, a social psychologist with a California-based trial consulting business. “I think it creates pressure on everybody to have cameras in here, from the jury to everyone involved."

Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Robinson if he is convicted of aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk. The conservative activist was addressing a crowd of thousands on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem when he was shot in the neck.

Robinson, 23, turned himself in a day after the shooting and has not yet entered a plea. A trial date has not been set. Judge Tony Graf said he would rule May 8 on whether cameras will continue to be allowed.

Cameras moved to the back of the room

Utah County prosecutor Chad Grunander noted that nearly all of the clips shown by the defense as examples of media sensationalism did not include material from the courtroom livestream.

“Mischief lurks in the dark or in secret,” Grunander said. “Let’s shine a light on these proceedings, a bright light, so the public can have confidence in what happens in this courtroom.”

The sensationalism around the case has cut both ways. In a March 30 headline, the U.K.-based Daily Mail reported the bullet that killed Kirk “did NOT match” a rifle allegedly used by Robinson. The story was based on an inconclusive, preliminary finding by ballistics experts and led to speculation about Robinson's possible exoneration. The FBI is running additional tests, according to court documents.

Livestreaming by media outlets tested Judge Graf's patience during earlier hearings when pool camera operators inside the court broke his rules.

During a December hearing, Graf temporarily stopped the livestream after it showed the defendant’s shackles in violation of a decorum order.

A January hearing was interrupted when Robinson's attorneys said close-up shots of Robinson being livestreamed by a local television station could again lead to claims based on lip reading. That, too, was a violation of Graf's order. The judge ordered the camera operator not to film Robinson for the remainder of the hearing.

In recent hearings and again Friday, pool cameras for the media were stationed at the rear of the courtroom, behind Robinson. That sharply limited opportunities to capture video or photos of him in court. Graf also made camera operators come before him to acknowledge they understood the rules.

Mike Judd, a lawyer for a coalition of media organizations including The Associated Press that are fighting to preserve access, said Graf so far has focused on whether his rules inside the courtroom are being followed, not what the media is saying outside of court.

“The court can do all of that in order to try to control what gets fed into that media ecosystem,” Judd said. “You reduce the likelihood of somebody publishing things that you think may be of potentially biasing concern later on.”

Policies on cameras and livestreaming vary among states. Cameras are generally prohibited in federal courts.

“There's Supreme Court precedent that says courts generally need to be open to the public, but that's not an absolute right,” University of Utah law professor Teneille Brown said. “Even if they allow public access, that does not equal a right to broadcast or record.”

Surveillance video and a handwritten confession

A preliminary hearing scheduled for May will allow prosecutors to show they have enough evidence to proceed to trial. Authorities have said DNA consistent with Robinson’s was found on the trigger of the rifle, the fired cartridge casing, two unfired cartridges and a towel used to wrap the rifle.

But the defense argued Friday it cannot proceed with the hearing until federal law enforcement agencies turn over more details about their DNA analysis of evidence.

Prosecutors responded that they have sufficient proof beyond DNA to tie Robinson to Kirk's killing. That includes surveillance video of Robinson near the university from the morning of the shooting wearing the same clothes as when he turned himself in. Robinson left a handwritten note for his romantic partner confessing to the crime, and also confessed to friends on the chat room platform Discord, prosecutors said.

“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride said.

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Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

“She returned to France this morning. This is a satisfaction for us,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told reporters during a visit to the southern city of Montpellier on Friday. Barrot said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement methods are “not in line” with French standards and are “not acceptable to us.”

Marie-Thérèse Ross entered the U.S. last June after marrying a retired U.S. soldier who had been stationed in her home country in the 1960s, court records show. But after her husband died of natural causes in January, a dispute arose over his estate. Ross' stepson — a U.S. federal employee — allegedly intervened to have her taken into immigration custody, an Alabama judge found.

Federal immigration agents detained Ross in Alabama on April 1 after she overstayed her 90-day visa, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She was then held at a detention facility in Louisiana as French officials expressed concern about her well-being.

Ross' son, Herve Goix, told The Associated Press that she had been in the process of applying for a green card when she was taken into custody.

“She’s very tired, she’s not very good, but it’s difficult for her,” Goix said. “We are very, very happy, but we are tired.”

Ross was not given the medication she needed while being held in the Louisiana detention facility, according to her attorney Kim Willingham.

“She does not feel she or other inmates are being treated well within the facility,” Willingham told the AP. “She did everything she was supposed to do with regard to obtaining her green card.”

Ross gave up her pension and moved to Alabama last year to marry William B. Ross, Calhoun County court records show. But after William B. Ross died without making estate plans, his two sons sought to take control of his modest assets totaling less than $190,000 in value, including the home in Anniston, Alabama, where Marie-Thérèse Ross resided.

The sons rerouted mail from the residence, leading their stepmother to miss an immigration-related appointment, Calhoun County Probate Judge Shirley A. Millwood noted in a court order earlier this month. Millwood accused one son — a former Alabama State Trooper who now works as a federal employee — of using his position to prompt the detention of his stepmother days before a hearing over the estate.

Marie-Thérèse Ross was taken into custody in her nightgown and unable to bring her phone, passport and other identification with her, records show.

The stepson denied involvement in his stepmother's arrest in court, but Millwood said evidence indicated he knew in advance of the arrest and received a text message confirming it shortly afterward. His brother then arrived at the home to change the locks shortly after federal immigration agents removed their stepmother.

In an April 10 ruling, Millwood ordered the stepsons to allow Ross to retrieve her clothes, phone, documents and other possessions from her late husband's home.

Millwood also urged the federal government to investigate the circumstances of Ross' arrest “in light of the ongoing national events surrounding the distrust of federal law enforcement officers and the many investigations ongoing of corruption within our government.”

The office of attorney Megan Huizinga, who is representing the two stepsons in the estate dispute, declined to comment.

DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an emailed statement, the city of Anniston said its police department had “no involvement” in Ross’ arrest.

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Riddle reported from Anniston, AL. Brook reported from New Orleans.

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Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Fitzpatrick was cruising along when his tee shot on the par-3 14th turned hard to the left, headed for sand and trees when it caught what appeared to be the edge of a cart path that sent the ball back down a slope onto the green and headed for the water.

It was slowed just enough by a sprinkler to stay dry, and he holed a 30-footer for a most unlikely birdie. Fitzpatrick birdied two of the next three and completed a bogey-free round.

“Yeah, it was lucky, there's no two ways about it,” Fitzpatrick said. “Sometimes you need that in a week, so it's nice to get, and then even nicer to take advantage of it.”

Hovland had it far tougher in the afternoon when the wind got stronger, and it doesn't take much around tree-lined Harbour Town for players to get indecisive or catch the wrong gust.

Hovland got the right club on the exposed par-3 17th to 12 feet for his eighth birdie of the day and a hard-earned 65. That included a birdie on the par-5 fifth when he was still 205 yards out for his third shot and wound up holing a 30-footer.

“I wouldn’t say I striped it today, but at least I kind of kept the ball in front of me, and that’s what you’re trying to do on this golf course,” Hovland said.

Fitzpatrick, who won the RBC Heritage in a playoff over Jordan Spieth in 2023, was at 14-under 128.

Harris English got the wrong gust on the 11th hole and went from scrambling for par to figuring out how to escape with double bogey from a plugged lie in the sand. He overcame that, had a 68 and was three shots behind.

Scottie Scheffler, who played alongside Fitzpatrick, hit all 14 fairways for only the fourth time in his career — two of those were on the runway-wide fairways of Kapalua — and had a steady diet of birdie chances in the 18-foot range. He managed a bogey-free 67 and was seven behind.

Fitzpatrick and Scheffler both hit the ball so well it looked they were playing a Tuesday money game, with birdie chances on every hole and exchanging birdies early on before the wind acted up.

On the par-4 eighth, Scheffler hit enough of the left corner of the green that it hopped right to 7 feet. Fitzpatrick followed on the same line and was 6 inches closer, and Scheffler looked back at the Englishman and smiled.

But it was Fitzpatrick who surged ahead with a batch of three straight birdies on the front and three straight birdies on the back. The longest par putt he had was 4 feet on the final hole.

He called it a continuation of good iron play that began when he finished one shot behind Cameron Young at The Players Championship, then won the following week at Innisbrook in the Valspar Championship.

Patrick Cantlay, who took a big step last week with consecutive bogey-free rounds at the Masters after opening with a 77, shot 64 and was four shots behind along with Sepp Straka (67) and Ludvig Aberg, who was closing in on Fitzpatrick until three bogeys on the back nine led to a 71.

Robert MacIntyre also was in the mix, three shots behind, until the wind died enough to keep his ball from finding the 17th green, and then he took two to get out of a bunker for a double bogey. That wiped out a lot of good work, and a bogey on the 18th dropped him to a 68, six behind.

There were 20 double bogeys on the day from the 82-man field on 11 of the holes at Harbour Town. Spieth made three of them and scratched out a 73.

Akshay Bhatia had 11 birdies to offset his double bogey in a round of 63.

“Man, it got tricky there on the back nine, as it can here at Hilton Head,” English said. “Gusty winds. You don’t really know what direction it’s coming from.”

Fitzpatrick has a history at Hilton Head Island beyond winning three years ago. His family used to come over on holiday. He suspects his father typed in the words “tennis” and “golf” and “nice weather” and off they went. He recalls going to the tournament, even getting a golf ball signed by Boo Weekley. And now here is, a major champion looking for another plaid jacket for the winner.

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

“I think it's exactly what it was,” Stars forward Mikko Rantanen said Friday.

Dallas won 5-4 in that game April 9, when there were 12 roughing penalties — six on each side. Each team won twice in the regular-season series in which both scored 13 goals.

“They got the best of us for sure, but it was a great hockey game for the end of a regular season,” Minnesota forward Matt Boldy said.

Now, the teams that were in second and third place in the Central throughout most of the season behind Presidents' Trophy winner Colorado play a best-of-seven series. Game 1 is Saturday in Dallas.

The Wild missed a chance that night to match the Stars in the standings. Instead, Dallas pretty much locked up home-ice advantage with the second of five consecutive wins to end the regular season.

“We learned some lessons last time we played them," Wild forward Marcus Foligno said. “We know that they’re a really, really good team, and so are we. They have some lethal weapons. We’re just more educated, more experienced going into this series than we were before. We always like our chances. We’re positive.”

40-40 duos for both teams

Both teams have a pair of 40-goal scorers in the same season for the first time. Kirill Kaprizov (45 goals) and Boldy (42) did it for the Wild. Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston, the 22-year-old center already in his fourth postseason, each scored 45 goals for the Stars.

“That’s a legit number,” Stars veteran forward Matt Duchene said.

Injuries and ills

Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen skated with the team Friday for the first time since a lower-body injury sustained when he was knocked hard into the boards by Ryan Hartman in the last game against the Wild.

Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said Heiskanen, who missed the start of last year's playoffs, made it through practice with no issues and felt good.

“I would think that as long as everything goes good, he should be in,” Gulutzan said. “He means everything on both sides of the puck for us. Power play, penalty kill, he touches all parts of the game.”

Stars top-line center Roope Hintz, who last played March 6, will miss the start of the playoffs after a setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury.

Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes, who has been dealing with an illness since last playing Saturday, traveled to Dallas on his own Friday after not going with the team Thursday.

“With the illness, I think more rest for him and just not having him on the plane,” coach John Hynes said. “The expectation is for him to play."

Between the pipes

Jake Oettinger is going into his 11th playoff series as the starting goalie for the Stars, and second for the Minnesota native against the Wild — he grew up about 30 miles from their arena. His first playoff series win was in six games against the Wild in the first round of the 2023 postseason.

The Wild are going with rookie Jesper Wallstedt over playoff-experienced Filip Gustavsson, though Hynes emphasized that is a decision for Game 1 and not the entire series.

“His overall body work has been really solid. He's played really well coming down the stretch,” Hynes said of the 23-year-old rookie. “We're confident in both guys.”

Gustavsson made his playoff debut three years ago with 51 saves in a double-overtime win over the Stars during Game 1. Wallstedt made 33 starts in his NHL debut this season, ranking second in the league with a .916 save percentage while setting franchise rookie records with 18 wins and four shutouts.

Tarasenko gives the Wild a wild-card scorer

While the Stars will be plenty focused on trying to keep Kaprizov and Boldy off the scoresheet, the Wild have a trusty scorer on their third line with plenty of playoff experience in Vladimir Tarasenko. The longtime St. Louis star, who has won the Stanley Cup twice in his 14-year career, has 49 goals in 121 career playoff games. Tarasenko had 23 goals and 24 assists in his first season with Minnesota.

“He’s a big-game player," Hynes said. “I think that leadership and the way he plays is certainly a playoff-style of game.”

Some playoff history

The Stars won both previous postseason series against Minnesota in six games, in 2016 and 2023. ... Dallas was the Minnesota North Stars before the franchise moved south in 1993. ... The Wild's 12 postseason appearances in 14 years are the most in the NHL during that span. They have lost nine straight series, since beating St. Louis in the first round in 2015. .... Dallas is in its fifth consecutive postseason, the last three ending in the West final. ... Gulutzan, part of 83 playoff games as an Edmonton assistant, including trips to the Stanley Cup Final the last two seasons, is looking for his first postseason win as a head coach. Calgary was swept in the first round by Anaheim with Gulutzan in 2017.

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AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell contributed from St. Paul, Minnesota.

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

Robinson's attorneys on Friday pushed to ban cameras from his Utah courtroom, pointing to sometimes sensationalist media coverage they fear will foster widespread bias against their client as he faces prosecution in last September's shooting death of the conservative activist on a college campus.

Prosecutors want cameras allowed, and suggested they could help dispel conspiracy theories and “distorted narratives” swirling around the case since Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking to a crowd of thousands.

“Transparency serves as a corrective to misinformation,” Utah County prosecutors said in a court filing arguing in favor of cameras. A trial date has not yet been set.

Popping flash bulbs at the ‘trial of the century’

Cameras appeared in courts long before the man charged with kidnapping and killing legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh’s baby went on trial in New Jersey in 1935.

An earlier photo captured a clutch of mobsters at Al Capone ’s trial holding hats in front of their faces so they wouldn't be recognized. In 1932, a German photographer feigned a broken arm to sneak a camera into the U.S. Supreme Court inside a sling and get a rare picture of justices in session.

Then came the “trial of the century” for Bruno Richard Hauptmann in the killing of Lindbergh's son. It ushered in a new era of criminal trial as visual spectacle.

Hundreds of reporters and dozens of photographers chronicled the proceedings. Popping flashbulbs repeatedly startled witnesses and some photographers reportedly climbed on tables to get their pictures.

Hauptmann was convicted of murder and executed. The chaotic trial provoked a backlash and new judicial ethics rules that kept cameras out of courtrooms for decades.

The swindler and the circus

Whether cameras should be allowed has spurred perpetual disagreement between transparency advocates and defense attorneys eager to shield clients from ignominious publicity that could tilt a jury against them.

In 1962, a Texas state judge allowed news organizations to film the trial of infamous con man Billie Sol Estes on swindling charges.

The case had national notoriety after Estes was accused of looting a federal crop subsidy program, triggering a Washington scandal during President John F. Kennedy’s administration. His attorneys argued against cameras, saying they would prejudice potential jurors. The judge rejected the request and pledged he would not let the media transform his courtroom into a circus.

Court documents later described the scene in the courtroom as “a mass of wires, television cameras, microphones and photographers.” Hearings in the case were broadcast live by radio and television.

Following Estes' conviction, the Supreme Court took up his appeal and said the intense publicity deprived him of his constitutional right to a fair trial. Justices overturned the state court conviction in an opinion that derided “the evil of televised trials.”

“To permit this powerful medium to use the trial process itself to influence the opinions of vast numbers of people, before a verdict of guilt or innocence has been rendered, would be entirely foreign to our system of justice,” justices said.

The ruling was in line with a long-standing prohibition on cameras in federal courts.

Bundy's trial got airtime, but not Trump's

Less than a decade later the Supreme Court decided differently in a case involving two Florida police officers who burglarized a restaurant.

Justices said in an 8-0 ruling that states could allow cameras at criminal trials and there was no “empirical data” to show the presence of broadcast media in the courtroom inherently has a negative effect.

In the years following, cameras gradually came into common use in state and local courtrooms across the nation. High-profile cases that were broadcast included murder trials for serial killers Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, the excessive force prosecutions of the Los Angeles Police officers who beat Rodney King, and the murder trial of Jodi Arias in the killing of her ex-boyfriend.

Still, restrictions remain and judges typically retain broad discretion over which parts of a case can be broadcast and who can be filmed or photographed.

Donald Trump's trial and 2024 conviction in a hush money case was closed to cameras while court was in session under a New York state law that sharply restricts video coverage. Media organizations used sketch artists to capture the scene.

The made-for-TV trial

Arguably the most watched televised trial remains the 1995 prosecution of former football player O.J. Simpson in the death of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. It, too, became known as the “trial of the century” and is listed by Guinness World Records as the “most viewed trial” with a daily average viewership of 5.5 million people.

As the case dragged on for months, viewers were inundated with courtroom testimony and analysts opinions. Simpson was acquitted.

The focus on every aspect of the case raised concerns about potential bias to jurors, and also that the lawyers and even the judge were acting differently knowing they were being watched across the nation.

“People were talking about how the judge and the attorneys were playing to the cameras as much as they were playing to the jury,” said Cornell Law School professor Valerie Hans.

In a motion filed April 13, prosecutors said Timothy Hudson’s earlier release was granted under juvenile law and should no longer apply after a federal judge approved moving the case to adult prosecution.

Hudson is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in connection with the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner.

According to court records, Kepner was found dead Nov. 7, 2025, inside a stateroom aboard a Carnival cruise ship while it was traveling in international waters. Investigators said her body was discovered under a bed in the cabin she shared with Hudson and another sibling.

Hudson, who was 16 at the time, later became the primary suspect in the case.

Release now under review

Hudson was initially released to a family member in Hernando County following a detention hearing in February, when the case was still being handled under the federal Juvenile Delinquency Act.

During that hearing, prosecutors argued Hudson should be detained, citing concerns he posed a danger to others. A magistrate judge found probable cause for the charges but denied the request for detention, instead allowing Hudson to remain out of custody under specific conditions.

Now, prosecutors say that decision should be reconsidered.

In the newly filed motion, they argue that once the case was transferred to adult prosecution, it became subject to the federal Bail Reform Act — which allows courts to weigh broader factors when deciding whether a defendant should be detained before trial.

Prosecutors pointed back to the earlier detention hearing and reiterated their concerns about dangerousness, writing in the filing that “the defendant should be detained.”

They also said that, at minimum, the court should consider imposing a bond — an option that was not part of the original release order.

Case moves to adult court

A federal grand jury indicted Hudson on March 10. On April 8, a magistrate judge determined that all required documentation had been properly filed, allowing the case to formally proceed in adult court.

That transition significantly changes how the case is handled, including the potential penalties Hudson could face if convicted.

What happens next

Hudson’s attorneys have been ordered to file a response to the government’s motion by April 20. A judge will then decide whether Hudson will remain out of custody or be detained while the case moves forward.

If the court orders Hudson detained, prosecutors have not specified where he would be held. Because he is still a minor but is being prosecuted as an adult, it remains unclear whether he would be placed in a juvenile facility or an adult jail.

Four days of jury selection wrapped up Friday in the case against the former Hollywood powerbroker turned #MeToo pariah. A jury of seven men and five women will be tasked with deciding whether he raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel in 2013.

Weinstein has pleaded not guilty. The trial is expected to take up to four weeks.

At 73, the Oscar-winning former movie producer has spent much of the last decade fighting sexual assault cases in New York and Los Angeles.

He was convicted in both cities, but his initial 2020 New York conviction was overturned. Then jurors at a retrial last year deadlocked on the rape charge, while reaching a mixed verdict on sexual assault charges pertaining to two other women.

Weinstein denies all the allegations and has appealed his various convictions. He has been behind bars for six years to date.

A White House official, who requested anonymity to discuss the meeting ahead of time, said the administration is engaging with advanced AI labs about their models and the security of software. The official stressed that any new technology that might be used by the federal government would require a technical period for evaluation.

The White House said afterward that the meeting was productive and constructive, as opportunities for collaboration were discussed as well as the goal of balancing innovation and safety.

Anthropic said in a statement that Amodei's meeting included senior administration officials and explored how the San Francisco-based company and the “U.S. government can work together on key shared priorities such as cybersecurity, America’s lead in the AI race, and AI safety.” The company said it was “looking forward to continuing these discussions.”

The meeting came after tensions had run hot between the Trump administration and the safety-conscious Anthropic, which has sought to put guardrails on the development of AI to minimize any potential risks and maximize its economic and national security benefits for the U.S.

President Donald Trump tried to stop all federal agencies from using Anthropic’s chatbot Claude over the company’s contract dispute with the Pentagon, with Trump saying in a February social media post that the administration “will not do business with them again!” When Trump was asked Friday while in Arizona if Anthropic had a meeting at the White House, the president said he had ”no idea."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also sought to declare Anthropic a supply chain risk, an unprecedented move against a U.S. company that Anthropic has challenged in two federal courts. The company said it wanted assurance the Pentagon would not use its technology in fully autonomous weapons and the surveillance of Americans. Hegseth said the company must allow for any uses the Pentagon deemed lawful.

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin issued a ruling in March that blocked the enforcement of Trump’s social media directive ordering all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic products.

Anthropic has said the new Mythos model it announced on April 7 is so “strikingly capable” that it is limiting its use to select customers because of its ability to surpass human cybersecurity experts in finding and exploiting computer vulnerabilities.

And while some industry experts have questioned whether Anthropic's claims of too-powerful AI technology were a marketing ploy, even some of the company's sharpest critics have suggested that Mythos might represent a further advancement in AI.

One influential Anthropic critic, David Sacks, who was the White House's AI and crypto czar, said people should “take this seriously.”

“Anytime Anthropic is scaring people, you have to ask, ‘Is this a tactic? Is this part of their Chicken Little routine? Or is it real?’” Sacks said on the “All-In” podcast he co-hosts with other tech investors. “With cyber, I actually would give them credit in this case and say this is more on the real side.”

Sacks said: “It just makes sense that as the coding models become more and more capable, they are more capable at finding bugs. That means they’re more capable at finding vulnerabilities. That means they’re more capable at stringing together multiple vulnerabilities and creating an exploit.”

The model's potential benefits, as well as its risks, have also attracted attention outside the U.S.

The United Kingdom's AI Security Institute said it evaluated the new model and found it a “step up” over previous models, which were already rapidly improving.

“Mythos Preview can exploit systems with weak security posture, and it is likely that more models with these capabilities will be developed,” the institute said in a report.

Anthropic has also been in talks with the European Union about its AI models, including advanced models that haven’t yet been released in Europe, European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said Friday.

Axios first reported the scheduled meeting between Wiles and Amodei.

When it announced Mythos, Anthropic said it was also forming an initiative called Project Glasswing, bringing together tech giants such as Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft, along with other companies like JPMorgan Chase, in hopes of securing the world’s critical software from “severe” fallout that the new model could pose to public safety, national security and the economy.

“We’re releasing it to a subset of some of the world’s most important companies and organizations so they can use this to find vulnerabilities,” said the Anthropic co-founder and policy chief, Jack Clark, at this week’s Semafor World Economy conference.

Clark added that Mythos, while ahead of the curve, is not a “special model.”

“There will be other systems just like this in a few months from other companies, and in a year to a year-and-a-half later, there will be open-weight models from China that have these capabilities,” he said. So the world is going to have to get ready for more powerful systems that are going to exist within it.” ___

O'Brien reported from Providence, R.I. AP business reporter Kelvin Chan contributed to this report from London.

Court records show U.S. District Judge James Peterson sentenced Roger Hoffman on Wednesday. He also ordered Hoffman to pay a $150,000 fine. Hoffman's attorney, Mark Maciolek, didn't immediately return a message Friday seeking comment.

Hoffman, a 70-year-old self-employed investor originally from Madison, became a citizen of the Caribbean nation Saint Kitts and Nevis in January 2009, according to a grand jury indictment handed down in 2021. He renounced his U.S. citizenship in July of that year.

But he still moved more than $400,000 to state and federal elections in the U.S. over more than a decade, using an assistant identified in court documents only as M.W. as a conduit to circumvent laws prohibiting foreign nationals from making donations in U.S. elections.

He pleaded guilty in September to a single count of making illegal donations in a deal with prosecutors, agreeing that they would be able to prove he made about $345,000 in illegal federal campaign contributions between 2010 and 2020, according to court records.

Court documents state that Hoffman made donations to federal and Wisconsin candidates and political parties, with most of the dollars directed toward the federal side, but does not list specific recipients. It's not clear which candidates or political parties received money from him.

A message left at the U.S. attorney's office in Madison seeking those details was not immediately returned.

The office said in a news release Friday that Peterson admonished Hoffman during the sentencing hearing for demonstrating “a resolute pattern of dishonesty.”

A massive hole continues to grow on Wolf Creek Court, forcing the city to shut down the road for weeks and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix it. Neighbors say the problem has been building for years, and they worry the damage could spread.

[RELATED: What you need to know about sinkholes in Florida]

“It doesn’t take long to notice all these cracks — and this massive hole that’s been forming right here,” one resident said.

The city is calling it a “depression,” but Corey Airs, who lives nearby, said it feels like a disaster waiting to happen.

“If they don’t get this done and fixed, everything is going to start caving in,” Airs said.

[WATCH: Here’s what homeowners need to know about Florida’s ‘Sinkhole Alley’]

His neighbor, Daniel Paraison, said the hole has been growing since his family moved in two years ago.

“It just kept sinking every time a car passed over it,” Paraison said.

City staff say since 2025, a conical depression of 10 feet in diameter has formed. The surface has dropped two to three feet.

City leaders have approved nearly $719,000 for an emergency repair. The road will be shut down for three weeks.

“With everyone else trying to park here, they’re going to have to park on that single street — there aren’t going to be any accommodations,” Airs said.

Some neighbors will have to park up the street from their homes to get in and out. Paraison said the detour is manageable.

“Now instead of every morning coming here, we have to go on the other side — and it’s not that bad if you think about it,” Paraison said.

City engineers said the ground is slowly collapsing and the hole continues to grow because unstable soil underneath keeps shifting. Engineers also said it could put nearby utility and sewage infrastructure at risk.

Officials say the roadway depression was likely due to the settlement of the near-surface sands and roadway into one of the very loose soil zones, and/or soft organic soils, that are typically

found in and around relic sinkholes. The settlement has also caused damage to the sanitary sewer line.

Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson said crews will dig up the damaged section of the road and rebuild it with stronger material. He said only a handful of people live in the area, but the timeline could change if crews find damage to infrastructure.

“We have to get in there and see if anything has been damaged,” Nelson said. “Hopefully, there are no infrastructure issues.”

Nelson says the total cost of the project is actually around $772,000. The project is expected to start next week.

The superstars met again in 2017 and 2018, and Durant's Golden State Warriors beat James' Cleveland Cavaliers to win Durant's two rings.

The two greatest scorers of this generation are matched up once again in the postseason this weekend when Durant and his Houston Rockets visit James' Los Angeles Lakers. Game 1 is Saturday night in the latest chapter of this friendly rivalry, and the basketball world will be watching.

“It’s prime time,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Two of the best, and still doing it at this stage in their careers. And they have had some battles in the playoffs, but not a ton being in the East and the West a lot. So that part alone has a lot of storylines, a lot of history. I’m sure this will add to their chapters.”

The 41-year-old James is the top scorer in NBA history, and the 37-year-old Durant is fifth. While this fourth engagement might turn out to be their final spring meeting — and maybe even James' final playoff appearance, who knows? — they're both thinking mostly about the task before them, not the history behind them.

“It’s always great playing against great players,” Durant said. “You feel their presence on the floor, even if you’re not matched up with them. But it’s just like all basketball players know, it’s much more than just one player. You need a whole group of guys to go out there and win ... but yeah, the matchup is definitely fun. Two great players who’ve been in the league for a long time. But everybody who’s involved in this series knows it’s much deeper than that.”

Indeed, their shared playoff history only underlines the importance of a supporting cast, even for players of their stature.

James' Heatles were too much for a young Thunder group led by Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. The Warriors then became arguably the most loaded team in recent NBA history when Durant chose to join Stephen Curry, and it was too much even for James, who moved to the Lakers a few weeks after his Cavs fell to Golden State for the third time in four years.

The importance of a supporting cast is the reason fifth-seeded Houston is the prohibitive favorite in this series, of course.

The Lakers lost NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and prolific guard Austin Reaves to injuries two weeks ago, and they're both out indefinitely.

So while James is once again attempting to carry an inferior roster to places it would never otherwise go, the hard-working Rockets are healthier around Durant, who wants his first postseason with Houston to be memorable.

“Obviously, we know that’s the head of the snake,” James said of Durant. “But it’s the Houston Rockets, and they have some damn good players on their team. It’s not just a KD team. It’s the whole group. Like I said, KD is gonna do what KD does. He’s a Hall of Famer. We know that. So we have to prepare not only for him, but for the whole group.”

Hanging in

The Lakers aren't publicly predicting when their top two scorers will return, if at all. The injuries to Doncic (Grade 2 hamstring strain) and Reaves (Grade 2 oblique strain) typically take several weeks to heal. The first-round schedule has a few extra days off, but that's no guarantee.

“We’re going try to make this season as long as possible so that we can get those guys back at some point,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “We don’t know what that is, but that’s just our job. And their job is to do everything they can to be in a position to come back at some point. It may not work, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Tough out

Hard-working, resourceful Houston would be a tough matchup even under ideal circumstances for the Lakers, but the Rockets know they're facing a competent opponent playing with extra fire from the widespread perception that this short-handed team can't hang with them.

The Lakers have home-court advantage because they won 53 games, including two in Houston last month.

“Even though they got injuries, we’re not looking at this team like they’re not a good team,” Durant said. “We have to show the proper respect to them as NBA players and then into the game as well. We’ve got to come out and respect these guys, because they can have that impact if we let them.”

Fifth starter?

Udoka wouldn’t say this week who will join Durant, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson as his team’s fifth starter in this series. Down the stretch, Udoka started Tari Eason, Josh Okogie and Reed Sheppard, depending on the matchup. Okogie could be the top option in this series for his defense, but he is averaging just 4.5 points a game, making him a less desirable option offensively than Sheppard (13.5 points a game) or Eason (10.5).

Hit the boards

Redick is aware of the Rockets' historic dominance as a rebounding team, so he addressed it from the first day of practice this week by putting the Lakers through fundamental rebounding and boxing-out drills that reminded his players of junior high.

“Taking care of the basketball and boxing out. That’s the series,” Redick said. “Scheme, personnel, obviously important. But if we don’t take care of the basketball and we don’t box out, we’re not going to win the series.”

Houston led the NBA in total rebounds (48.1 per game) and offensive rebounds (15.0), That proficiency powered much of the Rockets' offensive production, while the Lakers obviously depended on Doncic's brilliance for a big chunk of their scoring.

___

AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken in Houston contributed.

___

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

The shooting occurred in the area of 1904 Griffin Rd. in Leesburg.

According to the sheriff’s office, the person of interest has been identified as Matthew Lee Pasco, a 43-year-old white male. The incident began when a female victim was attacked by a dog near a homeless camp. Pasco allegedly attempted to shoot the dog, but instead struck the dog’s owner.

The gunshot victim was transported to a hospital, where he later died. The dog bite victim was also transported to a hospital and is currently being treated for several bites, deputies said.

Pasco fled the area on foot and was last seen wearing a navy-blue T-shirt. He was described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall, approximately 150 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a prominent scar on the right side of his face.

According to Lake County Public Schools, Carver Middle School was on lockdown due to the search but has since dismissed.

Neighbors in the area say they could feel the intensity of the response.

"I know you said you saw the helicopter — I also heard the gunshot.” A nearby homeowner, whose daughter attends the school, described the uncertainty in the moments after the gunfire.

“Just hearing the shot — you don’t know where it’s coming from. It could be over here or over there.”

Pasco is homeless and is known to frequent the Leesburg area. Authorities believe he is still armed with a handgun. Anyone who comes in contact with Pasco is urged not to approach him and to immediately notify law enforcement.

Anyone with information on Pasco’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 352-343-2101, by email at tips@lcso.org or through Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.

Fans trying to get to MetLife Stadium from New York City can expect to shell out $150 for a round-trip train fare for each match, transportation officials confirmed Friday.

That’s nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for the roughly 15-minute, 9-mile (14-kilometer) ride from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On-site parking won’t be available for most fans, so New Jersey officials anticipate that around 40,000 fans will use mass transit for each match.

The home stadium for both the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets is set to host eight World Cup matches, including the tournament final on July 19. Group stage matches for soccer powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany and England, along with other nations, begin June 13.

New Jersey officials said the upcharge was necessary to cover the cost of hosting the World Cup on its return to the U.S. for the first time since 1994.

NJ Transit officials said they planned to spend $62 million transporting fans to and from the stadium over the duration of the tournament. Outside grants had defrayed only $14 million of those anticipated expenses. A fare increase was needed to cover the rest, according to NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri.

“This isn’t price gouging,” he told reporters Friday. “We’re literally trying to recoup our costs.”

Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, called on FIFA, international soccer’s governing body, to cover the transportation costs.

“If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day,” she said in a statement.

But FIFA has bristled at the suggestion that it should shoulder New Jersey's transit costs. On Friday, it pointed to other U.S. host cities, including Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston, that are keeping their transit rates unchanged.

Transit prices in Boston also will be high

One notable exception is Boston, where express buses from various locations to Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, will cost $95, officials announced this week.

Thousands of fans have also already snapped up $80 round-trip train tickets from the Massachusetts capital to the commuter rail station near the stadium, which is located in Foxborough, a town some 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Boston. That’s four times the $20 riders are normally charged for a round-trip ticket during game days and other special events at Gillette.

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, one-way fares will remain $1.75; in Atlanta, they’re locked at $2.50; in Houston, a single ride will still cost $1.25 and in Philadelphia the base fare for the subway will remain $2.90. Kansas City is running shuttles from locations around the city to Arrowhead Stadium that cost just $15 roundtrip.

Some of those cities have noted that the U.S. government has provided some $100 million in transit grants to provide enhanced bus and rail service during the games.

FIFA says fare hike ‘unprecedented’

The soccer federation on Friday warned that New Jersey's transit pricing could have a “chilling effect."

It argued that no other global event has been asked to absorb the costs of “arbitrarily set” transit prices and noted that the agreements signed with World Cup host cities back in 2018 called for free transportation for fans to all matches.

“Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options,” FIFA said in a statement. “This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup.”

The huge fare increase has also drawn protest from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me,” the Democrat posted on X earlier this week. The surge pricing was first reported by sports outlet The Athletic.

Few other options

Alternatives to taking the train to MetLife Stadium will also be pricey.

Shuttle buses with a capacity for about 10,000 riders will set off from the midtown Manhattan bus terminal and other locations for $80 roundtrip.

Some 5,000 parking spots at the nearby American Dream Mall are also being sold in advance, currently priced at $225.

MetLife Stadium has a huge parking lot, but for World Cup matches much of that space is being used for a fan village, shuttle buses, a staging area and FIFA staff, officials said.

When the stadium hosted the NFL's Super Bowl under similar conditions in 2014, New Jersey Transit struggled to accommodate an estimated 33,000 passengers leaving the game. Platforms at a train transfer station became jammed with passengers unable to get space on trains. Some waited for hours to get on board.

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Associated Press reporter Mark Long in Gainesville, Florida, contributed to this story.

___

Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

“I mean, I hate to say it. It’s a tourist issue,” Mayor Keith Capizzi told your Cocoa Beach Community Correspondent James Sparvero.

It’s not like a local beachgoer has never gotten themselves caught in a rip current.

However, in most cases, like the man and the woman who drowned Tuesday in Cocoa Beach, the county said they were from different states.

[WATCH: Putting lifeguards on every Brevard beach would take ‘significant budget increase,’ says commissioner]

The city said they drowned nearly a mile away from the nearest lifeguard tower - where Sparvero met Mayor Capizzi Friday - Coconuts on the Beach.

“With more tourism than ever, are lifeguard services keeping up with the demand to keep people safe,” Sparvero asked the mayor.

“You know, I think they are,” Capizzi answered. “The issue is not everybody swims near a lifeguard.”

Sparvero followed up by asking if tourism brings so much money to the local economy, does the community have a responsibility to protect all tourists?

Capizzi answered, “We absolutely have a responsibility to protect tourists as much as possible, as much as feasible.”

On Thursday, county commissioner Thad Altman told Sparvero he’d back what he said would be a significant budget increase to put lifeguards on all beaches.

The story led to a huge conversation on Facebook, with dozens of comments and many people opposing an increase in local taxes.

On Friday, Sparvero followed up to find out just how much more money it would take, meaning what a hypothetical tax hike would cost you.

The commissioner said he’s working on getting those numbers.

In the meantime, former lifeguard Kassidy Austin shared her idea to make the beach a little safer.

“If we had more flags out all the way down, told you more about what you were getting into when you got to the beach, at least that would be some awareness that maybe we could work on before we got to the step of getting lifeguards out here,” she said.

Because the county does so much advertising to bring tourists here, Mayor Capizzi said he thinks the Tourist Development Council should be leading this discussion to find solutions.

If the TDC shares its stance on protecting beaches, News 6 and ClickOrlando.com we’ll add the response.

The group’s endorsement by Republican governors — at least eight so far — has stirred debate about free speech in America’s schools, with critics arguing many of the same conservative leaders have sought to silence others with measures to restrict what teachers can say on sex education, LGBTQ+ issues and other topics.

Adding to the divisions has been some governors’ invocation of Christian religion in their support of the clubs.

At her news conference last month announcing a partnership with Turning Point USA, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said God had worked through Kirk to grow the conservative group and that she hoped it would spark “the exact type of civic engagement that we want to see” among high school students.

“It’s never too early to learn the values of faith and freedom that power our country,” she said.

For Fayetteville High School student Lily Adler in Arkansas, that crossed a line. Adler, president of the school’s Young Democrats club, said the governor’s endorsement violates the requirement that governments not favor a particular religion.

“We’re a public school,” Adler said. “We shouldn’t be a school — or a state, even — that is telling people what they should believe in.”

At the same high school, Lukas Klaus leads the local Turning Point USA chapter. As he sees it, the Republican governors are ensuring conservative voices like his are allowed to be heard.

“I’ve heard numerous other stories from around the states of Club America chapters trying to get started where they’re having serious problems with the administration straight-up saying ‘no,’ ” said Klaus. He said he has never heard of a public school disallowing a Young Democrats club.

The push gained momentum after Charlie Kirk’s death

In recent months, the Republican administrations of Nebraska, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Montana, Florida, Tennessee and Indiana have each announced partnerships with Turning Point USA to promote school chapters, called Club America, in every high school in those states.

Already, there are nearly 3,400 Club America chapters across the 50 states, according to Turning Point USA, which says it has more state partnerships in the works.

While the partnerships don’t require schools to establish the conservative clubs, they do make clear that efforts to start the clubs can’t be rejected by school administrators.

Turning Point USA got its start in 2012 on college campuses, promoting itself as a hub for young people committed to conservative values. Kirk was the co-founder and the face of the group, known best for his “ Prove Me Wrong ” events on college campuses where he invited students to challenge his conservative views on political and cultural issues. Kirk was killed by a sniper in early September while speaking on a college campus in Utah.

While Kirk was praised by conservatives as a champion of free speech, he was also criticized for comments that many other Americans found hateful toward LGBTQ+ communities, non-Christians, people of color and women.

Some of those critics faced a backlash from Republicans who saw them as dishonoring Kirk, leading to firings by universities, sports teams and media companies. Florida’s education commissioner also promised to investigate teachers over objectionable comments about Kirk. In Texas, a teachers union has sued the state’s education department, accusing it of an improper “wave of retaliation” against public school employees over their social media comments following the assassination.

Critics say governors are elevating Turning Point over other clubs

The governors’ endorsements of Turning Point USA, to the exclusion of other student clubs, has come under criticism from teachers unions and civil liberties groups.

Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, said he could only imagine how Republican leaders would react if a Democratic governor announced they were calling for a democratic socialist club in every high school.

“They would be running to the press to talk about how awful that is,” Royers said. “How is this fundamentally any different?”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas said the state’s support for the clubs amount to “differential treatment based on the content or viewpoint of the clubs, and a problem under the First Amendment.”

Turning Point USA spokesman Matt Shupe called objections from the ACLU hypocritical, noting the civic organization’s mission to protect free speech rights.

“The state of Arkansas is not forming our chapters; they’re not doing our job or our students’ jobs for us, nor are they saying other groups can’t be formed,” Shupe said in an email. “They’re simply stating students cannot be blocked from forming a Club America or a TPUSA college chapter when students want to start one.”

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Akbarzai reported from New York. ___

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

___

This story corrects the spelling of Lily Adler’s last name.

The Mets' skid is their worst since the 2004 team dropped 11 straight. They’ve been outscored 56-16 during the streak.

Chicago scored in double digits for the third straight game and major league-leading fourth time this season.

Ballesteros made it 4-0 in the first with a three-run homer.

Hoerner had three hits and drove in two runs after setting a career high with five RBIs in Wednesday’s 11-2 win at Philadelphia. His two-run shot in the second against Kodai Senga (0-3) made it 6-3. The two-time Gold Glove second baseman also made a diving stop to rob Bo Bichette of a hit in the fifth.

Happ added a two-run drive in the eighth.

Edward Cabrera (2-0) went six innings, allowing three runs and eight hits, as the Cubs rolled to their third straight win.

Senga got tagged for seven runs in his second straight start.

The Japanese right-hander gave up six earned to go with six hits in 3 1/3 innings after lasting just 2 1/3 in a loss to the Athletics last week. His ERA through four starts is 8.83.

After outscoring Philadelphia by a combined 21-6 in their previous two games, the Cubs jumped on Senga.

Seiya Suzuki singled in a run in the first and Ballesteros made it 4-0 when he drove the next pitch to the left-field basket.

The Mets cut it to 4-3 in the second on an RBI double by Marcus Semien and two-run single by Tyrone Taylor off the center-field wall. Taylor got thrown out at second by Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Up next

The series continues with the Mets sending RHP Freddy Peralta (1-1, 3.86 ERA) to the mound and the Cubs going with RHP Jameson Taillon (0-1, 4.86). ___

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

After a poor first half in which Inter failed to turn its pressure into goals, Cristian Chivu’s men took control during a four-minute period shortly after halftime.

Federico Dimarco’s superb pass left Thuram with a tap-in at the far post, then four minutes later Nicolo Barella lashed in an unstoppable shot from 15 meters out to make it 2-0.

Piotr Zielinski saved the best for last with a superbly struck volley that flew into the top corner.

The result put the champions-elect 12 points clear of Napoli with six games remaining.

Cagliari was in 16th place, six points above the relegation zone.

Como loses again

Earlier, Como fell to a second defeat in a week when it went down at Sassuolo 2-1.

Cristian Volpato and M'Bala Nzola struck in the three minutes before halftime to give Sassuolo a lead against the run of play.

Argentina international Nico Paz pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage time — his third in four games — but Como could not get an equalizer in spite of dominating possession in the second half.

Como’s first away loss in 2026 came after losing at home to Inter 4-3 on Monday. Although Como remained in fifth place, Juventus, two points above it, could go five points clear if it beats Bologna on Sunday.

Cesc Fàbregas’ side went unbeaten in nine away games dating to Dec. 15 when it went down by a single goal at Roma.

Sassuolo was in ninth.

___

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

Motorists, hoping for relief at the pump, wondered how quickly gasoline prices might fall once oil tankers stuck in the Persian Gulf were moving again. A gallon of regular gasoline cost $4.08 on average in the U.S. Friday, which was 37% more than before U.S. and Israel attacked Iran but down a few cents from a week ago.

But when gas prices spike, they don’t typically drop as quickly as the cost of crude. Even if Iran keeps the waterway open in the face of a U.S. blockade of its vessels, it still could take months for fuel prices to return to levels resembling those enjoyed before the war began Feb. 28, energy experts said.

The slow speed at which oil tankers travel from ports to refineries, lingering security concerns, traffic in the strait and damage to energy infrastructure in the Middle East are all playing a role in the elevated price of gasoline.

“The historical observation is that gasoline prices rise quickly but fall slowly, regardless of the particular causes of the increase,” said Mark Barteau, a professor in the department of chemical engineering at Texas A&M University.

“In this case, one has to take into account the time it takes for the steps that have to happen once tankers sail through the straits – for example, sailing time to refineries on other continents, time to ramp up refinery operations, and time to transport some refined products by tanker to the continent where they will be used,” Barteau said. “There is also tendency to hedge bets because of doubts about whether and how quickly that restoration might occur, and whether further disruptions are possible along the way.”

Nevertheless, some energy analysts were optimistic that gas prices would gradually decline.

Hope for lower gasoline prices

Gasoline prices were already falling slightly after last week’s announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, according to motor club federation AAA.

Following the Strait of Hormuz announcement, oil prices fell by $10 to $12 per barrel, which generally translates into a decrease of 25 or 30 cents per gallon of gas, said Michael Lynch, distinguished fellow at Energy Policy Research Foundation, a non-partisan research institution focused on energy and economics.

“That doesn’t happen overnight, but within a week or two, we could be down 50 cents a gallon easily, if this holds,” Lynch said. “And part of it is, there’s a lot of tankers ready to go. And if they all come out, then that balances the market very quickly.”

In the wake of Friday's news, “every state will start seeing gas price decreases accelerate at a pace of probably 1 to 3 cents a gallon for every day or two,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, in a webcast. “And that could continue for at least a couple of weeks.”

DeHaan estimated that the national average for a gallon of regular gas could reach $3.45 to $3.65 by Memorial Day. But he acknowledged that returning to lower prices could take a while.

“It might take until later this year or early next year to really fully normalize and for some of these surcharges and impacts to reverse and disappear," De Haan said.

Traffic and trepidation

If an agreement to end the war is reached, it could take at least four months for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to go back to normal, said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.

“Right now, you still have potential mines that have to be removed or detonated, you have over 150 tankers that have been anchored in and around the strait, which is causing a traffic jam, and we still have shipping rates that are still high because of lack of shipping capacity and war rate insurance,” he said.

The leaders of France and the U.K. welcomed word of the strait's reopening but said they would keep pushing for a way to permanently restore freedom of navigation for vessels that rely on the narrow passage off Iran's coast, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil typically travels.

Ship owners would have to be convinced to trust the Americans and Iranians, "and that seems like it’s a hard hill to climb,” Lynch, of the Energy Policy Research Foundation, said. “I certainly wouldn’t want to do it. I wouldn’t wanna be the first ship through or even the first five ships through, but somebody will do it. There’s a lot of money on the table and somebody’s going to grab it.”

If the Iranians are cooperating, the mines should not be a problem, because Iran has a sense of where the mines are, Lynch said.

"Now, that raises the issue, are the Iranians going to cooperate, or what do they want to cooperate?” he asked. “Are they going to demand a couple-million dollars a ship, as is talked about? Or is Trump going to say ‘that’s not acceptable,’ and then what’s the next step after that?”

If the strait remains open, and ships loaded with oil leave the Persian Gulf, it could take weeks for those heavy, slow-moving ships to reach their destinations.

“People think that once the strait opens, it’s fine. We’re done. It’ll be better really fast,” said Richard Joswick, global head of near-term oil analysis at S&P Global Energy. “If you open the strait today to get a ship and bring it around and take it to Europe and run a refinery, turn it into products, you’re talking 10 weeks of a lag time here. It will be two to three months before things can start to get back to normal after the straight re-opens.”

Damage to energy infrastructure in the Middle East

Many oil production facilities were damaged in the Middle East, including refineries in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and oil tanker terminals in the United Arab Emirates and Iran. Some repairs has been made, but damage remains.

In addition, some countries slowed down or halted production during the war, because without the ability to ship crude through the Strait of Hormuz, their ships and storage tanks filled up with stranded oil.

“It’s not a light switch. Everyone’s impatient and saying, ‘Go, go go,’” De Haan said. “But it will take time to get these flows of oil through the Middle East fired back up again.”

Once an oil well is turned off, the pressure within the well could change, and it can take time to restart the flow. But that might not be a problem in some Middle East oil fields, where production can be resumed quickly, Lynch said.

“The Saudis have done that a bunch of times. They ramp up by 2 or 3 million barrels a day, almost overnight, and there’s no problem with the wells that have been shut in for months and sometimes years,” Lynch said.

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Mae Anderson in New York contributed to this report.

The Dream acquired Reese from the Sky on April 6. Chicago obtained first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028. Atlanta also received the right to swap second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.

One of the WNBA's most recognizable stars, Reese led the league in rebounds in each of her two seasons with the Sky.

“I’m always gonna be grateful for that because I did experience a lot of great things,” Reese said Friday of her time in Chicago. “I enjoyed being able to grow within my first two years but I wanted more. I love to win, I love to compete and I wanted to be surrounded by people that can make me better.

“And I am not satisfied with what I am as a player and I felt like being around these kinds of players would help me be better. I can help them in different ways to help them win and that’s all I ever wanted. I don’t care about anything else that comes with it. I want to win and being able to come to an organization that really cared about their players.”

Reese was joined at the news conference by the five players Atlanta has re-signed this offseason. Guard Rhyne Howard said Reese, a two-time All-Star forward, could help Atlanta win a championship.

“Angel, I think is special for us because she could be exactly what we were missing,” Howard said.

Reese averaged 14.7 points and a league-best 12.6 rebounds last season. She joins a team that won a franchise-record 30 games last season under coach Karl Smesko before losing to Indiana in the playoffs.

Atlanta also re-signed Allisha Gray, Brionna Jones, Jordin Canada and Naz Hillmon.

Gray finished fourth in MVP voting last season. Howard became the fastest player in WNBA history to make 300 3-pointers. Hillmon was named Sixth Player of the Year and Jones was an All-Star.

The trade to Atlanta came after Reese expressed frustration late last season, with Chicago on the way to a 10-34 finish. She told the Chicago Tribune the Sky needed to improve their roster and added she “might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me” if that didn't happen. She later apologized to the team for the comments.

The Sky suspended Reese for half a game for comments deemed “detrimental to the team.” The team held her out for its final three games with a back injury, raising speculation about her future in Chicago.

Reese said the interest from the Dream “was mutual on both sides and I was able to choose a destination I really wanted to go to.”

General manager Dan Padover said adding Reese capped a successful offseason.

“When we went into this offseason, we had two main priorities,” Padover said. “That was retain our core. And to remain opportunistic. And over the last week, I’m thrilled to say we did both. Keeping these players in Atlanta was just so important to us. And the most special thing is that they want to stay here.

“And then to have someone like Angel come in and say ‘Hey guys, I love what you’re doing. I love that city. Let me jump in here.’ And to have this whole group as well as the others that are here today come together to try to build something and win a championship. That’s what sports is all about.”

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

The deal came just days before nearly 34,000 workers’ contract with an array of private building owners would have expired at midnight Monday. A strike would have been the first in 35 years, and some apartment-dwellers across the city had been bracing to haul trash, postpone renovations and major deliveries and volunteer to staff lobby doors, sort packages and mop hallways.

“Our goals were simple: to raise the wage to a level that our members can live in this city,” to protect health benefits and to improve pensions, union President Manny Pastreich said at a news conference. He called the proposed contract “an incredibly good deal for both sides.”

Workers will vote by May 28 on the tentative agreement, which includes pay raises and a 15% pension boost. Average annual wages for a doorperson or porter, for example, would rise from about $62,000 now to $71,000 in four years, and a new training program would offer future hires a faster route up the wage scale.

Building owners also retreated from proposals to have employees start paying health insurance premiums and to create a new job classification for future hires. The union said the newcomers would be lower-paid.

At the same time, the tentative deal gives building owners a break on some payments into a health fund that has built up a reserve, said Howard Rothschild, the president of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, which represents the owners.

“Ultimately, both sides thought carefully about the current economic situation and how to make contract improvements that we can all agree with,” Rothschild said at the news conference.

Negotiations had grown tense in recent days, and thousands of union members thronged Manhattan's ritzy Park Avenue on Wednesday to authorize a strike if a deal wasn't reached. The rally drew Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other New York Democratic officials.

The union said then that members were straining to pay New York-area bills, while employers have reaped sharply rising rents for market-rate apartments in buildings that the workers maintain, safeguard and make welcoming.

The Realty Advisory Board said the union was being unrealistic at a time when owners’ costs also are rising and landlords face a potential rent freeze on 1 million rent-stabilized apartments, an idea championed by Mamdani.

The union’s last strike, in 1991, lasted 12 days.

After a three-and-a-half-year battle with state and county officials, residents along the beachfront have received the green light to build what will be the city’s first-ever natural coquina rock revetment.

There’s just one catch: it has to be finished by May 1 — the start of sea turtle nesting season.

The project is the result of years of frustration following the 2022 hurricane season, when Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole’s storm surge wiped out seawalls, backyards and decks along the stretch of beachfront homes.

[WATCH: Volusia County OKs $25.8M for New Smyrna Beach coastal restoration plan]

In the years since, large sand-filled containment bags — known as Trap Bags — have served as a temporary buffer protecting the homes from further damage.

“We had that Nor’easter blow through a few weeks ago, and that was scary,” said Terri Corbett, one of the homeowners leading the effort.

While most beachfront property owners in the area opted to rebuild with conventional concrete and rebar seawalls, Corbett and her neighbors had a different vision — one that works with nature rather than against it. They pushed for a revetment built from coquina rock, a naturally occurring material rarely used in coastal protection structures, which made getting government approval a years-long challenge.

“We’re removing our Trap Bags and building the first-ever coquina rock seawall in the city, believe it or not,” Corbett said.

Now that the permit has been secured, the real work begins — and fast. Starting Monday, crews will bring in approximately 80 truckloads of large coquina rocks. The rocks will be placed into large excavated holes, stacked and then covered with sand, creating a sloped, natural-looking barrier along the shoreline.

“When you build in a style like this instead of straight up and down, when the waves hit it, it deflects the energy of the oncoming wave so we feel it’s a more proven process to break up wave inertia,” Corbett said.

Beyond its natural aesthetic, Corbett says the coquina revetment is also more cost-effective than a traditional concrete seawall and is expected to last a lifetime. The group also hopes the project becomes a model for future coastal protection efforts across the region.

“We’re hoping to be the child project to show this type of wall can be done,” Corbett said.

With crews unable to work on weekends, the homeowners have just 10 days to complete the project before the May 1 deadline.

“It’ll be giant, it’ll be beautiful, and we’re just so excited,” Corbett said.

[RELATED VIDEO: Coquina Arch repairs underway in Daytona Beach]