The police department hasn’t provided much information, but says they were attempting to locate Shakoi Donovan on an active warrant.

Officers say the incident happened Saturday morning at 2:47 a.m. near East Quayle Avenue and South Eustis Street.

Donovan is facing charges of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery on a LEO, flee to elude and others.

Right now, we don’t know what led to the charges or how Donovan was found.

We’ve reached out to Eustis Police and will provide an update the second we have it.

Officers say do not approach Donovan if you see him, as he should be considered dangerous.

You’re asked to call the Eustis Police Department at (352) 483-5400 with any information, or CRIMELINE at 1-(800)-423-8477.

A flood watch is in effect for Marion County west of I-75 until 8pm Monday.

Tonight

Rain chances continue to wind down as we move into Saturday night but do not cancel out completely. Spotty showers will linger overnight. Chances will range 20-30%. Temperatures will drop into the mid 70s with humid conditions.

Sunday

Rain chances increase as even more moisture pushes into Central Florida ahead of a cold front draped over the Deep South. Showers and storms will already be developing just west of I-75 by 8-9am. Showers will once again push from west to east. Storms will fill in over the I-4 corridor around noon, pushing towards the beaches around 2pm. Another round of storms is possible for the second half of the afternoon and into Sunday evening. Highs will range in the upper 80s to about 90ºF before showers and storms cool us off.

Next Week

Rain chances remain elevated to start the week as moisture lingers over the area. Expect decent shower coverage Monday afternoon. As our winds shift out of the east by mid-week, our pattern will begin to flip back to a typical sea breeze pattern. This will help to lower rain chances back to typical values with highs in the low-mid 90s.

Graham is serving in an interim role to fulfill her brother's current term. But as one of nine Republicans seeking to replace him more permanently in a special primary election set for Aug. 11, she is a relative political unknown facing off against some of the state's best-known GOP names.

On Saturday, she acknowledged that she has not spent decades in politics, but argued that she understands the real-world applications of the federal policy debates her brother knew well, like budgeting and the cost of health care. She reiterated that, like her brother, she's backed by Trump, who urged her to get into the race and has endorsed her.

“I certainly never expected to be on this stage, giving this stump speech,” Darline Graham said to a crowd gathered for the event in Lexington. “I've never had any desire to be a politician. I'm here today because I'm answering President Trump's call to serve. I want to stand up for South Carolina, and I want to fight for President Trump's agenda."

Graham found herself thrust into the political spotlight just three weeks ago, following her brother's sudden death from an aortic tear.

Given the compressed timeline of the special election, Darline Graham now has just more than a week to convince South Carolina Republican voters that she’s the best pick to represent the state. Up to this moment, she has been known to the state’s voters primarily through her brother’s origin story, including their hardscrabble upbringing and parents’ early death, and in the period of mourning for her brother, for whom funeral services in Washington and South Carolina took place just days ago.

All nine of the hopefuls were on hand Saturday for the event, with five minutes each to speak on stage. Former Gov. Mark Sanford, seeking yet another political comeback following a halted bid for Congress earlier this year, warned against deficit spending and debt accumulation, hallmarks of his decades in political messaging.

Reminding attendees of his endorsements in the race, including Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman also stressed his support for a voting bill known as the SAVE America Act, among Trump's top policy priorities.

U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, a two-term House member, talked to voters of his own humble beginnings, saying that the things that held his family together “were our belief in God, hard work, blue-collar hustle.”

After the speeches concluded, hundreds of attendees got in line for free Chick-fil-A boxed lunches, as well as the chance to cast a vote in an informal straw poll for their preferred candidate — a survey in which Darline Graham eked out a victory, ahead of Fry and Norman.

Several attendees said they just wanted more information — and more time — to make their choices in the primary.

Charles Brentnell said his top three picks were U.S. Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry, as well as Darline Graham, with whom he said he agreed on backing Trump’s demand to cut short its planned breaks to pass legislation, like the voting bill.

“Let’s keep the Senate in the Senate, instead of taking a month off,” Brentnell said.

Still mulling his choice as he stood in the straw poll line, Gary Atkinson said he was leaning toward picking Norman, but that he liked a lot of what he heard from several people.

“Those are all strong candidates," said Atkinson, who said he had supported Lindsey Graham in the past, but disagreed on some issues, like the war with Iran. “It's tough to make up your mind.”

If needed, a runoff election will be held Aug. 25. The Republican nominee will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the general election.

Other candidates speaking Saturday included Walterboro attorney Duke Buckner, Greenville businessman Mark Lynch, former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride, retired Air Force officer Glenda Gail Parker and entrepreneur Sam Shepherd.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

The event at Plaza del Sol was designed to help students start the school year prepared and to connect families with community resources.

Families received backpacks filled with school essentials, including notebooks, binders, glue sticks, colored pencils, pencil cases and other classroom supplies. Community organizations also distributed personal care items such as toothbrushes, shampoo and conditioner.

For Amalia Guerrios, the event helped ease some of the financial burden of back-to-school shopping as her granddaughter prepares to start school.

“Yeah, definitely. And as well, for the tax-free, it’s a little easier but still a lot,” Guerrios said.

In addition to school supplies, families had the opportunity to participate in Hands-Only CPR demonstrations led by the American Heart Association.

The training comes as Florida expands cardiac emergency education in schools. Under Florida’s Cardiac Emergencies law, students are now required to receive hands-on CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) instruction once in middle school and again in high school.

During the demonstrations, participants learned three key steps: recognizing a cardiac emergency, calling 911, and performing high-quality chest compressions until emergency responders arrive.

Ashley Cooper said learning the technique gave her confidence that she or her family could help in an emergency.

“I was just telling my other daughter when she was asking, ‘What is it for?’ And I was like, ‘Just in case somebody can’t breathe. Like you can be the answer and basically save a life possible,’” Cooper said.

Her 11-year-old daughter, Neveah, said she believes the training could help protect the people she cares about.

“Because just in case something happens to a family member or me, they can help that person,” Neveah Cooper said.

Northbridge University partnered with the American Heart Association to provide the CPR instruction as part of the annual event, combining back-to-school preparation with health and safety education for families.

The university’s annual giveaway is one of several community events aimed at helping Central Florida students begin the school year with the supplies and resources they need to succeed.

A ridge of high pressure is holding heat close to the ground — what’s known as a heat dome — from Arizona to Montana, though the good news is that it will be relatively short-lived, National Weather Service meteorologists said.

Dangerous heat and warnings were plaguing the region Saturday, and the National Weather Service on Saturday forecast a high of 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) in Las Vegas, the hottest temperature of the year. Phoenix was expected to reach 116F (47C), while El Centro, California, was expected to hit a record 118F (48C). Even parts of Montana were expected to broil, with a record 104F (40C) forecast for Great Falls.

In Las Vegas, Saturday's forecast high was 10 degrees above normal, with meteorologists warning of dangerous heat through Sunday, when the high is expected to be 114, said weather service meteorologist Morgan Stessman.

Overnight lows in the upper 80s to low 90s will make the situation especially dangerous because it doesn't allow people’s bodies to recover. “There's just no relief overnight,” Stessman said.

People were being urged to stay indoors and hydrated.

At the Justa Center in Phoenix, which caters to seniors but opens to the public as a cooling center in the afternoon, the biggest challenge is keeping up with the need for water and electrolytes, said operations director Rudy Soliz. He said about 200 people come in daily.

“Anybody can come in, get a meal, sign up, get checked in through the cooling center, sit down, relax, watch a little TV, you know, catch themselves before they move on to another cooling center or their destination,” he said.

Several cities nearing record temps

The August record for Las Vegas is 116F (47C), while the hottest on record was 120F (49C) in July 2024, which also was the hottest summer on record, Stessman said.

In Montana, the entire east side of the state was under an extreme heat warning Saturday, though by Sunday, much of the state will be in the 70s, said weather service meteorologist Jeff Kitsmiller.

Great Falls was heading toward a record high of 104F (40C), which would top its previous record of 101F (38C), while Helena was expected to match or surpass its record of 102F (39C), he said.

Still, it’s not as bad as the heat wave in mid-July, when some areas broke all-time records, including Billings, which reached 111F (44C) on July 12, Kitsmiller said.

“That was a rare heat wave,” he said. “This one fits for this time of year.”

The Montana Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in Billings, opened its doors earlier than usual on Saturday to provide relief from temperatures that could reach 106F (41C). Dozens of people were expected throughout the day, and the shelter planned to provide dinner, beds and breakfast, a receptionist said.

Great Falls Parks and Recreation's four swimming pools and three splash pads were crowded with people trying to beat the heat, said Katy Houseman, who works at one of the city's recreation centers.

“They’re definitely hitting the pools and doing the splash pads outside and then trying to hide inside where there’s air conditioning,” said Houseman. “It's super, super hot today.”

Heat is exacerbating wildfire risks

Forecasters were warning that this heat wave, combined with drying from past heat, will add to wildfire risks across the West.

“We’re definitely worried about that” in Montana, where fires already are burning and high winds are forecast for the weekend, said Kitsmiller, adding that most of the state was under a red flag warning.

In Nevada, “with this heat dome setting up, we’ve lost some of the moisture that we did have — like relative humidity in the afternoon bottoming out in the single digits in quite a few places,” Stessman said.

The U.S. Forest Service has said there is an enhanced wildfire risk through Sunday in most of Southern California except for the coastline.

Extreme heat and drought also have created dangerous wildfire conditions in the Pacific Northwest.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency Saturday after unusually high temperatures and high winds exacerbated record wildfires across the state. He also banned most outdoor and agricultural burning through the end of September.

Ferguson’s proclamation went into effect ahead of an unprecedented “particularly dangerous situation” Red Flag Alert by the National Weather Service, which rated the weather risk as “extreme” across Eastern Washington. More than 312 square miles (808 square kilometers) are currently burning in 12 large fires.

A red flag alert also was given for eastern Oregon, where crews are battling several large wildfires, including the Rowe Creek Complex fire, which has grown to 490 square miles (1,269 square kilometers) with 57% containment.

Climate change is making heat waves, wildfires more frequent

Climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is causing larger, more intense and longer-lasting heat waves — which lead to more intense droughts and contribute to larger, more destructive wildfires.

This year’s weather is also expected to be affected by El Nino, a natural warming of the equatorial Pacific that alters weather patterns and spikes temperatures across the globe.

The current El Nino is expected to rank as among the most intense since the weather service began tracking the phenomenon in 1950, experts said. It's already broken records for intensity at its early stages, United Nations officials warned Friday.

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Associated Press writer Martha Bellisle in Seattle contributed to this report.

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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.

Pirro’s office, in a court filing on Friday, moved to drop criminal charges against a former Olympian, David Hearn, who had been accused of deliberately damaging the pool after it underwent a renovation ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration last month.

Trump, in a posting on social media, acknowledged that there “may have been some contractor difficulty” in the installation of a new pool liner. But he continues to insist “the major damage was caused by VANDALS!”

“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool,” Trump added in his post.

The dismissal was an embarrassing setback for a Justice Department that had previously echoed Trump's claims and billed the prosecution as accountability for damage at a Washington landmark, a pet project of Trump. The president, without providing any clear new evidence, continued to allege on Saturday that the majority of the damage to the pool was caused by vandals.

Government lawyers in their 20-page court filing on Friday said that additional documents provided by the Interior Department since the indictment of Hearn show that the damage was the result of a botched installation by a contractor as well as “the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026.”

In addition, a recent visual inspection revealed damage throughout the pool, including in the middle — where prosecutors say a vandal would not likely have attempted to peel the lining.

Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, was accused of pulling up a two-foot square piece of the pool’s lining.

“Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt,” Pirro, a Trump appointee, said in her filing, which asked a judge to formally dismiss the case.

Pirro in the court filing also blamed the Interior Department for providing “less than fulsome information at the outset of the case.”

The filing added that had “DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment.” It was a jarring turn in position from Pirro, who claimed the government's case was built on “tremendous evidence” when she announced the indictment against Hearn last month.

Hearn's legal team on Saturday criticized both Trump and Pirro and said it was weighing "legal remedies” on behalf of their client.

“Trump is mad at Pirro because she finally admitted what we made clear in our legal filings all along: Trump’s botched renovation was responsible for the damage — not Davey Hearn," the legal team said in a statement. “However, her claim that she and her office were previously duped by Interior is nonsense. Starting immediately after the arraignment, our motions repeatedly proved that the administration was to blame for the Reflecting Pool failures, not Davey.”

Interior Department officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Trump on Saturday also posted a nearly four-minute video that appears to have been taken from a security camera, in which three individuals can be seen with their hands in the pool, including one for an extended period.

The president claimed the video shows “material is being cut with a knife or a box cutter, for all to see!”

It's not clear from the video, which appears to be shot from some distance, that any vandalism occurred. Workers can also be seen standing nearby and don’t appear to notice the people sticking their hands in the water.

In May, Trump announced plans to beautify the Reflecting Pool this spring. Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded a $14.7 million no-bid contract to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.

Atlantic Industrial Coatings did not respond to requests for comment.

Water was drained and Trump directed that the bottom be painted with what he called “American flag blue.”

But problems emerged within days of the project's completion, with chunks of the new liner peeling off.

Trump was quick to blame vandals. And the National Park Service reported to the U.S. Park Police a June 9 incident in which it claimed a sharp knife or razor cut the pool’s new liner.

The work on the Reflecting Pool is just one of a number of projects Trump has spearheaded across the nation’s capital. Most prominently, he demolished the White House’s East Wing to build a $400 million ballroom and plans to build a towering arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

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Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

From small spaniels to large labs, the canines were judged on factors including how long they could stay on their board, the size of the wave and their confidence. In its 10th year, the contest in Pacifica, about 14 miles (22 kilometers) south of San Francisco, includes a pet adoption event and fundraising for local animal charities.

The dogs, sporting their colorful life vests, stood ready on their surfboards and were assisted by human participants, who spotted the best wave to carry the board to the beach. Spectators erupted in applause and cheered with each successful ride.

Sophia Sadlowski first put her Miniature Pinscher, Rusty, on her surfboard to capture fun photos when he was just a puppy.

"And then ... he didn’t want to get off,” said Sadlowski, of Huntington Beach, California. “I walk over to the beach, and I put him on a wave, and he surfed it.”

Small-, medium- and large- sized dogs competed in heats and then the highest scoring dogs in each heat faced off for the top prize. The day also included tandem contests, where multiple dogs, as well as dogs and humans, shared the surfboard.

Rusty's life jacket was green with animal print and a shark fin sticking up out of his back and his goggles gave the impression he was a fierce competitor for the small-sized and tandem dog competitions. Sadlowski said Rusty was in his first surf competition at four months old, and she and her pup are now both cancer-free.

“He was four months old, and he took third place. So we've been surfing since," Sadlowski said. “We got hooked.”

Pulte said in a social media post on Saturday that he had spoken about the handover with Trump and Clayton — who was confirmed by the Senate this week.

Trump chose Pulte as an interim director when former director Tulsi Gabbard resigned. But the pick rankled Republican lawmakers who said the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency lacked national security credentials for the role.

Clayton, formerly the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a one-time Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, was confirmed along party lines on Tuesday.

The GOP-led Senate had hoped to confirm Clayton in June, but the president delayed his hearing. During Pulte's brief tenure, Trump delivered a speech from the White House doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost, and released classified documents that he said were relevant to his arguments.

Clayton has emphasized his own government and national security experience, attempting to assuage senators in both parties. But he lost bipartisan support for his nomination after a contentious hearing in which he repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.

Before the Senate vote on Clayton, Pulte released intelligence community documents from 2020 that described China’s capacity to interfere in the American political process as well as vulnerabilities in the election system.

The substance of the material was largely recycled and already known, but its disclosure is part of the broader Trump administration effort to raise concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections.

The White House has not yet announced details for when Clayton will be sworn in for his new job.

The strikes follow a major Russian attack two days earlier that killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 50 others across Ukraine, as Moscow apparently looks to exploit Kyiv’s critical shortage of Western-supplied anti-ballistic missile defenses. The relentless cycle of attacks dims the potential of reaching a diplomatic end to Russia’s more than 4-year-old invasion of its neighbor.

Deaths and damage across Kyiv

A five-story residential building in the city's Solomianskyi District was damaged by falling debris and a fire broke out. Rescue workers evacuated 35 people from the upper floors of the building and two people died, with eight reported injured, including two children, according to Ukraine’s state emergency service.

In the Darnytskyi District of Kyiv, seven people were killed and another 14 injured after the attack caused fires and damage to houses, vehicles, an administrative and non-residential building, the emergency services said.

Elsewhere, emergency workers extinguished a fire in a non-residential building in the capital’s Shevchenkivskyi district. There was no additional information about earlier reports by the district mayor that people were trapped in another residential building.

Damage to commercial and residential buildings was reported in two other city districts.

Lithuania’s foreign minister said the country’s embassy in Kyiv was damaged when missiles struck nearby overnight.

Russia’s defense ministry said Saturday it had launched a “massive strike” against “Ukrainian military-industrial complex facilities and logistics centers in Kyiv.”

Zelenskyy presses for more air defense

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pressed the United States and other Western partners over Ukraine’s need for more Patriot anti-ballistic missile defense systems to counter missile attacks from Russia.

“Every package of ballistic missile interceptors saves the lives of our people. And every night without them results in more casualties,” he wrote on X following the latest attacks.

The Ukrainian leader late Friday said he spoke to U.S. Vice President JD Vance and discussed a meeting with President Donald Trump earlier this week in Washington, which Zelenskyy described as “positive and productive.”

“The Russian air strikes on our country continue and air defense, specifically interceptors for Patriot systems against ballistic missiles, remains a top priority,” Zelenskyy said Friday in a post on Telegram.

At a NATO summit in Ankara in July, Trump said the U.S. would give Ukraine a license to make Patriot systems, but he appeared to move away from that commitment on Friday during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland, saying he had not yet made a final decision on the matter.

Resident describes more frequent attacks

From a basement shelter where she was taking cover as a second air alarm sounded for another wave, Liudmyla Nakonechna, 64, described how she was woken by loud explosions at 1:30 a.m.

“I ran into the corridor and was standing there when the bathroom door was blown off its hinges and struck me in the leg,” said Nakonechna, whose health is poor after undergoing cancer treatment. “I heard the sound of shattering glass. My balcony was covered in glass and it was completely blown apart, while the windows in my bedroom were also blown out.”

Nakonechna had not taken cover in a shelter since Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, but the stress became too much, she said.

“It’s getting worse by the day,” Nakonechna said. “Whereas before there was an attack once every two weeks, or maybe once a week, now it happens practically every day. It is incredibly hard to bear this psychologically.”

In other developments

— A Russian airstrike killed one person and wounded five more in the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, local officials said Saturday.

— In Russian-occupied Crimea, the Moscow-appointed head of the city of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said Saturday that a 60-year-old woman was killed and two other people wounded in a drone attack on the city.

— Ukrainian drones struck three Russian oil refineries overnight in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, Zelenskyy said Saturday. The refineries “process millions of tons of oil each year” and are located nearly 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) from Ukraine, Zelenskyy said on social media.

The Russian online news outlet Astra reported Saturday that a Ukrainian drone set an oil refinery in Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan, ablaze. Local officials said debris from a downed drone caused “smoke” at an unnamed “industrial zone.”

Ukraine’s almost daily long-range drone and missile strikes using domestically developed weapons have battered Russian oil facilities for months. The operation has brought a fuel crisis that is embarrassing the Kremlin more than four years after Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor.

— A sanctioned Russian container ship, the Yanina, sank in the Black Sea after being hit by Ukrainian drones, Zelenskyy said Saturday, listing the ship as among “facilities that sustain the war effort.”

Russia’s state nuclear energy company, Rosatom, whose shipping subsidiary FESCO operates the vessel, said the ship was carrying “civilian goods” such as frozen food and construction materials.

Hours later on Saturday, Kuwait said it responded to a new round of drone attacks from Iran while a tanker was struck in the strategic waterway.

Meanwhile, Israel carried out heavy strikes on the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to disarm.

Here are the most important developments in the Middle East today:

US threatens new strikes in the conflict with Iran

Speaking to reporters Friday during a meeting with members of his Cabinet at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, Trump said “we just want to win” in Iran and signaled that he expected U.S. military action to continue for some time.

He said the U.S. will hit Iran “very hard” until they can’t take it anymore.

Later that day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed the U.S. administration’s frustration anew, charging that Tehran last month signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. on a truce but then quickly “broke it, shot at commercial ships, and killed American soldiers.”

“President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur,” Leavitt said in a statement Friday evening. “Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.”

On Saturday, the U.S. State Department issued new security alerts for Americans in 10 countries in the region to exercise heightened caution due to the escalating tensions with Iran.

The warnings — covering Bahrain, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates — urged U.S. citizens to prepare for the possibility of flight cancellations, temporary airspace closures and other travel disruptions.

New attacks on Kuwait and on shipping

Kuwait’s military said Saturday that its forces were responding to drone attacks which were part of Iran’s assaults on the country.

In a statement, Maj. Gen. Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, spokesperson for Kuwait's Defense Ministry, said the drones hit “a number of vital facilities,” including a government structure in the country's north. He said there were no casualties.

The British Navy said Saturday that a tanker was struck and a separate explosion hit close to a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman. No casualties were reported in either incident, it said. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization said an unknown projectile hit the vessel on Friday 11 nautical miles northeast of Lima, Oman. The attack damaged the vessel’s engine room.

The group said that on Saturday a large splash and an explosion were reported close to another tanker while it was sailing 21 nautical miles northwest of Khasab city.

Separately, crude oil appeared to be leaking and spreading in recent days from a sanctioned tanker grounded off the coast of Oman, close to a marine protected area, satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show.

Iran has repeatedly attacked vessels attempting to transit through the Strait of Hormuz without its authorization as part of its ongoing conflict with the U.S.

Israel strikes Gaza after Hamas says it will disarm

Intense Israeli strikes Friday night and Saturday killed at least four people in central and northern Gaza and wounded dozens more, according to local health officials.

The strikes overnight in Gaza followed evacuation warnings by Israel’s military, which said on Saturday that it had struck Hamas targets across the territory and dismantled five Hamas storage facilities.

The strikes came after Hamas confirmed Friday that it will disarm in a potential breakthrough for ending the war in Gaza, though major obstacles remain.

Palestinians in Gaza — most of whom are displaced or live in camps — received the news with both hope and skepticism. A 24-year-old tuk-tuk driver, Abdel Moneim Aboul-Roos, who lost his leg in an Israeli strike, told The Associated Press that he doesn't care about “talk about withdrawal and disarmament” as long as essentials like food and medicine remain lacking.

Israel has not officially commented on the Hamas deal, which is part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced last October.

That agreement called for Hamas to disarm and hand over power to an independent Palestinian administration. Israel was to withdraw and an International Stabilization Force was to be deployed.

In a post on X Friday, Israeli far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir called the deal “unacceptable” and said the killings in Gaza must continue. “Israel must win,” he said.

Egypt, a key Gaza ceasefire mediator, lauded Hamas and other Palestinian groups for “their positive response” in the phased peace plan, Egyptian state-run media reported.

The AP is tracking the progress of Trump’s plan to end the Israel-Hamas war.

Click here for full coverage from AP on the disarmament deal for Hamas.

Elsewhere in the region

— Houthi rebels forced eight Saudi ships to reroute from the Bab el-Mandeb strait after the Iranian-backed rebels announced a blockade on Saudi shipping in the choke point. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthis, said in a statement Friday that the vessels changed route to the Cape of Good Hope around Africa to avert the blockade.

— In southern Lebanon, Israeli forces set off explosions Friday to destroy an underground tunnel network under the Crusader-built Beaufort Castle that Israel says had been used by Iran-backed Hezbollah militants as a command center. The 12th-century castle, also known as Al-Shaqif, was seized by Israeli forces in May. It was recently added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List over Israel’s objections.

— Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said the Israeli operation sent “negative messages” ahead of upcoming talks in Rome. Israeli and Lebanese negotiating teams are set to meet again there to continue hammering out a plan under which Israel would withdraw from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament.

— An Israeli army officer was moderately wounded in an encounter with Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon overnight into Saturday, Israel's military said. There was no immediate comment from Lebanese authorities or Hezbollah. Thirty-eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon or northern Israel since that conflict reignited when Hezbollah fired at Israel shortly after the start of the Iran war.

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Madhani reported from Washington.

At least 67 migrants died, including some who drowned and others who were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier, the Spanish government said Saturday. The sudden arrival of 50,000 to 60,000 migrants in the territory on Thursday and Friday sparked a humanitarian crisis and reignited the immigration debate in Europe and beyond, though most of the migrants soon went back.

Critics of Spain’s socialist government, notably right and far-right politicians, seized upon the dramatic images of crowds storming into Ceuta, which sits on the Strait of Gibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea and has been a Spanish possession since 1580. Spain’s migration policy has focused on granting legal status to workers lacking authorization who entered the country before 2026 to boost its economy, in contrast with the anti-migration and pro-deportation policies promoted across much of the EU and in the U.S.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez slammed the reaction of some EU leaders to the events in Ceuta, saying calls for Spain to be suspended from the EU's borderless Schengen zone were “driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest.” Despite the Ceuta crisis, Spain in recent years has had fewer illegal migrants cross into the country than Mediterranean neighbors Italy and Greece.

On Saturday morning, a handful of migrants who swam to Ceuta's urban Tarajal beach were met by soldiers who escorted them across the border.

“We are relentless against those who break the law,” Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told journalists.

Asked how the breach could have happened given the heavy security on both sides of the border and whether Morocco posed a threat to Ceuta, Marlaska defended the government in Rabat.

“The events require an evaluation by Spain and Morocco,” he said. But it was the cooperation with its neighbors that allowed Spain “to revert the situation in 24 hours.”

“Morocco is not a threat to Ceuta, or to the rest of Spain. It is a reliable partner,” Marlaska said.

EU leaders call for coordinated response

Other European Union countries called for urgent talks and a coordinated response to the situation in Ceuta.

“We cannot allow uncontrolled mass crossings, the instrumentalization of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible. That a migrant’s illegal entry can turn into legal stay,” a letter to top EU officials, released Saturday by the Danish prime minister’s office, said. “Such a perception would encourage further attempts, undermine confidence in our common migration policy and have repercussions for all Member States.”

Leaders of Italy, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Sweden signed the letter asking the EU’s current Irish presidency to convene a videoconference of interior ministers.

Sánchez also asked for a videoconference of EU interior ministers to “enable us to establish a common response to situations of this kind and reaffirm that the security of our external borders is a shared responsibility of all Member States, and not only of those on the Union’s front line.”

Italy has threatened to suspend the open-border Schengen agreement with Spain and was reimposing border controls for people arriving from Spain by air and sea. Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area, however, and border checks are carried out when traveling from the exclave to continental Spain or other European countries in the Schengen zone.

“In the current international context, the European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarizing and unlawful reaction,” Sánchez wrote in his letter.

Migrants head back into Morocco

Hundreds of migrants continued to make their way back to Morocco on Saturday. Hungry and angry, some barefoot or shirtless and others nursing visible injuries, they said they were leaving Ceuta after what they described as degrading treatment on the Spanish side of the border.

Migrants walked along a long stretch of wave breakers before slipping into Morocco through a small breach in the border fence. Most of the migrants were Moroccans, while a smaller number were from sub-Saharan Africa.

“I decided to come back on my own,” said Ouail Lamzeiz. “I spent eight days in Ceuta, and I was about to get a bed at the migrant center, but I hadn’t eaten for days. Even the Moroccans there didn’t help,” he added, showing a document supporting his account.

Migrants said they spent their nights sleeping in the forests around Ceuta because they could not find shelter, and that they often fought over food.

Othmane El Merzoug asked passersby for a phone call so he could reach his family and ask them to send money for the journey back to his hometown, about 189 miles (305 kilometers) from the border.

Life along the border was disrupted

Along Ceuta’s Tarajal beach, sunbathers largely ignored the streams of migrants walking toward the border.

Ceuta resident Mohamed Abdelatif, 21, said the border rush had ruptured the city's peace.

“The reality is, it’s not good,” Abdelatif said, before wading into the water with his girlfriend.

To reach Ceuta, on the northern African coast, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering about 3 miles (5 kilometers) to reach Spanish territory. In response to the influx, Spain deployed its armed forces and additional police in Ceuta. On the Moroccan side, security forces clashed with migrants. Authorities used water cannons, tear gas and warning shots to try to turn back migrants.

On Saturday, the road linking Fnideq to the border crossing bore the scars of the unrest. Burned-out vehicles sat along the roadside, while the acrid smell of smoke still hung in the air. Water cannons remained stationed nearby.

“Life in this city has been disrupted as a result of the border incident,” said Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas. “The return of people has begun satisfactorily, but the process must be completed.”

Some migrants remain determined to stay

But some who made it to Ceuta say they do not intend to go back. Among them was Mohamed Hatri, a 23-year-old Moroccan.

“They’ve closed everything down so that we can’t buy anything to eat, to force us to return to our country,” he said, adding that he and others were determined to stay “whether we’re hungry or not." —— Oubachir reported from Fnideq, Morocco. Renata Brito in Barcelona, Spain and Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece contributed to this report.

Allegations against U.S. Rep. Max Miller, a White House adviser during President Donald Trump's first term, have been public for years but have recently drawn increased media scrutiny amid an escalating legal back-and-forth with his former spouse, who is the daughter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. That has Democrats sensing Miller could be vulnerable in a district he won two years ago with just over 51% of the vote.

Over the past week, they have called for Miller to resign, requested a congressional ethics investigation and suggested more help could be directed in the fall toward his Democratic opponent, union ironworker Brian Poindexter. Miller has denied the abuse allegations and filed defamation lawsuits against his ex-wife and a second accuser.

The House Majority PAC, a super political action committee aimed at electing a Democratic majority, said it is monitoring the race's dynamics as part of its strategy to push deeper into GOP territory in this year's midterm elections.

“HMP is willing to do whatever it takes to take back the House, and nothing is off the table,” spokesperson CJ Warnke said.

Republicans stick by Miller

as Trump advisers keep tabs on the situation

Republicans have so far remained in Miller’s corner, saying he has delivered for his district and is electable in November.

At the same time, the difficulties that Miller faces have not escaped the attention of the president’s inner circle as they work to retain GOP control on Capitol Hill. Trump's closest advisers are actively monitoring the situation, according to a Republican with knowledge of White House discussions who requested anonymity to discuss the politically sensitive matter.

The deadline for replacing Miller on the ballot is Wednesday, though no Republican has publicly pushed to take that step. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine told Ohio's Capital Journal that the accusations were troubling and “very serious” but that Miller's fate should be up to voters.

The tension comes as Republicans are defending their narrow majority in the U.S. House in the November races.

Terry Casey, a longtime Republican consultant in Ohio, said Miller remains in a strong position to win the Republican-leaning district, which stretches south from Cleveland and was won decisively by Trump two years ago.

That is unless Poindexter, who has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, can attract money significant enough to step up his advertising in the 7th Congressional District's multiple media markets.

“Unless serious people are willing to put in serious money, I’d say beginning around $2 million, it’s all nothing but lip exercises,” Casey said.

The National Republican Congressional Committee declined to discuss whether it would match any influx of Democratic cash. Miller has significantly outraised Poindexter, although the Democrat's campaign said it has seen a surge in social media followers in recent weeks.

Democrats call for an ethics investigation and some say Miller should resign

At issue in the couple's long-running dispute are claims leveled by Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, that he scalded, hit and threatened her while they were married. Miller has denied the allegations.

A recent article in the magazine Mother Jones revealed a new point of contention in their legal battle: a broken collarbone on their 2-year-old daughter that led Moreno to contact authorities. The pair, who were married in 2022 and finalized their divorce last year, presented different theories about how the injury occurred, according to court filings and police reports reviewed by the magazine.

Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, said it “would be wise” for Miller to resign. The House Democratic Women’s Caucus called for an ethics investigation.

“The recent reports of domestic violence and child abuse against Representative Max Miller are deeply disturbing and Congress can’t ignore them,” Democratic Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico, Emilia Sykes of Ohio and Hillary Scholten of Michigan wrote in their letter. “Allegations of violence against women and children have to be met with the utmost seriousness.”

Bernie Moreno declined to comment on the allegations raised by his daughter or on Miller’s response, but his spokeswoman issued a statement saying the senator was focused on his family.

“Senator Moreno’s top priority is the safety and well-being of his daughter and granddaughter,” said the spokeswoman, Reagan McCarthy. “While he will not litigate these matters in the media or respond to baseless public attacks, he will do whatever it takes to ensure a just outcome for his family.”

Miller's controversies escalated in July and he is facing a lawsuit by an ex-girlfriend

Miller has denied all allegations of abuse. He did not respond to inquiries left with his campaign, his Washington office or on his personal cellphone.

Last spring, his spokesperson provided documentation to The Associated Press that showed several allegations that he had abused his daughter had been investigated by the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services and were deemed unsubstantiated. He has sued Emily Moreno for defamation.

The couple's dispute escalated this week.

On Thursday, lawyers for Emily Moreno asked a judge for a temporary restraining order barring Miller from contact with her attorney, Andrew Zashin. The filing alleges that Miller shouted insults at Zashin and goaded him to “Come at me!” outside a court hearing last May, then physically grabbed Zashin during a different proceeding on Tuesday.

The court filing quotes Miller’s own lawyer as saying his client “just can’t control himself.” The attorney did not return a call seeking comment.

Earlier this month, Miller’s ex-girlfriend, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, filed a lawsuit against him. She accused Miller of violating terms of a confidential settlement agreement they struck to resolve his 2021 lawsuit against her.

That lawsuit alleged Grisham defamed him in her book and in a Washington Post op-ed when she said a former White House staffer — later identified as Miller — had physically abused her while they were dating. While the book is vague on the specific allegations, Politico reported at the time that Grisham and Miller’s relationship ended “when he pushed her against a wall and slapped her in the face in his Washington apartment after she accused him of cheating on her.”

Grisham alleged in the new lawsuit filed July 7 that Miller dragged her name into his dispute with Moreno and violated their agreement not to disparage each other.

A campaign distraction for Miller that could turn off some voters

For Poindexter, the Democratic candidate, the accusations against Miller provide a possible path to an upset in November if some conservative-leaning voters opt for him or enough Republican voters are turned off by the domestic abuse allegations and stay home.

“These are serious allegations and deserve the full attention of law enforcement,” Poindexter said in a statement. “If all the allegations against Congressman Miller prove to be true, Max Miller should be in jail, not worried about retaining a seat in Congress.”

Jim Trakas, a former state lawmaker and GOP party chair in northeast Ohio, said Miller is not helped by the fresh developments so close to the election.

“It's a difficult year for any incumbent,” he said. “Now you have to spend time on this when you want to focus on the main event, which is the pocketbook issues.”

Trump asserted in his Truth Social post that he would keep acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in his current role and press ahead on the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” if Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina refuse to back the former federal prosecutor who was a key member of Trump’s defense team at a time when the Republican battled four indictments.

The administration needs their votes, but both lawmakers have protested Blanche's selection because of a lawsuit settlement that created a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who feel mistreated by the criminal justice system and provided Trump and family members with immunity from tax audits.

In a sign of apparent progress Friday, Trump pronounced the fund “dead.” As negotiations continued into the night, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley, rescheduled a committee vote for Blanche that had been postponed earlier in the week.

A spokesperson for the committee said Grassley, R-Iowa, would like to see Blanche confirmed before the August recess and that putting the Tuesday vote on the calendar “gives more time for the White House to secure the votes for the President’s nominee.”

But by Saturday morning, those plans were in jeopardy with a new announcement from Trump that appeared to put the fund back on the table — and dinged the two senators who are leaving Capitol Hill when their terms end in January.

“If Senators Cornyn and Tillis, both upset because I wouldn’t Endorse them (they lost, and quit, respectively!), aren’t going to approve Todd Blanche, one of the most respected professionals, according to everybody, in the Country, to be the United States Attorney General, then I will keep Todd as Acting A.G., and push hard” to restore the fund. The president insisted, as he previously has, that the fund “takes care of those who have been so badly treated” during the administrations of Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Tillis, who is retiring, took note of the president's turnabout by saying in a post on X that despite Trump's comments Friday, he “clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks either by inappropriately establishing another bogus fund or pushing Congress to vote for a bill that the majority of Republicans in the Senate would be against.”

He added: “It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal. Hopefully, we can resolve this by Tuesday."

Blanche had said at a hearing two months ago that the anti-weaponization fund would not move forward after Republican senators revolted and held up an immigration funding bill.

But Tillis and Cornyn, who lost reelection this year after Trump endorsed his primary opponent, said they want to ensure that the White House does not reverse course, especially as Trump continues to argue that a fund is needed.

The Department of Justice has provided the senators with language that says Blanche’s May 18 order establishing the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is “rescinded and shall have no force or effect,” according to a document reviewed by The Associated Press.

Cornyn and Tillis have said they also want clarification on a separate part of the settlement that would grant Trump and members of his family immunity from tax audits. Cornyn said this week that it was his understanding the audits could extend to more than 100 Trump Organization subsidiaries in the future.

“Todd Blanche said it was limited to the parties to the litigation — and it was retrospective, not prospective,” Cornyn said. “And all we’re doing is asking them to put that in writing.”

Earlier this week, authorities said cyberattacks targeted over 30 water systems in Minnesota. The source of the attacks is being investigated, but they came amid warnings that Iranian hackers have been focused on such systems.

The reports in Michigan surfaced after the state received a federal cyber alert Tuesday about attempts to tamper with operational technology at water systems.

Soon after, the state received “a small number of reports from Michigan communities indicating activity consistent with what federal agencies described,” said Dale George, the director of communications at the state's Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. He later said nine systems were impacted.

“All systems continued to operate safely, issues were addressed by local operators, and there are no known impacts that posed a public health concern,” George said in an statement.

The FBI, which is investigating, has not publicly identified a culprit and a spokesperson declined to say Thursday who the bureau thought might be responsible. The FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other agencies warned in an advisory last week that Iranian hackers have been targeting water and wastewater systems and the operational controls of other critical infrastructure sectors.

“The FBI is aware of recent public reporting around Water and Wastewater (WWS) sectors," the agency said in a statement Saturday. "The FBI and our interagency partners are fully engaged to protect critical infrastructure and we remain well-equipped to protect against cyber threats of all varieties.”

Digital warfare has become ingrained in military conflict, and local water plants or healthcare facilities often lack the funds and know-how to install the latest software patches or take other security steps. That has made them a favorite target, both because of the relative ease of penetrating them and because of the panic such disruptions can cause.

Iran’s interest in the operations of water systems inside the U.S. dates back years. In 2016, the Justice Department charged a group of Iranian hackers in connection with a cyberattack targeting a small dam near New York City.

Minnesota IT Services said that as of Thursday, there were no active requests from Minnesota communities for residents to modify usage of their drinking water. The state agency said most of the confirmed attacks involved technology that water systems use to remotely monitor and control equipment. It said that being impacted meant investigators confirmed there was malicious activity involving the system’s technology and didn’t mean every impacted community had their water service disrupted.

For a few hours on Monday, the city of Braham asked residents to minimize water use as they tried to determine why the water plant was offline. The city of about 1,700 people, located about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Minneapolis, said in a news release that the water plant outage was due to a cyberattack, but it didn’t cause any issue with water quality.

The city said the attackers shut down the operating controls that shut down the well and water treatment plant. That left the city for a time only able to provide residents with the water held in the water tower.

In Plymouth, a city of about 80,000 located outside of Minneapolis, officials said on social media that their water infrastructure communications had been restored by Tuesday afternoon following a cyberattack.

During a Cabinet meeting on Friday at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that recent cyberattacks in Minnesota were the fault of the state, including Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.

Waltz responded on social media, saying Trump "knows exactly who is responsible for this attack, and knows that other states were hit too."

Pittsburgh is sending prospects Omar Alfonso, a catcher, and Luis Cruz, an outfielder, to New York for Doval, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person told the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official.

The 29-year-old Doval, an All-Star in 2023 when he served as the closer for the San Francisco Giants, provides Pittsburgh with a much-needed experienced arm as the Pirates try to hang around in the crowded race for a National League wild-card spot.

Pittsburgh's bullpen has been an issue all season. The club has blown 20 saves this season, perhaps the biggest reason the Pirates entered Saturday at 55-56 despite scoring the second-most runs in the majors. The latest setback came on Friday night, when a two-run lead in the eighth inning in Cincinnati morphed into an 8-7 loss.

Doval went 3-1 with a 4.54 ERA in 44 games this season for the Yankees. He has had issues with walks recently, issuing at least one free pass in four of his last five appearances with New York, including two while taking the loss against the Chicago White Sox on July 29.

Pittsburgh is hoping a new setting provides a fresh start. The Pirates could also use the help. The club designated former closer Dennis Santana for assignment last month and have few viable right-handed options near the back end of the bullpen.

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

The second half kicked off Saturday with what seemed a clear aim of ending Infantino’s decade-long presidency.

“No option should be off the table,” said European soccer body UEFA, whose president Aleksander Čeferin has led the fight against Infantino in a seismic week for FIFA.

“The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.”

Later Saturday, the governing body for North and Central American and Caribbean soccer (CONCACAF) called for accountability, saying: “A (World Cup) proposal of this magnitude does not reach that stage by accident. It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first. This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behavior. A full review of this leadership must now take place.”

Infantino had proposed creating a $20 billion company to run the World Cup with private investors but drew backlash that grew every day since Tuesday’s announcement.

Infantino was forced to scrap the plan early Saturday after his senior adviser who sat on a White House panel resigned and Asia’s soccer body joined Europe and North America in opposing it.

UEFA's blistering statement

UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, issued its blistering statement hours after FIFA announced it was withdrawing its private equity plan.

“We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game," UEFA said. “We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.

“It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again.”

Norwegian soccer federation president Lise Klaveness, an elected member of the UEFA executive committee, said steps must be taken to protect the integrity of the sport.

“The entire framework of international football cooperation was unnecessarily put at risk in pursuit of individual interests rather than the best interests of the game,” Klaveness said Saturday. ”This has been visible to many for a long time, including those of us elected to positions intended to safeguard checks and balances and provide ongoing oversight. We have to recognize that these mechanisms have not worked well enough.”

The president of the Asian soccer confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, said “the future of global football must always be shaped through proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game."

Infantino' audacious bid fell apart after UEFA’s 55-member nations agreed Thursday to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions. CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also said they opposed the plan.

CONCACAF's statement added that FIFA leaders have “a duty of service over power. Where that duty is not upheld, accountability cannot be optional.”

FIFA's internal revolt

There was also an internal revolt.

Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker who represented the soccer body on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, resigned on Friday and urged other senior FIFA staff to speak out.

Hours later, FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour issued a statement to The Associated Press, saying FIFA staff were deceived by Infantino’s lack of openness in planning the sale over recent months and that the project must not continue.

“It is the project of one person,” wrote Lamour, a longtime colleague of Infantino at both FIFA and UEFA. “Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”

Infantino had proposed spinning off FIFA’s commercial businesses — including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women — into a $20 billion subsidiary with 20% owned by private investors.

The “anchor investor,” described by FIFA, is a New York-based investment firm launched by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

This is not Infantino's first big plan to flop

A tumultuous week in international soccer is at least the third time Infantino has rocked it with an ambitious plan many in the sport saw as reckless.

But the fallout from FIFA’s Kushner-backed plan is the first time UEFA has acted quickly to create momentum for removing the man who was its former long-time employee.

In 2018, Infantino pushed a secretive offer of $25 billion from Japan’s SoftBank to create new competitions, that posed a long-term risk to continental events for clubs and national teams.

In 2021, Infantino proposed playing World Cups every two years instead of four — an idea that also angered the International Olympic Committee where he is an elected member.

Both plans created big rifts in the sport and were eventually dropped by FIFA.

Despite the turmoil, Infantino was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.

The third time shapes to be different.

Here is the calendar for the FIFA presidency

Nov. 18 is the deadline for candidates to enter the next presidential contest, exactly four months ahead of the vote in Rabat, Morocco, where FIFA has its African headquarters.

FIFA statutes allow Infantino one more four-year term in office. The failed spinoff venture seemed like a way to create a commissioner-like role for Infantino beyond 2031, likely paying much more than his current annual salary and a bonus deal of more than $6 million.

It would take 106 votes to ensure a majority in a contested election. Continents surely do not vote uniformly en bloc, but most of Europe’s 55, plus Asia’s 46 and CONCACAF’s 35 FIFA members would be a solid base.

The Qatar FA issued a statement in support of Infantino on Saturday.

Its president, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, said: “We welcome FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s decision to withdraw the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal in the interest of the global football community.

"While the proposal had merit, we applaud the wisdom behind prioritising unity among Member Associations. The Qatar Football Association fully supports President Infantino’s efforts to continue growing and strengthening the game globally.”

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Associated Press writer Joseph Wilson contributed to this report from Barcelona, Spain.

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

For Greece, the danger carried grim resonance: a 2018 wildfire at the seaside community of Mati, near Athens, killed 104 people, making it Europe’s deadliest wildfire this century.

In southwestern France, firefighters held a vast wildfire within its perimeter, with about 198,000 people now allowed home after what may have been the country’s largest peacetime evacuation.

Major fires in Spain were also no longer advancing, and Portugal’s main blaze was under control.

A second French fire stopped expanding overnight after racing across 10 square kilometers (4 square miles) in six hours Friday — “faster than a horse at full gallop,” according to the prefecture. But it remained active Saturday and 2,500 people were still unable to return home.

The gains in western Europe marked a sharp turn from the height of the crisis, when fires in France and Spain alone drove a third of a million people from homes and vacation sites, emptied towns during the summer holiday season and stretched firefighters, aircraft and emergency services across simultaneous emergencies.

Europe is Earth’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service. Rising temperatures and prolonged drought leave vegetation drier and more combustible, allowing fires to spread faster and burn more intensely.

Gale-force winds drive Greek fires

Nearly 500 firefighters battled Saturday to protect Porto Germeno, a popular resort on the Gulf of Corinth, as flames tore through thick pine forest and smoke blocked out the sun.

The fire broke out Friday near the neighboring coastal village of Agios Vasileios. About 300 people were evacuated by sea, and authorities issued further evacuation orders Saturday.

“A pristine forest, a paradise, was surrendered to the hands of the fire,” said Minas Tzortzanis, a 60-year-old farmer and local resident. “There are no words to explain what has happened. Destruction. Total destruction.”

Theodore Giannaros, a wildfire meteorologist at the National Observatory of Athens, estimated that 40 to 50 square kilometers (15 to 19 square miles) had been affected. Authorities had not issued an official burned-area figure.

The operation also included specialized forest-fire teams, crews temporarily deployed from France and Romania, 19 water-dropping planes and 11 helicopters.

New fires erupted elsewhere in Greece. A blaze east of Nafpaktos prompted evacuation alerts for at least four villages.

“The very strong to gale-force winds continue to create exceptionally difficult conditions,” Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas said.

Extreme turbulence was preventing some aircraft from collecting water or approaching the fires closely enough to make drops, he said.

Evacuation orders remain in western France

The Gironde fire has burned 420 square kilometers (162 square miles) of pine forest west of Bordeaux, an area four times the size of Paris.

It remained contained within its perimeter Saturday but had not been declared “fixed” — the point at which crews determine that a fire is no longer advancing. Active sectors and buried hot spots persisted.

Authorities reopened more communities Friday, but several remained largely deserted Saturday. Much of the forested Cap Ferret peninsula stayed evacuated because a nearby hot spot could flare again, cut its limited road access and trap returning residents.

“Today, the fire is still not fixed. It is contained,” Lt. Col. Eric Pitault told reporters.

Crews used tactical burns overnight. Along 240 kilometers (149 miles) of fire edge, heat could remain hidden underground and erupt again.

Renewed blaze remains active in southern France

In the Mediterranean Var region, defensive lines around the Gros Bessillon fire held overnight and no additional ground burned, Var Prefect Simon Babre told French media Saturday.

The blaze had been declared fixed earlier in the week before mistral gusts revived embers Friday and sent it racing through dry hills in temperatures approaching 42 C (108 F).

It remained active Saturday, with 1,300 firefighters deployed and about 2,500 people still unable to return home. The fire’s sudden return “defies understanding,” Babre said.

Twenty French departments were under an orange heat warning Saturday, mostly in the east and southeast. Eight departments faced a high forest-fire risk.

Returning residents confront what the fire erased

For residents returning to the Gironde fire zone, the easing emergency brought a first reckoning with what had been lost.

In Le Porge, one of the communities hardest hit, Matthieu Plessis returned Saturday to the ruins of a home that had been in his family for seven generations.

Just over a week earlier, smoke had turned the afternoon almost to night as flames raced along both sides of the road. Now the 40-year-old mechanic drove through blackened forest and struggled to identify what had once stood there.

“There are little details here and there that I recognize, but otherwise everything is unrecognizable,” Plessis said. “You don’t even know what was here anymore, or who lived where.”

He had to force open the property’s gate because its key had burned. A chimney and twisted metal frames were among the few clues to where the rooms had been. The tools and machinery from his bicycle-repair business were gone.

“It’s not easy. I’m trying to stay strong and help other people now,” Plessis said. “I don’t want to spend the next 10 years feeling sorry for myself.”

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Adamson reported from Paris. Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, and Michael Varaklas in Porto Germeno, Greece, contributed to this report.

Noh, the 25-year-old Californian with only one LPGA title, played bogey-free on the back nine at Royal Lytham & St. Annes and finished at 7-under 206 to lead over five players.

One of them is Ryu, who is trying to become the first player since fellow South Korean Inbee Park to win three straight majors in the same year. Ryu was headed in that direction with a pair of birdies on the front nine to build a four-shot lead.

Her slide began with a bogey on the par-5 seventh, the start of five bogeys in an eight-hole stretch that cost her the lead and put her in a chasing mode the rest of the sunny day along the Lancashire coast of England.

Ryu finished with four straight pars for a 74 and saw the bright side. She kept double bogeys off her card, including the 10th hole when she was against a back lip of a pot bunker. She chipped it forward in the sand and got up-and-down from there for bogey.

Plus, she's still in range of adding a third major this year to victories in the Women's PGA Championship and Evian Championship.

“Tomorrow supposed to be wind the same as today," Ryu said. “Today my shot was a little higher than the other two days. So I'm just trying to keep lower and no bunker.”

Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player who captured the first two majors of the year, had her round ruined by a pair of double bogeys, one on the 18th hole that gave her a 73 and left her eight behind.

As surprise as Ryu's collapse was the emergence of Noh, who decided to return home last week instead of playing the Women's Scottish Open. She had missed her last three cuts coming into the final LPGA major of the year, and had not registered a top 10 since last October.

But she overcame a rocky start with three straight birdies starting on the par-3 ninth, including a birdie putt from 12 feet on the 10th, and avoided mistakes on the firm links coming in.

Noh, at No. 69 in the women's world ranking and No. 95 in the Race to CME Globe on the LPGA Tour, has only contended one other time in a major when she missed a playoff by one shot in the 2021 Evian Championship.

“It was good for me to go home and reset, refresh and come here with a different mindset,” Noh said of her decision to skip the Scottish.

The chasing pack also includes Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, one of only two players to have been No. 1 in the world without winning a major. Thitikul closed with nine straight pars for a 72 to join the pack at 4-under 209.

Esther Henseleit of Germany (67), Lucy Li (69) and Shiho Kuwaki of Japan (72) also were three back. Kuwaki had a chance to get into the final group, but she missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th. None has won a major. Henseleit won Olympic silver in France two years ago. Li is best known for qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open in 2014 at age 11.

Noh said her fiancé, who plays amateur golf, has been a big support in reminding her to put some enjoyment into the game. They played last week at Sahalee, a tree-lined course near Seattle.

“Good practice for this week avoiding all those trees, helping me avoid these bunkers,” she said.

Now comes the big test, with a strong pack of contenders behind her and a chance at winning her first major championship.

“Just focus on playing the round,” Noh said. “I don't want to think too much about the lead. Just settle into a good tempo and have fun out there.”

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

“The world has lost one of mountaineering's greatest climbers,” the company, Elite Exped, said in a statement. It stressed that it mourned all the lives lost, adding: “No words can ease the pain of this unimaginable loss."

The 10-member expedition was swept away by an avalanche Thursday on Pakistan’s Broad Peak.

Rescuers found four bodies and recovered three of them Friday in harsh weather that hampered flights by search and rescue helicopters. Rescuers backed by military helicopters had resumed a search earlier on Saturday for the others.

“The loss of these courageous climbers, who came from different nations united by their passion for the mountains, is an immeasurable loss to the global mountaineering fraternity,” said Irfan Arshad Khan, the president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

He paid tribute to the military and civilian rescuers and sherpas who took part in the search mission.

“The mountains inspire us with their beauty, but they also remind us of the immense risks faced by those who venture into the high Himalaya and Karakoram,” he said.

Earlier Saturday, a local police official, Tahir Khan, said the remains of Omani climber Nathira Ahmed were being flown to the capital, Islamabad, while the bodies of American climber Mallory Geis and Nepalese climber Bahadur Gurung remained at a hospital in Skardu, the main city in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.

The expedition was led by Purja, the Nepal-born former British Army soldier widely known as Nims Dai. He climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” His record was broken in 2023.

Purja's company described him as “a leader who inspired millions through his courage, humility and unwavering belief that human potential is far greater than we often imagine.”

The expedition was Geis’ first try at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, while it was expected to be the final one for Sakhi, who is a guide for the company, as well as a geographer and high-altitude photographer who has climbed some of the world’s major peaks, according to the Moving Mountains website.

Accidents are common on climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because of avalanches, falling ice and rock, high altitude and rapidly changing weather.

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Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan.

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This version corrects the name of the expedition company to Elite Exped, which is the company's formal name.

Authorities released an early note in the investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, hoping that someone will recognize the writing style. A second note said Guthrie died shortly after she was kidnapped and “is buried in nature now.” Both notes initially were sent to a Tucson television station days after Guthrie went missing from her home outside Tucson on Feb. 1.

Desperate plea

“We are begging for help. We are desperate. We need someone to come forward. Someone knows something. Someone suspects something. Someone recognizes the writing in the ransom demand notes,” Guthrie wrote on her Instagram account, alongside a photo of her mother.

“Someone has noticed something different, strange, troubling or just unusual - perhaps with someone they deeply love," she wrote. "Perhaps they are afraid to come forward. Perhaps they are conflicted. Perhaps they are angry or upset for being in this situation. There is a way out - to tell what you know.”

Guthrie went on to say they “wanted to find out what happened to her, so that we can give her the dignity of a proper goodbye - a celebration of her remarkable life that she so deserves.”

Missing since February

Saturday is the six-month mark since Guthrie disappeared. No suspects have been arrested. The investigation has been dogged by unanswered questions, such as how many people are believed to have taken part in her abduction and whether she was taken by someone who knew her.

The FBI in Washington did not respond to questions about the ransom notes, including whether both messages sent to the Tucson station have been deemed legitimate.

In releasing the notes, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said “we believe these distinctive linguistic characteristics may be recognizable to someone who knows or has interacted with the notes’ writer.”

Ransom notes released

The first note, sent Feb. 2, said Guthrie was safe but scared and would be released unharmed once her captors received $4 million in cryptocurrency, with the ransom amount increasing if the first demand was not met. It said Guthrie would be released within 12 hours if the payment was received. It also included a threat to kill her if the ransom wasn’t paid.

“Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands,” the first note read. “It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible.”

The second note was sent Feb. 6 and said Guthrie died shortly after she was taken. “She is buried in nature now,” it said. “Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome.” The note ended with an apology: “We are truly sorry.”

The sheriff’s department said the notes reveal a distinctive pattern of word choices and provide insight into the writer’s mindset. The agency said someone who knows the notes’ writer may recognize the patterns.

Authorities similarly used a suspect’s own writings as a tool to apprehend Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, branded the “Unabomber” by the FBI. Kaczynski, who killed three people and injured 23 others with mail bombs over a 17-year span, pressured The Washington Post, in conjunction with The New York Times, to publish his 35,000-word manifesto in 1995.

Signs of preparations

The sheriff’s office also said Friday that two videos recovered from Guthrie’s doorbell camera might be from two separate days and indicate an unidentified male prepared ahead of when Guthrie was taken. Authorities are seeking information on anyone who was behaving differently, changed their physical appearance, suddenly left the Tucson area, or had a noticeable or unexplained interest or disinterest in the case.

“Investigators continue to pursue every available technological and investigative lead,” the sheriff’s office said. “However, community members remain a vital resource as we seek to provide answers for Nancy’s family.”

The FBI had released surveillance videos of a masked person who authorities said appeared to tamper with a camera on Nancy Guthrie’s front porch and block it with a plant. They described the person as a male about 5 feet, 9 inches (1.75 meters) tall.

The 6-1 decision further clouds the future of the 73-year-old pipeline owned by Canadian energy transportation company Enbridge that carries petroleum from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario.

The part of the pipeline in question, called Line 5, runs for 4 miles (6 kilometers) along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac where Lakes Huron and Michigan meet.

Enbridge wants to bury the pipeline in a tunnel under the straits. Environmentalists and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer want to move the pipeline away from the waterway altogether saying a spill would be catastrophic to the Great Lakes and surrounding area.

The Michigan Public Service Commission granted a permit to build the tunnel in 2023. Four Michigan tribal nations along with several environmental groups sued.

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Friday that when they granted the permit, regulators failed to consider if the tunnel project will extend the lifetime of the pipeline, resulting in more harm to the environment.

The ruling also said the Public Service Commission wasn't consistent when it compared alternatives to the pipeline like using trucks or trains to move the oil and didn't assess how the tunnel might impact fishing, boating and other public trust rights on the Great Lakes.

Opponents of the pipeline say this type of project has never been done anywhere else and would turn the Straits of Mackinac, which is a sacred site for the Indigenous Anishinaabe tribes, into a construction site for years.

“Whether Line 5 is suspended in the water or encased in a tunnel, it is simply a terrible idea to pump more than half a million barrels of oil every day through the middle of the Great Lakes,” attorney David Gover with the Native American Rights Fund said in a statement.

Enbridge is reviewing its legal options after the ruling and said it is disappointed for another delay in a project that has been under review for nearly a decade and would “enhance environmental protection of the Great Lakes while maintaining critical energy reliability for the region,” spokesman Ryan Duffy said in a statement.

Enbridge proposed the pipeline tunnel nearly a decade ago around the time a ship anchor dented part of the line. The company said the tunnel would massively reduce the possibility of an oil spill, but environmentalists said building the tunnel under the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac would cause noise, vibrations and permanent environmental damage.

In a different set of court cases, Gov. Whitmer and other state officials have been trying since 2020 to shut down the pipeline under the straits.

In an interview as he becomes chair of the National Governors Association, the potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender ticked through Trump's efforts to restrict voting by mail, obtain voter information from states and possibly deploy federal troops or agents to polling places. Moore said there was a role for the NGA, a bipartisan group, to ensure states are able to oversee elections as designed by the U.S. Constitution.

“I don't think that the president is trying to hide the ball on this,” Moore said. “It's not even am I concerned about what the president could do? I'm concerned about what he's already doing in broad daylight.”

Moore's national profile is expanding and so is speculation about the White House

The 47-year-old governor's national profile is rising as he assumes the top leadership post for the nation's governors on Saturday, a role once held by Bill Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas. Moore is the subject of frequent speculation that he will announce a presidential run, a prospect he rules out, saying he will not “get distracted” before the November elections.

His travel to early presidential testing grounds such as South Carolina and Nevada, though, suggests he may run. Moore is proving himself a savvy digital communicator and crafts an image as a newcomer to politics while voters demand change.

The centerpiece of his agenda as NGA chair — a national program to build communities and draw young people into the workforce through service-oriented work — could be a pillar of a future campaign.

“Service will save us as a society because I know service saved me,” he said, recalling his time in the Army.

The “Service United” campaign opens with $10 million in philanthropic support to build on similar work Moore has done in Maryland, including a $5 million expansion of an apprenticeship program in the state announced this week.

“It's an opportunity to help people with a career path,” said Bechara Choucair, the executive vice president and chief health officer at Kaiser Permanente, which is building a youth mental health corps with Service United.

Dame Louise Richardson, the president of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, which is supporting the program, said she hopes to “see the day when you meet somebody, they don't just ask, ‘Where did you go to college?’ but they ask, ‘Where did you do your service year?’”

The contours of the initiative have drawn support from some Republicans, including Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, the outgoing NGA chair.

“One of the things I like is the apprenticeship model and getting kids out of the classroom and into more workforce learning,” Stitt said. “So I think that's brilliant.”

Divisions between parties run deep despite nods at bipartisanship

But that optimism masks the challenge facing Moore as he takes the helm of one of the few remaining political groups that bring top Republicans and Democrats together. For all the nods at bipartisanship, the divides between — and within — the parties run deep.

Even as he spoke warmly of Moore's program, Stitt warned against anything resembling a “big government program.”

Moore, meanwhile, spoke of public frustration with the government’s response to dramatic changes in the workforce, driven by advances in artificial intelligence that could erode entry-level work that has long helped young people start their careers. He said the White House has complicated the dynamic.

“We want to say that if a person goes on to a four-year college or chooses not to go to a four-year college, they still need to have pathways to long-term wages and wealth," Moore said. “What we have seen from the federal government thus far has just been simply executive orders that have told the states to stay out of it.”

Moore and Trump have sparred frequently and there's potential for more

Moore has a challenging relationship with Trump, who sought to bar him and Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo., from a White House meeting organized by the NGA earlier this year. The president relented after Stitt intervened, though there is little to suggest that the relationship has recovered, raising the potential of another confrontation at the next NGA meeting, traditionally held February in Washington.

When asked about Trump, Moore noted his enjoyment at working with governors from both parties before saying “the president of the United States seems to consistently take an ideological view when it comes to securing the future of this country."

The White House did not comment on Moore's characterization.

But Moore also is contending with divides among his fellow Democrats.

At home in Maryland, where he is seeking reelection this fall, he has at times struggled to win over Democrats in the legislature, which reconvenes next week to consider a constitutional amendment on redistricting after an earlier effort he backed fell short.

Moore says party bosses should not rule

The Democratic National Committee is in turmoil. A string of democratic socialists has won primaries from New York City to Denver, prompting debate over whether the party is moving too far to the left and threatening its potential victories in the fall. Upcoming elections in Michigan and Wisconsin will further tug at the divide.

Moore did not take a firm stance with either of his party's ideological wings. He batted away questions about democratic socialists potentially imperiling Democratic wins, insisting it was up to voters to decide who their nominees would be.

“Party bosses shouldn't be determining who members of the party are,” he said, without specifying whether he was referring to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York as one of them. “The people should be the ones to have a final say on that.”

At the same time, Moore made clear that he did not support some of the left flank's positions.

“I know where I am on issues,” he said. “I don't believe in abolishing the police. I don't believe in abolishing prisons. I don't believe in open borders.”

Democrats sound alarm about Trump role in midterms

But perhaps the biggest test for Moore will be navigating the management of this year's elections without denting the bipartisan tone that typically defines the NGA. He will be in the middle of Republicans who are calling for tougher rules, particularly around voter identification and deadlines for mail ballots, and fellow Democrats who warn of voter suppression.

Democratic Gov. Josh Stein of North Carolina, who leads one of the most politically competitive states that includes a marquee Senate race this fall, echoed Moore's concerns about federal interference.

“I don’t think you can be a clear-thinking person and not be concerned because all the signals are very worrisome,” he said in an interview. “But that said, I have confidence that if the voters come out in droves and vote the way that they want to vote, that the government will represent their wishes.”

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said that "if Democrats really cared about securing our elections, they would pass the SAVE America Act,” referring to a strict proof-of-citizenship voting bill that is stalled in the Senate.

Stitt expressed confidence that states would hold elections without federal intervention while noting his support for the voting bill. But he also rejected federal intervention and said: "States should control their own elections.”

Moore said he used to associate states’ rights arguments with segregationists like Bull Connor, the infamous public safety commissioner in Birmingham, Alabama, who turned fire hoses and dogs on peaceful protesters during the Civil Rights era.

Now, Moore said, the Trump era has reshaped his views and reinforced “the importance of having actually strong governors.”

Here was an opportunity to give back for the Canadian-born Tinker and many of her WCHC members who have ancestral ties to the Caribbean nation. They did so by holding a three-day series of clinics that attracted about 150 Jamaican girls and boys in the nation’s capital of Kingston last weekend.

“A lot of gratitude. I mean very emotional,” Tinker said on Friday. “Just looking back and realizing that we got to impact a lot of our roots, and giving back to our community and introducing a game that we love, and we hope they’ll love as much as we do.”

Tinker is a former pro hockey player who has turned to broadcasting, and helped co-found what was then called the Black Girl Hockey Club Canada, and rebranded to the WCHC last year. The collective’s objective is making hockey more accessible to women and girls of color, and backed by the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

After holding clinics and offering programs in Canada, the WCHC decided to broaden its reach especially after hosting three girls from Kenya a year ago. The collective members include women of color playing at the collegiate and pro levels, with 15 making the trip to Jamaica, including Canadian national team and PWHL Vancouver defender Sophie Jaques,

“I think getting kids involved in any sport is great for them,” said Jaques, whose father is Jamaican. “Showing them that people of their heritage are very successful in the sport, and there’s opportunities for them in the sport I think is a great lesson."

In choosing Jamaica, the WCHC also brought on board Swift Hockey, a Canadian company that specializes in manufacturing and selling hockey sticks at more affordable prices. Swift was founded by Zechariah Thomas, a former minor leaguer who also played for the Jamaican national ice hockey team.

“Accessibility is something I speak on very publicly within hockey, where I felt a lot of people around me didn’t have accessibility,” said Thomas, who is from Oshawa, Ontario, and has Jamaican parents.

“A lot of kids I went to school with are now in jail or in prison or dead. And it’s such a big factor in my story noticing that none of them had sports,” he added. “So anything to make sports more accessible is super important.”

A majority of the Jamaican participants were new to hockey and included foster children.

“It was definitely very much grassroots learn to play, getting sticks in hands, teaching them how to stick handle,” Tinker said. “And then by the end of it they were running with the ball and stick-handling and shooting. So I think it was great.”

The WCHC left behind 75 sticks, goalie equipment, balls and T-shirts, while returning home with plenty of fond memories.

“As much as we teach the kids, there’s so much to learn from them,” Jaques said. “Their futures are so bright. And it’s just kind of opening their eyes to the fact that anything they want to do is possible.”

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Deputies say the teen went missing around 11 p.m. Friday from Altoona and left on foot.

The teen is 16-year-old Payton Halloway, according to deputies.

Deputies tell News 6 Halloway has had some recent health issues, so they believe she may be endangered.

Deputies say Halloway was with her boyfriend earlier in the day, and may be trying to get back to him, but they have not been able to locate him at his home.

Deputies say she may be wearing a black shirt and pink pants, has brunette hair, and is 5 feet 11 inches tall.

Deputies ask anyone with information to reach out to LCSO at (352) 343-2101 or CRIMELINE at 1-(800)- 423-8477.

Saturday

With our winds coming out of the west, showers and storms will develop near I-75 and then push towards the beaches. We will begin the day mostly dry, with the exception of showers near and just north of Marion County. Showers will begin popping up near I-75 around 11am. These showers and storms will push towards I-4 just after lunchtime, 1-3pm, with these storms pushing towards I-95 and the beaches as we push into mid-afternoon. We will keep a few scattered showers until sunset, then quiet things down. Highs will hover around 90 degrees with high humidity.

Sunday

With an approaching cold front pushing into the Deep South by Sunday, more energy and instability will enter our skies. This will help to create more showers and thunderstorms. Storms will move from Northwest to Southeast. Showers and storms will greet Marion County and areas around I-75 Sunday morning around 9am. These storms will fill in over I-4 around noon, then push into the beaches a little after 2pm. A Flood Watch is in effect through Monday evening for western Marion County, where repeated rounds of heavy rain could lead to flooding. Tropical moisture streaming into the region will fuel numerous showers and thunderstorms through the weekend, with widespread rainfall of 1 to 3 inches expected and isolated areas potentially picking up 4 to 6 inches. Flooding of low-lying, poor drainage, and flood-prone areas will be possible. Highs will hit the upper 80s to low 90s with very humid conditions.

Deputies say they responded to that crash on July 29th, when they got another call that a similar car had just crashed into the front yard of a Port St. John home.

As deputies, along with State Troopers, arrived, they say they found several people out front, with one holding a cloth to their neck after being stabbed by Jadarius West.

The victims told deputies they were inside when they heard a loud crash, followed by West running onto the back porch and making his way through the sliding glass door.

That’s when, deputies say, the victims told them West demanded the keys, grabbed a knife, and cut one of the victims on the hand before stabbing a second victim in the neck.

A third victim was unharmed.

All three victims made it out, while West stayed inside, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say they created a perimeter, when West jumped out the window and was arrested.

West is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and is currently held on no bond at the Brevard County Jail.

But it also clashed with the reality on the ground, where Israeli strikes have continued since Trump first touted the deal late Thursday in Washington, and where few steps have been taken to advance a broader ceasefire agreement that went into effect in October.

Most of Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians are still displaced or live in tent camps, where poor conditions and overcrowding have led to rodent infestations and outbreaks of infectious diseases such as chickenpox.

“They can talk about withdrawal and disarmament," said Abdel Moneim Aboul-Roos, 24, a tuk-tuk driver who lost his leg in an Israeli airstrike. “I don’t care about any of it as long as there is no food or medicine.”

Israel and Hamas signed a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan last year that ended major combat operations, saw the return of Israeli hostages and allowed for an increase in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave. It also called for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops, the creation of an international stabilization force and a program to decommission weapons held by Hamas.

But as each side accused the other of violating the ceasefire, negotiations stalled. Hamas held onto its weapons and the Israeli military refused to withdraw. Since October, Israel has killed more than 1,200 Palestinians in Gaza and expanded the amount of territory it controls. Five Israeli soldiers have also been killed in militant attacks.

Many Palestinians don't trust Israel or Hamas

The road map Trump announced — and that Hamas confirmed — addresses in more specific terms the type of weapons the militant group and its allies will be required to hand over to a new technocratic government. The document says Israel will not be involved in the decommission of Hamas' weapons and that it should halt all military operations in Gaza so the transition can proceed and recovery can begin.

But residents in Gaza say they have been repeatedly promised that the war will stop and their lives will improve. They see the road map as a positive development but remain skeptical that either Israel or Hamas will adhere to the terms.

“This is enough. We need improvement in our lives,” said Ayman Ahmed, a displaced Palestinian living in southern Gaza. He said he hopes Hamas gives up its arms but does not see it happening anytime soon.

“They don't care about Palestinians’ lives,” he said.

The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others back to Gaza as hostages. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 73,300 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which was part of the Hamas-run government.

The ministry maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.

Because of the high death toll and ongoing attacks, other Palestinians say they believe Israel will refuse to make concessions.

In southern Gaza, Ghazal Astal lives among the rubble. She said there is near-constant Israeli gunfire and that the territory has been transformed into an “indescribable battlefield.”

Ammar Kaskeen, 30, said he doesn't believe the road map will force Israeli troops to withdraw. For Israel, according to Kaskeen, the goal is not only to disarm Hamas but to also drive the Palestinian population out of Gaza.

"They will make us suffer,” he said.

Even as Israel digs in, Palestinians dream of returning home

Israel has not commented publicly on the road map but Israeli officials, speaking anonymously over the past two days, have signaled that the document does not align with the country's interests.

The officials also reiterated that Israel would not withdraw from the Yellow Line in Gaza, which divides Israeli-controlled territory in the east with the western part of the enclave.

In recent months, the military has built a massive earthen barrier roughly along the same line, developing what it described as a “security zone” adjacent to the berm, equipped with intelligence and technological assets.

Israel has also carried out controlled demolitions and clearing operations across much of the territory it controls. Palestinians who lived there have yet to return — and are unsure whether their homes are still standing.

Anas Nakla was displaced from Rafah in southern Gaza during the war. He said he knows his house has been destroyed but still wants to return home with his wife and children.

“It doesn't exist anymore," he said. "But we can return and rebuild.”

Similarly, Mohamed Hamad, who had to leave his home behind in northern Gaza, hopes that the U.S.-backed road map will pressure Israel to leave some of the areas it controls. He believes that even if only a small number of people could go back to their homes, “it will give hope to the rest that some day they may also return.”

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Melanie Lidman and Sam Mednick contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, Israel.

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday. The Aeon Mall, in the town of Kashima, was one of the hardest-hit sites, after an explosion that followed the quake caused the walls and a floor to collapse.

The explosion, which the company said it believes was due to a gas leak, occurred after about 3,000 shoppers had been evacuated to a parking lot following the quake, but some employees remained inside. The mall’s second floor collapsed.

Rescuers extracted five people from under mall debris and retrieved the bodies of seven others over the past five days. On Saturday, officials said all the missing were accounted for and ended the operation at the mall.

The overall number of missing in the hit prefecture remains unknown, and search operations pressed on, with thousands of Self Defense troops, police, rescue workers and sniffing dogs deployed.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, at a government task force meeting Saturday, urged rescue personnel not to leave anyone behind.

At another hard-hit site in Kumamoto Prefecture, a chimney collapsed at the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro city, trapping 11 employees. Nine have since been confirmed dead and two were rescued, officials said.

The earthquake has left 103 people injured in Kumamoto, authorities said, and two in addition to the reported deaths are being investigated to determine if they are quake-related.

The prefecture’s main challenge is the lack of fresh water affecting nearly 70,000 homes, and fuel shortages as Japan suffers sweltering heat, stoking fears of heat-related illness. Japan Meteorological Agency said temperatures reached an “extreme heat” level of 36.6 degrees Celsius (97.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in Kumamoto city Saturday.

More than 9,000 people remain at crowded shelters, such as converted community centers, school gyms and classrooms. Many others slept in cars parked at town hall parking lots and parks, or outside of their homes, for privacy.

Experts have long criticized Japan’s crowded conditions at emergency shelters, arguing that a lack of sanitation and privacy creates additional stress and increases the risk of health problems for disaster-hit people.

Water, food and other necessities, including portable toilets, as well as air conditioners and partitions, were being delivered to improve conditions at the evacuation centers, Takaichi said Saturday.

“The government is determined to do everything we can,” Takaichi said.

The prefecture said it has received more than 1,500 reports of power loss as of Saturday, but local power company serving Kyushu said it had no immediate reports of outages.

Over 180 homes were destroyed, officials said, and nearly 3,500 buildings were damaged — nearly double the number reported on Friday — with 20 of them severely affected, according to Kumamoto prefectural assessments.

“It was kind of motivating as a kid to watch it because even though there wasn’t a platform for us to play professional baseball when I was growing up, playing Little League and youth baseball, like there was a vision that there could be,” Schroder said. “And we’re here now.”

They sure are.

The inaugural season of the Women’s Pro Baseball League begins on Saturday — weather permitting, with rain in the forecast — when Denae Benites and the New York Heights face Mo’ne Davis and the Los Angeles Queens. The other two teams in the league — the Boston Hunters and San Francisco Firebells — play on Sunday.

Each team will have 15 active players for the seven-inning games. The 15 regular-season games for each club and the playoffs will be held at Springfield's Robin Roberts Stadium, a historic ballpark that has a seating capacity of 5,200 and opened in 1925.

“What excites me most is having the chance to compete against players who have been my teammate, as well as Team USA players, and other athletes I’ve always considered rivals,” Japanese right-hander Ayami Sato, one of Los Angeles' top pitchers, said Friday through a translator. “Being able to play against them in this league is something I’ve been really looking forward to.”

The opening weekend of the WPBL marks another major moment in a scattered history for women's professional baseball in the United States. The AAGPBL, which ran from 1943-54, was the first professional women’s league in the U.S. There were at least two attempts to start a league in the 1990s, but each one was short-lived.

The WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegal, who became the first woman to coach for an MLB team with the Athletics in 2015. And its players, taking the field in an era of unprecedented popularity for women's sports, have big dreams.

The fledgling league got a lift Thursday when it announced a media rights deal with ESPN and the Scripps Sports Network to air regular-season and postseason games in its inaugural campaign.

“We want to make this thing last forever and ever,” Los Angeles infielder Ashton Lansdell said. “We want this to become the MLB of women’s baseball.”

Lansdell, Benites, Schroder and Kelsie Whitmore were named team captains on Friday. Schroder plays for Boston, and Whitmore was selected by San Francisco with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

“We were talking earlier today, I was telling them we’re a family now,” Whitmore said. “This is our new team, this is our crew, all 15 of us. And my goal is just to lead them the best way that I can, both on and off the field.”

Whitmore and the Firebells will be managed by Matt Williams, a five-time All-Star during his 17 years in the major leagues. Former Boston Red Sox closer Keith Foulke is the manager of the Hunters, and former big league infielder Eric Young is the skipper for the Queens. Rachelle “Rocky” Henley, a former player with a long history in women's baseball development, rounds out the managers with the Heights.

With only 15 active players for each team, the managers and their coaching staffs are going to be busy as they execute their strategy for each game.

“When I saw them play down in (Florida) this spring, it was like, ‘Wow. These aren’t women playing baseball, these are athletes playing baseball,’” Foulke said. “And I just want to bring that passion to my club, to the league, help build this and just be able to go out there and have a good time, put on a good product.”

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This story corrects Ayami Sato's team to Los Angeles.

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AP Sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Wildlife officials are banning fishing during certain hours on rivers and streams across the U.S. West, following an exceptionally dry winter and amid widespread drought. Lower water levels mean rivers can heat more rapidly.

The restrictions aim to reduce stress on species including highly-prized trout. Anglers travel from around the world to find the fish in Yellowstone National Park or Western Montana’s Blackfoot River, featured in the movie “A River Runs Through It.”

More record temperatures are forecast this weekend as a heat wave in the Southwest expands north into the Rocky Mountains and east across the High Plains.

On the Yellowstone River near Livingston, Montana, California resident Mike Wever waded into the swiftly-moving water Friday with a fly fishing rod in one hand. He dipped his free hand into the water.

“Not very cold,” said Wever, 62.

He lacked the customary waders that keep fly fishers warm. Instead, he wore shorts. Stepping carefully across a rocky side channel, Wever said he was OK with the decision to close stretches of the Yellowstone to fishing after 2 p.m. daily.

“It's great for us to have this resource,” he said. “But we have to manage it.”

Many trout anglers let their catch swim free after netting it. But temperature-stressed rainbow or cutthroat trout can die if they're out of water even briefly for a commemorative photo, experts say.

Colorado has imposed restrictions this summer on 19 rivers totaling 635.5 miles (1023 kilometers), a situation state officials say is unprecedented.

Yellowstone on Wednesday expanded afternoon fishing restrictions to the whole park.

Also Wednesday, wildlife officials in neighboring Montana broadened afternoon fishing restrictions to now cover 1,200 miles (1,931 kilometers) of rivers.

Closures “have become very common over the last decade plus, some might even say very routine from late June through early September,” said biologist Adam Strainer, administrator of the fisheries division at Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks.

That trend coincides with rising temperatures as human-caused climate change warms the planet and droughts become more frequent and severe. Yellowstone, for example, has restricted fishing due to high water temperatures during five of the past six years. That’s much more often than in the past, according to park officials.

The consequences aren’t just ecological; trout fishing is closely entwined with the economy in many Rocky Mountain communities.

Dan Gigone, who runs Sweetwater Fly Shop along the Yellowstone River in Montana, says many visitors are pushing trips to the fall to avoid low and warm summer water flows.

“People are realizing August is a crapshoot here in terms of whether you're going to be able to fish and how good the fishing will be,” Gigone said. “I’ve been here 22 years and this is the warmest stretch I remember.”

Warm water contains less oxygen, making it harder for fish to breathe. It also slows their growth.

Full reservoirs usually help buoy water levels during dry summers and low-water years, said Kirk Deeter with the conservation group Trout Unlimited. But many of those reservoirs are at near-record lows.

In Steamboat Springs where Deeter lives, drought and warm waters in the mid 70s (23 C) killed a massive number of fish on the Yampa River. “That’s a bad harbinger for the trout,” he said.

In 2016, wildlife officials closed 183 miles (295 kilometers) of the Yellowstone River to fishing, rafting and other activities to prevent a parasite suspected of killing tens of thousands of fish from spreading further in the low and warm water.

A study last year found “river heat waves" are increasingly happening in snow-dominated areas such as the northern U.S. and the Rockies, said Li Li, a professor in civil and environmental engineering at Pennsylvania State University and co-author of the study.

Climate change, she said, is changing the size and timing of the mountain snowpack, and that's contributing to river heat waves. The researchers also found more days when rivers were warm enough to stress cold-water species like bull trout.

Todd Tanner’s School of Trout in Bigfork, Montana, typically organizes fly-fishing classes from May to October in the northwest. But “the window for those trips seems to be growing narrower” as conditions get hotter, drier and more wildfire-prone, said Tanner, 65.

The school has shifted classes to avoid adverse conditions.

“I’ve been in Montana full time for the last 34 years,” he said. “This wasn’t something that we even thought about 30 years ago or 25 years ago.”

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Pineda reported from Los Angeles.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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

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

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

Drought upends boat traffic

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

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

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

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

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

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

The ship Viking Ullur, which had been scheduled to take on supplies in Vidin, was unable to reach the port after running into a shallow shoal, according to Bulgaria’s state news agency BTA.

Bulgarian border police said that the ship was running low on drinking water when it went aground, and that its 52 crew members might have to remain onboard for an extended period depending on navigation conditions and refloating options.

Viking strongly disputed reports that there had been a shortage of food or drinking water on board the Viking Ullur at the time of the incident. A representative of the company said the ship was “well stocked with food and potable water for all guests and crew,” and that there were sufficient provisions to support those on board for up a week after the incident.

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

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

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

Low water levels force nuclear plant shut downs

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

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

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

Drought exposes treasures and dangers

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

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

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

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CORRECTS: A previous version of this story, based on information from the Bulgarian agency BTA, inaccurately stated that the Viking Ullur, which ran aground in Bulgaria, had run out of food and water. Police said they only stated that the ship was short of water, and the operator denied even that.

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

Suddenly, the 2-year-old blue heeler mix wanted nothing to do with Brian’s textured brown skin or furiously rattling tail. Ripley was never in danger because Brian had his venom glands removed years ago.

Dog trainer J.J. Belcher of Sublime Canine in Tucson, Arizona, said the single shock delivered one recent morning from an electronic training collar should be sufficient to keep Ripley away from venomous snakes that can sicken or even kill a dog. Belcher said Ripley can come back in a year for a free training session to make sure the lesson stuck.

Ripley’s owners, Amber Schneider and Wendy Timm, said they opted for the training because the dog regularly hunts small animals.

“We have an acre of natural desert and respect all the snakes, but she’s very curious about wildlife,” said Timm. “We are doing this because we want to keep our dog safe.”

How common are dog-snake interactions?

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says as many as 150,000 dogs are bitten by venomous snakes each year in the United States. In the rattlesnake hot spot of Arizona, emergency veterinarian Dr. Sarah Carotenuto says the Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson treats four to six dogs daily for rattlesnake bites, along with an occasional cat.

Training programs to protect canines from poisonous snakes are offered around the U.S., especially in the Western deserts, woods and grasslands that are home to western diamondbacks. The snakes can reach over 5 feet long (1.5 meters) and strike in less than a second when they feel threatened.

There are also classes from Illinois to Florida to guard animals against eastern diamondbacks, timber rattlers and other venomous snakes.

Carotenuto said the snakebite survival rate for pets is 94% with quick treatment, which can cost thousands of dollars depending on how much antivenom and hospitalization is needed.

“Do bring us your dog quickly, but please don’t bring us the snake!” emphasized Carotenuto. Some people have brought in the guilty snake, but it’s unnecessary to identify the exact species before administering antivenom effective against all kinds of rattlers.

Which method is best?

Carotenuto, who teaches at the University of Arizona’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said she’s participating in a research study there into whether rattlesnake-aversion training works, and which method is most effective.

Like Belcher, most trainers insist that the use of the electronic collar is necessary to ensure a dog will avoid poisonous snakes.

“It’s a very fast and effective form of training,” said Belcher, who has traveled around the Western U.S. for more than two decades teaching rattlesnake avoidance to thousands of pet and working dogs, including search-and-rescue animals and the occasional police dog.

He acknowledged the growing debate about the use of electronic training collars, a method that the American Humane Society has opposed as cruel.

The ASPCA doesn’t explicitly oppose electronic collars, but insists they be used correctly.

“This type of training can be highly effective — however, we recommend that such training be conducted only under the guidance of a trainer knowledgeable in the principles of avoidance learning,” said Pamela Reid, vice president of ASPCA's behavioral sciences team.

“It is imperative to weigh the dog’s risk of a snakebite against the potential fallout from using an electronic collar,” she said.

Training a dog to come reliably when it’s called and to “leave it” when it is interested in something dangerous “can go a long way toward keeping a dog safe,” she said.

Belcher said he has developed an alternative positive-reinforcement program for clients who are squeamish about electronic collars, but nobody has wanted to pay the $2,500 he would charge for the multiple sessions. A single visit with the collar costs $125.

Another trainer, Mike Parmley in Salt Lake City, teaches as many as 500 dogs every year, usually in small classes of four to six. He uses an electronic collar set on a low level, emphasizing, “You don’t have to shock the hell out of the dog.”

He aims to help dogs steer clear of the Salt Lake area's Great Basin rattlesnakes.

“They are a pretty big problem up here in the foothills,” said Parmley, who owns Barley’s Canine Recreation Center. “They came out a lot earlier this year because of a trend of warmer weather, and we had more than 100 dogs signed up by early June.”

Other steps to prevent encounters with snakes

Here are some tips from trainers and veterinarians for protecting your dog:

— Learn about snakes in your area. Venomous snakes exist across the U.S., with various rattler species not only in the West but as far east as New York and North Carolina.

— Clear your yard of long grass and other foliage or debris that can attract small rodents hunted by snakes. Trimming back growth can eliminate hiding places.

— Stay on well-worn trails while hiking and keep your dog on a leash.

— Don’t let your guard down even if your dog has had avoidance training. A viper can surprise and attack a person or pet without warning.

— Seek emergency care immediately if your dog is bitten because the venom will move quickly through its body, destroying tissue.

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For more AP pet stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/pets

Toss in a crescendoing meteor shower and a six-planet parade on the same day, and the heavens will be overflowing with awe.

Daytime darkness will descend Aug. 12 across the Iberian Peninsula close to sunset — plus slivers of Greenland and Iceland — as the sun, moon and Earth align perfectly in the sky.

Starting near the North Pole before tracking south, totality will last up to two minutes and 18 seconds, an appetizer for an even longer solar show next year — a 6 ½-minute extravaganza that will sweep from Spain to North Africa and the Middle East.

It will take 1 ½ hours for the umbra, or moon’s sun-blocking shadow, to race along the 5,130-mile (8,260-kilometer) course, most of it over an empty Atlantic. Maximum totality will occur off Iceland’s west coast. By the time it reaches a small patch of Portugal and then Spain with its massive crowds, totality will have dwindled to a minute or so. The spectacle will end in the Mediterranean.

Eclipse chasers gear up for the solar spectacle

Hundreds of millions more on the sidelines are in for a treat as well.

A partial eclipse will delight as far away as Alaska and Siberia, enveloping Canada, the northern U.S., and much of Europe and West Africa.

The closer to totality’s course, the more the sun will vanish behind the moon – 94% coverage in Dublin and 83% in Oslo, Norway. Montreal will see an 18% bite out of the sun, tapering to 9% in New York and 2% in Norfolk, Virginia.

Special eclipse glasses are crucial. even if a morsel of sun is showing.

Adding to the cosmic wonder, the day begins with six of our neighboring planets forming an arc in the sky before dawn and end with the Perseid meteor shower peaking after nightfall under the new moon. Streaking meteors could photobomb totality, with some of the brighter planets and stars visible in the background.

Eclipse mapmaker Michael Zeiler is chasing an even more elusive interloper: the northern lights.

For his 13th total solar eclipse, Zeiler will be on a cruise ship in a Greenland fjord, sailing as a guest lecturer. He’ll point a video camera toward the north to capture any aurora forming during totality. A massive outburst from the sun would be the icing on his eclipse cake.

“What gets me excited is viewing rare phenomena,” Zeiler said in an email.

He’s not the only one revved up.

See who's hosting solar eclipse watch parties and science experiments

The European Space Agency will host a live webcast from Spain’s Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambre and a public celebration in Leon. NASA will provide its own coverage, as will the Italian-based Virtual Telescope Project and others.

“For me, it’s not just a scientific moment. It’s not just an incredible alignment of heavenly bodies. It’s also a very human moment,” said ESA’s director of science Carole Mundell. “It’s a real human connection between us with our feet planted on the Earth and the cosmos.”

Two of ESA’s space telescopes will observe the eclipsed sun and its corona, or outer atmosphere. Proba-3, the space agency’s artificial eclipse-making satellite duo, will be in the wrong part of its orbit during totality as seen from Earth, but will try to sneak in some before-and-after shots.

U.S. college research teams are also pitching in, launching more than 60 high-altitude balloons from Spain and Iceland to study Earth’s atmosphere and other changes during the eclipse when the temperature momentarily drops. They launched 10 times as many balloons during the 2024 total solar eclipse that captivated North America.

“A couple of minutes isn’t a lot of time, but it’s still plenty to affect the atmosphere and to make that cold, dark shadow of the moon on Earth,” said Montana State University’s Angela Des Jardins, who leads the NASA-funded balloon project.

Southwest Research Institute’s Amir Caspi also expects a scientific bonanza from his study aboard a NASA high-altitude plane. Four cameras will record the corona in nine wavelengths as the jet chases the eclipse at 460 mph (740 kph), extending totality to nearly three minutes in the air. Caspi anticipates thousands of images gathered from each camera during those precious 180 seconds.

"It’s true the eclipse is short, but it’s still incredibly valuable," he said.

And there's more to come

An exceptionally long total solar eclipse is in store for 2027, yielding nearly three times more observation time.

The southern tip of Spain will take center stage on Aug. 2, 2027, with up to six minutes and 23 seconds of totality extending into Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.

Then on Jan. 26, 2028, a ring-of-fire eclipse will round out Spain’s celestial trifecta — “a lucky coincidence,” according to ESA’s Mundell.

It’s all the more extraordinary considering Spain’s last full solar eclipse — not counting the Canary Islands — occurred two days before the Titanic’s sinking in 1912. Because that rare hybrid eclipse toggled between a ring-of-fire and just a few seconds of totality for Spain, some consider 1905 for the country’s last pull-out-all-the-stops solar eclipse.

The Royal Observatory of Belgium’s Andrei Zhukov can’t get enough of them regardless of their length or origin. His Proba-3 science mission has created more than 60 simulated total solar eclipses over the past two years, with the longest lasting five hours and 38 minutes from two satellites flying in formation.

“We’re looking forward to more eclipses,” Zhukov said, “natural or artificial.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The social media posts of the world's most powerful man are going on sale Saturday when his Truth Social business begins offering sneak peeks of them to Wall Street traders willing to pay up. The move raises the prospect of big profits for Trump's company and big questions about insider trading and using public office for private gain.

Similar fast speed feeds are sold by other social media firms and media providers, but Truth Social doesn't just distribute the news, it makes it, regularly rattling markets as Trump posts policy changes on everything from war to central bank leadership to tariffs.

“If this was the CEO a public company, this would be jail time," said Irene Aldridge, head of Able Alpha Trading, which doesn't plan to buy the service. “We have a President of the United States who has the front seat to all the action, who makes all the decisions, and he's disclosing this ahead of time to a select group.”

Trump's company says critics just aren't capitalist enough

Asked about the propriety of the new service and whether White House lawyers had vetted it, Trump’s press office declined to comment, referring questions to Truth Social’s publicly traded parent. That company, Trump Media & Technology, issued a statement blasting Democratic critics for mischaracterizing the service “out of ideological opposition to free markets or a failure to grasp the distinction between public and nonpublic information — or, quite possibly, both.”

A prolific poster, Trump has sent stocks, bonds and currencies soaring and plunging with his online musings and threats. That presents opportunities for so-called high frequency traders that specialized in buying and selling within milliseconds, exploiting tiny, fleeting difference in prices.

Profits aplenty betting on oil, stocks and currencies

Just this month, Trump has threatened on Truth Social to slap higher tariffs on Canada, kill a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia and widen the Iran war. With advanced knowledge, traders betting on a plunge in the Canadian dollar, a drop in nuclear energy stocks and a jump in oil futures could have raked in big profits.

“For the big guys, it’s going to be something they need,” said Joe Saluzzi, co-founder of Themis Trading, who estimates about 100 of high frequency firms might be willing to pay for the service. “It’s market-moving information.”

Dubbed Truth API, the service comes as these firms are spending more on feeds and servers that bypass slower internet connections with direct lines to news and data sources. The chance for profits is greater than ever thanks artificial intelligence’s ability to read posts and articles more accurately for market-making changes and Trump’s penchant for making news online.

When Trump makes surprise announcements, traders pounce

Traders profit when prices jump up and down, and with his taste for cliffhangers, threats and policy reversals America's first reality-TV president provides plenty of potentially market-moving content.

The reversals are especially profitable, allowing traders to win both ways — jumping ahead of stocks moving up or down to a post threatening something, then cashing out within thousands of a second, then betting the other way.

In addition to Trump, the service will include posts from other “high ranking” Truth Social contributors, including possibly his two oldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, who along with the father are heavily followed by users.

Truth Social has said that the information will be released to the traders and the general public at the same time so there really isn't an issue of fairness. But Themis Trading's Saluzzi, a critic of high speed trading, says that's a red herring because when the posts are received, not when they are released, is what matters.

“Somebody who buys the info and has a system built to process it will be able to act quicker than you and me,” said Saluzzi, adding in reference to everyday, small stock buyers, “The loser is always the retail investor."

Trump posts about a company he likes, and stocks jump

Aside from policy scoops, another reason to sign up has emerged in recent months: Trump is posting more about publicly traded companies, praising ones he likes in a way that sets off buying frenzies.

“The pimping of specific companies — obviously Wall Street would like to know that before other people,” said Dylan Hedler-Gaudette, a federal ethics rule expert at the watchdog Project on Government Oversight. “It's a real mess.”

In April, moments after Trump praised Palantir Technologies in a post that included its stock symbol, the price briefly jumped the most it had in an entire year. Later that month, Trump posted, “Congratulations on Intel doing such a great job,” and the stock immediately jumped in after-hours trading.

Just which firms are signing up for the feed is unclear. Asked for comment, none of the half dozen most well known high-speed traders such as Citadel Securities and XTX Markets replied. If just three sign up for the $100,000 a month fee, that would double revenue at Trump Media, which reported taking in $3.7 million last year.

Trump Media needs big money customers

The company can use their business.

Stock in the Truth Social parent has plunged 75% since Trump took office last year as the company keeps reporting hundreds of millions in losses despite the president's help driving traffic to its site by posting major decisions there.

In fact, the president breaks news on Truth Social so often that the White House press office will copy his posts into an email when responding to questions from the media seeking details on policies. If his posts aren’t available yet, journalists are sometimes told, “Wait for the Truth.”

Another problem for Truth Social is looming if the Democrats take control of Congress and launch investigations, as vowed by Massachusetts Senator Sen. Elizabeth Warren in a statement Friday specifically attacking the new service: “We will haul in those responsible for this open corruption to answer to the American people.”

If the losses keep mounting for the company, though, some predict the president will push things further, using the platform even more for policy announcements.

“That’s absolutely going to happen,” warns Craig Holman, a lobbyist for the good government group Public Citizen. “Trump knows how to sell products.”

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AP reporters Will Weissert and Josh Boak contributed from Washington.

The Manchester low-rise is home to “No. 10 North,” the flagship of new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to be a different kind of U.K. leader. Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester before vaulting back into national politics, and one of his first acts was to set up a branch office in the city. It’s both symbol of and engine for his pledge to give local leaders more powers and spread economic growth around the country.

Burnham calls it “a North Pole that balances the South Pole" of Westminster politics in London. Critics have called it a gimmick.

It’s certainly a novelty. While past British leaders have spent weekends in their local constituencies, or at the prime minister’s official Chequers country retreat, none in living memory has had a large-scale office outside London. Burnham plans to work there at least one day a week, alongside a full-time staff of aides, experts and civil servants.

“It’s not another office," Burnham said Friday. "It is a fundamental change to the way the country thinks about growth and investment."

The king of the north goes nationwide

Burnham believes Manchester holds the key to avoiding the fate of Keir Starmer, his predecessor as Labour Party leader and prime minister.

Starmer stepped down in July after two years in office, following missteps, policy U-turns and his failure to get Britain’s sluggish economy growing.

During nine years as Manchester mayor, Burnham was praised standing up to central government on behalf of a proud, battle-scarred northern city that gave birth to the Industrial Revolution, movements for social change and a dynamic music scene. He gained the nickname King of the North for his championing of the city — and his political ambition.

Burnham promoted what has been called “Manchesterism,” a form of business-friendly socialism that involves harnessing private investment for major projects and decentralizing government to give communities more control over housing, transport, training and public services.

The city center boomed during his mayoralty. Skyscrapers sprouted from vacant lots, service industries grew, a thousand coffee shops bloomed and a municipally run network of bright yellow buses and trams crisscrossed the city.

Now Burnham wants to replicate the approach across the country, using No. 10 North as the engine room for redistributing wealth and economic opportunities to areas blighted by shuttered industries, lost jobs and an exodus of young people.

In a first step, Burnham announced Friday that mayors will get to keep a greater share of income and business tax revenue from their areas, calling it the “biggest transfer of power, funding and responsibility from Westminster in a generation.”

Many of the details haven’t been announced, however, including how much new money mayors will be getting.

Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said Burnham’s bold early moves suggest “he does mean business in terms of changing the overall mechanics of government.”

“We have one of the most centralized countries out of all developed democracies in terms of how much money and decision-making power gets hoovered into the center, how little there is for the provinces to do,” Ford said. “He does seem quite determined to change that, but that’s a huge job.”

Burnham's critics point out that Manchester’s boom hasn't spread to all its outskirts, and the anti-immigration party Reform UK has been a beneficiary of voters’ discontent.

Supporters welcome the government’s northern tilt

It’s envisioned that No. 10 North will eventually get a brand-new headquarters as part of an inner-city redevelopment project. For now, it shares a building with a chain pub, a civic register office and a branch of the cyberintelligence agency GCHQ.

It’s very different to cramped, stuffy 10 Downing St, a 350-year-old townhouse awkwardly converted into the hub of a government that has grown too big for it.

Supporters say No. 10 North is already a breath of fresh air. Rose Marley, chief executive of Cooperatives UK, an umbrella group for member-owned businesses, felt the difference when she was invited to a meeting there.

“It was so refreshing that it wasn’t us having to travel to London all the time,” she said. “Westminster might start realizing how bad the trains are and how much it costs when they have to come back the other way.”

Marley, who advised Burnham when he was mayor, likens the impact to when the BBC moved production of some programs to Salford in Greater Manchester.

“For the first time ever, the likes of me were asked onto the BBC sofa,” she said. “It meant voices like mine started to appear on the sofa and a diversity of thinking started to be heard.

“The voices that are furthest away from what you’re saying and what you believe, that’s when you need to listen the most," she said. "Westminster really does need to listen to all the parts of the country.”

Burnham urged to look beyond Manchester

Most Mancunians are proud of their city, and many support the idea of it getting more control over its own affairs.

“I think it makes sense,” said Sam Turner, a nursing lecturer. “Because the north is very different to the south, there are different house values, there’s different land values, with different salaries.”

But Ford says Burnham will need to show that he is giving power to all parts of the country, not just Manchester.

“You could go to Liverpool down the road, or Leeds, or Sheffield and they’ll say, ‘Well, you know, an office in Manchester isn’t necessarily an office for us,’” Ford said. “So that’s an argument he still has to win.”

Lesley Lebbon, visiting Manchester from Newmarket in eastern England, said No. 10 North is “a start,” but that other regions need attention, too. She’d like to see “more No. 10s, maybe an East and a West No. 10.”

Still, “I like the idea of what No. 10 North represents,” she said. “I think any progress has got to be better than no progress.”

Uthmeier issued his statement on Thursday afternoon, explaining that the policy allows transgender women to request searches by female officers — a rule that he claimed “prioritizes gender ideology over officer safety.”

The attorney general also argued that the policy violates Florida’s Civil Rights Act (FCRA), which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex.

Gainesville PD’s policy allowing men who identify as women to request searches by female officers prioritizes gender ideology over officer safety and runs head-on into the Florida Civil Rights Act.

This unlawful policy must be rescinded. pic.twitter.com/CkRuVMvOrW

— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) July 30, 2026

In a letter this week, Uthmeier told Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya that the department’s guidance says searches should be conducted by an officer with the same “gender expression or identity” as the person being searched.

If an officer is “uncertain” about a detainee’s gender expression or identity, the policy directs the officer to ask the individual for their preference, according to the letter.

Uthmeier also wrote the approach “serves no legitimate law enforcement purpose,” endangers officers and detainees, and conflicts with standard search policies meant to balance officer safety with a detainee’s privacy and dignity.

[RELATED: Florida Attorney General targets ChatGPT and OpenAI]

“A policy that disproportionately puts female officers in uncomfortable and dangerous positions violates the FCRA because it ensures ‘members of one sex are exposed to disadvantageous terms or conditions of employment to which members of the other sex are not exposed,’” Uthmeier wrote.

Uthmeier asked the department to confirm by Aug. 15 that it has rescinded the “unlawful” policy, warning that failure to act could lead to legal action by his office.

Uthmeier has been vocal about his criticisms of major institutions in the past, taking aim at Major League Baseball, the National Football League, TikTok, an Irish dance contest, and even an HOA over various political issues.

In a release, state officials identified the appointee as Michael Crabb, a lieutenant for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the owner of The Shirt Shop USA.

“Active in his community, he is the Vice President and a board member of the Florida Safety Council and is a member of the Florida Deputy Sheriff’s Association,” the release reads. “Crabb attended Barry University.”

Crabb is filling in the seat for District 2, which was previously held by former Commissioner Christine Moore.

Moore was elected to that seat in November 2018, representing Apopka, Ocoee, Lockhart, Tangerine, Zellwood, Eatonville, and portions of Pine Hills, College Park and Orlando.

However, she resigned from her board seat earlier this year to run for mayor of Apopka.

Infantino’s decision came after his senior adviser who sat on a White House panel resigned and Asia’s soccer body joined Europe and North America in opposing it.

“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” Infantino said in a statement early Saturday. “Our purpose has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”

Infantino had proposed creating a $20 billion company to run the World Cup with private investors including the Kushner family, but drew backlash that grew every day since Tuesday's announcement.

UEFA’s 55-member nations agreed to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions over Infantino’s plan on Thursday. North America’s CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also said they opposed the plan.

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

Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker who represented the soccer body on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, resigned on Friday and urged other senior FIFA staff to speak out.

“I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro said in a statement, just hours after FIFA insisted: “Nobody is selling football.”

Hours later, FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour issued a statement to The Associated Press, saying FIFA staff were deceived by Infantino's lack of openness in planning the sale over recent months and that the project must not continue.

“It is the project of one person,” Lamour, a longtime colleague of Infantino at both FIFA and European soccer body UEFA, wrote. “Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”

Infantino has proposed spinning off FIFA’s commercial businesses — including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women — into a $20 billion subsidiary with 20% owned by private investors.

The “anchor investor,” described by FIFA, is a New York-based investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The next FIFA competition is the Women’s Under-20 World Cup starting Sept. 5 in Poland — which UEFA members said they would boycott.

The misstep could prove costly for Infantino, particularly after the interventions by Lamour and Cordeiro.

Reelected unopposed in 2019 and 2023, Infantino is allowed one more four-year term under FIFA statutes. The deadline for the next presidential contest is Nov. 18, exactly four months ahead of the vote in Rabat, Morocco, where FIFA has its African headquarters.

Infantino's job seemed secured despite long-term unease with his style and previous attempts to force through unpopular projects, but could become more tenuous with the failed private equity proposal.

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AP Sports Writer John Marshall contributed from Phoenix.

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

The death toll rose to 34, the Kumamoto prefectural government said, as rescuers raced to find those still missing after the quake triggered a mall explosion, toppled a factory chimney and flattened homes.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stressed that authorities must secure water supplies by doing “whatever it takes” and called for close coordination with the military and other relevant agencies. The earthquake left thousands of homes without power, but electricity was fully restored by Friday evening. The local power company also said there were no immediate reports of remaining outages.

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday. As search operations entered a fourth day, it wasn’t known how many people remained missing.

More than 1,500 buildings were damaged, including 179 that were destroyed, according to preliminary assessments by Kumamoto officials.

Officials said one more death and its connection to the quake is under investigation. At least 96 people were injured, including six seriously.

Debris collected at a severely damaged century-old Japanese inn

In Yatsushiro City, another hard-hit area in southern Kumamoto, Kinparo, a 116-year old Japanese inn, was severely damaged, with its roofed main entrance collapsed to the ground, white walls cracked and rooftiles fell.

On Friday, three days after the quake, workers were removing parts of the gate, which is part of a registered historic property that needs to be restored.

Started in 1910, the three-story ryokan with traditional architecture and its hot bath have attracted many fans from the region and across Japan.

“The damage is tremendous and it would require significant repairs, and I can’t even think if or how I can do that,” inn owner Keisuke Matsumoto said. “But it’s a valuable family inn that has been handed down for generations since my great-great grandfather built it, so I do hope to preserve it.”

Inside, his mother Misao Matsumoto said she was not injured in the quake but “I’m mentally discouraged. It’s very painful to see parts of what I’ve lived with and enjoyed for decades crumble to that state.” But she said experts of historic buildings will come in to discuss the reconstruction, so “I have to hang in there.”

Across the street from the Kinparo inn, a fish cake shop owner unable to resume his business due to the water cutoff was giving away tube-shaped fish cakes while they are still edible.

Signs for the “chikuwa” fish cake hang from the ceiling. “I just wanted to cheer up this neighborhood,” said shop owner Shinichiro Katayama. He says he cannot clean or check his fish cake machine is intact until the water supply resumes. “I don’t even know if the machine still works. When water supply is back that would be my first step toward a recovery.”

Thousands are without water as heat soars

Kumamoto authorities said nearly 80,000 homes remained without water. More than 9,000 people were staying in shelters, where power sources were being added to provide air conditioning.

Fuel has also become scarce as power outages disabled gas stations and quake damage disrupted deliveries from other regions. Many have resorted to sleeping in their cars for privacy, but with the fuel shortage, they struggle to keep the air conditioning running in sweltering temperatures.

Japan's weather agency and the Ministry of the Environment issued an extreme heat alert for Kumamoto city Friday as temperatures peaked at 36 C (97 F).

Hirokazu Sato, who lost his home in the earthquake, said he and his wife and three children would remain in their car until they can move into temporary housing.

“I don’t know how soon I’d be able to move in,” said Sato. “We need to have the air conditioning on throughout the day and night, which uses up gas.”

Kumamoto is also a major industrial hub, and there are concerns that the quake could possibly disrupt semiconductor and auto-parts supply chains for months to come.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, a global chip giant that operates a lab in Kumamoto, said all personnel were safe and operations were gradually resuming after postquake inspections found the structure was sound, although detailed inspections and impact assessments were still underway.

Searches continue, with the number of missing unknown

Japanese officials had described Friday afternoon as a crucial point for rescue efforts as some experts say survival chances decline after the first three days.

With search dogs, rescuers continued looking for survivors across the Kumamoto area, including at the collapsed Aeon Mall in the town of Kashima, one of the hardest-hit sites. The complex was bustling with thousands of people when the quake happened.

The company said about 3,000 shoppers were evacuated to a parking lot before an explosion happened in another part of the mall, where some staff remained working. The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people. Seven of the 11 rescued were confirmed dead, but officials did not say if anyone else is missing.

A search operation had ended at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in the Yatsushiro city where a chimney collapsed in the quake, officials said. Of the 11 people dug out there, nine were confirmed dead.

Smaller-scale searches continued Friday at the sites of collapsed houses in badly hit towns in southern Kumamoto. Authorities haven't supplied a firm figure for how many people are missing.

____

Ono reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writer business writer Yuri Kageyama contributed to this report.

“This is the first fire I'm experiencing real-time, and I can tell you it’s vicious,” said Pauner, 64. “It’s underground, it comes out at any moment, and no matter how much we try to extinguish it, re-extinguish it, re-extinguish it, it keeps restarting.”

“It’s like a steamroller that’s constantly, constantly rolling,” said Pauner, wearing shorts, boots and sunglasses on a string around his neck on a road through cultivated pine trees, as the ground smoldered.

Pauner is among the untold numbers of volunteers who have mobilized to support firefighters battling the biggest wildfires in years in France.

“I’m protecting my forest, and my home,” he said, pouring his watering can into a smoking ditch as if watering a garden, then huffing in the heat.

Hundreds of thousands forced from their homes

The wildfires that tore through cultivated forests on an Atlantic coast also known for towering sand dunes and tourist resorts devastated 42,000 hectares (about 162 square miles) west of Bordeaux, driving nearly a quarter-million people out of their homes and vacation sites.

Many other places in France have been hit by fires this summer, including in the Mediterranean Var region where a blaze in the Gros Bessillon mountain ridge flared up again on Friday, driven by violent winds, local authorities said. Several towns in the area were evacuated.

Europe is facing an extremely hot summer, fueling wildfires from the Atlantic coast to the eastern Mediterranean. The United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Greece and Turkey battled blazes this week.

As cooler, more humid air moved into southwest France this week, authorities allowed two-thirds of the 224,000 evacuees to return home, including some more on Friday.

But the ground still simmers in many places.

“It’s stabilized, but not totally stopped,” French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told RTL radio. “Hot spots remain.”

Volunteers like Pauner — what he calls “little eyes” on watch to report flare-ups to firefighters — do what they can with limited resources. Others have mobilized their trucks and giant jerrycans to supply water to fire crews.

Drought has left forests dangerously dry

Prolonged drought and climate change have created fire-prone conditions. Pauner said the region endured more than two months without significant rainfall, leaving vegetation exceptionally dry.

In the smoking forests, fire crews used rakes to dig down into the smoldering forest floor so buried embers can be doused with water, a long and painstaking job. Ukraine became the latest country to send help, dispatching 70 people and 10 vehicles in the coming days, Nunez said.

Investigators suspect that contractors clearing away vegetation inadvertently ignited the blaze last week. But other fires have been attributed to arsonists or criminal negligence.

Nunez said police have made 308 arrests in connection with blazes this summer — more than 120 of them involving minors — and that 33 people have either been convicted or are being held pending court rulings.

Elsewhere in Europe, fires are also burning

Blazes continued in other parts of Europe.

Many parts of Greece were listed at high or extreme risk of wildfires, with strong winds. Three Greek firefighters died fighting fires this week on the southern island of Crete.

Firefighters were tackling 73 wildfires around the country, 51 of which broke out on Friday, Fire department spokesman Col. Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said.

The fire department and coast guard used boats to evacuate more than 250 people from one of the largest fires, in Boeotia, and evacuation orders were issued for several other fires, including one on the western fringes of the Greek capital.

Gale-force winds were hampering aircraft from dumping water on the wildfires, he said.

In England, where half the country is gripped by drought, firefighters battled a wildfire on an east coast heath in Suffolk, near a nuclear power station that fire services said wasn't threatened. More than 100 firefighters were deployed.

“I wouldn’t say it is under control,” said Henry Griffin, a fire officer.

___ Macpherson reported from Paris. Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, Danica Kirka in London, Jamey Keaten in Geneva and John Leicester contributed to this report.

Cunningham made the comments before the Fever's game Friday night against the Portland Fire. Outside, a group rallied for the second straight game in support of Cunningham and her recent comments about transgender athletes.

“I think at the end of the day, I come in and I do my job,” Cunningham said. "I think everyone who knows me personally, they know that I’m full of love. I’m bubbly. I love the people around me. I love basketball. I love inspiring the next generation and doing that in a positive light. And so that doesn’t even cross my mind. Doesn’t cross my teammates’ minds.

“And again, I’m here to play basketball, but I’m also here to be me, and I’m not gonna like shadow that or hide or, you know, dim my light just because maybe people don’t agree with that.”

Portland's rally came after a similar rally for Cunningham earlier in the week before the Fever's game at the Seattle Storm. Both rallies only attracted about two dozen participants and a bevy of onlookers.

“I have honestly had nothing to do with them,” Cunningham said. “I think it’s people just practicing their rights of freedom of speech and doing what other fans have been doing since the WNBA has started. And so props to them, props to everyone who is able to be competent and be bold and courageous enough to to speak their truths.”

Another rally was planned for Sunday in Minneapolis when the Fever play the Minnesota Lynx.

In Seattle on Tuesday, two Cunningham supporters sat courtside at Climate Change Arena holding signs. A co-owner of the Storm, Celeste Keaton was later fined an undisclosed amount and suspended for five games by the WNBA for an exchange with the two supporters.

The Storm also apologized for the incident, but did not provide details about the exchange, releasing a statement that said: “We remain committed to creating a welcoming and respectful environment for anyone who attends a Storm game.”

The Seattle rally promoted statewide ballot initiative, IL26-638, that would bar transgender students from participating in girls’ athletics at Washington schools. It also praised Cunningham, who voiced support for barring transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports in recent interviews.

“I am here to be a cheerleader for Sophie Cunningham, who has so bravely put her head above the parapet to protect women and girls in our sports and in our locker rooms,” said Amy Souza, who was among those at the Portland rally. “I was an organizer of this event, I was a co-organizer of the Seattle event. I’m also here, standing in solidarity with those teen girls who, unfortunately, were harassed when they were just trying to be fans of the sport, fans of Sophie Cunningham.”

Cunningham was booed by the Moda Center crowd in Portland when she entered the game midway though the first quarter. Many waved small pink, blue and white transgender flags.

The Fever downed the Fire 112-98 for their fifth straight win. Cunningham finished with 13 points and Caitlin Clark had her fourth career triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Coach Stephanie White said she was concerned that the controversy was distracting from the team's play.

“You know there is a frustration, of course, because we want to we want to talk about basketball and we want to continue to work on our game and we want to continue to grow as a team.,” White said. “But I also understand this is part of our growth edge as a league, right? It’s part of our growth as a league, and we have to to be able to manage, we have to be able to insulate as much as we can, and then we have to be able to lead with conversation.”

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

Kelsey Mitchell also had 26 points for the Fever (19-10), who have won nine of their last 11 and had five straight games with 100 points.

Bridget Carleton had 26 points for the Fire (11-18), who have lost four straight.

The Fever pulled away in the third quarter, going up by 18 points to lead 90-72 heading into the fourth quarter. Makayla Timpson hit a layup that pushed the lead to 10 points to open the fourth.

Portland closed the gap, pulling to 98-88 on Carleton's 3-pointer with 4:08 left. She had a layup that made it 100-93 to get the Fire even closer. Clark hit free throws to make it 110-96 with just a minute to go and the Fire ran out of time.

There was a pregame rally outside of the Moda Center in support of Sophie Cunningham and her recent comments about barring transgender athletes from women's and girls' sports. A similar rally was held before the Fever's 105-94 victory at the Seattle Storm on Tuesday.

Cunningham was booed by the Moda Center crowd when she came into the game midway though the first quarter. Shortly thereafter, she hit a 3-pointer that put the Fever up 14-8. Cunningham finished with 13 points.

Megan DiLeo 3-pointer put the Fire up 36-30 but the Fever clawed back a 56-47 lead at the half. Clark led the Fever with 17 first-half points.

The game was a sellout with a Fire-record 19,959 in attendance.

Up next

Fever: At Minnesota on Sunday.

Fire: Host Los Angeles on Sunday.

___

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

I’Ashea Myles of the Davidson County Chancery Court issued a temporary injunction to Jalen Washington and 18 other players to retain their eligibility.

“Defendant shall recognize Plaintiffs as eligible for the 2026–2027 basketball season and shall not deny or impede their recruitment, transfer, or certification on the basis of the challenged eligibility determination,” Myles wrote in her 33-page ruling.

A few hours later, U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney in Colorado granted a preliminary injunction giving student-athletes from the high school Class of 2022 another year of eligibility for the upcoming school year. Former Minnesota basketball player Cade Tyson was among the 12 athletes named in the Colorado case.

Sweeney ruled that the injunction should cover the entire class of 2022 high school graduates facing similar circumstances.

Myles, who heard motion arguments July 22, also ordered that the transfer portal open at noon Monday until 8 a.m. on Aug. 10 for any player wanting to enter and schools wanting to reach out.

The NCAA referred The Associated Press to a statement from President Charlie Baker on X on proposed legislation to regulate college sports. Baker called the “chaos” from Friday's rulings are why it's “long past time” leaders in college sports call for the immediate passage of the Protect College Sports Act.

“Failed professionals will continue to use college sports as a fallback option — robbing the next class of young athletes of college scholarships," Baker said.

On June 23, the NCAA approved a new eligibility model for Division I athletes that will allow five seasons of competition over a five-year period that begins with their full-time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first.

Washington, who played last season at Vanderbilt, was the lead plaintiff in the complaint filed July 6 by the Texas Trial Group seeking the injunction. Others include Chendall Weaver, last at Texas; A.J. Storr, Mississippi; Jason Edwards, Providence; Daniel Egbuniwe, St. Bonaventure; and Zachary Davis, Memphis.

“On the eve of congressional consideration of the Protect College Sports Act, the NCAA points to its inevitable judicial losses as evidence that Congress should grant it broader legal protections,” the Texas Trial Group said in a statement to The Associated Press.

"The timing is difficult to ignore. First create the litigation. Then point to the litigation as the reason judicial oversight should be curtailed. No one should be surprised to learn that Mr. Baker is a career politician paid millions of dollars a year to essentially running a lobbying campaign under the guise of a `voluntary association.'”

Myles wrote in her 33-page ruling granting the injunction that “the NCAA has not applied the challenged eligibility rules uniformly among similarly situated student-athletes" with a pattern of extending years of eligibility to “certain groups of players.”

She noted a waiver for the 2025-26 season for those who played at least one season at a junior college or NAIA school, and Myles wrote each plaintiff played against students who got waivers to play additional seasons or attended junior colleges.

The chancellor's order also enjoined the NCAA from enforcing its rule of restitution against the athletes and colleges they play for this season.

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

Dozens and often hundreds of immigrants' cases a day are being assigned to individual judges in courthouses across the country, in what are known as “mega” master hearings, which have seen a significant increase this year. More than 1,300 such hearings were held in June alone, a nearly threefold jump from the previous June, according to data analyzed by Mobile Pathways, a nonprofit that tracks immigration court data to help immigrants, their lawyers and other organizations.

At the same time, the data shows, courts have severely cut the length of time many people are getting to prepare for complex immigration proceedings, from about six months to often just a little more than a month.

They're subsequently missing hearings, receiving deportation orders and being told they've abandoned any asylum claims at unprecedented rates.

“The combination of collapsed lead times and packed hearing blocks is a schedule designed for people not to have their case heard,” said Bartlomiej Skorupa, chief operating officer of Mobile Pathways. “The data shows valid claims are closed before being adjudicated.”

Those who favor stricter immigration laws see the swift hearings as a course-correction for a longstanding problem.

“There’s no credibility in the system that never reaches an end,” Andrew Arthur, a fellow at the conservative Center for Immigration Studies, said.

Still, he worries that these rapid-fire hearings could affect judges’ performance.

“You don’t want to put so many cases on that the judges get burned out or that there’s a danger of denying due process to anybody,” Arthur said.

The Justice Department office that handles immigration courts said in a statement that judges were adjusting their schedules to resolve cases more quickly, while making sure all cases get handled fairly and lawfully. It said court delays harm immigrants who have valid claims, and that the public interest is served when the government deports people without legal grounds to stay.

Immigration courts are overwhelmed

Attending immigration court in Harlingen, Texas, on days where there are mega master hearings can mean waiting outside in the hot, crowded entrance for over an hour until the lobby can accommodate the next wave of people. Adults with cases often are accompanied by relatives and attorneys, and detained children are brought in with shelter case managers and legal advocates.

The courts call it a “mega” day when a judge has more than 50 cases scheduled. Although the practice is not new, it became much more frequent starting in mid-May.

On a recent day, about 90 cases were scheduled with Immigration Judge Delia Gonzalez. More than 20 people did not show up, but even so she ran out of time to hear each case and rescheduled a handful of people who had waited more than eight hours.

“There’s a real limit to how many cases a judge can hear with any care in one morning,” said former immigration judge Elizabeth Young. “When you cram that many hearings into a single docket, you’re working through a list, not holding court.”

Some immigrants requested more time before their next hearings, presenting evidence of having been defrauded by unscrupulous attorneys profiled in local news reports. Others without any attorney asked for more time to figure out the proper evidence filing procedures.

A Colombian man who submitted more than 1,500 pages as evidence in his asylum claim said he still wanted to obtain more documentation from members of the military, businesses and politicians back home.

Gonzalez declined the requests. Most cases lasted less than five minutes.

There is no leeway for no-shows

That same day in West Valley City, Utah, Immigration Judge Brock Taylor was assigned 159 cases. By noon, Taylor recited a dozen names of people from Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela who failed to show up. Without elaborating, he said each was properly notified of their hearing date and failed to appear. He ordered them removed from the United States and they would have no right to appeal.

In Chicago, attorney Peter Meinecke, a lawyer for the Resurrection Project, which runs a legal clinic for immigrants, said one of his clients was issued a removal order when he couldn’t attend a mega master hearing across the country in Seattle after a vehicle accident fractured both of his legs and confined him to a wheelchair.

At the start of the second Trump administration in January 2025, about 20% of people missed scheduled immigration court hearings nationwide, according to Mobile Pathways. As hearing notice times shrunk, that no-show rate doubled to 40% by this June, the organization said. A nonprofit group that tracks and analyzes immigration court data and gives that information to immigrants and other organizations.

Deportation orders have risen alongside the no-show rates. Almost 33,000 deportation orders were issued in January 2025. This June, there were about 79,000, according to Mobile Pathways' data. And once a deportation order is issued, an immigrant’s asylum claim is almost always considered “abandoned.”

The national rate of cases considered abandoned is now nearly five times the historical average dating back to 2009; in New York and Chicago specifically, it’s roughly six times higher, according to Mobile Pathways.

“That’s a recipe for disaster, because more people are going to be ordered removed in absentia who truly have a valid case,” said Katie Fleming, a director at Acacia Center for Justice, a network of legal service providers.

Some people have even been issued deportation orders while they were inside the building that houses the Chicago immigration court, but confused about where to go and how to get help, according to Alex McGriff, an attorney for the National Immigrant Justice Center, which runs a legal help desk there.

“The court ordered them removed despite the fact that they were not absent,” McGriff said.

The backlog is shrinking, but caseloads are not

Advocates for stricter immigration policies call the strategy a time-saver.

“It really is economizing the judge’s time,” said Arthur, the Center for Immigration Studies fellow. “It is increasing the number of final orders that are going out, so that’s decreasing the backlog entirely.”

The backlog, which grew significantly under the Biden administration, has decreased for the first time in at least 10 years. The number of pending cases with the Executive Office of Immigration Review, which oversees immigration courts, decreased from 3.7 to 3.5 million in fiscal year 2025 and continued to drop this year.

“It can be a tough job when you’re doing it at scale,” Arthur said.

Attorneys representing immigrants have similar challenges keeping up as their own caseloads intensify.

Jaime Diez, a veteran immigration attorney based in Brownsville, Texas, recently had almost 20 cases called in one day, nearly 10 times his previously normal pace.

“Due process is being thrown out of the window,” Diez said standing outside the courtroom with a six-inch thick file for one client. “It’s very worrisome, I don’t know how long it’s going to last.”

___

Mayes-Osterman reported from Chicago and 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. Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat contributed from West Valley City, Utah.

The president likes to vilify high rates as an affront to the size and strength of the U.S. economy, saying that America deserves the cheapest borrowing costs in the world. Trump for months publicly pressured the Federal Reserve to slash its benchmark rates, claiming it would be “Rocket Fuel!” for growth and make housing more affordable.

But since the war in Iran began at the end of February, borrowing money has become more expensive, meaning fewer families can afford mortgages or auto loans. The government is getting squeezed, too — as it has spent $827 billion so far this fiscal year to service the national debt, more than it has devoted to national defense.

The scope of the problem became clear this past week when Kevin Warsh, the Fed's new chair picked by Trump, said in his second press conference on the job that inflation continues to run hot but offered no clear guidance on how to fix the problem.

Interest rates are rising, even though Trump pledged they would fall

Rates on 30-year U.S. Treasury bonds hit their highest levels in nearly two decades, the exact opposite of what Trump had pledged to voters. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note saw its interest rate shoot up above 4.7% on Friday, surpassing what the president inherited when he returned to the White House last year.

But Trump has largely ignored the jump in interest rates and has portrayed the economy as booming, even though the government recently reported that the annual growth rate for the prior three months was a sluggish 1.5%.

“We have the most successful environment that we’ve ever had,” Trump told his Cabinet on Friday. “There’s never been anything like it from the standpoint of investment into our country.”

Neither Trump nor his Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, discussed interest rates during the public portion of the meeting. But White House spokesman Kush Desai said the end of the Iran war would ultimately reduce energy costs and allow the Fed to reduce rates. “Oil prices — and thus overall inflation — will plummet again when President Trump forces a successful resolution with Iran, further paving the way for additional interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve,” Desai said.

Higher interest rates are weighing on voters ahead of the midterm elections

The prospect of higher borrowing costs has become troublesome for Republicans in the November elections, as Trump’s own policies helped drive the increase.

His tariffs that began last year caused rates to jump so quickly that he backed off and reformulated them. Trump has championed the construction of data centers for artificial intelligence, but the bonds financing those projects appear to have helped push up interest rates. And the war in Iran has fueled rising oil prices.

Republicans had hoped to show clear progress on affordability to voters ahead of the midterms. Trump can point to a low unemployment rate and solid consumer spending as proof that the economy remains stable, yet there are few signs that these arguments have connected with the public.

One possible reason why Trump's economic messaging has struggled is that voters care more about whether their incomes are outpacing inflation, according to research released in June by Georgetown University's Juan Felipe Riaño and the University of California, Berkeley's Francesco Trebbi.

Trump and Republicans not only promised lower interest rates in the 2024 elections, but they indicated that prices could fall outright if their policies were in place. But over the last 12 months, inflation has nearly kept pace with hourly wage gains — and that understates the extent of the problem because debt service costs are not included in the consumer price index.

“It cut against Democrats in 2024, and if prices and borrowing costs keep outrunning wages into the fall, the same logic points at Republicans now,” Riaño, the Georgetown University economist, told the AP.

Housing affordability has been a sore point for voters

Earlier this year, the Trump administration directed Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the two mortgage firms under government conservatorship, to buy at least $200 billion in home loans to bring down mortgage rates.

Earlier this year, Republicans had hoped to campaign on falling rates and a bipartisan bill to increase home construction to help defend their House and Senate majorities. One GOP lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss strategy, said the hope was that Trump would sign the bill as mortgage rates fell below 6%, which could improve housing affordability and public sentiment toward the overall economy.

However, Trump called the bill a “big yawn” and allowed it to become law without his signature. And the mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday that 30-year rates were averaging 6.66%, essentially unchanged from a year ago.

Markets don't expect interest rates to drop before the election

Warsh, the Fed chair since May, has said he has been content to let the financial markets do more to set the rates, rather than the central bank. Even though the Fed has held its benchmark rate steady this year, the markets on their own have chosen to charge a premium for holding U.S. government debt.

“Markets reflect the higher inflation, policy uncertainty,” said John Silvia, the CEO of Dynamic Economic Strategy. “They are the product of events.”

Warsh on Wednesday portrayed that as a positive, even if the result goes against what Trump expected from his new Fed chair.

“Market participants are learning to play the ball, not the referee — and market prices will continue to respond in the direction and magnitude they see fit,” Warsh said. “This is, in my view, a change for the better — and we are just getting started.”

But time might not be on Trump's side for fixing high interest rates. The next Fed meeting on rates will conclude on Sept. 16. Markets currently expect Fed officials to vote to raise rates in order to reduce inflationary pressures, according to CME FedWatch.

Trump told reporters at Camp David on Friday morning that administration officials had “agreed not to have a fund” that compensates his political allies, yet made clear that he disagrees with that decision.

The comments came hours after an early morning social media post in which Trump said people who had been prosecuted by the Justice Department — many of them for their involvement in the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol — “are suffering still, many ruined, and I felt that they should be given compensation for what has been done to them.”

Trump’s reluctant declaration that the fund won't be created came as Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, say they won’t support Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general until they see that promise in writing. They have been working for weeks with the White House and Blanche, who is now the acting attorney general, to produce a document to that effect, but both senators have said they aren’t satisfied so far.

“The President made it clear today that the so-called Anti Weaponization Fund is still alive, which is exactly why we are attempting to formally end it,” Tillis said after Trump’s initial social media post.

As negotiations continued late Friday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley rescheduled a committee vote for Blanche that had been postponed earlier in the week.

A spokesperson for the committee said Grassley would like to see Blanche confirmed before the August recess and putting the Tuesday vote on the calendar “gives more time for the White House to secure the votes for the President’s nominee.”

Cornyn, Tillis want promises in writing

Blanche said at a hearing two months ago that the anti-weaponization fund would not move forward after Republican senators revolted and held up an immigration funding bill.

But Tillis, who is retiring when his term ends in January, and Cornyn, who lost reelection this year after Trump endorsed his primary opponent, said they want to ensure that the White House doesn’t reverse course, especially as Trump continues to argue that a fund is needed.

The Justice Department has provided the senators with language that says Blanche’s May 18 order establishing the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is “rescinded and shall have no force or effect,” according to a document reviewed by The Associated Press.

Cornyn and Tillis have said they also want some clarifications on a separate piece of the settlement that would grant Trump and members of his family immunity from tax audits. Cornyn said this week that it was his understanding that the audits could extend to more than 100 different Trump organization subsidiaries into the future.

“Todd Blanche said it was limited to the parties to the litigation — and it was retrospective, not prospective,” Cornyn said. “And all we’re doing is asking them to put that in writing.”

Blanche nomination is delayed in the Senate

The Judiciary Committee postponed the vote on Blanche’s nomination that had been scheduled for Thursday morning after Tillis and Cornyn said they needed more from the administration before they could provide the necessary votes.

After the meeting was delayed, Trump said in a social media post that he might pull Blanche’s nomination and resubmit it after Cornyn and Tillis leave office next year. But the two sides continued to negotiate through Thursday afternoon, when Blanche, Cornyn and Tillis met on Capitol Hill.

On Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations said talks had been positive but the senators were still awaiting a new offer from the Justice Department. The person requested anonymity to discuss the private negotiations.

The two senators have repeatedly said the Justice Department seemed interested in reaching an agreement, but the White House wouldn’t budge even to aid the confirmation of Trump’s loyal former personal attorney, who has aggressively pursued the administration’s priorities as acting attorney general.

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

Tillis said Blanche “has been forthright, thoughtful and patient” but attributed the holdup to an “incompetent personal adviser” to the president, even as Trump himself continued to advocate for the fund.

Behind the scenes, Trump legal adviser Boris Epshteyn is being blamed as an obstacle to an agreement that would let Blanche move forward, according to three people who have direct knowledge of the discussions and requested anonymity to discuss them.

Saying the AP’s “sources are wrong,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said “anyone trying to assign blame to the President or his team has no earthly idea of what is going on and clearly is trying to deflect from the issue at hand — Todd Blanche will be an exceptional Attorney General and he should be confirmed immediately.”

Also on Friday, Trump’s attorneys notified a court it would appeal a judge’s scathing ruling that characterized the settlement of the president’s lawsuit against the IRS as an improper exercise in self-dealing. The judge in her order earlier this month referred one of Trump’s attorneys for potential disciplinary action and criticized Blanche’s involvement in the settlement, given his prior representation of Trump.

Blanche has said he disagrees “with the judge’s insinuations” about him.

Settlement fund could have benefited Jan. 6 rioters

Even as they are usually deferential to Trump, a number of Republican senators have expressed strong objections to the settlement.

“The criminals who assaulted police officers and defiled our nation’s Capitol are not ‘great American patriots’ who are ‘victims of government abuse,’” Tillis said, echoing Trump’s comments about the rioters who could potentially have received payouts. On his first day back in office, Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people who had been charged in the attack.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said Thursday that the majority of Senate Republicans aren’t comfortable with the settlement fund.

“Blanche said it’s dead, and he testified that it’s not coming back,” Kennedy said. “But for whatever reason, somebody didn’t want to put it in writing.”

___

This story has been updated to correct the year of the Capitol riot. It was 2021, not 2001.

___

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

School presidents from both conferences voted to back the bill after receiving last-minute concessions over language regarding third-party name-image-likeness deals and the so-called “associated entities” that often broker those arrangements between players and schools.

More details need to be worked out, but the headline is that the bill still has a chance to earn the 60 votes it needs to halt debate and head to an up-or-down vote before the Senate heads for summer break next Friday.

The summer recess is increasingly looking like an intractable deadline for the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan effort headed by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

After the conferences, which had balked at large sections of the bill, put out a short release announcing they supported the act “as currently drafted,” Cruz put out a short statement on social media thanking the leagues and saying: “Let's save college sports.” And Cantwell said: “Good. Now progress can be made in protecting women and Olympic athletes and moving the legislation closer to the President’s desk.”

President Donald Trump, who has also been seeking fixes for an industry that now pays its players millions, got involved late Thursday, which helped push the parties back to the negotiating table.

Cody Campbell, the Texas Tech regent who has played a big role in shaping this policy, called the SEC and Big Ten support “ a major breakthrough that moves us closer to a Senate vote — and a better future” for college sports.

Increased salary cap, new language entice holdout leagues

The most groundbreaking part of the reworked deal is the $27.5 million that schools would be allotted to retain players, in addition to the $21.3 million cap that already exists.

It could represent a major reworking of the House settlement — the groundbreaking agreement that governs paying players. The idea is that the extra money will take the place of payments from “associated entities” that were allowed above and beyond the $21.3 million cap. It was those payments that, many schools complained, obliterated any idea of a cap or controlled cost.

The SEC and Big Ten sought stronger language in the bill to guarantee that any third-party deals are truly outside deals and not coming from the schools’ multimedia-rights partners, which currently arrange the majority of those deals.

Among the questions still unanswered are whether the new cap will comport with the House settlement, which had very specific instructions about the hard cap (22% of a certain part of athletic department revenues, which equals $21.3 million this season).

Also, what would happen to the College Sports Commission, the main NIL enforcement arm that spends the bulk of its time analyzing third-party NIL deals that would be greatly reduced under this arrangement?

Even with a victory, a long road remains for bill

Even with Friday night’s victory, the bill has a long road ahead. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has been a staunch opponent of the bill since the beginning. Before the latest compromise, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said that “as written today,” the act “creates chaos and eliminates opportunity for student-athletes.”

Whether the SEC’s approval is enough to get those senators and others from SEC states on board is one issue. If the bill clears the Senate, it would still then need to pass the narrowly divided House, which flailed on another college bill called the SCORE Act, for more than a year.

There’s also the matter of whether smaller conferences, long in favor of the bill, would remain so now that their bigger competition is being allowed to directly pay players more than double what was previously allowed.

Compromise comes on a day where NCAA loses two more court rulings

Almost everyone involved in college sports agrees that the status quo isn’t working.

The news broke only hours after the NCAA lost a pair of key court cases involving its new rule that would give most Division I athletes five years to complete five seasons of eligibility.

Using those losses as another chance to urge for passage of the bill, NCAA President Charlie Baker said “It is long past time leaders across college sports call for the immediate passage of the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act.”

Two-time national champion hoops coach Dan Hurley of UConn used social media to outline the stakes in more colorful terms: “Somebody please come and fix College Sports. It’s a complete (expletive) show,” he said, using an emoji where the expletive would go.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Richardson was arrested in January in Orange County after deputies say she was clocked going 104 mph along State Road 429 near Stoneybrook Parkway.

Deputies said she was seen “dangerously tailgating” and crossing lanes to pass other drivers.

[RELATED: Body cam video shows Sha’Carri Richardson traffic stop for ‘super speeding’]

Richardson originally pleaded not guilty, but by changing her plea, she avoided jail time.

She does have to pay a $500 fine, complete 100 hours of community service, and take an eight-hour driving class.

Richardson obtained prominence after she took gold for the 100m at the 2023 World Championships and the Olympic relay in 2024.

More recently, Richardson won the 100m race at the U.S. track and field championships in July.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of 17-year-old Skylar Bradford, who was shot Wednesday at the Baldwin Meadows Apartments near State Road 436 and Old Cheney Highway.

Deputies said Bradford was found suffering from at least one gunshot wound when they responded to reports of a shooting. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.

Bradford’s mother, Rodnesha Speed, said she had called the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to request a welfare check on her daughter just minutes before learning she had been shot.

“Maybe five minutes after that, I walked outside, and I got a call from one of the detectives, and they explained to me that she had been shot, and then they said she had passed away,” Speed told News 6.

Speed said her daughter had been arguing with her boyfriend, 19-year-old Jehovan Mitchell, in the days leading up to the shooting.

“His aggressiveness would come out,” Speed said. “I would read messages, and he’s calling her out of her name and threatening her because she didn’t have money to help him.”

According to an arrest affidavit, Mitchell told deputies he and Bradford were arguing over alleged infidelity when they both grabbed a gun, causing it to fire toward the ceiling. He later told investigators Bradford pointed the gun at her own head and pulled the trigger.

Speed said she does not believe Mitchell’s version of events.

“I don’t, not at all,” she said. “Skylar was a happy person. And if it was a problem, if she felt like it’s another girl, she would have just left.”

Mitchell remained at the scene after the shooting, investigators said.

As of Friday, no one has been charged in Bradford’s death. However, Mitchell was arrested on a charge of tampering with evidence. Detectives say Mitchell hid the gun used in the shooting and it still has not been found.

Speed said her daughter will be remembered for her joyful personality.

“Always smiling, always dancing, always being goofy,” she said. “I’m really going to miss her around the house. I’m really going to feel that void, and honestly I don’t think it will ever be filled.”

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains ongoing. No additional charges have been announced.

The regional Gilgt-Baltistan government identified the three recovered bodies as Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed and American climber Mallory Geis. It said the bodies had been transported to a hospital.

The announcement came hours after officials said search teams had located the remains of four climbers. They did not immediately identify the fourth body that was spotted. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Bad weather continued to hinder the rescue effort Friday, Gilgit-Baltistan region Chief Minister Amjad Hussain said in a statement.

The climbers lost contact with their base camp after an avalanche struck Broad Peak while they were attempting to scale the mountain, said Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

“The team has been out of communication since Thursday,” said Haidri, adding that army helicopters were part of the search-and-rescue operation.

The search for the missing climbers continued until Friday evening and would resume Saturday, authorities said.

Broad Peak, at 8,047 meters (26,401 feet), is the world’s 12th-highest mountain. It lies in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, home to five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters, attracting climbers from around the globe.

Accidents are common during climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because of avalanches and rapidly changing weather.

Team included climbers from around the world

The expedition comprised five Nepali climbers in addition to the Omani and American climbers, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese climber identified only as Wang and one other foreign climber, according to the Alpine Club.

China said it was trying to verify whether any of its nationals were among the 10 climbers missing.

“We will provide assistance to Chinese citizens in need and are also willing to offer help in accordance with the needs of the Pakistani side,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday in Beijing.

The expedition leader was the renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born former soldier in the British army widely known as Nims Dai. He climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured in the Netflix documentary, “14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.” His record was surpassed in 2023.

Moving Mountains, a travel company based in Pakistan, announced late last month that the expedition team was on its way to the small town of Askole and wished them a safe journey climbing Broad Peak.

The expedition was Geis’ first try at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, while it was expected to be the final one for Sakhi, who is a guide for the company, as well as a geographer and high-altitude photographer who has climbed some of the world’s major peaks, according to the Moving Mountains website.

Geis, 39, lived in San Antonio. She announced on social media earlier this year that she was closing her Pilates studio to take “a giant leap of faith into the unknown to see where life goes. I have a sneaking suspicion there will be lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved.”

Kimberly Hardman, a climber based in Alaska, met Geis at a Colorado women’s ice climbing weekend in January and they instantly connected and talked about climbing all over the world.

Geis was relatively new to ice climbing but was a natural athlete with experience mountaineering after climbing in Nepal, according to Hardman, who said Geis respected the mountains and understood the risks of climbing.

She didn’t go into it blindly, Hardman said.

“She was wanting to learn and grow,” Hardman said. “That’s what brought her to her happy place.”

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Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan. Associated Press journalists E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing, Hallie Golden in Seattle and Josh Kelety in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Hayden Anthis, a geometry teacher at Harmony High since 2017, was arrested after detectives with the St. Cloud Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit say he began corresponding in an online forum with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl. Back in June, detectives say the conversations began. On Thursday, police say Anthis offered to meet for sex — and showed up with condoms.

He met officers instead.

Police Warn Parents:

“He thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl. Well, guess what? He met the police, and that didn’t go too well for him,” St. Cloud’s police chief said.

Police are urging parents to take an active role in understanding how their children use the internet, warning that online predators often target vulnerable young people through digital platforms.

“Please take an interest. It is so important, especially right now in this digital age, to please take notice of what your children are working on,” the police chief said.

Authorities said predators may begin conversations casually before attempting to build trust, move discussions into private messages, request photos, and eventually arrange in-person meetings.

“Once they’re in these private rooms, they start to have those better conversations, and then they’re sharing photos and then potentially they would ask to meet up somewhere,” the chief said.

Police say protecting children from online predators starts with conversations at home and parents being aware of their children’s online activity.

Anthis remains facing charges as the investigation continues.

Charges

Anthis faces two charges:

• Traveling to Meet a Minor
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device

School District Response

Osceola County Schools confirmed Anthis had been employed as a geometry teacher at Harmony High since 2017. The district says he has been banned from all Osceola School District properties effective immediately.

“Our commitment remains on providing a safe, supportive, and secure learning environment for every student,” the district said in a statement.

ICAC Detectives

St. Cloud’s ICAC unit typically assists other law enforcement agencies in building cases against online predators. In this case, detectives say the target was local.

“This behavior is inexcusable,” police said in a statement.

Nearby, a three-legged gopher tortoise named Tripod slowly eats lettuce and berries.

The peaceful scene hides the injury that changed his life.

“He got tangled up on litter in the woods,” Trout Lake Nature Center Executive Director Eileen Tramontana said. “It cut off his blood circulation and got infected, and they had to amputate it.”

Because a gopher tortoise needs its powerful front legs to dig a burrow, Tripod can no longer survive independently in the wild. The nature center now uses him to teach visitors about the threats facing the species.

His story is one highly visible example of a much larger issue unfolding across Central Florida.

New data provided to News 6 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows 6,976 gopher tortoises were confirmed relocated in Lake and Orange counties between July 28, 2021, and July 28, 2026.

Nearly all of them were moved off the properties where they were found.

By the numbers

• 6,976: Total confirmed relocations in Lake and Orange counties
• 6,818: Tortoises moved to off-site recipient properties
• 158: Tortoises relocated on the original properties
• Nearly 98%: Share of tortoises relocated off-site
• 4,656: Total relocations in Lake County
• 2,320: Total relocations in Orange County

The numbers include hatchlings, juveniles and adults documented through interim and final after-action reports submitted to FWC.

Spread across five years, the total is equivalent to nearly four gopher tortoises relocated every day in the two counties.

The data comes as the International Union for Conservation of Nature has reassessed the gopher tortoise from “vulnerable” to “critically endangered.”

The assessment estimates the species has declined by approximately 80% over the past 120 years—about three gopher tortoise generations. It also says no monitored population reviewed by researchers had a positive population growth rate.

The IUCN classification does not mean the species suddenly experienced that decline in 2026. The organization describes the category change as reflecting newly available information and reassessment rather than a sudden one-year population collapse.

Still, “critically endangered” means the species is considered to face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild under the IUCN’s global criteria.

‘Very, very close’ to losing sustainable populations

Tramontana said she is seeing signs of the pressure locally.

“I’m seeing a lot of injured gopher tortoises,” she said. “There’s a lot more that are coming in. There’s less places for them to be.”

Roads, curbs, development and disconnected patches of habitat can make it difficult for tortoises to safely travel, find mates and reproduce, she said.

“I think we are very, very close to losing sustainable populations,” Tramontana said. “If the males and females can’t find each other, if you don’t have genetic diversity, you’re going to have issues with future generations—if they can even breed.”

Gopher tortoises are long-lived animals, but they take years to reach reproductive maturity. Their eggs and hatchlings must then survive predators, pets, roads and the continued loss of suitable habitat.

That creates a deceptive problem: Residents may continue seeing adult tortoises even when the population is no longer producing enough young animals to remain viable.

The international assessment similarly warns that the presence of long-lived adults can mask declining reproduction or reproductive failure.

The land tortoises need is also attractive for development

Gopher tortoises depend on elevated, sandy and well-drained land where they can dig deep enough to escape extreme heat, cold and fire.

That same ground is often attractive for construction because it is less prone to flooding.

“Lake County—Central Florida—is developing so fast,” Tramontana said. “Developers want the high, dry property, and that’s where a gopher tortoise has to be.”

Wet or low-lying land generally does not provide the same burrowing conditions or natural food sources, she said.

Development can also erase paths tortoises have followed for years.

“A lot of times when they’re seeing the adult turtles, they’re seeing them moving somewhere,” Tramontana said.

She pointed to the U.S. 441 corridor as an example of high, dry habitat increasingly divided by development and traffic.

“It got developed, and all of a sudden you’ve got turtles crossing four lanes of traffic or six lanes of traffic,” she said. “They don’t typically survive. They just can’t.”

What happens when a tortoise is relocated?

Florida law protects gopher tortoises and their burrows. An FWC permit is required before construction or other work disturbs a potentially occupied burrow, including covered activity within 25 feet.

Depending on the project and permit, tortoises may be relocated to protected space on the original property or transported to an approved recipient site.

Conservation permits are available for projects affecting more than 10 burrows and can allow tortoises to be moved to an on-site preserve or an FWC-permitted off-site recipient property.

Tramontana said relocation involves much more than picking up a tortoise and finding an open field.

The animal must be captured, checked for signs of illness and placed in habitat capable of supporting another tortoise. A recipient site that is already near its carrying capacity may not have enough food or space for additional animals.

“If your site is full of turtles already, each site is only going to be able to have so many turtles to support,” Tramontana said. “If you throw one turtle into a site that’s already at its carrying capacity, chances are all the turtles on the site could die.”

Tortoises may initially be kept within temporary enclosures to encourage them to settle into the new habitat rather than immediately leaving. FWC says recipient-site releases use “soft release” fencing and must be planned around weather conditions to reduce stress or death.

Tramontana said the reason is simple: A relocated animal may still try to return to familiar ground.

“It’s like a human,” she said. “If I take you from home and I dump you somewhere, you’re going to try and go home—whether you’re a bear, an alligator, a gopher tortoise or whatever. You’re going to go back to home.”

FWC says some recipient sites are monitored for 25 years

Researchers associated with the new international assessment have questioned whether relocation programs across the Southeast consistently include enough follow-up to measure survival and population growth.

In its response to News 6, FWC said monitoring requirements at certain categories of recipient sites are extensive.

“Population and vegetation surveys are required for monitoring purposes at Long-term Protected and Tier 1 Short-term Protected gopher tortoise recipient sites, and must be submitted in 5-year increments for 25 years following receipt of gopher tortoises,” the agency said.

FWC said habitat management must continue for the life of the recipient-site permit or conservation easement.

The agency also said relocated tortoises receive cursory health examinations, animals showing clinical signs of disease are taken to permitted wildlife rehabilitators and recipient sites must report injured, diseased or dead tortoises within 48 hours.

The agency’s permit system allows the public to search active and completed relocation permits and recipient sites by county.

However, FWC told News 6 that its reporting system could not readily show which recipient sites received each of the 6,818 tortoises moved off-site from Lake and Orange counties.

“We don’t have a reporting feature that also shows which recipient site each tortoise went to, as tortoises from a single donor site often go to multiple recipient sites,” the agency said. “That would require a review of every permit individually.”

The unresolved question is therefore not only how many tortoises were successfully moved, but whether monitoring shows those animals survived, reproduced and became part of stable populations.

FWC: Florida already provides its highest state protection

FWC said the new IUCN category does not directly change the laws or regulations governing gopher tortoises in Florida.

“The species’ current state listing status in Florida offers the highest level of state protection the FWC can provide,” the agency said.

The gopher tortoise remains classified as a state-designated threatened species in Florida.

FWC said the IUCN evaluates the risk across the animal’s entire range, which includes six Southeastern states. The international classification is one part of assessing whether a species warrants state listing, but moving to a higher IUCN category does not automatically reopen Florida’s listing process.

The agency pointed to its 2024 Gopher Tortoise Management Plan, which contains 63 conservation actions covering habitat management, population management, monitoring, research, permitting, enforcement and coordination with other organizations. The plan was approved in December 2024 and is intended to guide management for 10 years.

Its stated goal is to improve the species’ conservation status until it no longer warrants inclusion on Florida’s threatened-species list.

FWC regulates relocation—not development

FWC said it works with local governments to identify public and private lands that can support gopher tortoise conservation, including recipient sites.

The agency’s management plan calls for increasing protected habitat, restoring existing habitat and expanding protection to land adjoining existing conservation areas.

But FWC drew a distinction between its wildlife authority and local land-use decisions.

“The FWC does not regulate development, which is typically managed at the city or county level,” the agency said.

That means cities and counties can play a major role in deciding whether development plans preserve connected habitat on-site or rely largely on moving tortoises elsewhere.

For Tramontana, reducing outward sprawl should be part of the discussion.

“Florida tends to sprawl its development out,” she said. “We keep pushing out further and further. We need to go up. Go up—your infrastructure, your roads, your stuff is there—and leave the out as your green space.”

She said developing vacant or underused land within existing communities could reduce the need to extend roads, sewer lines and other infrastructure into previously undeveloped habitat.

One tortoise burrow can shelter hundreds of other species

The consequences extend beyond the tortoises themselves.

Gopher tortoises are considered a keystone species because their burrows provide shelter for hundreds of other animals.

“There’s over 300 other species that use their burrows,” Tramontana said. “Snakes, frogs, mice—all types of animals will go into a gopher tortoise burrow.”

Those animals may retreat into the burrow to escape extreme temperatures or wildfires.

FWC says more than 350 species share gopher tortoise burrows. Tortoises also help aerate soil and spread seeds while feeding.

“If you lose a keystone species, you can ripple down and lose a lot of other species at the same time,” Tramontana said.

Connected habitat may be critical to survival

Preserving individual tortoises does not necessarily preserve a viable population if the animals remain isolated from one another.

“You do need that connection, because fragmentation is going to cause a population to decline just because of the genetics,” Tramontana said.

She compared the genetic concern to problems previously documented in isolated Florida panther populations.

“We do need the connections,” she said. “A keystone species like the gopher tortoise—there’s so much else that depends on them that keeps the ecosystem intact.”

Nearly 7,000 local tortoises were moved during the five-year period examined by FWC.

The next question is whether Central Florida will preserve enough connected, properly managed land for future generations of tortoises to survive without having to move again.

What should you do if you see a gopher tortoise?

• Do not relocate it to another property. Moving, harming or disturbing a gopher tortoise, its eggs or its burrow without a permit is illegal.
• If it is crossing a road, help only when it is safe. FWC allows a person to move a tortoise across the road in the direction it was already traveling. Do not place it in a vehicle or take it somewhere else.
• Check construction sites for permits. Residents who see development activity within 25 feet of a burrow can use FWC’s permit map. Suspected violations can be reported to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline.
• Leave the burrow undisturbed. Routine yardwork is generally allowed as long as it does not collapse the burrow or harm the tortoise.

The 19-year-old Agbayani, the son of former Mets fan favorite Benny Agbayani, is a middle infielder who hit .268 in 10 games for Fort Myers in low Class A this season. The sixth-round 2025 draft pick, a native of Hawaii, has been limited by injuries.

“It means a lot," Benny Agbayani said on a conference call Friday afternoon. “He wanted to get drafted by the Mets when he was first coming out of high school. That's all he knew. That's all Dad talked about. It's a great opportunity for him and I'm just going to support him as much as I can.”

The Alomars (father Sandy Sr. and sons Roberto and Sandy Jr.) and Wilsons (father Mookie and stepson Preston) are the only father-son combos to play for the Mets.

“It’s great to have him wearing a Mets jersey and continuing the legacy,” Benny Agbayani said.

The 23-year-old Amick batted .217 with 23 homers in 86 games for Double-A Wichita this season, playing first and third base. He was a second-round draft pick in 2024.

Minter had a 2.35 ERA in 23 innings with 20 strikeouts and only two walks. He didn't make his season debut until May 26, going more than a year between major league appearances. His 2025 season ended after 13 appearances when he injured his left lat muscle in his back and needed surgery.

Minter signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Mets in 2025. His 2024 season with the Atlanta Braves also was cut short by a torn labrum in his left hip, but when he's been healthy he's been one of baseball's most effective late-game lefties. The 33-year-old, who was a second-round 2015 draft pick by the Braves, has a 3.18 ERA with 456 strikeouts in 382 2/3 innings over 420 career appearances.

“He is playoff tested. He is proven,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “When you do the background on the human being, you find really good stuff.”

Minter likely will be the first of multiple Mets players moved before the trade deadline on Monday. They have the second-worst record in the National League.

The Mets scratched Friday's scheduled starter, Freddy Peralta, because interim manager Andy Green said trade talks involving the right-hander have intensified. Kodai Senga started against the Miami Marlins instead.

“It just became a prudent path for us,” Green said. “There’s enough going on right now.”

The Mets also placed left-hander Cionel Pérez on the injured list with a left forearm strain and recalled pitchers Xzavion Curry and Jonathan Pintaro from Triple-A Syracuse.

The Twins, who started a nine-game trip Friday at Seattle, have a 4.92 relief ERA that ranks fifth-worst in the major leagues. They lead the American League in runs and entered Friday one game out of a wild-card spot.

"We said that we were going to go out, we were going to buy, we were going to be aggressive in that market," Shelton said. “I think (Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll) has kind of done that at the front end of it and there’s still three days left.”

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

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney in Denver, expected to be appealed, undercuts the NCAA's plan to have the so-called “five for five” rule go into play starting with athletes who enroll in college in fall 2027.

It also has potential to wreak havoc on rosters across the country — for instance, opening the possibility that an undrafted player in an NFL training camp could decide to try to head back to college for a fifth year this upcoming season.

In granting the preliminary injunction, Sweeney said the players “will suffer irreparable harm without” it. She did not sign onto the governing body’s argument that applying the new rule retroactively would create “roster chaos.”

But NCAA President Charlie Baker said it would in responding to the rulings while referencing a bill in Congress designed to provide the NCAA antitrust protection on the eligibility issues.

“Today's rulings and the chaos they bring to college sports are exactly why it's time to pass this bill,” Baker said.

The Colorado ruling came hours after a Tennessee court granted Jalen Washington, who most recently played at Vanderbilt, and 18 other basketball players a fifth season of eligibility.

In June, the NCAA approved its new eligibility model for Division I athletes that will allow five seasons of competition over a five-year period that begins with their full-time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first.

While the ruling in Tennessee applied to those 19 basketball players, the one in Colorado cast a wider net, granting the class certification the plaintiffs sought. It means the ruling applies to all Division I players who started their college careers in the 2022-23 season, not just a select list.

___

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

The Big Ten calls its reputation as a top-heavy conference unfair.

Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti considers those three College Football Playoff championships — from Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana in 2025 — testaments to the league’s strength from top to bottom.

“You cannot send your top teams out into the CFP unless they’ve played — and have them be successful, which we have been very successful — if they’re not going through a gauntlet in the regular season,” Petitti said this week. “This idea that the middle of our conference isn’t hard is just not right.”

The balance of power between college football’s heavyweight conferences has been a major talking point at the leagues’ media days.

Petitti spoke to reporters while standing beside the Big Ten’s three recent CFP trophies. Illinois coach Bret Bielema said the SEC was living in the past. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said “there’s no doubt” the Big Ten is best.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” Cignetti said. “We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say, ‘We fell short.’ We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey argued his league’s case a week earlier.

“When you look at our schedule, no one has created the kind of weekly competition that exists in the Southeastern Conference,” Sankey said.

Five different SEC schools combined to win 13 national titles from 2006-22, but no SEC team has reached any of the last three championship games.

Both have evidence to support their claims

In the first two years under a 12-team CFP format, seven different SEC schools have made a combined eight playoff appearances. The Big Ten had four schools total seven playoff berths.

Certain metrics support the idea that the 16-team SEC is stronger than the 18-school Big Ten at the bottom. ESPN’s Bill Connelly produces the SP+ rankings, a predictive measure rating each team’s efficiency while adjusting for tempo and an opponent’s strength.

The Big Ten had three of the top four teams in the 2025 season-ending SP+ rankings, while the SEC had nobody in the top five. But seven Big Ten programs ranked below the lowest SEC team on the list: No. 67 Kentucky.

Recent head-to-head results favor Big Ten

Over the last two seasons, the Big Ten went 10-7 against the SEC, including a 3-0 playoff record and a 5-2 mark in other bowl games. The Big Ten won as an underdog in all five of those non-playoff victories.

Illinois produced two of those upsets, beating South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl in 2024 and defeating Tennessee in the Music City Bowl last season. So Bielema had reason to feel good about himself and his conference this week when he commented that SEC backers “kind of want to live in 2005 forever.”

The 2005 reference was curious because Texas won the title that season when it was still a Big 12 member, a year before the SEC began a string of seven straight titles. Bielema said he chose 2005 because that’s the year before his head coaching career began at Wisconsin.

“The transfer portal and revenue share or NIL, however you want to describe it, when those two elements came into college football, the whole world changed,” said Bielema, who went 29-34 while coaching SEC school Arkansas from 2013-17. “I mean, it’s overly obvious to say that, but I think anything to predate that is just a different time in college football. It just is.”

Big Ten capitalizes on changing times

Fourteen of the 22 playoff games over the last two years have featured Big Ten teams, including two in which conference rivals faced off. No wonder even Big Ten coaches with SEC backgrounds claim bragging rights.

“I just look at what the stats are, you know, and the last three years, the national champion has come out of this conference,” said Purdue’s Barry Odom, who went 25-25 at Missouri from 2016-19. “You also look at the number of playoff wins compared to any other conference, we’ve won twice as many as the next conference in the playoffs.”

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava has experience playing in both conferences after reaching the playoff with Tennessee in 2024.

“I think it’s two great leagues — two great, physical leagues,” Iamaleava said. “I think the SEC brings a lot of physicality, but over the years, it’s kind of leveled out in terms of the playing field.
I think everybody is able to get high-level athletes. ... I think there’s definitely a lot of tough SEC teams, so that every week is going to be a game, but I feel the same way in the Big Ten.”

The intensity of the debate frustrates coaches eager to settle it on the field, perhaps with more head-to-head matchups.

“You never hear in the NFL, ‘Wow, the NFC’s better than the AFC,’” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said. “You don’t ever hear, ’Check us out, we’ve won the Super Bowl the last few years.' We’ve kind of made this some competition rather than just take a step back and say, ‘Who cares?’ Let’s play.”

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AP freelance writer Luke DeCock contributed to this report.

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

Bader has been out since late May dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The team said the injury got worse following the accident early Sunday morning in San Francisco.

“Over the weekend, Harrison Bader was involved in an accident that has delayed Harrison’s prior treatment timeline for plantar fasciitis and, unfortunately, his return to the field,” Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey said in a statement Friday. "We are still investigating the circumstances of the accident, but will be suspending payment to Harrison until he is able to resume performing services for the club.”

Bader signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the Giants before this season that includes a $4.5 million base salary for this season. He is owed $1.42 million for the remainder of the season.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Bader was involved in a vehicle collision while riding his scooter around 2 a.m. Sunday morning in San Francisco's Marina District. He was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

The 32-year-old Bader was batting .170 with five homers, 14 RBIs and a .557 OPS in 30 games before going on the injured list.

This isn't the first time Bader has gotten into trouble in a scooter accident. He was suspended in college at Florida in 2014 after he hit a curb and ran into a truck while driving a motorized scooter, according to a report from the Gainesville Sun. He was unresponsive on the ground and, according to the incident report cited, smelled of alcohol.

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

The British designer was creative director at Christian Dior for nearly 15 years, the very pinnacle of the fashion world, before he made a series of antisemitic and racist comments in 2010 and 2011 that went viral, leading to his conviction in an antisemitism trial. Dropped by Dior, he spent several years involved in public and private efforts to rehabilitate.

He made a comeback in 2014 when he was hired by Paris fashion house Maison Margiela, where he remained for a decade.

Now, he'll become only the third living designer to be the subject of a solo show at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Long a red carpet favorite for his flamboyant, even fantastical style, Galliano and his creations should make for an intensely watched carpet at next May’s Met Gala — which every year launches the spring exhibit at the Costume Institute.

Not surprisingly, the museum is taking pains to emphasize that the exhibit will not shy away from the problematic aspects of Galliano’s history.

“Alongside Galliano’s extraordinary creative accomplishments, the exhibition will address the derogatory conduct that fundamentally altered his career and public reception,” said a statement issued by the museum on Friday. “In doing so, the exhibition will consider how artistic achievement should be understood alongside ethical accountability.”

The show’s main curator, Andrew Bolton, who curates nearly all the Met’s big fashion exhibits, noted that the exhibit “considers both how Galliano has remapped the world through fashion and how his conduct, its consequences, and changing cultural values have reshaped our understanding of his work.”

Even so, organizers had to tread carefully when planning the show. Preparation included meetings with Jewish community leaders in New York to gauge their feelings, the museum said, confirming a report in The New York Times. Those meetings included Bolton, Galliano and Anna Wintour, the Vogue editor who masterminds the Met Gala every year.

The show will be organized into three parts, the museum said.

The first, “Bearings," will “directly address the rupture caused by his antisemitic, racist, and anti-Asian conduct in 2010 and 2011, which resulted in his dismissal from Christian Dior and his eponymous label and his conviction by a Paris court for public insults based on race, religion, ethnicity, or origin," the museum said. It will also deal with his treatment for substance addiction and later public acknowledgment of his actions.

The second, “Horizons,” will examine the designer's sources of inspiration — such as history, geography, art, storytelling and performance. And the third, “Atlas of Transformation,” will focus on "Galliano’s creativity, craftsmanship, experimentation, and technical innovation," the museum said.

The 2024 documentary “High & Low — John Galliano” suggests Galliano was overworked and abusing alcohol and drugs when he made a series of antisemitic and racist comments in 2010 and 2011. A video of him saying “I love Hitler" in a bar went viral.

The Times quoted Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, as saying of the planned show: “We believe John Galliano has genuinely worked through the issues that led to his antisemitic outburst years ago in Paris, and we have long since accepted his apology."

"His efforts to repair the damage his words caused and to learn from that incident should be applauded.”

The show, John Galliano: Horizons, will run from May 9, 2027, through Jan. 9, 2028.

There were no U.S. strikes on Iran overnight, but Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it had struck another two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and Kuwait said it intercepted drones.

Meanwhile, Hamas confirmed Friday that it will disarm in a potential breakthrough for ending the war in Gaza, but major obstacles remain.

Here are the most important developments across the Middle East today:

Trump considering new strikes on Iran

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed the U.S. administration’s frustration anew, charging that Tehran last month signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. on a truce but then quickly “broke it, shot at commercial ships, and killed American soldiers.”

“President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur,” Leavitt said in a statement on Friday evening. “Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.”

Leavitt issued the fresh warning after Trump earlier on Friday told reporters that “we just want to win” in Iran and signaled that he expected U.S. military action to continue for some time.

“We’ll be hitting them very hard,” Trump said in an exchange with reporters during a meeting with members of his Cabinet at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. “You know, at some point they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’”

Other developments on the Iran conflict

Iran fired drones at Kuwait, a Gulf country hosting U.S. forces, and said it had also fired at oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil and gas shipments, which has been largely closed by the fighting.

Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said Friday its armed forces had shot down drones inside Kuwaiti airspace. It said the Iranian attacks had targeted several vital military facilities, causing material damage from falling shrapnel but no casualties. It did not specify how many drones were intercepted. Iranian state media said Iran had targeted an air base in Kuwait with drones in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Thursday.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed to have hit two oil tankers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media said four other tankers had turned around. The report did not provide further details on the tankers’ ownership, or whether there were any casualties.

Gaza: Deal reached for Hamas to disarm, Israel to withdraw

Hamas said it will begin disarming as part of a deal announced by Trump that also requires Israel to end its strikes and withdraw from Gaza.

Hamas also said that laying down its heavy weapons, which would come later in the process, was contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state, something Israel’s current government adamantly rejects.

Reflecting the hurdles of the potential disarmament, a series of Israeli airstrikes shook Gaza again on Friday, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding at least four, including a child, according to officials in hospitals near the attacks. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement, calling it the only good news in recent days from a troubled region. The deal must be implemented “without any questions, skepticism, or determination to undermine it,” he told reporters.

Israel has not officially commented on the Hamas deal, which is part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced last October. That agreement called for Hamas to disarm and hand over power to an independent Palestinian administration. Israel was to withdraw and an International Stabilization Force was to be deployed.

But progress stalled, with Israel saying everything hinged on Hamas disarming, and Hamas accusing Israel of violating the agreement by continuing to carry out regular strikes on Gaza.

The war in Gaza began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry says.

The Associated Press is tracking the progress of Trump's plan to end the Israel-Hamas war.

Elsewhere in the region:

1. Saudi Arabia has announced a plan for a defense alliance of 14 countries to strengthen maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation and secure international trade routes and energy supply corridors in the Red Sea region. The Iran war has severely disrupted global shipping. Yemen's Houthi rebels have declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia over a separate but related conflict, putting at risk another major trade corridor .

2. Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said Thursday that the coalition is “defensive in nature,” and that access “remains open to all willing countries.” Oman and the United Arab Emirates were the only two Gulf countries that did not back Saudi Arabia’s statement. Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan were among those that joined the proposed alliance.

3. A Houthi official, speaking Friday on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to brief the media, said the Saudi initiative won't protect its vessels — that would happen only after the Saudis lift their blockade on Yemen. Large crowds of Yemenis, meanwhile, took to the streets in the capital, Sanaa, and other Houthi-controlled areas to show support for the Iran-backed rebels and their Red Sea attacks against Saudi Arabia. The rallies were organized by the Houthis.

4. In southern Lebanon, Israeli forces set off explosions Friday to destroy an underground tunnel network under the Crusader-built Beaufort Castle that Israel says had been used by Hezbollah militants as a command center. The 12th-century castle, also known as Al-Shaqif, was seized by Israeli forces in May. It was recently added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List over Israel’s objections.

5. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said the Israeli operation sent “negative messages” ahead of upcoming talks in Rome. Israeli and Lebanese negotiating teams are set to meet again there to continue hammering out a plan under which Israel would withdraw from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament.

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Madhani reported from Washington and Becatoros contributed from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled contributed to this report from Cairo.

According to the agency, the alligator was found in the school’s baseball bullpen while the football team practiced nearby.

Community Services Sgt. Drew and responding deputies captured the animal and relocated it to a suitable habitat, the sheriff’s office said, clearing the area and eliminating any risk to students, staff and school athletic programs. Officials said school activities resumed without incident.

The sheriff’s office used the call as a reminder that alligators are native to Florida and can be found near any body of fresh water, including ponds, lakes, canals and retention ponds.

Deputies urged parents to teach children to keep a safe distance, and to never approach, feed or provoke an alligator. The agency also warned children should not play near the water’s edge without adult supervision, since alligators may be present even if they aren’t visible. Pet owners are advised to keep animals leashed and away from shorelines, noting pets can attract alligators.

If someone sees an alligator in an unsafe place, the sheriff’s office says do not attempt to handle it. For immediate threats, call 911. For non-emergencies, residents can contact the sheriff’s office non-emergency line at (407) 348-2222 or Osceola County Animal Services at (407) 742-8000.

Both notes initially were sent to a Tucson television station days after the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie went missing from her home outside Tucson on Feb. 1. Authorities have not said whether Nancy Guthrie is still alive.

Saturday is the six-month mark since Guthrie went missing. No suspects have been arrested in her disappearance. The investigation is dogged by unanswered questions, such as how many people are believed to have taken part in her abduction and whether she was taken by someone who knew her.

In her latest video about her mother's disappearance, Savannah Guthrie said earlier this week that her family has been living an unending nightmare and pleaded with the kidnappers to “tell us where to look for her.”

The FBI in Washington did not immediately respond to questions about the ransom notes, including whether both messages sent to the Tucson station have been deemed legitimate.

In releasing the notes, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said “we believe these distinctive linguistic characteristics may be recognizable to someone who knows or has interacted with the notes’ writer.”

The first note, sent Feb. 2, said Guthrie was safe but scared and would be released unharmed once her captors received $4 million in cryptocurrency, with the ransom amount increasing if the first demand was not met.

It said Guthrie would be released within 12 hours if the payment was received. It also included a threat to kill her if the ransom wasn’t paid.

“Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands,” the first note read. “It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible.”

The second note was sent Feb. 6 and said Guthrie died shortly after she was taken. “She is buried in nature now,” it said. “Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome.” The note ended with an apology: “We are truly sorry.”

Investigators hope the writing itself will help identify its author

The sheriff’s department said the notes reveal a distinctive pattern of word choices and provide insight into the writer’s mindset. The agency said someone who knows the notes’ writer may recognize the patterns.

Authorities similarly used a suspect’s own writings as a tool to apprehend Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, branded the “Unabomber” by the FBI. Kaczynski, who killed three people and injured 23 others with mail bombs over a 17-year span, pressured The Washington Post, in conjunction with The New York Times, to publish his 35,000-word manifesto in 1995. Federal authorities encouraged its publication, leading Kaczynski’s brother and sister-in-law to recognize the syntax and anti-technology themes and tip off the FBI, bringing to a close the agency’s longest and costliest investigation at the time.

In a statement Friday, the sheriff’s department also appealed to people who may know something about the case, saying it may be difficult to come forward due to a personal relationship with someone involved or just for their own safety.

“We recognize relationships and loyalties change over time as do people and their perspectives,” the sheriff’s department wrote. “It is not too late to come forward.”

Authorities say new evidence suggests the kidnapping was planned

The sheriff’s office also said Friday that two videos recovered from Guthrie’s doorbell camera might be from two separate days and indicate an unidentified male prepared ahead of when Guthrie was taken. Authorities are seeking information on anyone who was behaving differently, changed their physical appearance, suddenly left the Tucson area, or had a noticeable or unexplained interest or disinterest in the case.

“Investigators continue to pursue every available technological and investigative lead,” the sheriff’s office said. “However, community members remain a vital resource as we seek to provide answers for Nancy’s family.”

The FBI had released surveillance videos of a masked person who authorities said appeared to tamper with a camera on Nancy Guthrie’s front porch and block it with a plant. They described the person as a male about 5 feet, 9 inches (1.75 meters) tall.

On Feb. 4, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings first shared a video statement saying they were aware of media reports of a purported ransom letter and that they were ready to talk and listen, but they wanted proof that their mother was alive. Camron Guthrie, the brother of the “Today” co-anchor, said the following day that the family had not heard directly from whoever took their mother.

A day after the second note was sent, Savannah Guthrie said on Feb. 7 that the siblings received a message and “understand,” without sharing details. She said they were begging for their mother to be returned to them. “We will pay,” Guthrie said.

The family has continued to share their pleas for information in videos posted to social media.

Two men who were previously detained have filed a lawsuit

Also, two men detained and released early in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance are seeking a combined $3 million against a southern Arizona sheriff’s department. In a legal claim, they say they were wrongfully held by law enforcement.

The claim made Thursday against Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos’ department centers on the separate detentions of Carlos Alfredo Palazuelos and Daniel Maddow on Feb. 10. It said they were released hours later but have suffered from having been mentioned in the investigation.

Nanos’ office declined to comment on the notice of claim, a necessary precursor to filing a lawsuit against government entities.

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Associated Press writer Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed.

The leadership change came as police continue searching for people involved in a fatal, gang-related shootout at a food festival near the Space Needle last weekend. A 15-year-old was arrested at the scene and has been charged with assault, but charging documents say the gun he was seen firing wasn't involved in the deaths of two bystanders.

Wilson and then-Police Chief Shon Barnes faced criticism for being slow to release key information about the shootout on Sunday, including whether suspects remained at large.

Barnes, who was the city's second Black police chief, has been credited with boosting the recruitment of officers and helping reduce crime downtown. A number of Black community organizations, a major business group and several City Council members issued statements criticizing Wilson's decision to replace him Thursday.

At a news conference Friday with Andre Sayles, a Seattle deputy chief the mayor named as interim chief, Wilson credited Barnes for his service and said that as mayor she had a clearer window into the operations at the Seattle Police Department than her critics.

The lack of communication about a mass shooting at a major public event in Seattle was not the only reason she asked Barnes to resign, she said.

“There were multiple factors,” Wilson said. “The events of Sunday played into it.”

Sayles told the news conference the department would boost police staffing at public festivals for the remainder of the summer. He also said he believed investigators are close to finding and arresting additional suspects in the shootout.

The gunfire erupted in the waning hours of the Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers. Three people, including a suspect, were killed, and four people were wounded. One of the people injured was a 2-year-old boy.

Government lawyers said in a 20-page court filing that additional documents provided by the Interior Department since the indictment of David Hearn show that the damage was the result of a botched installation by a contractor as well as “the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026.” In addition, a recent visual inspection revealed damage throughout the pool, including in the middle — where prosecutors say a vandal would not likely have attempted to peel the lining.

“Given all of this newly discovered information, it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt,” said the filing from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, which asked a judge to formally dismiss the case.

Hearn's lawyers said in a statement that the case against him should never have been brought.

“Its dismissal today does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong. The government’s approach was ready, fire, aim. The administration owes Mr. Hearn an apology,” the lawyers said.

The dismissal marks an embarrassing setback for a Justice Department that had billed the prosecution as accountability for damage at a Washington landmark where President Donald Trump had launched a massive renovation project before the country's 250th anniversary celebrations. Trump, without providing evidence, has alleged the damage was caused by vandals.

But the case has long been saddled with evidentiary problems and challenges. Hearn has for weeks maintained his innocence and his supporters have characterized the prosecution as a politically motivated attempt by the Trump administration to deflect blame and scapegoat others.

Earlier this week, Hearn's lawyers sought access to grand jury transcripts because of what they said were “irregularities” in the process. They said a National Park Service official testified that the pool already was damaged before Hearn allegedly touched it, couldn’t quantify any damage attributable to Hearn and said the same repairs would have been required regardless of his conduct.

“The witness’s testimony established that the pool had substantial preexisting damage requiring repair before any alleged conduct by Mr. Hearn,” his lawyers wrote. “According to the witness, the pool was leaking more than one million gallons of water per week; its expansion joints had exceeded their service life; and the liner already contained a rip.”

Hearn pleaded not guilty earlier this month to one felony count of property destruction and had a trial scheduled to start Sept. 28 in D.C. Superior Court. The charge, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years upon conviction, accused Hearn of causing at least $1,000 in damage to the pool.

In court papers Friday, prosecutors said they had only recently received new information that undermined the basis for the prosecution.

“It was not until after these documents were produced that (prosecutors) first became aware of information showing that the damage was the result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented” by the Interior Department. Prosecutors could “only rely,” they wrote, on the initial information suggesting that the damage was caused by vandals.

Hearn has told The Associated Press he was detained by National Guard troops and U.S. Park Police for five hours after stopping by the pool during a bike ride on June 19. He said he reached in to examine the pool’s newly peeled coating and briefly touched a chunk attached to the side of the pool, but said he obeyed a park worker who told him to let go of it.

Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, competed in three Summer Olympics, earning his best finish, ninth, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee says on its website.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation proposal spares four other states from facing mandatory cuts for now. It's meant to be flexible, allowing deeper cuts in drier times while giving the states more time to collectively agree on how to manage the dwindling resource that flows through dams to produce hydropower.

The Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada could together be forced to reduce their use by up to 3 million acre-feet (130 billion cubic feet) annually through 2036 — about the amount that Arizona and Nevada receive and enough to serve more than 25 million people a year. The actual reductions would be determined every two years based on conditions throughout the basin.

“The Department has a responsibility to ensure the Colorado River system remains reliable and resilient for the millions of Americans, communities and industries that depend on it,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement.

Under the proposal, California, Nevada and Arizona would divide half the cuts based on a plan they already developed. Beyond that, priority water rights come into play. The priority system generally benefits California users over those in the other states.

Arizona and Nevada have faced mandatory reductions before, but the proposal outlines deeper cuts that could impact agriculture, cities and tribes. It could translate into higher water prices, more reliance on groundwater and leaving fields unplanted, experts say.

The proposal comes after years of deadlocked negotiations among the states and threats of lawsuits if a proposal didn't comply with longstanding laws and guidelines that govern the river, some of which expire at the end of 2026. A record-dry winter also left two key Colorado River reservoirs at a combined record low. Federal officials are expected to finalize the proposal in the coming days.

Why is the plan coming now?

More than 40 million people in seven U.S. states, several tribal nations and Mexico rely on the flows of the 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) river. Decades of overuse, along with rising temperatures, drought and climate change, mean it no longer provides what was promised in 1922.

The river's health often is determined by how much water is in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two largest human-made reservoirs in the U.S. Together, the reservoirs are at their lowest point since they began filling, according to a recent paper by Colorado River experts, and approaching levels where they could no longer produce hydropower.

How the water is allocated and conserved — especially amid a decades-long drought — has led to contentious arguments among the states, including threats of lawsuits. Both basins drew up proposals but didn't decide together on a single plan.

Because the states didn't reach an agreement, the federal government stepped in with its own proposal to buoy the river.

How are the states reacting?

Leaders in Arizona, which has the lowest priority rights in the Lower Basin, called the federal proposal flawed. Those in California said it's an important milestone but not the finish line. Nevada officials called the proposed reductions unrealistic and devastating.

The Lower Basin states have been united in wanting all seven states to share in specific, measurable cuts. The Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, meanwhile, repeatedly pushed back, saying mandatory cuts to their water use would be illegal under the existing compact for the Colorado River. While the federal proposal mandates cuts in the Lower Basin, the Upper Basin states can proceed with voluntary water cuts primarily among agricultural users.

The four Upper Basin state governors gave the document a favorable initial assessment but said they were still reviewing it.

“We are encouraged that new operating guidelines will better reflect existing water supply which must underpin any practicable plan going forward,” the governors said in a joint statement.

The Arizona Department of Water Resources said the proposed cuts devastate its water users and economy. The Central Arizona Project, which manages much of the state's allocation used primarily in metro Phoenix and Tucson, said the proposal doesn't accurately portray Arizona's rights.

What impact could the plan have?

The states will have a say in how they shoulder the cuts, though the federal government is expected to offer suggestions in the coming days.

Arizona Department of Water Resources director Tom Buschatzke said it will be painful. Farmers in Southern California and Yuma, Arizona, produce the majority of North America's leafy greens in the winter.

“Those are a lot of potential devastating impacts — and a lot of uncertainties for all of us,” Buschatzke said.

Cities in metro Phoenix don't rely entirely on the Colorado River and likely will keep everyone's taps running, but water rates will increase in some areas, said Rhett Larson, a water law professor at Arizona State University. The city of Gilbert, for example, has increased residential water rates by 50% since April 2025, he said.

“We are not running out of water. We’re running out of cheap water,” Larson said.

Meanwhile, cities across the Colorado River basin are constantly on the hunt for new sources of water, like tapping groundwater, treating wastewater and desalinating water, all of which are more expensive than deliveries from the Colorado River. ___ Pineda reported from Los Angeles and Peterson from Denver. Associated Press writer Mead Gruver contributed from Fort Collins, Colorado.

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This story has been updated to correct the Interior Secretary's first name. He is Doug Burgum, not Dough Burgum.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

“I was thinking 55,” he said.

Young cooled off with two birdies on his back nine in a bogey-free round, closing with a Detroit Golf Club-record tying 61 to reach 10 under for the tournament to tie Patrick Cantlay (66) and Patrick Fishburn (66) atop the leaderboard Friday.

“You hate to call it a disappointing 61,” he said, lamenting missing many birdie opportunities that preventing him from breaking Jim Furyk's record 58 that has stood for a decade.

Young, the No. 3 player in the world with three wins this season, shot a 59 in 2024 at the Travelers Championship and had a chance to join Furyk with multiple sub-60 rounds on the PGA Tour.

“It felt like I had a 10-footer for birdie on pretty much every hole,” Young said.

A lot of players took advantage of one of the easiest courses on the PGA Tour.

Matt Wallace (64) and Rickie Fowler (68) were two shots back.

Fowler surged into the lead — briefly — at 11 under before falling back to the pack. He three-putted from 24 feet to bogey No. 11 and went from thigh-high fescue to a greenside bunker at No. 13, leading to his second of three bogeys on the back nine.

“Nice to finish with birdie on 18,” said Fowler, whose sixth and last win was the 2023 Rocket Classic. “A lot of good stuff today and nice to be in a good spot for the weekend.”

First-round leader Peter Malnati, who followed up his 61 on Thursday with a 71, was another stroke back in a large group that included Xander Schauffele (66).

Hideki Matsuyama (68) extended the PGA Tour’s longest active cuts streak to 30 by getting to 5 under with a slew of players, including Tony Finau (67), who is hoping to improve his positioning to be among the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings after next week's Wyndham Championship.

“I check it pretty much every tournament just kind of see where I’m at, even on off weeks,” said Finau, the 2022 Rocket Classic champion, who entered the tournament No. 87 in the standings.

Matt Kuchar was another stroke back, getting a boost from his seventh career ace with a 9-iron on the 156-yard, par-3 5th hole. Kuchar invited a kid to join him inside the ropes to retrieve the ball, which he signed with a black marker.

“I saw a little boy that was kind of the right age where you know they’re so excited to be out here, just very impressionable,” Kuchar said. “One of those things where it’s easy to make their day. I think anytime you get to make a kid’s day, it makes your day.”

The Rocket Classic, which is in its eighth and final year, drew a stronger than usual field and some notable names missed the cut at 3 under.

U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark (74) was 5 over. Chris Gotterup, a three-time winner this year and ranked No. 7 in the world, was 1 over to end his streak of making the cut in 14 straight starts. Akshay Bhatia (71) — No. 12 in FedEx Cup standings — also dropped out at 1 under.

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

Trump is taking Friday’s Cabinet meeting on the road — to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. It's the first Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Trump’s second term after an earlier attempt in May was scuttled because of bad weather.

The president said Thursday he may pull acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination for the full-time post to avoid conceding to Senate Republicans’ demands over a sweeping tax audit immunity deal benefiting the president and members of his family.

Here's the Latest:

Zelenskyy wants Trump to help persuade Musk to expand Starlink access

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pitched Trump and other American officials on helping Ukraine win permission from tech titan Elon Musk to use his Starlink satellite communications system to guide strikes inside Russia.

Zelenskyy is looking for alternate ways to mitigate the need for U.S. Patriot air defense systems to thwart the steady barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian territory. The interceptors are in shorter supply as the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran continues to rage, and Trump on Friday appeared to back away from a recent commitment to give Ukraine a license to produce them.

Zelenskyy made the request directly to Trump in an Oval Office meeting this week during his whirlwind trip to Washington, according to one person familiar with the matter.

He also told lawmakers later on Capitol Hill that he wanted Starlink to help with targeting inside Russia, according to a person in the room. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive private discussions. Trump did not commit to Zelenskyy’s request.

▶ Read more

White House signals Trump is weighing carrying out new strikes on Iran

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed the U.S. administration’s frustration anew, charging that Tehran last month signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. on a truce but then quickly “broke it, shot at commercial ships, and killed American soldiers.”

“President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur,” Leavitt added in her Friday evening statement. “Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.”

Leavitt issued the fresh warning after Trump earlier told reporters that “we just want to win” in Iran and signaled that he expected U.S. military action to continue for some time.

“We’ll be hitting them very hard,” Trump said in an exchange with reporters during a meeting with members of his Cabinet. “You know, at some point they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’”

US drops case against man charged with damaging Reflecting Pool

Government lawyers said information provided since the indictment of former Olympian David Hearn shows that the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was by the result of a “flawed installation by the contractor” as well as “the rush to complete the project.”

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Dr. Oz defends decision to end Medicare prescription drug subsidy

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz is defending his decision to end a Medicare Part D subsidy that had helped offset premiums for millions of older adults.

“It’s still very affordable,” he told The Associated Press at the National Governors Association summer meeting on Friday. “What I didn’t want to do was subsidize a bailout.”

Oz said the federal subsidy to insurers, which amounted to $3.6 billion this year, would have mostly gone to a single company.

“That’s just not a good thing for the American people,” he said.

While federal officials have insisted the financial impact to beneficiaries is minimal, the decision has opened the Republican administration to potential political consequences in a midterm year where affordability is a central issue.

Trump blames Minnesota governor for cyberattacks, cites no evidence

The president alleged that the recent cyberattacks were the fault of the state, including Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. Authorities have not yet publicly named the source of the attacks.

During a Cabinet meeting on Friday at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, Trump also repeated myriad false claims that have become part of his regular talking points about topics such as immigration, foreign conflicts and prescription drug prices.

▶ Read more here about some of the claims.

UN chief urges Hamas and Israel to follow US road map to peace in Gaza `without any questions’

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Trump’s announcement on Hamas agreeing to disarm in Gaza the only “good news” in recent days that have seen a military escalation in the Gulf, including a collapse of trade through the Strait of Hormuz.

Hamas said Friday it will begin disarming as part of a stalled deal announced by Trump that requires Israel to halt attacks in Gaza and withdraw from the territory which the Palestinians insist must be part of a future state. Israel’s prime minister has not responded to what could be a major breakthrough to ending the war in Gaza.

Guterres told U.N. reporters Friday he has a message to both Israel and Hamas: There is a road map that must be implemented now “without any questions, skepticism, or determination to undermine it.”

He warned that the six-month war in Iran “is increasingly becoming a driver of instability,” saying energy markets have been upended, food and fertilizer prices have surged, “supply chains are buckling,: and “around the world families are struggling to put food on the table.”

Trump has wrapped up the public portion of his Cabinet meeting

The president gave a lengthy opening statement, heard from top officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and answered questions on Iran and array of other topics.

He has now asked the press and cameras to leave, meaning the rest of the meeting’s proceedings won’t happen in view of the public.

Trump steps back from pledge to let Ukraine make Patriot interceptors

Asked about his previous commitment to give Ukraine a license to make Patriot air defense systems to counter Russian missiles, Trump said, “We have not agreed to that.”

“We’re talking about it. But it’s a hard thing to give away that kind of technology,” Trump said at his Cabinet meeting on Friday.

“I don’t think this would ever happen, but you know there’s people that, you give that technology, they can someday turn on you,” Trump added. “You look at war, that’s happened a couple of times over the years, right? So we have to be very careful.”

It was a contrast to earlier remarks from the sidelines of the NATO summit this month, where Trump said, “We’ll give them the right to make Patriots.”

Trump said he discussed the topic with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when they met in Washington on Tuesday. Zelenskyy also met with senators to make a case for why Ukraine needs the interceptors.

Trump claims Iran war helped drive Hamas to disarmament agreement

The president during his Cabinet meeting said the newly-minted agreement aimed at leading to disarmament of the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and transition of oversight of the territory to a civilian body will have “ups and downs.”

Still, he said this week’s agreement is a “great breakthrough” that has been helped along by the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, which has served as Hamas’ prime backer.

“Nobody’s ever thought that would be possible to disarm Hamas,” Trump said. “That shows you how much success we’re having with Iran, because if you go four months ago or five months ago, a deal like that would have been impossible.”

RFK Jr talks about first visiting Camp David 6-plus decades ago

Trump health chief Robert Kennedy Jr. said he was visiting the presidential retreat on Friday for the first time in about 62 years.

“My father loved this place, my uncle loved this place,” said Kennedy, who is the son of former Attorney General and New York Sen. Robert Kennedy.

He said that his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, was resentful of his predecessor, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, for naming it Camp David after Eisenhower’s grandson.

Kennedy said that had his uncle lived to a second term, he planned to rename the retreat Shangri-La, which was its original moniker before Eisenhower changed it.

Kennedy also cheered Trump for allowing reporters in the compound, saying Trump had opened “inner sanctum” of the presidency.

Trump later pointed to a picture of John F. Kennedy on the wall and said he was a “handsome guy.”

Trump says the anti-weaponization fund is ‘dead’

The comments came after the president spent the morning defending the $1.8 billion fund on social media.

“It is dead,” Trump said. “But I wish it weren’t, to be honest with you.”

Trump continued to defend the people who could potentially benefit from the fund, mainly those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“Their families have been ruined,” Trump said. Those people “wanted to go to a rally or an event and ended up spending the rest of their lives in horror.”

Trump acknowledged that Blanche, his attorney general pick, has been a “pawn in this whole thing.”

Trump says ‘we just want to win’ in Iran

The president has previously insisted that Iran has been “completely defeated” militarily. But in his engagement with reporters at Camp David on Friday, he acknowledged that he expects U.S. military action will likely continue for some time.

“We’ll be hitting them very hard,” Trump said. “You know, at some point they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’”

Trump says he doesn’t think International Criminal Court is targeting him but ‘it could happen’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio complained that the international court based in the Hague was very arrogant and had unfairly targeted leaders around the world.

That prompted the president to interject: “There’s no indication they’re after me. It could happen.” He didn’t elaborate, but his suggestion drew laughter from Cabinet members.

Trump said Rubio wasn’t trying to defend him personally, but instead wanted to shield other court targets. He said that could include people like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“There is no indication that I’m one of them, at this moment,” Trump added again for emphasis, drawing still more laughter.

US to make visa bond requirements permanent, affecting mostly African countries

The State Department is making permanent a pilot program under which citizens from 50 countries, mainly in Africa, are required to post bonds to apply for a U.S. visa, and it’s raising the cost as well, to as much as $20,000.

A draft notice published Friday in the Federal Register says a review “provided sufficient data” to suggest the bond program effectively enforces compliance, and would be made permanent by the end of August. The notice is to be formally published on Monday. Additional countries may be added to the list, found here.

The program requires holders of passports from the affected countries to pay the bond when being interviewed for business and tourist visas. The regulation says the bond will be refunded if the application is denied or after the person leaves the United States.

The Trump administration rolled out the program as a way of cracking down on visa overstays.

Trump starts Cabinet meeting at Camp David

The president began his Cabinet meeting Friday by saying his team was meeting in a “very special room.”

The White House has tried to highlight that this was the first televised Cabinet meeting at the presidential retreat.

Trump said he invited the news media to watch because he believes in “transparency,” before turning to his standard talking points about the economy and border security, among other issues.

CEO defends Exxon’s performance at a time of global supply shortages

American refineries are running at near-full capacity and poised to benefit because some refineries in the Middle East and Russia were damaged. And Asia can’t get the amount of Middle East oil needed for refining.

“Penalizing the businesses who stood by those countries and provided that product going forward is very short-sighted,” Exxon CEO Darren Woods said in a call with investors Friday. “We canceled investments that we had planned for Europe based on the last time they passed a windfall profits tax.”

Lawmakers propose taxing the war profits of major oil producers

Exxon and Chevron don’t set the price of American oil, which has ricocheted between $68 and $115 a barrel, driven by supply and demand, and what traders, refiners and other buyers are willing to pay.

Democrats nevertheless hope to tax major oil producers for profits from 2026 onward and redistribute that revenue to consumers.

“It’s fair to put a windfall profits tax on inordinate windfall profits rather than cut off children’s food programs,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. His measure and a companion bill by Rep. Ro Khanna of California would impose a per-barrel tax on companies that produced or imported at least 300,000 barrels of oil per day in 2025.

The UK and other European countries have extended temporary windfall profits taxes on fossil fuel companies to 2030, according to Tax Foundation Europe.

Major oil companies reap massive profits as US and Iran fighting drives energy prices higher

American oil and gas giants are announcing huge spring windfalls thanks to the fighting between Iran and the U.S. that made consumers around the world pay more for fuel.

Exxon Mobil on Friday reported that its second quarter profits doubled to $14.53 billion, boosted by record diesel production. The oil giant, based in Spring, Texas, brought in $116.02 billion in revenue, up 42%. Chevron, based in Houston, nearly quadrupled its profits to $12.07 billion and revenue jumped 56% to $70.06 billion.

Six of Europe’s largest oil companies posted combined first-quarter profits of $22 billion, more than 40% higher than last year.

Latest developments in the Iran conflict

No U.S. strikes were reported in Iran on Friday.

Iran fired drones at Kuwait, a Gulf country hosting U.S. forces, and said it had also fired at oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil and gas shipments, which has been largely closed by the fighting.

Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said Friday its armed forces had shot down drones inside Kuwaiti airspace. It said the Iranian attacks had targeted several vital military facilities, causing material damage from falling shrapnel but no casualties. It did not specify how many drones were intercepted. Iranian state media said Iran had targeted an air base in Kuwait with drones, in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Thursday.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed to have hit two oil tankers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media said four other tankers had turned around. The report did not provide further details on which flags or ownership the tankers were sailing under, or say whether there were any casualties.

FIFA chief operating officer tells AP that staff was ‘deceived’ by World Cup sell-off plan that ‘must not go ahead’

FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said in a statement to The Associated Press that the staff was “deceived” by Gianni Infantino’s lack of openness while planning the scheme to sell a World Cup stake to private investors linked to Trump’s family.

“It is the project of one person,” wrote Lamour, a longtime colleague of Infantino at both FIFA and UEFA. “Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”

Lamour did not resign the post he held since 2024 but said he had a duty to his colleagues to speak out about the “contempt and intimidation” FIFA staff has faced.

“And if that means I lose my job, then so be it” the French official said. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”

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Wisconsin Democrats shaken by Mandela Barnes’ exit from governor’s race

The former lieutenant governor’s announcement came Thursday amid news that the state party had reviewed past allegations of inappropriate behavior, further shaking up the race less than two weeks before the Aug. 11 primary in Wisconsin, where independents and moderates are key voters and where Trump won two razor-thin elections.

That leaves four Democrats, including most prominently Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who rejoined the race with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her run amid a campaign finance scandal two weeks ago, and insurgent democratic socialist State Rep. Francesca Hong, running far to the left.

The single mother and former line cook has captured the imaginations of liberal Democrats upset with the party establishment, but she’s raised concerns that her past calls for defunding the police will hurt her chances against Trump-backed Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November.

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Details on disarmament from the Hamas statement

Hamas said Friday that it’s committed to implementing the Gaza ceasefire agreement, including the new road map focused on the steps it needs to take to disarm.

The group’s statement says it and other Palestinian factions agreed to the framework as part of a national consensus to protect people in Gaza and help meet their humanitarian needs.

It said Israel must adhere to the ceasefire deal agreed to in October and halt its attacks in order for implementation to move forward, echoing language in the new road map released Friday by the Board of Peace.

The agreement calls for Hamas, which ran the government in Gaza, to first turn over all police weapons to a national committee of technocrats responsible for administering the strip. Only later, once the Israeli military withdraws from Gaza, would it be required to decommission and hand over its heavier weapons, according to the text.

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Democratic candidates grapple with ‘defund the police’ baggage

With midterm elections looming, Democrats hope to convince voters that Trump administration lawlessness is the biggest threat to their rights and pocketbooks. The party’s past debates over crime and safety threaten to undermine that pitch.

Across the country, Democratic candidates are facing tough questions about their past calls to “defund the police” by reimagining public safety services or redirecting spending to other social programs — a prominent demand during the protests that followed George Floyd’s death.

Democratic leaders fear the outlier opinions may sink their chances of gaining ground in Congress, governor’s mansions and statehouses as the party’s rising left flank captivates its base, just as Republicans stoke fears about crime, immigration and democratic socialism in their closing midterm message.

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Trump swings at Cornyn over Blanche nomination

Trump, still frustrated about the status of his attorney general pick, began his Friday morning by going after one of the Republican senators who was holding up Todd Blanche’s confirmation to lead the Justice Department.

Continuing a criticism he began earlier this week, Trump said Texas Sen. John Cornyn had no issue with the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund until after he endorsed his primary challenger, Ken Paxton, for the Senate.

In the post, Trump also continued to defend the controversial fund, which Blanche said in his Senate testimony was dead. Republican senators want him to put that commitment into writing.

“Perhaps there has never been a group of people treated so badly in our Nation’s history,” Trump said. “They are suffering still, many ruined, and I felt that they should be given compensation for what has been done to them.”

Blanche met privately with Cornyn and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis over the issue later Thursday and the sides were working collaboratively, although Blanche’s confirmation prospects still remain unclear.

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

Millions of older adults on Medicare prescription drug coverage could face steeper monthly costs in 2027, after the Trump administration concludes a temporary subsidy program that has helped offset premiums for the past two years.

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

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

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Trump is taking his Friday Cabinet meeting on the road to Camp David

Trump told his Cabinet members to meet him at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, a rustic backdrop for the Trump administration sessions that have come to be known for being overly long and consumed by endless praise for their boss.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the 13th such meeting of the Republican president’s second term “will be a lot of fun and something different for the Cabinet to experience together.”

An earlier attempt in May was scuttled because of bad weather. During his first term, Trump held a Cabinet meeting at the retreat.

The public portion of Trump’s Cabinet meetings has lasted as long as three hours, with the president letting everyone at the table update him on their departments or agencies — with added praise for him personally and his leadership thrown in. In a departure from other presidents, he allows the news media to stay for the duration, a move that Leavitt has said proves his commitment to transparency.

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Trump announces a deal for Hamas to disarm in Gaza, but many hurdles and uncertainty remain

A Hamas official said Friday that they did reach an agreement on disarmament, the most crucial part of the ceasefire deal. Israel didn’t give an indication that they had agreed.

Trump said Thursday that a deal has been reached for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza, but many hurdles, conditions and long timelines remained to wind down the war in the Palestinian territory.

The White House announcement comes nine months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was signed. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas had largely deadlocked over the implementation of its second phase, including the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan calls on the militant group to surrender its weapons and destroy its vast network of tunnels. It also envisions Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian government, deployment of an international security force and the rebuilding of the battered Palestinian enclave.

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There's no lesson learned more vital than this: Cool first, transport second.

Almost an hour and a half passed from when Stringer exited a blocking drill during training camp and arrived by ambulance at a hospital with a core body temperature of 108.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Though he was moved to an air-conditioned trailer by the practice field that morning in Mankato, Minnesota, the lack of effective diagnosis and treatment by the team's medical staff during that time made his outlook all the more dire. About 15 hours after he collapsed, Stringer was pronounced dead, the only known NFL player to die from exertional heat stroke.

“I’ve been an expert witness in 85 court cases of people dying from heat stroke, and in every single one the person didn’t need to die if they were properly treated and cooled,” said Douglas Casa, the executive director of the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut that was established in 2010 as part of the settlement of the wrongful death lawsuit his family brought against the league. “With a $150 tub of ice and water, these people would still be alive.”

Casa got connected with Stringer's widow, Kelci Stringer, and agent, Jimmy Gould, through the litigation. The professor of kinesiology had a personal interest in the subject of heat safety, from his own brush with death at age 16 while running a 10-kilometer race at the Empire State Games in New York.

Casa collapsed on the final lap with 200 meters remaining, got back up and fell again with about 80 meters to go. He was unconscious for two hours.

Fortunately, a quick-thinking physician placed him in a cold water immersion tub. Though that came after he was taken to a hospital, the effective on-site care he received from an athletic trainer and in the ambulance from emergency medical technicians gave him a fighting chance to survive.

“If Korey had gone in a cold immersion tub, we would not be chatting right now,” Casa said in a recent interview. “He would’ve had dinner with his teammates that night.”

Casa, who is on the NFL's general medical committee, regularly advises the league on player safety matters. The mandatory presence of cold tubs near the practice fields for every team, one of many protocols enhanced in the 25 years since Stringer's death, can be traced to the work that's been done in his honor.

“When I tell Korey’s story, it takes it from such a sad, morbid place to a place of such action,” Kelci Stringer said. “It’s better to be proactive than reactive.”

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

The onetime Republican lawmaker from New York said he settled with the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission to “put this matter behind him,” noting that he did not admit to doing anything wrong.

“He chose a prompt, practical resolution, rather than protracted, costly litigation, and that choice should not be mistaken for admission of any wrongdoing, because it is not one,” Santos’ lawyer Joseph Murray said in a statement Santos shared on X.

The commission said Friday’s settlement represents the more than $17,000 Santos earned from the unlawful trading as well as a fine of $17,500. The agency also imposed a three-year trading ban on Santos.

Kalshi, which had reported Santos to regulators, said it will also pursue its own enforcement action and work to reimburse traders if monetary penalties are recovered.

Leading up to Trump's February speech, Santos had talked frequently about his plans to be in the crowd. But minutes into the speech, he posted on X to say that he had been waylaid at the airport and couldn’t make it to Capitol Hill.

Social media users called him out, noting that Kalshi had put the odds of Santos attending the address at close to 75%.

Santos shrugged off the complaints at the time.

“I guess people lost money,” he said on his podcast in March. “Some people made unexpected money. That’s to show you how fragile these markets are.”

But the federal probe into the Kalshi trading prompted rival online prediction platform Polymarket to cut ties with Santos in June.

Santos’ lawyer, in his statement Friday, said his client had a “genuine intention” to attend the State of the Union, even booking a hotel and plane ticket before a winter storm scuttled the plans.

“Mr. Santos concealed neither his intention to attend, nor his change of plans to not attend the SOTU, from anyone," Murray said. “There was absolutely no intent to deceive any person, nor intent to manipulate any market."

Santos, who is set to appear on Fox’s reality contest “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” this fall, shot to political fame after winning a seat representing parts of the New York City borough of Queens and Long Island.

But his bogus life story of being a wealthy Wall Street player with a college degree and other accomplishments quickly unraveled.

Santos was eventually expelled from Congress and charged with federal wire fraud and identity theft charges as investigators probed how he funded his campaign. He pleaded guilty and served less than three months of a more than seven-year sentence before Trump granted him clemency last year.

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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo.

Some 27 million metric tons of self-sustaining sargassum have been recorded in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in July, according to a report released Friday by the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab.

The prickly seaweed covers miles of coastline, releasing a foul smell as it rots onshore.

This year marks the first time that scientists have observed sargassum growing in large quantities in areas including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, instead of being swept into those areas by ocean currents.

The algae usually reproduces asexually as it travels from Western Africa, said Brian Barnes, a marine scientist and research assistant professor at the University of South Florida. “None of this is normal,” he said. “Every year is a little bit of a new story.”

The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has been growing since 2011, dumping an increasing amount of seaweed along coastlines in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Experts have said that agricultural runoff, warming waters and changes in wind, current and rain could be factors.

The sargassum that began reproducing in the region earlier than usual this year stems from a record 40 million metric tons reported last year.

“The 2025 bloom was so big it never really left,” Barnes said. “It was enough to start a new bloom locally.”

Seaweed threatens tourism

Sargassum levels in the Caribbean reached record levels in June, while the amount present in the Gulf hit 5 million metric tons in June, nearly double last year’s record, according to the University of South Florida.

Scientists expect 2026 to be the second largest amount of sargassum recorded in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, noting that June alone saw 34 million metric tons, which was only 10% lower than the year-earlier period.

Mexico said Thursday it plans to invest $115 million to tackle the blooming algae, which poses an environmental and economic threat. The government estimates that up to 9,000 tons reach its Caribbean coastline on the worst days. Given current resources, Mexico says it can only gather 1,200 tons of sargassum a day.

On a recent evening, Alan Vázquez closed the restaurant where he works as a waiter in the popular tourist town of Playa del Carmen because there were no customers. He had resisted closing for several hours, hoping he would receive a tip and salvage the day, but vast quantities of decomposing sargassum are turning the famed turquoise waters black, driving away tourists.

“It’s sad that such a beautiful and lively place...has ended up like this,” Vázquez said.

He fears suffering the same fate as four of his colleagues who were laid off two months ago due to a drop in tourism that has devastated hotels and businesses in the state of Quintana Roo, one of Mexico’s tourism gems, where sales fell 30% in the first half of the year, according to estimates from local businesses.

In Puerto Rico, sargassum blankets the waters around popular tourist areas, including La Parguera.

“I don’t recall ever having that much concentration in so many places at once,” said Waldemar Quiles, the U.S. territory’s natural resources secretary.

Much of the record sargassum reported last year ended up along Puerto Rico’s coastline, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency.

It surpassed the previous record set in 2022 with a peak of some 22 million metric tons.

“It’s not a one-off event anymore,” said Emmanuel Maldonado González, an environmental sociologist at East Carolina University. “It’s becoming a growing hazard.”

Experts warn proliferation will worsen

Patches of sargassum in open waters provide a healthy breeding ground for wildlife, including turtles, fish and seabirds, and can be “a bit of an oasis of life in the middle of the ocean,” Barnes said.

But once it’s closer to shore, it reduces oxygen in the water, smothers mangrove roots and blocks sunlight from reaching coral and sea grass.

Once it washes ashore it can prevent newly hatched sea turtles from reaching the ocean, while the heavy machinery used to remove it from beaches risk destroying fragile turtle nests, scientists say.

“The coastlines are not built for this,” Barnes said.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, people are walking up to 25 feet (seven meters) on mats of seaweed before even reaching the water, according to Amy Dempsey, an environmental consultant.

“This is by far the worst I’ve seen it in the last five years,” she said. “We are getting slammed in the Virgin Islands.”

The smell of rotten eggs permeates communities where large piles of decaying sargassum emit ammonia and hydrogen sulfide.

“The effects of these gases on people can be severe,” warns the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, noting it can cause nausea, headaches and lung irritation.

Used in composting and bioenergy production

Officials on the French Caribbean island of Martinique recently opened a shelter to temporarily house those affected by the toxic gases after residents protested.

So far this year, crews in Martinique have collected more than 11,500 tons of sargassum — including 638 tons in four days alone this month — according to government data. Sea barriers catch some of the seaweed, while crews on shore collect the remainder by hand, storing and processing it for composting and bioenergy production.

Researchers at the University of South Florida and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration used artificial intelligence and found that from 2003 to 2022, macroalgae blooms increased by more than 13% per year in the tropical Atlantic and Western Pacific.

Overall, the blooms reached 16.9 million square miles (43.8 million square kilometers), according to a study published earlier this year.

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Associated Press reporter María Verza in Mexico City contributed.

Craig won 66.3% of the votes in a runoff with Sian Astley from the anti-immigration party Reform UK.

“To those that voted for me, thank you,” Craig said after the result was declared. “And for those of you that didn’t vote for me, I will still be your mayor. I will defend this city region with every bone in my body and I will fight for a better life for all of us.”

Turnout in voting held Thursday was only 25%, the lowest in any of the four elections since the northwest England city got a directly elected mayor in 2017.

Voters were able to mark a first and second choice on their ballots. Since no candidate reached 50% of the votes in the first round, the top two competed in a runoff in which the second-preference choices of five eliminated candidates were added.

Craig is the outgoing leader of Manchester City Council, one of the 10 boroughs that make up Greater Manchester. She fell just short of getting 50% of the first-round votes, so didn’t match the performance of Burnham, who won three straight elections without ever facing a runoff.

But the decisive result is still a boost for the center-left Labour Party, which was trounced by Reform UK in elections for local council seats across Greater Manchester less than three months ago.

Labour’s rout in those local elections across England helped trigger the resignation of then- Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Burnham’s rapid rise to the prime minister’s office.

“Labour got an absolute pasting, a shellacking in those local elections,” said Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester. He said Craig's rebound from that low ebb is “a really powerful moment" for the party.

Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years until he won a special election for a seat in Parliament and was selected as Labour leader after Starmer resigned. Burnham became prime minister on July 20.

Saturday

With our winds coming out of the west, showers and storms will develop near I-75 and then push towards the beaches. We will begin the day mostly dry, with the exception of showers near and just north of Marion County. Showers will begin popping up near I-75 around 11am. These showers and storms will push towards I-4 just after lunchtime, 1-3pm, with these storms pushing towards I-95 and the beaches as we push into mid-afternoon. We will keep a few scattered showers until sunset, then quiet things down. Highs will hover around 90 degrees with high humidity.

Sunday

With an approaching cold front pushing into the Deep South by Sunday, more energy and instability will enter our skies. This will help to create more showers and thunderstorms. Storms will move from Northwest to Southeast. Showers and storms will greet Marion County and areas around I-75 Sunday morning around 9am. These storms will fill in over I-4 around noon, then push into the beaches a little after 2pm. Scattered storms after this first main line will continue to dance around Central Florida through the rest of the afternoon and into Sunday evening. Highs will hit the upper 80s to low 90s with very humid conditions.

The concern comes months after a large gathering near ICON Park along International Drive in April, when more than 1,000 teens showed up and some were detained. Nine people were taken into custody at the scene, according to previous reports.

This week, posts promoting another “teen takeover” circulated online, drawing hundreds of reposts.

In an email to News 6, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said deputies are aware of the rumored gathering and have increased patrols in the area.

ICON Park has also tightened entry rules. An alert posted on the park’s website and outside entrances states anyone 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older.

A park spokesperson said the policy began Thursday and will remain in place until 10 a.m. Saturday. ICON Park would not specify why the policy is being enforced, but said it is staying vigilant after seeing posts on social media, though which posts were not specified.

A family entering ICON Park told News 6 the added security presence makes them feel safer after seeing video from previous incidents.

“We need the police — we need more security,” one visitor said. Another said the video was “shocking” and added the added security “helps us feel more safe.”

News 6 continued monitoring posts Friday. One of the most recent messages claimed the event had been canceled, but extra patrols and the park’s security protocols remained in place Friday night.

The new apparatus, valued at $1.7 million, replaces the previous Squad 2 and carries thousands of pieces of specialized equipment designed for the county’s most complex emergencies.

Crews often describe the unit as a “rolling toolbox” for its wide range of capabilities.

Firefighter and paramedic Thomas Blum helped design the heavy rescue unit, which the Special Hazards and Operations Team runs.

“It essentially gives us the capability to handle everything in the county without having to rely on outside resources,” Blum said.

Squad 2 responds to fires and medical emergencies while also providing advanced technical rescue support across a broad spectrum of situations, including hazardous materials incidents, vehicle and heavy machinery extrications, technical rescues, and other complex specialty incidents.

Whether rescuing victims trapped after a serious crash, stabilizing a collapsed structure or responding to a hazardous chemical release, Squad 2 gives the department the resources needed to protect both residents and visitors throughout Seminole County.

Squad 2 has been a cornerstone of the department’s technical rescue program since 1994. The newly commissioned unit marks the fourth generation of Squad 2 apparatus at the Seminole County Fire Department.

“We have a strong understanding of how to use the tools on this toolbox. You can’t be a master of all the incidents that we come across, but what you can master are the tools on your truck,” Blum said.

People who use the ramp said the water normally reaches the point where the metal ramp meets the dock. This week, the shoreline had pulled back several feet, exposing areas that are usually underwater.

City crews closed the right side of the boat ramp after low water levels exposed a protective material on the ramp that had to be cut and removed.

Boaters Jason and Erica Bailey watched the work unfold and said the drought is changing more than the view.

[WATCH: Central Florida drought deepens, prompting tighter watering rules in Phase Three counties]

“Once the levels go down, you can have obstructions in the water,” Jason said. “Some things could potentially be dangerous, especially around the bridges and seawall areas.”

The couple said they have seen severe drought conditions before, including in the early 2000s, when water levels dropped significantly and people could walk far beyond the beach area near the swimming pylons.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Central Florida is experiencing its longest drought since that period.

[WATCH: A goat, a sheep and a news anchor get stuck: How Florida’s drought is getting dangerous]

The effects are also visible at the swimming area of Waterfront Park, where land that is normally underwater is now dry. Boaters said they expect conditions to get worse unless the region gets steady rainfall.

“When you look around the lake, you can see some of the boats on lifts,” Jason said. “They probably won’t see the water again until next season.”

City officials said Clermont is under a Phase 3 water shortage declaration issued by the St. Johns River Water Management District. Residents are being asked to conserve water while the area waits for more consistent rain.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood said his office will follow state law, not the new city ordinance, calling its enforceability into question.

“I would like to know how constitutional it is to tell someone who at 15 can get a learner’s permit but you have to be 18 to operate an e-bike — I don’t know how that’s going to fly,” Chitwood said.

Earlier this week, News 6 spoke with parents and residents around Deltona, many of whom supported the new ordinance. Others questioned it.

News 6 also asked Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. why the city commission felt the rule change — including banning teens who already hold driver’s licenses — was necessary.

“You’re talking about pedestrians. We have to make sure we have sidewalks with ADA compliance. While the 16-year-olds can drive on the roads, you don’t see cars driving on sidewalks where people are actually walking,” Avila said.

Chitwood said his office will follow state motor vehicle code, which requires only Class 3 e-bikes — those capable of reaching up to 28 mph — to follow stricter rules, including licensing requirements. Riders operating those bikes illegally will be subject to enforcement.

“From my perspective, what am I going to do? Put a road block up outside of a school — ‘how old are you? Let me check your thing, OK, you’re good to go.’ Is that the road we’re heading down here where we’re going to be stopping 13-year-olds riding their bikes to school in the morning and checking ages?” Chitwood said.

News 6 reached out to Volusia County Schools to ask whether the district would prevent students from riding e-bikes to school in Deltona. A spokesperson called it a “city matter” and directed enforcement questions to the city.

The district did say it created a program requiring all Volusia County students who ride e-bikes to complete a course before bringing one to campus.

Chitwood said his office plans to work with schools on education rather than enforcement of the city’s ordinance.

“For me, to get around what Deltona’s doing, we’re working with the schools — we’re going to educate our kids. We want parents to know what they’re buying their kids. If that sucker goes 28 miles per hour or more and you don’t have the proper license and that thing’s not registered, you’re operating an unlicensed motor vehicle, and we’re going to tow it,” Chitwood said.

News 6 reached back out to the city of Deltona for comment after Chitwood’s remarks, and got this statement Friday evening:

“The City reached out to counsel for the Sheriff multiple times prior to moving the ordinance forward for adoption, and the City was never advised that this was the Sheriff’s position.  Nevertheless, the City is committed to working collaboratively with the Sheriff to address the Sheriff’s questions and concerns.”

An expanding crisis for soccer's governing body reached into Infantino's longtime inner circle when his pick to represent FIFA on the White House Task Force for the World Cup walked away calling the Joshua Kushner-backed $20 billion commercial subsidiary plan “a bad deal for football.”

Carlos Cordeiro is a former Goldman Sachs banker and officially Infantino's Senior Adviser yet revealed he was not involved in the secretive investment plan that has rocked the sport since media reports revealed it Tuesday.

“I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro said in a statement formally resigning, just hours after FIFA insisted in a statement: “Nobody is selling football.”

Cordeiro's exit — and call for other senior staff to speak out — intensified scrutiny on Infantino one day after European soccer body UEFA threatened to boycott all FIFA games and events until the plan is dropped. North America's CONCACAF also rejected Infantino’s offer of one-off $20 million payments to each member federation by a mid-September deadline.

Cordeiro often joined Infantino on working visits to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in recent years, and took part in meetings of the administration's World Cup task force led by Andrew Guiliani.

“Let me be clear. I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally,” said Cordeiro, the former U.S. Soccer Federation president.

Asia joins Europe and North America

On another seismic day in soccer politics, Asia’s soccer body that has been a key ally in Infantino's 11-year presidency opposed the investor plan and said FIFA must urgently review its management style

The Asian Football Confederation said it “stands in solidarity” with UEFA and CONCACAF, the first two continental bodies to oppose Infantino whose combined 90 FIFA member countries near a majority of the 211 global total.

“Football should never have been placed in such a position,” said the Asian soccer body, which counts 46 of FIFA's 211 members

Infantino has proposed spinning off FIFA's commercial businesses — including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women — into a $20 billion subsidiary with 20% owned by private investors.

The “anchor investor,” described by FIFA, is a New York-based investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

“(T)he proposed (FIFA Forward Enterprise) cannot realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward” and must be reconsidered, the AFC said.

The statement did not name Infantino yet criticized FIFA for problems beyond the content of the private equity plan plus failing to consult about the secretive proposal.

“Rather, it has exposed fundamental weaknesses in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed,” said the AFC, whose longtime president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa narrowly lost the FIFA presidential election to Infantino in 2016.

“Accordingly, the AFC calls upon FIFA to undertake an urgent review of its governance and decision-making framework,” said the organization based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

South America evaluating the proposal

CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American football, was the last to issue a statement. On Friday afternoon, the organization confirmed that upon learning of the proposal it consulted its member associations to evaluate the matter “with the rigor it demands.”

CONMEBOL also requested additional details from FIFA regarding the project’s scope, structure, governance, and potential overall impact.

Infantino's job at risk?

Infantino had seemed — 11 days ago after the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey — to have a clear path to being re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term in office through 2031.

FIFA had briefed during the tournament that Infantino had letters of support from about 200 members, despite a furor over letting U.S. forward Folarin Balogun play even though he received a red card in his previous game. Trump acknowledged asking Infantino to review Balogun's mandatory one-game ban.

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

FIFA blames the media

The Asian statement came hours after FIFA blamed the media and doubled down on pursuing the project which now seems to have a majority of the 211 in opposition.

“Our planned consultation process was disrupted by incorrect media reports,” FIFA said in a statement early Friday. “We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each (member) has the ability to express its vote based on facts.”

The next FIFA event that would be targeted by the threatened European boycott is within weeks — the Women’s Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5. The four British federations comprise FIFA’s only bidder to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup. That decision is due Nov. 23.

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

The United College Athletes Association said as part of the push, members of the Oregon State women's team filed a petition with state regulators, marking a formal effort to seek collective bargaining rights under state law.

The announcement comes two years after a group of women's basketball players co-signed letters to Southeastern and Big Ten Conference leaders in 2024, requesting a formal collaboration process on issues affecting college athletics.

Since those efforts were denied, more than 100 female athletes have signed union authorization cards with the UCAA, agreeing to representation in collective bargaining.

The announcement comes a few days after the College Football Players Association revealed that Stanford has become the first football team to organize a player-led chapter — another effort by college athletes to unionize.

The UCAA says its mission is to represent and protect athletes through collective bargaining, ensuring that college sports are safe, fair, sustainable and that athletes have a say in decision-making.

“As interim president of the UCAA, I’m proud to help lead a movement that gives college athletes a real voice in the decisions that shape our lives and careers," University of Maryland basketball player Oluchi Okananwa said in a statement.

NCAA leaders have long opposed the idea of players becoming employees of their schools, though the idea isn't universally opposed by college leaders. Tennessee athletic director Danny White has been among those who have said collective bargaining is the only real solution to the problems that confront schools that are now paying millions to their players.

Attempts to create unions for college athletes at Dartmouth and Southern California stalled in 2024 due to the changing landscape in college sports and the then-incoming Trump administration's new National Labor Relations Board, which wasn't expected to approve the moves.

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The push for expanded use of Starlink comes as Zelenskyy looks for alternate ways to mitigate the need for U.S. Patriot air defense systems to thwart the steady barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian territory. The interceptors are in shorter supply as the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran continues to rage, and Trump on Friday appeared to back away from a recent commitment to give Ukraine a license to produce them.

Zelenskyy made the request directly to Trump in an Oval Office meeting this week during his whirlwind trip to Washington, according to one person familiar with the matter. He also told lawmakers later on Capitol Hill that he wanted Starlink to help with targeting inside Russia, according to a person in the room. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive private discussions. Trump did not commit to Zelenskyy’s request.

Zelenskyy has been pushing to expand Starlink use for weeks

Musk has allowed the Ukrainians to use Starlink inside their own territory, including in Ukrainian regions occupied by the Russians, but has restricted use of the satellite system inside Russia.

Zelenskyy has been making the case for expanded use of Starlink with U.S. officials for at least several weeks. The White House, the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington and officials at SpaceX, which owns Starlink, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Zelenskyy’s request. Zelenskyy’s efforts to get Musk’s permission to use Starlink to help with Ukrainian attacks inside Russia was first reported by The Atlantic.

Granting permission for an expanded use of Starlink could come with risk for Musk. The Associated Press reported in December that two NATO-nation intelligence services suspect Russia is developing a new anti-satellite weapon to target Musk’s Starlink constellation with destructive orbiting clouds of shrapnel.

The intelligence findings were shown to the AP on condition that the services involved were not identified, and the news organization was not able to independently verify the findings’ conclusions.

Russia views Starlink as a grave threat, the findings indicate. The thousands of low-orbiting satellites have been pivotal for Ukraine’s survival against Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

Ukrainian leader also pitched US lawmakers during recent visit

Zelenskyy had traveled to Washington to attend Sen. Lindsey Graham's memorial service and used the visit to check in with Trump and allies on Capitol Hill.

Zelenskyy visited the Capitol following his meeting with Trump in the White House earlier in the day. Senators said the requests the Ukrainian president made were similar to what he had told them earlier in July during a meeting at the NATO summit in Turkey.

“They need access to Starlink long term to make their longer-range and intermediate-range systems more accurate,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“They prefer to be exactly on target, as opposed to, in the general area,” Rounds said. “He made that pretty clear.”

Zelenskyy spoke with lawmakers late Tuesday evening ahead of a Senate vote on a punishing new Russia sanctions package, which advanced toward a final vote expected next week.

Zelenskyy also reiterated Ukraine's need for more U.S. Patriots and the previously discussed licensing agreement so Ukraine could start producing the system in house, said Rounds, who was part of the delegation of U.S. lawmakers at the NATO conference in Ankara.

“There was a consistency from what President Zelenskyy shared with us in Turkey two weeks ago to what he shared with us again once again, in terms of what their needs are,” Rounds said. “It’s pretty straightforward.”

Trump appears to edge away from Patriots licensing commitment

But Trump appeared to edge away from the earlier commitment to give Ukraine a license to make Patriots for its military needs during a gathering of his Cabinet at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, on Friday.

Trump at the NATO summit in Turkey declared “we’ll give them the right to make Patriots” to counter missile attacks from Russia in their more than four-year war.

The president told reporters on Friday that the licensing matter remains under discussion and said he hasn't made a decision on it.

“We’re talking about it. But it’s a hard thing to give away that kind of technology,” Trump said.

Trump's relationship has improved with Zelenskyy as Ukraine has gained strength on the battlefield with Russia in recent months. And Zelenskyy has sought to portray that his war with Russia is connected to the U.S. and Israel's conflict with Iran.

U.S. intelligence has shown that Tehran provided Russia with drones to use against Ukraine. More recently, Russia has prepared to ship drones for Iran, including upgraded versions of the technology that Tehran originally supplied to Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine, according to U.S. and European officials.

Zelenskyy said ahead of this week's visit to Washington that he'd share evidence with the United States that shows Russia is assisting Iran in targeting U.S. bases in the Middle East via satellite surveillance.

Zelenskyy also has been making the case to the Trump administration that his country is well positioned to help the U.S. counter Iranian drone attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East and Gulf allies' infrastructure.

“He has been very emphatic they are going to provide more aid to us in unmanned warfare, aerial unmanned warfare, which has been so instrumental in Iran — his people have been there, they’ve been providing technology and know-how — and they’re ready, willing and able to do it in even greater magnitude,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, who sits on the Armed Services Committee. “He was very emphatic on that point.”

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AP writers John Leicester in Paris and Emma Burrows in London contributed reporting.

Skattebo declared himself nearly fully healthy at New York Giants training camp, nine months removed from his gruesome right ankle and leg injury. But after getting into some hot water with the organization for doing a backflip and landing awkwardly on that surgically repaired ankle earlier this month, he's planning to stay grounded for a while.

“Obviously, I do some dumb things here and there, but I learn from it,” Skattebo said Friday. “We’ll see when game time comes around. But right now, we’re focused on training camp, and we’ll keep the backflips off the field for now.”

Skattebo alarmed, among others, coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen when they saw video of the backflip at Fanatics Fest in New York on July 18. He turned out to be fine, but a text message and some difficult conversations followed.

“He’s a young man that’s still getting used to the spotlight and in New York City, and you've got to be conscious of your actions, not only from a health standpoint but a perception standpoint,” Schoen said. “He knows I’d rather him not do that, especially this close to camp.”

It is not the first time Skattebo has been second-guessed for something off the field since reaching the NFL and getting hurt. He took part in a WWE show in November, weeks after surgery, took criticism from radio hosts but was not worse for the wear.

The botched backflip was a much riskier endeavor the Giants would rather he not repeat.

“The big picture message is you want to take care of yourself," Harbaugh said. "You want to take care of your team: do everything you can do to be healthy, be back, be right, be good.”

The 24-year-old running back declared in May he'd be ready for the season opener Sept. 13 against Dallas. Skattebo also told the coaching staff he'd be good for the start of camp and hit that deadline.

As a result, he has no limitations and is doing just about as well as he can.

“I've felt 99%,” Skattebo said. “I think the 100% is when I put shoulder pads on and I'm able to hit someone. That's when I tell you I'm 100%, but for now I'm 99.9% OK."

Skattebo will get that chance when the pads go on beginning Monday.

A 2025 fourth-round pick out of Arizona State, Skattebo rushed for 410 yards and five touchdowns on 101 carries before having his rookie year cut short Oct. 26 at Philadelphia. This past spring, he set a goal of playing 17-plus games and rushing for over 2,000 yards on 300 carries.

Skattebo didn't shy away from those lofty aspirations — which would give him a top-10 season in league history — but his main focus is on moving past the injury and rehab process and getting back to what he does best.

"It was a long, hard road," Skattebo said. “It’s time to play football.”

Malik Nabers did not practice Friday

After being the talk of the start of camp for getting on the field for individual drills after his own lengthy rehab from a torn ACL, Malik Nabers did not take part in practice Friday. Harbaugh called it “part of the process.”

“We’ll work through it, and every single day will be what it is that given day,” Harbaugh said. “He’s worked real hard, made a lot of progress and that’s what we decided to do today for practice.”

Neither Nabers nor the Giants have set a timetable for his return to game action.

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

Two major rail unions praised the proposed rule announced Friday that would also strengthen the standards for certifying that crews can safely operate a train.

The government had concerns after inspecting two Texas railyards near the border last fall on the two railroads directly affected by these restrictions on Mexican crews — CPKC and Union Pacific. CPKC and the Association of American Railroads trade group declined to comment while they study the rule.

“We have the same goals — safe, secure operations that keep the supply chain fluid,” Union Pacific said in a statement. “And we will continue working with our federal partners through the regulatory process.”

Inspections documented language concerns

The Federal Railroad Administration sent letters to both CPKC and UP in December after those inspections found several instances of train crews having trouble understanding English. The government urged those railroads to reexamine their practices and make sure that Mexican crews can speak English and don’t operate a train more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) inside America.

The Federal Railroad Administration said at the time the concern was that these Mexican crews bringing trains into Union Pacific’s Eagle Pass rail yard and CPKC’s facility in Laredo were having a hard time understanding operating bulletins and U.S. regulations that require information about hazardous materials and emergency responses to be maintained in English.

Both UP and CPKC have pledged to make sure they were following the existing rules, including that the Mexican crews do not travel more than 10 miles into the United States. But now the federal government wants to strengthen the rules “because railroad crews must be able to communicate fully and accurately when crossing into the United States, most notably with dispatchers and emergency responders during a crisis, as a safety-critical function.”

Rail unions and the Transportation Department worry

This rail safety effort aligns closely with the Transportation Department's efforts to ensure that truck drivers can understand English, so they can read road signs and warnings and communicate with first responders after an accident or during an inspection. The government has tried to withhold millions of dollars in highway funding from New York and California because it isn’t satisfied with the steps those states have taken to make sure the commercial driver’s licenses they issue are valid.

Mark Wallace, the national president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union, has been raising concerns about this practice of using Mexican train crews for several years because of safety, security and job concerns.

The union has said that the handoffs used to happen right at the border, but now Union Pacific and CPKC routinely ask Mexican crews to bring trains several miles over the border to one of their railyards where the crew switches can be done more safely. But the firm 10-mile (16-kilometer) restriction in this rule will prevent the railroads from expanding this practice to railyards further into America like the union said UP was considering in New Mexico.

“Trains originating from Mexico, operated by foreign crews were unable to communicate with dispatchers in English and the language barrier posed a hazard in the event of a derailment or other incident,” Wallace said.

Trains started crossing the border to limit smuggling

But the railroads have said that this practice of using Mexican train crews to bring the trains into railyards in America was developed in 2018 with the approval of the first Trump administration to address smuggling concerns. When trains are stopped at the border smugglers often try to conceal drugs or other contraband aboard them and immigrants might jump aboard to get into the United States.

It is also routine for Canadian crews to bring trains a few miles over the northern border with the United States before handing off to American crews.

New rules should strengthen crew certification standards

The SMART-TD union that represents conductors and other rail workers also said the provisions of the rule that will prohibit train crews from using a system that's similar to cruise control for freight trains when they take their certification tests will help ensure they can operate a train safely.

“Railroad certifications should represent proven ability, not simply possession of a certificate,” said Jared Cassity, who is SMART-TD’s top safety expert. “When lives are on the line, the FRA must know that an engineer can safely operate a train, not just supervise a computer doing it.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond said her organization, which serves Americans 50 and older, had supported the temporary subsidy.

“While it’s too early to know the full impact of this change, it would be unfortunate if this decision made Part D coverage less affordable, just as we’re beginning to see billions in savings from Medicare drug price negotiation,” she said in a statement.

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

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

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This story first moved July 30, 2026. It was retransmitted July 31, 2026, to correct the spelling of “affect” in the 5th-to-last paragraph.

Months later, the Medical Examiner’s report shows the worker — identified as Daniel Maldonado, 49 — died from “multiple blunt impact injuries,” and his death was ruled an accident.

While the report doesn’t specify the exact circumstances surrounding Maldonado’s death, it does mention details of the injuries he suffered.

Head and neck injuries included:

• Abrasions and a laceration near the right ear
• Bleeding beneath the scalp and within/around the brain (including subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhages)
• A pontomedullary laceration (injury at the brainstem region)

Torso injuries included:

• Extensive abrasions, bruising, and lacerations
• Severe spinal trauma involving fractures of the T3–T5 vertebrae, with the spinal cord and aorta transected at T4
• Multiple displaced rib fractures
• Lacerations to internal organs including the lungs, liver, and spleen
• Blood in the chest and abdomen cavities (hemothorax and hemoperitoneum)

Extremity injuries included:

• An open fracture of the left humerus
• Multiple abrasions and contusions to arms and leg

“The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of a team member while on the job at Orlando International Airport on the evening of May 7,” the airline said in a statement shortly after news broke of Maldonado’s death. “We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time.”

Delta noted that safety is the airline’s top core value.

At the time, Orlando police said they were conducting a death investigation inside the airside terminal, though few other details about the case have been released so far.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidates

The Democratic U.S. Senate primary is a statewide race open to all registered Democrats in Florida to decide who will represent the party in the November general election against the incumbent senator, Republican Ashley Moody.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates. Where possible, for candidates who did not respond, our collaborative partners sought to fill in details.

Our News Collaborative partners at Central Florida Public Media compiled the candidate responses for the U.S. Senate Democratic primary. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.

You can see the full Central Florida Public Media Voting Guide HERE.

Angie Nixon

WEBSITE: angienixon.com/

If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? If elected, the top three most pressing issues I will focus on as U.S. Senator are addressing the high cost of living, the health/home insurance industry, and standing against the dismantling of essential services like Social Security, Medicare and SNAP.

Floridians are being crushed by an affordability crisis driven by corporate greed, political corruption and leaders who are afraid to stand up for the needs of the people.

To solve these issues, we must crack down on price-gouging by large corporations, restore power to Floridians by removing power from insurance companies, and invest further in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and VA benefits. We need a system that takes care of our healthcare, not the needs of insurance companies. I am strongly in favor of Medicare For All because it

FOR CHALLENGERS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I am running in this race because the needs of Floridians have not been represented. I have delivered on affordable childcare, raising wages, and home insurance in a bipartisan way in the Florida Legislature. I have experience legislating on behalf of the needs of all Floridians. We need leaders who will fight through anything for the needs of the people.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? We must increase the housing supply in Florida to keep pace with the rapidly growing population. My priorities include incentivizing construction of affordable housing and re-evaluating the zoning laws to allow construction of more duplexes and mixed-use developments. Additionally, part of the problem is the home insurance premiums in the state, which have been driven up by climate disasters, litigation costs, and multiple insurers withdrawing from offering coverage within the state.

Renters also make up a large portion of Florida’s households. Increasing access to rental assistance programs and expanding transparency around fees and rent increases must be looked at as solutions to address this ongoing issue.

Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. I would absolutely vote no, and here’s why: It’ll gut local services. State economists say it’ll blow a $12 billion hole in local budgets. That’s going to force cities and counties to drastically cut essential services like fire rescue, public hospitals, and parks, which we all rely on. Otherwise, local governments will be forced to raise other taxes and fees to try to make up for the loss in funding. It’s also a massive permanent tax break for corporate landlords, vacation rentals, and large commercial buildings.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? Data centers are a product of large corporations, and they must pay their fair share and be held accountable for the huge negative impact their technology has. No amount of money should absolve them of being responsible for their actions.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue the government should address in Florida? Climate change is the most impactful environmental issue in Florida. Climate change comes with a massive human and economic toll and it is something that we must address head-on.

Do you agree with the current federal and state governments’ approaches to immigration enforcement? Why or why not? I do not agree with the way that this administration has gone about immigration enforcement. Many of the policies have been inhumane, illegal, and downright un-American. Immigration is a deeply complex issue; however, there are a few things that are abundantly clear: we must treat people with dignity and create a system that is orderly, efficient and considerate, not a system built on cruelty or chaos.

Alex Vindman

WEBSITE: alexvindman.com/

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Lowering costs for Floridians is my top priority. As I travel the state to meet voters, everybody tells me that life is unaffordable in our state. We need to lower the cost of housing, groceries, insurance, and health care. I also plan to fight the political corruption catering to special interests that is responsible for this affordability crisis. My campaign released a “Florida First” policy agenda to make Florida more affordable. One of the key planks of this platform is a plan to solve Florida’s homeowners insurance crisis by increasing market competition, holding insurers accountable, and addressing the underlying risks driving up premiums. I will also work to cut red tape that slows construction, support policies that allow first-time homebuyers to break into the market, and take on corporate investors who view housing purely as a speculative asset and are buying up homes and driving up prices across the state.

Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. This is a half-measure that fails to address the homeowners insurance crisis that is making Florida unaffordable. Local government officials have said that this proposal will force municipalities across the state to cut funding for law enforcement and fire services, and I will never vote to defund the police. This proposal is just a fig leaf to hide the fact that career politicians in Tallahassee have failed to address rising costs for decades, and Floridians are frustrated and pissed off. That’s why I’m 100% focused on how we can cut costs for Floridians.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? Our state is suffering from an affordability crisis, and Florida’s utility regulators should respond by making sure that data centers are paying for their electricity and not passing these costs onto the backs of working Floridians suffering from our state’s affordability crisis. I believe we need a moratorium on data center construction until we have a policy ensuring that the extra costs associated with data centers are not passed onto Floridians.

Do you agree with the current federal and state governments’ approaches to immigration enforcement? Why or why not? As an immigrant refugee myself, I am staunchly pro-immigration reform. I oppose efforts to expand inhumane immigration detention that treats all undocumented as criminals and dangers to society. A system that swiftly and fairly adjudicates immigration status aligns with the U.S. Constitution’s expectation of speedy trials. I believe that existing asylum laws are broadly functional and permit asylum seekers access to the U.S. I loathe the policies of family separation and seriously question the policy of family detention that equates to collective punishment, including the innocent. I will always support those coming to this country for a better life, and I will proudly vote for and cosponsor legislation that creates a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, and essential workers. We need clear and fair immigration systems, while also preserving border security that assures U.S. national security.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.7% after veering between gains and losses through the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 276 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 1% after briefly losing all of an early 1.3% jump.

It’s a fitting finish to July for the U.S. stock market, which lurched up and down as oil prices shot higher because of the war with Iran and worries grew about whether Big Tech’s massive investments in artificial-intelligence technology will translate into profits and whether chipmaker stocks soared too high in the euphoria around AI.

Friday’s gains sent the S&P 500 to its first winning week in three, but the main measure of the U.S. stock market nevertheless finished the month with a tiny loss.

Amazon led the market with a leap of 15.3% after reporting much stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its profit more than tripled from a year earlier, thanks in part to an acceleration of growth in its cloud computing business.

Analysts said that could be a signal Amazon’s huge AI investments are paying off, and Amazon increased its forecast for how much it will spend on investments this year.

The reaction was similar to what Microsoft got a day before, when its stock soared to its best day in nearly 18 years on signals that its AI investments may also be yielding higher profits.

Chip companies selling the processors and computer memory that such “hyperscalers” are scrambling to buy swung sharply again on Friday. Micron Technology, for example, went from an early jump of 6.4% to a loss of 6.5% before finishing with a fall of 5.9%.

More firmly on the losing end of Wall Street was Apple, which dropped 7.4% despite reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. Its forecast for revenue growth in the current quarter fell short of expectations, which executives pinned on a supply crunch in components getting vacuumed up in the AI boom.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 52.09 points to 7,489.72. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 276.97 to 52,485.03, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 251.68 to 25,373.85.

The gains came despite another rise in oil prices as uncertainty continues about when the war with Iran will allow crude to flow freely again from the Middle East.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude rose 1.2% to settle at $87.93 after careening between $72 and $102 earlier in July.

Higher oil prices have pushed the cost for a gallon of regular gasoline to an average of nearly $4.11 across the United States, up from $3.85 a month ago, according to AAA. More expensive oil also puts upward pressure on prices for virtually every product that rides on a ship, plane or truck before getting to a customer.

The worries about inflation sent yields in the bond market even higher.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.71% from 4.68% late Thursday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran sent oil prices shooting higher. That’s a notable move for the yield, which moves higher when investors’ expectations for inflation, economic growth and other factors in upcoming years are rising.

The leap for the 10-year yield has already sent the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate to its highest level in a year.

Longer-term yields jumped on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve’s chairman, Kevin Warsh, promised again to get inflation back down to 2% but refused to say how he plans to get it there. The Fed voted again to keep its main interest rate steady on Wednesday, even though inflation remains well above 2%.

Hikes to rates by the Fed could restrain inflation, but they could also slow the economy and undercut prices for stocks and other investments. President Donald Trump, who nominated Warsh to lead the Fed, has lobbied for lower interest rates instead of higher.

Warsh has told financial markets that he does not want to give hints about what the Fed will do with interest rates, saying he wants to get direct, “unfiltered” messages from them rather than echoes back of what the Fed has suggested.

But “without clarifying why action was or wasn’t taken already, it’s hard to see how statements about being committed to hitting its inflation target aren’t just a bluff,” according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management.

“The Fed is facing a growing credibility problem,” economists at Bank of America wrote in a report. Unless data comes in showing less pressure on inflation in the interim, “it is imperative for the Fed to pass the September test by hiking rates and delivering an internally consistent narrative.”

In stock markets abroad, the swings were even wilder for chip stocks.

Seoul’s Kospi index soared 17.9% for its best day in history. The index is dominated by two tech giants, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, and both surged at least 26.8% on Friday.

The Kospi, though, still lost 22% in July despite Friday’s historic move. That’s after it more than doubled in the first six months of the year.

___

AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

Ceuta’s president put the number of migrants at 60,000, which was equivalent to 70% of the territory's population. But most of them soon went back, the Spanish government said, after the sudden arrival of so many people sparked a humanitarian crisis.

Some migrants swam several miles through the sea and faced down authorities who tried to turn them back with water cannons, tear gas and warning shots. Those who died included some who drowned or were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier near a border checkpoint.

Spain deployed its armed forces and additional police to restore order in Ceuta, which sits on the Strait of Gibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea and has been a Spanish possession since 1580. On the Moroccan side of the border, security forces clashed with migrants. The chaos also had ripple effects abroad, with Italy and France pledging to tighten their controls on people arriving from Spain.

“The situation that Ceuta is going through is absolutely unsustainable,” Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas told journalists.

Meanwhile, migrants from Morocco also attempted to cross into Melilla, Spain’s other territory at the tip of North Africa, where they clashed with police.

Spanish prime minister condemns border breach

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Ceuta on Friday and condemned the border breach, which he described as “a violation of Spain's territorial integrity.”

Sánchez blamed human smugglers for the crisis, saying they “deceive so many young people and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths,” whether in the ocean or in the city.

The Spanish Interior Ministry released its own figures shortly after Vivas spoke, estimating that some 50,000 people had crossed from Morocco since Thursday. It added that 48,300 had already returned to Morocco by Friday evening, with hundreds more going back by the hour.

Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, described the situation as a “serious humanitarian crisis,” saying thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, were left sleeping in parks and on sidewalks, while others roamed the streets aimlessly.

“It’s chaotic,” Sbihi said.

The Moroccan Interior Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the migrant figures released by the Spanish authorities.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the images from Ceuta were “unacceptable.”

“We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules,” she said Friday in an online statement. “Dangerous crossings must stop immediately. Smuggling networks must be dismantled. And returns must be swift, as our rules allow.”

Dozens died in the chaos

Some of the 57 people who died had drowned, Sbihi said, but some were also killed in a stampede to cross the breakwater fence at Tarajal Beach, an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco. The waters near the border fence were littered with buoys, shoes and other abandoned belongings.

Many young Moroccans who crossed into Ceuta told The Associated Press that they had hoped to find better work opportunities in Spain but were returning given the mayhem in Ceuta.

“There’s nothing at home. I’d have to work 12-hour shifts for a meager wage. That’s why I came here,” said 21-year-old Abdulah Buji, who hails from the city of Tetouan. “But I haven’t found any opportunities here either, so I have to go back.”

Moroccan police used water cannons and fired warning shots into the air to prevent migrants from crossing into Ceuta, according to rights groups in Morocco.

Morocco’s ambassador to Spain said the situation in Ceuta had unfolded against Morocco’s wishes.

“We have always prioritized legal, orderly and safe migration for all,” Karima Benyaich said. She did not comment on what prompted the migrants to cross into Ceuta.

To reach Ceuta, on the northern African coast, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering about 3 miles (5 kilometers) to reach Spanish territory. Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.

Authorities in Ceuta and Madrid have linked the border surge to a recent decision by the Spanish Supreme Court, which ruled that migrants arriving by sea could not be summarily deported, unlike those who cross by land or climb the border fence.

Sánchez said migrant smugglers misinterpreted the ruling.

The interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling “spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organizations,” triggering the surge, Sánchez said.

Spain has bucked anti-immigration trend

Sánchez has bucked the anti-migration trend that has gained ground across Europe and in the U.S.

Earlier this year, his government moved to give residency and work permits to hundreds of thousands of migrants already living in the country without permission.

Sánchez, a Socialist, argued that it would be good for the economy and the demographics of an aging Spain. Migrants who entered irregularly after Jan. 1 this year were not included.

His critics jumped at the opportunity to attack his policy, saying it encouraged more migrants to come.

“Sánchez allows Spain to be invaded through Ceuta,” Spanish conservative politician Isabel Díaz Ayuso wrote on X.

The U.S. expressed its support for “the people of Spain, and all Europeans, against this egregious violation of their sovereignty and human rights.”

In a post on X, the State Department added that “this unacceptable incident is the direct result of the Spanish Government’s deliberate efforts to enable and facilitate mass illegal migration into Europe.”

Sánchez on Friday defended his migration policy and distanced it from the events in Ceuta.

In the tumult, Italy temporarily suspended its open-border Schengen agreement with Spain, reimposing border controls for air and sea. The Interior Ministry said the decision amounted to a “closure” of the borders, but experts said it was merely a resumption of border controls. The agreement allows travelers to fly between the two countries without presenting passports.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said France would also strengthen border checks with Spain.

The crisis in Ceuta “has nothing to do with the regularization of migrants adopted by the Government of Spain, as is being falsely claimed by some,” the Spanish government said in a statement late Thursday after Meloni's announcement.

Pressure grows on second Spanish territory in Africa

Migrants from Morocco also attempted to cross into Melilla, the other Spanish territory at the tip of North Africa.

There was widespread chaos in Bni Nsar, the Moroccan town bordering the Spanish territory, where migrants clashed with police, throwing rocks and setting police vehicles ablaze, according to local media and rights groups. They reported injuries among security forces and the arrest of dozens of people attempting to cross.

Like Ceuta, Melilla is a self-governing Spanish city. Many Moroccans consider both cities to be occupied territory.

___

Naishadham reported from Madrid. Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press journalists Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain; Akram Oubachir in Casablanca, Morocco; and Antonio Sempere in Ceuta, Spain, contributed.

The July 2026 report from the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, known as OPPAGA, analyzed milestone inspection data from 2024 and 2025. The inspections were required under a law passed after the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, which killed 98 people.

How the inspection process works

Under Florida law, condominium and cooperative buildings that are three or more stories tall must undergo a milestone inspection by the time they reach 30 years of age — or 25 years if located near saltwater. Inspections must be repeated every 10 years.

The process begins with a visual phase one inspection by a licensed architect or engineer. If substantial structural deterioration is found, a more in-depth phase two inspection follows, which can include destructive or nondestructive testing. Building owners must begin any repairs identified in a phase two report within 365 days

Inspections completed, but gaps remain

In total, building officials across the state reported 8,736 completed phase one milestone inspections and 1,575 completed phase two milestone inspections for 2024 and 2025 combined.

Building officials also granted 1,587 extensions for initial inspection deadlines. Ninety-four percent of those extensions were issued in coastal counties and municipalities, where the bulk of eligible buildings are concentrated.

The report noted that not all jurisdictions submitted data. OPPAGA received 2024 milestone inspection data from 71% of local enforcement agency jurisdictions and 2025 data from just 64% — meaning the full picture across Florida may be larger than what the report reflects.

Dozens of buildings flagged as unsafe

Milestone inspections identified 30 buildings as unsafe or uninhabitable in 2024 and 24 more in 2025, spread across eight counties statewide. Despite those findings, building officials reported that most buildings deemed unsafe or uninhabitable were not vacated.

Of the 30 buildings flagged in 2024, officials confirmed only five were vacated. For 2025, building officials reported none of the five buildings for which responses were received had been vacated.

Repair costs range from under $1,000 to $30 million

Building officials reported 903 permit applications for repairs identified through phase two inspections. Estimated values ranged from under $1,000 to $30 million, with concrete, electrical and structural repairs among the most common.

The average permit value was $337,229 in 2024 and $496,236 in 2025. Fifty-six permits in 2024 and 30 in 2025 exceeded $1 million. Ninety-three percent of 2024 permit applications and 100% of 2025 permit applications were for buildings in coastal counties and municipalities.

Data collection needs work

OPPAGA identified several limitations in how the state collected inspection data. Among the concerns: building officials used inconsistent definitions when determining whether a building was unsafe or uninhabitable, since Florida law does not define either term.

The report recommended the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, known as DBPR, provide clearer guidance to local enforcement agencies — including a webinar or guided tutorial — to improve accuracy and consistency in future reporting cycles.

DBPR Secretary Melanie Griffin acknowledged the challenges in a written response included in the report.

“This effort presented challenges because the milestone inspection process and related statewide reporting requirement are still maturing, and local building departments vary in size, staffing, resources, and familiarity with statewide data reporting,” Griffin wrote.

Griffin said the department is developing additional guidance and virtual training for the 2026 reporting cycle.

Friday marks the last day of a contract under which the federal government pays for legal services for children who enter the U.S. without a parent or guardian. The government contracts out those services to a network of nearly 100 legal groups across the country that provide services to roughly 20,000 children.

The Trump administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why it was allowing the contract to expire. But it comes as the administration has redoubled its efforts to achieve its policy of mass deportations, and after migrant children became a target for removal from the country during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term in office.

As part of the expiring contract, the legal groups can enter government-funded shelters and give presentations to children about their legal rights, and directly represent the children as they go through immigration court proceedings.

But as that contract ends, the providers say it’s unclear what will happen come Monday or whether they'll be able to visit their clients in the shelters where they live.

“We have no understanding of what’s going to happen to those children come next week. We don’t know if they’re going to have legal representation. The government as of yet has not identified who will take over this representation,” said Melissa Lopez, the executive director of Estrella El Paso, during a news conference earlier this week. The organization currently represents 243 unaccompanied children in western Texas and New Mexico.

The providers say their ability to enter the shelters, check on their clients and give presentations to new arrivals serves as an important oversight measure for a vulnerable population. The providers warn that without a lawyer to assist them in court and help them navigate the complexities of immigration law, children will be much more likely to be deported back to countries they initially fled.

“The government is trying to eliminate our work in this program because they know that without attorneys children will be deported,” said Lopez.

Health and Human Services, which is responsible for caring for unaccompanied migrant children while they are in government care and which administers the contract, did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

In a Texas immigration court, children play with action figures as lawyer warns of future

Dozens of children and teens filed early Friday morning into the Harlingen courthouse for a hearing before an immigration judge. In the lobby, other children waiting for their hearings played with puzzles and action figures or drew in coloring books.

One 8-year-old boy walked into the courtroom holding an Etch-a-Sketch as he sat next to his attorney.

These were children who had come to the U.S. without a parent or guardian and now their cases were making their way through the immigration courts. But Lauren Fisher Flores, an attorney for the American Bar Association’s ProBar project, which is contracted to provide legal services in southwestern Texas, warned the court of the looming contract expiration.

She explained that come Monday, lawyers wouldn't be able to provide the legal information sessions that they usually give to children in shelters that let children know their rights and lawyers also would no longer be able to step in and provide the “Friend of the Court” services where they assist those children who sometimes show up in court without a lawyer. Fisher Flores said the organization didn't know what the government's plan was going forward.

“We sincerely hope there will be someone to step in next week,” she said.

The judge thanked the attorney and said she was sorry to hear the news.

Legal groups already laying off staff after months of no payments

The end of the contract comes as the legal service providers representing these children say they have not been paid for more than half a year. The organizations say that the Trump administration has been withholding payments as it demands detailed information from the providers about their clients that the providers say they have never been asked for before and that they ethically cannot provide.

“They are clearly trying to destroy the program by grinding down the financial health of nonprofits. We’ve seen layoffs and furloughs, and we will see a lot more of that if these invoices aren’t paid,” said Michael Lukens, the executive director of the Amica Center

Some groups have been trying to secure private funding to continue their work, while others have begun laying off staff and shuttering offices. ProBar in south Texas this week laid off 20% of its staff.

Mid-South Immigration Advocates is a nonprofit law firm based in Memphis, Tennessee, which helps over 400 unaccompanied minors. The organization’s legal director, Sally Joyner, said the organization is owed over $500,000 from the federal government to reimburse them for their work with the children. They've already had to lay off seven employees since 2025 and more layoffs are planned. They're closing their physical offices in Nashville and Memphis at the end of September and expect to close their law firm entirely soon.

As their budget tightens, she said they're doing everything they can to continue representing the children who are their clients. She warns that without attorneys to represent them, migrant children, including infants and teens, could be ordered deported in the coming weeks.

“These are kids who have been living in our communities, going to our schools for you know three, four, five years,” Joyner said. “Some of them they only know the United States and will have gone to high school, graduate high school just in time for ICE to send them to prison.”

Migrant children coming to the U.S. alone usually have special protections

Migrant children traveling alone are usually entrusted to U.S. government care, and there are various legal protections that apply to them once they’re in the U.S. and navigating the immigration system, including the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008.

The law said the government should facilitate legal representation for children put into deportation proceedings.

With some limited exceptions, it requires that children be placed in the “least restrictive setting possible,” which generally means they can be released to a sponsor, such as a relative in the U.S., while their immigration proceedings play out.

The children can apply for a specially protected status if they can’t return to their home country because of abuse or neglect and they can also apply for asylum.

___

Santana reported from Sacramento. Associated Press reporter Laura Turbay in Little Rock contributed to this report.

Broadcasters like ABC, Carr said in an interview on the Fox Business Network, “struck a deal with the American people. You broadcasters get subsidized access, free access to a valuable public resource, the airwaves, worth billions of dollars. In exchange, you have to operate in the public interest.”

“Look, as a country, we should have a trusted, respected news media, and we’re not there,” Carr told anchor Maria Bartiromo. “So I hope more broadcasters return to their public interest obligations.”

The FCC has been pushing ABC

The remarks came a day after ABC, issuing another salvo in an ever-escalating battle with President Donald Trump’s FCC, again accused the agency of a brazen attempt to chill its constitutionally protected free speech — and by extension, that of every media outlet in the country.

ABC accused the agency of retaliating against it simply because it doesn't like the political content of ABC’s shows.

The network's new comments came in its latest filing to the agency, expressing its formal opposition to the FCC's early review, launched in April, of eight ABC local broadcast licenses well before they expire.

“There is no question why the Commission is singling out these eight stations,” the filing said. “Each is owned by ABC, and the Administration has openly and repeatedly called for the revocation of ABC’s licenses, because it dislikes the content and viewpoints expressed on ABC network programs.”

“The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country,” it continued. “Accommodate the Administration’s view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price. … The tools vary; the objective does not: a media industry too fearful of official reprisal to report the news freely. “

The license review is only one part of a long-simmering confrontation between ABC and the FCC. The network is also battling Carr’s efforts to make "The View,” a talk show whose hosts and guests have frequently angered Trump, subject to equal-time rules — a question ABC says the agency itself resolved more than two decades ago.

The rules require granting equal airtime to competing candidates for office. Bona fide news programs are exempt. The FCC qualified the show as such in a 2002 decision.

Kimmel has also been a target

Trump has also repeatedly called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired.

When the FCC launched its early review of ABC’s licenses in April, it came amid a fight with Kimmel over a joke that offended Trump. The agency, however, cited diversity, equity and inclusion practices at the company, and Carr brought them up in the Fox interview.

Operating in the public interest, he said, “means you can’t run news distortions, broadcast hoax. You can’t be engaging in this invidious form of DEI discrimination.” He did not elaborate.

In its filing Thursday, ABC referred to over 140,000 comments from viewers, part of the public comment period on the issue, posted to the FCC website — more than 95% of which it said were supportive of ABC’s position.

“The outpouring of support for the Stations has been unprecedented for a license renewal proceeding," it said. “These supporters span the ideological spectrum but share a fundamental commitment to free speech and press freedom.”

In its lengthy filing, ABC also noted how rare it is that the FCC would call for early license renewal applications.

“Until the day before the Commission took this step, it had not called for license renewal applications ahead of schedule for more than fifty years,” ABC said. “The Commission’s departure from those norms lays bare what is really going on: the Administration is retaliating against ABC for the exercise of its First Amendment rights.

"That alone should stop these proceedings in their tracks.“

___

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

After being driven past two businesses relevant to the narrative of the January 2023 killings, jurors were escorted in groups of six to view the inside of the house, including the basement where the children died. During the roughly 40-minute visit, the jury also saw the yard where Clancy was found after jumping from a second-story window.

Journalists were kept away by a police barricade, but court officers could be seen through the trees escorting jurors to and from the bus along the site of the Clancy family’s former driveway. The home now has a new owner.

Clancy herself did not attend the visit to the home, which she hasn't seen since the day of the killings. Her lawyers argue she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Jurors in U.S. criminal cases often are expressly told not to visit the scene of the events in question. There are a number of rationales for not doing so — among other things, the site may have changed in the interim between an alleged crime and a trial.

But courts sometimes allow juries to make a supervised excursion as a group, for reasons that can include assessing distances or features that aren’t thought to come across fully in photos.

Such excursions have happened in a number of high-profile cases, including the 2023 murder trial of South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, the 2022 sentencing trial of Parkland, Florida, school shooter Nikolas Cruz, the 2015 Massachusetts murder trial of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez and the 1995 murder trial of O.J. Simpson.

Jurors in Clancy's trial retraced the route her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, took when she asked him to pick up takeout food and medicine for daughter Cora on the night of the killings. He returned to find the children dead and his then-wife badly injured and bleeding in the yard.

The panel was driven past the restaurant — about 5.5 miles (9 kilometers) from the family’s former home in Duxbury, a town south of Boston — and the pharmacy, about a mile (1.6 km) from the house.

Prosecutors say the errands were a ruse to get her husband out of the house. They say Lindsay Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, acted intentionally and is criminally responsible for the deaths of children Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months.

Her lawyers don't dispute that she killed the children, but they say she had bipolar disorder and her condition worsened while she was on antidepressants prescribed after the birth of her third child. She believed a voice was telling her to “kill the children so you can kill yourself,” according to her lawyers.

Lindsay Clancy remains paralyzed from the waist down after using multiple methods to try to end her life that night.

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

___ Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed from New York.

2026 is a midterm election year. While we won’t elect a president, in Florida, we will decide who should fill some very important seats in government, including:

• One U.S. Senate seat
• 28 Congressional seats
• Florida governor and lieutenant governor
• Florida attorney general
• Chief financial officer
• Commissioner of Agriculture
• Members of the Florida Legislature (Florida Senate and Florida House of Representatives)
• County offices (commissioners, school board members, constitutional officers)
• Judgeships

We should have a few Florida constitutional amendments too, along with local referenda from counties and cities. That includes highly-anticipated amendments to reform, or maybe eliminate, property taxes.

Want to vote in Florida this year? Whether it’s your first time voting, or your voting circumstances have changed, here is everything you need to know to make sure your vote counts in 2026.

The first thing to do is make sure you are registered to vote. To do that, go to RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov. The site is run by the Florida Division of Elections. There, you can check whether you are registered, an active registrant and update your registration, if needed, or register to vote.

To vote in an election, you must be registered to vote 29 days before that election. So now is a good time to make sure your voter registration is squared away.

When you look up your information, be sure to use the name you registered under – likely your full first name.

Have more questions about voter eligibility in Florida? We’ve posted more answers HERE.

Florida’s primary is Aug. 18, which is for party elections but also for nonpartisan county offices and judgeships — think county commission, mayor/chairperson, school board, that sort of thing.

If you are not a member of a political party, be sure to check with your county supervisor of elections office anyway because there may be a nonpartisan election you can take part in. There is always something to vote on.

The general election is Nov. 3. That election is open to all voters regardless of party.

To vote in a primary election, yes, you must be a member of a political party. However, you do not have to be a member of a party to vote for any nonpartisan election or in the November general election.

Florida is a closed primary state.

In Florida, if an election draws more than one candidate from the same political party, there will be a primary election for that party.

For example, in the governor’s race, we know several Republicans and Democrats are running for the office. That means on Aug. 18, voters will go to the polls and decide which candidate will face the other gubernatorial candidates in the November election.

Only Democrats can vote in the August Democratic primary for governor. Only Republicans can vote in the August Republican primary for governor.

Now, if you decide you want to vote in a certain primary, you must change your party affiliation by July 20.

Sometimes it might be in your interest to change your party so you can vote in the primary.

For instance, in 2020, the Orange-Osceola state attorney race drew several Democrats, no Republicans, and a no-party-affiliate candidate, Jose Torroella.

Because Torroella was less known, it meant the Democratic primary largely decided who would be the next state attorney for Orange and Osceola counties. Monique Worrell, a Democrat, won the election.

As a closed primary state, voting in a primary election boils down to what races are important to you.

In the instance that only candidates from one political party are running for office, the primary election becomes open to all voters. This is known as a universal primary.

No, not all elections require candidates to declare whether they are members of a political party.

Some examples of nonpartisan county or city/town races are:

• County mayor or chairman races
• County commission races
• City mayor or council seats
• Some county constitutional offices
• School board races

County sheriffs are partisan races.

This may change depending on the county. Check with your county supervisor of elections to find out which races are partisan.

If you want to run for any political office, be it at the federal, state, county or city level, you have to qualify for office.

The qualifying period is from June 8 to June 12.

There are three ways to file for office:

1. Pay a qualifying fee
2. Get enough petition signatures to waive the qualifying fee and run for office
3. Sign up to be a write-in candidate, which means your name won’t be on the ballot and supporters must write your name in for the vote will count

Qualifying fee costs can be found on the Florida Division of Elections website for federal and state offices. Check with your county or city to find out the qualifying fees for those offices.

The Florida Division of Elections says the following offices are up for election this year:

• U.S. Senator (Ashley Moody is up for re-election)
• All U.S. House districts
• Florida governor and lieutenant governor
• Florida attorney general
• Florida chief financial officer
• Florida commissioner of agriculture
• Florida Senate seats in even-numbered districts
• All Florida House districts
• Circuit judgeships

County and city elections are different depending on where you live. You can go to your county supervisor of elections office’s website to find out what districts you are in and what county elections you are voting in this year.

First, let’s be clear that if you move, you should always update your address with election officials immediately. It does not get automatically updated if you move, even if you move within the state of Florida. If you are voting in person on Election Day, the law requires that you vote at your assigned precinct.

You can update your voter registration online at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov.

However, if you move within a county close to an election date, polling place workers at your new precinct should be able to look you up in their systems and register a change in residence on your file.

If you are moving from another state, you must register to vote in Florida. Your registration will not transfer from your former state.

In the state of Florida, the answer is no. This is why it’s important to note that Florida has an early voting period and a no-excuse vote-by-mail ballot system, so that you can vote when you have the time, not just on Election Day.

To request a vote-by-mail ballot, call or visit your county supervisor of elections office, or download the statewide request form and send it via mail, email or fax. You will need to provide officials the following information:

• Voter’s name
• Date of birth
• Full address
• A Florida driver’s license, identification card, or the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number for verification
• You also need to provide a signature

Once you get the ballot, fill it out and be sure to sign the certificate envelope provided. Make sure the signature matches the one on file with the county elections office. If there is a discrepancy, you may be asked to correct or “cure” a missing or mismatched signature on your ballot.

Many counties also have a way to track your ballot online to make sure it’s been returned and accepted at your county elections office.

The ballot must be returned to the county supervisor of elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Not postmarked by Election Day, it must be IN OFFICE.

This means if you mail in your ballot and it doesn’t get to the elections office by Election Day, it doesn’t count.

You can also drop it off at the elections office. Some county elections offices also have secure ballot intake boxes during the early voting period. Contact your county elections office to find a secure ballot intake box.

We answer more questions about the vote-by-mail process HERE.

More information on how to vote by mail is available on the Florida Division of Elections website or your county supervisor of elections office.

You should also call your county elections office or check their website to make sure your vote-by-mail request is still valid for 2026. You may need to renew your ballot request. Vote-by-mail ballot requests expire at the end of every even-numbered (Federal Election) year.

All counties have an early voting period before the primary and general elections. Counties will have early voting information available closer to each election

The early voting period must start at least 10 days before an election. No early voting is allowed on the last Monday before the election, so the early voting period ends the weekend before. Some counties may offer a longer early voting period.

Early voting locations are not necessarily the same as your Election Day precinct. For instance, public libraries and recreation centers are popular places for early voting.

We’ll have more information as we get closer to the early voting period.

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act allows members of the military, their voting-age family members and any U.S. citizen living outside the country to vote in elections.

To vote, you must request a vote-by-mail ballot for 2026.

County elections supervisors must send vote-by-mail ballots no later than 45 days before each election. The ballot can be mailed, emailed or faxed, based on your request. Only overseas voters can fax their ballots back.

Ballots should be returned to the county supervisor of elections office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.

However, an overseas voter has an extra 10 days from Election Day for a vote-by-mail ballot to be received at the supervisor of elections office. This only applies to federal elections. The ballot must be postmarked or dated by Election Day in order to be counted.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program has specific return timelines for absent military and overseas voters.

All counties have a way to look up voter precincts on their supervisor of elections websites. You can find your county’s website on the Florida Division of Elections site.

However, since the Florida Legislature is expected to redraw congressional district maps, polling precincts may change.

County supervisors of elections may mail out new voter cards before the elections with the new info, so be on the lookout for those as well.

If you are voting in person on Election Day, the law requires that you vote at your assigned precinct.

Election forms and ballots in Florida are available in English and in Spanish. However, some counties may provide ballots in other languages as well. It depends on the concentration of speakers of those languages in that county.

Check with your county supervisor of elections office to see what language guides may be available.

Florida requires voters to present a current and valid photo and signature ID in order to cast a ballot. If these are on separate types of ID, you can provide multiple forms if needed.

The following forms of picture identification are allowed if they are current:

• Florida driver’s license
• Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• United States passport
• Military identification
• Student identification
• Retirement center identification
• Neighborhood association identification
• Public assistance identification

If you do not have a proper photo ID, you will be given a provisional ballot, which will allow you to vote and then later provide documents to prove your identity to the supervisor of elections office.

Also, if your ID does not have a signature on it, you may be asked to provide more forms of identification.

You are allowed to bring whatever materials you need, such as sample ballots, voting guides, newspapers or other documents, to help you vote.

Also, as long as you are not actively campaigning for a candidate, you are allowed to wear hats, shirts, stickers, buttons or other campaign paraphernalia.

If a candidate does not draw a challenger in a race, then that contest is not on a ballot.

Conversely, if a candidate drops out before an election, but after the ballots are printed, that election may still be on the ballot even though there is only one candidate left. So it’s important to stay up-to-date on elections.

Another reason is simply that the race is not happening in your district. So you may live in Rep. Daniel Webster’s U.S. House district. This means you will not see Rep. Maxwell Frost on your ballot, because he represents another district.

Write-in spaces are provided on a ballot only if there are qualified write-in candidates. These are candidates who registered as write-in candidates with the elections offices.

Only official write-in candidates are counted as valid votes. No, your write-in vote for Mickey Mouse or Jesus Christ will not count.

For a vote for a write-in candidate to count, the voter must also write the candidate’s name accurately.

If there is a discrepancy in your identification or signature, or if someone challenges the validity of your ability to vote, you may be given a provisional ballot instead. You fill out a provisional ballot the way you would fill out a regular ballot, and then provide supplemental documents to prove your vote is valid.

The county canvassing board, a body made up of judges, attorneys, county leaders, as well as the elections supervisor, will review all of the provisional ballots for approval.

Provisional ballots are counted if found to be valid. All provisional ballots are checked.

In most elections, the candidate with the most votes is the winner. In nonpartisan elections with more than two candidates, an outright winner of an election must garner the majority of all votes, which is known as “50% plus one.” If no one receives a majority of all votes cast, the top two vote-getters go to a runoff election to decide the winner.

Having trouble using the county map above? Here are links to election information by county.

ORANGE COUNTY

• Find your Election Day polling place
• View your sample ballot
• How to vote by mail

SEMINOLE COUNTY

• Find Your Election Day polling place
• View your sample ballot
• How to vote by mail

OSCEOLA COUNTY

• Find your Election Day polling place
• View your sample ballot
• How to vote by mail

VOLUSIA COUNTY

• Find Your Election Day polling place
• View Your sample ballot
• How to vote by mail

BREVARD COUNTY

• Find Your Election Day polling place
• View your sample ballot
• How to vote by mail

MARION COUNTY

• Find Your Election Day polling place
• View Your sample ballot
• How to vote by mail

FLAGLER COUNTY

• Find Your Election Day polling place
• View Your Sample Ballot
• How to vote by mail

LAKE COUNTY

• Find Your Election Day polling place
• View Your Sample Ballot
• How to vote by mail

SUMTER COUNTY

• Find Your Election Day polling place
• View your sample ballot
• How to vote by mail

POLK COUNTY

• Find Your Election polling place
• View your sample ballot
• How to vote by mail

Voter turnout usually trends lower for midterm elections. Perhaps people think the election is not that important. Maybe they forgot. In 2022, only 54% of voters turned out for the general election. By comparison, 78.9% of voters turned out for the 2024 presidential election, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

Florida voters in 2026 will decide who succeeds Ron DeSantis as governor, who should run the Florida Legislature, who should represent them in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and they’ll decide on races for county and city governments.

These races have a more direct impact on the day-to-day lives of Floridians than the presidential election does, with taxes, school curriculum and whether the roads you drive on should have tolls among the topics to deliberate.

So it’s important to make sure you are able to vote in Florida.

What you need to be eligible to vote

You are eligible to vote in Florida if:

1. You’re a citizen of the United States of America by birth or naturalization
2. You’re a legal resident of Florida
3. You’re a legal resident of the county in which you seek to be registered
4. You’re at least 16 years old to preregister, or at least 18 years old to register and vote
5. You’re not deemed mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state without having the right to vote restored
6. If you were convicted of a felony, when your right to vote has been restored in Florida

There are no set rules for what makes a legal resident in Florida. The biggest thing is you must have a residential address in the state. Also, your home address cannot be a post office box.

How to register

There are a few ways to register to vote in Florida.

Online:

Florida has an online voter registration system. Go to RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov. There, you can register to vote, update your voter registration, and check to see if you are registered. The site is available in English and in Spanish.

Note: If you do this, you must have a Florida driver’s license or Florida identification card that is issued by the state. You also need the last four digits of your Social Security number.

In person:

You can also register to vote in person at the following offices:

• The driver’s-license office
• A public library
• The Center for Independent Living
• WIC and DCF offices
• Armed forces recruitment officers
• Any supervisor of elections office
• A full list is available on the Division of Elections website

You can also print out a copy of the voter registration application and mail it to your county supervisor of elections office.

In order to register on a paper application, you must have:

• A Florida driver’s license or Florida identification card
• OR the last four digits of your Social Security number

What’s the deadline to register to vote?

In order to vote in an election, you must get your voter registration application in 29 days before that election, a deadline known as “book closing.” Here are the book closing dates for this year:

· August primary election: July 20

· November general election: Oct. 5

What if I’m from another state?

If you are from another state, you need to fill out a new voter registration form for Florida. Your registration does not transfer from one state to the next. You need to make sure you are registered by the dates above in order to vote in a Florida election.

What if I’m registered and I want to update my registration (in-state change of address, change party affiliation, etc.)?

Say you need to change your address, or you want to change your party affiliation so you can vote in a party primary. You need to do this 29 days before the election. If you have a driver’s license, you can do this online at Register to Vote Florida.gov.

You will need a Florida driver’s license or a Florida identification card in order to make those changes AND the last four digits of your Social Security Number; otherwise, you will have to download a voter registration application and mail in your changes to your county supervisor of elections office. You can also go to the office.

Note, if you are making changes to your party affiliation before a primary election, you must make those changes by the deadline to register for that election. Florida is a closed primary state, which means only people who are members of a political party can vote in party primary elections.

If you move to a new address within your county and you aren’t able to change your address before election day, you can go to your new polling precinct and update the address with the polling clerk, or call your county elections office.

What if I’m registered to vote, but I haven’t voted in a while?

You may be considered an inactive voter. That’s when a voter’s information cannot be verified, and then an address verification letter is sent to you but returned as “undeliverable.”

To go from being an inactive voter to an active voter, all you have to do is vote, or contact your county supervisor of elections office.

Being an inactive voter does not stop you from voting.

If you’re curious if your voter registration is active, you can go to RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, and look up your registration under “Am I Already Registered?”

What if I’ve been removed from voter rolls by accident?

The Florida Division of Elections says voters are removed from the rolls if they are dead, not a U.S. citizen, not listing a valid Florida address, have had their voting rights taken away because of a felony conviction or are judged to be mentally incapable, or if a voter has left the state and Florida election officials have been notified. A voter may also be asked to be removed from the rolls.

If you think you have been removed from the voter rolls by accident, you should contact your county supervisor of elections office immediately and submit a new voter registration application.

I am a convicted felon who has completed my sentence. How do I get my voting rights restored?

In Florida, certain felons who have completed their sentences are permitted to register to vote. Florida law requires that felons complete any prison and parole sentence, and probation, plus pay all applicable court fees.

Once this is done, you fill out a new voter registration application.

The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition can help you figure out if you have paid all your fees and fines. Go to the FRRC website to learn more.

Of the 11 million voters in the 2024 election, more than 3 million used Florida’s no-excuse vote-by-mail system, according to data from the Florida Division of Elections.

That’s an increase of 255,000 voters from 2022. Data shows growth of VBM voters has been steady over the last 10 years, with the exception of 2020, when more people avoided polling places because of COVID-19,

Florida law does not require a reason to vote by mail, and local election officials say voting by mail is a convenient option, especially for the elderly, those with disabilities, and those who don’t work a classic 9-5 schedule.

If you want to vote by mail in the 2026 midterm elections, you need to request a ballot.

How do I request a vote-by-mail ballot?

A voter can request a ballot be mailed to them by contacting their county supervisor of elections office. You can find a list of the county offices in the state on the Florida Division of Elections website.

That request can be:

• Called in
• Made in person at the office
• Mailed, faxed or emailed in. If you do this, you must provide a signed request (in the case of an email, you must scan a signed form and send it in as an attachment).

Per Florida law, you must use a specific form if you are mailing, faxing or emailing in a vote-by-mail request.

You can find the forms by clicking the following links:

• Ballot request form (English Language)
• Ballot request form (Spanish Language)

All requests must have this information:

• Voter’s full name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Voter’s signature
• The voter’s Florida driver’s license number, identification card number or last four digits of their social security number

To do that, you will need to fill out a voter registration form to update the information your county has on file. You can find a list of the county offices in the state on the Florida Division of Elections website.

[WATCH: New form for requesting vote-by-mail ballots (from 2024)]

Do I have to request a ballot for every election?

Anyone wanting to vote by mail in Florida this year in any election must put in a request to do so with their county office. A new vote-by-mail ballot request will be valid for all elections this year. You can find a list of the county offices in the state on the Florida Division of Elections website.

Vote-by-mail requests expire at the end of every even-numbered year. So if you requested a VBM ballot in 2024, you have to submit one for 2026. You have the option of requesting a ballot for a particular election if you prefer, or for all elections in 2026.

Can someone request a ballot for me?

Yes. An immediate family member or a legal guardian can request a ballot on a voter’s behalf.

The person requesting the ballot must include their address, driver’s license number, ID card or last four digits of their social security number, and their relationship to the voter, in addition to the voter’s information. If the request is being mailed in, the requester must provide a signature as well.

What is the deadline to send in my ballot request?

The deadline for VBM ballot requests is 12 days before an election. Here are the dates for 2026:

• March 3 Flagler County local elections: Feb. 19
• March 7 Eatonville election: Feb. 23
• March 10 Orange County local elections: Feb. 26
• Aug. 18 Statewide Primary elections: Aug. 6
• Nov. 3 General elections: Oct. 22

The elections supervisor then has two days to get the ballot out to you.

After that deadline, you can always go to the supervisor of elections office in your county, make that request in person, and pick up your ballot, if it’s an emergency.

However, election officials said if you are going to do that, you might as well just vote early, since you will be in the midst of the early voting period.

What if I make a mistake on my ballot?

If you make a mistake on your ballot, contact your county supervisor of elections office, and they will send you a new ballot. You can’t fix a mistake on your ballot after you send it in, so be sure you are certain about your responses before you return your ballot.

What is the deadline to turn in a vote-by-mail ballot?

All VBM ballots must be turned in to your county supervisor of elections office by 7 p.m. on election day. Ballots that are postmarked on election day but not returned until after election day will not be accepted.

There is a 10-day extension for overseas voters for general elections

How do I turn in a vote-by-mail ballot?

There are three ways to turn in a ballot:

1. Mail it through a shipping service like the U.S. Postal Service. If you do this, allow 7-10 days for the ballot to reach the county elections office.
2. Turn it in at the county supervisor of elections office in person
3. Drop it off in a secure ballot intake box during the early voting period at an Early Voting site.

If you plan to mail it back to the supervisor’s office, it’s best to get the ballot in as soon as possible so you do not have to worry about a delivery delay with the U.S. Postal Service.

Election officials also suggest that, if you are going to be out of state when you need to turn in your ballot, you consider using a delivery service that can guarantee delivery to send in your ballot on time.

Will secure ballot intake boxes for vote-by-mail ballots return?

The Florida Legislature allows counties to have “secure ballot intake” boxes during the early voting period. The boxes must be staffed. Many counties will have them at the early voting polling places and the supervisor of elections offices, but not all of them.

Contact your county elections office to find out where the secure ballot intake boxes will be stationed.

If I mail in my ballot, do I have to pay for postage?

Many, but not all, Central Florida counties include a “return postage paid” envelope with your VBM ballot. The counties that do include:

• Brevard
• Lake
• Marion
• Orange
• Osceola
• Polk
• Volusia

Flagler, Seminole and Sumter counties do not provide a return postage-paid envelope. However, county elections supervisors we talked to say that vote-by-mail ballots that don’t have correct postage will still be delivered to the supervisor of elections offices, citing this publication from the U.S. Postal Service.

Why do I need to sign the return envelope for my ballot?

A signature is required on the return envelope to verify who is mailing in the ballot. The signature is compared to the registration signatures in your voter record.

If you are worried about your signature being seen and used for identity theft as it makes its way back to the elections office, voters can put the ballot and envelope in another envelope and mail it back that way.

But the ballot itself must be in that return envelope the elections office provides you, and that envelope must be signed.

What if my signature doesn’t match the one on file?

Signatures change over time as voters age. They may have health issues that can change signatures too. Plus, there is the issue of cursive vs. printing, especially with younger voters, election officials said. These things are taken into account when looking at a signature.

Every signature is checked against the voter’s record, and if there is a discrepancy, you will receive a “cure affidavit.” This gives you a chance to cure your ballot, up to two days after the election.

The elections office will try to contact the voter in any way they can, so make sure you have contact information on file with the county elections office. This is a good reason to get your ballot in sooner rather than later.

You can also always update the signature on file with the county elections office.

Learn more about the process of curing a ballot HERE.

Can someone return my vote-by-mail ballot for me?

A voter can turn in ballots of family members and up to two ballots by people who are not family members.

This is to curb so-called “ballot harvesting.”

How can I track my ballot and make sure it was received?

You can go to your county supervisor of elections website and track the status of your ballot, whether it has been returned, whether it’s been accepted and whether there is something you have to fix. Many of them use programs that can help with that, such as BallotTrax. You must sign up for that program.

How do election officials know a vote-by-mail ballot isn’t fraudulent?

Florida law requires all people voting by mail to be registered voters and to request a ballot using a specific form. Voters must include their Florida driver’s license number, Florida ID card number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number when requesting a ballot. There are also rules on who can request a ballot for a person and drop it off.

All ballots have a bar code that is scanned to check in for tabulation. Voters can track the status of their ballot using a system like BallotTrax.

In addition, all ballot envelopes must be signed, and that envelope is checked against the voting record. If a problem or a discrepancy is found at any point in this process, the voter must be contacted to fix the ballot.

What if I still have my vote-by-mail ballot on Election Day?

If you have not mailed out your vote-by-mail ballot yet and Election Day is just a day or two away, don’t mail out your ballot. It will not get to the county supervisor of elections’ office in time. It must be at the county office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, or it will not count.

You can either hand-deliver it to the elections office or turn it over at your polling precinct on Election Day and get a regular ballot to fill out instead.

Things like:

• If you leave a race blank on your ballot, your whole ballot won’t count.
• If you wear campaign shirts or hats to the polling place, you’ll be turned away.
• Florida is purging Democrats from voter rolls

[ELECTION 2026: Everything thing you need to know to vote]

New myths and half-truths seem to pop up every election cycle. Some of them stem from the fact that each state has different election rules and people don’t realize what may be true in one state is not true in another.

Some of them are malicious attempts to cause trouble and even stop people from voting.

Here is the truth about some of the top voting myths in Florida. Special thanks to Lake County Elections Supervisor Alan Hays, who checked our work.

NOTE: The following is definitely the case in Florida, but may be different in other states.

“Who is allowed to vote?” myths

(1) MYTH: If you don’t vote in every election, you will lose the right to vote.

THE TRUTH: You do not have to vote in every election. County elections officials might mark your registration as inactive if you fail to vote in two federal elections and then don’t contact the elections office to confirm your address. But even then, an inactive voter just has to make that contact and they will be allowed to vote. They can even do it at the polls on Election Day. If you are marked as an inactive voter and then don’t vote in the next four years (two general elections), then your registration is canceled. But even then, you just have to reregister.

(2) MYTH: Florida is purging Democrats from voter rolls.

THE TRUTH: This one is popping up in a big way in the last few months. It’s not true, and it has to do with conflating the Active Voter Data and the actual voter rolls in Florida.

Florida posts a summary of active registered voter data on the Division of Elections website by party. This data shows that the number of active registered Democratic voters is dropping. In fact, Florida lost a million active voters total.

However, the state does not share data on voters who are labeled “inactive” by party. And if you look at the actual voter rolls (available upon request from the Division of Elections), you will see that inactive voters are still listed on the voter rolls. However, they will not count on an active voter tally.

And again, all it takes to go from an inactive voter to an active voter is to contact your county election office.

The state changed the process for doing voter maintenance in 2022 and 2023, and that largely accounts for the large number of voters labeled inactive, because local election officials are required to conduct maintenance more often.

A recent News 6/WJXT analysis of January 2026 voter roll data found 1.3 million inactive voters in Florida, including:

• NPA voters: 501,536
• Democratic voters: 462,008
• Republican voters: 329,577

However, the Florida Democratic Party has been losing voters steadily since 2020, as News 6 showed in an analysis of voter roll data. Many of these voters are moving to another party, or to no party affiliation, or leaving the state.

(3) MYTH: If you don’t speak English, you can’t vote.

THE TRUTH: In Florida, counties are required to publish ballots in English and Spanish. Ballots may be available in other languages, depending on U.S. census data. If you need language assistance, you can contact your county supervisor of elections office for help. You can also bring someone to the polling place to help you with your ballot.

(4) MYTH: Foreigners with legal U.S. residence can vote in elections.

THE TRUTH: Only U.S. citizens, either by birth or naturalization, may vote in elections in Florida.

(5) MYTH: Puerto Ricans cannot vote because they are not U.S. citizens.

THE TRUTH: As Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. If someone from Puerto Rico moves to Florida, they will be able to register for and vote in Florida elections without needing to do anything extra. This is true for other U.S. territories as well.

(6) MYTH: If you are homeless, you can’t vote.

THE TRUTH: If you have an effective mailing address where you can receive messages, and plan to stay in that area, you can be assigned a voting precinct. Check with your county supervisor of elections for help.

(7) MYTH: If your home is in foreclosure, you can’t vote.

THE TRUTH: If you are still living in the house, whether it’s in foreclosure doesn’t matter, you can still vote. If you are not living in the house, you need to change your address, but that will not stop you from voting.

(8) MYTH: If you’re a student, you need to make your college address your permanent address to vote in Florida.

THE TRUTH: If you’re away at school, you only need to change your permanent address if that is where you wish to vote. If you want to leave your home as your permanent address, you can do that. But you must either travel to your home precinct or request a vote-by-mail ballot in order to vote, and you will vote in whatever elections are set for that address.

(9) MYTH: Students who vote in an election could see their college financial aid affected.

THE TRUTH: Voting will not affect any federal financial aid. You should check with your scholarship administrator, though, to see if changing your voter registration will affect the status of a scholarship that is location-based.

(10) MYTH: Convicted felons cannot vote.

THE TRUTH: Nonviolent convicted felons can have their voting rights in Florida automatically restored if they completed their sentences, which includes all prison or parole time and any and all court fees or monetary payments. Other felons must have their voting rights restored by the state clemency board.

However, this information has proved difficult for convicted felons to pin down and has led to arrests. There is also a lot of confusion and delays in the state confirming whether a former felon can register. If you are a returning citizen who wishes to vote, be sure to talk to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. They can help you make sure you are eligible to register to vote or to vote.

(11) MYTH: If you owe back child support or have outstanding warrants, you can be arrested if you try to vote.

THE TRUTH: Voter rolls have no information about such matters and law enforcement officers are not supposed to enter a polling place unless summoned by poll workers.

(12) MYTH: If you own homes in more than one state, you can vote in each state.

THE TRUTH: We don’t know if it qualifies as a real myth, but we do know it’s something that happens. How do we know? We’ve seen the ballot with our own eyes.

In 2024, News 6 requested the lists of write-in votes from all of Central Florida’s counties. We found the two write-ins in the picture above in the list from Orange County. Those votes don’t count, obviously. Only registered write-in candidates can get valid votes.

But whoever voted on these ballots may have voted for other races on those ballots — senator, U.S. representative, and constitutional amendments.

Does it matter that the races are not the same as the ones on the ballot in New Jersey?

“No one is legally allowed to vote in more than one state, period,” said Lake County Elections Supervisor Alan Hays. It makes no difference if they own homes in several states, they are allowed to vote only in the state of their legal residence."

In fact, people found to have voted in more than one state have been prosecuted, like this resident of The Villages, who was found to have voted in Connecticut and Florida in 2020.

Voter ID and Registration Myths

(13) MYTH: You must have a Florida driver’s license in order to vote.

THE TRUTH: You need a form of identification in order to vote with a picture and a signature. It does not need to be a Florida driver’s license.

The following forms of picture identification are allowed if they are current and valid:

• Florida driver’s license
• Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• United States passport
• Military identification
• Student identification
• Retirement center identification
• Neighborhood association identification
• Public assistance identification

(14) MYTH: You must have your voter identification card with you in order to vote.

THE TRUTH: When you register to vote in Florida, you will get a voter information card. It is not a voter identification card, and it is not required at the polling place. It can’t even be used as a form of identification in order to vote. The only purpose is to verify your information and let you know your polling place and district assignments.

(15) MYTH: If you move, your voter registration moves with you.

THE TRUTH: You need to update your voter registration if you move. If you move within the county or to a different county within the state, you need to change your address with the local supervisor of elections office. This is so that you have updated polling precinct information. It also changes who your representatives in government are.

If you are moving from outside the state, you need to register to vote in Florida. Your registration doesn’t transfer when you leave the state. Go to Florida’s voter registration website to learn more.

Ballot Myths

(16) MYTH: You can call, text or email in your vote.

THE TRUTH: You cannot do any of these things. You can only vote in person or send your vote via regular mail.

(17) MYTH: If you voted in a primary, you can’t vote in a general election.

THE TRUTH: Primaries and general elections are two separate elections. In Florida, we may have elections at any time during the year. You are permitted to vote for any and all elections in which you are in the proper jurisdiction, be it a local election, a state election or a federal election.

Remember, for each election, one ballot, one person, one vote. FOR EACH ELECTION. You do not have to save your vote (we’ve heard/read people saying this) for more important elections.

(18) MYTH: The position of the candidates on the ballot shows favoritism to one political party over another.

THE TRUTH: In Florida, the order of candidates on the ballot is determined by whichever political party won the last gubernatorial election. Since Gov. DeSantis is a Republican, Republican candidates will be the first names in each race on the ballot, followed by Democrats, then minor party candidates, then no party affiliation candidates, then a spot for write-in candidates, if any.

(19) MYTH: If you are a member of a political party, you can only vote for candidates from that party.

THE TRUTH: The only time your political party matters in an election is during a party primary. In nonpartisan and general elections, you can vote for whoever you want, regardless of party.

(20) MYTH: You have to vote for candidates of the same political party in each race on your ballot.

THE TRUTH: This concept is called straight-ticket voting. You can absolutely do that if you want, and many people do. But if you ever thought you had to vote for only Republicans or only Democrats, you don’t. You can do split-ticket voting, where you vote for people from different political parties.

Split ticket voting was far more prevalent in the 20th century, according to a report by the Brookings Institute. For instance, in 1972, voters in 44% of Congressional districts split their vote between the presidential and U.S. House candidates.

In 2024, it’s believed only 4.9% of Democrats, 4.9% of Republicans, and 9.7% of independents split their vote.

(21) MYTH: If you make a mistake on your ballot, you can’t change it.

THE TRUTH: As long as you have not turned in your ballot, if you make a mistake, you can exchange it for a new one. This includes mail-in ballots. You are allowed up to three ballots total, though, so try not to mess up on ballot number 3.

(22) MYTH: If you leave a race blank on your ballot, your whole ballot won’t count.

THE TRUTH: You do not have to vote on every race on the ballot. If you vote on only one race, that vote will count.

(23) MYTH: You can write in any name on your ballot and your vote will count toward that person.

THE TRUTH: Every year, there are lots of votes for Mickey Mouse. None of those votes count toward anything. In Florida, only write-in candidates who are registered as such with the state will have any write-in votes for their name count. To our knowledge, Mickey Mouse has never been a candidate for political office in real life.

(24) MYTH: Early votes and vote-by-mail ballots only count in close races.

THE TRUTH: In Florida, early votes and vote-by-mail ballots are among the first to be counted and are just as important as Election Day votes. “ALL votes are counted, and the early votes and VBM votes are added to the Election Day totals to determine the outcome of each contest,” Hays said.

(25) MYTH: Provisional ballots only count in close races.

THE TRUTH: Provisional ballots are merely ballots that require extra scrutiny from the county canvassing board, but if they are approved, they are counted as regular ballots toward the vote total. Anyone who is challenged should request a provisional ballot, fill it out and turn it in. They have two days after the election to get the additional documents to the elections office, so your vote can be counted.

[WATCH: Ballot processing cameras to provide election transparency for Orange County voters (from 2024)]

(26) MYTH: Hackers can change votes/tech moguls used internet satellites to change votes.

THE TRUTH: Florida’s voting system is highly decentralized and localized. Florida election officials say the system is designed to make it impossible for hackers to change votes. The voting machines in each precinct are not even hooked up to the internet, and results are only specially transmitted via secure connection when ready.

Vote by Mail Myths

[WATCH: New form for requesting vote-by-mail ballots (from 2024)]

(27) MYTH: Vote-by-mail ballots and absentee ballots are not the same thing.

THE TRUTH: Some candidates in the 2020 election tried to confuse voters about these terms. But let’s be clear: In Florida, we have vote-by-mail ballots. We used to call them absentee ballots, but we changed the name years ago. Nothing about the ballots changed other than the name. They were the same thing in Florida.

(28) MYTH: You have to have a reason to vote by mail.

THE TRUTH: This might be true in some states, but it is not the case in Florida. All you have to do is request a ballot from your county supervisor of elections office. You don’t need a specific reason to vote by mail. This is called “no-excuse” vote by mail.

(29) MYTH: You can only return your own vote-by-mail ballot.

THE TRUTH: In the state of Florida, you are legally allowed to drop off your ballot, your family members’ ballots, and the ballots of up to two non-family members.

(30) MYTH: If you do not have enough postage on your vote-by-mail return envelope, it will not be delivered.

THE TRUTH: Many Central Florida counties already offer a return postage-paid envelope for vote-by-mail ballots. However, if you are in a county where you must pay for postage to mail in a ballot, and you did not get sufficient postage, any postage due charges will be billed to your county’s elections office and your ballot will still be delivered.

(31) MYTH: Vote-by-mail ballots can be falsified and sent in to benefit a candidate.

THE TRUTH: In Florida, there are systems in place to prevent ballot stuffing with vote-by-mail ballots. County elections offices have ways to tell how many ballots are issued and how many ballots are returned, and what ballots there are. Once a ballot is accepted, that voter’s vote is counted. Only one vote gets counted in the system. So you can’t just order a bunch of vote-by-mail ballots from, say, China, and mail them in.

Polling Place Myths

(32) MYTH: Anyone can stop you from voting.

THE TRUTH: There are poll monitors who can challenge your vote. But they cannot make frivolous challenges, and in fact, can be fined for doing so. Moreover, even if your vote faces a challenge, you will be given a provisional ballot, which the county elections office will check against your records to make sure you are allowed to vote.

(33) MYTH: The polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day and if you are still in line, you won’t be allowed to vote.

THE TRUTH: As long as you are standing in line to vote at a polling place by 7 p.m. on Election Day, you will be allowed to vote. Polling places must allow everyone in line the chance to vote.

It’s important to note that while people are allowed to be in line to vote after 7 p.m., no one is allowed to JOIN the line after 7 p.m. Election workers will be stationed at the end of the line to make sure of this.

(34) MYTH: No one can be at the voting booth with you, including children.

THE TRUTH: As long as you are the only person voting, you can take children into the voting booth. You can also have adults in the voting booth, but they must be there to assist you in voting because of a disability or an inability to read or write. You must let the person know ahead of time, and both you and the helper will be required to fill out affidavits affirming this.

(35) MYTH: You can’t take any materials with you to the voting booth.

THE TRUTH: County supervisor elections offices send out sample ballots so you can make your choices ahead of time. You can also take election guides or sample ballots into the voting booth.

(36) MYTH: You can’t take any pictures in the voting booth.

THE TRUTH: The Florida Legislature now allows voters to take pictures of their ballot – and only their ballot – in the voting booth. No ballot selfies.

(37) MYTH: If you wear campaign shirts or hats to the polling place, you’ll be turned away.

THE TRUTH: Go ahead and wear your campaign buttons and shirts and hats. As long as you are not actively campaigning, you are allowed to wear your campaign memorabilia to the polling place.

(38) MYTH: ICE/law enforcement can detain you at a polling place.

THE TRUTH: First, a reminder that only citizens are allowed to vote in an election in Florida.

Having said that, it is a federal crime for federal troops or armed law enforcement to be deployed to polling places. It is also a federal crime for anyone, including federal agents, to intimidate voters.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 also outlaws voter intimidation.

There are no emergency powers that would allow the U.S. president to override those laws either — not even the Insurrection Act.

The Brennan Center has a guide to Florida’s laws on voter intimidation and threats against election workers.

Last, but not least, is perhaps the biggest electoral myth of all:

(39) MYTH: My one vote is not going to make a difference.

THE TRUTH: In 2024, the District 1 Orange County Commission race went to a runoff.

Incumbent Commissioner Nicole Wilson had only five votes more than challenger Austin Arthur.

[WATCH: District 1 Orange County Commission too close to call (from 2024)]

After a machine recount, the margin dwindled down to two votes.

TWO VOTES decided whether Wilson would move on to a runoff against Arthur. Two votes decided whether she would get one more chance to keep her seat. Which she did a few months later.

This is not an outlier. More and more we are seeing elections just like this one, especially in local races.

Your. Vote. Matters.

This will include any party primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Florida’s governor and cabinet seats, and state legislature seats.

Voters will also decide in nonpartisan races, like school board races. Depending on the county, county commission races will also be nonpartisan. These particular elections are open to all voters, regardless of party affiliation.

However, if you want to vote in any of the party primaries in Florida, you have to be a member of a political party. That’s because Florida is a closed primary state.

Primary elections happen when a political party has more than one candidate running for the same office. For instance, the race for Florida governor has 11 Republican candidates vying to be the party’s nominee.

In some states, you don’t have to be a member of a party to vote in the primary. That’s not the case in Florida. Here, Democrats vote in Democratic primaries, Republicans in Republican primaries, and so on.

Still, if you want to vote in a specific party primary, you just change your party affiliation.

You can do this up to 29 days before any election. For the statewide primary on Aug. 18, the deadline to change your party affiliation would be July 20.

To change your party affiliation, go to RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov and update your voter registration information.

You will need a Florida driver’s license or state ID to do so.

You can also contact your county supervisor of elections office.

Why it matters

Say you live in a district where the majority of voters lean toward one political party over another. An incumbent is facing a party primary, and whoever wins that primary will face candidates who are not likely to win given the district’s demographics.

Being able to vote in the primary gives you more of a say over who will take that political office.

A good example is the 2020 election for Orange-Osceola State Attorney. The race had a crowded field of Democrats and one lesser-known No Party Affiliate candidate. The odds were pretty good that a Democrat was going to win in the general election, given the demographics in the two counties.

Monique Worrell won the Democratic primary for Orange-Osceola state attorney and went on to win the general election.

Only Democratic voters got to pick which candidate would face the NPA candidate in November and likely win the general election.

If an election is important to you, you may want to choose a political party before the primary in order to have more of a say.

The loophole

There is a way to open a party primary to all voters.

If you have an election where only people from one political party have decided to run for an office, the election becomes open to every voter. This is called a universal primary.

The winner of this universal primary wins the office they were campaigning for.

This happens occasionally with state legislature or county seats.

But there is a loophole that closes a primary: get a write-in candidate to run for that election.

It costs a write-in candidate nothing to run; their name doesn’t even go on the ballot. But since there is a candidate with a different political affiliation in the race, there will be no universal primary, only primaries open to political party members.

This tactic has been used by some factions to close voters out of elections. As election officials have pointed out before, statistically, write-in candidates don’t win in county, state or federal elections, and many even drop out of the race before election day.

There have been several reports in recent years where write-in candidates with ties to a party candidate will run, thus insulating that candidate from the wider community of voters with a closed primary race.

Despite calls over the last few years to close the write-in loophole, Florida lawmakers have not done anything about it.

Again, if you wish to vote in a party primary this August, you have until July 20 to change your party affiliation. Head to Register to Vote Florida.gov to update your registration.

Antonio Oseguera Cervantes worked for cartels with his brother Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the drug lord known as “El Mencho” who was killed by the Mexican army in February, according to federal prosecutors.

El Mencho co-founded and led the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, known by its Spanish-language acronym CJNG. Last year, President Donald Trump’s administration designated the CJNG and other cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, 67, of Michoacán, Mexico, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell is scheduled to sentence him on Nov. 13.

Besides the conspiracy charge, Oseguera Cervantes also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Oseguera Cervantes was transferred from Mexico to the U.S. for prosecution in February 2025. He was a member of the Milenio Cartel before his brother co-founded the CJNG.

But they’re not the only candidates on the ballot, and Central Florida’s election supervisors want to make sure every voter, whether you belong to a party or not, knows that.

[WATCH: Election Security, Voter Fraud and Vote by Mail: Central Florida supervisors answer tough questions]

“Yes, the president is an important election. Yes, the governor is at the general, but they’re not the ones worrying about your potholes, your schools, your roadways, your stormwater issues,” said Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Amy Pennock.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Pennock was one of six election supervisors who recently joined News 6 and other members of the News Collaborative of Central Florida for a wide-ranging discussion on election issues. Central Florida Public Media hosted the discussion.

Florida is a closed primary state, which means you must be registered with a political party to vote in any of that party’s primaries.

Voters who want to take part in one of the Aug. 18 party primaries have to make sure their party affiliation is updated by July 20. We’ve put all of that information HERE.

“We’re trying to get the message out that people who are not affiliated with the party still have a lot on the ballot,” said Orange County Supervisor Karen Castor Dentel. “We have a county mayor, we have county commission, and these are all nonpartisan races: school board, judicial, school board chair- some very consequential elections, and most of them will be determined in the primary.”

In addition, some Florida House of Representatives races will be decided in August in what are called “universal primaries,” said Osceola County Supervisor Mary Jane Arrington.

“These are races where there’s only one party running, and that selection will be made,” Arrington said. “And in the primary, House District 47, in Osceola County, will be a universal primary for every voter.”

Below is a list of every race that will be on a ballot in the Aug. 18 primary that will be open to all registered voters who are eligible to vote in that election, broken down by county.

Looking for more information on the candidates? That is on the way.

News 6 and its partners at the News Collaborative of Central Florida are working on a comprehensive voting guide with candidate information. Look for that guide in the coming weeks.

Orange County

Orange County is one of the counties that has a non-partisan county commission. All Orange County voters will see the county mayor’s race on their ballot, and if you live in one of five county commission districts, you will see that race on your ballot.

Voters will also see the Orange County School Chair race on their ballot, and if you live in school board districts 1, 2 or 3, that race will also be on your ballot.

Finally, circuit court and county judge races will also be on the ballot for all voters.

To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website HERE and look up your ballot using your address.

Ninth Circuit Judge - Group 1

• Temika Hampton-Johnson
• Charles Hart
• Mikaela Nix

Ninth Circuit Judge - Group 2

• Christina Arguelles
• Christie Lou Mitchell

Ninth Circuit Judge - Group 31

• Steve Kerestes
• Kamilah Perry

Orange County Mayor

• Chris Messina
• Tiffany Moore Russell
• Stephanie Murphy
• Mayra Uribe

Orange County Commission - District 2

• Kamia Brown
• Mike Crabb
• Wes Hodge
• George Oliver III
• Marsha Summersill

Orange County Commission - District 4

• Isabella Arthur - Write-in
• Brian Jones
• Johanna López

Orange County Commission - District 6

• Loody Delice
• Lawanna Gelzer
• Cynthia Harris
• Hedder Pierre Joseph
• Michael “Mike” Scott

Orange County Commission - District 7

• Selina Carter
• Shannon Currie
• Nate Douglas
• Shakaya “Kay” Filmore
• Angie Gardner
• Deidre Graybill
• Rasheeda Doris Jones
• Gloria C. Joyner
• Aaron Emmanuel Lewis
• Zach Moldof
• Patricia Rumph
• Beryl Thompson-McClary
• Vicki Vargo

Orange County Commission - District 8

• Isaiah Louis Anderson
• Tatiana Fernández
• George Haas
• Jeanette Quinones Hernandez
• Julio Rocha
• Victor M. Torres Jr.

Orange County School Board Chair

• Alicia Farrant
• Angie Gallo

Orange County School Board District 1

• Melissa Lopez Marantes
• David Shepard

Orange County School Board District 2

• Marisol Lugo
• Gloria Reina O’Neal

Orange County School Board District 3

• Ilia Adorno
• Diana Moore
• Susanne Peña

Orange County Judge - Group 5

• Asima Azam
• Kafi Kennedy

Orange County Judge - Group 17

• Cherish Adams
• Joy K. Goodyear

Osceola County

Osceola County’s commission elections are partisan, so they are closed primaries. But the county still has school board races and judges races on the ballot for all voters, as well as a Universal Primary.

The Florida House District 47 election will be open to all voters on Aug. 18. The incumbent Republican, Rep. Paula Stark, will not be on the ballot because of a paperwork issue, and the only other candidates are Democrats.

To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Osceola County Supervisor of Elections website HERE and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.

Florida House District 47 - Universal Primary

• Jorge Figueroa
• Anthony Nieves

Ninth Circuit Judge - Group 1

• Temika Hampton-Johnson
• Charles Hart
• Mikaela Nix

Ninth Circuit Judge - Group 2

• Christina Arguelles
• Christie Lou Mitchell

Ninth Circuit Judge - Group 31

• Steve Kerestes
• Kamilah Perry

Osceola County School Board District 1

• Greg Filak
• Jay Wheeler

Osceola County School Board District 3

• Natalie Guzman
• Alyssa Noel

Kissimmee City Commission Seat 2

• Angela Eady
• Wanda Román

Kissimmee City Commission Seat 4

• Rubin Anderson
• Maria Virginia Garcia
• Tiffany Jeffers
• Janette Martinez

Kissimmee Charter Amendment - Referendum Question 1

Shall the City Charter, Chapter 2, Section 2, be amended to revise the term limits for the Mayor-Commissioner and City Commissioners from two (2) consecutive four-year terms to three (3) consecutive four-year terms?

• Yes
• No

Kissimmee Charter Amendment - Referendum Question 2

Shall the City Charter, Chapter 2, City Commission, Section 7, be amended to require all candidates for elected office to consent to a background check to verify eligibility for office?

• Yes
• No

St. Cloud City Council Member Seat 5

• Jim Moore
• Alex Rodriguez
• Kirk Zilke

Seminole County

Seminole County also doesn’t have nonpartisan county commission elections, but it does have school board races and judges elections. The City of Sanford is also having its mayoral race on Aug. 18.

To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections website HERE and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.

18th Circuit Judge - Group 4

• Larry Freeman
• Robert Alan Segal

18th Circuit Judge - Group 13

• Andrea Fant
• George Cole Gaspard

Seminole County Court Judge Group 3

• Sylvia Grunor
• Nathan Skop

Seminole County Court Judge Group 6

• Alena Chaban
• Wayne Culver
• Erik Swenk

Seminole County School Board District 1

• Antonio Pizza
• Kristine Kraus

Seminole County School Board District 2

• Holton Mills
• Joshua Memminger

Seminole County School Board District 5

• Autumn Garick
• Brian Newsome

City of Sanford Mayor

• Charles Davis
• Christina Hollerbach

Brevard County

Brevard County has nonpartisan school board races, judicial elections and a universal primary for the Canaveral Port Authority, District 5. There are also elections in the cities of Palm Bay and Titusville.

To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Brevard County Supervisor of Elections website HERE and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.

18th Circuit Judge - Group 4

• Larry Freeman
• Robert Alan Segal

18th Circuit Judge - Group 13

• Andrea Fant
• George Cole Gaspard

Brevard County School Board - District 1

• Tara “Coach T” Gibson
• Megan Wright

Brevard County School Board - District 2

• Kyle Savage
• Gene Trent
• Kelly Wentworth

Brevard County School Board - District 5

• Tammy Dennis
• Michele McCormack
• Cecilia Trotter

Brevard County Judge - Group 3

• Rodney Antonio Edwards
• Timi DeAnn Tucker

Canaveral Port Authority - District 5 Universal Primary

• Carol Craig
• Randall May

Palm Bay City Council - Seat 4

• Alfy Agarie
• Michael J. Bruyette
• Kenny Johnson

Palm Bay City Council - Seat 5

• Mike Jaffe
• Eduardo Macaya
• Santa Isabel Wright

Titusville City Council -Seat 1

• Darcia Bair
• Elizabeth Baker
• Herman A. Cole
• John Dacko

Titusville City Council -Seat 5

• Christopher Childs
• David Hobart
• Kayla Manning

Volusia County

Volusia County has nonpartisan county council, school board and judicial races. It also has a bevy of city races that could be decided, including mayoral races in Deltona, Edgewater and Ormond Beach.

To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections website HERE and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.

Seventh Circuit Judge - Group 26

• Carleen Leffler
• Jeanne Stratis

Volusia County Council At Large

• Nancy Miller
• Mike Poniatowski
• Barry Powell

Volusia County Council District 1

• Wendy Anderson
• Don Dempsey
• Melissa D. Thorne

Volusia County Council District 3

• Anthony Gorham
• Danny Robins
• Bryon White

Volusia County School Board District 1

• Brenda Beery
• Jaclyn Carrell
• Jamie Michele Haynes

Volusia County School Board District 3

• Grace Kellermeier
• Jessie Thompson

Volusia County School Board District 5

• Ruben Colón
• Dean Condon

Daytona Beach City Commission Zone 3

• Christos Mavronas
• Quanita May
• Steve Miller

Daytona Beach City Commission Zone 5

• John Counts
• Aaron Harrison
• Willie F. Williams

Deltona Mayor

• Santiago Avila, Jr.
• Maritza A. Vazquez
• Jason Voelz

Deltona City Commission District 6

• Chris Nabicht
• Christian O’Brien
• Jody Lee Storozuk

Edgewater Mayor

• Diezel D. DePew
• Wayne McCloskey
• Steven Oleksy

Holly Hill City Commissioner District 2

• Mike Cerbo
• Carmen Ruiz

New Smyrna Beach City Commissioner Zone 2

• Jennifer Devine
• Lou Pate
• Cynthia Sniezak

Ormond Beach Mayor

• Damien Curry
• George Doran
• Jason Leslie
• Lori Tolland

Ormond Beach City Commissioner Zone 1

• Alan Burton
• Melissa DeVriese
• Coleen McMahon

Ormond Beach City Commissioner Zone 4

• Amber Bobak
• Harold Briley
• Barry du Moulin

South Daytona City Council Seat 2

• Victoria Maxwell
• Doug Quartier

Flagler County

Flagler County has school board and judicial races that are nonpartisan, as are the Palm Coast City Council races.

To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections website HERE and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.

Seventh Circuit Judge - Group 26

• Carleen Leffler
• Jeanne Stratis

Flagler County School Board District 1

• Cathy Moon
• Jill Woolbright

Flagler County School Board District 2

• Will Furry
• Rob Wood

Flagler County School Board District 4

• Christy Chong
• Ron Long
• Trevor Tucker

Palm Coast City Council - District 2

• Antonio “Tony” Amaral Jr.
• Jeani Duarte
• Jimmy Hengy

Palm Coast City Council - District 4

• Dylana “Dee” Galery
• John Kvederis
• Ramon Marrero
• Darlene Shelley

Lake County

To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Lake County Supervisor of Elections website HERE and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.

Fifth Circuit Judge - Group 27

• Nicole M. Morris
• Lisa Yeager

Lake County School Board - District 1

• Pat Kelley
• Eric Schwalbach

Fruitland Park Commissioner - District 3

• Paige Booth
• Mitchell Langley
• Shayna Stanfield Grunewald

Groveland District 1, Mayor

• Judith Fike
• Keith “Chef” Keogh
• Dina Sweatt

Marion County

In addition to school board and judicial races, voters in Marion County may be eligible to vote in two Florida House races. The races for Districts 21 and 24 are universal primaries. Only Democrats qualified to run in District 21, while only Republicans qualified to run in District 24.

To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Marion County Supervisor of Elections website HERE and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.

Florida House District 21 -- Universal Primary

• Sylvain Doré
• Antione Fields
• Xavier J. Monroe
• Malik J. Moore
• Jacquelyn “Jackie” Randall

Florida House District 24 -- Universal Primary

• Ryan Chamberlin
• Scott Wilkins

Fifth Circuit Judge - Group 27

• Nicole M. Morris
• Lisa Yeager

Marion County School Board - District 3

• Eric R. Cummings
• Steve Swett

Marion County School Board - District 4

• Jeff Brewer
• Mike Mills
• Brigitte Smith
• Buddy Wyckoff

Marion County School Board - District 5

• Donald “Donny” Barber
• Ualthan Bigby
• Sarah James

Sumter County

To see what will be on your ballot, go to the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website HERE and look up your ballot using your name and birthdate.

Fifth Circuit Judge - Group 27

• Nicole M. Morris
• Lisa Yeager

Sumter County School Board District 1

• Sally Moss
• Leslie Russell

Sumter County School Board District 3

• Gerald “Jerry” Loomer
• David A. Williams

Sumter County School Board District 5

• Michael Johnson
• Troye Joiner

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in those elections. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

July 20 was the deadline to register to vote for the Florida Statewide Primary.

[WATCH: Election security, voter fraud and vote by mail: Central Florida supervisors answer tough questions]

What’s on the ballot?

Registered Democrats and Republicans will be choosing candidates to be on the ballot in the November general election. They include races for governor and other Florida cabinet seats, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Florida House and Senate, and in some counties, county commission seats that are partisan.

If you are not a Democrat or a Republican, though, there are still lots of races on the ballot for you -- school board races, judicial races, and any nonpartisan county commission seats.

Your county elections supervisor will send out a sample ballot ahead of the primary, so watch your mailbox. That will tell you what races will be on your particular ballot.

You can also look up your ballot on the county election supervisors’ websites below.

• BREVARD COUNTY: View your sample ballot
• FLAGLER COUNTY: View Your Sample Ballot
• LAKE COUNTY: View Your Sample Ballot
• MARION COUNTY: View Your sample ballot
• ORANGE COUNTY: View your sample ballot
• OSCEOLA COUNTY: View your sample ballot
• SEMINOLE COUNTY: View your sample ballot
• SUMTER COUNTY: View your sample ballot
• VOLUSIA COUNTY: View Your sample ballot

“Yes, the president is an important election. Yes, the governor is at the general, but they’re not the ones worrying about your potholes, your schools, your roadways, your stormwater issues,” said Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Amy Pennock.

Pennock was one of six election supervisors who recently joined News 6 and other members of the News Collaborative of Central Florida for a wide-ranging discussion on election issues. Central Florida Public Media hosted the discussion.

In addition, some Florida House of Representatives races will be decided in August in what are called “universal primaries,” said Osceola County Supervisor Mary Jane Arrington.

“These are races where there’s only one party running, and that selection will be made,” Arrington said. “And in the primary, House District 47, in Osceola County, will be a universal primary for every voter.”

News 6 and its partners at the News Collaborative of Central Florida are working on a comprehensive voting guide with candidate information. Look for that guide in the coming weeks.

Vote by mail

The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Aug. 6. To request a VBM ballot, go to your county supervisor of elections office website. You can find a list of the county offices in the state on the Florida Division of Elections website.

You will need the statewide request form, which you can download there, and then send it in via mail, email or fax. You will need to provide officials the following information:

• Voter’s name
• Date of birth
• Full address
• A Florida driver’s license, identification card, or the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number for verification
• You also need to provide a signature

[WATCH: Inside Seminole County’s vote-by-mail count: New system will audit every ballot]

Once the ballot is completed, it must be returned to the supervisor of elections office by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18. Be sure to sign the certificate envelope provided.

To learn more about voting by mail and the vote-by-mail process, go HERE.

What you need to vote in person

In Florida, voting in person is not just for Election Day — you can also vote early.

To vote, you need to be registered. When you go to your polling place, you need to bring a current and valid photo and signature ID.

The following forms of picture identification are allowed if they are current:

• Florida driver’s license
• Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• United States passport
• Military identification
• Student identification
• Retirement center identification
• Neighborhood association identification
• Public assistance identification

If you do not have a proper photo ID, you will be given a provisional ballot, which will allow you to vote and then later provide documents to prove your identity to the supervisor of elections office.

Also, if your ID does not have a signature on it, you may be asked to provide more forms of identification.

NOTE: The Florida Legislature passed a law that will make changes to this, but it will not take effect until January of 2027.

Have questions about voting at the polls? We have an in-depth guide to voting in the 2026 Election HERE.

Early Voting

Early voting will take place over several days in August ahead of the primary on Aug. 18.

Election supervisors set up early voting sites at libraries, recreation centers, and other community centers throughout the county. Unlike on Election Day, when you must vote in your assigned polling precinct, voters can go to any early voting site in their county and vote.

Different counties have different early voting periods. The list of dates is below by county. Click on the links to find an early voting site near you.

• Brevard County: Aug. 8-15
• Flagler County: Aug. 8-15
• Lake County: Aug. 5-15
• Marion County: Aug. 8-15
• Orange County: Aug. 3-16
• Osceola County: Aug. 7-16
• Seminole County: Aug. 8-15
• Sumter County: Aug. 8-15
• Volusia County: Aug. 8-15

Voting on Election Day

The polling places will open at 7 a.m. and continue until 7 p.m. If you are in line at the polling place at 7 p.m. and have not yet voted, stay in line. The polls have to be kept open until all voters in line have voted.

To find your Central Florida Election Day polling place, use the links below.

To find information outside Central Florida, find your county supervisor of elections office HERE.

• BREVARD COUNTY: Find Your Election Day polling place
• FLAGLER COUNTY: Find Your Election Day polling place
• LAKE COUNTY: Find Your Election Day polling place
• MARION COUNTY: Find Your Election Day polling place
• ORANGE COUNTY: Find your Election Day polling place
• OSCEOLA COUNTY: Find your Election Day polling place
• SEMINOLE COUNTY: Find Your Election Day polling place
• SUMTER COUNTY: Find Your Election Day polling place
• VOLUSIA COUNTY: Find Your Election Day polling place

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Orange County School Board District 3

All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

Since there are three candidates in the race, the top vote-getter must get more than 50% of the vote (50%+1) in order to win outright. Otherwise, the top two candidates will go to a runoff in November.

There are seven school board districts in Orange County, with a board member representing each one. District 3 in Orange County covers much of South Central Orange County, including Hunter’s Creek, Meadow Woods, Conway and Belle Isle. A map of the school districts is available HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our partners at the Orlando Sentinel compiled the candidate responses for the Orange County school board races, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks.

You can see the full Orlando Sentinel Voting Guide HERE.

Ilia Adorno

WEBSITE: iliaadorno.com/

NOTE: This candidate did not respond to our request to fill out this voter guide. To best serve you, we searched candidate websites to answer questions about their candidacy.

Her priorities, according to her campaign website, are protecting students, listening to parents and giving teachers the support needed to create safe schools with a focus on learning. If elected, she will work closely with parents and strive for transparency in her decision-making. She is committed to creating fiscally responsible policies and finding local solutions for local schools, according to her website.

Adorno’s website did not say how she thinks the district should handle teacher shortages, how she would improve Florida’s low level of academic growth in reading, what changes, if any, she would make to school safety policies, how she feels book challenges and library removals should be handled, nor what policy she would try and pass in her first year.

Adorno is endorsed by Alicia Farrant, School Board Member, District 3.

Diana Moore

WEBSITE: votefordianamoore.com/

Top issues in your race

If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Parental Choice-Parents should have the right to choose the best learning environment for their child. For example, virtual education works for many students but others need the social interaction and structure of the traditional model. We have research on school start times but the buses dictate the school schedules, so a parent may want the flexibility of virtual courses for their child based on research. Magnet schools encourage specific areas of study like STEM, or Financial studies and allow students college credit while in high school. So why are parents choosing the vouchers? Can we do better in specific areas? Let’s find out by doing an exit survey for the families that leave. Let’s ask the teachers who are fleeing as well. Let’s look inward instead of making excuses for low birth rate, immigration laws, stagnant housing turnover, or the vouchers. We had 208,000 students and are looking at 180,000 in the coming year. What accounts for that loss beyond the usual excuses? I believe we can do better.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Teacher compensation has been a huge concern. We need professional pay for professional work and year after year, we see Orange County getting an A but we hear more excuses on why we can’t pay them a living wage. Florida is 50th in teacher pay in the US. OCPS has taxpayer money from the extra one mil property tax that was sold to the public to attract and retain quality teachers. They do neither. They do not have a citizen oversight committee to watch how the money is spent, unlike the 1/2 penny sales tax. The COVE committee watches that money. OCPS Board members had a chance to change the language to specify a portion of the extra one mil be designated for teacher pay raises and only 3 board members voted in favor of the language change so it failed. The budget shows $129 million in an unassigned fund. The health insurance should have had a Stop Loss policy to protect it from higher claims, but instead the increases are being passed along to all employees. The board offers a less-than-cost-of-inflation increase so employees make less than last year. We are not attracting and retaining quality teachers and I vow to be a voice that reviews the budget to find savings. For example, why are there 20 OCPS District Police officers to be liaisons with local jurisdictions? Could we move staff from the downtown building to the closed schools and rent that building for recurring income to pay for raises? Let’s find more solutions and make less excuses to employees. Our taxpayers want us to be better stewards of their money.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Discipline is a recurring issue. Parents are given a digital copy to sign off on at orientation to save paper. When students disrupt the learning environment, teachers take the time to write a referral and the student comes back to class with a lollipop. When children are witnesses to an allegation, they are interviewed without a parent present because you must opt in for that right. I believe parents should know when their child is questioned and the reason. While they are getting stricter about sexual harassment, I’ve witnessed a principal interview a student and not require a referral be written for documenting the incident, so a discussion or call to parents follow-up is not given to teachers like a referral. Another example is vaping on campus. We need stricter policies to put students in PASS or suspend them for first violations. We passed a policy on restricting cell phone use that reduced distractions, so let’s do the same for bullying, vaping and other classroom distractions to support letting teachers teach and students have the learning environment they deserve.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Pay them professional salaries for professional work. We are an A district because of the hard work of our students, teachers, principals, classified staff and our parents. Let’s be the district that truly attracts and retains their highly qualified and successful teachers. Let them teach, treat them like the professionals they are, and let them choose the professional development they need versus putting everyone in the same training. Survey teachers before making changes to their classroom curriculum, software, and other resources. There is a toxic culture of retaliation that means fear is pervasive, so teachers do not speak up. I’ve personally seen this culture ruin teaching careers and it falls on the Superintendent who implements the Board policies. Get rid of principals or middle management who have high turnover at specific schools. Retrain them instead of a lateral move. Review the Office of Professional Standards and their practices. If you don’t take a hard look inward, we will continue to bleed our workforces to other careers.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? We are an A district. Where is the information supporting this claim? How large was the study? Did it include private, charter and home-schooled students? I’ve talked to parents who homeschool their children and there is very little accountability compared to students in traditional schools. The charter and public schools receive the same taxpayer money but have different levels of accountability in Florida so I would need more information to truly answer this question.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? First, I support a School Resource Officer on each campus. I also think they need training to develop appropriate relationships with the students at their school, so students can come to them when they see something and say something. Checking doors is very important, but some officers lack the personality to get the trust needed to have students share info to prevent bigger problems on campus. Maybe it’s something to look for when recruiting resource officers. I also think we could ask our students in a survey, where they see vulnerable security issues. Thankfully, we have been safe but we can’t let our guard down. Parents want to know they drop their child off and we will keep them safe. Let’s always make this a priority and area to improve.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? The committee established should continue to review requests but I suggest giving parents the right to review and decide for their children what books they can read. Students can get books from the public library or Amazon if they want to read it, so decisions to ban books for all students takes away each parents’ choice to decide what is appropriate for their children.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I have not sought endorsements. I believe each voter decides who will best represent them as this is a non-partisan race. I believe we can work on solutions instead of making excuses. If we as elected officials don’t do something well, we can own it and improve it. I don’t want anyone to think I am beholden to one group or party based on their financial contributions. I stand on my experience, my integrity, my previous leadership, my successes as well as mistakes, and my passion in this work for all stakeholders who have an interest in a star public school system that can always do better, especially when you know better. Thank you for your vote on August 18, for Diana Moore for District 3 School Board member.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? Improving the Office of Professional Standards practices and procedures.

Susanne Peña

WEBSITE: www.vote4pena.com/

OUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Strengthening Academic Excellence.

Every student deserves access to a high-quality education that prepares them for college, careers, and civic life. I will support evidence-based instruction, expand access to bilingual education, STEAM, and career pathways, and ensure students have the academic and support services they need to succeed.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Recruiting and Retaining Outstanding Educators.

Strong schools begin with great teachers. I will advocate for competitive salaries, meaningful professional development, leadership opportunities, and supportive working conditions that help recruit and retain highly qualified teachers and staff while reducing turnover.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Protecting and Strengthening Public Schools.

Our public schools must remain the cornerstone of our community. I will advocate for responsible funding, greater accountability for schools receiving public dollars, proactive planning to address enrollment challenges, and transparent decision-making that keeps students and families at the center.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Addressing teacher shortages requires a comprehensive approach to both recruitment and retention. While competitive compensation is essential, educators also need meaningful professional development, mentorship, opportunities for career growth, and supportive working conditions that allow them to focus on teaching and learning. Districts that invest in their educators are better positioned to retain experienced teachers, reduce turnover, and provide students with the continuity and high-quality instruction they deserve.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Improving reading achievement requires a sustained commitment to evidence-based literacy instruction, early intervention, and supporting educators. We must ensure teachers have access to high-quality professional development grounded in the science of reading, identify struggling students early, and provide targeted interventions before learning gaps widen. We should also strengthen family engagement and ensure schools have the instructional resources necessary to support literacy development. Reading proficiency is the foundation for success across every subject, and improving outcomes must remain one of the district’s highest academic priorities.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? School safety requires continuous evaluation, not a one-time solution. I support regularly reviewing and strengthening safety protocols based on best practices and the evolving needs of our schools. While physical security is important, we must continue investing in threat assessment, mental health services, bullying prevention, and strong partnerships among schools, families, and law enforcement. The most effective school safety strategies combine prevention, early intervention, and a positive school climate so every student feels safe, supported, and able to learn.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Book challenges should be addressed through a transparent, consistent review process that follows state law and district policy. Decisions should involve qualified educators, librarians, and appropriate review committees, with meaningful opportunities for parent input. Individual concerns deserve thoughtful consideration, but instructional materials should be evaluated based on educational value, age appropriateness, and established academic standards—not political pressure. Our goal should be to provide students with access to high-quality learning materials while maintaining transparency and respecting the role of families in their children’s education.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? U.S. Congressman Maxwell Frost; Florida State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith; Florida State Representative Anna Eskamani; Orange County Classroom Teachers Association (Teachers’ Union); Former Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director at the U.S. Department of Education Montserrat Garibay; Florida State Representative Rita Harris; Florida State Representative Johanna Lopez; Florida State Senator Victor Torres; Orange County School Board Member Angie Gallo; Orange County School Board Member Maria Salamanca; Orange County School Board Member Anne Douglas; Orange County School Board Member Stephanie Vanos; Orange County Property Appraiser Amy Mercado; Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph; Orange-Osceola Public Defender Melissa Vickers; Orange County Commissioner Kelly Semrad; Equality Florida Action PAC; Network for Public Education Action; Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) Action Fund; Ruth’s List Florida; Emgage Action; Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida; Rainbow Democrats; Hispanic Chamber of Florida.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? I would work to establish a districtwide strategic plan for multilingual learner success, expanding access to dual language programs, strengthening support services for English learners, and increasing professional development for educators. Orange County is home to a diverse student population, and every student should have access to programs that build academic success while preparing them to thrive in a multilingual, global workforce.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Orange County School Board District 2

All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

There are seven school board districts in Orange County, with a board member representing each one. District 2 in Orange County covers much of Central Orange County, including Lake Nona, Narcoossee, Rio Pinar, and part of Azalea Park. A map of the school districts is available HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our partners at the Orlando Sentinel compiled the candidate responses for the Orange County school board races, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks.

You can see the full Orlando Sentinel Voting Guide HERE.

Marisol Lugo

WEBSITE: votemarisollugo.com/

NOTE: This candidate did not respond to our request to fill out this voter guide. To best serve you, we searched candidate websites to answer questions about their candidacy.

Her priorities are supporting teachers and giving parents a voice, according to her campaign website. She believes teachers deserve competitive pay and quality healthcare, according to her campaign Facebook page. With more than a decade of experience working in the mental health field, she understands the importance of reducing stress in the classroom and protecting a teacher’s well-being so they can better serve students. She will bring faith-centered leadership to the district, according to her website.

Lugo’s website did not say how she thinks the district should handle teacher shortages, how she would improve Florida’s low level of academic growth in reading, what changes, if any, she would make to school safety policies, how she feels book challenges and library removals should be handled nor what policy she would try and pass in her first year.

There were no official endorsements featured on Lugo’s website.

Gloria Reina O’Neal

WEBSITE: votegloriareina.com/

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Teacher Pay / Insurance Benefits: As a School Board member, my top priority would be to ensure that Orange County attracts and retains world-class educators by offering highly competitive compensation and affordable, stable health benefits. We must actively collaborate with our teachers’ union and external vendors to assess a path forward for competitive insurance coverage options.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Fiscal Management and Declining Budget for the district: First, we must cut administrative waste to ensure every tax dollar goes straight to the classroom, not bureaucracy. Second, instead of letting empty school spaces drain our budget, we will launch innovative public micro-schools and utilize partnerships and additional grants to bring in other financial money. Finally, we must protect our local tax renewal one-mill referendum, which is directed to a sizeable portion of the district’s current budget.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Declining enrollment: To solve the challenge of declining student enrollment in Orange County, reliance on the status quo or reactively addressing why students are leaving, I believe OCPS should out-innovate the competition by transforming underutilized campus space into district-run micro-schools—small, specialized, interest-driven learning environments tailored to what families actually want. By pioneering models like our new baseball and softball micro-school at Cheney Elementary, gifted magnet programs, upskilling and advertising technical program offerings, OCPS can combine the safety and resources of a large public district with the highly personalized, niche curriculum that will attract students and parents back to our public schools.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? We cannot solve the teacher shortage by just asking educators to continue to do more with less. In Orange County, our challenges are not distinct from larger urban school districts in Florida. OCPS is facing enrollment dips that threaten the budget, yet the affordability continues to be a larger factor for teacher shortages. I believe we should work collaboratively within the school board to implement a fiscally responsible strategy that maximizes our resources. By streamlining administrative overhead and reducing district-level operational costs, we can direct more funding straight into our classrooms where it matters most. This approach will allow us to maintain a balanced budget while prioritizing competitive compensation for our educators and directly addressing teacher pay compression and shortages.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? First point: Build Focus with Great Books: OCPS students need interesting, age-appropriate books to build up their attention spans and reading stamina. Getting lost in a great story teaches them how to concentrate, which helps them move past the short distractions of cell phones and social media and increase focus on reading.

Expanding the usage of Poetry: Poetry is a fun and powerful tool for teaching rhythm, rhyming, and vocabulary. Because poems are short, they help struggling readers practice tricky words and catch on to deeper meanings without feeling overwhelmed.

Have more frequent intervention for reading gaps by increasing curriculum with Short Stories: Short stories are perfect for building confidence because a student can read and finish one in a single class period. They still get to learn about plot and characters, but they get a quick win that makes them want to keep reading.

All in all, academic growth comes from using different mediums to increase access and sustained academic growth in reading.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? When we talk about school safety in Orange County, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. True safety means our OCPS schools and structures are physically secure, our students have the mental health support they need so they don’t look to harm themselves or others, and our daily logistics—like traffic corridors and the rise of microbility safety that carry over to the schools—are actively managed. As a board member, my priority is ensuring our policies evolve as quickly as the challenges our students face

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Accountability demands that book challenges and district decisions be completely transparent and publicly accessible on the district webpage. When materials such as a book challenge or library removals are formally questioned or removed from Orange County Public Schools, parents, taxpayers, and educators have a fundamental right to know what changes are being made to the local curriculum and library collections via online publication on the district’s website.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? Endorsement Organizations: Orange County CTA, Orlando Regional Realtors Association; Equality Florida Action PAC, NOW PAC. Endorsements: Victor Torres. Dr. Anna Eskamani, Rep. Rita Harris, Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith. City of Orlando Commissioner Tom Keen. Additional endorsements are pending finalization.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? OCPS Assessment of vacant land/ schools for adaptive reuse for affordable housing with a strategic implementation plan.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Orange County School Board District 1

All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

There are seven school board districts in Orange County, with a board member representing each one. District 1 in Orange County covers much of east Orange County, including Union Park, Waterford Lakes, Avalon Park, Bithlo and Wedgefield. A map of the school districts is available HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our partners at the Orlando Sentinel compiled the candidate responses for the Orange County school board races, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks.

You can see the full Orlando Sentinel Voting Guide HERE.

Melissa Lopez Marantes

WEBSITE: www.melissaforkids.com/

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: I see the first two major issues as interrelated: retaining high-quality educators and declining enrollment. To address these two issues, I believe we have to look at root causes, ask why these challenges exist, and identify creative solutions. Florida being 50th in the country for educator pay is a clear sign that teacher compensation is a priority. Many talented teachers are exploring other career options and we need to keep educators in the field. One teacher shared an innovative idea with me: rather than sending students to local colleges or universities for dual enrollment courses, we could partner with those institutions to have qualified high school teachers serve as adjunct professors and offer college-credit courses on our high school campuses. We could negotiate with the universities in our area; they keep the student enrollment and educators can get compensated. Homeschool or other students could also be given the option to take advantage of this opportunity. Our educators and families have valuable ideas that deserve this consideration.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Declining enrollment is closely tied to the first issue. One way to strengthen our schools is to better understand why families are choosing homeschooling or other options, especially if that research hasn’t already been done. Learning what parents value or feel is missing could help us identify opportunities to improve public education and attract more students. We should also look at what other school districts, both within Florida and across the country, are doing successfully and explore whether those strategies could work in our community.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Student success is fundamental. Every child deserves an education that meets their unique needs and prepares them for future success. I plan to support policies and programs that strengthen literacy, math, and keep arts in education. A well-rounded education helps students build the problem-solving and other skills they need to thrive.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? The priority is to have competitive compensation to attract and retain quality teachers. We can also explore strategies such as leveraging block scheduling, increasing flexibility, and other tools that support both educators and students. It is also important to foster a school environment where teachers feel valued and supported while giving them room to teach.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Student engagement is key. Partnering with local businesses to provide positive incentives and recognition for reading achievements can encourage students. Non-traditional approaches, such as pairing older and younger students as reading buddies, can also make reading more engaging and enjoyable. Additionally, involving students by asking what would make reading more interesting for them and turning their ideas into a reading challenge can increase ownership and enthusiasm for reading.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Mental wellness is an important part of our school safety plan. While I understand that budget constraints have required difficult decisions, I am concerned about the reduction in School SAFE Coordinators and the impact it may have on students. One opportunity worth exploring is partnering with the major healthcare systems in the Orlando area to help supplement some of the student mental health and support services that have been reduced. Strong community partnerships could help fill some of those gaps.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Libraries are for all students, so I believe for an item to be removed from a library, it must be a concern for more than one or two parents. There is currently a process for a parent to have a child opt out of a book they don’t want their child to read. Since parents have access to syllabi for their child’s classes at the beginning of each year, I believe the opt-out system is the most effective way to allow parents to have a say in what their child reads.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, Ruth’s List Florida, National Organization for Women FL Pac, Equality Florida Action Pac, current school board member for District 1-Angie Gallo, Rep. Dr. Anna Eskamani.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? I would try to implement a policy that can support increasing educator compensation and/or support student engagement for success.

David Shepard

WEBSITE: electdavidshepard.com/

David Shepard, Orange County School Board District 1

NOTE: This candidate did not respond to our request to fill out this voter guide. To best serve you, we searched candidate websites to answer questions about their candidacy.

Student safety is one of his top priorities, according to his campaign website. As a firefighter and a paramedic, he has first-hand knowledge of emergency response, prevention and preparedness and will draw upon that to enhance student safety.

Another top priority is ensuring students have access to trade and vocational education to gain practical, in-demand skills and understand that college is not the only path after high school, his website says. He supports partnerships with local businesses to create internships and mentor programs for students.

He believes students are better served when their teachers are in communication with parents, according to his website. He will look to nurture stronger parent-teacher relationships.

Shepard’s website did not say how he thinks the district should handle teacher shortages, how he would improve Florida’s low level of academic growth in reading, what changes, if any, he would make to school safety policies, how he feels book challenges and library removals should be handled nor what policy he would try and pass in his first year.

According to Shepard’s website, his campaign is endorsed by the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, Central Florida American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization, Orlando Regional Realtor Association, Apopka Firefighters Associations, Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association, Reedy Creek Professional Firefighters, Orlando Professional Firefighters, West Orange Political Alliance, Orange County Firefighters Local 2057 and Florida Professional Firefighters.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Orange County School Board Chair

Unlike most counties in Central Florida, Orange County has an elected school board chair. This person sets the board’s meeting agendas, runs the meetings, and holds a tie-breaking vote on issues.

All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our partners at the Orlando Sentinel compiled the candidate responses for the Orange County school board chair race, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks.

Alicia Farrant

WEBSITE: www.votealiciafarrant.com/

NOTE: This candidate did not respond to our request to fill out this voter guide. To best serve you, we searched candidate websites to answer questions about their candidacy.

A member of Moms for Liberty, the conservative parent group, she won a seat on the board in 2022 and is now finishing her first term representing District 3. In a July interview with the Orlando Sentinel, she said she hopes winning the countywide chair election will show people that “God always gets the victory.”

A top priority is improving the district’s academic achievement, she said in an interview, and her campaign website stated she supports “a return to phonics-based literacy instruction.” Her website also says she supports the “highest standard of safety measures” in schools by “keeping boys out of girls’ sports and bathrooms” and removing “pornographic” books from school libraries.

Her campaign website does not address her views on resolving the teacher shortage or on the property tax amendment that will be on the ballot in November.

Angie Gallo

WEBSITE: www.voteangiegallo.com/

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Student achievement is my top priority. It’s important to continue improving literacy outcomes, expanding academic support, and ensuring every student has access to high-quality instruction. I plan to continue supporting evidence-based practices, such as the science of reading, and strengthen early literacy programs. Additionally, I aim to conduct targeted, research-based interventions to help students succeed. We need to be less dependent on technology and put textbooks back in the classrooms. I support a hybrid model of teaching. We need to be at the forefront of AI literacy and continue to remove programs that don’t support student learning. I believe that learning should be challenging and that students should graduate with critical thinking skills needed to compete in a global economy.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers and staff is critical to student success. I will continue advocating for competitive compensation, professional development opportunities that serve the needs of our educators, and support policies that will attract and retain the best talent in our classrooms. When elected, I will lead the effort to ask Orange County voters for an additional .25 mil for teacher pay via referendum on the 2028 ballot.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Innovating public schools. We need to be more innovative in our approach to student learning. We must meet students where they are and engage them in the classroom. I support micro-schools, schools within schools, co-ops, and more private-public partnerships that will increase student enrollment. Public schools need to look more like 2050 and less like 1950.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Teacher shortages cannot be solved with short-term fixes. They require a sustained commitment to making teaching a profession that talented people want to enter and experienced teachers want to stay in. Florida has ranked near the bottom nationally in average teacher pay, and districts across the state are competing for a shrinking pool of educators. If we want the best teachers in our classrooms, we must be willing to invest in their pay, benefits, and professional development.

I will champion an additional .25 mil referendum in 2028 to let Orange County voters choose to improve compensation and benefits. I will work with higher education partners to create clear career pathways into the profession and expand teacher residency and mentorship programs. And finally, I will work with the Superintendent and School Board to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on all our educators.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Improving reading outcomes requires a strong focus on early literacy, evidence-based instruction, and targeted support for struggling students. We must continue to invest in literacy coaches, intervention programs, and professional development while ensuring students receive the individualized support they need to become successful readers. We need more high-quality Pre-K’s in Orange County. Our goal should be to put a full-day pre-K center at every school staffed by certified teachers; if we do that, research shows that our students’ literacy rates would greatly improve by 3rd grade.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? School safety must remain a top priority. I support continuing our comprehensive approach that includes campus security measures, mental health resources, threat assessment teams, and strong partnerships with law enforcement by placing School Resource Officers (SROs) at all of our schools. Safety efforts should focus on prevention, preparedness, and student well-being. We need to advocate for better funding within the Florida Education Finance Plan (FEFP), as well as county and municipal budgets, so that SROs are not partially unfunded mandates.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Book challenges should follow established district policies that provide a transparent and consistent review process. Decisions should be based on educational value, age appropriateness, and professional review while ensuring parents, educators, and community members have a voice in the process. With that said, we have much bigger challenges than the books in our Media Center. Cultural wars have taken up too much time, and we need to focus on students, not political agendas.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? My campaign is proud to be supported by educators, parents, community leaders, and organizations that value strong public schools. Endorsements include the Orange County Teachers Association, Florida Education Association, Equality Florida Action PAC, Ruth’s List Florida, and Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction. I am also proud to have received bipartisan support from most of the Orange County legislative delegation, county and municipal elected officials, and former and current Orange County School Board Members. A complete list of my endorsements can be found on my website VoteAngieGallo.com.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? One of my priorities would be strengthening teacher recruitment and retention efforts by increasing teacher pay. Every student deserves access to excellent educators, and ensuring we can attract and retain high-quality teachers is essential to the long-term success of Orange County Public Schools. I will work on reducing screen time in our schools and removing barriers that do not serve student outcomes. I will continue to work on attainable housing and affordable daycare for our educators. We have to tackle the high cost of healthcare, and I am committed to continuing to reduce those costs.