Here is a timeline of some significant events in the hostilities between the two:

1982: Israel invades Lebanon in an offensive against the Palestine Liberation Organization and allied groups. Hezbollah is formed, with Iranian backing and based on the Iran's Islamic Revolution model, to fight Israel’s ensuing occupation of southern Lebanon. It launches a guerrilla war against Israel.

1992: Hezbollah leader Abbas Mousawi is killed by an Israeli helicopter attack. His successor is Hassan Nasrallah, who will lead the group for the next three decades.

1996: Israel launches an offensive aiming to push Hezbollah north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border. Israeli artillery shelling on a United Nations compound housing hundreds of displaced people in Qana kills at least 100 civilians and wounds scores more.

2000: After a long war of attrition, Israel withdraws its forces from southern Lebanon, which is heralded around the Arab world as a major victory for Hezbollah.

2006: Hezbollah fighters ambush an Israeli patrol, killing three Israeli soldiers and taking two hostage in a cross-border raid, sparking a monthlong war between Hezbollah and Israel that ends in a draw. Israeli bombardment razes villages and residential blocks in southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs, a scorched-earth approach that is dubbed the “Dahiyeh Doctrine.”

2008: Imad Mughniyeh, Hezbollah’s military chief, is killed when a bomb planted in his car exploded in Damascus. The assassination is blamed on Israel.

2012: Hezbollah enters the Syrian civil war in support of then-President Bashar Assad. In the years that follow, Israel begins periodically carrying out airstrikes in Syria targeting Iranian and Hezbollah facilities and officials or weapons shipments that it said were bound for Hezbollah. Israel still avoided carrying out strikes on Hezbollah on Lebanese territory during this period.

OCT. 8, 2023: One day after the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel sparks the war in Gaza, Hezbollah fires missiles across the border. Israel responds with airstrikes and shelling and the two enter into a low-level conflict that initially remains mainly confined to the border area.

SEPT. 17, 2024: Israel launches an attack in Lebanon using remotely-triggered explosive-laden pagers issued to Hezbollah fighters and civilian employees. A day later, a similar attack targets walkie-talkies. The attacks kill dozens of people and maim thousands, most of them Hezbollah members but also including women and children.

SEPT. 27, 2024: Hassan Nasrallah is killed in a series of massive airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs.

NOV. 27, 2024: A U.S.-brokered ceasefire nominally ends the Israel-Hezbollah war. Israel continues to carry out regular strikes in Lebanon that it says aim to stop Hezbollah from rebuilding.

MARCH 2, 2026: Two days after Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran, triggering a wide-reaching war in the Middle East, Hezbollah launches missiles toward Israel. It says the salvo is in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and for “repeated Israeli aggressions” in Lebanon.

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This story was first published on Apr. 9, 2026. It was updated on Apr. 30, 2026, to correct the date of the start of the most recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. It is March 2, 2026, not March 2, 2025.

Annual inflation in the 21 countries that use the shared euro currency rose to 3.0% from 2.6% in March, fueled by a 10.9% increase in energy prices, the European Union statistical agency Eurostat reported Thursday. Crude oil is trading above $120 per barrel, up from around $73 before the outbreak of the war on Feb. 28.

Meanwhile euro-area growth for the first three months of the year disappointed with a marginal increase of 0.1% over the quarter before.

The war is dealing a massive shock to the global economy because Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which some 20% of the world’s oil formerly passed on its way to customers from producers in the Persian Gulf. The surge in oil prices has been quickly reflected at gas stations and in the price of jet fuel.

The combination of slow growth and high inflation, or “stagflation,” threatens to become a headache for the European Central Bank, whose policymakers are expected to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged Thursday, even though inflation is now clearly above the bank’s target of 2%

The expected surge in inflation is especially troubling because it comes at a time of sluggish economic growth. The usual antidote to inflation is for the central bank to raise its benchmark interest rate, but that can slow growth by raising credit costs for buying things. If inflation is expected to be temporary, the typical decision is to look past it because interest rate changes take months to have an effect on the economy.

On the other hand, if the central bank waits until inflation is built into the economy through higher prices for food, manufactured goods and through higher wage demands, it’s even harder to wring higher prices out of the economy with painful rate hikes.

The Bank of Japan and the U.S. Federal Reserve both left rates unchanged at meetings this week, and the Bank of England was also expected to also hold steady Thursday.

So the ECB and other central banks are currently frozen in place, warily watching the inflation wave roll through the economy and holding off on both rate rises and rate cuts. The bank’s benchmark rate has been unchanged at 2% since June 2025.

Brent crude to be delivered in June jumped 3.3% to $121.90 after briefly soaring past $126 per barrel. Brent to be delivered in July rose 1.4% to $112.02.

Benchmark U.S. crude climbed 1.3% to $108.28 per barrel.

Before the war began in late February, Brent crude was trading around $70 per barrel.

There's no clear path to an end to the war. The U.S. has continued its blockade of Iranian ports while the Strait of Hormuz is closed, pushing oil prices higher. Reports Thursday suggesting a possible escalation by U.S. President Donald Trump doused hopes for a quick end to the conflict.

“The breakdown of talks between the U.S. and Iran, along with President Trump reportedly rejecting Iran’s proposal for a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, has the market losing hope for any quick resumption in oil flows,” ING Bank strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a research note.

Oil prices vary depending on the type of crude oil, where it is being traded and under what terms, for futures contracts. By some measures, Brent has hit its highest level since its peak of $147.50 per barrel in 2008 during the global financial crisis.

With the war rattling world markets, the U.S. dollar fell to 160.02 Japanese yen after surging earlier Thursday to its highest level in nearly two years. It closed at 160.44 yen on Wednesday.

The dollar has gained against other major currencies partly due to its status as a safe haven for investors in times of risk, and partly because U.S. interest rates have remained relatively high as the Federal Reserve strives to balance a need to boost the economy with curbing the higher prices that partly are a result of the war.

The Fed's decision to keep interest rates steady at its policymaking meeting Wednesday further supported the dollar. Analysts said Japanese officials will likely intervene if the yen drops much more.

The euro rose to $1.1686 from $1.1675.

U.S. futures retreated and world shares were mixed following a muted performance on Wall Street on Wednesday.

In early European trading, Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.5% to 10,259.08. France's CAC 40 lost 1.1% to 7,985.62, while Germany's DAX traded 0.2% lower at 23,896.19.

Asian stocks mostly fell. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 shed 1% to 59,284.92 and the Kospi in South Korea fell 1.4% to 6,598.87.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 1.3% to 25,776.53, and the Shanghai Composite index closed 0.1% higher at 4,112.16. China’s factory activity for April slowed slightly but remained in expansion territory for the second month, despite the global energy shock prompted by the Iran war, an official survey showed.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.2% at 8,665.80.

Taiwan’s Taiex was 1% lower and while India’s Sensex lost 0.5%.

On Wednesday, U.S. stocks were mixed. The benchmark S&P 500 edged down less than 0.1% to 24,673.24. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.6% to 48,861.81, while the Nasdaq composite edged less than 0.1% higher to 24,673.24.

Economists said the nine-member panel may hint that interest rates could increase in the months to come if the conflict in the Middle East — where a shaky ceasefire is for now holding — puts more upward pressure on U.K. inflation.

For now, the Monetary Policy Committee is expected to keep the bank's main rate at 3.75%, with one or two members possibly voting for a quarter-point hike as a preemptive measure against higher inflation. On Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged for the third meeting in a row as it warned of developments in the Middle East “contributing to a high level of uncertainty about the economic outlook.”

Before the war, there had been an expectation in financial markets that the bank would cut rates given that inflation was predicted to fall back toward its 2% target during the spring. The war has since upended the bank’s predictions and wider global economic forecasts as oil and prices have spiked sharply higher.

Sandra Horsfield, an economist at Investec, said the “repercussions of the conflict are still keenly felt and uncertainty about how the situation could evolve also remains high.”

Energy prices have raced up again over the past few days as traders price in a growing expectation that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed for a long time to come. Brent crude, the international standard, briefly jumped to over $126 a barrel earlier Thursday, its highest level since the aftermath of Russia's full-blown invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

Likely more important than the decision, will be the bank's quarterly economic projections published at the same time and the subsequent news conference, led by Bank Gov. Andrew Bailey.

The forecasts will be the first since the United States and Israel launched the strikes on Iran that started the war on Feb. 28 — in general, inflation forecasts are likely to be raised and growth predictions lowered.

Last week, official figures showed inflation in the United Kingdom climbed in March after a sharp jump in prices at the pump in the wake of the disruption to energy supplies caused by the war. The annual consumer price inflation rate increased to a three-month high of 3.3%, from 3% the previous month.

Bank of England policymakers will be keeping an eye on whether the evident inflation spike starts to spread through the economy, by way of higher wages, for example. They will also be alert to any upcoming action from Britain's Labour government to limit the inflation impact on households and businesses. Treasury chief Rachel Reeves, whose hopes over the cost-of-living have been blown off course by the crisis in the Middle East, has said she is ready to provide support when and if needed.

The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail earlier this month from Barcelona. Organizers have said more than 70 boats and 1,000 people from around the world would be participating, with more vessels joining the original boats as the flotilla sailed east across the Mediterranean.

Their attempt comes less than a year after Israeli authorities foiled another effort by the activist group to reach Gaza.

“Israel’s actions … mark a dangerous and unprecedented escalation, the abduction of civilians in the middle of the Mediterranean, over 600 miles from Gaza, in full view of the world,” the group said in a press release. The distance is about 1,000 kilometers from Gaza.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a post on X that it was taking about 175 activists from more than 20 boats participating in the flotilla to Israel. According to the ships' tracker published on the activist group's website, 22 vessels had been intercepted in international waters west of Crete, and 36 others were still sailing by mid-morning Thursday.

Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza’s Palestinian population.

Turkey’s foreign ministry condemned the seizure of the flotilla Thursday as “an act of piracy.”

“By targeting the Global Sumud Flotilla, whose mission is to draw attention to the humanitarian catastrophe faced by the innocent people of Gaza, Israel has also violated humanitarian principles and international law,” the ministry said in a statement.

Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli wrote on X that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had discussed the raid over the phone with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares Bueno.

Activists in Greece said they planned a protest rally Thursday afternoon outside the Greek foreign ministry in Athens, saying Israel's interception of the boats occurred within the maritime zone that falls under Greece's responsibility for search and rescue operations and that the country's coast guard had not reacted.

A fragile six month-old ceasefire in Gaza has halted the most intense fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants in the Palestinian enclave. But despite the ceasefire, Israeli attacks have killed more than 790 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

Overall, the health ministry says 72,300 Palestinians had been killed since the war in Gaza began with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, on Oct. 7, 2023.

Around 2 million Gaza residents are still living in ruins with shortages of food and medicine, and only limited aid entering through a single, Israeli-controlled border post.

Flotilla organizers have said they hope their latest attempt to reach Gaza will help highlight the living conditions endured by Palestinians in the territory, particularly as global attention has shifted its focus to the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran.

The flotilla’s effort to breach the blockade last year saw dozens of boats sailing near Gaza, with one crossing the 12 nautical mile (22-kilometer) line marking the divide from international waters to territorial waters. But all were all ultimately intercepted and seized or turned away.

Those sailing last year included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Israel arrested, detained and later deported the participants, who claimed Israeli authorities abused them while in detention. Israeli authorities denied the accusations.

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Natalie Melzer in Mitzpe Hila, Israel, and Cinar Kiper in Istanbul contributed to this report.

The 6-3 ruling effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act's requirement that districts be drawn to give minority voters a chance to elect representatives of their choosing. One practical effect of that requirement was the protection of reliably Democratic-voting majority-minority districts, even in solidly red states where lawmakers could otherwise favor the GOP.

With that mandate now largely gone, Republican lawmakers across the country — and especially in the South — have a freer hand to eliminate Democratic-leaning districts and pad the total number of seats they can win to hold the U.S. House. There are more than a dozen such seats in Republican-controlled states.

Shortly after the ruling, Republicans were urging a review of their congressional maps in Louisiana, Tennessee and elsewhere.

Their immediate challenge is that the ruling came down well after filing deadlines for this year's primary elections — and in some cases, after those primary elections have been held. That means ballots are set and in some states early and absentee voting has already begun.

‘No time to waste’

The timing makes it difficult to tear up maps and draw new ones. In Louisiana, where the mandate to draw a second, Democratic-leaning majority-Black House district led to Tuesday's decision, the primary election for federal offices is set for May 16 — and early voting is scheduled to begin Saturday. Nevertheless, the state's governor, attorney general and legislative leaders were meeting to discuss how the state would respond.

Republicans have been scrambling to comply with President Donald Trump's directive to redraw maps to add more winnable House seats to stave off losses in the midterms. In a sign of the pressure for Republicans to take advantage of the opportunity, multiple hopefuls running for governor in GOP primaries called for immediate redraws.

“There is no time to waste," Rick Jackson, a businessman and GOP governor candidate in Georgia, said in urging a redraw there even as voting is underway for the May 19 primary. "Georgia must act now to ensure secure elections in Georgia and counter the Democrats’ national assault on our elections.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, running for the GOP nomination for governor in Tennessee, called for redrawing that state's congressional map to replace its lone, majority-Black Democratic congressional seat with one more winnable for Republicans — even though that state's deadline for candidates to get on the ballot was March 10.

In a social media post, Trump praised the opinion by “brilliant Justice Samuel Alito” for returning “the Voting Rights Act to its Original Intent, which was to protect against intentional Racial Discrimination.”

Primary calendar is the main obstacle to redrawing maps

Democrats have managed to largely counter Republicans' push to draw more winnable seats in the round of mid-decade redistricting that started last year, but there is no clear way they could match the GOP's potential gains from the effective loss of the Voting Rights Act.

“It should not be lost on anyone that the Roberts court makes this decision at a time when Republican leaders across the country are foaming at the mouth to draw the American people out of a meaningful say in our elections,” former Attorney General Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement, referring to the court's Republican-nominated chief justice, John Roberts. "They want to retain illegitimately obtained power through the use of, among other things, now Supreme Court-sanctioned racial and partisan gerrymandering.”

Only one Republican state has a relatively clear path to gaining seats from the decision in time for the midterms — Florida. GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis has called a special session to adopt his map that could give his party four new winnable House seats. DeSantis had been counting on the Supreme Court ruling as it did Wednesday, and his state's primary is not until August.

The Florida Legislature approved the new congressional map Wednesday.

Other states have to confront the unprecedented possibility of revising maps even as voters are casting ballots or the legal process of declaring intent to run for office has concluded.

“I don’t know what the implications are going be for the fall. It's pretty late,” said Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

He said any redistricting decisions in the weeks ahead would be up to governors and legislatures.

Voting Rights Act ‘essentially dead’

In the longer term, the ruling clears the way for a drastic reshaping of the nation's political geography, at least by the time of the next presidential election year in 2028.

“The Voting Rights Act as a means to protect minority voters from vote dilution is essentially dead,” said Jonathan Cervas, a political scientist at Carnegie Mellon University who has worked as the court-appointed special master and mapmaker in multiple Voting Rights Act cases. “It's hard to imagine how this decision does not lead to additional GOP districts into the future.”

Cervas noted the Voting Rights Act isn't necessarily a partisan benefit for Democrats. Its most frequent use comes in local, nonpartisan races for offices such as school board or city council. But Republicans have long complained that Democrats have used the law to get winnable districts for their Black voters in red states that Republican-leaning white voters could never receive in blue states.

“For decades the left has spent hundreds of millions of dollars seeking to divide Americans along racial lines in a cynical pursuit of partisan power masquerading as civil rights,” Adam Kincaid, the National Republican Redistricting Trust’s executive director, said in a statement. “Today’s decision rebukes that divisive and unconstitutional effort.”

Democratic states might want to preserve minority districts

While the Voting Rights Act has helped preserve Democratic-leaning districts, those voters don't vanish just because of Wednesday's ruling. Republicans in some states cannot just eliminate all those districts without spreading enough Democratic voters around to jeopardize their own incumbents.

Likewise, the requirement that Democratic-leaning minority voters be concentrated in certain districts has occasionally hurt Democrats in states such as Michigan, lowering the number of swing districts they might win. The party could partly counter Republican gains by spreading minority voters wider in states it controls.

But there will be political pressure against that from some Black and Hispanic Democrats who want to ensure their communities still command the majority in certain districts. Democratic-controlled states also are more likely to have nonpartisan redistricting commissions that make their congressional maps less partisan and increasingly have adopted state-level versions of the Voting Rights Act to protect sometimes marginalized communities.

That will take time, but it all points to a far less regulated environment for mapmaking in the years to come.

That worries Thomas Johnson, a Black voter in New Orleans who was at the state Capitol to lobby on unrelated legislation Wednesday when the Supreme Court ruling came down. The majority-Black congressional district in which he lives can now be diced up by that state's Republican legislature.

“We are going to do all we can and continue fighting so our voices are heard,” Johnson said. “That’s all we want, to be heard.”

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Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Atlanta, Lisa Mascaro in Washington, Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.

A dyslexic teenager from a working-class background, Welch struggled with his college entry exams and took a job installing tires after leaving school at age 15. When he lost that gig, he lined up at the Liverpool job center. The job board featured a funeral director's listing — a “great career," he's sure, but “pretty grim" — and an advertisement for a charity event where entrepreneurs could win business grants.

Welch took that one and, less than 24 hours later, found himself inside a church filled with vintage furniture and friendly grandparents. It looked nothing like ABC's “Shark Tank," but he recalls feeling very much like one of the reality show's contestants as he described his proposal to sell cheaper tires to niche customers like his friends who drove souped-up cars.

That was Welch's first interaction with the then-Prince's Trust, which became known as The King's Trust when King Charles III became Britain's ruling monarch in 2023. “It wasn’t a well thought out plan, really,” said Welch, who is now based in Florida. “But they backed me. And they backed my enthusiasm. And they gave me a chance.”

Generations of Brits can tell stories similar to Welch, thanks to The Prince's Trust and The King's Trust, which have been supporting young people launch their careers since 1976, when then-Prince Charles took his Royal Navy severance pay and established the charity at a time of great economic distress for the United Kingdom. In the past 50 years, the King's Trust says it has reached more than 1.3 million young Brits through its education and employment initiatives, creating numerous success stories including those of celebrated actor Idris Elba and noted fashion designer Ozwald Boateng.

As Charles and Queen Camilla continued their first state visit to the U.S. since he became king, they nodded to The King's Trust with a gala Wednesday in New York, as the charity works to deepen its impact in more than two dozen countries including the United States. Attendees included Anna Wintour, Charlotte Tilbury, Donatella Versace, Lionel Richie and Martha Stewart.

At the event, Charles emphasized that “potential and latent talent truly knows no bounds once you help develop it.”

“I won't see the long-distance future,” he told attendees. "But I'm enormously grateful to you all for what you can all do as supporters to help this vital endeavor, to champion the next generation, ensuring their talent and ambition continue to strengthen our societies for many years to come.”

Members of the British Royal Family have traditionally served as patrons of charities, boosting awareness and fundraising for existing organizations in the areas where they rule as nobles. Observers say Charles' lasting interest in young people's employment is evident as he continues lending his title to its expanding work.

Giving young people an opportunity

The trust's programs reach young people through schools and established nonprofit partners. They include Get Hired, which helps young people land their first jobs, and the Development Awards, a grant that helps them afford purchases to advance their careers such as a laptop or professional clothing.

The Enterprise Challenge is an afterschool program where students develop businesses that address a problem in their community.

“What we see every time is that young people want to be helped. They want to be taken seriously,” said Jeremy Green, a trustee of the King’s Trust Group Company and chair of the King’s Trust USA. "And it’s not just giving them money. It’s giving them opportunity.”

LaKenya Sharpe, principal of The Collins Academy High School in the Chicago neighborhood of North Lawndale, said being taken seriously by such an organization has meant the world to her students. They won the King's Trust US' Enterprise Challenge for launching a business that grows and sells fresh vegetables to stores in their area, which lacked access to stores that sold produce.

The “babies” in her community often feel as if no one pays attention to them, she said.

“This shows that they can achieve anything," Sharpe added. "Their belief now is ‘Oh, other people are watching. Other people are seeing this.’ And they ask ‘How far can this go?’ My answer is, 'It can go as far as you guys take it. Don’t let anything limit you.'”

Highlighting philanthropic ties between the US and UK

Wednesday's gala arrived at a moment of unusual tension between the elected leaders of the two longstanding allies. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to support the United States’ war in Iran has angered President Donald Trump.

Charles noted the “wonderful opportunity” to celebrate “the enduring cultural bond” between the two countries, whose relationship he said is “rooted in shared creativity, enterprise and values.”

“Reminding us we are truly greater together. That's the point,” Charles told attendees.

The trust’s leaders emphasized they'd been planning anniversary celebrations long before the recent rift. But Charles' emphasis on the country’s deep philanthropic ties could serve as a reminder of their shared interests, said JP Tribe, a senior lecturer in law at the University of Liverpool who has written about royal patronages.

Tribe hoped the gala showed “that both countries have and can continue to engage in very positive public benefit activity that helps the most disadvantaged in our society.”

Expanding in the United States

The King's Trust US has set a goal to reach 1,000 young people in the United States this year.

Their biggest partner in that effort is City Year, the education nonprofit that introduced The Collins Academy to The King’s Trust and sends young adults to help teach in schools nationwide. AmeriCorps members are helping them pilot a version of the “Get Hired” program. They're also relying on the nonprofit Per Scholas and Maryland school districts to test some other programs.

Gore said student participants tend to be very focused on their immediate communities. The goal is to show them they can have an impact where they live.

"Keeping employment in communities and keeping people in communities is actually the key to everyone’s success," Gore said.

Welch said it doesn't require giant investments to make an impact. He received a 500 pound ($677) grant and, perhaps more importantly, a mentor who provided office space for the nascent company that he’d eventually sell for 50 million pounds ($68 million) to Michelin.

He said the blueprint for The King's Trust's expansion to succeed already exists. It's just a matter of building relationships with on-the-ground partners who can reach the people with the most need.

“What we see in Chicago, what we see in Orlando, is really no different -- with obvious local nuances," said Welch, who launched his latest venture the Anglo Atlantic advisory and investment firm. "But it’s not very different to what we see in Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester.”

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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

The resumption of a commercial flight between the two countries comes in the wake of the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro in a stunning nighttime raid on his residence in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, in early January.

It also comes a month after the U.S. formally reopened its embassy in Caracas following the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the South American country.

Flight AA3599 operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines, was scheduled to depart from Miami at 10:16 a.m. local time and arrive three hours later in the Venezuelan capital, returning to Florida later in the afternoon.

Earlier, the airline said a second daily flight between Miami and Caracas will start on May 21.

In late January, U.S. President Donald Trump said he informed Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez that he would open up all commercial airspace over Venezuela, allowing Americans to visit.

“American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” Trump said at the time.

The flights mark the resumption of nonstop travel between the U.S. and Venezuela for the first time since diplomatic ties were severed in 2019. For the past seven years, passengers have relied on international airlines and indirect routes through neighboring Latin American countries.

In January, when the airline announced the resumption of flights it said it would give customers the opportunity to reunite with families and pursue new business opportunities.

American Airlines was the last U.S. airline flying to Venezuela. It suspended flights in 2019 between Miami and Caracas, as well as flights to the oil hub city of Maracaibo. Delta and United Airlines pulled out in 2017 amid a political crisis that forced millions to flee the country.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

The beloved Magic Kingdom roller coaster is reopening May 3 after closing in January 2025 for a sweeping refurbishment that brought a new track, a lowered height requirement of 38 inches, refreshed trains and a deeper dive into the mountain’s legendary lore.

At the heart of the reimagined experience is the legend of Barnabas T. Bullion, founder of the Big Thunder Mountain Mining Company.

According to Dan Flynn, Executive Show Management with Walt Disney Imagineering, the refresh expands on a story that guests have long loved.

“Guests will finally be able to crest one of our last hills and see that gold motherlode,” Flynn said. “But the mountain still, with defiance, will push you out to try and warn you that anybody who does try to mine in the mountain — just as a warning as you go forward.”

One of the most visually striking additions is the transformation of the Rainbow Caverns. Flynn described the scene as layered with phosphorescent pools and iridescent stalagmites and stalactites.

“You’ll start hearing a menacing trance rumble as it transforms into something more ominous to tell stories of things to come as guests continue to rise up that hill,” Flynn said.

The mountain now features more than 2,000 bats in that section alone — raising the stakes on the mountain’s age-old warning to stay away from the gold.

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Flynn also highlighted the return of two working smokestacks on the mountain’s exterior — a detail that had been dormant for years.

“Those smokestacks had not been running for a long time,” he said. “We were able to bring back that lore and tie it into — it’s a working mine, and it’s there for our guests to experience.”

The attraction’s queue was also enhanced to better weave the Bullion storyline throughout the wait. Flynn said the refurbishment reflects Disney’s broader commitment to preserving its classics.

“We try to invest not only in our new experiences, but dedicate that experience and that funding towards keeping our existing attractions — those classics — refreshed for our guests to enjoy from generation to generation,” he said.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s return also comes as Walt Disney World reshapes its Frontierland area with the construction of Piston Peak National Park, a “Cars”-themed land currently taking shape nearby.

It started when a user with the handle “@NuggetSince1994” tagged @JetBlue in a post about the price of an airfare: “I love flying @JetBlue but a $230 increase on a ticket after one day is crazy 😭 I’m just trying make it to a funeral”.

The airline responded quickly: “Try clearing your cache and cookies or booking with an incognito window. We’re sorry for your loss.”

Although the response seemed innocent enough, twelve words out of seventeen instantly landed JetBlue in hot water. JetBlue’s post was quickly deleted but the damage was done – social media was accusing the airline of surveillance pricing and the evidence pointed right back to their own words.

What is surveillance pricing?

According to the Federal Trade Commission, surveillance pricing is when a company uses a customer’s personal data to help determine what price the customer sees. That can apply to goods – like clothing, groceries, or electronics – or services such as airline tickets, concert seats, or rental cars.

That data can include:

• Location
• Browsing history
• Purchase behavior
• Device type (iPhone vs. Android, PC vs. Mac or desktop vs. mobile device)   

But is surveillance pricing actually a thing? Companies – including JetBlue – say they do not set prices based on individual users. Instead, they say prices change based on demand, availability, and timing. Consumers and watchdog groups, however, point to examples they say suggest pricing may not always be purely demand driven.

This is where things get complicated.

JetBlue went to great lengths to own up to the mistake. The airline told Gizmodo: “The reply from our JetBlue crewmember on social media was incorrect, and we apologize for the error.” In a separate email to MarketWatch, JetBlue said fares “are not determined by cached data or other personal information.”

JetBlue, however, didn’t convince everyone.

Just days after the social media dust-up, a class-action lawsuit was filed against JetBlue. The complaint: JetBlue may be tracking things like a customer’s browsing activity, device type, or location to gauge how much they’re willing to pay – and then adjusting fares in real time. The lawsuit points in part to the now-deleted social media reply and reports of prices appearing to change during repeated searches.

Plaintiffs are seeking damages for passengers and a court order to stop surveillance pricing. In response, JetBlue again denied the claims, saying all customers see the same fares and that prices are driven strictly by demand and seat availability.

The JetBlue lawsuit isn’t the only legal action recently taken targeting surveillance pricing. In April 2026, Maryland became the first state in the country to pass a law targeting surveillance pricing.

The “Protection From Predatory Pricing Act” bans grocery stores and delivery apps from using a customer’s personal data – like browsing history, location, or shopping behavior – to charge different prices for the same item. The law – which takes effect October 1, 2026 – also requires prices to stay consistent for at least one business day, preventing rapid, real-time changes driven by algorithms.

But, there’s a catch.

The law only applies to grocery stores, food retailers, and certain delivery apps – it does not apply to airlines, hotels, or most online shopping. Furthermore, the legislation still allows things like loyalty programs and discounts, which critics say could create similar outcomes in a less obvious way.

So, if companies say they’re not pricing based on who you are – and lawmakers are starting to crack down on how personal data can be used – what’s actually driving those rapid price changes? The answer is something most consumers experience every day but probably give it little thought: dynamic pricing.

Dynamic pricing vs. surveillance pricing

One distinction that needs to be addressed: dynamic pricing versus surveillance pricing. Surveillance pricing is what critics are worried about – prices potentially tailored to an individual based on their personal data. Dynamic pricing on the other hand, is something widely used, and, generally accepted.

Here’s how dynamic pricing works: instead of focusing on who you are, dynamic pricing adjusts purchases based on factors including:

• Demand (how many people want the item or service)
• Timing (how close to a deadline are you for the purchase)
• Inventory (how many items or “service spots” are left)

Airlines have used this model for decades. As an everyday example you’ve probably never really thought about: airline seats are sold in what are known as “fare buckets.” Translation:

• The first customers may see lower prices (early bird gets the (cheap) worm)
• As seats fill up, the price increases for everyone, not just you

You’ve likely also seen dynamic pricing in everyday life through ride-share surge pricing (during busy hours), hotel rates increasing (during holiday season or during major events), and concert or sporting event ticket prices go up (as availability shrinks).

Dynamic pricing is based on supply and demand – and because of technology – prices can change quickly, even while you’re still searching.

And that’s where confusion sets in.

To a consumer, a price jump can feel personal – especially if it happens after multiple searches. But in many cases, companies say those changes are happening because the market is moving, not because they’re tracking you individually.

For now, there’s no clear proof that airlines are tailoring prices to individual users. But the growing attention from lawmakers and lawsuits suggests this issue isn’t going away anytime soon.

So, what can consumers do?

Experts say it doesn’t hurt to compare prices across devices, browsers, or even booking platforms. More importantly: understand that most price changes are still driven by demand and availability.

The bigger issue may not be what companies are doing, but what they’re not telling you. Because in today’s digital marketplace, that lack of transparency is where the real concern begins. The price you see isn’t always as straightforward as it seems – and it may not be the same price for everyone.

Most of these new laws will take effect on July 1, though one went into play immediately upon being signed.

The full list of newly signed laws is as follows:

HB 895 — Trustee Settlement

House Bill 895 establishes a summary procedure for trustee liability and claims discharge under the Florida Trust Code.

This applies to non-adversarial irrevocable trust administrations where the trustee has substantially complied with certain trustee duties, negating the need for judicial process to achieve such discharge.

The law took effect upon being signed.

HB 929 — Chickee Regulation

House Bill 929 prohibits local governments from enacting an ordinance that prevents a member of the Miccosukee or Seminole tribes from constructing a chickee under certain conditions.

The law takes effect on July 1.

HB 961 — Electronic Signatures

House Bill 961 requires that insurance companies implement secure control processes and procedures for electronic signatures that are acceptable to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

The law takes effect on July 1.

HB 1337 — Estate Authority

House Bill 1337 amends several provisions of Florida law to reduce the necessity for court involvement or formal proceedings in the distribution of a decedent.

More specifically, this bill does the following:

• Gives a personal representative more authority with respect to a decedent’s safe deposit box
• Expressly allows a personal representative to institute a proceeding to enforce his/her authority as personal representative
• Increases the amounts of what Florida law considers “small estates,” such that procedures other than formal probate proceedings may be instituted to dispose of the subject property under certain conditions

The law takes effect on July 1.

Instead, she says she lost more than $4,000 to what appears to be an elaborate online puppy con - one tied to a fake delivery company, stock photos and an overseas website domain.

Danielle Garcia-Culp knew immediately when she saw the picture of the Australian Shepherd puppy.

“She just had those eyes that said I will love you forever,” Garcia-Culp said.

Garcia-Culp, who lives in Umatilla, found the puppy listed on a Facebook page and sent a message to someone identifying herself as a pet breeder named Sharon Richards.

“I’ve been fighting cancer for four years,” Garcia-Culp said. “This is the kind of dog I need.”

What happened next left her questioning everything.

According to Garcia-Culp, Richards suggested the two meet at a police station or a well-lit Walmart.

“The fact that she recommended it to me sealed the deal,” Garcia-Culp told News 6, “Like, there’s no way this is fake.”

Garcia-Culp agreed to have the puppy delivered from Pensacola to her home. Shortly after, Garcia-Culp said a delivery agent texted her a photo of the dog in a crate, along with a tracking number. Then came the requests for money.

“A $700 refundable deposit for the crate rental,” Culp said, “Then he comes back and he says ‘okay I do need another $1,500 deposit now for the pet insurance. Then he came back asking for yet another deposit.”

By the end, Garcia-Culp was out more than $4,000.

“At that point, what did I do?” she said.

The delivery company was named Global Logistics Transport Solutions. Its website listed a founder named Bryan Williams - but through reverse image search, his photo appears to be a stock image used across multiple other websites.

The domain itself was registered through Hostinger, an European-based hosting provider. After News 6 alerted Hostinger about the website, the company suspended the website.

The Product Communications Manager for Hostinger sent News 6 a statement saying in part, “At the time of your outreach, we had not received any prior reports about this website through our official abuse reporting channels. Following your inquiry and our internal investigation, we determined that the website in question was involved in a fraudulent “fake courier” scheme - a type of logistics scam. As a result, we have now suspended the website for violating our Terms of Service.”

Hostinger is an EU-based hosting provider and operates in full compliance with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and other applicable regulations. As an intermediary service provider, we do not proactively monitor all content hosted on our infrastructure. However, we act promptly on valid reports of illegal content and/or activity and take appropriate measures when violations are identified.

At the time of your outreach, we had not received any prior reports about this website through our official abuse reporting channels. Following your inquiry and our internal investigation, we determined that the website in question was involved in a fraudulent “fake courier” scheme - a type of logistics scam. As a result, we have now suspended the website for violating our Terms of Service.

Like other hosting providers, we rely on a combination of internal systems, external signals, and reports from users, partners, and trusted flaggers to detect and address abuse, including fraudulent schemes.

Once we receive credible information about illegal content and/or activity, our Abuse & Fraud Prevention Team prioritizes such cases and acts quickly in line with applicable laws and internal procedures. We also cooperate with law enforcement agencies and competent authorities and provide the required information upon their request.

We encourage anyone who encounters suspicious or potentially fraudulent content hosted on our platform to report it via our official Abuse Reporting Form or at abuse@hostinger.com to ensure immediate processing by our team.

Gediminas Gasiulis, Product Communications Manager

The Facebook page where Garcia-Culp said she found the puppy, however, remains active. When News 6 sent a message to the page an automated response arrived in minutes.

Then, we received a message saying “Who?” News 6 provided Garcia-Culp’s name then received this response, “She abandoned her pup at the delivery agency.”

News 6 responded but has not heard back.

News 6 contacted Meta, which owns Facebook, about the page. The company is looking into our request.

Garcia-Culp is urging others to be careful of how they send their money.

“I can only imagine somebody going through a similar situation I am, you know, and that puppy being almost like a lifeline and then it’s not real,” she said.

According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Serving Central Florida, 176 puppy scams in Florida were reported to the BBB Scam Tracker over the past two years, with $156,000 in reported losses.

If you are looking for a pet, here is what the BBB recommends:

• Do not buy a pet without seeing it in person. If that is not possible, request a live video call to view the animal, meet the breeder, and evaluate the facility.
• Conduct a reverse image search of the pet you are considering to see if it appears on multiple websites.
• Avoid wiring money, or using a cash app or gift card.

Garcia-Culp has created a GoFundMe to help recoup some of the costs and help pay for her cancer treatment.

The amnesty is the second in two weeks, following an earlier one on April 17 when more than 4,500 prisoners were granted amnesty. It was not immediately clear how many people imprisoned for opposing military rule in Myanmar were included in Thursday’s amnesty.

Two legal officials, who insisted on anonymity for fear of being punished by the authorities, said Thursday’s measure would further reduce Suu Kyi’s sentence by one-sixth, but did not specify the exact remaining term. Based on previous reductions, the 80-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate is expected to have more than 13 years left to serve.

State media said Thursday that in addition to the amnesty granted to 1,519 prisoners, including 11 foreigners, the sentences of remaining convicted prisoners were cut by one-sixth to mark the Full Moon day of “Kason,” known as Buddha’s Birthday and Demise.

The amnesties come after Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was sworn into office as president on April 10 following an election that critics say was neither free nor fair and was orchestrated to maintain the military’s tight grip on power.

In his inauguration speech, he said his government would grant amnesties aimed at promoting social reconciliation, justice and peace.

Suu Kyi was arrested on Feb. 1, 2021 when the army seized power from her elected government.

She was originally sentenced to 33 years in prison in late 2022 for several offenses that her supporters and rights groups described as attempts to discredit her and legitimize the army takeover that removed her from office, as well as to prevent her return to politics.

Her term was reduced to 27 years in August 2023 and then further cut by more than four years on April 17, when prison terms of less than 40 years were cut by one-sixth.

Suu Kyi is serving the prison term at an undisclosed location in the capital Naypyitaw.

There were reports last week that she might be transferred to house arrest as part of the clemency, but there was no confirmation from the government.

Information about her condition remains tightly controlled. Reports in 2024 and 2025 indicated declining health, including low blood pressure, dizziness and heart problems, but these claims could not be independently verified. Her legal team has not been allowed to meet her in person since December 2022.

The 2021 army takeover triggered massive public resistance that was brutally suppressed, triggering a bloody civil war that has killed thousands of people.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights monitoring organization, 22,047 people have been in detention in Myanmar since the army takeover.

Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar’s martyred independence hero Gen. Aung San, spent almost 15 years as a political prisoner under house arrest between 1989 and 2010.

Her tough stand against military rule in Myanmar turned her into a symbol of nonviolent struggle for democracy, and won her the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.

The government announced 25 million pounds ($34 million) for more police patrols and protection around synagogues, schools and community centers after two Jewish men were stabbed and seriously injured in London’s Golders Green neighborhood on Wednesday. The victims, aged 34 and 76, are in stable condition.

Police arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder and labeled the attack an act of terrorism. Detectives are working to determine a motive, and whether there could be a link to Iranian proxies.

Counterterrorism police are investigating whether the stabbings are linked to recent arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in the British capital.

Police said the suspect, whose name hasn’t been released, had “a history of serious violence and mental health issues.” Police searched a property in southeast London after reports the suspect was involved in an “altercation” in the area hours before the Golders Green attack.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was treating antisemitism as “an emergency,” calling it “the top pressing issue in relation to security” she faced.

Britain’s Jewish community is long established, but tiny as a percentage of the population, numbering about 300,000. The northwest London suburb of Golders Green is one of its epicenters, home to kosher restaurants, Jewish schools and several dozen synagogues, as well as large Asian and Middle Eastern communities.

The number of antisemitic incidents reported across the U.K. has soared since the attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza, according to the Community Security Trust charity. The group recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022.

In October 2025, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and fatally stabbed one person. Another person died during the attack after being inadvertently shot by police.

Some Jews and others say pro-Palestinian protests have gone beyond criticism of Israel's actions to foster an atmosphere of intimidation and hatred against Jews.

The protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, but some say chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” incite anti-Jewish hatred. Some protesters have been arrested for displaying support for Hamas, a banned organization in the U.K.

Jonathan Hall, the government’s former reviewer of terrorism legislation, called for pro-Palestinian marches to be temporarily banned, saying they had helped “incubate” antisemitism.

Opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch backed calls for a ban, saying the marches “are used as a cover for violence and intimidation against Jews.”

Since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, there have been a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites and opponents of the Iranian government. Several people, ranging in age from teens to people in their 40s, have been arrested and charged over the arsons, which haven’t caused injuries.

Several of the attacks have been claimed online in the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. Israel’s government has described the group, whose name means the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, as a recently founded group with suspected links to “an Iranian proxy” that has also claimed responsibility for synagogue attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.

An online claim in the same name also took responsibility for Wednesday’s stabbing. Mahmood said authorities were investigating whether that claim was credible or “opportunistic.”

The government said Thursday it would bring in legislation to prosecute “individuals and groups acting on behalf of state-sponsored organizations.”

Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 18, was charged April 24 and hasn’t entered a plea, the city-state’s largest English-language newspaper, The Straits Times, said. He allegedly committed the offense at a shopping mall on March 12, and his video spread rapidly when it surfaced, the report said.

The teen was granted court permission Wednesday to travel to Manila from May 2-25 for a school trip required for his graduation, the Straits Times said. He is due back in court on May 29.

Mischief carries a penalty of up to two years in prison or a fine, or both, while public nuisance is less severe with up to three months in prison or a fine, or both.

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

Lawyers for the teen, who is studying in a French business school in Singapore, declined to comment on the case when contacted.

Singapore, a small, densely populated city-state, tightly regulates public behavior and cleanliness. This includes restrictions like limits on chewing gum and strong penalties for littering and vandalism.

These drones — used widely in the war in Ukraine — are small, hard to track and potentially lethal.

Many drones are susceptible to electronic jamming by air defenses. Jamming can cause a drone to crash or return to its point of origin.

But fiber-optic drones are not controlled remotely. They have a thin cable that connects an operator directly to the drone, making it impossible to electronically jam.

The drones are not infallible because the wind — or other drones — can cause the cables to tangle.

But, “if you know what you’re doing, it’s absolutely deadly,” said Robert Tollast, a drone expert and researcher at the Royal United Services Institute in London, explaining how the drone can fly low and creep up on a target.

Experts say militaries must either intercept the drones, which is difficult due to their small size and short flight path, or find a way to snip the nearly invisible cable.

Hezbollah — the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon — has mostly been using the fiber optic drones on Israeli soldiers operating in southern Lebanon or towns on the border.

Here’s a closer look at these weapons.

A new weapon with a long trail

An Israeli military official told AP the fiber optic drones are a relatively new threat during the latest round of fighting with Hezbollah. Hezbollah seems to have turned to them because Israeli air defenses have been successful against larger and more powerful rockets, missiles and other drones, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines.

Israel believes the drones are made locally and are easy to produce – requiring little more than an off-the-shelf drone, a small amount of explosives, and transparent wire that is readily available on the consumer market, he said.

He called the drones the biggest threat to troops inside Lebanon but said the Israeli military is working on technological solutions. In the meantime, Israel is taking measures on the ground to defend troops, such as adding nets and cages to military vehicles.

The fiber-optic drones are the latest part of a cat-and-mouse race as Israel’s high-tech defenses race to intercept new threats, especially ones that are less sophisticated.

Ran Kochav, a former head of the Israeli military’s air defense command, said Israel is failing in its attempts to defend against the fiber-optic drones.

“They fly very low and very fast, and they are very small, it’s very difficult to detect them, and even after they’re detected, they are really hard to track,” he said.

Kochav said Israel spent years focusing on strengthening its air defense systems to improve protection against rockets and missiles. But drones were not seen as a top priority.

He said Israel should have been following the advances in fiber-optic drones in the war in Ukraine and assumed that like Russia, other Iranian allies would eventually use them.

A technology race in the war in Ukraine

Throughout the war in Ukraine, Moscow and Kyiv have been engaged in a race to develop new technology.

Russia pummels Ukraine almost nightly with Shahed long-range attack drones — originally from Iran. Although Moscow has made many improvements to the drones, some can still be taken down by electronic jamming.

Fiber-optic drones were developed to get around that problem — although they do not have the same range as a drone that uses a radio link or artificial intelligence to navigate.

In some cases, fiber-optic drones have been recorded with cables extending as far as 31 miles (50 kilometers) said Tollast, the expert in London.

Russia and Ukraine are using many different types of drones “at a phenomenal scale,” he said.

In Ukraine, some fields are coated with drone cables

The fiber-optic drones are in such wide use that footage shows front-line Ukrainian towns coated with shiny, fishing line-like strings, resembling massive spiderwebs shimmering in the sunlight.

Israel has sufficient firepower to intercept drones, but the key is early detection, Kochav said.

He explained that Israel already has suitable technology that tracks changes in light, identifies signals and communications, and can recognize the sound of drone propellers.

But he said these monitoring systems haven’t been widely deployed along the northern border.

Hezbollah has posted videos of the new drone attacks

Over the past weeks, Hezbollah has aired videos through social media platforms and its Al-Manar TV station of attacks with these new drones, especially against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.

These attacks have captured public attention. One attack killed one Israeli soldier and wounded six others, some of them seriously, last weekend. Another attack, on Tuesday, killed an Israeli civilian contractor in southern Lebanon.

In the attack that killed the soldier, Hezbollah issued a video taken by the drone until it exploded in the middle of troops gathering near a vehicle. Another drone was fired at the same location as a military helicopter landed to evacuate the wounded but narrowly missed.

Hezbollah announced that it began using fiber-optic guided drones for the first time during the round of fighting that began March 2, after using other types of drones for years.

Israel also has a fleet of drones that carry out surveillance and attacks, though not necessarily with the fiber-optic cables, to target Hezbollah militants.

At a northern Israel home, a drone left coils of cable in the backyard

Zevik Glidai, a 78-year-old math teacher and volunteer ambulance driver, discovered coils of the translucent fiber-optic cables surrounding a drone that crashed into his backyard in the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona on April 13.

His house is 2 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the Lebanon border. He was sitting at home when he heard a high-pitched shriek and a small crash. His neighbor yelled that the yard was on fire.

The two of them put out the fire with a garden hose but noticed something new: The destroyed drone was surrounded by loops and curls of a white thread.

“We are very worried about these drones because there's no way to shoot it down, because we can’t detect it,” Glidai said.

He said there was no warning siren before the drone crashed, and the bomb squad that responded called it a miracle that nearly 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of explosives failed to detonate.

“They told me, ‘You have a lot of luck,’” said Glidai, who noted that he's lived through several iterations of Hezbollah weapons in his 48 years in Kiryat Shmona. “They picked up all of the pieces that they could pick up, and they left me a few optical fibers as a keepsake.”

___

Mroue reported from Beirut; Burrows from London.

The Golden Knights take a 3-2 lead into their best-of-seven NHL playoffs series on Friday night in Salt Lake City.

Vegas' Pavel Dorofeyev's six-on-five goal with 52.7 seconds left in regulation forced overtime and gave him the sixth playoff hat trick in franchise history. Dorofeyev had two goals in 13 career playoff games before this one.

“That was a huge game by him,” Golden Knights center Jack Eichel said. “He's a huge part of our team, and it was awesome to see him find the back of the net a few times. It seems like he's been playing pretty well these last few nights and it's great to see him get rewarded.”

Neither team scored in the first overtime, the first time this series either side failed in a period to hit the back of the net.

“I think that was a hell of a game,” Mammoth coach André Tourigny said. “I think both teams played really hard. We were really close. Unfortunately, we gave that six-on-five goal and could not get it done in overtime, but I'm really proud of the way the guys played.”

Also for the Golden Knights, Shea Theodore has a goal and assist and Eichel had two assists. Carter Hart stopped 34 shots.

John Marino, Lawson Crouse and Dylan Guenther scored for the Mammoth and Clayton Keller had two assists. Karel Vejmelka made 31 saves.

Utah rallied in the third period when Guenther tied it at 5:54 on a rush play and Michael Carcone on a two-on-one with 7:18 left.

Both teams have continued to struggle on the power play, combining to go 1 for 10. Vegas ended a scoring drought of 13 power plays when Dorofeyev scored from the right circle to make it 1-1 with 40.2 seconds left in the first period. But the Golden Knights are just 3 for 18 for the series, which is better than Utah's 1-for-14 showing.

Vegas also has two short-handed goals this series, both from Howden that included his shot from the slot to win Game 5. The Golden Knights forced the action that resulted in a faceoff in Utah's zone. Vegas won the faceoff, Mitch Marner dug the puck from the boards and fed Howden for the winner.

“(Marner) did a good job of getting the stick in there and interrupting play,” Howden said. “It just kind of popped out and I just tried to get a shot. After that, just kind of blacked out.”

The Golden Knights twice rallied in the first two periods, and goals 1:38 apart by Dorofeyev and Theodore late in the second put them ahead 3-2. It's the first time Vegas took the lead into the third period in this series, but the Golden Knights were the NHL's best third-period team in the regular season with a plus-47 goal differential.

But both teams have been resilient — and physical.

They combined for 86 hits, each side determined to assert itself. But those also sometimes resulted in unnecessary penalties, with the Mammoth taking three in the first period on an open-ice interference by Nick Schmaltz, a clothesline takedown of Ivan Barbashev by Logan Cooley officially called holding and a boarding minor on Mikhail Sergachev.

The Golden Knights were hardly blameless. Cole Smith picked up a double-minor high-sticking penalty just 11 seconds into third period, but Vegas killed off the four minutes.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

On Thursday, he was awarded $61,000 and a car by the president.

Sawe, the first person to officially break the two-hour barrier in an marathon, was welcomed home by his parents and Sports Minister Salim Mvurya, who hailed the runner's accomplishment at the London Marathon as “a win for Kenya.”

President William Ruto held a more formal welcoming ceremony Thursday, where he described Sawe's win as “a defining moment in the history of human endurance.”

Sawe gave President Ruto an autographed Adidas Adizero shoe worn during Sunday’s marathon. He also autographed a photo of the moment he broke the world record.

Sawe made history on Sunday when he won in a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, 30 seconds. He bettered the previous men’s world record by 65 seconds.

On arrival Wednesday at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Sawe told The Associated Press he was proud to have “made a great achievement in life” and was planning to “try and lower the record further.”

He was adorned with a traditional wreath made from twigs to symbolize victory.

Traditional dancers sang his praises as he then climbed into a luxury government vehicle as part of the “heroic welcome” hailed by the sports minister.

Sawe's parents told The AP they knew their son was destined for greatness even as a child. His mother recounted how he sprinted during bath time.

“He would run too fast. So, I would say to myself, this boy will shine for me one day,” Emily Sawe said.

His father recounted some tension watching Sunday’s marathon because of the television lacked a clear signal.

“The moment my son pulled in front, I walked out and didn’t see him finish the race. I watched the replay afterwards. I was so happy, extremely happy. We screamed so much that now it is hard to swallow anything,” Simion Kiplagat Sawe said.

Sabastian Sawe was introduced to professional running by his uncle, Abraham Chepkirwok, who ran the 800 meters for Uganda at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Sawe won the Valencia Marathon in 2024, clocking 2:02:05. He went into Sunday's race in London as the defending champion.

His father says Sawe is disciplined and determined: “Even now, he still says that record was not enough; he wants to lower it further."

___

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

“I worry these attacks are battering this institution and putting at risk the things that really matter to the public,” Powell said in remarks at a press conference after the Fed announced its decision to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged.

Powell’s decision to stay — the first time a Fed chair will remain on the board as a governor since 1948 — denies President Donald Trump a chance to fill a seat on the central bank’s seven-member governing board with his own appointee. The Senate Banking Committee earlier approved Powell’s successor as chair, Trump appointee Kevin Warsh, on a party-line vote. Powell will continue as a Fed governor, possibly until January 2028. Warsh, if confirmed, will take a seat currently held by Stephen Miran, a previous Trump appointee, whose term ended in January.

Powell's move could make it a bit harder for Warsh to engineer the rate cuts that Trump has demanded, and Warsh advocated for last year, economists say.

“It probably means it will take Warsh a little bit longer to build the consensus he is trying to build,” said David Seif, chief economist for developed markets at Nomura, an investment bank.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said on X Friday that her office was ending its probe into the Fed’s extensive building renovations because the Fed’s inspector general would scrutinize them instead. But she added that her office could reopen the investigation if “the facts warrant doing so.” And Pirro had said previously that she would appeal a court ruling that threw out subpoenas her office had issued.

Powell said Wednesday he had been assured by the Justice Department that the appeal wouldn't result in a reopening of the probe unless a separate investigation by the Fed's inspector general finds evidence of criminal activity.

Apparently, that didn't bring Powell the closure he felt is needed.

“I’m waiting for the investigation to be well and truly over with finality and transparency," he said. "I’m waiting for that and I will leave when I think it appropriate to do so.”

The Fed Wednesday left its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the third straight meeting but signaled it could still cut rates in the coming months, moves that attracted the most dissents since October 1992. Three officials dissented in favor of removing the reference to a future cut, while a fourth, Miran, dissented in favor of an immediate rate cut.

The dissents underscore the level of division on the Fed's 12-member rate-setting committee ahead of the end of Powell's term as chair on May 15.

“Developments in the Middle East are contributing to a high level of uncertainty about the economic outlook,” the Fed said in a statement after its two-day meeting. “Inflation is elevated, in part reflecting the recent increase in global energy prices.”

Trump responded to Powell's decision late Wednesday on his social media website: “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell wants to stay at the Fed because he can’t get a job anywhere else — Nobody wants him,” Trump posted, using his nickname for the Fed chair.

Warsh has promised “regime change” at the central bank and may make sweeping changes to its economic models, communications strategies, and balance sheet. He has argued in favor of rate cuts, as Trump has demanded, but he will likely find it harder to implement them with inflation topping 3%, above the Fed’s target of 2%.

When asked if he believed Warsh would stand up to political pressure from Trump, Powell answered, “He testified very strongly at his hearing, and I take him at his word.”

The three officials who dissented against hinting that the Fed may reduce borrowing costs were Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland; Neel Kashkari, president of the Minneapolis Fed; and Lorie Logan, president of the Dallas Fed. The regional Fed bank presidents have historically been more likely to dissent, while the Washington-based governors more often support the chair.

The dissents could renew tension between the Trump administration and the bank presidents, who White House officials have previously criticized.

Beth Ann Bovino, chief economist at US Bank, said the dissents demonstrated that Fed policymakers are “very independent" and will likely be on hold for months longer. She has forecast a rate cut in December but now isn't sure. Wall Street investors on average don't expect a reduction until well into next year, according to futures pricing.

Powell's decision to stay on could worsen tensions with the Trump administration and would create what some analysts refer to as a “two Popes” scenario, with a chair and former chair both on the Fed’s board. In that case, divisions among policymakers could increase, if some decided to follow Powell's lead rather than Warsh's.

Powell dismissed the notion that his staying on could cause dissension, saying, “My intention is not to interfere," later adding that, “I’m not looking to be a high profile dissident or anything like that."

Still, Powell said he remained concerned about the Fed's independence from the White House, which he said is essential to its ability to set rates to benefit the public, rather than in response to political pressure. When the Fed raises or cuts its short-term rate, over time it affects the cost of mortgages, auto loans, and business borrowing.

Fed independence remains “at risk,” he said. "We’re having to resort to the courts to enforce our ... ability to make monetary policy without political considerations. We’ve had to do that and we’ve been successful so far, but that’s not over, none of that has concluded yet.”

The unusual situation comes while the economic picture remains unusually murky, putting the Fed in a difficult spot. Inflation has jumped to 3.3%, a two-year high, as the war has sharply raised gas prices. That makes it harder for the central bank to reduce rates. The Fed typically leaves rates unchanged, or even raises them, if inflation is worsening.

At the same time, hiring has ground almost to a halt, leaving those without jobs frustrated by the difficulty of finding new ones. Typically, the Fed cuts rates when the job market is weak, to spur more spending and job gains.

But layoffs also remain low, as employers appear to be following a “ low-hire, low-fire ” strategy. Many Fed officials have suggested that as long as the unemployment rate is low, the central bank doesn't need to cut rates to spur more spending and hiring. Unemployment declined to 4.3% in March, from 4.4%.

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AP Writer Alex Veiga contributed to this report.

It will be the first time in nearly two decades — and in Russia’s 4-year-old war in Ukraine — that no military equipment will rumble through Moscow’s Red Square on May 9, the day Russia celebrates its most important secular holiday. The Kremlin has used it to showcase its military might and global clout, and it is a source of patriotic pride.

Victory Day parades on Red Square have involved military equipment and various weaponry every year since 2008. Smaller parades are held elsewhere across the country, including in cities like St. Petersburg.

The ministry cited the “current operational situation” as a reason for excluding military equipment, as well as cadets, from this year’s parade on the 81st anniversary of the victory. Ukraine has launched drone attacks deep inside Russia to counter Moscow’s more than 4-year-old invasion.

While the ministry did not elaborate, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday blamed Ukraine, accusing it of “terrorist activity,” in an apparent reference to the drone strikes. In recent months, attacks have reached locations deep inside Russia, like the Baltic port of Ust-Luga to the north of Moscow, the Samara region near the border with Kazakhstan, and the Perm region in the Ural mountains.

“All measures are being taken to minimize the danger,” he told reporters.

The parade will feature “servicemen from higher military educational institutions of all kinds and certain service branches of the Russian Armed Forces” and a traditional military aircraft flyover, the ministry said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call later Wednesday that he was ready to declare a ceasefire with Ukraine for the Victory Day holiday, according to presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov.

Ushakov said the Trump had supported the idea as the holiday marked “our common victory over fascism” in World War II.

Boosting national pride

World War II remains a rare point of consensus in the nation’s divisive history under Communist rule, and the Kremlin has leveraged that sentiment to encourage national pride and underline Russia’s position as a global power.

The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what it calls the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche.

President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for over 25 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify the war in Ukraine.

“Traditionally, the parade of tanks, missile systems and other military hardware across Red Square has been central to these celebrations, providing powerful optics and reinforcing Russia’s image as the heir to Soviet victory in World War II," said Natia Seskuria, associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute.

"Removing this important element weakens the propaganda value of the event, particularly for domestic audiences, as it reduces one of the most visible symbols of Russian power and military prestige,” she told The Associated Press.

Security concerns are the most likely explanation, Seskuria said.

But there also could be practical military considerations, "including the need to preserve equipment, avoid highlighting battlefield losses, and reduce the exposure of valuable military assets,” she said,

"This decision signals a degree of vulnerability rather than strength, because even last year, Russia demonstrated a range of new tanks and drones in front of invited world leaders,” Seskuria added.

An 80th anniversary drew dignitaries

Last year’s parade on the 80th anniversary was the largest since Russia sent troops into Ukraine, and drew the most global leaders to Moscow in a decade, including high-profile guests like Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Fico will attend this year, too, along with other foreign dignitaries, Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said Wednesday.

It featured over 11,500 troops and more than 180 military vehicles, including tanks, armored infantry vehicles and artillery used on the battlefield in Ukraine, as well as huge Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as drones carried on military trucks. Fighter jets flew over Red Square, too.

Putin had declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting May 7, 2025, and authorities blocked cellphone internet in Moscow for several days to avert Ukrainian drone attacks.

In 2023, the parade was scaled down, with fewer troops and military equipment on display and no flyover.

In the Soviet era, the first Red Square parade marking the defeat of Nazi Germany took place on June 24, 1945. Then it was held on May 9 several times after that, with the last Soviet-era parade taking place in 1990.

After the USSR collapsed, the parades resumed in 1995. That year, troops and veterans marched through Red Square, and a separate parade of military equipment took place at the sprawling Poklonnaya Gora World War II memorial. After that, parades were held every year. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities moved the parade to a later date, and it was held on June 24.

Coe's wife, Kimberly Hastings Coe, confirmed his death to Rolling Stone on Wednesday.

She described him as one of the best singers and songwriters of our time.

“My husband, my friend, my confidant and my life for many years. I’ll never forget him and I don’t want anyone else to ever forget him either," she wrote to the publication.

A statement from a Coe representative to People said he died around 5 p.m. Wednesday. The cause of death wasn't disclosed.

Whether he was labeled outlaw or underground, Coe was clearly an outsider in Nashville's music establishment, even throughout his successes as an in-demand songwriter and singer, eventually developing a core following around his raw, often obscene lyrics and a checkered and somewhat mysterious past.

His wife posted on Facebook in September 2021 that he had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and he made few appearances since then.

He did concert tours with Willie Nelson, Kid Rock, Neil Young and others. He wrote “Take This Job and Shove It,” a hit by Johnny Paycheck in 1977, and “Would You Lay With Me (in a Field of Stone),” a hit by Tanya Tucker in 1974. He was also the first country singer to record “Tennessee Whiskey,” penned by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove, that has since become a genre standard and hits for George Jones and Chris Stapleton.

His own country hit recordings included “You Never Even Call Me by My Name,” written by Steve Goodman and an uncredited John Prine; “The Ride,” and “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile.” Coe also appeared in a handful of movies, including “Stagecoach” and “Take this Job and Shove It,” which was named after his song.

Coe, born in Akron, Ohio, spent time in reformatories as a youngster, and served time in an Ohio prison from 1963 to 1967 for possession of burglary tools. He also has said he spent time with the Outlaws motorcycle club, but some of the tales about his prison time and his personal life have been wildly exaggerated over the years.

“I’d have never made it through prison without my music,” he said in an AP interview in 1983. “No one could take it (music) away from me. They could put me in the hole with nothing to do but I could still make up a song in my head.”

He recorded his first album, a blues album called “Penitentiary Blues,” using songs that he wrote in prison. He later told reporters that he tried not to lean too heavily on prison as a topic for songs because of the similarities to the backstory of Merle Haggard, but that his criminal history was all people seemed interested in focusing on.

Coe recorded next for Columbia Records and did the album “The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy,” which became his nickname after performing in a rhinestone suit and wearing a mask.

During the heyday of the outlaw movement, Coe placed himself at the center of the scene, with songs like “Longhaired Redneck,” which featured lyrics about performing in dive bars, “Where bikers stare at cowboys who are laughing at the hippies who are praying they’ll get out of here alive.”

He was featured in the acclaimed documentary about the outlaw country movement called “Heartworn Highways,” in which he performs a concert at a Tennessee prison.

Coe, himself heavily tattooed and sporting long hair, claimed a diverse fan base that included bikers, doctors, lawyers and bankers. His last record, released in 2006, was a collaboration with Dimebag Darrell and other former members of the heavy metal group Pantera.

He released two R-rated albums, 1978′s “Nothing Sacred” and 1982′s “Underground Album,” that he sold via biker magazines. The songs on these albums have been criticized for being racist, homophobic and sexually explicit. He told “Billboard” magazine in 2001 that author and songwriter Shel Silverstein convinced him to record the songs he had written, something he had come to regret.

“Those were meant to be sung around the campfire for bikers, and I still don’t sing those songs in concert,” he said.

In 2016, Coe was ordered to pay the IRS more than $980,000 in restitution for obstructing the tax agency and was sentenced to three years’ probation. Court documents say Coe earned income from at least 100 concerts yearly from 2008 through 2013 and either didn’t file individual income tax returns or pay taxes when he did file.

Alperen Sengun had 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who sent the series back to Houston for Game 6 on Friday night with a gritty performance to overcome Austin Reaves' return to the Lakers.

Houston has won two straight even without top scorer Kevin Durant, who has missed four of the series' five games with injuries.

“We put ourselves in a bad position, but we can still make history and come back one game at a time,” Sengun said. “Play at home, come back here, just do the same thing we're doing.”

No team has ever recovered from an 0-3 deficit to win an NBA playoff series, but the Rockets are halfway. Only four of the 159 teams to start a series down 0-3 have ever even forced a Game 7.

LeBron James scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half and added seven assists, but Los Angeles lost its second straight after stealing Game 3 with an improbable rally in the final seconds of regulation.

James’ teams have never blown a 2-0 series lead in his entire 23-year NBA career.

“Listen, it’s one game,” James said. “You give credit where credit is due. They played well the last two games, exceptionally well, and we’ve got to answer the call.”

Reaves had 22 points and six assists in his return from a nine-game injury absence for the Lakers, but they committed 15 mostly atrocious turnovers in their worst performance of the series and only their second loss in 16 home games since February.

Los Angeles awoke for a late 11-1 run and trimmed Houston’s lead to 88-85 on a driving layup by James, but Reed Sheppard hit a jumper before ripping the ball away from James for a dunk with 2:20 to play. The moment looked like redemption for Sheppard, who committed a turnover forced by James that led to the Lakers' last-minute comeback to tie Game 3.

"After what happened in Game 3, we could have very easily shut it down and pouted and quit," said Sheppard, who was ill with congestion and a headache during the day. “That's not what we did. We watched it and we learned from it. We keep fighting and keep giving ourselves a chance to win.”

Deandre Ayton had 18 points and 17 rebounds for Los Angeles, which is still without Luka Doncic. The NBA scoring champion doesn't appear to be close to a return from a strained hamstring.

Strained oblique muscles had sidelined Reaves since April 2, but he had 11 points and six assists in the first half of Game 5. Yet the Rockets coolly carried an advantage into the second half and led 87-74 with 5:55 to play.

Ayton's putback dunk made it 96-93 after James and Reaves both missed open 3-pointers. But Thompson hit one of two free throws, and James badly missed another 3-point attempt that allowed Houston to ice it.

The Rockets shot particularly poorly while losing the series' first two games in Los Angeles, but they've rediscovered their collective touch while running a balanced offense in Durant's absence. Houston has played with the confidence exemplified Tuesday by Smith, who claimed the Rockets were “obviously the better team” despite their 3-1 series deficit.

The Rockets' resilience is also good news for the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who are resting and awaiting the series winner after sweeping Phoenix.

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

The soldiers are members of the 10th Infantry Battalion Guard Security Corps National Reserve on a weekend exercise to hone their skills as the Netherlands bolsters its military with new recruits and volunteers. The Dutch government and top brass have committed to raising military personnel from its current 80,000 to 120,000 by 2035 — plans that have broad political support.

The recent enlistment by the country's queen and her eldest daughter as reservists look to be helping, with authorities now scrambling to arm and train new recruits.

The recruitment drive in the Netherlands reflects moves across Europe to expand and modernize militaries as leaders warily eye the grinding war launched by Russia against Ukraine and the disenchantment expressed by U.S. President Donald Trump with the NATO alliance that has been the cornerstone of the defense and security architecture of the continent since World War II laid ruin to much of it.

A corporal in the reserve battalion, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the nature of her service, said she's seen a shift in priorities as the global security outlook has gotten more volatile and less predictable.

“When I first joined, there was almost no risk or almost no threat ... and now it’s changing so we are more aware of it," she said. That has meant a mindset shift toward “more what we call ‘green things,’ infantry things.”

She added: “We are here to defend our country and to make sure to keep the threat down.”

The threat is very real, according to European Union and NATO officials, who believe Russian President Vladimir Putin could be ready to launch an attack elsewhere in Europe in three to five years, especially if he wins the war in Ukraine.

New NATO plans aimed at countering that threat require allies to prepare their armies for big battles, focused on more mobile forces that can be quickly deployed.

Getting the House of Orange into military green

Dutch recruitment got a significant boost when Queen Maxima and her eldest daughter and heir to the throne Amalia, Princess of Orange, enlisted as volunteer reservists. Photos of Maxima in training and aiming a pistol on a shooting range were published around the world.

That royal seal of approval, together with recruiting campaigns running everywhere from newspapers and billboards to social media, has proven so successful that the military is now working overtime to arm, train and accommodate all the newcomers.

At the Defense Ministry, it's known as “the Amalia effect.”

“It's really a thing, yes,” State Secretary for Defense Derk Boswijk told The Associated Press. “It’s very inspiring to see how members of our royal family inspired people to join our armed forces.”

Boswijk said there are about 9,000 reservists in the Netherlands, and recruiters aim to have at least 20,000 in 2030.

“We have more applications than we can handle,” Boswijk said. Now the military has to battle “a lack of training capacity, a lack of housing. You have to give them all uniforms, you have to give them weapons.”

But, he added: “It’s a luxury problem.”

Other nations boost recruitment

German lawmakers are considering a government plan to offers better pay and conditions for people who join up on a short-term basis, along with better training and more flexibility on how long recruits must serve.

The aim is to draw sufficient recruits without reviving conscription that was suspended for men in 2011. The plan leaves the door open for limited compulsory recruitment if not enough people volunteer.

Like the Netherlands, France is leaning into voluntary service to boost the military. A program starting in September seeks to recruit 3,000 volunteers aged 18-25. They will serve in uniform for 10 months in France’s mainland and overseas territories only. The plan seeks to attract up to 50,000 volunteers per year by 2035.

In northern and eastern Europe, where the threat from Russia is felt most keenly, some nations still have some conscription.

Finland has a draft for all males and a voluntary system for women. Sweden reinstated a gender-neutral partial military service in 2017. If not enough people volunteer, a lottery is held to select people for the remain slots. Neighboring Denmark has a similar system, as does Latvia since it revived its draft in 2023 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Netherlands never fully abolished its draft, but call-ups have been suspended since 1997 and there are no immediate plans to reintroduce them. Instead, the Defense Ministry is seeking to make the military more attractive to a broad cross-section of society.

Threats have expanded from traditional battlefields into cyberspace and the digital world, he added, “so we need all kind of skills, to keep our society, our country, our allies safe. So, yes, we need also people wearing hoodies, having blue hair, who can game perfectly.”

Motivated by Dutch history and modern instability

For some among the new generation of answering their country's call to arms, a bitter lesson from Dutch history is motivating them.

“When I was in primary school, we were taught that in the Second World War it took (German forces) five days to take over Holland," Lisette den Heijer said at a recent information evening run by the Dutch military for reservist volunteers, adding that she doesn't want history to repeat itself.

At the exercise in the eastern Netherlands, a private first class in the reserve battalion who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he works for a defense-related company, said he too has seen a shift in recent years.

“So where we were just focused on peaceful operations in 2018, we’re now more focusing on protecting vital infrastructure,” he said. That included duty in the massive security operation to guard last year’s summit of NATO leaders in The Hague.

A weekend mission accomplished

Reservists in the Netherlands commit to 300 hours of service each year, including regular weekend exercises. Traditionally they are deployed to secure and guard domestic sites and are not sent to combat missions overseas. They also can be used in national emergencies, such as piling up sandbags in cases of severe flooding.

Back in the forests of the eastern Netherlands, the reservists suddenly stop and point their weapons at an innocent-looking mound of earth covered in dry leaves and wood.

A soldier — a member of their unit — crawls out of the foxhole where he was hiding and surrenders. The volunteers exchange high-fives before preparing to break down their camp and return to their day jobs.

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Associated Press reporters across Europe contributed.

Danylo Tsvok said AI is already helping Ukraine hold territory, while reducing risks to its soldiers as it faces a larger, better-resourced adversary.

“We need to be faster than the enemy in decision-making,” he told The Associated Press, adding that AI is “not only a competitive advantage. It’s about our survival.”

Tsvok, 35, leads the Defense Artificial Intelligence Center, which was established last month by the Defense Ministry. He previously served in the government’s top civilian AI role.

Ukraine and Russia are locked in an intensifying race to deploy increasingly automated systems — from aerial drones to ground and maritime platforms. At the center of that race is the ability to maintain operations under heavy electronic warfare.

Many newer systems are designed to shift toward autonomous functionality, maintaining target focus even under hostile jamming.

Ukraine’s rapidly expanding domestic arms sector now includes more than 2,000 manufacturers and military technology firms. Developers are testing tools that enable coordinated drone swarms, aiming to boost efficiency while easing the burden on human operators.

“We need to understand that the future belongs to autonomous systems,” Tsvok said. “AI makes it possible to automate parts of the kill chain.”

In its more mature form, he said, AI could underpin a networked battlefield in which smart weapons operate in coordination under a unified assessment platform.

“That could happen within three to five years,” he said. “Within that time frame, front lines could be secured by tightly integrated hardware and software systems.”

In the nearer term, he pointed to wider deployment of autonomous interceptors, expanded use of ground-based robotic systems, and an escalation in electronic warfare capabilities.

Some elements are already in place. Unmanned ground platforms are increasingly used in logistics, evacuation and combat roles.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently said land drones supported more than 20,000 battlefield missions — including medical evacuations, supply runs and direct combat — over a three-month period this year. Among them, he said, was a successful attack carried out without any human soldiers.

Tsvok insisted the objective is not fully autonomous ‘killer robots,’ but a more coordinated system that accelerates decision-making and integrates more closely with Western partners.

“It’s not about reaching 100% autonomy, it’s about being efficient on the battlefield,” he said.

Ukraine is deepening partnerships with Western allies and Gulf states to secure funding, scale production and embed itself in security alliances, while also opening access to its extensive battlefield data.

Tsvok’s department receives financial support from the U.K. Ministry of Defence — the type of relationship he described as both militarily and politically significant.

“Democracies must develop strong defensive capabilities,” he said. “Without AI, they cannot effectively protect peace. This is not only about Ukraine. It’s about global security.”

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Volodymyr Yurchuk and Vasilisa Stepanenko in Kyiv, Ukraine contributed.

However, the Cavaliers would have been in dire straits Wednesday night without Dennis Schroder.

Schroder scored 11 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers came back to beat the Toronto Raptors 125-120 in Game 5 of their first-round series.

“This guy’s played in huge games in the NBA and then on the international scene, so this type of game fits him,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I think it started with him getting to the rim and then that loosened up the jumper for him. And then I thought his defense on (RJ) Barrett really got under him, harassed him. He really was Dennis the Menace tonight.”

Schroder — acquired from the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 1 along with Keon Ellis — finished with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including three 3-pointers, in 21 minutes. This is the 17th time Schroder has scored at least 19 points in a playoff game. He had 20 for Detroit in Game 2 of its first-round series against New York last year.

It was the third-most points Schroder has scored since joining the Cavaliers.

“I love big games, I love the playoffs. You’ve just got to embrace it,” Schroder said. “I’ve been through a lot of big games of my career, and I’ve seen it. I think experience matters, but at the end of the day, the urgency and the energy, you’ve got to have it.”

Schroder’s biggest contribution came before the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers trailed 74-67 at halftime. The 13-year veteran gave a detailed 2-3 minute breakdown in the locker room on what was needed to come back.

“I just wanted to see Cavs basketball, how we played when we first got here. We did a great job even throughout this season when we first got here, but I think we got a little bit away from that,” Schroder said. “We need the big guys. Jarrett (Allen) and Evan Mobley are the key to our team. We’ve got two superstars with Don (Donovan Mitchell) and with Uno (James Harden), but those two big guys, we’ve got to use them.”

Mobley had six of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, both on 3-pointers. His 3 with 10:21 remaining off an assist by Schroder gave Cleveland a 106-103 lead that it would not relinquish.

Schroder added a layup to extend the Cavs’ lead to five points.

“I was just trying to be aggressive. I just wanted to come out and bring the energy, try to help as much as I can to get the W,” Schroder said.

Schroder played the final 16 minutes. Atkinson tried to get Mitchell and Mobley back in during the fourth quarter, but Mitchell said the group on the floor was playing well.

“Sometimes the best offense is just going to stand over there. There’s a trust level that I have, and we all have with this group,” said Mitchell, who had 19 points. “And like I said, it’s the playoffs, man. It doesn’t matter if it’s me, whoever it is, as long as we’re getting quality looks and figuring it out. And that’s what we saw throughout tonight.”

Schroder said he did not realize Mitchell chose to stay on the bench until someone mentioned it after the game.

“ I’m the same way, though. When somebody is balling and even when the coach tells me to get in, I’m letting the guy cook. Whoever cooks, and I appreciate that from Don,” Schroder said. “That means a lot. He is a superstar. Not a lot of superstars do that who I’ve been around.”

Schroder and the Cavaliers will try to close out the series Friday night in Toronto

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

Rookie Jakub Dobes stopped 38 shots to help Montreal move within a victory of advancing for the first time since losing to the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2021.

Brendan Gallagher got his first goal in his first game this series and Kirby Dach also scored for the Canadiens.

“It's obviously exciting,” said Gallagher, who was a healthy scratch the first four games. “It's been a fun series to watch. I tried to follow their lead and find a way to contribute and I did that.”

Game 6 is Friday night in Montreal, where the teams split Games 3 and 4. All five games have been decided by one goal, including overtime in the first three.

Dominic James scored his first career playoff goal and Jake Guentzel also connected for the Lightning. They are one loss from being eliminated in the first round for the fourth straight season.

Tampa Bay has lost 10 of its last 12 home games in the postseason despite 460 consecutive sellouts.

“We got no choice now. We got to show up or we're out,” Lightning forward Brayden Point said.

Texier took a long pass from Lane Hutson, skated into the left circle and ripped a shot that bounced off Andrei Vasilevskiy’s glove and into the net for a 3-2 lead early in the third.

“I'm not a 50-goal scorer,” Texier said. “When I have a chance, I just try to put it on net and sometimes you're lucky it's in and sometimes not.”

The Canadiens jumped ahead three minutes into the game when Gallagher wristed in a rebound after Vasilevskiy kicked away Alex Newhook’s backhander. Gallagher, the 14-year veteran, spent time the first four games giving the young players advice.

“I was happy for him and happy for us,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said about Gallagher. “Really happy the way he's handled everything and not surprised the way he played.”

Seconds after James blasted a slap shot past Dobes on a 2-on-1 breakaway, the Canadiens regained the lead. Dach skated down the left side, went around a defender, lost the puck, kicked it from his skate to his stick in front of the net and put it in.

Dach deactivated his Instagram account after receiving online criticism because his defensive lapse led to the winning goal in overtime in Game 2. He had a goal and an assist in Montreal’s 3-2 overtime win the next game.

Guentzel fired a slap shot between Dobes’ legs on another 2-on-1 breakaway to tie it at 2 late in the second. Guentzel has the best playoff goal-scoring ratio among American-born players in NHL history with 43 goals in 79 games.

The Lightning killed off a four-minute disadvantage after Ryan McDonagh’s double minor for high-sticking in the first period. The Canadiens managed just one shot on net during the power play.

Montreal had better scoring chances on two of Tampa Bay’s power plays in the second period. Vasilevskiy stopped Jake Evans on a short-handed breakaway on one of them. ___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Some officials were members of Mexico's progressive ruling party, Morena, posing a political conundrum for Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum as she seeks to offset mounting pressures from the Trump administration. Some of those politicians called the indictment a political attack on their party.

U.S. federal officials announced the charges in a news release. None of the defendants were in custody, but Mexico's government said shortly afterward that it had received multiple extradition requests from the U.S. without identifying those requested. It did not say how it would respond.

Morena party members indicted

The 10 people charged in Manhattan federal court are current and former government or law enforcement officials in Sinaloa, including Rubén Rocha Moya, 76, who has been governor of Mexico's Sinaloa state since November 2021.

Charges against Moya included narcotics importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices, along with another conspiracy count. If convicted, he could face life in prison or a mandatory minimum of 40 years behind bars.

Rocha was a staunch ally of Sheinbaum's mentor, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The governor enthusiastically backed the ex-president's “Hugs, Not Bullets” policy, which involved avoiding direct confrontation with powerful drug cartels. López Obrador built a political platform by railing against endemic corruption plaguing Mexican politics.

Rocha, the highest profile official charged, said he “categorically and completely rejects” the accusations as baseless and called them an “attack” on Mexico’s ruling party and its leaders.

“It is part of a perverse strategy to violate (Mexico’s) constitutional order, specifically on national sovereignty, ” he wrote in a post on X on Wednesday afternoon. “We will show them that this slander doesn’t have any sort of foundation.”

Later in the day, he told reporters that he planned to stay in Sinaloa and wasn’t worried.

Ties to Sinaloa Cartel

Some of those named, according to the indictment, have themselves participated in the Sinaloa Cartel's campaign of violence and retribution.

Those charged included a Mexican senator, a Sinaloa state deputy attorney general, a former Sinaloa secretary of public security, a former deputy director of the Sinaloa State Police and the mayor of Culiacan.

According to the indictment, the defendants shielded cartel leaders from investigation, arrest, and prosecution, fed the cartel with sensitive law enforcement and military information, directed members of state and local law enforcement agencies to protect drug loads and let the cartel commit brutal drug-related violence without consequence. In return, it said, the defendants received millions of dollars in drug money.

The indictment alleged that they were closely aligned with the Sinaloa Cartel faction known as “Los Chapitos,” which is run by the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the ex-cartel leader now serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.

Authorities said the defendants played critical roles in helping the cartel ship fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine from Mexico into the U.S. The Sinaloa Cartel is among eight Latin American crime groups designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. government.

“As the indictment lays bare, the Sinaloa Cartel, and other drug trafficking organizations like it, would not operate as freely or successfully without corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials on their payroll,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a release.

The indictment of Rocha, who was born in the same town as “El Chapo,” was particularly notable because the governor was embroiled in a scandal in 2024 involving the Sinaloa Cartel. His name was published in a letter written by a then-Sinaloa Cartel capo who was kidnapped by leaders of a rival faction of the cartel and handed off to law enforcement in the U.S. In the letter, the capo said that when he was kidnapped he believed he was on his way to meet with Rocha.

In the years since, the cartel's two warring factions have ravaged the northern Mexican state in their struggle for territorial control.

Among those indicted, at least three officials — Rocha, the mayor of Sinaloa’s capital, and a senator — were affiliated with Sheinbaum’s party, Morena. A number of other officials held positions unaffiliated with Mexican parties.

It's not the first time the U.S. has brought drug trafficking charges against ranking Mexican officials. Genaro García Luna — a former Mexican public security secretary under former President Felipe Calderón — was convicted by a U.S. court and sentenced to 38 years in prison after he was accused of taking bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel. He denied the allegations and is appealing his conviction.

Another balancing act for Sheinbaum

The indictment unsealed Wednesday come after U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson last week said that the U.S. administration would launch an anti-corruption campaign targeting Mexican officials he said were linked to organized crime.

"Corruption not only hinders progress, it distorts it. It increases costs, weakens competition, and erodes the trust upon which markets depend. It is not a problem without victims,” Johnson said.

Sheinbaum responded Monday by saying her government has not seen “any evidence” of the charges of corruption.

“Any investigation in the United States against any person in Mexico must have evidence reviewed by the (Mexican) Attorney General’s Office,” Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum’s government has already detained several local officials across Mexico in its ongoing crackdown against the cartels, fueled by pressure by the Trump administration.

The indictment has once again forced the Mexican leader to walk a political tightrope, said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Washington-based Brookings Institution who specializes in organized crime.

If Sheinbaum doesn’t go after Rocha, it will put strain on relations with the U.S. ahead of renegotiations of a free-trade agreement with the U.S. crucial to the Mexican economy, the analyst said. If she does arrest him, “it carries tremendous consequences for her politically” ahead of next year’s midterm elections in Mexico.

“Is she going to move to arrest Gov. Rocha and the other eight indicted politicians and attempt to extradite him to the United States? This is certainly what the United States wants,” Felbab-Brown said.

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This story has been corrected to show the scandal that embroiled Rocha was in 2024, not 2023.

Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Associated Press writers María Verza and Fabiola Sánchez in Mexico City and Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed.

The rookie left fielder's latest saved the game for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Church ended a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates by robbing Nick Gonzales of what would have been a walk-off, two-run homer by making a leaping catch at the left-field wall Wednesday night.

Just four days earlier, Church took a potential tying homer away from Seattle's Mitch Garver in the sixth inning. The 25-year-old also had his first career two-homer game in that 11-9 loss to the Mariners.

On opening day, Church made a dazzling catch at the top of the wall against Tampa Bay's Ryan Vilade. A homer then also would have tied the game.

Gonzales’ drive above the top of the 6-foot wall — 373 feet from home plate — would have been a home run in 27 of the 30 big league ballparks, according to MLB Statcast, all but PNC Park, Baltimore's Camden Yards and Texas' Globe Life Field.

Reliever Riley O'Brien, who got his eighth save thanks to the grab, held his arms over his head with a stunned look toward left as Church casually jogged away from the wall with the ball in his glove.

Church earned a reputation as an elite defender in the minor leagues as an 11th-round draft pick by the Cardinals in 2022. He's on his best stretch at the plate, hitting .281 with four homers in the past eight games.

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

The government established the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion after father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram allegedly opened fire with legally-owned guns at the celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14., 2025. Authorities say their attack was inspired by the Islamic State group.

Royal Commissioner Virginia Bell made 14 recommendations on Thursday in her first interim report, five of which were not made public because they were classified as confidential for national security reasons.

The report also noted there had been a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in Australia since the war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, 2023.

The United States and Israel’s attack on Iran in February was “likely to have increased the risk of attacks directed at the Australian Jewish community,” it said.

Report proposes new limits on gun ownership and follow-up on gun licenses

The recommendations included that the federal and state governments prioritize implementing nationally consistent gun laws and a gun buyback.

Sajid Naveed was shot dead by police at the crime scene. He was a licensed shooter who legally owned the guns used.

Under new restrictions proposed by the federal government, the Indian-born Australian permanent resident would have been banned from holding a gun license because he was not an Australian citizen.

His son was wounded but survived. Naveed Akram has been charged with committing a terrorist act, 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of attempted murder. He has entered no pleas.

The government has also proposed limiting the number of guns someone can own to as few as four and implementing periodic reviews of existing gun licenses.

The new restrictions would be accompanied with a gun buyback scheme to compensate gun owners who must hand in weapons. The government has proposed sharing the cost of the buyback with the six states and two territories. But some states have said they won’t pay.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government had agreed to implement all the recommendations that were relevant to federal authorities.

Albanese said he hoped the recommended gun reforms were implemented.

“I certainly hope that that occurs and would continue to engage constructively with state and territory governments to say that this is reform which is necessary,” Albanese told reporters.

Albanese noted that Australia commemorated on Tuesday the 30th anniversary of Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in modern times.

A landmark national firearms agreement virtually banned rapid-fire rifles after a gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania state on April 28, 1996.

“The nation is safer because of that,” Albanese said.

Government moves to increase protection of Jewish sites

Albanese noted that despite concluding that risks to Australian Jews were rising, the report found that no urgent changes were required to keep Australians safe.

“There has been a rise in antisemitism. That is a global phenomenon,” Albanese said.

“That is something that has happened right around the world. Governments need to respond to it. We are responding to it,” he added.

The report noted that the government had allocated 102 million Australian dollars ($73 million) to increase security at Jewish sites including synagogues and schools.

The money is administered by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the community’s peak organization.

The council’s co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the report was an important part in the process of making Jewish Australians feel safe again.

“We need to get to a point where Jewish Australians at Hanukkah this year … feel safe, that we can gather again, that we won’t be targeted,” Ryvchin told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“It’s going to be a long process to get us to that point. There’s a deep sense of trauma in the community and … a lot of unanswered questions, bit this is an important step in the process,” he added.

Public hearings in the inquiry begin on Monday next week.

The panel of three judges dismissed Brenton Tarrant’s claim that harsh prison conditions prompted him to make an involuntarily admission to terrorism, murder and attempted murder charges. His bid to withdraw his guilty pleas and seek a trial was “utterly devoid of merit," they wrote.

The Australian man, who is now 35, killed 51 worshippers and injured dozens more in March 2019 when he drove to two Christchurch mosques and opened fire with semiautomatic weapons during Friday prayers. Tarrant’s guilty pleas in March 2020 brought relief to bereaved families and survivors of the attack, who feared he would use a public trial to air his hateful views.

The dismissal of his appeal appears to end the possibility of Tarrant ever facing a trial, a prospect that lawyers representing some of his victims — who included men, women and children as young as three — said in a statement Thursday had been “unimaginably traumatic.”

The court noted the gunman's bid was made 505 days after the legal deadline for it to be filed. Tarrant had “failed by a considerable margin to adequately explain the extraordinarily long delay” in seeking an appeal, the judgment said.

His claim of mental illness was rejected

At the court's five-day hearing in February, the attacker argued his admissions of guilt were provoked by “irrationality” induced by poor mental health, which led him to desert his racist views for a time. The judges concluded, however, that his claims of mental illness weren’t supported by prison staff, mental health professionals or lawyers who had earlier represented him.

The court added that Tarrant also didn't meet the legal definition of unfitness to plead guilty, a point he had admitted.

“He was not suffering from a mental impairment or any other form of mental incapacity which rendered him unable to voluntarily change his pleas to guilty,” the judges wrote in Thursday's ruling. “He endeavoured to mislead us about his state of mind in a weak attempt to advance an appeal in circumstances where all other evidence demonstrated that he made an informed and totally rational decision to plead guilty.”

The court's decision also revealed that Tarrant sought to abandon his appeal shortly after making his case at the hearing in February. The judges rejected that bid too, writing that the case was “of significant public interest and should be finally determined.”

They suggested that Tarrant “began to form the opinion that the hearing was not proceeding in his favour, and as a result decided to file a notice of abandonment after the hearing concluded.” New Zealand law doesn’t automatically allow an appellant to quit an appeal bid once it’s underway.

Judges say his pleas weren't forced

The shooter's complaints about his prison conditions included that he was kept away from other prisoners without anything to do and was constantly surveilled. The judges, however, said his solitary confinement was necessary because Tarrant was at risk for suicide or self-harm.

“He was monitored because of concerns about his welfare and not to torment him or treat him cruelly,” they wrote.

The shooter “was not coerced or pressured in any way” to plead guilty, the judges said. In fact, they added, Tarrant rejected his lawyers' offer to attempt to negotiate away the terrorism charge because he wanted to be known as a terrorist.

He will remain in jail for life

Tarrant, who has fired the lawyers who were acting for him in February, remains in Auckland Prison, where he was sentenced in August 2020 to spend life in prison without the chance of parole. The judges allowed him to abandon his appeal of that sentence, which was scheduled to be heard later in 2026.

The killer was radicalized online and moved to New Zealand in 2017 with a plan to commit a mass shooting. He amassed a cache of weapons and made a reconnaissance trip to the sites of his planned crimes before the attack.

His previous lawyers told the appeals court in February that Tarrant, an immigrant from Australia, had wanted to argue during a trial that he had been defending New Zealand from immigrants. Such a defense is not available under New Zealand law, a fact that the judges suggested Thursday had influenced his decision to plead guilty.

They wrote that Tarrant hadn't disputed the facts of the case against him, which they described as “overwhelming” and “beyond dispute," or identified any legitimate defense he would have offered at a trial. Evidence included footage of the attack that the gunman filmed himself and livestreamed on the internet, in which he showed his own face, and a document outlining his racist views that he published online before the attacks under his real name.

Cleveland leads the series 3-2. Game 6 is Friday night in Toronto.

James Harden scored 23 points and Donovan Mitchell added 19 for the Cavaliers.

“This was a step for us from a mental toughness point of view. I thought we showed good poise and resiliency,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “When you could have let your guard down, our guys kept with it.”

RJ Barrett led Toronto with 25 points while Ja’Kobe Walter added 20 and Jamal Shead had 18 off the bench.

The Raptors led 74-67 at halftime and scored the first five points of the third quarter. The Cavaliers slowly rallied but trailed 103-100 going into the final 12 minutes.

Cleveland seized control by scoring the first eight points of the fourth quarter. Jaylon Tyson hit a step-back 3-pointer to tie it at 103-all, and a 3 by Mobley gave the Cavaliers a 106-103 lead.

“He’s ready for those moments. He wants those moments. He works relentlessly on the 3-ball. Those were big shots for us for sure,” Mitchell said of Mobley.

Toronto missed its first 11 shots and was 7 of 28 from the field in the fourth while Cleveland made 7 of its first 11 and was 9 of 19.

“I would not just blame the fourth quarter. We cannot allow this team to score 125 points,” coach Darko Rajakovic said.

The Raptors were hobbled in the final period. Forward Brandon Ingram left the game in the second quarter with right heel inflammation. Fellow All-Star Scottie Barnes also was not at full strength after getting kneed in the quadriceps by Thomas Bryant while driving to the basket in the first half.

Barnes scored just 3 of his 17 points in the second half.

“For the most part, I thought we had this game. We played good enough to win. Just in the fourth quarter, they played a little better,” Barrett said. “What can you do? It’s the playoffs. Now, it’s do or die. Give them credit. We’ll be ready Friday.”

The Cavaliers won despite committing 15 turnovers that resulted in 28 Toronto points. They had 10 in the first half which the Raptors converted into 23 points.

“In the second half, I think ball-handling and Dennis helped relieve some of the pressure off (Mitchell) and (Harden) so I think that was part of it. If we are going to win on the road, we've got to find a way to clean that up,” Atkinson said.

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

In a 6-3 ruling, the court’s conservative majority found that the Louisiana district represented by Democrat Cleo Fields relied too heavily on race. Chief Justice John Roberts had described the 6th Congressional District as a “snake” that stretches more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) to link parts of Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge.

“That map is an unconstitutional gerrymander,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the six conservatives.

The effect of the ruling may be felt more strongly in 2028 because most filing deadlines for this year's congressional races have passed. Louisiana, though, may have to change its redistricting plan to comply with the decision.

It is unclear how much of the provision — known as Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — remains.

When he signed the bill —the main way to challenge racially discriminatory election practices —into law more than 60 years ago, President Lyndon Johnson called it “a triumph for freedom as huge as any victory on any battlefield.”

In her dissent for the three liberal justices, Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the court's “gutting of Section 2 puts that achievement in peril.”

Her sentiment was shared by former President Barack Obama, who said the decision showed “how a majority of the current Court seems intent on abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy.”

In a statement, Fields said the decision's "practical effect is to make it far harder for minority communities to challenge redistricting maps that dilute their political voice.”

Potential political fallout

The voting rights law succeeded in opening the ballot box to Black Americans and reducing persistent discrimination in voting. Nearly 70 of the 435 congressional districts are protected by Section 2, election law expert Nicholas Stephanopoulos has estimated.

Alito wrote that "allowing race to play any part in government decisionmaking represents a departure from the constitutional rule that applies in almost every other context.” He said Section 2 is effectively limited to instances of intentional discrimination, a very high standard.

Kagan said the upshot of the decision is that states "can, without legal consequence, systematically dilute minority citizens’ voting power.”

Reaction to the decision broke along partisan lines.

“This is a complete and total victory for American voters. The color of one’s skin should not dictate which congressional district you belong in. We commend the court for putting an end to the unconstitutional abuse of the Voting Rights Act and protecting civil rights,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson wrote in an email.

The chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called the decision “appalling.” Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state said it was the latest in a long line of attacks by President Donald Trump and the conservative court “against the fundamental right of every American citizen to vote.”

She said Democrats remained poised to regain the House majority in November “despite this corrupt and targeted assault on the voting rights of Black and Brown Americans from the Supreme Court.”

A ruling Trump likes

Trump had touched off a nationwide redistricting competition this year to boost Republican chances of preserving their House edge. The president said some states should redraw their maps and he called the decision the "kind of ruling I like.”

Legislatures already are free to draw extremely partisan districts because of a 2019 Supreme Court decision.

Wednesday's ruling came out as Florida legislators debated a proposed redrawing of the state’s congressional lines, submitted by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and intended to give the GOP a chance to pick up as many as four seats in the state’s U.S. House delegation.

Democrats in the Florida Senate urged the Republican supermajority to delay debate, at least long enough to allow lawmakers to read the decision and consult lawyers about how it might affect DeSantis’ proposal. Republicans refused and the Legislature approved the new map.

In the Supreme Court's Louisiana ruling, the justices did an about-face from a decision in a similar case from Alabama less than three years ago that led to a new congressional map for the state that sent two Black Democrats to Congress.

The Alabama decision also prompted Louisiana lawmakers to add a second majority Black district. About a third of Louisianans are Black and they now form majorities in two of the state’s six congressional districts. Alabama has a separate appeal pending at the Supreme Court

Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the three liberals to form a majority in the Alabama case, the same term in which the conservative-dominated court ended affirmative action in college admissions. Both joined Alito's opinion Wednesday.

Roberts has long eyed Voting Rights Act

The chief justice has been at the center of the effort to limit the use of race in public life. He has had the Voting Rights Act in his sights since his time as a young lawyer in the Reagan-era Justice Department.

“It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race,” Roberts wrote in a dissenting opinion in 2006 in his first major voting rights case as chief justice.

In 2013, Roberts wrote for the majority in gutting the law’s requirement that states and local governments with a history of discrimination, mostly in the South, get approval before making any election-related changes.

“Our country has changed, and while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions,” Roberts wrote.

Barring extraordinary action, the broader impact probably will be felt in 2028, when Republicans potentially can replace more than a dozen Democratic-held House districts that were previously protected under the Voting Rights Act.

“The Voting Rights Act as a means to protect minority voters from vote dilution is essentially dead,” said Jonathan Cervas, a political scientist at Carnegie Mellon University who has served as an outside legal expert in multiple Voting Rights Act cases.

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Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, La., Nicholas Riccardi in Denver, Bill Barrow in Tallahassee, Fla., and Lisa Mascaro and Seung Ming Kim contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

It was a period of painful rejection that is familiar to exonerees. Some see their own struggles reflected in Calvin Duncan, who won elected office in New Orleans after clearing his name but likely won't serve. Louisiana lawmakers sent a bill to the governor's desk Wednesday abolishing his job.

“We’re still kind of like looked at as an inmate that did a particular crime. It further deteriorates our ability to believe that the system can heal itself,” said Miles, who eventually found a job through a minister at his church. “When cases like in Louisiana occur, it just shows us that the system is not healing itself.”

The fight in Louisiana has touched a nerve among exonerees in the U.S. who see Duncan's plight as reflective of the biases and stigmas they have to confront as they try to rebuild their lives.

Duncan served nearly 30 years in prison before his murder conviction was vacated in 2021 after evidence emerged that police officers had lied in court. He was elected to become the Orleans Parish clerk of criminal court in November, vowing to fix the system that failed him. He had been set to take office May 4.

Louisiana Republicans who want to dissolve the office say it isn't about Duncan's past but a necessary step toward government efficiency.

“Even if they are seen as somebody who is exonerated, there is still a stigma as somebody who has been in prison,” said Jon Eldan, the founder and executive director of After Innocence, a California-based nonprofit.

Nonprofits and others offer help to exonerees

According to the National Registry of Exonerations, more than 3,800 people have been exonerated in the U.S. since 1989.

But unlike those released on parole or probation, exonerees don’t have access to government-provided services such as employment or housing assistance and mental health services.

“I was turned down by many prisoner reentry organizations because they said, ‘Look, you’re not on parole, you’re not on probation,'” said Jeffrey Deskovic, who was wrongly convicted of rape and murder in Peekskill, New York, and spent 16 years in prison before being freed in 2006.

Thirty-eight states have laws that compensate wrongfully convicted people. But it can be years before they receive that money.

After Innocence works to connect exonerees with organizations that help with job training, housing, medical and dental care. It also tries to clean up their records to accurately represent what happened in their criminal cases, Eldan said.

Miles, who spent more than 14 years in prison, now runs Miles of Freedom, a nonprofit in Dallas that helps formerly incarcerated individuals, including exonerees, rebuild their lives.

The challenges Miles faced as an exoneree looking for employment — including a lack of work history, viable skills and training — are not unusual, but it also appears some employers simply don't want someone who has been behind bars on their workforce.

There are no government statistics that track the employment rate of exonerees. Multiple studies have shown the unemployment rate for people who were in prison is much higher than the national rate. A 2018 study from the Prison Policy Initiative found that formerly incarcerated people are unemployed at a rate of over 27%. A 2021 Bureau of Justice Statistics study found that 33% of federal prisoners released in 2010 did not find employment for four years. Nationally, the unemployment rate in March was 4.3%.

Finding employment remains a challenge

Deskovic used the compensation he received five years after his 2006 release from prison to start the Deskovic Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit that helps free wrongfully convicted people. He later got a law degree so he could represent them in court.

Exonerees tell Deskovic little has changed since the years following his release when he applied for jobs, including as a doughnut shop worker and a weekly newspaper reporter, but could never find consistent work.

Supporters of exonerees point to Duncan as someone who has rebuilt his life and won elected office but still faces pushback about his innocence and post-incarceration accomplishments.

“If he wasn’t an exoneree, would they be doing this to him? I’m sure that they would not,” Deskovic said.

Groups push for legislative help for exonerees

Eldan's organization worked with a state senator to help write and pass a law in Delaware that provides compensation for wrongful imprisonment, as well as a stipend and help with housing, food benefits, and health and dental insurance. It also provides exonerees with a certificate from the state saying they were wrongly incarcerated and found innocent.

Eldan said his group is working with several other states, including California and New Mexico, to get laws passed to provide similar innocence certificates and update exonerees' criminal records.

More states should fund programs to help exonerees after their release, Eldan and Miles said.

“But it’s hard to write into a statute, something that actually translates into real benefit for these people,” Eldan said. “It's not because the state is bad, but because the state just is not particularly good at delivering those services.”

Ben Spencer spent 34 years in prison for a murder in Dallas he didn’t commit before being exonerated and released in 2021. He applied for jobs at an Amazon warehouse and as an airport baggage loader but failed to secure a position.

Eventually, someone who had taken an interest in his case helped get him a job as a facilities engineer, doing repairs for a company. He’s worked there five years.

“I think I’m kind of settling in a little more now. I’m still trying to figure out the cellphone and computers,” Spencer said. “When I walked out of the jail, it was like waking up out of a coma or a bad dream. And of course, I still had to try to get some financial stability. I guess I won’t say I’m there now, but I’m closer to where I wanna be now than I was.”

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Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://x.com/juanlozano70

Both Paul and her former partner, Dakota Mortensen, have asked a Utah court to turn short-term protective orders into long-term arrangements as the two have accused each other of domestic violence.

Third District Court Commissioner Russell Minas said at an April 7 hearing that he had “concerns going both ways” about the competing allegations. For now, Paul cannot spend unsupervised time with her son because of a history of volatile behavior directed at Mortensen while kids were present, Minas ruled.

Paul and Mortensen, whose tumultuous relationship was featured heavily on the show, have been ordered to stay at least 100 feet (30 meters) away from each other until the hearing Thursday afternoon. Both were expected in person after attending the previous hearing virtually, a court spokesperson said.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the national domestic violence hotline: 1-800-799-7233 in the U.S.

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Eleven fights between the exes were under examination in their protective order requests. A recently leaked video of one fight from 2023 prompted ABC to make the unprecedented move last month of shelving an already-filmed season of “The Bachelorette” starring Paul. Hulu also paused production of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and resumed filming last week.

In the video, Paul appeared to punch, kick and throw chairs at Mortensen while her daughter watched and cried. Paul was charged with aggravated assault and other offenses, including domestic violence in the presence of a child. The police body camera footage of her arrest was featured in the first season of the Hulu series.

Paul pleaded guilty to an assault charge, which will be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor if she stays out of legal trouble for a three-year probationary period that ends in August. The other counts were dismissed.

Earlier this month, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office declined to file new charges against Paul in recent fights with Mortensen. Any new charges would have violated Paul's probation from the 2023 assault.

The lack of prosecution could help Paul and her attorneys make her case to the court commissioner as she fights to regain custody of her son.

A protective order in Utah can restrict or eliminate a parent’s ability to see their child. When one parent receives a protective order against the other, a court commissioner may also decide it is in the child's best interest give that parent custody. If both parents have protective orders against each other, the court relies heavily on the recommendations of an attorney appointed to investigate the child's best interests.

Paul and Mortensen's son, Ever, will have a court-appointed attorney present at Thursday’s hearing to help the commissioner determine the safest arrangement for the boy.

The lawyer, Michael McDonald, said during the April 7 hearing that he had concerns about Paul’s tendency to fight with Mortensen in front of their son.

Eric Swinyard, a lawyer for Paul, has argued that Mortensen is the aggressor in the relationship. He showed photos in court of Paul's bruises after a fight in a truck in which Paul alleges Mortensen slammed her head into the dashboard.

Daniela Diaz, a lawyer for Mortensen, described other altercations between the pair and argued that Paul uses their son “as a pawn to start fights.”

James Broadnax was sentenced to death for the 2008 shooting deaths of two men outside a suburban Dallas music studio. Prosecutors say Broadnax and his cousin, Demarius Cummings, fatally shot and robbed Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler in the parking lot of Butler’s recording studio in Garland. Cummings was sentenced to life without parole.

Prosecutors say Broadnax, 37, confessed to the shooting, telling reporters during jailhouse interviews that “I pulled the trigger” and that he had no remorse.

Broadnax was scheduled to receive a lethal injection after 6 p.m. CDT at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Houston.

His attorneys have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay his execution, filing multiple final appeals after lower courts declined to stop the lethal injection.

His lawyers have focused his final appeals on two issues: Cummings has recently confessed to being the shooter; and Broadnax’s constitutional rights were violated because prosecutors eliminated potential jurors during his trial on the basis of race.

“I’m really gonna tell it like it’s supposed to be told, that it was me, that I was the killer. I shot Matthew Bullard, Steve Swann,” Cummings said recently from prison in a video created as part of the efforts to stop Broadnax’s execution.

Broadnax’s attorneys say in filings with the high court that Cummings’ confession is “corroborated by the fact that his DNA, and not Mr. Broadnax’s, was found on the murder weapon and in the pocket of one of the victims.”

In the video, Broadnax said his confession was false as at the time he didn’t care about his life. Broadnax’s lawyers say he was under the influence of drugs during the television interviews.

He also apologized to the families of Butler and Swan for taking part in the robbery.

“I wish I could show them my soul, so they could see just how sorry I am. I am very much remorseful for everything that happened,” Broadnax said.

His attorneys also allege prosecutors dismissed all seven potential Black jurors on the basis of their race, “utilizing a spreadsheet during jury selection that bolded only the names of every Black juror,” according to court documents. One Black juror was later reinstated to the jury. Broadnax is Black.

In a 1986 ruling known as Batson v. Kentucky, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that excluding jurors because of their race violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Broadnax’s attorneys had argued in an earlier appeal that prosecutors had violated his constitutional rights by using some of the rap lyrics he wrote to portray him as a violent and dangerous person in order to secure a death sentence. A number of A-list rappers, including Travis Scott,T.I. and Killer Mike, had filed briefs at the Supreme Court in support of Broadnax’s appeal.

But the high court rejected that appeal as well as another that focused on how forensic evidence was presented at his trial.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Tuesday denied Broadnax’s request for a 180-day reprieve or to commute his death sentence.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office has described Cummings’ confession as the shooter as “questionable new evidence.” It also said in court documents that Broadnax’s claims that potential Black jurors were targeted for removal are “entirely meritless” as these jurors were stricken not because of race but because of their answers during questioning, including that some opposed the death penalty.

Theresa Butler, Matthew Butler’s mother, has asked that the execution proceed.

“This so called confession from cummings is just a stall tactic by broadnax’s desperate defense team. Its all a lie,” Butler wrote in a post on social media.

If the execution is carried out, Broadnax would be the third person put to death this year in Texas, which has historically held more executions than any other state.

About an hour before Broadnax's scheduled execution on Thursday, Florida is set to put to death James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, for beating and choking his 13-year-old step-niece to death.

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Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://x.com/juanlozano70

York snapped the tension and a scoreless tie with the goal of the former first-round pick's career, burying the winner 17:32 into overtime that ignited a wild celebration and sent the Philadelphia Flyers into the second round for the first time in six years with a 1-0 Game 6 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.

The Flyers are set for a second-round showdown against Carolina.

“Just tried to put it there,” York said. “We knew that it was going to be a greasy one. It felt really good to see that one go in.”

Dan Vladar was again sensational in the net and stopped all 42 shots and prevented the Penguins from playing for a shot at playoff history.

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins tried to become just the fifth team in NHL history to win a series after trailing 3-0. They won two straight to force Game 6.

It is the Flyers who are moving on in coach Rick Tocchet's first season.

“It's been a long time,” Tocchet said. “I know there's been a lot of frustration.”

Arturs Silovs made 31 saves. Crosby skated over and consoled Silovs on the ice as the Flyers' theme song — Olivia Dean's “Man I Need” — blasted throughout the arena.

“We were a shot away from going back to Pittsburgh for Game 7,” Crosby said. "It comes down to bounces sometimes. Putting yourself in that position is tough. I think we all had a lot of belief we could dig ourselves out of it. It's just unfortunate we got behind early in the series.”

The last playoff game to head to overtime scoreless was Winnipeg and Edmonton in a 2021 first-round series. The Jets won 1-0 in the first OT.

The Flyers are in the playoffs for the first time since 2020, when they last reached the second round in the bubble season. They are in the second round in a full NHL season for the first time since 2012.

“So happy for the guys in that room,” York said. “We battled all year long for this position.”

Silovs, who allowed about four goals per game over his last 10 starts of the regular season, steadied the Penguins in place of the ineffective Stuart Skinner with wins in Games 4 and 5 and about played like a Vezina Trophy winner in Game 6.

Matvei Michkov, the Flyer's leading scorer after the Olympic break, was scratched in Game 5. He returned to the lineup determined to be a postseason difference-maker. He had a great chance in the second period on a breakaway but was stopped. The Flyers kept the puck in the offensive zone and Michkov swooped in and tried to poke the puck into the corner of the net, only for Silovs to again clamp down and deny the goal.

The Flyers, the last team in the Eastern Conference to clinch a playoff spot, had 10 giveaways in the first period and made it six straight games in the series without a goal in the first period.

They can try to end that streak against a Hurricanes team that just swept the Ottawa Senators.

Kris Letang dropped Travis Konecny with a right hand as the second period ended and the long-time Penguin started the third in the penalty box. No matter. The Flyers came up empty with the man advantage — Michkov was wide on a one-timer — and they fell at that point to 2 for 17 on the power play in the series.

Vladar played like the team MVP he was in the regular season, willing the Flyers to the second round. Crosby early in the third flicked the puck from behind the net at Vladar. Perhaps auditioning for a spot in the World Cup, Vladar headed it like a soccer star over the back of the net and the game remained scoreless.

That was just one sign the night belonged to the Flyers.

“It's a lot right now,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “At no point am I expecting the season to end today.”

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Hegseth battled with Democrats — and some Republicans — a day earlier during a nearly six-hour House Armed Services Committee hearing, where he faced sharp questioning over the war's costs in dollars, lives and the diminishing stockpiles of critical weapons.

The Senate Armed Services Committee will hear a similar presentation on the Trump administration’s 2027 military budget proposal, which would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion. Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, will again stress the need for more drones, missile defense systems and warships.

They are now also likely to face tough questions about American troop levels in Europe after President Donald Trump on Wednesday leveled a new threat against NATO ally Germany, suggesting he could soon reduce the U.S. military presence in the country as he feuds with Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war.

If Wednesday is any indication, Republican senators may focus on the details of military budgeting and voice support for the operation in Iran. Democrats are expected to press for answers on strategy in the conflict, now in a tenuous ceasefire, and Hegseth's firing of top military leaders.

Democrats call it a costly war of choice that lacks congressional approval or oversight. But Congress has failed to pass multiple war powers resolutions that would have required lawmakers to approve military action.

Questions that lawmakers have wanted to ask since the war began on Feb. 28 were answered — or evaded — at Wednesday's hearing.

For example, the war has cost $25 billion so far, mostly in munitions, Pentagon officials said. But Hegseth refused to answer questions about how much longer the war would last or how much more it could cost.

Hegseth also said a deadly strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed more than 165 people, including many children, remains under investigation. The Associated Press has reported that growing evidence pointed to U.S. culpability for the strike, which hit a school adjacent to a Revolutionary Guard base.

Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan questioned Hegseth over whether the deaths of six American soldiers by a drone strike in Kuwait could have been prevented. Hegseth didn't answer the question directly but said the military took proactive measures to protect American forces.

In another tense exchange, Hegseth told Democratic Rep. Adam Smith that Iran’s nuclear facilities were obliterated in U.S. strikes last June. That led Smith to question the Trump administration’s reasoning for starting the war in Iran less than a year later.

“We had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat,” said Smith, the ranking Democrat on the committee. “Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated?”

Hegseth responded by saying that the Iranians “had not given up their nuclear ambitions” and still had thousands of missiles.

Smith said the war “left us at exactly the same place we were before.”

The defense secretary also faced questions about his decision to oust the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, one of several top military officers to be dismissed since Trump returned to office.

Hegseth said “new leadership” was needed, a claim that failed to satisfy Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat.

“You have no way of explaining why you fired one of the most decorated and remarkable men,” Houlahan began before Hegseth interrupted her. “We needed new leadership,” he repeated.

Wednesday's decision clears the way for Republican-led states to redraw U.S. House districts without regard to race, potentially creating many more GOP-friendly seats.

Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, told reporters that its members and Democrats would fight the effects of the ruling.

“The Supreme Court has opened the door to a coordinated attack on Black voters across the country,” Clarke said. “This is an outright power grab.”

Under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, voters could challenge electoral maps that appeared to dilute the ability of minority communities to elect representatives of their choosing. The expected wave of congressional redistricting by Republican-controlled states after Wednesday's ruling, especially for the 2028 election and beyond, is likely to result in a much smaller Black Caucus.

Changes are coming, but how quickly is unknown

Clarke was joined by over a dozen of the 60 Black Caucus members, including Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Their responses to the court's decision ranged from outrage to defiance to mourning.

It's not clear how many seats will ultimately be affected by the ruling, but redistricting experts predict that more than a dozen now held by minorities could be swept away.

Rep. Troy Carter, one of two Black Democrats from Louisiana, the state at the center of the case, called the ruling “a devastating blow to our democracy, plain and simple.”

Republican leaders in several Southern states already have been discussing how to apply the ruling and create new GOP-friendly congressional maps. In Florida, Republicans wasted no time approving a new U.S. House map, part of which redrew one district created to elect a Black representative.

“I would be surprised if we do not see former slave-holding states moving at lightning speed to target districts that provide Black voters and other voters of color an equal opportunity to elect candidates,” said Kristen Clarke, general counsel for the NAACP and the first Black woman to be assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights division.

It's not clear whether state-level voting laws or constitutional prohibitions against racial discrimination will provide any protection, she added.

Republican officials and Black conservatives praised the decision as a victory against race-based mandates. Linda Lee Tarver, of the Project 21 Black Leadership Network, said in a statement civil rights laws were not intended “to institutionalize racial line-drawing as a default feature of our political system.”

Voting Rights Act expanded Black representation

The Congressional Black Caucus was formed in 1971 as court-ordered redistricting under the Voting Rights Act, passed just six years earlier, sent more minorities to Congress.

The number of Black representatives in Congress jumped from nine to 13. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, decided to expand the Democracy Select Committee created in the 1960s by Democratic Rep. Charles Diggs into the more formal Congressional Black Caucus.

The CBC raised its profile in its first year when it boycotted President Richard Nixon's State of the Union address after he refused to meet with the group. Nixon eventually acquiesced. The group created a list of over 60 recommendations to help the Black community, including counteracting racism and building adequate housing. It earned the nickname the “conscience of the Congress.”

“That caucus has had such an important voice in American politics — the things that we’ve been able to achieve together, the creation of equity and access," Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia said during a separate news conference Wednesday. “And I’m afraid that with this ruling, we could see that caucus shrink in a hugely significant way.”

What can Black constituents do

The ruling upset Thomas Johnson when he heard about it while visiting Louisiana's Capitol in Baton Rouge. Johnson, who is Black, is from New Orleans and represented by Carter. He fears Republicans could redraw the state’s congressional map in a way that dismantles predominately Black districts.

“I feel like this is an embarrassing attack upon the minorities, particularly the Black community,” Johnson said. “We have very little (voice) in Congress.”

Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist who advises the Black Caucus, said he expects the group will be involved in multiple legal fights for members whose districts will be targeted after the Supreme Court ruling. He also said the ruling makes voter turnout efforts even more important "if we want to change course on some of the things that are likely to happen because of this decision.”

Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell of Alabama, whose state was at the center of a major Voting Rights Act case decided in favor of Black representation nearly three years ago, agreed that the party now needs to focus on getting voters motivated ahead of this year's midterm elections.

“Now more than ever, we need communities across this nation to mobilize — in state legislatures, in the courts and at the ballot box,” Sewell said. "We need to vote like we’ve never voted before." ___ Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam, Matt Brown and Ali Swenson in Washington and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.

James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Hitchcock was initially sentenced to death in 1977 after being convicted of first-degree murder in the July 31, 1976, killing of Cynthia Driggers. Following a series of appeals, he was resentenced to death in 1988, 1993 and 1996.

This would be Florida’s sixth execution so far this year, following a record 19 executions in 2025. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The previous record was set in 2014 with eight executions.

According to court records, Hitchcock was unemployed and had moved into his brother's Orlando home several weeks before the July 31, 1976, killing of Cynthia Driggers, the stepdaughter of Hitchcock's brother. After several hours of drinking beer and smoking marijuana with friends, Hitchcock returned to the family's home, he told police after his arrest. Hitchcock, who was 20 at the time, went to the 13-year-old girl's room and raped her, investigators said.

When the girl told Hitchcock that she had been injured and planned to tell her mother, Hitchcock tried to stop her from leaving the room and then began choking her, officials said. Hitchcock took the girl outside, where he beat and choked her until she stopped moving and then left her in some nearby bushes. Hitchcock then took a shower and went to bed.

Hitchcock later recanted during trial, testifying that his brother walked into the girl's room shortly after she and Hitchcock finished having consensual sex. Hitchcock said his brother took the girl outside and began beating and choking the girl in a fit of rage, and she was already dead by the time Hitchcock pulled his brother off the girl.

Hitchcock said he had initially taken the blame to protect his brother.

The Florida Supreme Court denied an appeal last week to halt Hitchcock's execution. His attorneys had argued that he was innocent and that the state had illegally refused to grant him access to public records related to the death penalty.

A final appeal was still pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas tied for second with five executions each.

Another execution is planned in Florida on May 21. Richard Knight, 47, is scheduled to received a lethal injection for his conviction in the fatal stabbing of his cousin's girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter.

All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection if a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

Reaves had been out since April 2 with strained oblique muscles, missing the final five games of the Lakers' regular season and the first four games of the postseason. But Reaves returned to practice last week, and he warmed up for the previous two games in the series in Houston before being ruled out.

Reaves came off the bench for the Lakers in Game 5, who kept the same starting lineup that had taken them to a 3-1 series lead. Reaves immediately made an impact when he checked in midway through the first quarter, making a 3-pointer from 30 feet away on his first shot.

Reaves finished the first half with 11 points and six assists, sharing the Lakers' scoring lead with Marcus Smart. But Los Angeles trailed Houston 51-47 after committing nine turnovers.

Reaves was injured in the same game in which NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic strained his right hamstrings. Doncic doesn't yet appear to be close to a return.

The Lakers won the first three games of the series without their top two scorers, but the Rockets took Game 4 to push the series back to Los Angeles.

Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds this season, but played in just 51 games thanks to the oblique injury and a strained left calf that sidelined him for 19 straight games from Christmas to February.

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

They were all rescued from thick mud due to the drought having dried up ponds.

News 6’s Matt Austin reported the goat and sheep were rescued earlier this month.

Fast forward to this past weekend, and the Lake County Fire and Rescue helped to pull out the horse and bull.

“These animals getting stuck was due to the drought we are currently experiencing and what was usually ponds or small areas of water drying up,” said Lake County PIO Lexie Farmer.

And when it came to the bull, Lake County called in the Sumter County Special Operations for some help.

“Thankfully, these types of incidents don’t happen often”- says Sumter County Emergency Operations.

Now that might be the case for Sumter County, but in Lake County it’s a different name of the game, with four rescues reported in one month.

Earlier this month, our Matt Austin covered the first two...that goat and sheep being pulled from thick mud of a dried-up pond in Groveland.

Matt himself nearly getting stuck in a pond that was once 9 feet deep, but it is now drained due to the drought, with lots of thick mud left behind.

With this weekend’s likely rain there could be even more mud.

So the question now is are even more animals at risk of getting stuck in mud that’s thick?

Lake County PIO says in part, “Residents should not expect conditions to worsen because of the rain, but we still encourage everyone to stay alert.”

Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed a fluke goal on the day he was nominated for the Vezina Trophy, the Lightning struggled to win faceoffs, lucky bounces went the other way and they lost to the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Wednesday night to fall behind 3-2 in the series.

Game 6 is Friday night in Montreal. The Lightning are trying to avoid a fourth straight first-round elimination since falling two wins short of a Stanley Cup three-peat in 2022.

“We got to drag them back here,” forward Corey Perry said. “You know it’s going to be a hostile environment. It’s loud but block it out and just go play. We found a way last game there. We got to do it again.”

The Lightning won Game 4 in Montreal but have lost 10 of their last 12 home games in the playoffs.

Alexandre Texier scored the winning goal 1:06 into the third period on a slap shot from the left circle that bounced off Vasilevskiy’s glove and trickled behind one of the NHL’s best goaltenders.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper blamed the goal on the defense.

“It stems way before that. It doesn’t stem from when Texier gets down the ice. It stems from the change and how we went about it and the mistakes we made on the way there,” Cooper said. “Forever, all Vasy does is bail us out of those. The rare time sometimes he doesn’t. He should’ve never got that deep into our zone and he got a lot on it. It wasn’t like Vasy got beat. He had it and it took a Montreal bounce, unfortunately for us.

The Canadiens dominated the faceoff circle, winning 66%. In another tight game - all five have been decided by one goal and the first three went to overtime - every puck possession matters.

“Possession is huge,” forward Brayden Point said. “There’s not a lot of room out there. Starting with the puck is massive.”

The Lightning had 40 shots on rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes but only Dominic James and Jake Guentzel could get the puck past him.

They had shots hit the post, crossbar and Nikita Kucherov had the puck bounce over his stick with an open net.

“We need other guys to score and haven’t been able to do it,” Point said. “It is frustrating. Just got to keep doing the right things and keep working hard.”

The Lightning have lost their last two elimination games. If they can win again in Montreal, they’ll host Game 7 on Sunday.

“I understand the next game is a potential elimination game but the last game we played there, we lose that one and we’re down 3-1 (and) you’re really chasing the series,” Cooper said. “They’ve been in that building twice now and have a pretty good feeling of what to expect. How it’s going to go? I can’t say for sure but I’ll bet we play better than we did tonight.” ___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

In a release on Wednesday, police said that the carjacking initially happened in the 2500 block of Aloma Avenue.

Afterward, a vehicle pursuit broke out along I-4 near mile marker 112, with police being helped by the Florida Highway Patrol, the release shows.

“The suspect is in custody,” the release reads. “This is still an active investigation, and no further information is available at this time.”

Cunningham had a franchise playoff-record 45 points and the top-seeded Pistons held off the eighth-seeded Magic for a 116-109 win on Wednesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series, avoiding elimination for at least a couple of days.

“We dug ourselves a hole and now it’s time to climb our way out,” Cunningham said. “It’s possible.”

Orlando leads the series 3-2 and will get a second chance to advance at home on Friday night. If the Pistons win their first road game of the series, they will host a decisive Game 7 on Sunday.

Banchero also scored 45 points for a playoff career high — but missed 7 of 12 free throws — and fell one point short of equaling the franchise postseason record shared by Tracy McGrady and Dwight Howard.

The Magic were out-rebounded by 16 and made just 16 of 30 free throws.

“We got to be better on the glass and obviously, better on the free-throw line,” said Banchero, drafted No. 1 overall by Orlando in 2022. “If we make our free throws, we got a real chance of winning the game. We lost by seven, and missed 14 free throws. That’s the game.”

Cunningham set a single-game playoff scoring record for Detroit that had stood since Dave Bing had 44 points in 1968. Isiah Thomas approached that mark with a 43-point performance in 1988.

In NBA history there was only one other playoff game with two players scoring 45 or more.

Donovan Mitchell scored 51 points for Utah in a win over Denver in 2020, while the Nuggets' Jamal Murray had 50 points.

When Detroit drafted Cunningham first overall in 2021, it was hoping he would have games like this one.

He was 13 of 23 from the field, made a playoff career-high five 3-pointers and was 14 of 14 at the line.

“We’re going to see this a long time,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He’s going to do a lot of special things.”

The 24-year-old Cunningham came up short in late-game situations with the ball earlier in the series and in last year's first-round series against the New York Knicks, but he was clutch in key moments to extend the matchup with the Magic.

The Pistons never trailed, going ahead by 17 points in the first half and by 15 early in the fourth quarter.

The Magic pulled within three points on Banchero’s sixth 3-pointer with 1:09 left.

On the ensuing possession after Ausar Thompson hustled for an offensive rebound, Cunningham made a step-back, 16-foot jumper to help seal it.

“Not everybody is blessed with those opportunities to have pressure and have things on the line like that,” Cunningham said. “I’m just thankful for it and trying to make the most out of it.

“We’ve had a great season so far and none of us want it to end.”

The Pistons are hoping to bounce back from the brink of elimination as they did against the Magic two-plus decades ago.

Detroit’s comeback in 2003 as a No. 1 seed against eighth-seeded Orlando was the first of seven times NBA teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit this century. The Nuggets were the last team to pull off the feat six years ago — in the same series that featured Mitchell and Murray each scoring 50-plus point — and they became the first team in the league to do it twice in one postseason.

“You don't want to put yourself in this situation, but this is what we expected,” Bickerstaff said. “When our backs are against the wall, we come out swinging. We come out kicking. We come out scratching, biting, clawing.”

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

House Republicans adopted a budget resolution on a largely party-line vote, 215-211. The action doesn't automatically fund the department — it's focused on eventually providing $70 billion for immigration enforcement and deportations for the remainder of President Donald Trump's time in office, which Democrats oppose.

But launching the GOP budget process, which will play out over weeks to come, has been what Speaker Mike Johnson needed to unlock a broader bipartisan bill for TSA agents and others that has languished during the longest-ever agency shutdown in history. That bill is expected to come to a vote Thursday to fund much of the agency.

“It takes time,” Johnson, R-La., said after another day of start-stop action in the chamber that dragged for hours into the evening. “We will get there.”

The House's narrow Republican majority has repeatedly stalled out under Johnson's gavel, with his own party tangled in internal disputes on a range of pending issues, including the Homeland Security funding.

Democrats refused to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol without changes to those operations after the deaths of Americans protesting Trump’s deportation agenda. Republicans refused the broader Democratic-backed bill to fund TSA and the other aspects of Homeland Security without the money for ICE and Border Patrol.

But the White House urged Congress this week to act, warning the money Trump tapped to temporarily pay TSA and other workers through executive actions is drying up.

“DHS will soon run out of critical operating funds, placing essential personnel and operations at risk,” said a memo from the Office of Management and Budget.

Homeland Security shutdown is longest ever

Homeland Security has been operating without regular funds for more than two months, since Feb. 14, in a broader dispute over Trump’s immigration agenda.

In the memo late Tuesday to lawmakers, the White House called on the House to quickly approve the budget resolution that GOP senators had approved in an all-night session last week to kickstart the process.

“Restoring funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has never been more urgent, as demonstrated by recent events,” the White House memo said, a nod to the situation over the weekend when a man armed with guns and knives tried to storm the annual White House correspondents’ dinner that Trump, the vice president and top Cabinet officials were attending.

But the day wore on as Johnson huddled privately with lawmakers sorting out other issues that stalled voting.

Next steps are expected Thursday when the House is likely to consider the Democratic-backed bill to fund the department, minus the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement funds, which are expected to come later this summer in the budget resolution process.

Immigration enforcement operations central to the debate

While immigration enforcement workers have largely been paid through the flush of new cash — some $170 billion — that Congress approved as part of Trump's tax cuts bill last year, others, including TSA, have had to rely on Trump’s intervention through executive action to ensure their paychecks.

But with salaries topping $1.6 billion every two weeks, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said recently, those funds are drying up.

Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the chairman of the Budget Committee, argued that the Democrats are making “ridiculous and even dangerous demands” as they push for changes to immigration operations.

But Democrats have held firm in the aftermath of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the budget panel's top Democrat, said, “We know there are reforms that need to happen with ICE and CPB in order to rein in the abuses we have seen.”

More than 1,000 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began, according to Airlines for America, the U.S. airlines trade group that called Wednesday on Congress to fully fund the agency.

“The urgency to provide predictable and stable funding for TSA is growing stronger by the day,” the group said in a statement. “Time and time again, our nation’s aviation workers and customers have been the victim of Congress’ failure to do their jobs.”

Complicated budget strategy ahead

House and Senate Republicans have embarked on a go-it-alone strategy, attempting to approve funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for the remainder of Trump's term to ensure no further interruptions from Democrats.

It's a cumbersome process, the same that was used last year to approve Trump's tax cuts bill, and it will play out over several weeks.

With the budget resolution now adopted by the House and Senate, lawmakers will next draft the actual $70 billion ICE and Border Patrol funding bill, with voting expected in May. Trump has said he wants it on his desk by June 1.

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Associated Press writer Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-homeland-security.

In a release, the sheriff’s office explained that the weeklong sting — dubbed “Operation Child Predator VIII” — focused primarily on catching child predators.

“We started on Monday, April 20, and by Sunday, April 26, we wrapped it up,” Judd said during a news conference. “We arrested 19 people, 16 of which traveled, thinking they were going to engage children in illegal sex. We call them child deviants. Child predators. Pedophiles.”

[Watch the full news briefing below]

In addition, deputies said that three suspects sent nude photos to undercover detectives, and five suspects were from outside of Polk County. Meanwhile, seven of the suspects are married, and three are military veterans.

But one of these suspects was identified as 68-year-old Thomas Hicks, who deputies said works in marketing for Tri-County Behavioral Health and plays “Santa Claus” every year at several different events.

“Hicks sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl’s guardian,” the release reads. “He told the UC that he would pay $200 to have sex with the girl and was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child, but said that he would be gentle.”

Furthermore, detectives said Hicks told them he’s been married over 50 years, but he regularly goes onto known “prostitution sites” looking for prostitutes or companions.

“We arrested Santa Claus,” Judd stated. “Now, I want all the children who may be watching this to understand: it’s not the real Santa Claus. OK?”

That said, Judd claimed that Hicks was well known across Polk County and much of Central Florida as a “for-hire Santa Claus.”

“In fact, one of our NGOs that was working with us said, ‘Oh my goodness, I’ve already booked him for a party next Christmas!’” Judd continued. “Nah. That’s over with.”

Now, Hicks faces charges of human trafficking, traveling to meet a minor, use of a computer to seduce a child, and use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony.

Meanwhile, the other suspects arrested in this sting were identified as follows:

The Central Florida Zoo announced Wednesday that one of more than a dozen sloths it recently rescued from the attraction known as “Sloth World” has died. The animal, named Bandit, was among 13 sloths the zoo took in last week as officials worked to evaluate their health.

Hours after the zoo confirmed the death, state Rep. Anna Eskamani called for accountability, urging both state and federal agencies to investigate the business and its owner.

Eskamani said she sent a letter to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier requesting a formal investigation, citing concerns about animal welfare and broader management issues tied to the attraction.

“All of this speaks to how there needs to be accountability,” Eskamani said. She added that lawmakers from both parties have expressed concern about the situation.

[RELATED: Central Florida Zoo doctors say 13 Sloth World sloths have dehydration, malnutrition]

The call for an investigation comes amid mounting scrutiny over past conditions at the facility. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 31 sloths died during a cold snap in December 2024 after being kept without proper habitat conditions.

Despite those deaths, state records indicate the owner, Ben Agresta, continued importing additional sloths and moved forward with plans to open the attraction. A recent FWC inspection report listed 28 sloths at the facility prior to the zoo’s intervention. According to those documents, at least 15 sloths would be unaccounted for as of Wednesday.

Zoo officials said last week they were still assessing the animals after removing them from the property. The announcement of Bandit’s death marks the first confirmed fatality since the rescue.

Eskamani also raised concerns about potential gaps in Florida law, warning that without enforcement or legislative changes, similar situations could happen again.

“If there’s not criminal charges and if there’s not a closing of these loopholes in Florida law, nothing stops someone from pursuing the same type of business model,” she said.

The FWC has not confirmed whether it has opened a formal investigation into the deaths or the treatment of the animals. In response to an inquiry, the agency said it had added a law enforcement coordinator to the communication but has not provided further updates.

[RELATED: Sloth attraction on I-Drive shut down before opening after dozens of animal deaths]

In addition to animal welfare concerns, Eskamani said her office has heard complaints from former employees and customers, including allegations of unpaid wages and unissued refunds.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office has not yet said whether it plans to launch an investigation.

The attraction, located along International Drive, appeared quiet Wednesday, with no visible activity outside the building.

Officials say the surviving sloths remain under evaluation as the investigation questions continue.

Sports Business Journal cited three people briefed on the resignation. LIV Golf was planning to announce Thursday a strategy for moving forward without its primary financial backer, including a new board and plans to seek outside financial partners.

LIV Golf did not immediately comment. Any decisions involving Al-Rumayyan would likely come from the PIF, which he has governed since 2015.

Al-Rumayyan is passionate about golf and long wanted a seat at the table with the sport's leadership. He signed a framework agreement in 2023 with the PGA Tour and European tour and was set to join the PGA Tour Enterprises board if it was approved.

The deal never materialized, except for ending antitrust lawsuits. PGA Tour Enterprises instead got a minority investment from a consortium of North American sports owners.

Scott O'Neil, who replaced Greg Norman last year as CEO of LIV Golf, had told London-based TNT two weeks ago during LIV's Mexico City event that Saudi funding was good through the 2026 season and he would “work like crazy” to create a solid business plan.

That raised questions about whether LIV Golf could keep some of its top players once their lucrative contracts expired. With financial muscle from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, LIV was able to spend $1 billion to land the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith and eventually Jon Rahm, the last big signing at the end of 2023.

The newsletter Money in Sport reported earlier this year that LIV Golf already had spent $5 billion since the league launched in 2022, a figure that would be $6 billion by the end of this year.

Players have been aware Saudi funding would not be available after this season. DeChambeau said in an interview with the Flushing It social media site that “as long as LIV is here, I would figure out a way for it to make sense.”

“There’s a lot of moving parts like in any business,” DeChambeau said. “It’s a startup, right? And so there’s going to be times where we’re squeezed and punched. This is one of those moments. But I’m going to do everything in my power to make it work and I really see the value in franchise golf.”

LIV Golf earlier this week said it was postponing its June 25-28 event in Louisiana to the fall. The next event is scheduled for May 7-10 in northern Virginia, and O'Neil had said in a memo to staff two weeks ago the season would be uninterrupted and “full throttle.”

But the league that now offers $30 million in prize money at each event already is trying to chart a course for staying solvent after this year.

LIV plans to announce a new board and share plans to reposition the league for 2027 and beyond, though that likely would be with fewer than the 14 events on this year's schedule. It also plans to lean into the concept of team franchises.

Al-Rumayyan was all about team golf when he and Norman launched the league, even though the team concept was one reason it took more than three years for LIV to get recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking.

Koepka left LIV after last season and the PGA Tour granted him a path back with stipulations that included no access to equity grants for five years, a $5 million charity donation and no bonus money this year.

The tour offered it to three other LIV players who had won majors since 2022 — Rahm, DeChambeau and Smith — and gave them a Feb. 4 to accept. None did.

In an interview earlier this week with The Wall Street Journal, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said, “We’re interested in having the best players who can help our tour. Not every player can do that.”

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

Orlando leads the series 3-2 and will get a second chance to advance at home on Friday night.

The Magic fell to 0-10 in franchise history on the road in a Game 5.

Detroit never trailed and went ahead by 15 early in the final quarter. The Magic made one more run, pulling within three points on Paolo Banchero's sixth 3-pointer with 1:09 left. Banchero matched Cunningham with 45 points, also a playoff career high — but he missed 7 of 12 free throws.

The Pistons are hoping to bounce back from the brink of elimination as they did against the Magic two-plus decades ago.

Detroit’s comeback in 2003 as a No. 1 seed against eighth-seeded Orlando was the first of seven times NBA teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit this century. The Denver Nuggets were the last team to pull off the feat in 2020, when they became the first franchise in the league to do it twice in one postseason.

Magic forward Franz Wagner was sidelined with a strained right calf. He had 19 points in two-plus quarters before he departed late in the third quarter on Monday night and averaged nearly 17 points and 5.5 rebounds over the first four games of the series.

Cunningham was 13 of 23 from the field, making a playoff career-high five 3-pointers, and was 14 of 14 at the line in what proved to be the difference in a duel with Banchero, also a former No. 1 overall pick.

Tobias Harris scored 23 points for the Pistons, All-Star center Jalen Duren snapped out of a slump with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Duncan Robinson also scored 12.

Anthony Black had a playoff career-high 19 points, Desmond Bane scored 18 points and Jalen Suggs added 10 for the Magic.

The Pistons played with a sense of urgency at the start after being rusty or flat early in previous games.

Detroit led by 17 in the second quarter, but the Magic cut the deficit to six points by halftime. Orlando pulled within two points early in the third and Cunningham’s fifth 3-pointer late in the quarter helped the Pistons take an 89-79 lead into the fourth.

___

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

Officers responded around 8:37 p.m. to Citrus Boulevard just north of North Shore Drive.

Investigators say a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro, driven by a 66-year-old man, struck a pedestrian in the outside lane.

The pedestrian, 52-year-old Matthew Davis of Leesburg, suffered life-threatening injuries. He was treated at the scene by first responders before being taken to UF Health Leesburg Hospital, where he later died, police say.

Northbound lanes of Citrus Boulevard were closed for about four hours as officers conducted their investigation.

The crash remains under investigation by the Leesburg Police Department Traffic Unit. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department at 352-787-2121.

However, 60 bills have already been approved by the governor as of Wednesday, April 29, with many of these new laws set to take effect later this year.

You can find the full list below. Be sure to check back, as News 6 will update this list as more laws are signed.

HB 35 — Traffic Offenders

House Bill 35 revises the term “habitual traffic offender” to add the offense of driving without a valid license.

This crime will be added to the list of offenses for which a certain number of convictions in a five-year period requires the state to designate the person as a habitual traffic offender.

Once a person is designated as a habitual traffic offender, he/she can generally be prosecuted for a third-degree felony for driving a motor vehicle thereafter.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 52 — Security Services

Senate Bill 52 refers to a state statute that regulates private investigative and security services.

More specifically, the law expresses that this statute doesn’t apply to volunteers who provide armed security services at churches, mosques, synagogues or other places of worship.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 91 — Candidate Qualification

House Bill 91 requires that someone who wants to run for office must affirm that he/she hasn’t changed his/her name in the year prior to qualification, with few exceptions.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 1

SB 118 — R.V. Park Assessments

Senate Bill 118 revises how special assessments may be levied against R.V. parks.

The bill does this by prohibiting local governments from levying special assessments against areas over 400 square feet for each R.V. parking space or campsite.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 21

SB 182 — Teacher Mentors

Senate Bill 182 establishes the School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program, aimed at improving teacher effectiveness in public schools.

Under this program, qualified teachers can be placed as mentors in schools that have a “D” or “F” grade, thereby improving the performance of these schools.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 212 — Sex Offenders

Senate Bill 212 amends state statutes regarding sexual offenders and predators in the state.

Under this law, those convicted of certain sex offenses against children 16 years of age or younger may not live within 1,000 feet of a public swimming pool.

[BELOW: Florida attorney general unveils Sanford ‘house of horrors’]

Current law already prohibits these sorts of sex offenders from living near schools, childcare facilities, parks and playgrounds, though this bill cracks down even harder via the following rules:

• Contacting Children: Such offenders may be arrested without a warrant if they knowingly contact a minor at any park, playground or public swimming pool.
• School Grounds: Such offenders may be arrested without a warrant if they’re purposefully present in any pre-K-12 school while the school is still in operation, with few exceptions.
• Prowling Offenders: The bill increases the restricted distance for loitering and prowling by such sex offenders from 300 feet to 500 feet of places where children congregate.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 245 — Child Pornography

House Bill 245 replaces the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material” under state law.

This shift does not change any other elements of the law, including offenses related to child pornography.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 246 — Specialty Plates

Senate Bill 246 grants permission for five new specialty license plates, which are as follows:

• Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
• Miami Northwestern Alumni Association
• Outsider
• St. Petersburg College
• First Responders Resiliency

The bill also revises certain requirements for the existing “Florida Wildflower” and “Fraternal Order of Police” plates.

DATE OF EFFECT: Oct. 1

HB 249 — State Flagship

House Bill 249 redesignates the official state flagship.

More specifically, the law replaces the current state flagship (the schooner Western Union) with the S.S. American Victory.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

[BELOW: New Florida bill could change meaning of ‘criminal gang member’]

SB 288 — Electric Cooperatives

Senate Bill 288 revises a state statute that prohibits certain bylaws, tariffs and policies from being used by rural electric cooperatives.

Under this law, the statute is limited to only those cooperatives that sell electricity at retail.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 290 — FDACS

Senate Bill 290 makes a number of changes to state law related to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

Some of these changes include a prohibition on local governments from banning gas-powered landscape equipment, and criminal penalties for those receiving unauthorized help on a CDL exam.

You can read a list of more changes here.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 302 — Coastal Resiliency

Senate Bill 302 prohibits any dredging or filling of submerged lands at the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, with some exceptions provided for public safety and environmental protection.

This law is also expected to streamline the permitting process for nature-based methods aimed at improving coastal resiliency, helping to accelerate restoration timelines.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 386 — Farm Equipment

Senate Bill 386 sets up a process for consumers and manufacturers to remedy defective farm equipment.

If farm equipment is defective, this law lets buyers report the defect to the manufacturer during the warranty period or the one-year period after the original delivery date of the farm equipment.

The law also requires the manufacturer to either replace or refund any defective farm equipment.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 399 — Development Regulations

House Bill 399 requires application fees for development permits to be reasonably related to the costs associated with processing the application and prohibits fees based on a percentage of project costs.

The legislation also mandates that each local government’s land development regulations must include factors for assessing compatibility of residential uses.

DATE OF EFFECT: March 27

SB 422 — Airport Broadcasts

Senate Bill 422 prohibits airports from using information derived from automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) systems emitted from certain aircraft as a means of collecting fees from owners.

This rule is limited to aircraft with a gross weight of 12,499 pounds or less operating under FAA rules and applies under the following two scenarios:

• The operation for which a fee would be assessed is a departure or a landing, including touch-and-go landings
• The fee would be assessed based on an aircraft entering into the airspace of the airport where the fee is assessed

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 428 — Drowning Prevention

Senate Bill 428 amends the Swimming Lesson Voucher Program, raising the age limit to include children between 1 and 7 years of age.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 441 — Conservation Lands

House Bill 441 requires that when a water management district considers selling conservation lands, the governing board publish the following information at least 30 days before meeting:

• The district-owned parcels of land for sale or proposed for exchange
• The privately owned parcels proposed for exchange
• The portions of those parcels that will be preserved in a permanent conservation easement
• A statement from the district explaining why those lands are no longer needed for conservation purposes

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 445 — Dangerous Crimes

House Bill 445 adds certain offenses dealing with child exploitation and certain kinds of computer porn to the list of dangerous crimes under Florida law.

This means that someone arrested for one of these offenses can’t be given nonmonetary pretrial release at a first appearance hearing.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 488 — Transportation

Senate Bill 488 amends various provisions related to topics like motor vehicle registration, licensing and tax-related requirements. These new rules include the following:

• Creates penalties for counterfeiting or illegally altering fuel tax licenses and the related permits
• Revises penalties and interest calculations for delinquent tax payments
• Provides penalties for specific offenses related to the misuse of motor fuel-tax related documents and establishes detailed requirements for recordkeeping by motor carriers
• Increases the amount of estimated damage resulting from a crash that is required to be reported to law enforcement from $500 to $2,000

DATE OF EFFECT: Oct. 1

SB 490 — Public Records (FLHSMV)

Senate Bill 490 expands a public records exemption for email addresses collected by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

This expansion includes email addresses that are used to provide customers with general notifications.

DATE OF EFFECT: Oct. 1

SB 504 — Body Cameras

Senate Bill 504 requires governmental agencies that allow code inspectors to wear body cameras to set up policies addressing proper use and storage of these cameras, as well as the recorded data.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 506 — Public Records (Body Cameras)

Senate Bill 506 creates a public records exemption for code inspectors’ body camera recordings if the footage is recorded:

• Inside a private residence
• Inside a facility that offers health care, mental health care, or social services
• In a place that a reasonable person would expect to be private

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 569 — Forensic Client Services

House Bill 569 allows the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to house non-forensic clients and forensic clients within the same wards in secure APD facilities.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 572 — Public Ethics

Senate Bill 572 revises the term “relative” in the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees to include foster parents and foster children.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 1

SB 598 — Funeral Services

Senate Bill 598 makes several revisions to a state statute that regulates funeral and cemetery services.

For example, the law prohibits licensees from contracting to become the sole provider of funeral services for any firm that provides medical or end-of-life care to the public.

Furthermore, SB 598 allows licensees to dispose of human remains that have been in their lawful possession for at least 90 days if the legally authorized person of the decedent fails to direct the disposition.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 628 — Trump Highway

Senate Bill 628 renames over a dozen roadways across the state.

The bill also designates the Tallahassee airport at 3300 Capital Circle SW as the “Bobby Bowden-Tallahassee International Airport.”

Furthermore, SB 628 designates 124 miles of SR-80 stretching from SR-A1A in Palm Beach County to US-41 in Lee County as the “President Donald J. Trump Highway.”

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 679 — Trademark Registration

House Bill 679 mandate that the Florida Department of State use the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s schedule of classes of goods and services as the state’s classification for trademark purposes, rather than the general classes for trademarks for goods and services set in statute.

Furthermore, the bill requires that agency to set up a website where applicants can apply for a trademark or renew a trademark and provides that the website must safeguard the applicant’s information to ensure data integrity.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 686 — Agricultural Enclaves

Senate Bill 686 deals with agricultural enclaves: pockets of agricultural land that are mainly surrounded by development.

Under this bill, enclave owners may submit development plans for single-family housing.

Local governments won’t be allowed to enact regulation for one of these enclaves that is more burdensome than for other types of applications for comparable uses, either.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1 (Provisions expire Jan. 1, 2028)

HB 697 — Drug Prices

House Bill 697 makes it unlawful for a PBM to force a pharmacy to take a loss when dispensing a drug or to reimburse a nonaffiliated pharmacy less than an affiliated pharmacy.

Furthermore, the law requires PBMs to allow in-network pharmacies to submit consolidated appeals comprised of multiple adjudicated claims featuring identical drugs, day supplies, and dates of service.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 844 — Sickle Cell Disease

Senate Bill 844 requires that the standard continuing education course on prescribing controlled substances include information regarding the treatment of pain for patients with sickle cell disease.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 895 — Trustee Settlement

House Bill 895 establishes a summary procedure for trustee liability and claims discharge under the Florida Trust Code.

This applies to non-adversarial irrevocable trust administrations where the trustee has substantially complied with certain trustee duties, negating the need for judicial process to achieve such discharge.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 29

HB 919 — Donald Trump Airport

House Bill 919 preempts to the state the ability to name major commercial service airports.

More specifically, the law renames the Palm Beach International Airport as the “President Donald J. Trump International Airport.”

All other major airports, including the Orlando International Airport, may keep their current names for now.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

[BELOW: New Florida law could let lawmakers rename Orlando airport]

HB 929 — Chickee Regulation

House Bill 929 prohibits local governments from enacting an ordinance that prevents a member of the Miccosukee or Seminole tribes from constructing a chickee under certain conditions.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 961 — Electronic Signatures

House Bill 961 requires that insurance companies implement secure control processes and procedures for electronic signatures that are acceptable to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 991 — Elections

House Bill 991 makes several revisions to the Florida Election Code, including:

• Driver’s License: Requires the state to include a person’s legal status on any new, replacement or renewal driver’s licenses and ID cards
• Voter Oath: Voter registration applicants must affirm that they are U.S. citizens and may face criminal penalties for perjury if that is not the case
• Forms of ID: Debit/credit cards, student IDs, retirement center IDs, neighborhood association IDs, and public assistance IDs are no longer acceptable forms of identification for voters
• Campaign Contributions: Political parties and candidates may not willfully accept a contribution from a foreign national in connection with any election held in the state.
• Federal Courts: Requires the state to provide voter registration lists to federal courts to aid in their jury selection process, and requires those courts to provide the state with information about voters being ineligible due to convictions, death, or being a non-U.S. citizen
• Statute of Limitations: Creates a five-year statute of limitations for the prosecution of a felony under the Election Code
• New Penalties: Provides new fines and penalties for those who violate the law of involvement of foreign nationals in state elections
• Early Voting: Election supervisors must use local time when uploading the results of all early voting and vote-by-mail ballots by 7 p.m. the day before the election

DATE OF EFFECT: Jan. 1, 2027

HB 1093 — Vertiports

House Bill 1093 includes vertiports and charging systems as qualifying projects for funding under public-private partnerships between state and private entities.

In addition, the law allows the FDOT to fund all of the project costs of a public vertiport if federal funds aren’t available.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 1103 — Vessel Restrictions (I)

House Bill 1103 allows local governments to administer provisions of law concerning vessels at risk of becoming derelict and long-term anchoring permits.

Furthermore, the law lets cities and counties regulate vessel speed and operation within 300 feet of a confluence of water bodies presenting a blind corner (up to 1,000 feet) if the extended area is necessary to ensure safe navigation and visibility for approaching vessels.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 1113 — Vessel Restrictions (II)

House Bill 1103 allows local governments to authorize a code enforcement officer to administer the provision of law concerning vessels at risk of becoming derelict on state waters.

This can be done by way of local ordinances.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

SB 1134 — DEI Policy Ban

Senate Bill 1134 prohibits local governments from funding, promoting, or enacting any DEI policies, initiatives, and programs.

DATE OF EFFECT: Jan. 1, 2027

HB 1137 — Alcoholic Beverage Taxes

House Bill 1137 allows alcoholic beverage distributors to take a deduction from alcoholic beverage excise taxes for standard product losses, including breakage, spoilage, evaporation, and expiration.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 21

HB 1153 — Juvenile Justice

House Bill 1153 includes “juvenile detention officers” and “juvenile probation officers” in multiple state statutes related to correctional officers.

This allows such positions to be eligible for a Medal of Heroism or Valor, as well as subjects a person to first-degree aggravated manslaughter if he/she causes such an officer to die through culpable negligence.

DATE OF EFFECT: March 30

HB 1159 — Sexual Offenses

House Bill 1159 sets up harsher penalties for various sexual offenses. These changes include:

• CSAM: Replacing the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material” in Florida statutes
• Harsher Penalties: Increases penalties for use of a child in a sexual performance; possession and transmission of child porn; creation of generated child porn; possession of a child-like doll; and certain sex acts involving animals
• Mandatory Sentencing: Adults must receive a mandatory minimum sentence for certain offenses related to using children in sexual performances and transmitting child porn
• Repeat Offenders: Raises mandatory minimum sentences for certain repeat sex offenders
• Life Felony: Creates a life felony for aggravated use of a child under 12 years old in a sexual performance
• Generated Child Porn: Creates a second-degree felony for transmitting generated child pornography
• No Pets: Prohibits anyone convicted of certain sex offenses involving animals from owning or working with animals for at least five years

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 1217 — Greenhouse Gases

House Bill 1217 prohibits the state and local governments from adopting or enforcing net-zero greenhouse gas emissions policies, including carbon taxes.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 1219 — Spoil Island

House Bill 1219 designates a mangrove island within Jupiter Sound as the “Andrew ‘Red’ Harris Spoil Island.”

The island will be named for Andrew “Red” Harris, a native of Jupiter who started his own insurance brokerage agency in 2011 and was killed in a boating accident roughly three years later.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 1337 — Estate Authority

House Bill 1337 amends several provisions of Florida law to reduce the necessity for court involvement or formal proceedings in the distribution of a decedent.

More specifically, this bill does the following:

• Gives a personal representative more authority with respect to a decedent’s safe deposit box
• Expressly allows a personal representative to institute a proceeding to enforce his/her authority as personal representative
• Increases the amounts of what Florida law considers “small estates,” such that procedures other than formal probate proceedings may be instituted to dispose of the subject property under certain conditions

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 1417 — Department of Environmental Protection

House Bill 1417 repeals the Environmental Regulation Commission, which is expected to streamline rulemaking for environmental protection.

This law also requires erosion and sediment control plans for the construction of solar facilities to include stormwater best management practices.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 1443 — Parkinson’s Disease Registry

House Bill 1443 requires the Florida Institute for Parkinson’s Disease at USF to set up a statewide Parkinson’s disease registry.

Under this legislation, physicians who diagnose a patient with Parkinson’s disease must report nationally recognized performance measures to the registry beginning on Jan. 1, 2027.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

[BELOW: Here’s what to know about Florida’s ‘license plate’ law]

HB 1445 — Public Records (Parkinson’s Disease Registry)

House Bill 1445 creates a public record exemption for patient-identifying information held in the Parkinson’s disease registry set up by HB 1443.

The exemption will be repealed on Oct. 2, 2031, unless reenacted by lawmakers.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 1471 — Terrorist Organizations

House Bill 1471 makes several changes to state law regarding terrorist organizations. Many of those revisions are as follows:

• Terrorist Designations: Creates a process by which the state may designate groups as domestic or foreign terrorist organization if certain conditions are met
• Religious Laws: Courts and tribunals are prohibited from enforcing religious or foreign laws against someone if such application would violate his/her constitutional rights
• Private Schools: Prohibits private schools participating in state scholarship programs from being owned or funded by terrorist groups, terrorist supporters, or criminal gangs
• State Universities: Prevents institutions in the Florida College System from using state funds to support programs that advocate for terrorist organizations
• Visa Students: Public colleges must report information about the current status of students who are attending on a visa if they promote terrorist organizations
• Student Expulsions: If a student promotes a terrorist organization while enrolled at a public university, the student must be immediately expelled and assessed an out-of-state fee

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 1473 — Public Records (Terrorism)

House Bill 1473 creates a public record exemption tied to HB 1471 for certain information that would require Florida’s Chief of Domestic Security to provide to the governor and cabinet in certain situations.

DATE OF EFFECT: July 1

HB 4005 — Naples Airport Authority

House Bill 4005 revises the method of selection for the Naples Airport Authority board from a body appointed by the city to one elected by the residents of Collier County.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 6

HB 4019 — Lake County

House Bill 4019 limits the compensation of healthcare providers for medical services to inmates housed in a Lake County detention center to 110% of the Medicare allowable rate if the provider doesn’t have a contract with the county.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 14

HB 4037 — Pasco County

House Bill 4037 revises term limits for board members on the Pasco County Mosquito Control District from two terms to three terms, starting with the 2026 general election.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 23

HB 4041 — Indian River County

House Bill 4041 limits the compensation of healthcare providers for medical services to inmates housed in an Indian River County detention center to 110% of the Medicare allowable rate if the provider doesn’t have a contract with the county.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 14

HB 4059 — Polk County

House Bill 4059 limits the compensation of healthcare providers for medical services to inmates housed in a Polk County detention center to 110% of the Medicare allowable rate if the provider doesn’t have a contract with the county.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 14

SB 7000 — Public Records (Emergency Shelters)

Senate Bill 7000 continues a public records exemption for addresses and telephone numbers of those who provide public emergency shelter during a storm or catastrophic event.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 23

SB 7006 — Public Records (Florida PSC)

Senate Bill 7006 continues a public records exemption for for portions of hearings conducted by the Florida Public Service Commission.

More specifically, this exemption extends to proprietary confidential business information that is already exempt under state law.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 1

HB 7011 — Public Records (Aquaculture)

House Bill 7011 continues a public records exemption for certain aquaculture records held by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

That exemption refers to the following:

• Shellfish receiving and production records generated by licensed shellfish processing facilities
• Audit records and supporting documentation required for submerged land leases
• Aquaculture production records and receipts generated by certified aquaculture facilities

DATE OF EFFECT: March 27

SB 7016 — Public Records (Loan Programs)

Senate Bill 7016 continues a public records exemption for certain details held by an economic development agency pursuant to the administration of a state/federally funded small business loan program.

More specifically, the exemption protects tax returns, financial information and credit information.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 1

SB 7026 — Public Records (Trade Secrets)

Senate Bill 7026 continues a public records exemption for trade secrets held by an agency, which are kept confidential.

DATE OF EFFECT: April 23

A large group of Democrats joined most Republicans in passing the bill by a 235-191 vote. The law's renewal still faces an uncertain path to passage, with a sign-off needed from the Senate and President Donald Trump.

While the Senate could eventually be amenable to oversight measures added by the House, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said late Wednesday that another short-term extension will likely be needed ahead of the Friday deadline. House leaders added separate legislation banning a central bank digital currency to win more votes, and Thune said that part of the bill is “dead on arrival” in the Senate.

Still, the passage in the House was a breakthrough for Republican leaders after Speaker Mike Johnson earlier in the day secured the support of several Republican holdouts to advance the bill to a final vote. The chamber had been unable to pass a long-term extension since Republican leaders earlier this month staged a hectic late-night effort to extend the surveillance program, only to see multiple bills fail on the floor.

“Two-thirds of the president’s daily national security briefing comes from intelligence collected by that statute,” Johnson said about the program. “We cannot allow it to go dark.”

Warrants remain central to the fight

The debate centers on a provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, that allows the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and other agencies to collect and analyze communications from foreign targets without a warrant. In doing so, the agencies can incidentally sweep up communications involving Americans who interact with foreign targets, an element of the program many lawmakers find unacceptable.

“The intel community always just comes in and says, ‘People will die if you do this,’” Republican Rep. Chip Roy said Tuesday, arguing in favor of a warrant requirement. “Well, I’m sorry. A lot of Americans died to give us and protect that Fourth Amendment right that we don’t have government looking at our stuff.”

The House bill does not include the warrant requirement. Instead, it would impose new oversight measures, including a monthly civil liberties review of U.S. person queries by an official within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, with any violations referred to the Intelligence Community’s inspector general.

The bill would also create criminal penalties for officials who knowingly misuse the system or falsify compliance, order a government audit of targeting practices and require new procedures to expand congressional access to FISA court proceedings.

House Democrats took turns criticizing the extension on the floor ahead of Wednesday evening’s planned final vote. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, derided the measure as a “three-year blank check” that comes “without any meaningful guardrails.”

“Under this bill, FBI agents will still collect, search and review Americans' communications without any review from a judge,” said Raskin.

Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, spoke in favor of the extension, calling the program “without question, the most important foreign intelligence tool." Himes, who voted for the extension, said the bill makes guardrails on the program "marginally and modestly stronger.”

There are hurdles ahead in the Senate

Both chambers are expected to scramble Thursday to pass a short-term extension of the law ahead of the Friday deadline — even as they continue to negotiate the longer-term renewal.

Thune said Wednesday afternoon that the Senate would try to quickly pass a 45-day extension. But any one senator can hold that up, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has already indicated he won't go along. Wyden, who has long pushed to reform the law, will instead seek to pass a three-week extension with some additional provisions, according to his office.

Another obstacle in the Senate is that the House linked the surveillance renewal with the separate digital currency legislation — a proposal Thune has said would be “very, very hard to pass."

Senators from both parties said they were committed, though, to ensuring that the law doesn't expire.

“There is clear consensus in the Senate as to how important it is,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.

___

Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.

The review was conducted as part of the Food and Drug Administration’s Operation Stork Speed project — billed as the “largest and most rigorous” to date. It found that the infant formula supply is safe, agency officials and outside experts said.

“There’s no reason not to use any available formula” in the U.S., said Dr. Steven Abrams, a pediatrics professor at the University of Texas at Austin who reviewed the findings.

FDA officials tested more than 300 samples of commercial infant formula between 2023 and 2025 for heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. They also tested for pesticides, chemicals found in plastics known as phthalates, and PFAS, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, sometimes called “forever chemicals.”

Levels of all the contaminants were undetectable or very low, the agency reported. The heavy metals detected were well below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limits for drinking water, the agency reported. No pesticides were detected in 99% of samples. The FDA found no detections for 25 of the 30 PFAS compounds tested.

Outside experts generally agreed with the government’s assessment, noting that small amounts of substances such as heavy metals are naturally occurring in the environment. But others, such as phthalates and PFAS, are not.

“These chemicals are completely synthetic,” said Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a pediatrics professor at UW Medicine and the Seattle Children’s Research Institute. “The detection of some of these compounds at all is concerning.”

It points to the need for further monitoring of formula — and of the larger U.S. food supply, she added.

The Trump administration launched Operation Stork Speed in March 2025, promising to review safety and quality standards for infant formula in the U.S. for the first time in decades.

It built on previous FDA efforts to review substances like heavy metals in infant foods, which can cause problems with brain development, learning and behavior in children, Abrams said.

To date, the FDA does not have enforceable limits for heavy metals in infant formulas, unlike the European Union, Canada and Australia.

Some consumer advocacy groups have called on the FDA for years to establish firm limits for contaminants. Last year, Consumer Reports published an analysis of 41 U.S. infant formulas with results suggesting that many had worrisome levels of heavy metals and other contaminants.

However, that analysis used its own level of concern, setting it far below European Union standards. That report garnered wide public attention and prompted some parents to stop using commercial formula, even when it was necessary, Abrams noted.

Abrams called for the FDA to continue monitoring infant formula for contaminants and to share the results.

Abbott, one of the nation's largest formula makers, urged the FDA to set scientific standards for contaminants in infant formula.

“We believe that producing infant formula at scale in the U.S. is a matter of national security,” Abbott spokesman John Koval said in an email. “These results affirm the safety of our current domestic supply.”

___

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 allegations in the disturbing case stretch back to 2023 — just a year after the singer's first single made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The 21-year-old has pleaded not guilty and his attorneys have said he did not cause her death.

Here's a look at the timeline of the investigation, the allegations and the career of D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke.

2022: Burke's music goes viral

Burke, a content creator who began making his own music to accompany the video game montages he would post online, goes viral on TikTok for his song “Romantic Homicide.” The song ultimately peaks at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, and Burke signs with Darkroom and Interscope Records.

November, 2023: Prosecutors say the abuse begins

Burke allegedly begins to sexually abuse Rivas Hernandez, who was 13, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. She was described by authorities as a runaway, and court documents say she lived with Burke in Los Angeles.

Feb. 17, 2024: Investigators first contact Burke about Rivas Hernandez

Investigators have said Rivas Hernandez was reported missing from her home in Lake Elsinore, a town about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles, several times before her death. According to prosecutors, Riverside County authorities contacted Burke about her during one disappearance. He told authorities he was unaware she was a minor and had last had contact with her a few days earlier. Los Angeles sheriff's deputies checked out Burke's house looking for Rivas Hernandez and also informed him she was 13.

She returned home two days later, prosecutors say, and her parents took her phone away. They allege that Burke paid $1,000 to a junior high classmate of Rivas Hernandez to give her a phone so he could keep in contact with her.

April 5, 2024: Rivas Hernandez is reported missing

Rivas Hernandez's family reports the seventh grader missing from her home in Lake Elsinore, for the last time.

Prosecutors allege that in the months that followed, she spent lots of time with the singer and traveled with him to Las Vegas, London and Texas to meet his family.

November 2024: The two break up

Burke and Rivas Hernandez “broke up” but continued to have contact, according to prosecutors. She returned to her home in Lake Elsinore at some point.

April 11, 2025: Burke makes his Coachella debut

Burke performs at the music festival Coachella and goes viral again — this time for face-planting hard on the stage during a failed backflip attempt. In an interview with The Associated Press during the festival, Burke talked about using social media feedback from fans to refine his set lists. “I am my fans and my fans are me. And we work in tandem with each other and it's such a beautiful poetic kind of thing that we have,” he said.

April 22, 2025: Rivas Hernandez and Burke argue in text messages

“The messages reveal the victim’s jealousy over defendant’s relationships with other women, as defendant led her to believe they had a future together,” prosecutors said in a document outlining evidence in the case.

April 23, 2025: Rivas Hernandez is last known to be alive

Prosecutors say they believe Burke stabbed Rivas Hernandez to death “on or about” April 23, the day they say she was last heard from. Prosecutors say Burke killed Rivas Hernandez because she threatened to expose their inappropriate relationship and posed a threat to his career.

Burke sent a rideshare car to pick up Rivas Hernandez from her Lake Elsinore home and drop her off at his Hollywood Hills home at around 10:10 p.m. that night.

Prosecutors allege Burke sent text messages beginning at 10:30 p.m. asking Rivas Hernandez where she was to conceal that he had killed her.

At 11:30 p.m., he texted Rivas Hernandez's cell again asking where she was and drove away from his home to a remote area of Santa Barbara County.

April 24, 2025: Burke ordered a shovel online

Prosecutors say Burke used the Postmates delivery app to have a shovel delivered to his home.

April 25, 2025: Burke releases debut album, ‘Withered'

Burke releases his first album, “Withered.” In social media posts and media interviews, he describes using a recurring motif in his music and videos — an alter ego character he calls “IT4MI,” after “itami,” a Japanese word for pain. “He's basically like the evil version of me," Burke said in a YouTube interview with the “Tape Notes” podcast published May 2025. Burke's videos sometimes depict the character blindfolded, in a shirt that appears covered in blood.

May 1, 2025: More tools are ordered

Burke ordered two chainsaws to be delivered to his home, according to prosecutors. They were ordered using a fake name.

May 5, 2025: Authorities say Rivas Hernandez's remains are mutilated

One of the felony charges against Burke is “unlawful mutilation of human remains." Prosecutors say Rivas Hernandez's arms and legs were severed from her body on or around May 5.

In a subsequent filing, prosecutors allege Burke cut up Rivas Hernandez in an inflatable pool in his garage. DNA evidence that matched hers was later found in the area.

Burke returned to the remote part of Santa Barbara County two more times, and Rivas Hernandez's passport was found in the area in January 2026, according to a prosecution filing.

They also allege that Burke kept the girl's body in the front trunk of his Tesla. “He lied to his friends, business associates, and others who noticed the strong smell of decay in and around his home and vehicle," prosecutors said in a filing.

In late July, before embarking on a tour, Burke parked the car around the corner from his home.

Aug. 5, 2025: Burke launches tour

Burke's tour for the album “Withered,” begins with a show in Del Mar, California. He also released an official Fortnite anthem, “Locked & Loaded,” on Sept. 3. The collaboration with video game creator Epic Games echoed his start in the music world, when he would create and post Fortnite montages online.

Sept. 8, 2025: Celeste Rivas Hernandez's body is discovered

One day after she would have turned 15, Rivas Hernandez's badly decomposed remains are discovered in body bags inside the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke, prosecutors say. The 2023 Tesla Model Y had been towed from an upscale neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills where it had been sitting, seemingly abandoned. Police searching the vehicle found a cadaver bag covered in bugs with Rivas Hernandez's head and torso inside. A second bag containing her arms and legs was found underneath the first, according to court documents.

Sept. 17, 2025: Burke's home searched

Authorities searched Burke's home and found blood evidence that matched Rivas Hernandez's DNA. They also found the inflatable pool that they say was used to dismember her, with several cut marks in it, according to a court filing.

Sept. 19, 2025: Burke’s remaining tour dates are canceled

The remaining dates of Burke's tour, which had been scheduled to wrap up Nov. 4 in Warsaw, Poland, are canceled. The AP confirmed that he was also dropped by his label, Interscope Records, at some point in 2025.

Oct. 6, 2025: A funeral service is held for Rivas Hernandez

Multiple news outlets reported that Rivas Hernandez's family held a funeral service for her on at the Queen of Heaven Cemetery and Mortuary in Rowland Heights, California.

Nov. 24, 2025: Police block release of coroner's report

In an unusual move, police block the release of the coroner's report on Rivas Hernandez's death. The medical examiner's office said in a statement that it had received a “court order, initiated by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), to place a security hold” on the case. The order said no records or details, including the cause and manner of death, could be released until further notice.

February 2026: Burke revealed as the target of a secret grand jury probe

The grand jury investigation into the case was kept under seal, as is standard in grand jury proceedings. But some documents were made public by an appeal of subpoenas by Burke's mother, father and brother that was filed in Texas. The court filings said the Tesla was registered in Burke's name at the address of his subpoenaed family members, and that the “target may be involved in having committed the following criminal offenses against the laws of the State of California, to wit: One count of murder.”

April 16, 2026: Burke is arrested

Burke is arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with Rivas Hernandez's death and is held without bail. The Los Angeles Police Department announces the arrest on social media pages, posting photos of several officers wearing tactical gear and holding weapons approaching a home.

April 20, 2025: Burke is charged with murder

Burke is formally charged with murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14 and mutilating a body. The charging documents also allege several factors connected to the crimes that could lead to a harsher sentence if Burke is convicted. Those circumstances include allegations that Burke was “lying in wait” for Rivas Hernandez, who entered his home and was never seen again; that she was a witness to an investigation into the lewd and lascivious acts committed against her; and that Burke allegedly killed her for financial gain.

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Boone reported from Boise. AP Music Writer Maria Sherman and journalist Liam McEwan contributed.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office shared what they said the evidence in the case would show in a court filing that provided the first detailed allegations of the killing and efforts to cut apart Rivas Hernandez's body and get rid of evidence.

The court filing said D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18, and killed her when she threatened to reveal their inappropriate relationship.

“Knowing he had to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out,” the filing said.

Burke has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other counts. His lawyers have said he is innocent and did not cause Rivas Hernandez’s death.

Her body was found decomposing in a Tesla towed from the Hollywood Hills in September of last year.

Prosecutors said they had obtained text messages that showed their sexual relationship, including child sexual abuse images of her on his phone.

“The messages reveal the victim’s jealousy over defendant’s relationships with other women, as defendant led her to believe they had a future together,” the document says. “She became extremely upset and threatened to disclose damaging information about her relationship with defendant to end his career and destroy his life.”

The filing said he sent a rideshare car to pick her up on the night of April 23, 2025, from her hometown of Lake Elsinore some 80 miles (129 km) outside of Los Angeles. The two exchanged messages until she arrived at his Hollywood home, after which her phone went silent permanently.

They allege he sent her a late-night message asking where she was in an attempt to cover up the killing.

The court filing is intended to outline the evidence that prosecutors plan to present at a preliminary evidentiary hearing beginning May 26, when a judge will determine whether there is probable cause to go to trial. The defense has not publicly provided its version of events.

The document says Burke bought two chain saws online used them to cut apart her body in an inflatable pool in his garage, where the girl's DNA was later found.

“Defendant took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim’s body,” prosecutors said in the brief.

Burke drove to Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northwest of his home to get rid of evidence three times, the document alleges. Her passport was found there in January.

On April 24, the day after her death, he gave a radio interview and had a record-release party promoting his debut full-length album, “Withered,” which was released the following day, prosecutors said in the filing.

Prosecutors allege he kept her body in his Tesla, and lied to friends and business associates who asked about the smell.

The body of Rivas Hernandez had so degraded that examiners couldn’t even determine her eye color. She had braces at the time of her death, and a tattoo that read “Shhh ....” on the inside of a finger as well as his name, according to the report. Two fingers were missing — as were parts of her arms and legs.

Prosecutors had not previously described how they believed Rivas Hernandez was killed or given details on their relationship. An autopsy report said she was killed by penetrating wounds.

Prosecutors said the parents of Rivas Hernandez reported her missing from her home in Lake Elsinore in February 2024. After the February report, Riverside County Sheriff’s detectives contacted Burke, but he told them he had only met her once and did not know she was a minor.

After she returned home that February, her parents took away her cellphone but Burke drove to her hometown and paid a friend of Rivas Hernandez $1,000 to give her a phone so they could communicate.

She was reported missing again in April 2024. The document said that year, she spent much of her time at Burke’s home in the Hollywood Hills and traveled with him to Las Vegas, London, and Texas to meet his family.

The defense attorneys asked Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo at a hearing Wednesday to seal the document, but she declined. They had no comment outside court.

Burke was arrested on April 16 and pleaded to first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14 and mutilating a dead body. He is eligible for the death penalty, but prosecutors said they have not decided whether to seek it.

The singer began making music for YouTube videos he created of the video game Fortnite when he was a teenager.

The songs he wrote and recorded on his phone were a blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. The music made him a phenomenon on TikTok, Instagram, Soundcloud and Spotify, where his top songs, including his 2022 breakthrough “Romantic Homicide,” have more than a billion plays. In 2023, he released two EPs and opened for SZA on tour.

He performed at last year's Coachella music festival just a few weeks before prosecutors said Rivas Hernandez was killed and his album was released. He was on tour promoting it in September when the body was discovered and his name became publicly attached to the case. It would be seven months before he was arrested.

We got a tip to our Neighborhood News Desk that the homeowner spray-painted the words “Mrs MBJ,” “Combat Veteran with PTSD,” as well as several numbers all over the home.

Your Community Correspondent Jarell Baker knocked on a few doors nearby. Neighbors say they didn’t want to go on camera because they believe it may escalate the situation.

They say they’ve contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Orange County Code Enforcement, and their HOA multiple times in the past about this homeowner because they believe the homeowner is a threat to herself and possibly the community.

So News 6 reached out to law enforcement and others asking: are they aware of this, what did they do about the situation, and is it true that they’ve had to deal with this homeowner multiple times for disturbances like this? Here’s what we’ve received so far.

Deputies with OCSO said, “Our deputies went to this residence Wednesday morning for a check-on-the-well-being call. Not sure if it was a neighbor that called, but deputies responded, and no one answered. Because of the spray painting on the house, there is a belief that she might be able to use some mental health services, so our Behavioral Response Unit will follow up to offer help and resources.”

But that’s not good enough for people who live around this house. They want the person who lives here to get help immediately — for the homeowner’s own safety and for theirs.

They also wonder: is this even legal? Yes, you can spray paint your own home, but only if the HOA approves it if you live in an HOA neighborhood, so we’re also checking with the HOA.

They also want to know whether Code Enforcement has a problem with this. We checked with them, too. We’ll stay on top of this and bring you answers as we get them.

Trump made the threat after Merz earlier this week said that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington’s lack of strategy in the war. Trump has also repeatedly railed against NATO for the alliance's refusal to assist the U.S. in its two-month-old war.

“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump said in a social media post.

Merz had said earlier Wednesday that his personal relationship with Trump remained “as good as ever,” but he had “had doubts from the very beginning about what was started there with the war in Iran.”

During his first term in the White House, Trump also moved to cut U.S. troops in Germany because he said the country spent too little on defense.

In June 2020, Trump announced he was going to pull out about 9,500 of the roughly 34,500 U.S. troops who were then stationed in Germany, but the process never actually started. Democratic President Joe Biden formally stopped the planned withdrawal soon after taking office in 2021.

The U.S. has several major military facilities in the country, including the headquarters for U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, Ramstein Air Base and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest American hospital outside the United States.

Merz met with Trump at the White House in March, just days after the U.S. and Israel began their bombardment of Iran. At the time, Merz told Trump that Germany was eager to work with the U.S. on a strategy for when the current Iranian government no longer exists. Merz also expressed concern that an extended conflict could do great damage to the global economy.

His concern, like many other European leaders, has only grown as the U.S. and Iran have yet to come to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway through which about 20% of the world global oil supply had flowed prior to the start of the war. It has been effectively closed since the conflict began on Feb. 28.

“We are suffering considerably in Germany and in Europe from the consequences of, for example, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” Merz said Wednesday, hours before Trump posted his threat on social media. “And in that regard, I urge that this conflict be resolved.”

Merz added that his government was "on good speaking terms" with the Trump administration.

Trump, for his part, has hardly been containing his frustration with Merz.

On Tuesday, he wrote: “The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Trump added that it was no surprise “that Germany is doing so poorly, both economically and in other respects!”

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AP writer Pietro De Cristofaro reported from Berlin.

The Metropolitan Police said the attack in the Golders Green area left two men, ages 34 and 76, hospitalized with knife wounds.

Counterterrorism police are investigating whether the stabbings are linked to recent arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in the British capital. Detectives are investigating a potential Iranian link to those attacks, but police said that it's too soon to say whether Wednesday's stabbing is connected.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a meeting of the government's emergency committee and vowed to “deal with the roots of antisemitism and extremism.” Buckingham Palace said that King Charles III was “deeply concerned.”

Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley said that it was “another horrendous act of violence directed against our Jewish communities.”

But some British Jews expressed anger at authorities' failure to keep them safe. Rowley faced shouts of “shame on you” and “resign” from bystanders when he made a statement to media at the scene of the stabbings.

Attacker immobilized by police

The security organization Shomrim said that a suspect “was seen running along Golders Green Road armed with a knife and attempting to stab Jewish members of the public." It said that the suspect was detained by Shomrim members and arrested by police, who used a stun gun on him.

Surveillance camera footage showed a man beside a bus stop donning a kippah, or traditional skullcap, before a passerby with a knife lunges at him.

Rowley said the suspect, whose name hasn't been released, had “a history of serious violence and mental health issues.”

Arson attacks in recent weeks targeted Jewish sites in London, including a charity's ambulances in Golders Green and a synagogue a few miles away.

“Today is somewhat worse because it’s a physical attack against two human beings,” resident Anthony Silber said. “It’s shocking to hear, shocking to listen to, shocking to watch for those that saw, but it’s not a surprise.”

Britain’s Jewish community is long established, but tiny as a percentage of the population, numbering about 300,000. The northwest London suburb of Golders Green is one of its epicenters, home to kosher restaurants, Jewish schools and several dozen synagogues, as well as large Asian and Middle Eastern communities.

The number of antisemitic incidents reported across the U.K. has soared since the attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza, according to the Community Security Trust charity. The group recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022.

In October 2025, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and fatally stabbed one person. Another person died during the attack after being inadvertently shot by police.

Iran link to arson attacks under investigation

Since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, there have been a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites and opponents of the Iranian government. Several people, ranging in age from teens to people in their 40s, have been arrested and charged over the arsons, which haven't caused injuries.

Counterterrorism officers are investigating whether the arson attacks were the work of Iranian proxies. Several have been claimed online in the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. Israel's government has described the group, whose name means the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, as a recently founded group with suspected links to “an Iranian proxy” that has also claimed responsibility for synagogue attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.

An online claim in the same name also took responsibility for Wednesday's stabbing. But security experts say the name may be a flag of convenience rather than a coherent group, and its claims should be treated with caution.

However, the U.K. has accused Iran of using criminal proxies to conduct attacks on European soil targeting Iranian opposition media outlets and the Jewish community. Britain’s MI5 domestic intelligence service says that more than 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-backed plots were disrupted in the year ending in October.

Britain’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, said that Jews face a campaign of violence and intimidation and that words of condemnation are no longer sufficient.

“This must be a moment that demands meaningful action from every institution, every community, every leader and every decent person in our country," he said. “This is a hatred that we must face down together."

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that the world must “wake up” to a rising wave of anti-Jewish hatred.

“In one of the great capital cities of the West, it has become dangerous to openly walk the streets as a Jew,” Herzog posted on X. “This is an unacceptable situation.”

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Kwiyeon Ha contributed to this story.

Charles laid flowers at the National 9/11 Memorial and the royal couple spoke with victims' relatives, first responders and local dignitaries before traveling to other events midway through a four-day diplomatic trip to the U.S. to mark 250 years of American independence.

The royal couple capped their whirlwind day in the city with an appearance at an early evening reception for one of the king’s charities, the King's Trust, where Charles spoke of the enduring cultural bond between the people of the U.K. and U.S. as one “rooted in shared creativity, enterprise, and values.

“Reminding us that we are truly greater together, that’s the point,” he said.

The four-day trip is Charles’ first state visit to the U.S. since he became king. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the U.S. Her last visit to New York was in 2010.

Honoring victims at the 9/11 memorial

Charles and Camilla began their public schedule in the city by paying tribute to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, including 67 British nationals.

They were greeted at the National 9/11 memorial plaza in Lower Manhattan by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, then walked to one of the memorial’s two pools, where parapets bear the names of the victims of the attacks. Charles placed an arrangement of flowers on a parapet before the couple silently bowed their heads in a moment of reflection.

The king and queen then shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with a group of attack survivors, first responders and victims’ relatives, some of whom held photos of their lost loved ones. The gathering came ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

The visit to the memorial took place under the usual security precautions New York affords visiting world leaders and heads of state. Police snipers perched on rooftops. Heavy trucks were used as blockers to close off intersections. The memorial plaza and streets surrounding it were closed to the public.

Meeting New York's mayor

Among the crowd at the memorial were New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, all Democrats.

Mamdani — who was born in Uganda to parents from India, both former parts of the British Empire — shook hands with the king, and the two appeared to greet each other warmly. They spoke only for a few seconds.

Earlier in the day, Mamdani said he hoped to keep the event’s focus on 9/11 victims and not pursue a political conversation. But pressed by a reporter, Mamdani had said that if he were to speak with Charles under different circumstances, “I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond.”

The gem, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, is part of the Crown Jewels. Seized by the East India Co. after the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1849, it was given to Queen Victoria and is on display in the Tower of London. Countries including India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have claimed ownership.

Spending time with 9/11 victims' loved ones

Anthoula Katsimatides was among the Sept. 11 victims' relatives who spoke with the royal couple. Her brother, John Katsimatides, died at the World Trade Center.

“I found it extremely sweet that I was allowed to hug the queen,” she said. “She was quite endearing, as was the king. I also told him that I thought he was adorable.”

Katsimatides said the queen asked her if she came to the memorial often.

“I said that I do because I find it to be a place of peace and calm and also remembrance,” Katsimatides said.

King visits an urban farm, queen goes to the library

The king also toured an after-school, urban farming effort in Harlem that works with young people affected by food insecurity.

At Harlem Grown’s 134th Street Farm, he planted lavender and mustard seeds with children, saw a chicken coop and watched a live food demonstration that educated children about food and nutrition.

“I like your hair,” a student told the king, who replied, “Do you? Good.”

Later, the king attended a gathering of business leaders at Rockefeller Center, including executives from top American companies, including Google, OpenAI, JPMorgan Chase, and Comcast.

The queen, meanwhile, visited the New York Public Library, where she chatted with actress Sarah Jessica Parker during a walk through the building as a crowd of onlookers watched from across Fifth Avenue.

Camilla delivered a new Roo doll to add to the library’s famed collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals, as the beloved children’s character turns 100 this year.

The five dolls currently on display — Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and Kanga — were the inspiration for the characters in A.A. Milne’s children’s books. They were owned by the English author’s son, the real-life Christopher Robin, in the 1920s. The dolls were donated to the library in 1987 and are a centerpiece of the library’s collection of children’s literature. Roo, in the books, was a small brown kangaroo and the son of Kanga.

A charity gala

Earlier in the week, the king and queen joined President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump for events at the White House. The king delivered a rare speech before Congress -- the first by a British monarch since his late mother in 1991 -- followed by a formal state dinner at the White House.

The monarchs are expected to make stops in Virginia before wrapping up their U.S. visit back at the White House on Thursday with a formal farewell from Trump. Charles then travels solo to Bermuda on his first visit as king to a British overseas territory.

In their last public event of the day in New York on Wednesday, the king and queen attended a gala reception at Rockefeller Center.

Singer and songwriter Lionel Richie, who has worked with the King's Trust for four decades, introduced the royal. Also present were Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, lifestyle icon Martha Stewart and fashion designer Donatella Versace.

The king closed his brief remarks in a packed wing of the gallery space by joking that he was disappointed he wouldn’t get to hear Richie sing.

“I don’t know how he does it. He must gargle with port or something.”

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Collins reported from Hartford, Conn.

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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

“HCA Florida Healthcare has opened a new freestanding emergency room in downtown Orlando to expand its services and cut down on long wait times.”

The 11,000-square-foot facility sits at the northwest corner of I-4 and West Colonial Drive, featuring 11 private treatment rooms, along with CT, ultrasound, and X-ray machines. The goal is to bring more services closer to patients. HCA officials say about 175,000 patients living within a five-minute drive of the downtown location visit local emergency rooms each year.

“A lot of us are familiar with going to a big hospital and having to sit in the waiting room a long time,” said Dr. Gideon Logan, ER Medical Director at HCA Florida Downtown Emergency Room. “We typically don’t have that problem. We’re able to see people quickly and have everything on site quickly. And we’re not dealing with addressing other inpatients like at a hospital ER. We are just an ER.”

This is now one of around 30 freestanding ERs across Central Florida, with at least 19 of those opening within the last four years.

Flu and RSV are picking up across Central Florida, and if you’re feeling run-down with a fever, cough, or congestion and aren’t sure what it is, HCA Florida Healthcare has a free Consult-A-Nurse hotline that can help you decide what to do next. Just call 844-70-NURSE (6-8773).

The war has cost $25 billion so far, according to Pentagon numbers presented to the House Armed Services Committee during a contentious hearing ostensibly focused on the administration’s 2027 military budget proposal. It would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion.

While Republicans focused on the details of military budgeting and voiced support for the Iran operation, Democrats grilled Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the ballooning costs of the war, the huge drawdown of critical U.S. munitions and the bombing of a school that killed children. Some lawmakers also questioned President Donald Trump's dealings with allies and his shifting justification for the conflict.

Hegseth dismissed the criticism as political and rebuked lawmakers who pushed him for answers.

“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth said.

Democrats press Hegseth over reasons for war

Wednesday's hearing stretched nearly six hours as Democrats and some Republicans questioned Hegseth over the war and his ouster of several top military leaders.

In one tense exchange, Hegseth told Democratic Rep. Adam Smith that Iran’s nuclear facilities were obliterated in 2025 strikes by the U.S., prompting Smith to question the Trump administration’s reasoning for starting the Iran war less than a year later.

“We had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat,” said Smith, the ranking Democrat on the committee. “Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated?”

Hegseth responded that Iran “had not given up their nuclear ambitions” and still had thousands of missiles.

Smith said the war “left us at exactly the same place we were before.”

Iran’s closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor for the world’s oil, has sent fuel prices skyrocketing and posed problems for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. The U.S. has imposed a naval blockade of Iranian shipping and three American aircraft carriers are in the Middle East for the first time in more than 20 years.

Democrats accused Hegseth of misleading Americans about the reasons for the conflict and said rising gas prices are now threatening the pocketbooks of millions of people in the U.S.

“Secretary Hegseth, you have been lying to the American public about this war from day one and so has the president,” said Rep. John Garamendi of California, who called the war “a geopolitical calamity," a “strategic blunder" and a "self-inflicted wound to America."

Hegseth blasted Garamendi's remarks.

“Who are you cheering for here?” he asked the lawmaker. ”Your hatred for President Trump blinds you” to the success of the war.

Hegseth defends firings of top military officers

The defense secretary faced intense questions from Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat, about his decision to oust the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, one of several top military officers to be dismissed since Trump took office again.

Houlahan said George was deeply respected by members of the military and Congress and asked why Hegseth fired him. Hegseth's response that “new leadership” was needed failed to satisfy Houlahan.

“You have no way of explaining why you fired one of the most decorated and remarkable men,” Houlahan began, before Hegseth interrupted her. “We needed new leadership,” he repeated.

The Pentagon also announced this month that Navy Secretary John Phelan was stepping down. Hegseth previously removed Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Jim Slife, the Air Force's No. 2 leader and others, while Trump fired Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said that while Hegseth is empowered to make personnel changes, he shared what he called “bipartisan concern” about the firings.

“We had a huge bipartisan majority here that had confidence in the Army chief of staff and the secretary of the navy,” Bacon said. “And I would just point out it may be constitutionally right ... but it doesn’t make it right or wise.”

Hegseth has said the changes are part of building a “warrior culture” at the Pentagon.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina defended Hegseth's personnel moves, saying he is “trying to innovate and trying to change the way we do business.”

“I’m glad that you’re firing people," Mace said. “There are people there that are getting in your way. They need to go.”

Democrats ask about war's cost, while Republicans back Trump on Iran

Hegseth detailed plans to increase pay for service members and upgrade munitions while also announcing that, as of Tuesday, the Pentagon had released $400 million in previously appropriated military aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

But the Iran war dominated the debate.

While a fragile ceasefire is in place, the U.S. and Israel launched the war Feb. 28 without congressional oversight. House and Senate Democrats have failed to pass multiple war power resolutions that would have required Trump to halt the conflict until Congress authorizes further action.

Republicans say they back Trump’s wartime leadership for now, citing Iran’s nuclear program, the potential for talks to resume and the high stakes of withdrawal. Still, GOP lawmakers are eager for the conflict to end, and some are eyeing future votes that could become an important test for the president if the war drags on.

Democrats questioned Hegseth over the war's economic impact and rising gasoline costs, noting Trump's promise to lower consumer costs. Hegseth responded by citing the threat posed by Iran.

“What is the cost of Iran having a nuclear weapon that they wield?” he said.

The U.S. and Iran appear locked in a stalemate. Trump told Axios on Wednesday that he is rejecting Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the U.S. blockade.

The “explosion of emotions inside” came after the 56th-ranked Potapova beat Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3 on Wednesday at the Madrid Open to become the first “lucky loser” to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event.

She almost gave up the victory, squandering three match points in the second set and having to come back from 3-1 down in the third against the former No. 1-ranked player. It's been an impressive run considering Potapova lost in the qualifying tournament and only got a place in the main draw as a so-called lucky loser following the withdrawal of another player.

“I (had) a few match points in the second set, on serve, but I couldn't manage my nerves at that time,” she said. “It seems that this tournament keeps giving me second chances and I keep using them. So yeah, supper happy.”

Russia-born Potapova said she got a boost when her boyfriend, Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor, arrived to watch.

“I was a little bit gone mentally in the third set. I didn’t believe in myself at that moment,” she said. “But big respect to my boyfriend who came just on time. He kept telling me, ‘You can do this, we are all together here, just keep going.’”

Potapova said Griekspoor is “not scared” of telling her anything.

“I just played, and mentally he kept me there,” she said. “It just happened at the such important moment, and it gave me a lot of energy. Mentally, I think he got this match. I did it physically. He did it mentally.”

She next will face Marta Kostyuk, who defeated Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 6-0.

The women's tour said Potapova was the first lucky loser to reach a WTA 1000 or Tier I semifinal since the format’s inception in 1990. She has won four straight matches, including against world No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the round of 16.

“I didn’t expect myself being in the draw again because at first they didn’t take my name as a lucky loser,” she said. “And then the days kept on going and nobody was injured or pulling out. Then the last moment I got the information, literally 30 minutes before the (first-round) match, that I was given a chance to step on court here again.”

She said she had been just enjoying “some nice days” in the Spanish capital, with no expectations.

“Maybe that’s the key. You don’t need to be always so zoomed in and so locked in on the tournament,” Potapova said. “Maybe it’s just a matter of sometimes just enjoy yourself and enjoy the journey.”

She said it feels like “a miracle” to have advanced so far.

“It’s pretty rare when you get the second chance and that you go almost all the way,” Potapova said. “But ... I always say, if you got it, maybe you deserved it. I’m happy that I didn’t waste it, and I was able to convert it and to be here now.”

___

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

Christopher and DeYanna Ostroushko and their daughter, Paige, were each charged by a federal grand jury with one count of assault. The indictment additionally charges Christopher and Paige each with one count of interfering with a federally protected activity.

Christopher Ostroushko also faces state charges of misdemeanor assault, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Attorneys for the Ostroushkos said they will mount a strong defense, emphasizing that an indictment doesn't mean the family has been convicted of any crime.

Community members have continued to protest in opposition to immigration enforcement efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration in the weeks since federal officers’ presence in the Twin Cities was dramatically scaled back. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has used the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling as a short-term holding facility, and the area out front has become a hub of anti-ICE activity.

Widely shared video taken by Turning Point USA contributor Savanah Hernandez outside the Whipple building on April 11 begins with Paige blowing a whistle close to Hernandez’s face. Video from other vantage points shows Hernandez with her hand protecting her face, sometimes pushing back against Paige. The two then tussle.

Hernandez says, “Get away from me.”

Paige pushes Hernandez, who falls back against a fence.

In the moments after, DeYanna and Christopher separately confront Hernandez, as does Paige again.

Christopher Ostroushko “forcefully shoved the victim in the back, head first to the ground," the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said in its statement. It also said there was insufficient evidence to bring state charges against the others involved.

Throughout, others on the scene tried to de-escalate and separate them.

After the April 11 incident, Hernandez said her glasses were broken, she was concussed with a sore neck and back, and her legs were scraped, according to posts on the social platform X. She wrote that she was talking with police about pressing charges.

James Cook, an attorney representing the family, said the videos that have circulated don’t show everything, and he believes the family will be able to provide a “vigorous defense.”

“We think that there's a lot of things in the videos that provide a means to exonerate," he said.

The family was regular protesters at the Whipple building to provide “a voice and a demonstration against Metro Surge," Cook said. He added the Ostroushkos have since been threatened online, and DeYanna and Christopher have both lost their jobs.

“They wish they could turn back the clock,” Cook said. “They wish that things didn’t turn out how they did.”

The Ostroushkos were summoned to appear before a federal judge on May 12.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement Wednesday that the Department of Justice will always “punish unhinged acts of political violence.”

“Hernandez was allegedly surrounded, physically assaulted, and shoved to the ground — simply because she was identified by the defendants as a conservative journalist,” Blanche said. “That is NOT ‘peaceful protest.’”

Hernandez said in a post that she was “incredibly grateful to see our justice system at work.” Hernandez did not immediately reply to a request for comment via email or direct message.

Thomasz Szabo, 27, was a prolific participant in a dangerous form of online harassment that has become an increasingly common occupational hazard for public officials across the American political spectrum.

Prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of nearly five years for Szabo, who pleaded guilty last June to conspiracy and threats charges. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, D.C., also sentenced him to three years of supervised release after his four-year prison term, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office.

“This administration will not tolerate attacks on the institutions and individuals who serve this country,” Pirro said in a statement.

Szabo gets credit for the roughly 20 months he already has served in jail.

In 2018, from Romania, Szabo began creating chat servers for him and like-minded users to engage in internet trolling. By late 2020, he had expanded his online activities to include swatting, which involves making hoax threats to provoke emergency police responses at targets' homes. Others joined him in making the bogus threats.

“Despite (or because of) the fact that they resulted in far greater harm to the victim and society, these activities offered much more entertainment value to the defendant and his followers, since swatting and bomb threats often resulted in an observable real-world impact,” prosecutors wrote.

Szabo was charged with Nemanja Radovanovic, of Serbia, whose case hasn't been resolved.

Another Szabo associate was charged separately in Florida. Alan Filion was sentenced at age 18 in February 2025 to four years in prison after pleading guilty to making approximately 375 swatting calls between August 2022 and January 2024. Filion was a juvenile at the time of his criminal conduct but pleaded guilty as an adult.

In December 2023, Szabo told Radovanovic that they should pick targets from both the Republican and Democratic parties because “we are not on any side,” their indictment says. A day later, Radovanovic and Filion embarked on a swatting spree targeting at least 25 members of Congress or their relatives and dozens more state and federal government officials, according to prosecutors.

“Over and over, police departments and other first responders were hijacked by the defendant and deployed to fictitious emergencies,” prosecutors wrote. “As a result, fewer personnel and resources were available to respond to real emergencies.

On Jan. 19, 2024, Secret Service agents questioned Szabo after Romanian authorities searched his home. He was extradited from Romania to the U.S. in November 2024, officials said.

With Florida’s newly redrawn congressional map passed, two major questions are driving the conversation: why should voters care — and is what’s happening even legal?

Your district determines who represents you — and that representative is supposed to fight for the issues that matter most in your community.

Any change to district lines can directly impact political power, policy priorities, and ultimately, your voice at the ballot box.

THE LEGAL QUESTION

The legality of redistricting is now under scrutiny.

The Politically Motivated team took a deep dive into the issue, focusing on partisan gerrymandering — the practice of redrawing political maps to benefit one party.

Bottom line: deliberately manipulating district maps to give one party an advantage is illegal.

Gov.Ron DeSantis argues new congressional maps are necessary due to major population shifts across Florida — claiming current districts no longer reflect census data. But critics say there’s little verifiable evidence to back that up.

“If this is actually based on Florida’s growth, which we’re not seeing any verifiable data to prove… why are we only doing one of three maps? Why are we not doing the Florida House and Florida Senate?” said cohost Christopher Heath.

WHAT COULD CHANGE

With the governor’s proposed map approved, Republicans could gain four additional seats.

And it’s not just about seats — it’s about communities.

The proposed changes would significantly reshape districts in Orange, Osceola, and Polk counties — areas that have seen a major surge in Hispanic populations. Critics argue those shifts could dilute voting power in those communities.

The Ford will be leaving the Middle East in the coming days and returning to its home port in Virginia in mid-May, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military movements. The Washington Post reported the development earlier.

The arrival of the USS George H.W. Bush to the region last week meant three American aircraft carriers were deployed to the Middle East — a number not seen since 2003 — during a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war. USS Abraham Lincoln also has been in the region since January as tensions with Tehran ramped up.

This month, the Ford broke the U.S. record for the longest post-Vietnam War deployment, a nearly 10-month span after leaving Naval Station Norfolk in June.

The ship’s 295th day at sea surpassed the previous longest deployment by an aircraft carrier in the past 50 years, when the Lincoln was sent out for 294 days in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data compiled by U.S. Naval Institute News, a news outlet run by the U.S. Naval Institute, a nonprofit organization.

The Ford's long deployment has raised questions about the impact on service members who are away from home for long periods as well as increasing strain on the ship and its equipment, with the carrier already enduring a fire that forced it to undergo lengthy repairs.

Asked about the Ford's long deployment in a hearing Wednesday before the House Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he consulted with the Navy and those officials did mention readiness and maintenance tradeoffs.

"Multiple times the operational requirements — whether it was down in Southcom or up to Centcom — demanded additional assets in real time, which through a tough decision-making process led to an extension,” Hegseth said, referring to U.S. Southern Command, which oversees Latin America, and U.S. Central Command in the Middle East.

The Ford began its deployment by heading to the Mediterranean Sea. It was then rerouted to the Caribbean Sea in October as part of the largest naval buildup in the region in generations.

The carrier took part in the military operation to capture Maduro. Then it would see more battle, heading toward the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalated.

The carrier took part in the opening days of the Iran war from the Mediterranean Sea before going through the Suez Canal and heading into the Red Sea in early March.

However, a fire in one of its laundry spaces forced the carrier to turn around and return to the Mediterranean Sea for repairs, leaving hundreds of sailors without places to sleep.

The Ford’s 295-day deployment falls short of the longest deployment during the Cold War, a record held by the now-decommissioned USS Midway. It was deployed for 332 days in 1972 and 1973.

More recently, the crew of the USS Nimitz was on duty and away from home for a total of 341 days in 2020 and 2021. However, that included extended isolation periods ashore in the U.S. meant to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The company earned $26.77 billion, or $10.44 per share, in the January-March period, up about 61% from $16.64 billion, or $6.43 per share, in the same period a year earlier. Revenue rose 33% from last year to $56.31 billion. Meta was expected to earn $6.67 per share on revenue of $55.6 billion, per the estimates of analysts surveyed by FactSet Research.

“We had a milestone quarter with strong momentum across our apps and the release of our first model from Meta Superintelligence Labs,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement. “We’re on track to deliver personal superintelligence to billions of people.”

About 3.56 billion people used at least one of Meta's apps on a daily basis in March, which declined slightly from December. That decline is due to internet disruptions in Iran and the restriction on access to WhatsApp in Russia, company leaders said in a post-earnings call.

Meta expects total revenue for the second and current quarter to be in the range of $58 billion to $61 billion, compared with the average analyst estimate of $59.48 billion.

The company also updated its projected capital expenditures for the year to be in the range of $125 billion to $145 billion, increased from the previously announced range of $115 billion to 4135 billion. Meta said the change reflects its expectations of higher component pricing and, “to a lesser extent,” additional data center costs.

Meta’s stock price was down more than 6% in extended trading after the numbers came out.

When Meta posted its initial forecast for 2026 spending at the close of last year, it said the year-over-year growth was driven by increased investment to support Meta Superintelligence Labs efforts. Since then, the company has said it is laying off about 10% of its workforce, or about 8,000 workers, as it continues to ramp up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and highly paid AI-expert hires.

“Investments in data centers are part of a massive gamble by Big Tech firms to win the AI race, to develop artificial general intelligence and to drive massive revenue and profits in the future," said J.P. Gownder, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, in a statement. “But the risks associated with alienating the top-tier human workforce that took years to build too often goes unnoticed.”

Meta ended March with nearly 78,000 workers, up 1% year over year.

While speaking on a post-earnings call about AI agents and AI-powered products Meta is developing, Zuckerberg said he doesn't believe AI will replace people, as many workers fear. “Instead, I think that AI is going to amplify people’s ability to do what you want, whether that’s to improve your health, your learning, your relationships, your ability to achieve your personal career goals and more,” he said.

Susan Li, Meta’s CFO, said on the same call that the first quarter showed strong execution across its core ads and engagement initiative, but also noted that legal and regulatory matters, could make a dent in progress moving forward.

The company is monitoring “ headwinds in the EU and the US that could significantly impact our business and financial results,” Li said as she noted that there has been increased scrutiny as of late on “youth-related issues.”

The jury in a landmark social media addiction trial in Los Angeles recently found the company liable for harms to a young woman who began using Meta’s platforms — as well as Alphabet's YouTube — as a child. Additional trials scheduled for this year and beyond “may ultimately result in a material loss,” Li said.

In a release, district officials said that the incident happened at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach. However, it all stemmed from another encounter around two weeks ago.

At the time, the former student — a 16-year-old boy — tried to re-register at the school, but when a school resource officer tried to make contact, the person fled the campus, the release shows.

“That prior incident put our safety team on alert, with staff instructed to notify administration immediately if the individual returned to campus,” the release reads. “This morning, the same individual approached the school entrance.”

[RELATED: 11-year-old in jail again over threat to DeLand teachers, sheriff says]

But before getting onto the campus, the person was intercepted an assistant principal, armed guardian, and SRO, school officials said.

“At no point did the individual gain unsupervised access to the building, students or classroom,” the release continues. “While the individual was being accompanied by staff, district personnel identified that this person had an open warrant for running away.”

Police said the teen had been listed as a runaway juvenile, with an active court order directing that he be taken into custody.

The SRO thus searched the teen, discovering a loaded firearm and two magazines of ammunition, the district revealed. That said, the teen involved never reached the students, and police added that he made no statements indicating he intended to use the gun.

Instead, district officials announced that the person was taken into custody, meaning there is no ongoing threat to students or staff.

[RELATED: Shooting threat prompts lockdown at Embry-Riddle University]

“We recognize that today’s events are understandably concerning,” district officials wrote. “We also want you to know that this outcome is a direct result of our staff doing exactly what they are trained to do, recognizing a potential threat, acting on prior knowledge, and intervening swiftly to keep students safe.”

Now, the teen faces charges of possession of a firearm by a juvenile, possession of a firearm on school property, and possession of ammunition on school property.

The school district also explained that counseling support will be available for any student who may need to talk with someone.

Anyone with questions is urged to contact the school’s main office at (386) 258-4665.

No additional information has been provided at this time.

Video from Saturday night shows teens running through the area as deputies respond, with some using pepper spray to break up crowds. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says multiple fights broke out, leading to arrests and injuries to two deputies.

Witness Virgil Goodson said the situation escalated quickly.

“Chaos. Teens running everywhere. Large sheriff’s office presence. Initial reaction was, is it an active shooter?” Goodson said.

[WATCH: Orange County sheriff talks ICON Park 1,000-teen ‘takeover’]

The sheriff’s office says more than a thousand teenagers gathered at the park, forcing deputies to step in.

“Some are charged with battery, some are charged with resisting law enforcement, some are charged with battery on a law enforcement officer,” a spokesperson said.

In response, ICON Park released a new chaperone policy on Wednesday that it says can be activated at any time without notice.

The policy states:

“Guests 17 years of age and younger must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone aged 21 years of age or older, to enter or remain on ICON Park property.”

It also says:

“One chaperone may accompany no more than six guests aged 17 or younger.”

ICON Park did not say whether the policy is currently being enforced.

Goodson said he understands the reasoning behind the change.

“I think it’s a good policy, but I also think it kind of is… it messes up for the kids who are responsible… but for the safety of everyone else and the chaos from Saturday night, it is needed. Definitely.”

News 6 asked if the new policy is currently active and if unaccompanied minors are currently allowed at ICON Park, but they refused to answer questions, only referring back to the text of the policy.

It remains unclear when the policy will be put into effect.

Trump, meanwhile, told Axios that he’s rejecting Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a lift of the U.S. blockade — a plan that would postpone discussions of Iran’s nuclear program.

Until now, Hegseth has avoided public questioning from lawmakers about the war, although he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine have held televised Pentagon briefings. Hegseth has mostly taken questions from conservative journalists, while citing Bible passages to castigate mainstream outlets.

Democrats quickly pivoted to the ballooning costs of the Iran war, the huge drawdown of critical U.S. munitions and the bombing of an elementary school that killed children. Some lawmakers have also questioned how prepared the military was to shoot down swarms of Iranian drones, some of which penetrated U.S. defenses and killed or injured American troops.

Republicans have said they will keep faith in Trump’s wartime leadership, for now, citing Iran’s nuclear program, the potential for talks to resume and the high stakes of withdrawal. Still, GOP lawmakers are eager for the conflict to end, and some are eyeing future votes that could become an important test for the president if the war drags on.

Here's the Latest:

USS Ford aircraft carrier heading home after record-breaking deployment, AP sources say

The world’s largest aircraft carrier had been at sea for more than 300 days, including participating in the war against Iran and capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The Ford will be leaving the Middle East in the coming days and returning to its home port in Virginia in mid-May, according to two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military movements.

The ship broke the U.S. record this month for the longest post-Vietnam War deployment, a nearly 10-month span after leaving Naval Station Norfolk in June.

— Konstantin Toropin and Ben Finley

Trump says US is weighing reducing American troop presence in Germany

The president leveled the new threat that he may reduce the U.S. military presence in Germany as tensions grow with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war.

“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump said in a social media post.

Merz on Monday said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington’s lack of strategy in the war. Trump attacked Merz in a social media post Tuesday, saying the German chancellor “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon” and “doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”

In his first term, Trump also moved to cut U.S. troops in Germany because he said it spent too little on defense.

Araghchi works the phones

In the absence of substantive negotiations, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been busy shoring up moral and rhetorical support in his country’s staring contest with America and Israel.

He spent Wednesday conducting a string of phone calls with the foreign ministers of India, Kenya and Poland, along with the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mirjana Spoljaric and Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament.

Official reports of these chats contained few details, but the Iranian government account of the meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said Araghchi “informed his Indian counterpart about the situation in the region and the consequences of the continued illegal actions of the United States in threatening the freedom of international navigation, as well as the latest developments related to the negotiations to end the imposed war against Iran.”

Earlier this week, Araghchi conducted a whirlwind diplomatic tour, visiting Oman and Pakistan on Sunday then Moscow on Monday for a sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Vance acknowledges he’s questioned missile stockpiles in the wake of the Iran war

The vice president, in an interview airing Wednesday on Fox News Channel, was responding to a report in The Atlantic that said he, in private, has repeatedly questioned the Pentagon’s depiction of the war and the depletion of U.S. missile stockpiles.

Vance was dismissive of the reporting but said, “Of course I’m concerned about, you know, our readiness because that’s my job to be concerned.”

He praised the military, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, but said, “It’s of course my job to ask these questions. It’s of course my job to make sure that we’re on top of every issue.”

Hegseth hearing c

oncludes after nearly six hours

Hegseth is exiting the House Armed Services Committee after a nearly six-hour hearing.

The hearing showed the partisan divide on Capitol Hill over the war with Iran. As Democrats questioned him on the economic costs and strategy of the war, Hegseth fired back that lawmakers were being “feckless” in their questioning. Republicans mostly stood behind the defense secretary, although a few questioned his reasoning for removing several top officials.

“At the end of the day, the Iran war is the biggest issue that we face,” said Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the committee.

Hegseth will be back on Capitol Hill tomorrow for a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Hegseth says he ordered officers removed from promotion list

Hegseth told lawmakers that he ordered the names of two female and two Black officers from a promotion list.

Hegseth was asked the question because Army Secretary Dan Driscoll previously testified before a congressional committee that he refused to strike the officers’ names because of their exemplary service.

Hegseth, who has been criticized for the firings of top military leaders, said that he did it.

“Every officer serves at the pleasure of the president,” Hegseth said. “And when they need to be removed in order to ensure we have the right leadership in those services, I will make those calls, regardless of what you might say from the dais.”

Hegseth says Pentagon released Ukraine aid funds

Hegseth told lawmakers that, as of yesterday, the Pentagon is allowing $400 million of Ukraine aid to be spent after months of delay.

The admission comes a day after Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell called out the Pentagon for withholding the funds in an editorial with the Washington Post.

“The Ukraine aid we passed months ago is now collecting dust at the Pentagon,” McConnell wrote in the Post.

Jay Hurst, the Pentagon comptroller, told lawmakers the funds can now be spent, but when the aid will actually reach Ukraine “depends on what they buy with the money.”

“We’re going to take the advice of the (European Command) commander” on how to use the funds best, Hurst added.

Iran–India diplomatic call follows Araghchi’s Russia visit

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held a telephone conversation discussing rising regional tensions and diplomatic efforts, Araghchi’s official Telegram channel said in a post.

Araghchi said insecurity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz stems from what he described as aggressive actions by the United States and Israel, adding they should be held accountable for global security and economic consequences. He also warned of the impact of U.S. actions on freedom of international navigation.

During his recent Moscow visit, Araghchi said Washington was seeking talks after failing to achieve its objectives. His regional tour included Pakistan and Oman, amid attempts to revive stalled negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

2 people killed in a clash with police in Iran

An armed group in the Gach Berin area in the city of Iranshahr opened fire upon encountering a police patrol, prompting officers to respond with heavy gunfire that stopped the group’s vehicle and killed two people, according to provincial police, as reported by the semi-official news agencies, Tasnim News Agency and Fars News Agency. Both Iranian outlets are close to state institutions.

Two others were wounded in the exchange, the police said.

The police added that a Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition were recovered from the vehicle after it was searched.

Iranshahr is in southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan. The province has been the site of occasional deadly clashes involving militant groups, armed drug smugglers and Iranian security forces. It is one of the least developed provinces of Iran.

Hegseth deflects questions on cost of gas by pointing to California

Americans saw the largest monthly jump in gas prices in six decades during the war with Iran. Yet, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refused to engage on that issue and instead pointed to typically higher gas prices in California.

Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee have asked Hegseth several times about the rise in gas prices. When Rep. Maggie Goodlander asked whether Hegseth knew the current nationwide average price for a gallon of gas, he responded that it’s “much higher in California.”

Republicans routinely lambast California’s higher gas prices that result from higher state taxes and environmental regulations in the Democratic-led state.

Goodlander responded that the current average is $4.23 a gallon and argued the defense secretary is ignoring the “impacts of this war on the American taxpayer.”

Trump cheers UAE plan to exit OPEC as ‘great’

The president said the oil-rich nation’s decision to leave OPEC and OPEC+ on May 1 could help calm the volatile oil market shaken by the Iran war.

“I think ultimately it’s a good thing for getting the price of gas down, getting oil down, getting everything down,” Trump said in an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump says Putin offered to help US handle Iran’s enriched uranium as part of potential nuclear deal

Trump said Putin, during a phone call Wednesday, renewed his offer for Russia to serve as a third country that could deal with Iran’s 970 pounds of enriched uranium that the U.S. leader is demanding Tehran must surrender.

“He told me he’d like to be involved with the enrichment — if he can help us get it,” Trump said Putin told him. “I said, ‘I’d much rather have you be involved with ending the war with Ukraine.’ To me, that would be more important.”

Top military advisor for Trump says troops should always follow lawful orders

The House Armed Services Committee hearing touched on a debate over how U.S. military members should evaluate whether orders they have received are lawful and should be followed under military protocol, especially as the military has carried out strikes on boats allegedly carrying narcotics.

The question, which came as the hearing reached over four hours, was asked by Rep. Chris Deluzio, a Democrat who was part of a group of lawmakers investigated by the FBI last year after releasing a video reminding U.S. military members to defy illegal orders. Deluzio asked the Joint Chiefs of Staff what commanding officers should do if an enemy is trying to surrender.

Caine declined to discuss the issue in detail, saying that it would take him into a “partisan place,” but added that “officers and enlisted service members always follow lawful orders. There’s a checklist for them to do that.”

Life of imprisoned Iranian human rights activist in ‘imminent danger,’ foundation says

Dangerously high blood pressure and losing about 44 pounds (20 kilograms) rapidly have placed Narges Mohammadi’s life in “imminent danger,” according to a report by her foundation.

Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist and Nobel laureate, has been imprisoned for several periods since 2016 over her opposition to the death penalty and compulsory veiling. She is back in prison after being sentenced on Feb. 8 to 7 1/2 years on charges including collusion against state security and propaganda. The foundation said she suffers from persistent chest pain. She also experienced high blood pressure over the past three days, without responding to medication.

Despite confirmation from Iran’s medical examiner that she needs at least one month of specialized cardiac care, Tehran prosecutors have refused to grant a temporary suspension of her sentence, the report said. It added that her legal team, after a recent visit, said her condition has reached a critical point.

Congressman blasts Hegseth over troop deaths, says secretary should resign

Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan criticized Hegseth over the deaths of six American soldiers who were stationed in Kuwait and killed by an Iranian drone.

Ryan pressed Hegseth on whether intelligence showed the location was high on Iran’s target list and was indefensible from aerial attack.

“Yet you sent our soldiers from the 103d Sustainment Command there anyway. Is that true or false?” Ryan asked.

Hegseth said the military took proactive measures to protect American forces and that the soldiers who died are remembered every day.

Ryan quoted survivors of the attack who told CBS that they weren’t prepared to defend against a drone attack. The congressman also accused Hegseth of downplaying what happened and said he should resign.

Ultra-orthodox protests against draft law ripple across Israel

Ultra-orthodox Jews are protesting Israel’s draft law throughout Israel this week, including in Jerusalem, where police used stun grenades to disperse demonstrations on Wednesday.

The draft remains a political powder keg in Israel. The Ultra-Orthodox make up 13% of the population and oppose enlistment because they believe studying full-time in seminaries is their most important duty. Courts have demanded the government enforce a law mandating conscription. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — facing elections this year — relies on ultra-Orthodox parties to maintain his coalition.

The arrest of yeshiva students accused of draft dodging kindled this week’s demonstrations, including in Ashkelon, where ultra-Orthodox protesters broke into a military commander’s yard Tuesday, prompting condemnation from Netanyahu.

“It is unacceptable what they are doing to yeshiva students as if they were the worst criminals,” protestor Menahem Adri said in Jerusalem. “All we want is to sit and study Torah.”

Kremlin warns of ‘dire consequences’ if hostilities against Iran resume

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Iran war in a phone call with Trump on Wednesday, with the Kremlin stressing the “dire consequences” if hostilities resumed.

Speaking to journalists, presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Putin had told the U.S. president that a ground operation on Iranian territory would be completely “unacceptable and dangerous.”

Hegseth refuses to say why Army general was fired in tense exchange

Houlahan pressed Hegseth on why he fired the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George.

Hegseth refused to answer and didn’t deny the Democratic representative’s suggestion that he fired George via text.

Hegseth said he wouldn’t talk about the removal out of respect.

“However, I will note it’s very difficult to change the culture of a department that’s been destroyed by the wrong perspectives,” Hegseth said.

“So, Gen. George destroyed a culture?” Houlahan asked.

Hegseth said the department “needed new leadership.”

The congresswoman responded: “You have no way of explaining why you fired one of the most decorated and remarkable men who’s ever served this nation?”

“We needed new leadership,” Hegseth said. “That’s my answer.”

“And so your answer is a very immature way of responding to my request,” Houlahan said.

Hegseth hearing takes a 10-minute break

The testimony before the House Armed Services Committee has been going on for about three hours.

Democrats who urged troops to defy illegal orders face Hegseth

Four House Democrats are getting their first opportunity to publicly question Hegseth after they were part of a group of Democratic lawmakers who the FBI investigated after releasing a social media video last year that urged U.S. service members to follow military protocol and defy any illegal orders.

Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio and Maggie Goodlander, who all previously served in the military or intelligence agencies, now sit on the House Armed Services Committee.

Houlahan, who was the first Democrat in the group to question Hegseth, reminded the defense secretary that “Democrats, even Democrats in Congress, are patriots as well” and “admire and love our uniformed services.”

Still, they confronted Hegseth with tough questions about how long the U.S. would be at war with Iran and how he has led the Pentagon.

Hegseth refuses to say how much longer the Iran war could last or cost

Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan asked Hegseth, “How many more months, just by order of magnitude, do you think that you’re going to need to be able to conclude operations successfully? And how many more billions of dollars do you think you’re going to ask this body for?”

Hegseth refused to answer the question, saying that the U.S. military would never tip its hand to an adversary about how long it would be committed to the mission.

Trump says he’s rejecting Iran’s latest proposal, keeping blockade in place

The president told Axios on Wednesday that he’s rejecting Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a lift of the U.S. blockade. Iran’s proposal, shared with U.S. leaders this week, sought to postpone discussions around Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump told Axios he doesn’t want to lift the blockade until Iran addresses its nuclear ambitions.

“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing,” Trump said. “And it is going to be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hegseth faces criticism over firings of US military leaders

Republican Congressman Don Bacon criticized the defense secretary over his ousting of admirals, generals and other top Pentagon officials. They’ve included Navy Secretary John Phelan and the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, and several others.

“We had a huge bipartisan majority in here that had confidence in the Army chief of staff and the Secretary of Navy,” Bacon said. “And I would just point out … you may have the constitutional right to do these things, but it doesn’t make it right or wise.”

Deadly Iran school strike still under investigation

Hegseth says that two months after a deadly strike on an Iranian elementary school killed more than 165 people, including many children, the incident remains under investigation.

That answer came after California Democrat Ro Khanna pressed the defense secretary on the costs associated with the strike.

Hegseth replied that “that unfortunate situation remains under investigation” but that he “wouldn’t tie a cost to that.”

Hegseth told reporters last month that the military assigned a general from outside of U.S. Central Command to investigate the strike. Still, he refused questions about what led to it while arguing that the U.S. does not target civilians.

Those comments came just days after The Associated Press reported that there was growing evidence that pointed to U.S. culpability for the Feb. 28 strike, which hit a school adjacent to a Revolutionary Guard base in Minab, Iran.

Hegseth responds to economic costs of war with Iran

The defense secretary faced intense questions from Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, about what American households would have to pay due to the economic repercussions of the war with Iran.

“Do you know how much it will cost Americans in terms of their increased cost in gas and food over the next year because of the Iran war?” Khanna asked.

Pete Hegseth retorted, “I would simply ask you what the cost is of an Iranian nuclear bomb.”

Khanna then accused Hegseth and the Trump administration of failing to live up to the president’s campaign promises of lowering the cost of living for Americans. He argued that Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would cause American households to pay thousands more dollars for gas and food.

“I’m sad for all the people who voted for Trump. I’m sad for them because you betrayed them,” Khanna said.

Hegseth says it’s unfair to call Iran war a quagmire

The defense secretary pushed back on Democratic criticisms that the Trump administration has led Americans into a “quagmire,” pointing out that the conflict is only two months old and asserting it has had great success against the Islamic Republic. The U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dragged on for years, he said.

Trump said in early March that operations are likely to last four to five weeks but that he was prepared “to go far longer than that.”

The U.S. and Iran do appear to be locked in a stalemate. Trump seems unlikely to accept Tehran’s latest offer to reopen the strait if the U.S. ends the war, lifts its sea blockade and postpones nuclear talks. The Iranians seem unwilling to give up their nuclear ambitions before ending the conflict.

Hegseth says US military considered that Iran might close the Strait of Hormuz

He said the Pentagon “looked at all aspects” of the risk that Iran would blockade the strait. The claim came after Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts, asked Hegseth if he considered “Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz winning.”

“I would say the blockade that we hold that doesn’t allow anything to come in or out of Iranian ports,” Hegseth replied.

So “we’ve blockaded their blockade,” Moulton said — that’s “like saying tag, you’re it.”

Caine declined to say if the risk of Iran closing the critical waterway was considered, but said the military always offers “a full range of military options that are carefully considered with the associated risks.”

The heated exchange was the latest between Hegseth and Democrats who have used the hearing to ask broader questions on the strategy behind the war in Iran and the Trump administration’s use of the military. Meanwhile, House Republicans have largely used their time asking very specific or detailed questions about the Pentagon’s budget and spending.

As TotalEnergies reports huge profits, protesters call for windfall taxes on fossil fuel companies

Climate activists protested outside a TotalEnergies petrol station in Paris on Wednesday after the French energy giant reported $5.4 billion in adjusted first-quarter profit, up 29% from a year earlier, as it “captured higher prices” despite production challenges due to the war in Iran.

The 350.org group said about 30 activists from several environmental organizations unfurled a banner reading, “TotalEnergies profits, we foot the bill.”

The group said war-related price spikes have cost French consumers and businesses more than $2.3 billion so far, urging the French government to “show political courage” by permanently taxing excess fossil fuel profits.

“While families watch their bills skyrocket, TotalEnergies posts some of its best financial results without even paying its fair share of taxes,” 350.org country manager Fanny Petitbon said in a statement. “We are witnessing an obscene transfer of wealth: the war enriches shareholders as it impoverishes citizens.”

Hegseth claims Americans support Iran war despite polling

The hearing has resumed, with a heated exchange between Democratic Rep. John Garamendi and Hegseth.

The secretary said the American people have supported the war’s mission of depriving Iran of a nuclear weapon, “despite your loose talk and words like quagmire.”

While an AP-NORC poll from March found that about two-thirds of U.S. adults said it’s “extremely” or “very” important to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, other polling suggests that most Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the issue of Iran more broadly.

Garamendi had lambasted Hegseth and Trump for the Iran war, calling it “a political and economic disaster at every level.”

1.24 million projected to face acute insecurity in Lebanon, UN report says

That’s nearly one in four of the population analyzed, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released by Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program.

The figures are projections and it remains unclear how the estimates were reached. The report notes that the current crisis follows seven years of compounded economic collapse and conflict.

“Compounded shocks are undermining agricultural livelihoods and impacting food security, highlighting the urgent need for emergency agricultural assistance to support farmers,” said Nora Ourabah Haddad, FAO Representative in Lebanon.

The e-commerce and technology company said that sales in its cloud computing unit were up 28% in the January-March period, the fastest increase in 15 quarters. Amazon Web Services had 24% sales growth in the fourth quarter, which followed the division's 20% growth in the third quarter.

The Seattle-based company also offered a bullish outlook for net sales in the current quarter, surpassing analysts' estimates. However, shares slid nearly 2% in after-hours trading before rising about 3%.

Investors were closely watching Amazon’s quarterly earnings to see if the company’s $200 billion investment in artificial intelligence, robots, semiconductors and satellites is starting to pay off. The planned expenditure for the year marked a 60% increase from Amazon’s $128 billion in capital spending last year and spooked investors, sending the stock down 11% in after-hours trading when it was announced in February.

CEO Andy Jassy defended the spending during the previous quarterly earnings call, saying Amazon expected long-term returns on its invested capital.

The results from the latest quarter underscored that demand keeps growing for Amazon's services and technology.

“We’re in the middle of some of the biggest inflections of our lifetime, we’re well positioned to lead, and I’m very optimistic about what’s ahead for our customers and Amazon,” Jassy said in a release Wednesday.

Amazon came out with its first-quarter earnings the same day as three other tech giants — Microsoft, Meta and Alphabet — were reporting theirs, giving investors a read on AI spending and cloud growth across the industry.

Big deals that Amazon signed with OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta this month gave the company solid momentum.

Amazon announced what it called a “major expansion” of its partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI on Tuesday, a day after the artificial intelligence company said it was loosening its ties to longtime backer Microsoft.

Last week, Anthropic agreed to commit more than $100 billion to Amazon’s AWS cloud platform over the next 10 years to train and run the artificial intelligence company’s Claude chatbot. The partnership will allow Anthropic to secure up to 5 gigawatts of Amazon’s Trainium chips to train and power their artificial intelligence models, Amazon said.

Also last week, Amazon said that Meta, which owns Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook, signed an agreement to power agentic AI on AWS’ Graviton chips.

Like other retailers, however, Amazon is experiencing higher tariff costs because of President Donald Trump’s foreign trade policies. Rising shipping costs as the Iran war affects oil and fuel prices also could cut into the company's e-commerce revenue.

Amazon this month said it would impose a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on some third-party sellers using its platform. The temporary charge was effective April 17 for many of the sellers that use Amazon’s fulfillment services, the company confirmed to The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, Amazon has been speeding up order delivery times through a combination of robotics, AI technology and more efficient warehousing. In fact, speedier delivery helped Amazon dethrone Walmart in February from its status as the nation’s largest company by revenue, according to Fortune, which compiles a ranking of the top 500 U.S. corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years.

A new ultra-fast service called Amazon Now offers deliveries of orders from a selection of thousands of items in 30 minutes or less. The service is now available in various cities in India, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates and is being tested in several communities in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, the company said in February.

The company said on Wednesday that the service has expanded to parts of Tokyo and eight major cities in Brazil, bringing the total availability of Amazon Now to tens of millions of customers across nine countries. It plans to continue expanding the service in the U.S. and around the world this year, Amazon noted.

Amazon reported earnings of $30.3 billion, or $2.78 per share, for the three-month period ended March 31. That compared with $17.1 billion, or $1.59 per share, in the year-ago period.

Net sales rose 17% to $181.5 billion in the quarter, compared with $155.7 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Analysts were expecting $1.63 per share on sales of $177.28 billion, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet.

Revenue from Amazon Web Services reached $37.58 billion. Analysts were expecting $36.6 billion, according to FactSet.

For the current quarter, Amazon said it expected net sales will be in the range of $194 billion to $199 billion.

That would mean an increase of between 16% to 19% from the year-ago quarter. Analysts were expecting $188.96 billion in the current period, according to FactSet.

Only 34 senators voted in favor of Jorge Messias, who has been Brazil's solicitor-general since 2023 and a close legal advisor to Lula, while another 42 rejected his appointment. Messias needed 41 votes to be approved.

Lula, who is seeking reelection in October for his fourth inconsecutive term, picked Messias to replace Luís Roberto Barroso, who resigned in November. Since then, Brazil's top court has operated with 10 members.

Earlier, 46-year-old Messias was approved by a Senate commission, but the full house disagreed in a secret vote.

Besides Lula, other members of the court were openly campaigning for the solicitor-general, who also tried to garner votes from lawmakers of Evangelical faith like him.

Brazil's president will have to nominate another person, who will have to go through the same scrutiny before the Senate votes again.

The last time Brazil's Senate rejected a Supreme Court nominee was in 1894, when the country's second ever president, Floriano Peixoto, was at odds with lawmakers.

The vote comes after a day of debate in committee on Tuesday, and a ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court that bolsters Gov. Ron DeSantis’ belief that taking minority representation when drawing district lines is inappropriate.

[POLITICALLY MOTIVATED: Florida’s special session on redistricting]

The bill could potentially cut Democratic representation in Florida’s 28 House seats to just four districts.

Democrats are slamming the move as a blatant power grab to try and retain control of the U.S. House in the midterm elections.

The bill now goes to the governor, who will sign it.

Stay with News 6 for updates throughout the day.

3:10 p.m.

The Florida Senate has passed the redistricting map by a vote of 21-17. Republican State Sens. Jennifer Bradley of Fleming Island, Alexis Calatayud and Ileana Garcia of Miami, and Erin Grall of Fort Pierce joined Democrats against the bill.

Here’s how Central Florida state senators voted on redrawing the state’s congressional map:

YEA:

• Jason Brodeur, R-Orange, Seminole counties
• Ralph Massullo, R-Sumter County
• Debbie Mayfield, R-Brevard County
• Stan McClain, R-Marion County
• Keith Truenow, R-Lake, Orange counties
• Tom Wright, R-Brevard, Volusia counties

NAY:

• Kristen Arrington, D-Orange, Osceola counties
• LaVon Bracy Davis, D-Orange County
• Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orange County

NOT VOTING:

• Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach

11:52 a.m.

How Central Florida state representatives voted on redrawing the state’s congressional map:

YEA VOTES:

• Doug Bankson, R-Orange, Seminole counties
• Webster Barnaby, R-Volusia County
• Erika Booth, R-Orange, Osceola counties
• Robert Brackett, R-Brevard County
• Ryan Chamberlin, R-Marion County
• Nan Cobb, R-Lake County
• Richard Gentry, R-Lake, Marion, Volusia counties
• Sam Greco, R-Flagler County
• JJ Grow, R-Marion County
• Brian Hodgers, R-Brevard County
• Monique Miller, R-Brevard County
• Bill Partington, R-Volusia County
• Rachel Plakon Saunders, R-Seminole County
• Susan Plasencia, R-Orange, Seminole counties
• Judson Sapp, R-Marion County
• Samantha Scott, R-Sumter County
• Tyler Sirois, R-Brevard County
• David Smith, R-Seminole County
• Paula Stark, R-Orange, Osceola counties
• Chase Tramont, R-Brevard, Volusia counties
• Taylor Yarkosky, R-Lake County

NAY VOTES:

• Jose Alvarez, D-Osceola County
• Bruce Antone, D-Orange County
• Anna Eskamani, D-Orange County
• Rita Harris, D-Orange County
• Johanna López, D-Orange County
• RaShon Young, D-Orange County

NO VOTE:

• Yvone Hayes Hinson, D-Marion County
• Leonard Spencer, D-Orange, Osceola counties

11:15 a.m.

The Florida House passed the HB 1-D largely on party lines, with an 83-28 vote.

Meanwhile, the Florida Senate is in recess, while they look at the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais.

The ruling, which came down Wednesday morning, ruled that a district drawn to favor minorities constituted an unconstitutional gerrymander.

The decision weakens provisions in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to protect against discrimination in redistricting.

[INTERACTIVE: Slide the middle bar to see how the district map would change if approved]

Democrats decry new Congressional map

Republican lawmakers advanced a major overhaul of Florida’s congressional districts Tuesday, a move that could reshape the political boundaries and legal landscape for redistricting in the state.

Over the objections of Democrats, who slammed the move as a blatant power grab designed to help the GOP retain the U.S. House in the midterm elections, House and Senate committees approved the new map (HB 1D, SB 8D) ahead of a floor vote later in the week.

“This is clearly unconstitutional,” Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman of Boca Raton said. “This is gerrymandered map rigging and I don’t see how anybody can support it.”

In the House, the vote was along party lines and in the Senate, three Republicans, Sens. Jennifer Bradley of Fleming Island, Ileana Garcia of Miami and Erin Grall of Vero Beach voted against the map.

Berman pointed to the Fair Districts Amendment passed in 2010 by Florida voters, which bars lawmakers from drawing new districts to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent, or to diminish the voting power of racial or language minorities.

[WATCH: Florida lawmakers take up DeSantis’ Congressional map in redistricting special session]

But in a memo to lawmakers submitted by Gov Ron DeSantis on Monday when he issued the new map, his attorney argued the FDA isn’t enforceable. He pointed to a 2025 decision by the Florida Supreme Court, in a ruling that upheld the current congressional districts, that struck down the part of the FDA that prohibits the drawing of districts to favor racial minorities.

That ruling didn’t explicitly strike down all of the FDA, but Mohammed Jazil, who has represented the state in several cases involving election laws, argued it should in practice.

“It was packaged to the voters as this one big reform,” Jazil told the Senate Rules Committee.

Pushing for a challenge to all of the FDA seemed a stretch even to Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, who is sponsoring the bill (SB 8D).

“You don’t need the entirety of the FDA to be struck down,” Gaetz told Jazil. “You seem to be carrying a bit more of a burden than you need to in my judgment.”

DeSantis convened the special session to redraw the state’s 28 congressional districts, citing a pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a Louisiana redistricting case he believes will strike down part of the Voting Rights Act that allows race to be taken into account while drawing districts.

The map was made public Monday, with DeSantis’ office giving a map showing the potential partisan breakdown to Fox News before it was formally submitted to the Legislature. The new map could flip four districts, changing the current 20-8 Republican-Democrat makeup of Florida’s delegation to 24-4.

Democrats took umbrage at the move.

“Fox News receiving a map before the legislators is wild to me,” said Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens. “Y’all know what that means? He has no respect for us.”

At stake in the redistricting battle is control of the U.S. House. There are currently 217 Republicans, 212 Democrats, one independent and five vacancies in the chamber.

President Donald Trump’s has called on GOP-controlled states to change their districts ahead of the midterm elections. Texas and some others complied, but Democratic-led states responded, with California and Virginia responding in kind.

In Florida, though, the FDA is supposed to bar deliberately helping a particular party.

The map was drawn by Jason Poreda, an aide for DeSantis, who presented it to lawmakers along with Jazil.

Poreda said he used partisan data when drawing the map and consulted with other DeSantis staffers, but refused to name who they were. But he said he didn’t draw the map to intentionally favor the Republican Party and didn’t know who leaked the map with the partisan breakdown to Fox News.

The main reasons for redrawing the map, he said, were to draw districts in a race-neutral way, anticipating the pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and to account for an influx of more than 1.4 million people since the 2020 census took place, throwing some districts out of balance.

That led directly to a redraw of several districts in south Florida that were drawn to give Black and Hispanic voters the ability to elect a representative of their choice. That led to a “ripple effect” of district line changes throughout the rest of the state, Poreda said, with the exception of north Florida, where seven districts from the current map remain intact.

The new districts were approved after hundreds of opponents spoke against them, in protests outside the Capitol and inside the committee rooms.

Orlando resident Jenny Pawlowsky got on a bus and trekked to Tallahassee to protest the proposed redistricting maps, toting a sign that read, “If you have to rig the map, maybe your party sucks.”

“We knew it was coming down the pipeline, and of course I’m upset, and I feel that neither party should be doing it,” she told the News Service of Florida.

“It feels like cheating to me,” she added. “I just want fair elections.”

Pickens informed the Cowboys just hours before the start of the NFL draft last week that he intended to sign the one-year tender, which sparked trade speculation because executive vice president Stephen Jones had said a day earlier Dallas had no plans to negotiate a long-term contract with Pickens this offseason.

The 25-year-old, acquired last year in a trade with Pittsburgh, had career highs in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the best offenses in the NFL last season. Dallas had one of the worst defenses in the league and finished 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Pickens thrived alongside Lamb, who is going into the second year of a $136 million, four-year contract that currently ranks him third among NFL receivers with an average annual value of $34 million.

There was incentive for Pickens to take the guaranteed money under the tag because it’s a huge payday compared to the total earnings of $6.8 million on his four-year rookie deal as a 2022 second-round pick out of Georgia.

By signing the contract, Pickens can participate in the voluntary offseason program that started this week.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has said throughout the offseason the club has long-term plans for Pickens. Jones said he wouldn't have made the lucrative offer under the tag without a belief that Pickens will be with the Cowboys beyond 2026.

Quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence each played a season under the franchise tag within the past eight years for Dallas before reaching long-term deals. Tight end Dalton Schultz and running back Tony Pollard also played under the tag before leaving in free agency the next year.

Stephen Jones said the “newness” of Pickens’ tenure with the Cowboys was a factor in the decision to stick with a one-year deal for now and not a longer contract.

Pickens’ talent was on display during three seasons with the Steelers, but so were enough instances of petulant or indifferent behavior for then-coach Mike Tomlin to question his maturity.

Brian Schottenheimer never took issue with Pickens publicly in his first season as a head coach after a quarter-century as an NFL assistant. But Pickens and Lamb were benched for the first series in Las Vegas after missing curfew following a casino visit the night before the game.

___

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

• Lake Baldwin in Orlando
• Lake Eola in downtown Orlando
• Lake Virginia in Winter Park
• Cranes Roost Park in Altamonte Springs

Have you noticed water levels looking different near you?

Have you noticed water levels looking different near you? Head to the News 6 PinIt! page and drop a pin to share what you’re seeing in your neighborhood.

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service is containing a 2,500-acre wildfire along U.S. 41. The road remains open but may have temporary closures. Other closures and current status can be found: https://t.co/VNS4C0Gf3b #EvergladesNationalPark #Everglades #USWFS pic.twitter.com/9rUmJlXhNY

— Everglades National Park (@EvergladesNPS) April 28, 2026

The low water concerns come as drought conditions continue to draw attention across the state. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles to the south, a fire is burning through South Florida’s Everglades National Park — scorching thousands of acres and raising new alarms about the region’s dry conditions.

Check out News 6’s Tylisa Hampton’s video updates from around the area.

CRANES ROOST PARK

At Cranes Roost Park, city officials say they adjusted infrastructure that is already made adapt to various water levels. “We’ve moved the floating stage a little farther out,” said Altamonte Springs City Manager Frank Martz. “It’s designed to float, so when water levels are high, it rises, but when water levels are down, we move it out a little to make sure it’s not hitting the bottom.”

LAKE BALDWIN

The effects are also noticeable at Lake Baldwin Park, where dog owners say they see a difference.

“It (the water) used to be all the way up to the benches, and now it’s not,” said Rachel Bennett, who regularly brings her dog to the park. She added that the water has become shallower in some areas, making it not as enjoyable for her dogs.

LAKE VIRGINIA

At Lake Virginia, a longtime paddler says the lower water levels are revealing what’s usually hidden. “I’m seeing things out in the lake that I couldn’t see before… it’s revealing trees that are out there that have been cut down or docks that are now appearing,” one paddler said.

LAKE EOLA

At Lake Eola Park, the iconic swan boat rides are still drawing visitors, but operators say the experience isn’t as smooth as usual.

“Water levels are a little low, so some of our boats may not be able to float out as they should,” said Yoshi Kanji, a lead worker for the swan boat department. “The bottom of the lake isn’t deep enough for them to depart from the dock.”

Orlando has a report of all data on their lakes, where you can see the lake elevation that some are managed for has gone down.

Sizzling stretch

According to Chief Meteorologist Candace Campos, it’s been an unusually dry stretch across Central Florida, and conditions are only expected to get worse as temperatures climb into the low 90s this week.

The latest drought update shows that most of the region is now dealing with severe to extreme drought, with many areas seeing a rainfall deficit of more than 4 to 5 inches so far this year.

With little rain in the forecast and increasing heat, the situation is likely to intensify.

In fact, it would take roughly 24 to 25 inches of rain over the next three months to completely erase the current drought conditions.

Alphabet earned $62.6 billion, or $5.11 per share, during the January-March period, an 81% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 22% from last year to $109.9 billion. Both numbers easily surpassed the analyst projections that steer investors.

Alphabet's stock price rose more than 6% in extended trading after the numbers came out, setting up the shares to hit a new high during Thursday's regular session. The company's market value currently stands at $4.2 trillion, up from $1.9 trillion just a year ago. If the stock trades in a similar trajectory Thursday, Alphabet's market value could approach $4.5 trillion while creating more than $250 billion in additional shareholder wealth in a single day.

The stock market gains that Alphabet is producing are not being matched by other big AI spenders such as Microsoft and Facebook parent Meta Platforms, whose stock price plunged by about 6% in extended trading after disclosing an investment strategy being second guessed by investors. Meanwhile, Microsoft's shares also dipped, despite posting quarterly results that topped analyst forecasts.

Alphabet's performance in the past quarter CEO Sundar Pichai to celebrate the huge bets that the company has been placing on AI technology during the past three years. Those investments, Pichai said, “are lighting up every part of the business.”

As usual, digital ads fueled by Google’s dominant search engine propelled the growth as revenue from those operations shot up 16% from last year’s first quarter. It marked the fourth straight quarter that Google's ad sales increased by more than 10% from the previous year.

Google’s fastest growing division remains its Cloud division, which has been riding the AI boom to sell more products and services to corporate customers and government agencies such as the deal that it just struck with the U.S. military. Google Cloud’s revenue surged 63% from last year to $20 billion.

That growth is a sign that Alphabet’s spending spree on AI is producing dividends so far, although investors continue to worry that the Mountain View, California, company and its Big Tech peers are pouring too much money into a still-nascent and unproven technology.

Alphabet, though, is betting that it’s better to overspend on AI than being too stingy and risk behind left behind.

In a previous quarterly update released in February, Alphabet disclosed that it’s earmarking $175 billion to $185 billion for capital expenditures this year that will largely be devoted to building AI data centers and other tools tied to the technology.

In a reflection of management’s confidence in its strategy, Alphabet’s top finance executive Anat Ashkenazi told analysts on a conference call that this year’s capital expenditures may climb as high as $190 billion. And even if the spending runs that high, Askkenazi said it will “significantly increase” again next year.

All of that would be on top of $91 billion in capital expenditures during 2025.

“The key message is that Alphabet is no longer asking investors to underwrite AI spending on faith,” said Investing.com analyst Thomas Monteiro.

Wednesday's ruling significantly limits the use of race when drawing voting districts, weakening a Civil Rights-era law that has boosted minority representation in Congress.

The decision came in the midst of a special legislative session in Florida that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis had called for congressional redistricting on the assumption the Supreme Court would rule as it did. Mississippi’s Republican governor also already had announced a special legislative session, contingent on the court’s ruling.

Here's a look at how some states are responding to the ruling:

Florida

Hours after the Supreme Court's decision, Florida's Republican-led Legislature approved new U.S. House districts that could help the GOP win up to four additional seats in the November midterm elections.

DeSantis had called a special legislative session without knowing when the Supreme Court would issue its opinion in the Louisiana redistricting case. But DeSantis was pretty confident in how the court would rule.

He unveiled a new U.S. House map on Monday that, among other things, redraws a southeastern Florida district that DeSantis said was created to help elect a Black representative in an attempt to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.

"Properly understood, the Fourteenth Amendment forbids the government from divvying up the citizenry based in whole or in part upon race,” DeSantis wrote in letter Monday to lawmakers.

A Florida constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2010 prohibits districts from being drawn to deny or diminish the ability of racial or language minorities to elect the representatives of their choice. But DeSantis had said he considers that amendment a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

Whether that's true remains to be determined. The Supreme Court's decision does not automatically undo state constitutional protections against racial discrimination in voting districts, said Ruth Greenwood, director of the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School.

Mississippi

Late last week, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, announced he would call a special legislative session to redraw voting districts for the state Supreme Court. He said it would begin 21 days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Louisiana case.

A federal judge last year had ordered Mississippi to redraw its Supreme Court voting districts after finding that they violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. Mississippi lawmakers had been waiting on a decision in the Louisiana case before moving forward, but their legislative session ended earlier this month.

Reeves said in his proclamation that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision would provide guidance to lawmakers on whether “race-conscious redistricting” violates the U.S. Constitution.

Louisiana

State lawmakers last year voted to delay Louisiana's primaries from April 18 to May 16 to allow time to respond to a Supreme Court decision on the state's congressional districts, which were at issue in the case decided Wednesday. But it took longer for that decision to come than some lawmakers had anticipated.

Early voting is to begin Saturday. It was unclear Wednesday whether Louisiana's Republican-led legislature could attempt to redraw congressional districts ahead of the November general election.

House Speaker Phillip DeVillier and Senate President Cameron Henry said in a statement that they are reviewing the ruling and consulting with others “to “determine next steps to be taken in the best interests of Louisiana voters and our state.” Republican Gov. Jeff Landry also said he is speaking with leaders to figure out their options.

Alabama

A federal court in 2023 ordered the creation of a new near-majority Black district, which led to the election of Alabama's second Black representative in the U.S. House. Alabama is under a court order to use the new map until after the next census in 2030. But an appeal pending with the Supreme Court argues that the map is an illegal racial gerrymander.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall praised Wednesday's decision in the Louisiana case. He said he will “act as quickly as possible to apply this ruling to Alabama’s redistricting efforts and ensure that our congressional maps reflect the will of the people, not a racial quota system the Constitution forbids.”

But that could still take awhile. The state’s primaries are set for May 19, and Republican Gov. Kay Ivey said the state is “not in position to have a special session at this time.”

Tennessee

The Tennessee General Assembly ended its annual session last week. But Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who is running for governor, said on social media Wednesday that the Republican-controlled legislature should reconvene and redraw Tennessee’s only Democratic congressional district in favor of Republicans. The district currently centers on Memphis, which is majority Black.

Tennessee’s Republican House and Senate leaders said they are discussing the possibility of redistricting. But Senate Speaker Randy McNally said there are some obstacles to changing the districts. The candidate qualifying period ended in March, and the primary is in August.

“With the filing deadline passed and qualified candidates already running for election, redistricting congressional seats at this time would present several logistical challenges,” McNally said.

Illinois

Fearing the Supreme Court would undermine the Voting Rights Act, the Democratic-led Illinois House last week approved a proposed amendment to the state constitution adding protections for race-based redistricting.

The measure would make it a priority to draw legislative districts that ensure voters have the opportunity to elect representatives of their choice “on account of race.” The creation of “racial coalition or influence districts” — where the bulk of voters are minorities — would rank higher in priority than districts that are contiguous or compact.

But Senate President Don Harmon said Wednesday the amendment won't pass this session, to allow time for legal experts to review the court ruling.

“The last thing we want is to act in haste and risk unintended consequences down the road," he said. "Too much is at stake for too many.” ___

Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press writers Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville; and John O'Connor in Springfield, Illinois, contributed to this report.

The groups want U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to issue a preliminary injunction that would halt any construction ahead of the July 6 start date, saying they worry the president and board of trustees will flout historic preservation rules that seek to maintain the building, which draws millions of visitors every year.

The laws that govern the process “go to the very fundamental question of: Do we slow down and take stock before we make changes to properties that define the American experience?” attorney Greg Werkheiser said in an interview after the hearing.

Justice Department attorneys, representing the president and board, argued Wednesday that plans for the building are limited in scope and well within the authority of the board, not requiring extra approvals.

Since returning to office last year, Trump has taken particular interest in the Kennedy Center. He ousted its previous leadership and replaced it with a handpicked board that named him chairman, changes that prompted an outcry from many artists and exacerbated the operation’s financial challenges. Trump, whose name was later added to the building’s facade, announced the renovations earlier this year.

Besides being a premier arts and cultural destination, the Kennedy Center is considered a “living monument” to President John F. Kennedy, who raised millions to build the center but was assassinated before it opened. Perched on the Potomac River, the massive structure and gleaming white marble facade form an indelible part of the Washington, D.C., landscape.

The hearing is the second in as many days over the fate of the Kennedy Center. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, has also sued to stop renovations as an ex officio member of the board. Cooper, the judge, is also overseeing that lawsuit. For the second day in a row, the judge's evenhanded scrutiny of both sides made it difficult to discern how he might rule.

In testimony, executive director Matt Floca, a former facilities manager who was elevated by the Trump-aligned board, said the renovations planned are merely to repair decades of wear and tear, including extensive water damage to a part of the building that was nicknamed “the swamp.”

“The most efficient and effective way to complete the magnitude of projects we need to complete is to close the center,” Floca said.

Attorneys for the preservation groups raised doubts about the limited scope of the project, pointing to Trump's statements that he would “fully expose” the building's steel skeleton.

Yaakov Roth, a Justice Department attorney representing the president, said those fears are overblown.

“There’s no risk that there will be unilateral changes … that we’ll wake up and the building will be gone,” Roth said.

The lawsuits over the Kennedy Center represent another fight over Trump's efforts to leave a lasting imprint on the nation's capital. Since he took office last year, the former Manhattan construction mogul has angered preservationists by paving over the White House’s historic Rose Garden. In October, the White House tore down its East Wing to make room for a $400 million ballroom.

Besides the Kennedy Center building, the president also added his name to the United States Institute of Peace. Trump also wants to move forward with plans to build a 250-foot “triumphal arch.”

Sanoja's infield bloop hit off reliever Will Klein (1-2) scored Xavier Edwards, who singled leading off. Sanoja entered in the sixth as a defensive replacement in left field.

Liam Hicks and Esteury Ruiz hit solo homers for the Marlins, who took two of three from the Dodgers for the first time in Los Angeles since April 2018 and improved to 5-10 on the road.

The Dodgers trailed in the bottom of the ninth in all three games.

Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher opened the ninth with back-to-back walks to Hyeseong Kim and Alex Call. The runners moved up on Alex Freeland's sacrifice bunt. Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Freddie Freeman grounded into a double play to end the game. The Dodgers challenged the out call at first, but it was upheld. Ohtani was called out at second.

Andrew Nardi (2-1) got the win with a hitless inning of relief. Faucher finished for his first save.

Marlins starter Sandy Alcántara allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings. The right-hander struck out four and walked two.

Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow struck out a season high-tying nine, including six in a row, leaving him one short of 1,000 for his career. The right-hander gave up two runs and three hits while walking six in 5 1/3 innings.

The Dodgers tied it at 2 on Dalton Rushing's RBI single in the sixth.

They also tied it at 1 on Alex Call's sun-aided RBI single with two outs in the second. Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez couldn't see the ball in the sun even with shades on and neither the second or third basemen were wearing sunglasses. The ball dropped near second.

Up next

After an off day, Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 4.78 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday in St. Louis against LHP Matthew Liberatore (0-1, 4.75).

___

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

Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain had edged Bayern Munich 5-4 in France in Tuesday’s semifinal.

Viktor Gyökeres put Arsenal ahead at the Metropolitano stadium by converting a 44th-minute penalty kick. Julián Alvarez equalized for Atletico — also from the penalty spot — in the 56th.

Arsenal was awarded another penalty in the 78th after Eberechi Eze was brought down by David Hancko inside the area, but the call was overturned — several moments later — after a video review.

The second leg is in London next Tuesday, when both clubs will try to return to the final after a long absence and earn a chance to win the European title for the first time.

“Here you have to suffer. Many teams have suffered here, including some of the best in the world," Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said. "We had some good moments in the match and moments where we had to suffer. The margins are very slim. We are in an incredible position — the semifinal of the Champions League. We have to play in front of our people — it’s in our hands.”

In the league phase of the competition, Arsenal routed Atletico 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Atletico last made it to the Champions League final in 2016, when it lost to city rival Real Madrid.

“We tried,” Atletico midfielder Koke Resurreccion said. “We started losing with that penalty, which was doubtful, but the team recovered and we could equalize with a penalty ourselves. We had the opportunities to win, but it will all be decided in the second leg. I think we played a good match.”

Gyökeres broke the deadlock Wednesday from the penalty spot after he was brought down inside the area by Hancko, who was a bit late to the ball and slightly bumped the Arsenal striker from behind. The buildup came after Atletico lost possession in attack.

“Overall I think it was a tough game, we know it’s a tough place to come, but it’s only halftime,” Gyökeres said. “We know when we play at home, with our fans, it’s going to be different for sure and we just have to do our job, be at our best, and for sure it’s going to be a good game at home.”

Arsenal last appeared in the final in 2006, when it lost to Barcelona.

Atletico’s penalty came after a handball by Arsenal defender Ben White following a shot by Marcos Llorente. The call came after a video review. Alvarez converted the penalty with a firm shot for his 10th Champions League goal this season. He had to be replaced later in the second half with an apparent injury.

The penalty was Arsenal’s first attempt on target, but both teams had exchanged a few early chances. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya had made a nice save on a shot by Alvarez, and Martin Odegaard — who also was later substituted — had his dangerous strike from inside the area blocked by Atletico defenders.

Alvarez led the Atletico attack early but the connection with Antoine Griezmann and Ademola Lookman didn’t work well until the second half.

Alvarez almost curled in a free-kick strike after the break, and both Lookman and Griezmann had chances shortly afterward. Griezmann struck the post with a shot in the 63rd. Lookman, who had been doubtful to start because of a muscle injury, missed from close range later in the second half.

“We played a very good second half and had the chances to win the match,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said.

Griezmann, who played his last Champions League match at home with Atletico, was named the most valuable player. The France star will join MLS club Orlando City this summer.

Many of the nearly 70,000 Atletico fans threw toilet paper from the stands before the match at the Metropolitano, creating a curtain of white paper.

___

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

Instead, former Brown student Claudio Neves Valente, 48, appeared to target places and people for what they represented in his own life — institutions and individuals he associated with personal failure, missed opportunity and perceived injustice.

In a detailed behavioral assessment released Wednesday, the FBI said Neves Valente, a Portuguese national, spent years planning the attack in isolation before killing two students and wounding nine others inside an engineering building on Dec. 13. Two days later, he killed MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. Neves Valente was later found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, ending a multistate search.

The FBI described a man who spent years in isolation, rarely staying in one place and lacking traditional support systems such as family, peers and authority figures who might have recognized warning signs and alerted law enforcement.

Over time, investigators said, he built a narrative of grievance and inadequacy, with “little to no opportunity for bystanders to observe and contextualize the significance of his behaviors.”

“He appeared to struggle with how he viewed his life achievements and felt he was considerably marginalized by others,” the FBI wrote in the report. “As his failures outweighed successes, his paranoia increased, compounding his continued inability to thrive and leading to him being mentally unwell and committed to dying.”

Authorities said the violence itself was “symbolic in nature.” Brown University and Loureiro, investigators wrote, represented to the shooter “his personal failures and injustices he perceived were inflicted by others over time.”

“By attacking them, Neves Valente was likely able to overcome his shame and envy by using violence to punish those communities that he perceived contributed to his downfall,” the FBI said.

Yet even as investigators laid out that framework, they acknowledged its limits, noting that only Neves Valente himself knew the full reason behind the attacks and that mental health stressors alone cannot fully explain them.

After the attacks, investigators said Neves Valente recorded a series of videos and audio messages in which he confessed to the shootings, expressed no remorse and voiced some of the grievances later outlined in the FBI’s assessment, but offered no clear explanation for his actions.

Investigators have said Neves Valente acted alone and that the attacks had no known connection to terrorism.

Authorities said Neves Valente briefly attended Brown as a doctoral student in the early 2000s but did not complete the program, a connection investigators say later factored into how he viewed the university. The firearms used in the attacks were legally purchased in Florida years earlier, investigators said.

The findings come as students injured in the attack filed a lawsuit earlier this week, alleging the university ignored prior warnings about the shooter and did not provide adequate security that could have prevented the tragedy.

On Wednesday, the zoo announced it was mourning the loss of Bandit, who had shown some signs of improvement since arriving at the zoo’s quarantine area, but took a sudden turn for the worse and died after veterinarians made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize him.

“We are heartbroken by the loss,” said Richard E. Glover Jr., CEO of the Central Florida Zoo. “Our team did everything possible to give him the best chance at survival and ensure he was comfortable in his final days.”

The 13 sloths had been in quarantine for four days when zoo officials first raised the alarm about their condition. Veterinarians said most of the animals arrived showing signs of dehydration and malnutrition. Among the most vulnerable was Bandit, a 3-month-old baby sloth.

The zoo confirmed the remaining 12 sloths are currently in stable condition. Staff said their full focus has now shifted to ensuring those animals continue to recover.

The Central Florida Zoo is asking the public for donations to help cover the cost of the animals’ rehabilitation.

News 6 Orange County Community Correspondent Jayna Manohalal spoke briefly with Sloth World founder Ben Agresta last Wednesday regarding the 31 reported deaths and how they died.

During that call, Agresta said the sloths died from an “unknown virus.” He also denied wrongdoing and said investigators had not found any issues involving staff.

“But they’ve also found no wrongdoing by any of our staff or anybody. We’ve just been dealing with a foreign-born virus,” Agresta said

But a former Sloth World employee disputes that account.

“He’s lying about that. There were no viruses. It was bad conditions in him not taking care of his property. His business,” the former employee said.

The employee also said the company’s priorities were misplaced during its buildup.

“That was the thing he was most worried about was selling merch and selling pre-sale tickets,” he said. “Ben had plans to use the money towards the construction of Sloth World.”

The former employee also said he raised concerns internally about the animals’ well-being while the project continued moving forward.

The Sloth World website remains online, though ticket links now direct users to an email sign-up page.

From June 11 through July 19, Legoland Florida will host the FIFA World Cup 2026 Experience, a limited-time fan zone packed with interactive games, hands-on LEGO builds, and larger-than-life character moments.

Visitors can test their aim by scoring against a LEGO minifigure, then sharpen their skills through Spot Shot and Super Squad activities — designed for fans of all ages and skill levels.

Fan-favorite experiences include getting up close to brick-built soccer icons, designing a custom jersey to add to the Heroes of Play Wall, and lifting the LEGO FIFA World Cup Trophy for an iconic photo moment.

Newly released LEGO FIFA sets will be available at Legoland resort stores.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Experience is included with regular park admission.

For more information, including tickets, click here.

“It was kind of hard to see because of the debris,” Hester, 33, said Wednesday, standing amid the ruins of his home. “I was able to see the tornado. And all of my stuff go into the sky.”

Officials confirmed that a tornado on Tuesday tore through this small Texas city, sending five people to a hospital as it flattened buildings used for manufacturing and ravaged nearby homes. Police and firefighters said they feared the worst when they first saw the damage in Mineral Wells, home to about 15,000 people.

“We are most grateful for no loss of life in this event yesterday,” Mayor Regan Johnson told a news conference Wednesday. "When you see the destruction that's here, you can tell that’s really amazing.”

Hester and his wife searched through overturned furniture and scattered debris Wednesday for their two missing cats and any belongings they could salvage. Their roof was gone and the windows were blown out, along with the apartment's front and back walls.

“By the grace of God we are still standing here today,” Hester said.

Allison Prater, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth, said the tornado touched down in Mineral Wells with winds of at least 120 mph (193 kph). The weather service sent a team Wednesday to survey the destruction 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of Dallas.

Stormy week kills at least 3 people in Texas, Michigan

Violent weather has been plaguing parts of the South and Midwest. Two people died in North Texas last weekend as thunderstorms spawned destructive tornadoes, and a Michigan man was killed on Monday by a tree that toppled in a storm.

A hail storm damaged roofs, skylights and parked vehicles Tuesday at a zoo in Springfield, Missouri, and also killed one of its large birds. A female emu named Adam died from head trauma as hail fell at the Dickerson Park Zoo, spokesperson Joey Powell said Wednesday.

More severe storms were possible Wednesday across the South and parts of the Mid-Atlantic. The weather service said there was a slight chance of damaging winds and large hail across portions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Tornado damage forces manufacturer to shut down

In Mineral Wells, local officials spoke with reporters Wednesday in a subdivision strewn with splintered lumber, fallen trees and other debris.

Fire Chief Ryan Dunn said five people injured in the storm went to a hospital for treatment. Others were treated for minor injuries by first responders.

“As we arrived on scene, we noticed there was a lot of debris, a lot of roofs off,” Dunn said. "And then we started seeing buildings collapse.”

Dunn said most of the area struck by the tornado is used for commercial and industrial purposes, though some homes were also damaged. At least two manufacturers suffered heavy damage.

One was Ventamatic, which makes large fans and other ventilation equipment in Mineral Wells. The company said on its website that employees evacuated ahead of the storm and none were injured. Operations were shut down Wednesday “due to severe damage and ongoing safety hazards,” the company said.

More than 9,000 homes and businesses were without electricity across Texas on Wednesday afternoon, according to the tracking site PowerOutage.us. About 230 of those outages were in the Mineral Wells area.

Mineral Wells officials declared a local state of disaster and imposed an overnight curfew that will remain in place Wednesday, Police Chief Tim Denison said.

___

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.

The story came to News 6 after a concerned parent contacted the newsroom through the News 6 Neighborhood Network.

News 6’s Jayna Manohalal spoke with parents who said they have spent months asking for added protections near the school, including a designated school zone and crossing guards.

“I’m very angry. I’m honestly, I’m very disgusted,” parent Joselyn Rivera said.

The crash happened near a crosswalk along Ronald Reagan Parkway outside the school.

[HAVE A NEWS TIP? Contact the News 6 Neighborhood Network]

News 6 observed traffic moving through the area at high speeds Wednesday morning. The posted speed limit on Ronald Reagan Parkway is 45 miles per hour, and there is no marked school zone near the campus.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the 11-year-old boy was hit by a vehicle after getting out of his mother’s car while she was in the drop-off lane, and attempting to walk to school.

Deputies said the child suffered minor bruises and was airlifted to a local hospital. Investigators said the boy is expected to survive.

The sheriff’s office said the driver was not cited or arrested because the incident was determined to be an accident.

“We have reached out to the district. We have reached out to the whole county to obtain a school zone, and we have had no response since November,” Rivera said.

Parents also told News 6 that this is not the only Mater Academy campus in Central Florida. They said three other Mater Academy locations already have school zones in place, but the Davenport campus does not.

While driving around the school Wednesday, News 6 did not observe any school zone signs warning drivers that children may be crossing nearby. The only visible roadside sign near one area stated “No parking, stopping or standing.”

News 6 has reached out to Polk County to determine which agency is responsible for establishing school zones in the area.

Meanwhile, parents received a message from the school principal, informing families that the injured student was receiving medical care and asking people not to share videos or information related to the incident on social media.

Rivera said that message frustrated some parents.

“I was honestly rubbed the wrong way. It was pretty much stating us to keep quiet and to not inform anyone, to keep it under wraps,” Rivera said.

Parents say they now want immediate action before another child is hurt.

“Stand up for our children. Keep our children safe. Our kids come first,” Rivera said.

News 6 has reached out to Mater Academy for comment regarding what steps the school plans to take moving forward. As of Wednesday evening, the school had not responded.

The British actor may not have grown up in a moviegoing family, but he was still very aware the Spielberg thing as a '90s kid. It’s just in our psyche, O’Connor told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

There were Blockbuster nights, of course, with viewings of “E.T.” and he’s since caught up with the classics. But even he was taken aback by just how ingrained those quintessential Spielberg images were on his first day shooting “Disclosure Day.” They were on a backlot, he said, and there were dripping pipes and big beams of light and smoke and mist. It was an environment he recognized so vividly. All he could think was, “Wow, I’m in a Steven Spielberg movie.”

While very little is known about the plot of “Disclosure Day,” which opens in theaters on June 12, it's territory that Spielberg knows well. And it has been suggested by Emily Blunt, and confirmed by O'Connor, that it answers some questions raised by “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” O’Connor plays a cybersecurity expert who has a mysterious connection with Blunt’s meteorologist. He holds some truths that the men in suits don't want the world to know.

O’Connor spoke to the AP about the film, the secrecy, the awe of watching it for the first time and having “the greatest Steven Spielberg story.” Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: Have you been able to take stock of this whole experience?

O’CONNOR: It’s sort of still quite surreal. There have been many directors for me where it’s felt like kind of intensely surreal in the lead up to going and doing a movie with a person and then once you start, it sort of settles down and then the next thing you know you’re best friends with that director and it’s all just very normal. I do feel very close to Steven, but it still feels surreal having shot it. And every aspect of making this film was like a pinch-me moment, including seeing it for the first time. It’s sort of a dream for anyone.

AP: Was he what you expected?

O’CONNOR: He was more than I expected. He’s got this energy about him. He’s still so excited. He’s still like a child. He’s inquisitive. He is excited about performance. You know, there’s nothing better in the universe than hearing Steven by a monitor, crying or laughing or shouting with joy. He’s still, I imagine, that same director he was when he made “Jaws” or “E.T.” or any of those other classics. So yeah, he’s still got it. I can confirm he’s still got it

AP: What can you tell us about your character?

O’CONNOR: Daniel’s got some special powers. I’m resistant to saying that because I think it sort of overplays him in some ways. He and Emily’s character have this special bond between them and they’re not even aware of it. And the film really is pulling these two characters together. That’s sort of like the drive for these two, even if they’re unaware of it for half the movie.

Daniel has never really computed it and that’s sort of bubbling away underneath Daniel’s character. But he’s sort of an unglamorous hero. He’s your everyday guy and he’s found himself in this situation and he has to adapt and he is able to adapt, but, you know, he’s not a natural Tom Cruise.

AP: There’s a lot of secrecy around “Disclosure Day.” Was it like that on your end too?

O’CONNOR: There was, of course, a level of secrecy. When I received the script I was filming “Knives Out” and I was in a hotel and a motorbike turned up with the script, and a motorbike turned up to take away the script the next morning. That’s the first time that’s happened for me. It’s a very strange experience but it makes sense. You know, anytime you hear that Steven’s got a film coming out, everyone, myself included, wants to know what it is, so I totally understand why.

AP: What was the setup for watching it? Did it involve a guy showing up on a motorcycle again?

O’CONNOR: No, actually, not this time. It was just me and Emily and we sat in a screening room. You know, seeing any movie you’re in for the first time is a nightmare. It’s impossible to enjoy it fully because all you’re seeing is like, “Why do my ears look so big” or “Why do I stand like that I’m such a freak.” All those things are natural and so there is a little bit of competing with that, but this experience was unlike any other I’ve ever had. Emily and I were just in awe.

AP: You’ve been able to work with such a varied group of filmmakers and in all these different forms in your career.

O’CONNOR: That’s the thing I’m most proud of, I think … Getting to work with diverse artists and people like Alice (Rohrwacher) and Kelly (Reichardt) and Steven and Rian Johnson. They all work in very different ways and make very different films and tell different stories and ultimately that was my dream. I looked up to people like Gene Wilder, or like Robin Williams who’s able to make us roar with laughter and then have us in tears. I think that flexibility, that versatility is what I’ve always wanted in my career.

AP: Do you have a favorite Spielberg story?

O’CONNOR: I have the greatest, in my opinion, the greatest Steven Spielberg story. When it happened, I was sort of like punching the air for this very reason, knowing that when it comes to doing press for this film, I can tell the story, which is that I was halfway through the shoot and we had a scene coming up, which is quite an emotional scene and I was struggling with it. I was in my hotel room trying to prep it, as Steven does so brilliantly, and it’s extraordinary he’s so available to talk about these things.

I reached out to Steven, we discussed the scene, we talked about the emotion of the scene and how to access that and what we’re ultimately aiming to show in the story. And I felt quite satisfied, but not completely with it. And then I got a text from him quite late at night, just saying ,“The door is on the latch, just push.” And it made so much sense. I was like, “of course.” The character’s kind of got all this emotion, it’s built up and it’s like a door on the latch and you just push and it all comes out and it’s an emotional release. I was so thrilled with that note and I came in the next day and said, “Steven, you totally unlocked it for me that was amazing.” And he was like, “What are you talking about?”

I said, “The text about ‘the door on the latch just push’ it’s incredible.” And he laughed and said that that text was supposed to be for his wife. It became a very big joke for all of us. But it did unlock the scene for me, so, fair play.

AP: It’s so good, I almost don’t believe it.

O’CONNOR: I know. It’s ridiculous.

___

For more coverage of this summer’s upcoming films, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/movies

Cole Allen wore black pants, a black shirt and a red tie as he snapped the image in his room at the Washington Hilton, where Trump and hundreds of journalists were meeting for a gala Saturday night, authorities say.

The 31-year-old from Torrance, California, was captured when he tried to race past security barricades near the hotel's ballroom, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents tasked with safeguarding the event, investigators say.

New details emerged in a court filing made by prosecutors who want Allen to remain in custody. A hearing is set for Thursday.

The government said Allen repeatedly made online checks to keep track of Trump’s status that night, including live coverage of the president exiting his vehicle at the Hilton hotel. Investigators said preset emails with an “Apology and Explanation” attachment were sent at approximately 8:30 p.m.

“He intended to kill and fired his shotgun while trying to breach security and attack his target. Put simply, the defendant poses an uncommonly serious danger to the community if released pending trial. The defendant’s lack of criminal history and other personal circumstances do not alter this conclusion,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jones wrote.

Trump, a Republican, was uninjured. A Secret Service officer wearing a bullet-resistant vest was shot in the vest and survived.

Allen appeared in court on Monday and was charged with the attempted assassination of the president as authorities suggested an attack that disrupted one of Washington’s glitziest events had been planned for at least several weeks. Tezira Abe, a member of the defense team, said he “is presumed innocent at this time.”

Meanwhile, ahead of the Thursday hearing, a magistrate judge ordered a District of Columbia jail to allow Allen to have unrestricted visits with his lawyers. The attorneys complained that they hadn't been able to meet him privately.

“Mr. Allen was forced to sit inside of a locked cage in full, five-point restraints, and speak over a phone — of which there is only one — to be able to confer with counsel,” Abe and co-counsel Eugene Ohm said in a court filing. “Counsel were forced to sit in an open lobby area with jail staff and other attorneys standing nearby who could overhear the entirety of counsel’s side of the conversation.”

An FBI affidavit filed Monday revealed other details about the planning behind the hotel assault, with authorities alleging that Allen on April 6 reserved a room for himself at the Hilton where the event would be held weeks later under its typical tight security. He traveled by train cross-country from California, checking himself into the hotel a day before the dinner with a room reserved for the weekend.

Trump was rushed off the stage by his security team Saturday night and appeared at the White House two hours later, still in his tuxedo.

“When you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone,” the president said. “They seem to think he was a lone wolf.”

Gun control activists slammed the moves as dangerous and irresponsible just days after authorities say a man armed with guns and knives tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and kill the Republican president.

Among the more than 30 changes announced Wednesday is the proposed repeal of a 2024 Biden administration rule that sought to force thousands more firearms dealers across the U.S. to run background checks on buyers at gun shows or other places outside brick-and-mortar stores.

That rule aimed to close what is sometimes called the “gun show loophole,” which allowed guns to be sold by unlicensed dealers who do not perform background checks to ensure the potential buyer is not legally prohibited from having a firearm. Gun rights groups and Republican-led states had challenged the rule in court, arguing it violated the Second Amendment and that Biden didn't have the authority to implement it.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called the slate of revisions the “most comprehensive regulatory reform package in the history" of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Blanche said the changes bring gun regulations in line with Supreme Court precedent while cutting down on unnecessary burdens on firearms sellers and lawful gun owners.

“For too long, regulations were written without any real understanding of how firearms businesses operate, how lawful gun owners handle their firearms, or what truly improves public safety,” Blanche said.

Gun control groups accused the administration of catering to gun rights activists with loosened regulations they said would make the country less safe.

“Four days after the nation watched gunfire break out at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the Trump administration’s answer is to gut commonsense gun safety laws and sabotage the only federal agency dedicated to keeping guns out of criminal hands,” John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said in a statement.

The changes were signed shortly after Robert Cekada, a longtime law enforcement officer, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the ATF, the federal agency responsible for enforcing the country's gun laws. Cekada, who joined the ATF in 2005, has been been running the day-to-day operations of the agency for the last year as its deputy director.

Cekada is only the third person to be confirmed to lead the agency since the director’s position was made confirmable in 2006. The agency has mostly been led by acting directors, with both Republican and Democratic administrations failing to get nominees for the ATF position through the politically fraught process.

The ATF has long been the target of conservatives for its role in role in gun regulation, but Trump's Justice Department has touted the agency's role in taking illegal guns off the street and stopping violent crime.

“Rob is exactly the right person to lead the ATF at this moment,” Blanche said.

Florida's Republican-led Legislature is latest to act, approving new House districts on Wednesday that could help the GOP win several additional seats in this year's elections. That could offset Democratic gains in Virginia, where voters recently approved a new U.S. House map designed to flip several seats to Democrats.

Voting districts typically are redrawn once a decade, after each census. But President Donald Trump last year urged Texas Republicans to redraw House districts to give the GOP an edge in the midterms. California Democrats reciprocated, and redistricting efforts soon cascaded across states.

Republicans believe they could win up to 13 additional seats from new congressional districts in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Florida. Democrats, meanwhile, think they could gain up to 10 seats from new districts in California, Utah and Virginia. But that presumes past voting patterns hold in November. And that’s uncertain, especially since the party in power typically loses seats in the midterms and Trump faces negative approval ratings in polls.

Democrats need to gain just a few seats in November to wrest control of the House from Republicans, potentially allowing them to obstruct Trump’s agenda.

Where new House districts were approved

New U.S. House districts have passed in eight states since last summer. Six took up redistricting voluntarily, one was required to by its state constitution and another did so under court order.

Texas

Current map: 13 Democrats, 25 Republicans

New map: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a revised House map into law last August that could help Republicans win five additional seats.

Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in December cleared the way for the new districts to be used in this year’s elections. It has since overturned a lower-court ruling that blocked the new map because it was “racially gerrymandered.”

California

Current map: 43 Democrats, nine Republicans

New map: Voters in November approved revised House districts drawn by the Democratic-led Legislature that could help Democrats win five additional seats.

Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in February allowed the new districts to be used in this year’s elections. It denied an appeal from Republicans and the Department of Justice, which claimed the districts impermissibly favor Hispanic voters.

Missouri

Current map: two Democrats, six Republicans

New map: Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a revised House map into law last September that could help Republicans win an additional seat.

Challenges: A Cole County judge ruled the new map is in effect as election officials work to determine whether a referendum petition seeking a statewide vote complies with constitutional criteria and contains enough valid petition signatures. The Missouri Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit claiming mid-decade redistricting is illegal. It's scheduled to hear arguments in May on claims the new districts violate compactness requirements and should be placed on hold pending the potential referendum.

North Carolina

Current map: four Democrats, 10 Republicans

New map: The Republican-led General Assembly gave final approval in October to revised districts that could help Republicans win an additional seat.

Challenges: A federal court panel in November denied a request to block the revised districts from being used in the midterm elections.

Ohio

Current map: five Democrats, 10 Republicans

New map: A bipartisan panel composed primarily of Republicans voted in October to approve revised House districts that improve Republicans’ chances of winning two additional seats.

Challenges: None. The state constitution required new districts before the 2026 election, because Republicans had approved the prior map without sufficient Democratic support after the last census.

Utah

Current map: no Democrats, four Republicans

New map: A judge in November imposed revised House districts that could help Democrats win a seat. The court ruled that lawmakers had circumvented anti-gerrymandering standards passed by voters when adopting the prior map.

Challenges: A federal court panel and the state Supreme Court, in February, each rejected Republican challenges to the judicial map selection.

Virginia

Current map: six Democrats, five Republicans

New map: Voters in April approved a constitutional amendment authorizing new U.S. House districts backed by Democrats that could help the party win up to four additional seats.

Challenges: The state Supreme Court allowed the referendum to proceed, but it has yet to rule whether the effort is legal. The court is considering an appeal of a Tazewell County judge’s ruling that the amendment is invalid because lawmakers violated procedural requirements.

Florida

Current map: eight Democrats, 20 Republicans

New map: The Republican-led Legislature in April passed revised House districts that could improve the GOP's chances of winning four additional seats.

Challenges: The state constitution says districts cannot be drawn with intent to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent.

Where redistricting efforts were denied

Governors, lawmakers or partisan officials pushed for congressional redistricting in numerous states. In at least five states, those efforts gained some initial traction but ultimately fell short in either the legislature or court.

Maryland

Current map: seven Democrats, one Republican

Proposed map: The Democratic-led House in February passed a redistricting plan backed by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore that could help Democrats win an additional seat.

Challenges: The legislative session ended in April without the Democratic-led Senate voting on the redistricting plan. The state Senate president said there were concerns it could backfire on Democrats.

New York

Current map: 19 Democrats, seven Republicans

Proposed map: A judge in January ordered a state commission to draw new boundaries for the only congressional district in New York City represented by a Republican, ruling it unconstitutionally dilutes the votes of Black and Hispanic residents.

Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in March granted Republicans' request to halt the judge’s order, leaving the existing district lines in place for the 2026 election.

Indiana

Current map: two Democrats, seven Republicans

Proposed map: The Republican-led House passed a redistricting plan in December that would have improved Republicans’ chances of winning two additional seats.

Challenges: Despite pressure from Trump to adopt the new map, the Republican-led Senate rejected it in a bipartisan vote on Dec. 11.

Kansas

Current map: one Democrat, three Republicans

Proposed map: Some Republican lawmakers mounted an attempt to take up congressional redistricting.

Challenges: Lawmakers dropped a petition drive for a special session on congressional redistricting in November, after failing to gain enough support.

Illinois

Current map: 14 Democrats, three Republicans

Proposed map: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in October proposed a new U.S. House map that would improve Democrats’ chances of winning an additional seat.

Challenges: The Democratic-led General Assembly declined to take up redistricting, citing concerns about the effect on representation for Black residents.

Back-to-back losses have the Atlanta Hawks looking into their arsenal of defensive schemes and bench rotations as they search for an answer to defending a high-powered Knicks offense. Karl-Anthony Towns posted a triple-double on Saturday night as Atlanta sealed off Jalen Brunson. The roles were reversed on Tuesday night when a freed-up Brunson scored 39 points.

“Everyone's going to make adjustments," Towns said. “So just being prepared for whatever the defense throws at us and being able to react accordingly.”

Defensively, the Knicks have found a solution for CJ McCollum, who stole Games 2 and 3 with clutch offensive performances. The Hawks' top scorers, Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, have struggled to replicate their regular-season success.

“Their defense never really let us establish consistently how we need to play to beat them,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said after Tuesday's 126-97 loss. “We need to execute on who we are and what we've done to be a good team, and like I said, that's hard against a team of their caliber.”

Meanwhile in Boston, 76ers' center Joel Embiid proved he'd been what the team was missing in just his second game back after an appendectomy. The former league MVP paced Philadelphia with 33 points and led the team to a 113-97 road win.

“He (Embiid) was dominant, especially in the second half,” Tyrese Maxey said after the game. “He did a really good job of just inserting himself, and you know, I was proud of him tonight, man.”

The Sixers, with newfound momentum, will try to tie the series at home while the Celtics hope to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“It’ll take everything we’ve got,” Maxey said Tuesday. “It’ll take even more of an effort than it did tonight.”

The Timberwolves might not have lost their confidence or swagger with the injuries to star Anthony Edwards and sparkplug Donte DiVincenzo, but their discipline and focus sure disappeared in the Game 5 defeat in Denver where they fell behind by as many as 27 points in the fourth quarter, with 25 turnovers the most glaring problem.

Though Edwards and DiVincenzo are their two best 3-point shooters and offensive creators, a revival of the smothering defense that fueled the rally in Game 2 and blowout wins in Games 3 and 4 will be the biggest key to the Timberwolves taking the series.

“There’s no doubt that we miss Donte and Ant and all the things they do offensively and defensively, but we played a large part of Game 4 without those guys, so we still have really good defenders elsewhere,” coach Chris Finch said. “I didn’t like our attack mindset the other day. I thought we kind of waited on our heels a little bit too much. We’ve just got to be better getting back to what we know will work for us better.”

New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks

When/Where to Watch: Game 6, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN)

Series: New York leads 3-2.

Betting line: Knicks by 2.5.

What to Know: The Knicks rank second in postseason scoring, averaging 113.2 points per game while shooting 48.1% from the field and 38.4% from 3-point range. Atlanta trails in all three categories, averaging 102.6 points per game on 44.8% shooting from the field and 32.2% from beyond the arc. Brunson is coming off his best offensive performance of the series with 39 points. His 22 career playoff games with 30 or more points are the most in franchise history. Towns has found a rhythm as a passer, recording 16 assists over the past two games and averaging 2.2 more assists per game than he did in the regular season. Hawks' Alexander-Walker is averaging 14.2 points per game this postseason, down 6.8 from his regular-season average.

Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers

When/Where to Watch: Game 6, 8 p.m. EDT (Peacock)

Series: Boston leads 3-2.

Betting line: Celtics by 6.5.

What to Know: The Celtics top the NBA in postseason three-pointers made (84) and rebounds per game (47.6). Jaylen Brown has been Boston’s top scorer, averaging 25.8 points per game in the playoffs. Jayson Tatum leads in nearly every other category, averaging 10.6 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Payton Pritchard had a postseason career-high 32 points vs. Philadelphia on Sunday night. In two playoff games vs. Boston, Embiid has averaged 29.5 points almost exclusively from the field and free-throw line. Embiid is 1 for 11 on 3-pointers this series and 21 for 44 from the field. Maxey is averaging over 40 minutes per game in the playoffs with 25.6 points per game, 6.8 assists and 4.2 rebounds.

Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves

When/Where to Watch: Game 6, 9:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN)

Series: Minnesota leads 3-2.

Betting line: Nuggets by 5.5.

What to Know: Ayo Dosunmu and Mike Conley Jr. earned their first starts of the series for Minnesota with Edwards and DiVincenzo sidelined with injuries. Dosunmu leads the team with 21.8 points per game in the postseason, seven more than his regular-season average. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are both averaging over 25 points per game for the Nuggets, with Jokic also contributing a team-high 14 rebounds per game and 9.4 assists. He has two triple-doubles in the series.

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AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

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

Rafael Grossi said in an interview Tuesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency has satellite images showing the effects of the latest U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran and that “we continue to get information.”

IAEA inspections ended at Isfahan when Israel last June launched a 12-day war that saw the United States bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog believes a large percentage of Iran's highly enriched uranium “was stored there in June 2025 when the 12-day war broke out, and it has been there ever since,” Grossi said.

“We haven't been able to inspect or to reject that the material is there and that the seals — the IAEA seals — remain there,” he said. “I hope we'll be able to do that, so what I tell you is our best estimate.”

Images from an Airbus satellite show a truck loaded with 18 blue containers going into a tunnel at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center on June 9, 2025, just before last year's war started. Those containers, believed to contain highly enriched uranium, likely remain there.

Grossi says all Iran's nuclear sites must be inspected

The IAEA also wants to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities at Natanz and Fordo, where there is also some nuclear material, the IAEA director general added.

Iran is a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, whose five-year review is underway at U.N. headquarters. Under its provisions, Iran is required to open its nuclear facilities to IAEA inspection, Grossi said.

Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the agency. Grossi has said the IAEA believes roughly 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) is stored in tunnels at the Isfahan site.

The Iranian stockpile could allow the country to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, Grossi told the AP last year.

Tehran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. President Donald Trump said one of the major reasons the U.S. went to war was to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons, even as he has insisted that the strikes last summer “obliterated” the country's atomic program.

Grossi told a U.N. press conference Wednesday that Iran declared a new uranium enrichment facility at Isfahan last June and that IAEA inspectors were scheduled to visit the day strikes began. He said the facility apparently was not hit in attacks on Isfahan this year or last.

IAEA has talked to Russia and others about taking Iran's highly enriched uranium

Grossi said the IAEA has discussed with Russia and others the possibility of sending Iran's highly enriched uranium out of the country — a complex operation that would require either a political agreement or a major U.S. military operation in hostile territory.

Trump said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin renewed his offer to help the United States handle Iran's enriched uranium. Trump said he told Putin it was more important the Russian leader “be involved with ending the war with Ukraine.”

Grossi, meanwhile, noted that “what's going to be important is that that material leaves Iran” or is blended to reduce its enrichment.

He said the IAEA participated in U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in February but has not been part of recent ceasefire negotiations mediated by Pakistan. He said the agency has been in discussions separately with the U.S. and informally with Iran.

Trump told Axios on Wednesday that he’s rejecting Iran's latest proposal, which had called for postponing discussions on its nuclear program but ending its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial sea route for oil and natural gas shipments, if the U.S. lifts its blockade and ends the war.

Grossi told reporters Wednesday that Iran had a much smaller nuclear program with one type of centrifuge in 2015 when it agreed to rein in its nuclear program in a deal with six major powers. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement in 2018.

The IAEA chief said negotiations now are a “completely different ballgame” because of Iran's “exponential progress” not only on enriching uranium but using the latest generation of centrifuges, different compounds and new facilities.

A deal between the US and Iran would take ‘political will’

It would take “political will” from Tehran to reach a deal, Grossi told AP, stressing that “Iran has to be convinced that it is important to negotiate.”

Iran's leaders say they are willing to negotiate and so does the Republican U.S. president, Grossi said, but “where the frustration kicks in, apparently for both, is that they do not seem to come to agreement, or be at an eye-to-eye level, on what needs to be done first, or on how.”

Calling himself a negotiator who likes to see a “flicker of hope,” Grossi noted that “one important thing is that there is apparently an interest on both sides to come to an agreement.”

Asked if he thinks the Iranians are serious about making a deal, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News Channel this week that they are skilled negotiators looking to buy time and that any agreement must be "one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.”

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AP writer Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

Comey was indicted in North Carolina on Tuesday on charges of making threats against President Donald Trump related to a photograph he posted on social media last year of seashells arranged in the numbers “86 47.” The Justice Department contends those numbers amounted to a threat against Trump, the 47th president. Comey has said he assumed the numbers reflected a political message, not a call to violence, and removed the Instagram post once he saw some people were interpreting it that way.

The indictment is the second against Comey, a longtime target of Trump's ire dating back to his time as FBI director, over the past year. The first one, on unrelated false statement and obstruction charges, was dismissed by a judge last November. Now prosecutors pursuing the threats case face their own challenge of proving that Comey intended to communicate a true threat or at least recklessly discounted the possibility that the statement could be understood as a threat.

The indictment accuses Comey of acting “knowingly and willfully,” but its sparse language offers no support for that assertion. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has declined to elaborate on what evidence of intent the government has. But broad First Amendment protections for free speech, Supreme Court precedent and Comey's public statements indicating that he did not intend to convey a threat will likely impose a tall burden for the government.

“Here, ‘86’ is ambiguous — it doesn’t necessarily threaten violence and the fact that it was the FBI Director posting this openly and notoriously on a public social media site suggests that he didn’t intend to convey a threat of violence,” John Keller, a senior Justice Department official who led a task force to prosecute violent threats against election workers, wrote in a text message.

The case was charged in the Eastern District of North Carolina, the location of the beach where Comey has said he found the shells. He made a brief appearance Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, the state where he lives.

Comey didn’t speak or enter a plea during the appearance. But his legal team teed up at least one argument expected to be invoked, with defense lawyer Patrick Fitzgerald saying attorneys would argue that the prosecution is vindictive and selective and would ask prosecutors to save communications relevant for that motion.

U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick also rejected the government’s request to set conditions on Comey’s release, calling it unnecessary.

As FBI director, Comey oversaw the early months of an investigation into whether Trump’s 2016 campaign had coordinated with Russia to sway the outcome of that year’s election. Comey was fired by Trump months into the president’s first term, and the president and his supporters have sought retribution ever since over the Russia investigation.

What the law says on threats

The Supreme Court has held that statements are not protected by the First Amendment if they meet the legal threshold of a “true threat.”

That requires prosecutors to prove, at a minimum, that a defendant recklessly disregarded the risk that a statement could be perceived as threatening violence. In a 2023 Supreme Court case, the majority held that prosecutors have to show that the “defendant had some subjective understanding of the threatening nature of his statements.”

The court has also found that hyperbolic political speech is protected.

In a 1969 case, the justices held that a Vietnam War protester did not make a knowing and willful threat against the president when he remarked that “If they ever make me carry a rifle the first man I want to get in my sights is L.B.J,” referring to President Lyndon B. Johnson. The court noted that laughter in the crowd when the protester made the statement, among other things, showed it wasn’t a serious threat of violence.

Regarding the current case, Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”

Comey deleted the post shortly after it was made, writing: “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence” and “I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

Trump said Wednesday he believes his life was “probably” in danger as a result of the post, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “If anybody knows anything about crime, they know 86 — it’s a mob term for ‘kill him.'”

What the government will try to prove

John Fishwick, a former U.S. attorney in the Western District of Virginia, said the government will likely try to prove that Comey should have known better as a former FBI director.

“I think they're going to try to circumstantially say that you were head of the FBI, you knew what these terms meant and you said them out to the whole world as a threat to the president,” Fishwick said, though he noted such an argument would be challenging in light of Comey's First Amendment defenses.

Comey was interviewed by the Secret Service last year, and the fact he was not charged with making a false statement suggests prosecutors do not have evidence that he lied to agents, Fishwick said.

Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor, wrote in an opinion piece published Tuesday that “despite being one of Comey’s longest critics, the indictment raises troubling free speech issues. In the end, it must be the Constitution, not Comey, that drives the analysis and this indictment is unlikely to withstand constitutional scrutiny.”

“If it did,” he added, “it would allow the government to criminalize a huge swath of political speech in the United States.”

Blanche defended the prosecution at an unrelated news conference Wednesday but said the case would ultimately be for a jury to decide.

“I know that a grand jury returned a two-count indictment. I know this case was investigated for the past year. I do not know what a jury of his peers will do at a trial that will come at some point in the future,” he said.

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Tucker and Richer reported from Washington.

It happened on April 22 on the Treasure Coast, but your Melbourne Community Correspondent James Sparvero found out the suspect is local, and that’s making some families very concerned.

“I think it’s crazy,” Jackie Woodson said. “How could we have an idiot in our neighborhood like this?”

Last week, the Martin County Sheriff’s office said Morgan Lentz, 22, poured gasoline on a motorcycle outside of a bar.

Then, as witness Kylie Micciche recorded, the sheriff’s office said Lentz started setting the Savannas Preserve State Park on fire.

Body-camera video showed Lentz’s arrest.

[Watch the full body-camera footage below]

At Harbor City Elementary in Melbourne, Sparvero told parent Francis Piccolella how close Lentz lives to his daughters’ school.

“That’s pretty dangerous,” the parent said. “I don’t want fires near my daughters and samurai swords and all that stuff.”

Woodson said she hopes Lentz stays in jail.

“I hope they don’t let him out, or at least if they do, they get him some kind of help,” she said.

Lentz’s bond in the Martin County jail is $22,000.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin's appearance before the Senate environment committee was his last of three budget hearings this week where he argued for sharply reduced funding for the agency, which already has seen its staffing reduced to its lowest level in decades under his leadership. During much of the week, the former Republican congressman from New York took an aggressive approach, responding to Democrats in the House and Senate with his own questions and at times accusing them of being unprepared or failing to care about the EPA’s track record.

Zeldin has eliminated major climate change programs, promoted deregulatory efforts he calls the biggest in American history and canceled billions of dollars in Biden-era environmental justice grants to halt what he calls “EPA’s radical diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.”

“This budget proposal captures significant efficiencies and a return focus on what Congress has directed us to do, demonstrating our commitment to a leaner, more efficient and accountable EPA" that directly benefits Americans, Zeldin told senators Wednesday.

The Republican administration’s proposed $4.2 billion EPA budget would sharply reduce support for state environmental programs and state-administered loans for water projects. It also would halt what it calls “radical climate research” and cut resources for enforcement and compliance. Officials asked for more money for faster project permitting and to address drinking water disasters.

“Zeldin has executed the fossil fuel industry’s agenda. A massive reckoning is coming," said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.

Aggressive responses to Democratic questioning

On budgets, Congress gets the final say and lawmakers commonly depart from White House requests.

Last year, they rejected most of Trump’s proposed cuts, reducing agency spending by just 3.5% despite an administration request to cut spending by more than half. Democrats said the new budget plan shows Zeldin is a friend to industry and ignores the cancers, asthma and other consequences of pollution.

“The budget proposal reads like a climate change deniers’ manifesto,” said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. At a hearing Monday, she asked how the EPA can justify abandoning its duty to protect people in the United States “under the false flag of economic growth?”

The EPA has proposed rescinding a landmark finding that climate change is dangerous, loosening rules from the Biden administration limiting pollution from coal plants, and proposing to scrap greenhouse gas emission limits for certain vehicles.

In response to DeLauro, Zeldin asked where the Clean Air Act mentions fighting climate change and whether she had heard of a recent Supreme Court decision that restricted the EPA’s authority to write aggressive regulations.

“You do not have the right to say climate change does not exist, that it’s a hoax,” DeLauro said.

Zeldin said she should know about major Supreme Court decisions. “You’re just somebody who likes to have the microphone on."

DeLauro said the administration's behavior was “arrogant” and that it was ”making a mockery of what the agencies are all about.”

Zeldin told Rep. Josh Harder, D-Calif., that data he cited on the agency's rollback of certain coal plant emissions limits was worthless.

“Have your dog pee on it. It is not accurate,” Zeldin said.

Harder's office later provided the EPA report from which it said the numbers came.

Zeldin's vision

Zeldin argued that even with less money, the EPA has continued to enforce environmental laws. As examples, he cited an agreement with Mexico to reduce sewage flows into the polluted Tijuana River and sped up work to address radioactive contamination in the St. Louis region.

That work complements strict adherence to the law, a departure from what Zeldin says was the regulatory overreach of President Joe Biden's Democratic administration that wanted to strangle vital industries such as coal.

Republicans were largely supportive of Zeldin’s message that the agency will be able to do more with less.

The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law provided tens of billions of dollars for drinking and wastewater loans through programs administered by states. That boost, however, ends this year, and the EPA’s proposed budget would cut off most of the agency’s support.

“It was never intended to be a new norm for spending,” said Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va.

But that would choke off money to remove harmful chemicals known as PFAS, which take decades or more to break down, from drinking water. The agency’s contention that better technology could do the job for less was unpersuasive, according to Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass.

“How do we get rid of PFAS in municipal water supplies with 90% fewer dollars?” he asked.

Zeldin responded that technologies were promising and then mentioned congressional earmarks. Lawmakers have used them to fund projects in their districts with money that would otherwise go to states for loans — a practice many experts have criticized.

“I know that members of Congress are going to raid it, and they have been doing it for a long time,” Zeldin said.

Auchincloss replied that Zeldin was not in charge of earmarks and that “hope is not a strategy.”

Zeldin was also questioned about industry influence on policymaking, with a particular focus on the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which has attacked environmental harms from products like fertilizer. The movement's biggest champion is Trump's health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, asked Zeldin whether he understood concerns from those advocates about industry influence at the EPA and the administration's support of more pesticides.

Zeldin called much of the lengthy question inaccurate and then mentioned plans to look at microplastics as a potential contaminant in drinking water and an upcoming review of the high-profile herbicide glyphosate.

“I get it, you have an agenda," Zeldin said. “I mean, I understand you’d like to have a gavel in your hand.”

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Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.

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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 the AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.

It’s part of a routine he and other weather observers at Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center, a weather station 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Boston, have followed every day for the last 141 years. Using largely unchanged analog tools, they have built a continuous record of temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind and other measurements that can feed weather forecasts and scientific research.

“My routine is the same every day,” said chief weather observer Douglas, who has worked there since 1997, sporting a dark blue sweatshirt with the name of the observatory on the front. “The only thing that changes are the numbers and the weather itself.”

Blue Hill is the nation’s oldest continually operating weather observatory, according to executive director Alex Evans. Since 1885, staff and volunteers have relied on many of the same instruments, including mercury and alcohol thermometers, hygrometers that use human hair to measure moisture in the air, and that glass sphere on the roof tracking the hours of bright sunshine.

Keeping the same tools in the same place for nearly a century and a half, Douglas said, means that if they spot a change in weather patterns, they can be sure it’s real and not a result of new instruments measuring data differently than the old ones. Having a “tried and true database” as a reference is very important for climate research, he added.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is a collaboration between the MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing and The Associated Press.

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As climate science has come under fire from the Trump administration, budget cuts and layoffs have swept through federal weather institutions since 2025. Blue Hill, as a private nonprofit, avoided much of this maelstrom. However, its continuing work is not a given. Funding opportunities are limited in this political environment, Evans said.

Blue Hill’s work, though seemingly outpaced by modern technology, serves not just to keep weather records, but also to connect ordinary people to climate science.

A continuous weather record in America makes climate change visible

Few weather observatories in the U.S. are as old as Blue Hill, and fewer still continue to collect data manually. Though similar methods are still used by networks of volunteers across the country that feed data to the National Weather Service, weather observatories — both private ones and those affiliated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — have largely adopted automated digital systems since at least the 1990s.

Blue Hill sends a daily summary of its observations to the National Weather Service, which chief scientist Michael Iacono said may contribute to weather forecasts in some circumstances, and monthly summaries to the National Centers for Environmental Information, where they can be distributed to climate researchers. Local television meteorologists also receive the daily summaries and may use the observations in their broadcasts in rare cases, he said.

Inside Blue Hill’s round tower, which stands three stories tall with castle-like notches at the top, two weather observers, Douglas and Amanda Joly, share an office filled with the results of their daily work. Boxes with sun cards line the walls, wind-speed charts drawn on EKG paper fill the cabinets and computers store the spreadsheets where Douglas and Joly meticulously record temperature and humidity.

Having records that stretch back over 100 years “is really unique,” said Chris Fiebrich, a meteorologist at the University of Oklahoma. This “dataset is golden,” he said, because climate change involves slow trends so “you can only see that clearly if you have measurements that go way back, from before we had satellites” and other modern equipment.

Blue Hill’s records show, for example, a 5-degree Fahrenheit (or about 2.8-degree Celsius) increase in the average annual temperature at the observatory since 1885, and that two local ponds remain frozen during winter nearly three weeks less than they did then.

Observers can also spot the impact of climate policies. Since the 1990s, Blue Hill has recorded an uptick in bright sunlight duration after it reached a low point in the 1980s. Because air pollutants like particulate matter interfere with sunlight, cleaner air means more sunshine, so this uptick can partly be traced back to the Clean Air Act — a federal law passed in 1970 and amended in 1990 to improve air quality by reducing emissions of pollutants.

A third of Americans believe climate scientists understand “not too well” or “not at all well” whether climate change is happening, according to a Pew Research Center survey from 2023. Trump called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly last September, and has sought to undermine climate science.

At a time when “the word ‘climate’ is politically demonized in some circles,” said Alan Sealls, president of the American Meteorological Society, places like Blue Hill can be “a small part of many possible solutions” to make weather and climate science relatable to people, including children.

Blue Hill connects people to science

The road to Blue Hill Observatory is a winding asphalt track that weaves through forest and borders a ski lift; making the drive, one needs to carefully wend between hikers and dog walkers. At the peak, visitors can enjoy the westward view over the treetops or slip through an open arch into the observatory’s courtyard.

Annie Hayes, a local from Milton who visited Blue Hill in mid-March with her husband and two children, said that seeing how observers collect data builds deeper trust in the science, which otherwise can seem “a little bit of a mystery.”

The mercury barometers in the observers’ office — one of which the observatory believes to be the oldest such instrument in active daily use in the United States — are a case in point. “If somebody’s standing there seeing it while you’re explaining it to them … it becomes a little less scary,” said chief scientist Iacono.

Blue Hill’s barometers, which measure atmospheric pressure, consist of glass tubes and small containers of mercury — a shiny, silver-white liquid — housed in a wooden case on the wall. As air presses down on the exposed mercury, it is forced up the tubes, and how far it travels reflects changes in atmospheric pressure. This is where the pressure unit “inches of mercury” comes from.

Another instrument popular with visitors is the Campbell-Stokes recorder, used to measure hours of bright sunshine. Its glass sphere, mounted in a curved metal frame, acts as a magnifying lens, focusing sunlight onto a paper card and burning a streak along it as the sun moves through the sky.

As she pointed to the glass sphere on display in the history room, Amanda Joly, Blue Hill’s deputy chief observer, explained that this recorder, which dates back to 1898, was stolen in 1993 and later recovered. The upside of that burglary is that, while a modern duplicate does the job on the building’s roof, visitors are now free to interact with the old sphere — something kids love to do — and the observers don’t have to worry about it affecting the measurements.

Hayes’ family, which lives nearby, was checking out some rain gauges in the gift shop when facilities head Don McCasland told them about a new Blue Hill citizen science program, which will allow residents to collect and add weather data to a central database. The family plans to start using their rain gauge this summer.

It’s “a great way to involve the kids and get them excited,” said Hayes. “And who knows? Maybe they’ll find an interest and want to pursue it on their own, too.”

___

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.

Police say Cory Acree ran from officers on Williamson Boulevard over the weekend after they stopped him on suspicion of involvement in a shooting. When Acree crashed into an apartment complex gate and bailed from the vehicle, officers quickly realized he was not alone.

“We have a black male bailing out... small child! Small child! Baby bailing out with him,” an officer said in the body camera footage.

“He’s got a very small baby with him! Get on the ground and show me your hands,” the officer added.

[COVERING DAYTONA BEACH: Volusia County sheriff sues promoters of chaotic spring break events]

Officers say Acree fled into nearby woods with the child before he was finally apprehended. The initial stop came after police believed his car may have been connected to a shooting in the area.

“The reason I’m stopping you is this car may have been involved in a shooting. Were you shot at or anything like that?” the officer said to Acree during the stop.

Police say they asked Acree to remove a bag from the vehicle that appeared to contain drugs — and that is when he fled. While some officers pursued Acree, others worked to calm the frightened child.

“My dad was going faster. My leg hurts and my arm hurts,” the child told officers.

After taking Acree into custody, an officer addressed him directly.

“Everything that has happened to you tonight, sir, is a direct result of your actions,” the officer is heard saying.

Acree is currently being held at the Volusia County Jail. He is facing charges related to fleeing officers, child endangerment and drug possession. As for the shooting investigation that prompted the original traffic stop, police say they have determined Acree was involved, but the investigation is ongoing.

He is not currently facing charges in connection with the shooting. Acree is due back in court Thursday.

The court’s conservative majority found that the district, represented by Democrat Cleo Fields, relied too heavily on race. Chief Justice John Roberts had described the district as a “snake” that stretches more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) to link parts of the Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said the Supreme Court “has humiliated and dismantled the life’s work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and every man and woman who marched, bled, and died for Black Americans to have an equal voice at the ballot box.”

The plaintiffs argued that Louisiana’s second Black-majority congressional district, drawn to correct a previously discriminatory map, has an unconstitutional racial basis and did not follow the standards for drawing a district, including compactness.

The 1965 Voting Rights Act, the centerpiece legislation of the Civil Rights Movement, succeeded in opening the ballot box to Black Americans and reducing persistent discrimination in voting. Nearly 70 of the 435 congressional districts are protected by Section 2, election law experts estimate.

It’s unclear how much is left of Section 2, but the ruling could open the door for Republican-led states to eliminate Black and Latino electoral districts that tend to favor Democrats and affect the balance of power in Congress. President Donald Trump has already touched off a nationwide redistricting battle to boost Republican chances.

Here's the latest:

Congressional Black Caucus members vow to fight back

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus pledged to fight back after the Supreme Court decision and called for the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Rep. Yvette Clarke, a New York Democrat who chairs the caucus, told reporters that the decision allows politicians to “choose their voters instead of the other way around.”

“The Supreme Court has opened the door to a coordinated attack on Black voters across the country,” Clarke said. “This is an outright power grab.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also of New York, said the decision came from “the Trump court” in “an effort to suppress the vote and rig the midterm elections and beyond.”

“At this moment in time, we’re urging everyone to summon the courage, the character, and the conviction of those heroes like John Lewis and Rosa Parks and so many others upon whose shoulders we stand,” Jeffries said.

The top Republican in Tennessee’s Senate warns of ‘logistical challenges’ to immediate redistricting

Tennessee lawmakers need to discuss whether it’s feasible to redistrict in light of the new court ruling, Senate Speaker Randy McNally said, since deadlines to file paperwork to run for office have passed, and candidates have already entered their races. The primary elections are Aug. 6.

The state’s current map is “strong, fair and legal” and has survived court challenges, McNally said in a statement.

Kentucky Gov. Beshear says the court decision underscores the importance of having Democratic governors

While much of the attention in Washington this year is on the battle for control of Congress, there are 36 governors races on the ballot in November.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the Supreme Court’s decision is a reminder of the significance of those races, since so many voting laws are crafted at the state level.

“One of the best ways to fight back is to elect more Democratic governors – who are on the frontlines of protecting and expanding fundamental freedoms and democracy in our states,” Beshear said in a statement. “We have 36 opportunities to do that this year and rulings like this show that the stakes have never been higher.”

Beshear is the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, a group focused on electing Democrats as state leaders.

Alabama Democrat whose district was created by a court order slams the decision

Rep. Shomari Figures, whose district was court-ordered after judges found Black voting power was diluted, said the ruling makes future discrimination claims harder to prove.

He warned it could prompt Southern states to redraw maps in ways that weaken Black voters’ influence. Alabama’s current map remains in place under a court order through 2030, although the state is appealing.

House GOP campaign chairman says redrawing maps is up to the states

Rep. Richard Hudson welcomed the court’s decision. “I was glad to see it come down,” he told reporters at the U.S. Capitol.

But the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee stopped short of saying he would encourage states to reconsider congressional district maps before the November election.

“I don’t know what the implications are going be for the fall,” the North Carolina congressman said.

“It’s pretty late,” he said. “We’ll see. It’s up to governors and legislators.”

Louisiana governor says the state is weighing its next steps

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry said the state attorney general and legislative leadership are discussing “what our options are.” He said it could take at least a day to fully assess the high court’s decision.

In a post on the social platform X, the governor — who has close ties to Trump — said the ruling affirms that states can draw districts “for political reasons.” He said federal courts cannot require “race-based redistricting” or treat what he called partisan disputes as violations of the Voting Rights Act.

Obama says the ruling ‘effectively guts a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act’

The nation’s first Black president issued a statement decrying the ruling as “just one more example of how a majority of the current Court seems intent on abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy and protecting the rights of minority groups against majority overreach.”

“The good news is that such setbacks can be overcome,” Obama, a Democrat, continued. “But that will only happen if citizens across the country who cherish our democratic ideals continue to mobilize and vote in record numbers.”

Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn says the ruling will fuel redistricting fights and weaken Black representation

The South Carolina congressional district held by 85-year-old Clyburn, who for a time was the highest-ranking Black member of Congress, has been a focus for Republicans angling to pick up an additional seat.

Clyburn said in a statement that the Supreme Court had taken “a giant step backward,” one that “threatens to send our country deeper into the thicket of never-ending redistricting fights, with repeated aggressive map redraws, protracted legal battles, and relentless partisan tugs-of-war.”

South Carolina’s 2022 map, which packs Democrats into Clyburn’s district, was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2024. Republicans have since tried to redraw the seat to flip it.

Trump says more districts should be redrawn after Wednesday’s ruling

The president said the decision, which could pave the way for other districts to be redrawn in the Republicans’ favor, is the “kind of ruling I like.”

“Some states don’t need to redraw, and some do,” Trump said, while noting that generally, he would want Republican state officials to revise the congressional maps.

Still, he wasn’t initially aware of what had happened. When asked by a reporter for his reaction to the decision, Trump asked when the ruling had come out.

“I’ve been with the astronauts,” he rationalized. “I’ve been with contractors because we’re trying to get the ballroom built.”

Georgia senator calls the decision a ‘huge step backwards’

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who is Black, says he would not be in Congress without the Voting Rights Act and slammed the Supreme Court’s decision as a blow for racial justice.

“Make no mistake, this ruling harkens back to the darkest days of the Jim Crow era,” he told reporters.

Americans, he said, are being “further squeezed out of their democracy.”

Tennessee Republicans consider their options

Asked about the prospect of trying to redistrict the state’s Memphis-centered Democratic seat, Tennessee’s Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton said in a written statement, “We are reviewing the recent opinion as I have conversations with the White House and other individuals.”

Alabama attorney general wants to apply the Supreme Court ruling to his state’s redistricting

Attorney General Steve Marshall said he wants to ensure Alabama’s congressional maps reflect voters’ will, not what he called an unconstitutional racial quota system.

The state is appealing a federal order requiring the state to continue using a court-drawn map with an additional district where Black voters are a majority or near it.

Marshall called Wednesday’s decision a “watershed moment” that means states “cannot be forced to gerrymander by race.”

He added that the high court recognized progress in the South and said laws from an earlier era no longer reflect current conditions.

A Black voter from New Orleans says he’s upset by the ruling

Thomas Johnson, a Black man from New Orleans who was visiting Louisiana’s Capitol on Wednesday, said he specifically feared the possibility that Republicans could redraw the state’s congressional map in a way that dismantles predominately Black districts.

“I feel like this is an embarrassing attack upon the minorities, particularly the Black community,” who he feels have little say in Washington.

Johnson is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, one of two Black Democrats from Louisiana in Congress.

“We are going to do all we can and continue fighting so our voices are heard,” Johnson said. “That’s all we want, to be heard.”

Louisiana’s other Democratic congressman says his seat isn’t safe either

While the Supreme Court ruled on the district represented by Rep. Cleo Fields, the other Democratic member of Louisiana’s U.S. House delegation is concerned about the fate of his seat, too.

“The reality is our maps were drawn together,” said Rep. Troy Carter, whose district includes New Orleans. “So that means if they’re all thrown out as unconstitutional, then the likelihood that new maps would be drawn that would in fact not only impact Congressman Fields but also impact me as well.”

Rights groups aren’t mincing words about the Supreme Court decision

Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said the decision is a blow to American democracy and one that will further erode trust in the Supreme Court among diverse populations.

“It’s a day of loss of any remnant or modicum of credibility of this Supreme Court to rise above partisan politics,” Nelson said. “It has elevated the principle of partisanship and politics over the right to vote.”

Wednesday’s decision is a “profound betrayal of the civil rights movement,” said Sophia Lin Lakin, deputy director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. Minority communities won’t just potentially lose a seat in Congress, she said, they’ll lose a voice on issues like healthcare, education and infrastructure.

“States can now point to partisan objectives to justify maps that strip voters of color of representation, and federal courts will have little basis to intervene,” she said.

A voting rights advocate doesn’t know if the ruling will spur redistricting this year

David Becker, the founder and executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, said the ruling will allow lawmakers to reduce the power of minority voters — at least eventually.

“How it will affect 2026, I don’t know,” Becker said Wednesday on a call with reporters. “It could be open season now, but we’re also running out of time.”

Obama’s attorney general says this Supreme Court has earned an infamous place in history

Eric Holder, the former Obama-era U.S. attorney general whose administration lost a crucial voting rights battle in 2013, said Wednesday’s ruling amounted to “Supreme Court sanctioned racial and partisan gerrymandering.”

“The Court today ensures that it will be remembered as one of the most destructive and deeply irresponsible Courts in the history of our nation,” Holder said in a statement.

“It should not be lost on anyone,” he added, “that the Roberts court makes this decision at a time when Republican leaders across the country are foaming at the mouth to draw the American people out of a meaningful say in our elections.”

After leaving public service, Holder formed the National Redistricting Foundation to protect voting rights and challenge gerrymandered congressional and state legislative districts.

Candidate for Tennessee governor calls for redistricting after Supreme Court decision

Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who is running for governor this year, called on social media for the GOP-supermajority state Legislature to reconvene and draw Tennessee’s only Democratic congressional seat to favor a pickup for Republicans.

The district centers on the majority-Black city of Memphis.

One top Georgia Republican calls for immediate redistricting, even with voting underway

Redrawing Georgia’s maps for the 2026 elections would be difficult because early voting is already underway for the May 19 party primaries, in advance of the November election.

A spokesperson for Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and state Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon didn’t immediately respond Wednesday to queries about immediate redistricting. State Senate Minority Harold Jones II, an Augusta Democrat, said he’s unsure of the prospects of quick action.

But one leading GOP candidate to replace Kemp urged the governor to act immediately, which could protect Republican power even if Georgia Democrats make gains this fall.

“Democrats nationally are trying to redistrict their way back to power, and what happened in Virginia is just the tip of the spear,” businessman Rick Jackson said in a statement. “There is no time to waste. Georgia must act now to ensure secure elections in Georgia and counter the Democrats’ national assault on our elections.”

Hakeem Jeffries slams the Supreme Court decision as ‘far right extremists’ thinking

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries accused the Supreme Court of being “far right extremists” and of voter suppression being “a way of life” for Trump and Republicans, in a strongly worded statement on social media.

“Republicans know they cannot win a free and fair election in November and so they are desperate to rig it. We will never let them succeed,” the Democrat wrote.

Jeffries has previously claimed Trump makes power grabs when it comes to voting.

When Trump signed an executive order in March to create a nationwide list of verified eligible voters and to restrict mail-in voting, Jeffries said it would make voting unnecessarily difficult of communities of color, people with disabilities and other key demographics.

King family ‘deeply troubled’ by Supreme Court decision

Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., and his wife Arndrea Waters King said in a statement that the Supreme Court decision “further weakened the Voting Rights Act.”

“This decision silences the voices of millions of voters of color by undermining the purpose of the VRA – securing and protecting the political rights of Black and Brown communities across the country,” they said. “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood that voting rights are the foundation of our entire democratic system. Without them, we are a democracy in name only. “

The couple are the founders of a civil rights organization called the Drum Major Institute.

Congressional Black Caucus says the Supreme Court has ‘signed the death certificate of the Voting Rights Act’

The 60 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which is currently made up of all Democrats, said the ruling erased “decades of Black progress.”

“Republicans now have the ability to move forward with a nationwide scheme to rig congressional maps in their favor — to manufacture more districts for themselves by eliminating majority-Black districts, while stripping away the ability to challenge those racist, anti-Black maps in court,” the group said.

The caucus added this could open the door for huge redistricting changes in the South and vowed to initiate “any measure necessary” to find a legislative remedy, and called for a vote on the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Inside the Supreme Court as the decision was announced

The already quiet courtroom went silent when Chief Justice John Roberts said Justice Samuel Alito would be reading the majority opinion.

Members of the audience listened raptly as he read, waiting to hear the depths of the Section 2 decision. Some in the audience nodded as Justice Elena Kagan read the dissent and said the majority had effectively finished a yearslong pursuit of the Voting Rights Act.

A Black voter in Alabama reacts to the court’s decision

Shalela Dowdy in Mobile, Alabama, said she’s worried the decision will lead to the rollback of an Alabama congressional district created in 2023, which she said gave previously ignored voters a seat at the table.

“It’s a setback. Putting it in the hands of the states on this level is dangerous,” Dowdy said. “There’s just been a history of the states not doing the right thing based off their state population.”

Dowdy, who is Black, was a plaintiff in a lawsuit that resulted in the creation of the new district, now represented by Rep. Shomari Figures.

She added that they are going to have to battle in court, and at the ballot box, to maintain representation: “The fight continues. You can’t get comfortable.”

Rev. Al Sharpton says the decision is a ’bullet in the heart of the voting rights movement'

“The Supreme Court has not just weakened a law, it has humiliated and dismantled the life’s work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and every man and woman who marched, bled, and died for Black Americans to have an equal voice at the ballot box,” Sharpton, the president of the National Action Network, said in a statement.

“This ruling does not just dishonor the generation that marched, it steals from the generation that hasn’t voted yet,” Sharpton added in the statement. “Black children growing up in this country deserve the same protections their grandparents bled for.”

He called on Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act through federal legislation, a task that has proved elusive while Capitol Hill has been narrowly split between Democrats and Republicans.

Louisiana’s Republican attorney general applauds the decision

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she will work with fellow Republican Gov. Jeff Landry and the GOP-dominated Legislature to “provide guidance as we move forward to adopt a constitutionally compliant map.”

“The Supreme Court has ended Louisiana’s long-running nightmare of federal courts coercing the state to draw a racially discriminatory map,” Murrill wrote. “That was always unconstitutional—and this is a seismic decision reaffirming equal protection under our nation’s laws.”

Republican redistricting group hails the decision

The ruling is expected to be an enormous boost for Republican efforts to expand their number of winnable seats in the House of Representatives and state legislatures.

The GOP has long complained that Democrats turned the Voting Rights Act’s protections into a partisan weapon to gain seats.

“For decades the left has spent hundreds of millions of dollars seeking to divide Americans along racial lines in a cynical pursuit of partisan power masquerading as civil rights,” said Adam Kincaid, the National Republican Redistricting Trust’s executive director, in a statement. “Today’s decision rebukes that divisive and unconstitutional effort.”

The decision will likely reignite legal battles over congressional districts in southern states including Alabama

A federal court in 2023 ordered the creation of a new near-majority Black district which led to the election of Alabama’s second Black congressional representative.

Alabama is under a court order to use the new map through the rest of the decade, but the state appealed to the Supreme Court. Alabama has argued the court-drawn map is an illegal racial gerrymander.

Alabama House Speaker Pro Tempore Chris Pringle, a Republican, said he is hopeful that the Louisiana ruling means justices will rule in favor of Alabama in that appeal, eventually clearing the way for Alabama to draw its own map.

“I do believe the ruling today vindicates the state’s argument that the court illegally racially gerrymandered the state in its ruling,” Pringle said.

The Supreme Court decision is hugely consequential, but maybe not for the 2026 election

In most of the states where Republicans could benefit from eliminating Democratic districts that have majority Black or Hispanic populations, filing deadlines for congressional elections have already passed. In some, primaries have already occurred.

Barring extraordinary action, that means the most likely impact of Wednesday’s decision will come in 2028, when the GOP can potentially replace more than a dozen Democratic-held House districts that were previously protected under the Voting Rights Act.

“The Voting Rights Act as a means to protect minority voters from vote dilution is essentially dead,” said Jonathan Cervas, a political scientist at Carnegie-Mellon University who’s served as a special master in multiple Voting Rights Act cases.

Decision could cut Black political power in states and localities

Over time, the decision could result in a sweeping rollback to Black political power at the state and local level.

There are hundreds of Black state legislators in the South. There are many more Black officials on county and parish governing bodies, school boards and city councils that make decisions about policing, road paving and school districting that touch everyday lives.

In many cases, Black-majority districts that those officials represent have been carved out through decades of repeated Section 2 litigation. In states like Alabama and Mississippi, the racial cleavage is so deep that there are few Democratic state legislators who aren’t Black.

Wednesday’s ruling could let white majorities wipe out districts where Black voters exercise power, particularly where they are numerous but in the minority. That would be a change from today, where Black officials often exercise real influence, even on governing bodies where they are in the minority.

The trial centers on the 2015 birth of the ChatGPT maker as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion.

Musk, who invested about $38 million in OpenAI from December 2015 through May 2017, gave his account of OpenAI’s early years, recounting how he lost confidence that Altman would keep it a nonprofit. Questioned by his lawyer Steven Molo, Musk said by late 2022 he was concerned Altman was trying to “steal the charity.”

"It turned out to be true,” Musk said on the witness stand, wearing his usual courtroom attire of a black suit and tie.

Altman, OpenAI's CEO, was in attendance at the federal courthouse in Oakland, California, although he was not scheduled to testify on Wednesday. The trial started Monday and is expected to last about four weeks.

Lawyers for OpenAI have rejected the allegations brought in Musk's civil lawsuit and said there were never promises that the company would remain a nonprofit forever. The company has argued Musk's legal challenge is aimed at undercutting OpenAI's rapid growth and bolstering Musk’s xAI, which he launched in 2023 as a competitor.

During cross-examination, Musk repeatedly pushed back on questions. OpenAI lawyer William Savitt was asking about emails Musk wrote before OpenAI's founding in 2015 on whether it would be better to make it a standard for-profit company and about tax deductions from his donations to the nonprofit.

“Your questions are not simple,” Musk said. “They are designed to trick me essentially.” Any simple answer, he said, would be misleading the jury.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers stepped in, asking Musk to answer whether it's true or false that OpenAI was formed as a nonprofit in December 2015. Musk said in that case, the answer was yes, but added that it is not always simple, comparing it to asking “have you stopped beating your wife?”

“We are not going to go there,” the judge replied, to laughs in the courtroom.

Despite moments of levity, the stakes are high at the trial, which could sway the balance of power in artificial intelligence. Musk’s lawsuit seeks Altman’s ouster from OpenAI’s board. If Musk wins, it could derail OpenAI's plans for an initial public offering of its shares.

Musk’s decision to stop funding the company contributed to a bitter falling out between the former allies that's been evident throughout the trial. On Wednesday, Musk said his views on Altman and his OpenAI cofounders had three phases — from initial excitement to losing confidence to a period in late 2022 when he thought “wait a second, these guys are betraying their promise.”

Lawyers for OpenAI have said Musk sought to control the company for himself.

Musk repeatedly testified that while he initially sought a majority stake in OpenAI and control of four out of seven board seats, this would eventually be diluted when OpenAI grew and gained more shareholders. He compared it to his stake in Tesla, which he said is now around 15% after he initially had a majority stake when the electric car maker was founded over two decades ago.

OpenAI, however, claims there were no assurances that he would eventually relinquish his board majority.

News 6 was the first to take viewers inside Crazy Hot Buys before it even opened to the public back in November — just in time to bring new foot traffic to a mall that has been working for years to keep up with the e-commerce age. At the time, the owner, Majdi Salem, said it was their largest launch yet, and the Oviedo store was their largest location at 122,500 square feet.

The store’s owner says the business has been successful since opening and has brought customers to the mall looking to buy return or surplus items from major retailers like Target, Amazon, Kohl’s and Best Buy, at ridiculously low prices. But the business doesn’t own the space — it leases it. And the landlord had the right to terminate that lease with proper notice.

Kevin Hipes, who has been overseeing the mall’s redevelopment, explained to News 6 how the arrangement came together — and why it’s ending.

[WATCH: News 6 takes sneak peek at ‘Crazy Hot Buys’ coming to Oviedo Mall (from 2025)]

“We brought him in, and he’s a great guy. And he was a very good tenant for us because the space was sitting empty for many years,” Hipes said. “He came and approached us and he said, listen, ‘I can bring some traffic to the mall. I got good deals.’ So we put him in.”

Hipes said the store did sign a long-term lease at the former Sear’s location, but the mall retained the option to terminate it.

“We were hoping we could keep him longer, but we have a plan for that space now. And we unfortunately had to ask him to go,” he said. “He made some money. But I’m sure he wanted to stay longer. We wanted him to stay longer, too, but it just didn’t work out that way.”

What’s moving in?

Hipes isn’t revealing the new tenant just yet — but says three serious prospects are already at the table.

“I’ve got three different tenants looking at it very seriously. And quite frankly, I’m waiting a little bit longer because from a leasing perspective, I want to make sure I maximize that space and get the best tenant possible,” he said.

As for what that tenant could be, Hipes says the possibilities are wide open.

“It could be entertainment. It could be offices. Could even be another department store,” he said.

A mall in transformation

With Crazy Hot Buys closing and moving on, it marks another chapter in the mall’s ever-changing landscape — one that Hipes says is moving deliberately toward a mixed-use future.

“When you have a 1,000,000-square-foot mall, that’s too much retail. Nobody goes to the mall anymore — at least except for the super regionals or the malls that are in the tourist areas,” Hipes said. “So we have to make it a mixed use, which is eat, sleep, work, play.”

Central to that vision are apartments. For years, there have been talks and promises that the former Macy’s space would be demolished to make room for residential space.

“Once we knock down Macy’s and put up apartments there — and another 300 on this site in the grassy area — this is now a mixed-use project, and I’ve got a lot more types of tenants that will be attracted here,” he said.

[WATCH: Despite losing brewery, Oviedo Mall revamp is ‘close,’ development director says (from 2025)]

Hipes held off from making any formal announcement about the future development or the timeline.

“As soon as I announce the apartments, there’ll be signs going up on both sides of this mall saying ‘coming soon’ — million-dollar apartment complexes. And that’ll give me the leverage,” he said. “People see this mall right now as a mall with two empty department stores. It’s going to be a mixed-use project.”'C

Medical Main Street, a food hall, more

Beyond retail and residential, Hipes is reimagining entire corridors of the mall. One wing is already rebranded as what he calls “Medical Main Street.”

“We’ve already got Orlando Orthopedic here — it’s like a 16,000-square-foot space that was empty for probably 10 years,” he said. “I’ve got a pharmacy now. I’m trying to get a dentist, a chiropractor, a family practice. I will eventually get all of those.”

On the retail side, Hipes says the mall will shift away from big national chains — which he says are largely abandoning traditional malls — and lean into high-end boutique stores.

“We’re going to be more like Park Avenue or Winter Park Village,” he said. “Most of your big national chains, they’re just not going into malls anymore. So we’re going to be downsizing the retail and upsizing the other sleep, work, play concepts.”

Several unique food and beverage tenants are already in the works. Hipes highlighted D’Amico and Sons, an 8,000-square-foot Italian supermarket with a bakery, as well as Bruder Latin Restaurant & Brewery — a Latin American-Colombian brewery with 10 locations in Colombia — opening its first U.S. location at the Oviedo Mall.

“He could have gone to Miami. No, he came to the Oviedo Mall,” Hipes said. “He’s spending over $1 million in there.”

A Japanese steakhouse in the mall is also set to be converted into a sushi restaurant soon, Hipes added.

The food court itself is getting a rebrand, too. Hipes says he plans to rename it the “Oviedo Eatery” — a nod to the food hall concept — and add beer and wine service to encourage longer, more social visits.

“Instead of going in for a 30-minute meal and coming out, you get to sit in, enjoy your time, maybe watch the Super Bowl on TV,” he said.

‘It’s going to happen. It just takes time.’

The community has been vocal about the pace of change at Oviedo Mall — raising questions about closures, openings and long-promised residential development. When pressed on that criticism, Hipes acknowledged the frustration but stood firm.

“I know what I tell people. I say, ‘listen, I know what I’m doing,’” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 40 years. This is one of the best pieces of dirt that I’ve ever worked on. It’s going to happen. It just takes time.”

Part of that complexity, he says, comes down to ownership.

“You’ve got four different property owners on this mall property, and all four have to agree to everything before you can go forward. It’s a lot of lawyers involved and a lot of documents,” he said. “It’s given me a headache and gray hair — but we’re very, very close.”

Hipes even admitted he’s stepped back from posting apartment updates on social media to avoid overpromising.

“I know that I’m like the guy that cries wolf. So, I’m going to lay low until I can make the announcement,” he said. “But I think it is going to happen.”

The S&P 500 finished nearly unchanged and edged down by less than 0.1%, a day after slipping from its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 280 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite inched up by less than 0.1%.

The action was more dramatic in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in July jumped 5.8% to settle at $110.44 per barrel. That’s where most of the trading is happening in the Brent market, and it got as high as $111.84 later in the afternoon.

The highest price since the war with Iran began is $119.50 for the most actively traded Brent contract, reached last month. On Wednesday, the price for a barrel of Brent crude for delivery in June, which is getting less trading action than July’s contract, briefly breached that mark and got above $120.

Oil prices have jumped this week as President Donald Trump appears willing to maintain the U.S. blockade of Iranian ships, which is preventing the country from making money by selling oil. Iran, in turn, is keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed to other oil tankers hoping to carry crude to customers worldwide as long as the blockade continues.

High oil prices helped push the Federal Reserve to announce Wednesday that it’s continuing to hold off on cuts to interest rates. While lower rates could give the economy a boost, they simultaneously risk worsening inflation.

Three Fed officials said they did not want to include anything suggesting more cuts may be coming in the central bank’s statement announcing the decision.

Treasury yields climbed in the bond market immediately afterward, adding to gains from earlier in the day due to rising oil prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.41% from 4.36% late Tuesday.

The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, climbed more. It jumped to 3.93% from 3.84%, which is a notable move for the bond market.

Traders still largely expect the Fed to hold the federal funds rate steady through the end of this year, according to data from CME Group. But they eliminated nearly all their bets for a cut to rates in 2026 in favor of a small chance for a hike.

Still, the U.S. stock market held near its records as more companies joined the procession reporting stronger profit growth for the start of 2026 than analysts expected.

Visa jumped 8.3% after delivering stronger results than analysts expected, and CEO Ryan McInerney said consumer spending remained resilient in the quarter.

Starbucks climbed 8.4% after likewise reporting better results than expected, while saying customers spent more at each visit, particularly at its North American stores.

But those not meeting expectations have gotten punished. GE Healthcare Technologies dropped 13.2% after falling short of analysts’ forecasts. Robinhood Markets sank 13.2% after reporting growth in profit that was not as strong as analysts expected.

Booking Holdings swung between losses and gains and finished with a gain of 0.3% after the online travel company reported better results than analysts expected. It said the war with Iran is affecting its results and kept some potential customers from booking rooms during the quarter.

The company behind Booking.com, Priceline and other brands said it expects the conflict to continue affecting its business through the end of June. It could affect travel not only in the Middle East but also in major transit corridors, such as between Europe and Asia.

All told, the S&P 500 slipped 2.85 points to 7,135.95. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 280.12 to 48,861.81, and the Nasdaq composite added 9.44 to 24,673.24.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 1.7% for one of the world’s strongest moves, while London’s FTSE 100 fell 1.2%.

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AP Business Writer Chan Ho-him contributed to this report.