The crash happened Saturday on Southwest 49th Avenue Road at Southwest 82nd Place, north of Marion Oaks.

The Florida Highway Patrol says two cars were speeding recklessly in the northbound lanes when one of the cars struck an SUV that was entering the intersection.

The crash killed the passenger in the SUV, whose identity has not been released. The driver, a 48-year-old man, suffered serious injuries.

Troopers say charges are pending against the driver of the car that hit the SUV. The other car that was speeding left the scene of the crash, and troopers are looking for it.

No information about that vehicle or the driver is known at this time.

Bieniemy was greeted by a handful of fans as he walked down the long hill to the training fields at Missouri Western State University, where the Chiefs hold camp. Then he jumped right into his first practice since Mia Bieniemy was shot the evening of July 26.

Elijah Bieniemy has been charged with malicious wounding, the use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. His court appearances have been delayed pending a mental health evaluation.

Eric Bieniemy, who returned to the Chiefs earlier this year, had been staying in touch with coach Andy Reid and the rest of the staff, and had been watching streams of some practices. In one case, he called Chiefs manager Brett Veach — who was sitting next to Reid — and asked him to hand over the phone, then proceeded to tell the head coach a point of instruction for a running back.

Bieniemy was part of coaching staffs that helped Kansas City reach three Super Bowls and win two of them. But because Reid is the primary play-caller, Bieniemy left to serve as the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders, where he would be able to call his own plays and perhaps better position himself for a head coaching job in the NFL.

The Commanders struggled in his lone season there, though, and Bieniemy and the rest of the staff were let go. He spent a season with UCLA and last season coaching the running backs with the Chicago Bears before returning to Kansas City as the offensive coordinator.

He replaced Matt Nagy, who was hired as the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

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

Monday marks exactly one month until Sept. 10, the climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. So far this season, the Atlantic has produced two named storms, Arthur and Bertha.

As of 8 a.m, Monday, the National Hurricane Center was monitoring three areas for possible tropical development across the Atlantic basin. None are an immediate concern for Florida.

The area with the greatest chance of development is in the eastern tropical Atlantic, a few hundred miles south of the Cabo Verde Islands. A broad area of low pressure there is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

The system is expected to move slowly westward and eventually merge with a tropical wave currently moving across western Africa. Environmental conditions are forecast to become more favorable by midweek, and a tropical depression could form during the latter half of the week as the system moves west to west-northwest across the central Atlantic.

[RELATED: Here’s how to use the News 6 Weather App to track the tropics]

The National Hurricane Center gives this area a 20% chance of development over the next 48 hours and a 60% chance over the next seven days.

Farther west, another tropical wave is producing a broad area of showers and thunderstorms about halfway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles. Some gradual development is possible through midweek as the wave moves quickly westward. However, upper-level winds are expected to become less favorable as it approaches the Lesser Antilles later this week.

Development chances with this system remain low at 10% through both 48 hours and seven days.

A third area is being monitored in the western subtropical Atlantic, several hundred miles northwest of Bermuda. A trough of low pressure is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms and could see some development over the next couple of days.

That system is moving quickly eastward, well north of Bermuda, and is expected to reach cooler waters later this week. Development chances remain low at 10%.

While none of the three areas poses an immediate concern to Florida, the increase in activity is a reminder that we are entering the heart of hurricane season.

Historically, Atlantic tropical activity increases quickly through August before reaching its climatological peak on Sept. 10. The season continues through Nov. 30, leaving plenty of time for additional storms to develop.

Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Monday. Full coverage can be found here.

Meeting comes amid signs of division among Iran's leaders

President Masoud Pezeshkian described a nearly seven-hour meeting with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in an interview Monday with Iranian state television that aired amid apparent tensions among the Islamic Republic’s leaders.

Pezeshkian told the state-run IRIB that he and Khamenei discussed “people’s livelihoods, the state of the market, employment, people’s housing,” as well as “problems that are now being created as a result of the (U.S.) sanctions.” He didn’t say when or where they met.

Most important, he said, was Khamenei’s emphasis on unity.

“All of the enemy’s plans are aimed at creating division,” Pezeshkian said. “What we have to do is prevent divisions from emerging.”

It is only the second time the Iranian president said he has met with the new supreme leader since Khamenei was appointed in March following a U.S.-Israeli strike that killed his father. Khamenei, believed to have been wounded in the same attack, has not appeared in public since then.

Iran presses demands on US as ship

ping standoff grinds on

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States meets its conditions.

“It is up to the U.S. side to stop and make amends for its illegal and destructive actions,” Esmail Baghaei said Monday, noting the American blockade of Iranian ports.

Iran wants the U.S. to end the blockade, pay compensation for months of war damage, lift economic sanctions and release Iran's frozen assets. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway that normally carries roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil supplies — has become the war’s most lasting consequence. The impasse has kept energy prices as a major focus of U.S. politics ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Iran is holding separate talks with Oman over transit through the strait, including potentially a temporary shipping corridor. But it has said any actual reopening is contingent on talks with the U.S.

Iran names former Revolutionary Guard leader to top security post

Iran on Sunday appointed Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to its new supreme leader, to head its powerful Supreme National Security Council.

Rezaei commanded Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard from 1981 to 1997, a period that includes Iran’s 1980s war with Iraq. The 71-year-old hardliner last week threatened American forces with “serious risks and casualties” if the U.S. did not lift its blockade of Iranian ports.

Rezaei replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who took the security council role in March after his predecessor was killed by an Israeli strike. Zolghadr will become a political adviser to Khamenei.

While he appears willing to negotiate with the U.S. to “secure Iran’s maximalist aims, including control of the Strait of Hormuz,” Rezaei has also been “unwilling to present any Iranian concessions,” wrote the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think-tank.

Israel declares closed military zone in Taybeh

Israel's military said Monday it had declared a Christian-majority town in the occupied West Bank a closed military zone to keep out Israeli settlers and other non-residents.

The new tactic is designed to keep Israelis out of Taybeh, which is surrounded by settlements to its east and west and has been subject to arson, vandalism and settlers coming onto private and village property. The order does not apply to Palestinian residents or journalists, who the army said would be allowed unless soldiers determine their presence poses a threat. The army said its troops would detain suspects and disperse gatherings to keep the peace.

The designation comes after months of the army and police struggling to maintain order throughout the territory, where at least 87 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers in 2026, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry. Parts of Taybeh lie in what's called “Area B,” where Israel maintains security control, but residents have complained that the army and police are slow to respond to attacks by extremist settlers.

Yemen provides death toll on Sunday's Houthi attack on Red Sea

town

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked a Red Sea port town controlled by government forces on Sunday, killing seven and injuring 30 people. Yemen’s Defense Ministry — which operates under its internationally recognized government — said four military personnel and three civilians were killed.

The attack on Mokha is the latest in one of the largest waves of Houthi strikes on Yemeni military positions and areas held by the Saudi-backed government since a 2022 truce. It comes as threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait at its southern tip. Some shipping has shifted toward that route with Hormuz largely off limits to traffic.

Tonight’s drawing will be the 43rd in a row in search of a winner, and its prize ranks as the eighth-largest jackpot in Powerball history, according to the Multi State Lottery Association, which administers the game.

If a player matches all five white balls and the red Powerball tonight, they can choose between an annuitized prize estimated at $905 million, paid out over 30 years, or a lump sum payment estimated at $391.9 million.

Saturday night’s winning numbers were 5, 9, 35, 54, and 63, and the red Powerball was 7. There was a Power Play multiplier of 3.

The school district is expanding its weapons detection system program — already in place at high schools — to middle schools across the county.

The rollout will not happen all at once. District officials plan to spend the first week walking students through how the systems work before a phased rollout begins. Galaxy Middle School is set to be the first campus to get the detectors, starting Aug. 31.

Christy Sturrup, the district’s director of Safety and Security, says the results at the high school level made a clear case for expansion.

“We have arrested kids of that age for making threats against the schools or harming other students,” Sturrup said.

The numbers back up that concern. Last school year, 13 weapons were caught on Volusia campuses — seven of them at high schools. At the middle school level, 15 students were arrested for making threats, and one was arrested for bringing a weapon to campus.

Sturrup says the detectors did more than catch weapons. They changed student behavior.

“Students were discarding items in trashcans such as vapes and anything they knew could potentially get caught by the metal detector because they did not want to get in trouble by student services,” Sturrup said.

She also addressed what students can expect during the screening process.

“You’ll get dropped off no different than you would any other day. You’ll get in line. Have your ID ready. Staff will in, you know, just inform you to make sure you are standing in line. Anything that you have your backpack on that you make sure you pull it up so it is properly on,” Sturrup said.

James Barringer, director of Student Services, says the phased approach is intentional.

“What we’re doing this year is a slow rollout and phasing them out like we did throughout the high schools to give an opportunity for the schools to get acclimated to having a metal detector on campus,” Barringer said.

The district is still finalizing the full rollout schedule for the remaining middle school campuses.

Progressive candidates for governor in Wisconsin and U.S. Senate in Minnesota are making their final pushes ahead of Tuesday’s election, increasing the pressure on the Democratic establishment. In Wisconsin, democratic socialist Francesca Hong seeks to win a four-way Democratic primary for governor. Minnesota voters will choose between moderate U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in a Democratic U.S. Senate primary in the aftermath of Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement surge.

Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States lifts its blockade on the strait, pays compensation for months of war damage, lifts economic sanctions and releases Iran’s frozen assets. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly rejected Trump's proposed exit strategy for Gaza.

Here’s the latest:

Iranian leadership makes display of unity against US

Iran’s president says the country’s supreme leader is calling for “unity and cohesion” as its war with the United States brings more economic hardships to the Islamic Republic.

President Masoud Pezeshkian described a nearly seven-hour meeting with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in an interview Monday with Iranian state television that aired amid apparent tensions among the Islamic Republic’s leaders.

He told IRIB they discussed people’s livelihoods, the state of the market, employment, people’s housing and problems resulting from U.S. sanctions. Most important, he said, was Khamenei’s emphasis on unity.

“All of the enemy’s plans are aimed at creating division,” Pezeshkian said. “What we have to do is prevent divisions from emerging.”

He didn’t say when or where they met. Khamenei is believed to have been wounded in the U.S.-Israeli strike that killed his father and has not appeared in public since he was appointed in March.

Judge cancels release hearing for 1st person ever charged in 30-year-old Alien Terrorist Removal Court

A federal judge has canceled a release hearing this week for Afghan woman who is the first person ever charged in a 30-year-old deportation court that was recently activated by the Trump administration.

A Tuesday hearing had been set in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court’s inaugural case against Nazira Haji Zada, who is accused of supporting the Islamic State group. But the court’s chief judge agreed Monday to give her lawyers more time to prepare and gather information. A new hearing date wasn’t immediately set.

The court received its first-ever petition when the Justice Department filed an application seeking Haji Zada’s removal, opening an untested new front in Trump’s deportation campaign. Haji Zada, a lawful permanent U.S. resident, wants to be released from custody while the court case is pending.

Democrats face tougher reelection fights in redrawn districts

The court-inspired actions in Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee, as well as earlier legislative actions in other states to redraw boundaries through unusual mid-decade redistricting, were part of a nationwide Republican effort championed by Trump to maximize the party’s chances of holding its slim U.S. House majority this year.

Candidates in Tuesday’s special primaries in Alabama are running under the new Republican-backed boundaries, which go into effect in January 2027. Both Democratic representatives are unopposed in their party primaries, but facing tougher odds in November.

Rep. Shomari Figures, for example, was elected in a district where Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris beat Trump 53% to 46%. In his newly drawn district, Trump would have beaten Harris 57% to 42%.

What to expect in primaries for Alabama’s redistricted congressional seats

Voters in four of Alabama’s seven congressional districts select U.S. House nominees in special primaries Tuesday under a new map that eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts currently represented by Democrats.

Republican Gov. Kay Ivey had postponed contests for the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th Congressional Districts following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that prompted a handful of Republican-controlled Southern states to throw out their congressional maps.

What to expect as South Carolina voters choose Sen. Lindsey Graham’s successor

Ten Republicans are competing in Tuesday’s special primary election, including two congressmen, a former governor and Graham’s sister, now a U.S. senator appointed to serve out the final months of his current term.

Lindsey Graham’s unexpected death, a month after winning the June 9 Republican primary for the seat he first won a quarter-century ago, created this vacancy for the GOP’s nominee on the November ballot for another six-year term.

U.S. Sen. Darline Graham has Trump’s endorsement. Her opponents include Reps. Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, former Gov. Mark Sanford and business owner Mark Lynch, who ran against Lindsey Graham in the June 9 primary.

If no candidate receives a majority, the top two vote-getters advance to a special primary runoff on Aug. 25. The winner will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician.

Washington grapples with a National Guard deployment extended until 2029

It’s been 12 months since Trump announced a crime emergency in Washington, pledging to make the city “safe and beautiful” and deploying the National Guard.

But a mission that seemed temporary has been extended through January 2029. Residents and a new cadre of local officials consider it an unacceptable federal attempt to restrict the heavily Democratic city’s autonomy. A year in, they still question the necessity of troops on the streets of the nation’s capital.

“Here we are in the capital of the free world, and our president is treating it like a police state,” said Scott Michelman, legal director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia.

The continued deployment will be a major test for the politicians taking office after this year’s elections — residents will want them to use their limited powers to push back on Republican encroachment into the city’s affairs.

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Democrats investigating immigration efforts against military families

Congressional Democrats are probing the Trump administration’s efforts to deport military service members and their families after The Associated Press found that the spouses or parents of more than 50 active-duty troops have been detained by immigration authorities, breaking promises to shield their families from enforcement.

More than 60 lawmakers signed a letter Sunday evening to the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs. It says “these efforts imperil military readiness, weaken service members’ morale, and betray America’s promises to the people who put their lives on the line for our nation.”

The Pentagon declined to comment, stating it would “reply directly to the authors of the letter.”

DHS told the AP that it values service members’ contributions but “U.S. military service alone does not automatically grant lawful immigration status, or exempt aliens from the consequences of violating U.S. immigration laws.”

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White House mum on Israel’s rejection of Trump’s Gaza deal

The White House has not commented on the Israeli Prime Minister’s dismissal of Trump’s deal for Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel’s military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed.”

Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting that “Israel rejects the 15-point document” but is still discussing plans for Gaza with Washington. Trump had said Israeli forces would withdraw as the Hamas militant group’s disarmament is completed. Israeli forces control over half the Palestinian enclave of about 2 million people that’s been largely destroyed.

“We remain committed to the road map,” said a member of the Hamas political bureau, Bassem Naim, adding that the group expects mediators and the U.S. to pressure Netanyahu — who also faces domestic tensions as he struggles to hold onto power ahead of the next elections scheduled for Oct. 27.

Ocasio-Cortez says she’s freezing her eggs as she decides her next political moves

The 36-year-old Democratic New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez explained her decision in an ABC “This Week” interview on Sunday and said she has not ruled out running for president or for the U.S. Senate seat held by the Democrats’ floor leader, Chuck Schumer.

Ocasio-Cortez says in her social media posts that she’s taking a political risk in sharing such a personal decision about her potential plans to have children. The congresswoman says she wants to feel more control over her life and normalize conversations about what women face in their professional and personal lives.

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Iran presses demands on US as shipping standoff grinds on

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States meets its conditions.

“It is up to the U.S. side to stop and make amends for its illegal and destructive actions,” Esmail Baghaei said Monday, noting the American blockade of Iranian ports.

Iran wants the U.S. to lift its blockade on the Strait, pay compensation for months of war damage, lift economic sanctions and release Iran’s frozen assets. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway that normally carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil supplies — has become the war’s most lasting consequence. The impasse has kept energy prices as a major focus of U.S. politics ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Iran is holding separate talks with Oman over transit through the strait, including potentially a temporary shipping corridor, but has said any actual reopening is contingent on talks with the U.S.

▶ Read more

Wisconsin’s chaotic primary pits progressive against governor’s pick

Democratic socialist Francesca Hong is trying to win a four-way Democratic primary for governor in Wisconsin, where her top opponent has been endorsed by popular Gov. Tony Evers, who isn’t seeking a third term.

Evers got behind Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley on July 18, the same day Crowley reentered the race after dropping out 10 days earlier. Crowley rejoined after the candidate he backed, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, ended her candidacy amid a campaign finance scandal.

Evers and more establishment Democrats were hoping to finally coalesce around Crowley in the final days of the chaotic primary that saw two other candidates drop out, most notably former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes on July 29.

Republicans are spending to support a Hong victory, betting she's the better matchup for Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. The Republican Governors Association has spent nearly $3.6 million through its Right Direction Wisconsin PAC on ads contrasting Hong with Trump and playing up her liberal proposals.

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Trump’s immigration crackdown looms over Minnesota’s bruising Senate primary

Efforts to resist Trump found their footing in the streets surrounding a drab federal office complex next to the Minneapolis airport. As U.S. immigration agents staged at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building for a monthslong deportation campaign, protesters with whistles and cellphone cameras assembled to oppose them. Two were shot and killed in the city’s streets before Trump pulled back under pressure.

Months later, those confrontations remain the backdrop to Minnesota’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, which features establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and the more progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. The immigration debate is an added schism in a race that otherwise echoes many of the other left versus center divides that have played out across the United States this year.

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The S&P 500 rose 0.1% after flipping between small gains and losses, coming off its record set on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 61 points, or 0.1%, as of 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% higher.

Momentum is slowing for stocks following a rally powered by reports showing profits soared during the spring for big U.S. companies. Earnings per share for companies in the S&P 500 are on track to be 50% higher from a year earlier, according to FactSet. That would be the best growth since five years ago, when the economy was roaring out of the chasm created by COVID.

Berkshire Hathaway is one of the latest companies to deliver a stronger profit for the last quarter than analysts expected, and the company built by legendary investor Warren Buffett said over the weekend that it’s also invested some of its massive pile of cash into stocks under its new CEO, Greg Abel.

Berkshire Hathaway has been famous for buying stocks at what it considers low prices, and criticism has been high that U.S. stocks generally look too expensive. But when they report strong profits, it helps them look less pricey.

Berkshire Hathaway’s stock rose 2.4%, and its immense size made it one of the strongest forces lifting the S&P 500 index.

MarineMax jumped 45.9% after the retailer, marina operator and superyacht services provider said it agreed to sell itself for about $1.5 billion in cash to a portfolio company of Blackstone.

Varex Imaging leaped 48.3% after Teledyne Technologies said it would buy the maker of X-ray imaging components for $18.90 per share in cash.

Weighing down on Wall Street was Intel, which fell 4.2% after saying it may sell $15 billion of its stock. Such a move would dilute the ownership stakes of existing investors, and Intel said it would likely use the cash for investments to take advantage of the huge spending underway on artificial-intelligence technology.

In the oil market, the price for a barrel of Brent crude rose 2.8% to $85.86. It had swung between $72 and $102 last month as hopes rose and fell that the United States and Iran could reach an agreement that would allow oil tankers to freely exit the Middle East again to deliver crude worldwide.

But hopes are turning toward caution again, and the price of Brent is back to where it was earlier this month, as well as in mid-July, mid-June and in the first week of the war in March.

Higher oil prices push inflation upward, and the main event for Wall Street this week will likely be Wednesday’s update on how bad inflation was last month. Economists expect it to show inflation slowed to 3.4% from 3.5% in June.

A slowdown would mean less pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. Higher rates would help keep a lid on inflation, but they would also slow the economy by making it more expensive for U.S. households and companies to borrow. They would also undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

A report on Friday showing unexpectedly weak hiring across the United States lowered Wall Street’s expectations for an upcoming hike to interest rates. But traders still see a 46% chance the Fed will raise its main interest rate at its next meeting in September, according to data from CME Group.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.68% from 4.65% late Friday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe after rising in much of Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 2.1% for one of the world’s biggest moves.

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AP Business Writers Michelle Chapman and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

The epicenter was in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Bogota, the U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia’s counterpart reported. The USGS said it struck at a depth of 66 miles (107 kilometers). The quake also was felt in neighboring Ecuador.

Local officials confirmed that at least 18 people had been killed in the city of Pereira and two in the city of Manizales.

The quake left cities across the west of the country ravaged, and residents picking through the pieces of the rubble amid concerns by authorities of aftershocks.

Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver in Colombia's third-biggest city, Cali, said he saw plumes of dust shoot up across the city from him home in the mountains as buildings collapsed after the earthquake. Residents in the city and rescue workers were already searching the rubble of collapsed buildings Monday morning.

“My entire house shook,” he said. “I've never lived through such a powerful earthquake.”

In Manizales, a city nestled in the coffee producing mountains con Colombia, one of the towers of the neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed and fell on the nave. Jorge Eduardo Rojas, the mayor of Manizales said two people had died in the city “because of the quake” and asked residents to stay outside in case of aftershocks.

Choco Gov. Nubia Córdoba said on social media that “there are injuries and serious damage to buildings" in the regional capital of Quibdó, a city of about 130,000 people. She didn't provide further details.

Footage shared by local media outlets showed homes and small buildings collapsing in the cities of Pereira, Cali and Quibdo.

In Cali, a city 2 million people, Mayor Alejandro Eder said that residents were trapped in at least 19 buildings that had collapsed.

Small earthquakes, known as “temblores,” are common in central and western Colombia, but those above 6.0 magnitude are rare. In 1999, a 6.2 magnitude quake near the city of Armenia, killed more than 1,100 people.

Colombia’s newly inaugurated President Abelardo de la Espriella said Monday that he had personally taken charge of the government’s response to the emergency in San José del Palmar following the earthquake that struck the country.

“You are not alone. The state is present and taking action,” he said.

The quake follows two back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes in Venezuela in late June. Those earthquakes destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed more than 5,000 people.

The proposal would change a decades-old policy that advocates have called a regulatory loophole, blaming it for allowing thousands of unvetted ingredients into the U.S. food supply.

Under the proposed rule from the Food and Drug Administration, companies would have to document and submit their safety findings for new ingredients, giving regulators the opportunity to investigate if they see a potential safety risk. Currently companies can decide for themselves if an ingredient or additive is “generally recognized as safe” and there is no requirement for companies to notify or submit evidence to the FDA, although some do.

“Shifting to a mandatory notification system closes a decades-old information gap, giving the FDA the comprehensive visibility needed to enhance postmarket safety,” acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas told reporters on Monday.

The FDA will take comments on the proposal for 120 days.

Government scrutiny of ultraprocessed food continues, but with few details

In a separate move, the FDA said it completed work on the federal government's first-ever definition of ultraprocessed food, but did not release any details or the proposed language. The agency said it has submitted the definition to the White House for further review.

Health advocates consider an official definition of ultraprocessed food a key step toward bringing greater scrutiny to packaged foods that are blamed for multiple chronic health problems afflicting Americans. A government-backed definition could pave the way for more federal research and, eventually, possible labeling or other restrictions on processed foods.

Neither of Monday's announcements are likely to immediately impact American diets, which are packed with fats, sodium and sugar and are blamed for a host of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. But both initiatives are considered top priorities for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who entered government vowing to crack down on artificial colors, additives and other ingredients.

Ultraprocessed foods are made using industrial processing and additives, colors, preservatives or other ingredients not found in home kitchens. The foods include sugary cereals, sodas, chips, frozen pizzas and other grocery items.

Scientists have been working to define and classify processed foods for well over a decade. But sweeping definitions come with downsides. They can be often applied to foods like whole grain bread, yogurt and granola that are all highly processed but still considered nutritious. Some recent efforts to define ultraprocessed foods include carve-outs for foods that meet nutrition standards, despite having processed ingredients.

FDA proposal would bring new insights on additives used by food companies

In the U.S., an estimated 10,000 additives are allowed in food, including thickeners, preservatives and packaging ingredients.

Consumer advocates have long argued that many of those ingredients have never been properly vetted because of the FDA's policy allowing manufacturers to certify for themselves that new additives are “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS.

FDA's Diamantas stressed Monday that the new policy would not require all new ingredients to undergo FDA review. He said that type of mandatory review would need to be enacted by Congress in order to rewrite FDA's authority over the food supply.

“What we’re doing is requiring companies that utilize the pathway to notify us of their conclusions so that we have greater visibility into those conclusions and consumers have awareness,” Diamantas said.

Under the proposal, the FDA would be expected to review new ingredient submission within 180 days. If FDA regulators have safety concerns they could request additional information from manufacturers or request that they delay introducing the ingredient.

A rule change in the 1990s created what advocates call a loophole

Any substance intentionally added to food is supposed to undergo formal review — unless the additive is considered safe. Since the late 1950s, the government recognized that many common ingredients in foods, such as spices and vinegar, were widely consumed and understood to be safe for consumption.

The FDA policed the GRAS exemption for years, but it took time and resources. Starting in 1997, the FDA began allowing companies to independently determine that a new additive is safe based on publicly available scientific evidence and the consensus of qualified experts.

However, the list of products deemed GRAS by companies grew to include many synthetic and natural additives, all incorporated into the food supply without independent review.

The process has created a “secret GRAS loophole,” according to the consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest, that “undermines the integrity of our food safety system."

Food industry officials contend their internal reviews of additives are as rigorous as the FDA’s own processes.

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

But a mission that seemed temporary has been extended through January 2029. Residents and a new cadre of local officials see in it an unacceptable attempt by the federal government to restrict the heavily Democratic city's autonomy and, a year in, still question why having troops on the streets of the nation's capital is necessary.

“There’s a deep irony that here we are in the capital of the free world, and our president is treating it like a police state,” said Scott Michelman, legal director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia. “D.C. residents have lived with our National Guard troops in our neighborhoods for about a year, despite the absence of any genuine emergency and really any reason for them to be here.”

The continued deployment will be a major test for a new batch of political candidates expected to take office after the midterms this fall. Residents will look to them to push back on the Republican president's encroachment into the city's affairs — although they are limited in what they can do to counter it.

A temporary deployment goes on and on

On Aug. 11, 2025, Trump announced that he was launching a federal law enforcement surge in Washington aimed at fighting crime. As of Aug. 4, more than 4,600 military personnel from D.C. and 24 states and territories were still deployed alongside unknown numbers of less visible federal law enforcement officers. Some are expected to be withdrawn toward the end of the summer.

Small groups of armed guard members have become a routine presence on the streets of Washington. They have supported arrest operations but are also seen patrolling tourist areas, such as along the Tidal Basin during the Cherry Blossom Festival and in neighborhoods such as Georgetown where violent crimes are rare. They have helped with medical emergencies, snow removal and beautification projects — initiatives that have received support from some residents.

Extending the deployment into 2029 will cost about $1.4 billion, according to a Defense Department estimate.

“President Trump has transformed D.C. from a crime-ridden city into a safe and beautiful haven for residents and visitors alike,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in an email.

Figures posted to the U.S. attorney's office for the District of Columbia credit the surge with more than 13,000 arrests.

Crime, which was falling before the surge began, continues to drop. Metropolitan Police Department statistics show overall crime was down 20% through Aug. 7, compared with the same period in 2025. That includes a 32% drop in homicides, from 97 to 66.

But there’s a debate over how much of that success is owed to Trump’s mission or to yearslong local efforts to chip away at the crime rate.

What is certain is that locals feel the weight of the deployment and do not see a clear way to push back against it. National Guard deployments to other cities have been blocked by courts, and a lawsuit challenging the deployment is pending, but critics of the surge are not hopeful.

“The fact that we still have the National Guard walking our streets a year later with no end in sight is really demoralizing,” city council member Brianne K. Nadeau said.

Autonomy is a top priority for newly elected candidates

Because Washington is a congressionally established federal district, Trump has much greater influence over the police and D.C. National Guard, which he controls directly, including its commander.

The Home Rule Act, passed in 1973, allows residents to vote for local leaders, including the mayor and council members. Congress has oversight over the local budget and review authority of all laws passed and the ability to summon district officials to the Capitol routinely to explain themselves. The D.C. delegate to Congress is a nonvoting position.

The city’s governmental structure under home rule made it easy for Trump to do what he has done, Nadeau said.

“There isn’t really any political liability for national leaders to mess with D.C. because nobody really cares,” outside of those directly impacted, she said.

The law enforcement surge played a major role in Democratic primary elections in June, which elevated candidates who have made Washington's autonomy and statehood top priorities.

Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist who in the overwhelmingly Democratic city is likely to be its next mayor, has already rankled Trump. He threatened to put the city under federal control if she wins.

Robert White Jr., another pro-statehood candidate, won the Democratic primary for the city's seat in Congress.

And while they are hamstrung by the city's status, both hope they have strategies that can help fight back against the president and the deployment.

White told The Associated Press he plans to build “an army of residents” and allies to target swing districts and work at “un-electing" people critical of the district and “electing those who do support D.C.”

The action is similar to one a former D.C. congressional delegate, Walter Fauntroy, successfully pursued in 1972, mobilizing Black voters and allies against a South Carolina Congress member who had long opposed D.C.'s independence.

“He didn't deploy that strategy a bunch of times, but it sent a signal to people to lay off of D.C.,” White said.

The city's outgoing mayor, Muriel Bowser, avoided the kind of biting rhetoric and personal attacks typical of other high-profile Democratic leaders, despite the unprecedented intervention into her city. A major part of that was to avoid raising Trump’s ire and threaten what independence the city has.

An emailed statement from Bowser's office said that despite challenges to its independence the city has progressed in achieving its goals. "The safety and well-being of everyone in our city remains our top priority and protecting home rule remains our North Star,” the statement said.

“We’re more than monuments and politics,” Bowser said in a 48-second video pinned to her X account.

She said the city is made up of more than 700,00 taxpaying Americans who serve in the military, run businesses and raise families and "we don’t have voting representation in Congress. We don’t control the D.C. National Guard, and we don’t have full access to full American democracy.”

Concerns over troops in the city during elections

Donna Powell, who is living part time in the city, said she and her husband walk and metro everywhere. “We’re already safe and beautiful,” she said. “We don’t need all these National Guard here.”

The money could be better spent “on healthcare and food for families that need it.”

The National Guard deployment has raised concerns among some over what the upcoming midterms and the 2028 presidential election will look like with troops on the streets.

“The last time this president was supposed to come out of power, Jan. 6 happened," said Alex Dodds, co-founder of FreeDC, an activist group that has protested the deployment by following and filming National Guard troops in quiet areas of the city far away from crime concerns. "Imagine if that happens again but this time he has 5,000 troops standing at the ready to be part of that situation. You know, that’s our worry.”

Here you will also find how to navigate the News 6 Weather App to find the 10-day forecast and track Central Florida’s daily afternoon thunderstorms in your neighborhood.

Tracking the tropics

On the homepage of the app, scroll down past the PinIt section. There are several clickable tiles to take you deeper into the app.

Tapping on the “Hurricane Coverage” tile will take you to forecast analysis from the News 6 weather team on the current state of the tropics. Planning information can also be found here.

Tapping on the “Tropical Storm Tracker” will bring you to an interactive interface where you can see the official National Hurricane Center forecast and toggle on/off tropical models and other overlays.

To toggle on/off these features click the “pancake” icon in the upper left corner.

The “Tropics Watch” tile will bring you right into the National Hurricane Center forecast discussion section. Here, chances for tropical development are highlighted.

The “Tropics Update” tile will give you the most recent tropical-related stories written by the News 6 Weather Team. If there is an active storm, you can click on the name to get the most up-to-date information on the storm.

Current conditions and forecast

When you open up the News 6 Weather App you will find current conditions, a 3-day forecast and an hourly forecast for the next 6 hours. Tapping on any of these will expand this information.

Follow the tabs across the top to extend the hourly forecast to see the 10-day forecast.

Any active weather alerts from the National Weather Service for your area will be at the top.

If at any time you wish to return to the home screen, tap the News 6 Weather logo on the top right to the left of the date.

[VIDEO BELOW: Jonathan Kegges explains how to use News 6 Weather App]

Radar settings

Scrolling past the forecast section will bring you to the radar. By tapping on that, the radar will fill your entire screen.

Clicking on the play button at the bottom will send the radar into motion, showing you a loop of the last 2 hours. After a brief pause at the current time, it will show a few hours of the future radar product.

Here’s what really makes the radar on the News 6 weather app shine.

Find the gear icon in the top right and tap on that.

This will open a new page that allows you to toggle data, overlays and settings for the radar.

In the “data” section, tapping a circle will turn on a new overlay. Simply hit the back arrow to return to the radar screen with your newly selected overlay.

In the “overlay” section, you van turn on lightning and active alerts to be displayed on the radar map.

There are many other overlays to play with.

In the “settings” section, you can customize the map to your liking.

News 6 Weather Team forecast

Below the radar you will find a video and article from the News 6 weather team highlighting Central Florida’s forecast.

PinIt!

Last, but certainly not least, is the PinIt section. This is the News 6 platform to submit your photos to News 6.

All you have to do is sign up for free so we can give you credit. Simply upload your photo, and you may see it across all News 6 platforms.

An important note:

Turn location services ON to receive severe weather warnings and lightning detection. Anytime lightning is detected within 10 miles of your location, you will receive a push alert.

To do this, click the location marker next to the gear on the top left of the home page.

The Falcon 9 rocket was supposed to launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 12:20 p.m.

But instead, the company is now targeting launch for 10:26 a.m. on Tuesday. No reason has been given.

The first-stage booster supporting the mission is slated to fly for the 18th time, marking another potential milestone in SpaceX’s reusable rocket program. The booster previously supported high-profile missions including Crew-9, RRT-1, Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1, Fram2, SXM-10, MTG-S1, EchoStar XXV, SXM-11, and nine Starlink missions.

Following stage separation, the booster is expected to land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The announcement comes a few weeks after Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico because of a potential link to a multistate cyclospora outbreak that has sickened people across the U.S.

Taylor Fresh Foods said that it was pulling some products including jalapenos from stores shelves after finding out that Coast Citrus Distributors was voluntarily recalling fresh jalapeños due to a potential salmonella contamination.

Guacamole, pico de gallo and taco dip are some of the prepared foods included in the recall. The list of recalled products were distributed by Taylor Farms in multiple states with a “Best If Used By” date up to and including Aug. 16, 2026. The products were sold at stores including Kroger, Stop & Shop, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Walmart.

Taylor Fresh Foods said that the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were working with state and local partners to investigate illnesses in a multistate outbreak of salmonella infections linked to fresh jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors. The company said that a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, a supplier to Coast Citrus Distributors, was identified as the potential source in the outbreak.

Taylor Fresh Foods said that it is no longer sourcing products from the farmer and will be filling orders from alternative suppliers. The company is currently not aware of any reported illnesses linked to its products containing jalapeños.

Consumers who have any recalled product are advised to discard it immediately and not eat it. Refunds are available at the location of purchase.

Consumers with any questions can contact Taylor at 855-455-0098 Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm PT.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, known as PCOS, is now being called Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, or PMOS, following a collaboration backed by more than 50 organizations. The name change is the result of a 14-year global effort involving both experts and patients.

Jaritsa Dominguez knows firsthand how much a diagnosis can shape a life. She was just 15 years old when doctors told her she might never be able to have children.

“That was very hard for me because I love children,” Dominguez said.

She was diagnosed with PCOS at 15 and spent years managing symptoms including mood swings, missed periods, facial hair growth, acne, weight problems, and fertility challenges.

More Than a ‘Lady Problem’

Dominguez eventually began treatment at the Stony Brook Medicine PCOS Center under Dr. Fatima Daoud Yilmaz, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Yilmaz says the old name failed patients by framing the condition too narrowly.

“This is much more than simply a gynecologic condition,” Dr. Yilmaz said. “This is a condition of the entire endocrine and metabolic system as well. So we see increased risks of prediabetes, diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, sleep apnea, heart disease much earlier compared to the rest of the population.”

The new name — PMOS — is designed to reflect that broader reality.

“It more accurately reflects the nature of the condition rather than simply making it seem like it’s just another lady problem,” Dr. Yilmaz said. “What I’m hoping is that this leads to not just a decrease in delayed diagnosis, but ultimately prolonged life expectancies for these patients.”

A Dream That Came True

For Dominguez, the right care made all the difference. Doctors told her that weight loss combined with medication could help treat her condition. She lost more than 75 pounds through surgery, and six months later became pregnant with her daughter, Mikala, now two years old.

“It’s the world. I’m loving each and every moment of it,” Dominguez said. “It was a dream that came true, especially after being told that you wouldn’t be able to.”

She hopes her story encourages more women to seek the care they need.

The Alaska Beacon reported that the skiff had issued a call for assistance through the U.S. Coast Guard last week and a nearby small cruise ship, the Wilderness Legacy, towed it into nearby Farragut Bay in Southeast Alaska and refueled it.

Every ship is obligated to respond to a distress call under maritime law unless doing so would put their own ship at risk.

Although it was closer, Zuckerberg's yacht, called Launchpad, had not responded to the call.

“I’m on a small-ship Alaska cruise with my son,” Michael Love, a passenger who said he was on the Wilderness Legacy cruise ship, wrote on Bluesky on Aug. 5.

“Our boat rescued a stranded vessel last night and apparently we did that after the Coast Guard radioed Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht — which was closer — and they repeatedly refused to respond. (There was near unanimous booing when the captain announced this),” he said.

The Alaska Beacon reported that the spokesperson told them via email on Sunday that the yacht Launchpad did not initially hear the call for assistance.

“Mark and his family were not on board at the time of the incident. As the Coast Guard noted, the boat was not in distress, and by the time the crew reviewed the Coast Guard contact on a different radio channel from the one they were operating on, the assist was already underway. We’re grateful all parties are safe," the email to the Alaska Beacon said.

The WHO regional director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, told a news conference that sequencing indicated the outbreak's start. He said some cases early on were wrongly attributed to malaria and typhoid.

“So we are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us,” Janabi said.

Confirmed cases of Ebola in this outbreak have reached 4,200, including over 1,900 deaths, according to the latest government figures.

The outbreak declared on May 15 is unlike most previous ones for Ebola because the rare Bundibugyo virus responsible for it has no approved vaccines or treatments. Early testing was conducted for the more common type of Ebola, contributing to delays.

The outbreak is unfolding in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable, with strikes by some unpaid health workers, threats by rebel groups, anger from long-traumatized communities and misinformation asserting that Ebola isn’t real. Health teams travel remote, unpaved roads and have reported shortages of protective gear, while a vast population of displaced people struggles to find reliable water sources for washing hands.

This Ebola outbreak has killed more people at a quicker rate than any other, including the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa that is considered the worst on record with over 11,000 deaths out of at least 28,000 cases. That one took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths.

Ebola is rare but highly contagious and can be contracted via bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen and with contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing. The disease it causes is severe and often fatal.

Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu said Ebola is spreading faster than efforts to fight it. New cases are doubling in some hot spots, Tedros said on X after meeting with officials in the capital, Kinshasa.

Health authorities have said between 60% and 70% of new cases are recorded outside of contacts being monitored, and that the outbreak is spreading at an “alarming” rate.

Access to healthcare in the region already had been challenged by years of rebel conflict in one of Congo’s most remote and vulnerable areas, near the borders of South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda. Now some pregnant women and others are avoiding health centers for fear of the virus, at risk to their lives.

Several past Ebola outbreaks have also been declared weeks or months late, including the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. That outbreak was declared in March 2014, although the first human case later was found to have occurred in December 2013.

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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.

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This version corrects the second reference to the WHO director-general to Tedros.

Every major index notched a second straight week of gains, which included several fresh records. It marks a strong start to August following several weak months.

The S&P 500 rose 47.68 points, or 0.6%, to 7,757.64. That topped the all-time high it set on Tuesday. The benchmark index has been on a record run throughout the year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 151.83 points, or 0.3%, to 54,036.93. That put it just short of the record it set on Wednesday. The Nasdaq composite rose 342.26 points, or 1.3%, to 26,690.62.

Technology stocks, with their big market values, did much of the heavy lifting for the broader market. They are often the heaviest weights determining the market’s direction. Nvidia jumped 2.3% and Broadcom rose 1.7%.

The bond market reacted more strongly to the weaker signal on the jobs market, which can be seen as allowing the Federal Reserve more time before raising interest rates to fight inflation.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.64% from 4.67% just prior to the jobs update. It was as low as 4.60% before recovering a bit.

The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action on interest rates, fell to 4.20% from 4.22% prior to the report's release. It was as low as 4.15% before edging back up.

“Although the stock market is likely to welcome the dovish implications of the report, investors should be wary of the future growth potential of an economy where fewer people are working,” said Peter Graf, chief investment officer at Amova Asset Management Americas, in a research note.

Overall, the report paints a dimmer picture of the jobs market, which has been one of the brighter areas of the economy amid rising inflation and worries about household spending. It included a revision to the figures for June and May that involved slashing a combined 103,000 jobs from payrolls for those months.

Eyes on the Fed's next move

The Fed has been holding interest rates steady amid worries about hotter inflation, fueled by a rise in oil prices because of the U.S. war with Iran. Wall Street expects at least one rate increase by the end of the year, with forecasts shifting for the next meeting. Expectations for a rate hike in September are down to 42%, from 55% on Thursday and from 67% a week ago, according to CME FedWatch.

A weakening jobs market could make matters more complicated for the Fed, which has to balance supporting job growth with fighting inflation. Raising interest rates can help tame inflation by slowing economic growth. A weaker jobs market, though, could become even shakier under higher interest rates as businesses find it more difficult to expand under increased borrowing rates.

Businesses, and Wall Street, prefer lower interest rates because it can help boost investments. That might bolster a weakened jobs market, but it could worsen already stubborn inflation.

Wall Street will get several important inflation updates next week. The most closely watched will be the consumer price index, or CPI, which measures costs for consumers. Wall Street expects it to show that inflation in July rose at a 3.4% rate, which would be a slight easing from the 3.5% rise in June. Inflation has held stubbornly above 3% for most of the year.

“Today’s weak payrolls print may ease the pressure on the Fed to raise rates at its September meeting, but next week’s inflation data will still likely be the deciding factor,” said Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, in a research note.

The earnings picture

The jobs report caps a week dominated mostly by corporate earnings and concerns about the ongoing U.S. war with Iran.

Corporate earnings for the second quarter are on track for the strongest growth since 2021. Nearly 90% of companies in the S&P 500 have reported their results and analysts expect profit growth of 50% overall. That has helped allay some concerns on Wall Street about whether big gains for stocks in 2026 are justified. Strong profits help support those gains in stock values.

It was a light day for earnings as companies near the close of the latest round of reports.

Airbnb jumped 17.4% following the vacation-rental company's report late Thursday that showed stronger profit and revenue for its most recent quarter than analysts expected.

Oil prices gained ground. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, rose 1.3% to $83.55 a barrel.

Rising oil prices have been behind hotter inflation. Prices were as high as $113 per barrel at one point during the now five-month U.S. war with Iran. That raised prices for gasoline and shipping for a wide range of products. The U.S. and Iran have both said they are working on deals that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas once passed through.

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Associated Press Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

The Ukrainian military said it hit an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, which is about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) east of the Ukrainian border and has a population of about 240,000.

Russian officials didn't say what the drones targeted, but the city is home to two refineries and a petrochemical plant. Ukraine has targeted Russian oil facilities with long-range drones almost daily in recent months. The campaign has caused fuel shortages in Russia, eaten into its refining capacity and unsettled the population.

Also on Monday, several Ukrainian drones sparked a fire at an industrial facility in the Tyumen region of western Siberia, said Gov. Alexander Moor, without offering any details. Last month, Ukrainian drones hit a refinery in Tyumen, more than 2,400 kilometers (about 1,500 miles) east of the border with Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country is trying to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and stop his full-scale invasion, launched in 2022. Russia is one of the world’s biggest energy producers.

Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck a Taneco oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, starting a fire.

The city came under a “massive” drone attack targeting industrial and civilian facilities, according to the press service of Tatarstan’s head, Rustam Minnikhanov.

One of the drones hit a hostel, killing nine of the 13 victims, including citizens of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, officials said. Uzbekistan’s consular office in Tatarstan said seven of its nationals were killed.

A child was among the dead, along with the 75 injured, the press service said, adding that Monday was declared a day of mourning in Tatarstan.

It was not possible to independently verify either side’s claims.

Repairing the refineries is complicated for Russia. Ukraine’s attacks have damaged specialized equipment that is often imported, making repairs time-consuming and expensive as workarounds or replacements are sought by evading international sanctions.

Russia has also regularly battered Ukraine from the air using missiles, powerful glide bombs and drones, hitting civilian areas and causing thousands of civilian casualties, according to the United Nations. In the first six months of this year, 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 injured in Ukraine, the U.N. office in Kyiv said last week. That was a 37% increase from the same period last year, it said.

A Russian glide bomb struck the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, injuring 24 people, authorities said Monday. The city is the capital of a region of the same name that is partly occupied by Russian forces.

The World Health Organization’s European office said that one of its warehouses in the central Dnipro region of Ukraine was hit twice in less than 24 hours. The attacks destroyed emergency supplies worth an estimated $500,000 that were intended for front-line health facilities, it said in a statement. No casualties were reported.

Ukraine's drones have struck deeper inside Russia

Ukraine’s domestically developed long-range drones have flown increasing distances deep inside Russia, with some now reaching Siberia, around 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from the border.

“We do deliver entirely justified responses, and every Russian strike will be met with our response. Russia’s war will be felt more and more at their own home -– in Russia,” Zelenskyy said late Sunday on social media.

“The only reason this is still continuing is Russia’s unwillingness to end this war.”

As part of a parallel campaign to disrupt Russian military supply lines leading to the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, Kyiv's forces struck road, rail and pontoon bridges in six regions last month, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

By repeatedly striking routes for fuel, ammunition and reinforcements, Ukrainian commanders say they have made Russian logistics slower, costlier and hard to organize. That has helped stall Russian advances and enabled Ukrainian counterattacks, they say.

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

Primaries for all seven congressional districts were originally scheduled for May 19, but Republican Gov. Kay Ivey postponed the contests for the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th Congressional Districts following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that prompted a handful of Republican-controlled Southern states to throw out their congressional maps.

The court-inspired actions in Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee, as well as earlier legislative actions in other states to redraw their boundaries through mid-decade redistricting, were part of a nationwide Republican effort championed by President Donald Trump to maximize the party’s chances of holding its slim U.S. House majority in the 2026 midterm elections.

Alabama's U.S. House members will continue to serve in their current districts until the end of 2026. Candidates in Tuesday's primaries are running under the new Republican-backed boundaries, which go into effect in January 2027. Both of Alabama’s Democratic members of Congress are seeking reelection in their newly configured districts and are unopposed in their primaries.

In the 2nd District, where U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures is running for a second term, the Black population will go from half of the population under the current lines to about 40% under the new lines. In the 2024 presidential election, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris beat Trump in the current district, 53% to 46%. But Trump would have beaten Harris 57% to 42% if the new boundaries had been in effect in 2024.

Six Republicans are running to challenge Figures in November, including state Rep. Rhett Marques, Army veteran Joshua McKee and real estate broker Hampton Harris. Trump has endorsed Marques, who is the field’s top fundraiser.

Black residents will maintain a slight majority in the new 7th District, where U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell is running for a ninth term. Harris beat Trump, 61% to 38%, under the current boundaries and would have beaten him by slightly less, 58% to 41%, if the new boundaries had been in effect in 2024. Two Republicans, Ammie Akin and David Perry, are competing for the nomination to unseat Sewell.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. CT, which is 8 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th Congressional Districts.

Who gets to vote?

The special primaries are open to any registered voters in their respective congressional districts. Although Alabama does not register voters by party, voters will be asked to declare a party preference upon selecting a party’s primary ballot.

How many voters are there?

As of June 1, there were 3.8 million registered voters in Alabama. Each congressional district in the state has a total population of about 718,000.

How many people actually vote?

About 409,000 ballots were cast across the state in the May 19 primaries, which was roughly 11% of registered voters. Past vote totals for the four new congressional districts are unavailable.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

Relatively few Alabama voters cast their ballots before Election Day. The state is one of the only holdouts in the country not to offer some form of in-person early voting. In the 2024 primaries, about 4% of Democratic primary voters and about 1% of Republican primary voters voted by mail.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Vote release practices vary from county to county. Most counties tend to release results from absentee voting in the first vote update, sometimes along with results from in-person Election Day voting.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the May 19 state primary, the AP first reported results at 8:28 p.m. ET, or 28 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 12:54 a.m. ET, with more than 99.9% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

In 2010, the Alabama attorney general issued an opinion that Alabama’s automatic recount law does not apply to primaries. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 84 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

And then, a cut. The documentary, which follows the Blink-182 drummer from 2017 to 2026, is a celebration of Barker's life before and after the life-altering accident, a central event in a career full of them. The film began as a mirror of his memoir, 2015's “Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums,” but became something else entirely after a producer suggested it end with the image of Barker, then still unable to fly due to post-traumatic stress disorder, walking toward a plane.

Ending on that note, “where this thing still has power over me,” didn’t sit well with him. Instead, he boards a plane at the end, but the documentary’s final images are a slide show of family photos, including his wife Kourtney Kardashian and kids.

“I almost died,” he says. It “could be helpful to share my life.”

An elastic artist

Barker's resume is long, and a two-and-a-half-hour documentary can only cover so much of it. The film hits most of the big notes, quickly establishing Barker as a rebellious kid with a supernatural drumming ability from age 4, when he got his first kit, to now, at 50.

And that's with many projects in-between: From the SoCal punks Feeble, which he joined while working as a trash collector, to his stint in the ska band The Aquabats and multiplatinum, pop-punk legends Blink-182 — the band that skyrocketed Barker into superstardom.

Also covered? His love of skateboarding and car culture, his clothing brands, side-projects Box Car Racer and +44, turntable duo TRV$DJAM, various experiments and collaborations in hip-hop (Bun B, Lil Wayne ) and beyond.

But it all began with drumming, and hilariously enough, Animal from “The Muppets” — his first drumming hero — until he discovered cross-genre greats like jazz legends Buddy Rich, Dennis Chambers and Elvin Jones as well as Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee.

“Where drumming got really serious for me was after my mom passed, so it was therapy,” he says, reflecting on his childhood. “It’s like my life. It’s like oxygen to me.”

It's also a kind of sport. Barker has long been a dedicated, athletic percussionist, and he likens it to a boxer's meditative state. “It’s like when you see a fighter and he just goes for broke the first round. There’s sometimes where I just feel like that,” he says. “Something just takes over my body.”

Many events in life threatened that euphoria, but none quite as physically as the plane crash. “I was in a burn center for six months on morphine and I had 30 surgeries,” he recounts. “Seventy percent of my body was burned.” At one point, he didn't only fear if he would be able to drum again — even walking was a question mark.

Lessons from tragedy

Even before the crash, Barker's life — as marked with musical triumphs as it has been — offered lessons in resiliency.

“Whether it was my mom passing away or my plane crash, I learned — and through watching friends of mine and just living life — I’ve seen traumatic experiences either destroy someone or define them,” he says. “Every loss I had, or every everything I took to the chin, it made me stronger. At the time, I can’t realize it, right? I can't like really wrap my head around it. But ... that’s why I went so hard and I was so determined to play music and so determined to succeed. Plan B was only making Plan A work. You know? There was no Plan B.”

The same tenacity can be applied to his sobriety and dedication to flying again — a journey emboldened by his family. “I fly all the time now and I feel turbulence and I can’t even tell you what’s going on in my head. And I just look over and my wife’s perfectly OK,” he says. “My son loves airplanes and plays with airplanes and it’s so innocent. It’s so beautiful.”

“They’ve been my greatest joy,” he says of his children, who grow up on screen across the film's near-decade of filming.

As someone who has lost a lot and thought about what it would be like to lose even more, when it comes to the topic of legacy, Barker has a simple dream. “I think I’d want to be remembered for my music and my drumming and being a great father, husband, and son and brother,” he says.

As for the doc? “Maybe my story helps somebody,” he pauses. “I don’t love how everything happened. I don’t like the losses that happened. But I like how hard I had to work. I like that I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I liked that I had to navigate and find my way. And the journey was awesome.”

The meteor shower's peak Wednesday night into Thursday morning coincides with a total solar eclipse across Spain, Iceland and Greenland and a six-planet parade — though the best time to view the fireballs will come after totality.

As many as 50 to 100 meteors per hour may be visible under ideal conditions, according to NASA. The American Meteor Society estimates 30 to 50 meteors per hour could be seen from rural regions.

Random meteors are visible in dark skies on any given night. Meteor showers tend to put on dazzling celestial shows and happen at predictable times every year when the Earth plows through trails of debris left behind by comets and, sometimes, asteroids. Those remnants collide with Earth’s atmosphere at extremely high speeds, producing streaks of light known as shooting stars.

The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy ball that orbits the sun every 133 years and isn't scheduled for a return visit until 2125. Observations of this meteor shower date back over 2,000 years.

The Perseids are a perennial favorite because they tend to produce brilliant fireballs. Summer temperatures also make this shower popular.

“We don't have to suffer through a cold winter night to get a good view of meteors,” said astronomer Zach Vanderbosch with McDonald Observatory in Texas.

The moon will be in its new moon phase during the Perseids' peak, making viewing conditions even better.

“The moon is beautiful, but it’s such a diva,” said astronomer Aparna Venkatesan with the University of San Francisco. “New moon means we don’t have moonlight flooding the sky, and you tend to see way more meteors as a result.”

To spot the meteors, go outside after dark, away from clouds and city lights. Venkatesan plans to drive to the Sierra Nevada.

The best views will be between midnight and dawn when the constellation Perseus is high in the northern sky. The meteors will appear to radiate from that constellation.

Look up and give your eyes a half hour to adjust to the darkness. Vanderbosch recommends picking a patch of sky to focus on until a quick, bright streak passes by — even in your peripheral vision — and to avoid looking at your phone.

“There's just something magical about it,” Vanderbosch said.

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

National weather agency Météo-France is warning about temperatures approaching 40 C (104 F) from Tuesday onward in southeastern France. And in the U.K., an amber heat health alert for most of England will be in place beginning Tuesday as temperatures are forecast to climb to 36 C (96.8 F) later this week.

Across Europe, the extreme heat began in May and has contributed to major wildfires, prolonged drought and new national temperature records, as well as thousands of projected heat-related deaths.

Globally, so far this is the third-hottest year, behind 2024 and 2025, climate statistics show. But 2026 still has time to catch up. Thanks to the one-two punch of accelerated human-caused global warming and a supersized El Nino — a periodic warming of parts of the Pacific that leads to temperature variations around the globe — there’s an increasing chance that by the end of the year, 2026 could become the hottest year on record, scientists said.

Last month saw the highest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across the extrapolar oceans, or the oceans free of seasonal sea ice, according to the European climate agency Copernicus.

That was partially fueled by developing El Nino conditions in the equatorial Pacific, the service said. The new average record for July is 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.73 degrees Fahrenheit), which beat the 2023 record of 20.89 C (69.60 F).

But last month’s average surface air temperature globally was 16.90 C (62.42 F), making it only the joint second warmest July on record, tied with July 2024, Copernicus reported.

Western Europe sets new record

In Western Europe, meanwhile, the average temperature record for the June-July period hit 21.62 C (70.92 F), Copernicus said, toppling the 2022 record.

“Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe, the extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought. As soils dry out, they lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to build more readily,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

“This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another.”

In France alone, heat wave alerts were issued for the first time on record in May, when more than half the country recorded new monthly temperature highs. The heat intensified in June, a period during which at least 5,700 more deaths than usual were recorded, according to France’s public health agency.

Météo-France said June 23 was the hottest day ever recorded in the country. Temperatures climbed as high as 44.3 C (111.7 F) in the southwest.

Two other heat wave episodes were recorded in July, amplifying a historic wildfire in southwestern France that forced 220,000 people to flee their homes in one of the continent’s biggest evacuation efforts since World War II.

Spain battles wildfires

Temperatures were slightly cooler in the U.K. on Monday but the country readied for its fifth heat wave in an exceptionally hot and dry summer, with half of England and all of Wales plunged into drought.

Provisional data show that England and Wales have had their driest July in records dating back to 1836, with 19 counties of England seeing no rain for the entire month.

The heat alert warns that significant impacts on health services, including a rise in deaths among older and vulnerable people, are likely.

Two record-breaking heat waves in May and June led to more than 2,800 excess deaths linked to extreme temperatures.

An 18-year-old died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Camber Sands beach in southern England on Sunday, the latest of dozens of deaths recorded in open waters in recent months.

In Spain, firefighters were battling multiple blazes, including one that broke out on Friday in Tírig, Valencia, that has burned more than 3 square miles (8 square kilometers) and has involved more than 300 personnel and 21 aircraft to combat it.

A separate wildfire in the southern Huelva region had affected a similar sized area since it broke out on Thursday. While temperatures across Spain remained high, some parts of the country were expecting thunderstorms Monday afternoon that could bring strong gusts of wind.

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Dazio reported from Berlin. Sylvia Hui in London and Suman Naishadham in Madrid contributed to this report.

The primaries come a week after Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s divisive and costly U.S. Senate primary. El-Sayed's victory has energized the left while stoking fears among Democratic Party leaders that the shift to the left, particularly in battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin, will make it more difficult to win in November.

Wisconsin's chaotic primary pits progressive against governor's pick

In Wisconsin, democratic socialist Francesca Hong is trying to win a four-way Democratic primary for governor where her top opponent has been endorsed by popular Gov. Tony Evers, who isn't seeking a third term.

Evers got behind Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley on July 18, the same day Crowley reentered the race after dropping out 10 days earlier. Crowley rejoined after the candidate he backed, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, ended her candidacy amid a campaign finance scandal.

Evers and Crowley were crisscrossing the state together in the last days before final ballots are cast Tuesday.

Evers and more establishment Democrats were hoping to finally coalesce around Crowley in the final days of the chaotic primary that saw two other candidates drop out, most notably former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes on July 29.

Barnes and Rodriguez, who were both seen as potential front-runners, remain on the ballot and absentee votes already cast for them can’t be undone.

Republicans are spending to influence the Democratic primary

Republicans are putting money behind Hong, thinking she will be the better matchup for Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. The Republican Governors Association has spent nearly $3.6 million through its Right Direction Wisconsin PAC on ads contrasting Hong with President Donald Trump and playing up her liberal policies.

Crowley and other Democrats argue the ads are meant to bolster Hong's standing in the primary because Republicans see her as the easier opponent.

Evers projected confidence at a rally that attracted hundreds of people in Hong’s hometown of Madison on Sunday night, saying Crowley was the best chance Democrats had to defeat Tiffany.

“We’re going to win this thing,” Evers said, telling the Crowley supporters that Tiffany would be “the worst governor in the history of Wisconsin.”

“If Tom Tiffany wins in November that will be like electing Donald Trump as governor of the state of Wisconsin,” he said.

Crowley urged Democrats to come together after the primary to beat Tiffany.

“Our ultimate goal is to make sure we don’t have a MAGA extremist occupying the governor’s office,” Crowley said.

Tiffany, one of the most conservative members of Congress, is endorsed by Trump.

The president called Hong a communist in remarks on Wednesday, where he mentioned a 2020 social media post by Hong calling for Thanksgiving to be canceled. Asked about the post this week, Hong reversed herself and said that Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday.

Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 and 2024, and Republicans have held majorities in both chambers of the Legislature since 2011. Holding onto the governor's office is key to Wisconsin Democrats' effort to gain full control of state government for the first time in 16 years.

In the race to replace Tiffany, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's son-in-law Michael Alfonso is in a five-person Republican primary. Alfonso, who is trying to represent Duffy's old congressional district, has Trump's endorsement.

Minnesota primary comes in wake of immigration enforcement surge

In neighboring Minnesota, voters are choosing between moderate U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in a Democratic U.S. Senate primary that’s playing out in the aftermath of Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement surge in the state.

The race has been shaped by the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, confrontations that were caught on camera and fueled a backlash to Trump’s immigration policies.

Both Craig and Flanagan spent the weekend traversing the Twin Cities metro area.

In a driveway in suburban Eagan on Sunday, Craig spoke to the angst among Democratic primary voters who feel that Washington isn’t working for them. Members of Congress need to stop trading stocks and becoming lobbyists when they leave office, she said, and the U.S. needs to restrict the flood of corporate campaign spending.

“But the only way we pass any of the progressive policies that all of us here support is by winning elections and taking damn majorities,” she said.

Unlike in Wisconsin, where the incumbent governor has endorsed a candidate in the race to succeed him, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has not gotten involved in the Senate primary. But his wife, Gwen Walz, has endorsed Craig and campaigned with her on Sunday.

Flanagan campaigned Saturday with U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, who helped her make the case that Washington needs a shake-up to root out the deep-pocketed forces propping up a broken status quo.

“It is big corporations, it’s special interests who are putting their thumb on the scale in our elections across the country,” Flanagan said. “And it’s not just Republicans. It’s Democrats, too.”

The race has been one of the most expensive Minnesota has seen, with millions of dollars backing both candidates, but disproportionately falling in Craig’s favor.

Whoever wins the primary will be the front-runner to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith in November. Minnesota voters haven’t elected a Republican to a statewide office since 2006.

Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow, is a top Republican candidate in the governor's race. He's endorsed by Trump, and he was a prominent promoter of falsehoods about election fraud. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is in a six-person primary on the Democratic side.

Democratic struggles also on display in other states' primaries Tuesday

Two veteran Democratic incumbents in Connecticut face challenges from the left.

Moderate Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont is running for a third term but faces progressive state Rep. Josh Elliott. The Democratic nominee will face Republican state Sen. Ryan Fazio in November.

Longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Larson, 78, is running for a 15th term and his age and health have been major issues in the four-person race.

Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin narrowly won the party's endorsement at its state convention in May. Other candidates are Hartford Board of Education member Ruth Fortune and state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest.

In Vermont, two Democrats are running in for a chance to take on Republican Gov. Phil Scott.

Former child advocacy organization CEO Aly Richards boasts endorsements from former Democratic Govs. Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin. She faces economist Amanda Janoo.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

Maj. Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, one of Ukraine’s most prominent commanders among a new generation of soldiers, said his forces could strike seven times more military targets in Crimea if the money pledged by Western allies came faster.

“Crimea falls within the key conceptual pillars on the path to ending the war,” Brovdi told The Associated Press in an interview.

Despite that shortfall, Ukraine’s summer campaign in Crimea has already inflicted significant damage: striking rail bridges, oil depots and power infrastructure to disrupt supply lines and blind Russian air defenses as drones fly in.

Brovdi said his forces are equipped at just 14% of what they would need to carry out the Crimea campaign at full capacity.

A firm believer in numbers since his past life running an international grain trading business, Brovdi joined Ukraine’s territorial defense as a volunteer in the war’s opening days. He rose quickly, commanding one of the country’s most effective drone brigades before being tapped to lead a force with no precedent before this war — Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces.

“It’s not that the production capacity of Ukrainian manufacturers doesn’t allow us to make the necessary quantities” of drones, Brovdi said. “It’s the banal problem of untimely financing, which our partners do allocate, but which moves significantly slower than our plans.”

A lover of the arts

A devoted patron of the arts, Brovdi's underground command post resembles a museum, with pieces of Ukrainian art on display, including by renowned painter Maria Prymachenko — each with small placards noting their titles and a QR code linking to more information. “Please don’t touch the sculpture,” reads a sign beneath one piece.

The artwork sits against a backdrop of dozens of screens streaming live footage from the front, along with real-time data that drives decisions on the battlefield. Soldiers can grab good coffee, pick a book, work out or rest in sleeping pods — a culture that feels closer to a Silicon Valley office than a war room.

They work around the clock to try to prevent Crimea from functioning as a staging ground for the Russian military, said Brovdi, whose call sign, Magyar, nods to his ethnic Hungarian roots in Zakarpattia, the western Ukrainian region bordering Hungary.

He pointed to one sign of progress — in four recent large-scale Russian missile barrages from the peninsula, only five missiles were launched in total, a drop he credited to the systematic destruction of Russian air defenses there. The AP couldn’t independently verify the claim.

To open that “window” for drones to strike the peninsula without being shot down en masse, his forces destroyed more than 300 air defense assets over recent months — surface-to-air systems, radar stations, electronic warfare equipment.

The window metaphor sends him into a sidetrack about something personal — he loves sleeping with one open, a pleasure he rarely gets anymore as one of Russia’s most hunted men, who spends most of his time in underground bunkers.

Forcing Russia out of Crimea

Much of Russia's Soviet-era air defense hardware runs on the power grid, which is one of the reasons Crimea's electrical infrastructure has become a recurring target. Russian soldiers become “blind,” left with just machine guns and rifles, he said. The tactic has also impacted access to power for civilians, and Brovdi said he has twice publicly apologized to Ukrainians living in Crimea for the disruptions.

Wherever Starlink connectivity reaches across Crimea, his forces can now destroy even the most heavily defended target using an average of just three drones, mixing munitions with different characteristics and warheads depending on what’s being hit. He described the strikes as deliberately calibrated — different munitions for a bridge pier than for a fuel truck or a moving train — and said his forces avoid hitting civilian infrastructure.

“Creating conditions that make it impossible for any kind of military capability … to remain there will make Crimea uninteresting ... as a military staging ground,” he said.

Ukraine is also working to dismantle Crimea’s role as a naval base — a blow to Russia’s presence near NATO’s borders, he added.

The campaign’s early results have not been made public, Brovdi said. But roughly two weeks into the offensive that began in late June, he said Ukrainian intelligence indicated Russian authorities had ordered all military commands and security services to relocate off the peninsula, along with a covert order to remove secret archives and artworks. The AP could not independently verify the account.

Threats from Russia

Meanwhile, Russia is working to counter Ukraine’s edge. It is installing jamming systems at a scale that will, to some degree, degrade Starlink connectivity, Brovdi said.

Russia is also building its own satellite communications system to rival Starlink, he said. “This is a risk for the entire planet,” Brovdi said, “because a dictatorship will gain access to information across the whole globe.”

He also pointed to other threats facing Ukraine. The concentration of jet-powered Shahed drones, which are much harder for Ukraine to shoot down, has increased two and a half times in recent weeks, he said.

Russia's military can currently fire a simultaneous salvo of 77 ballistic and cruise missiles, he said, and plans to increase that to 200. That is one of Ukraine’s most vulnerable points, since the country is running short of interceptors for the U.S.-made Patriot — the only system Ukraine has in its arsenal against ballistic missiles — meaning dozens fired by Russia during mass barrages get through and hit their targets.

“Even if they only manage half of that, it will all be flying at us,” Brovdi said. The only way to bring the number down, he said, is by striking every facility involved in producing those missiles — underscoring the importance of Ukraine’s long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory.

Ukraine's plan for Russia's Wildberries

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Wildberries, Russia’s largest online marketplace sometimes described as the country’s answer to Amazon, and Brovdi named it as a target.

“Wildberries is, first of all, a supply platform — it’s the war’s quartermaster,” he said, noting the company runs a dedicated section selling goods for Russia’s military.

The Kremlin has denied the site supplies the Russian military and has accused Ukraine of striking civilian targets. Russia regularly attacks Ukrainian logistics and retail facilities.

At the same time, Brovdi said, the strikes on Wildberries are meant to make ordinary Russians feel the war directly, in hopes the resulting desire to end it could weigh on Russia’s ability to keep fighting.

Brovdi declined to give a timeline for the Wildberries campaign, saying only that the strikes will continue “until it becomes impossible for it to recover quickly.”

“Ultimately, Wildberries is, forgive the expression, a consumer gambling addiction,” he said, arguing that losing access to it — like restrictions on social media — creates an intrusion on one's personal life that most Russians feel.

“It turned out to be a sensitive sensor of the comfort of Russia’s massive population — people who consider themselves completely untouched by the actions of the aggressor country,” he said.

———

This story was updated to clarify that Russia can fire salvos of both cruise and ballistic missiles. An earlier version mentioned only ballistic missiles.

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AP reporters Vasilisa Stepanenko in eastern Ukraine and Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv contributed.

Last year, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, ended its decades-long armed campaign against the Turkish state, declaring a decision to disarm and disband as part of the peace effort. The move came in response to a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.

The PKK then staged a symbolic disarmament ceremony in northern Iraq, where it is based, and announced that it was withdrawing fighters from key locations in Turkey to Iraq.

Law could have regional implications

The measure, which is a step toward ending a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people, could have implications beyond Turkey's borders, leading to closer Turkish-Iraqi ties. It could also support the Syrian government's efforts to integrate areas that were under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, affiliated with the PKK.

It also offers Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the opportunity to court the support of the pro-Kurdish DEM party to help him remain in office beyond the presidential two-term limit. Erdogan could run again if parliament calls an early election during his current term.

The 12-article draft legislation outlines the procedures for the disarmament of the group — which still retains the bulk of its weapons — and the rehabilitation of thousands of PKK members.

The legislation would suspend some prison sentences for convicted PKK members and postpone ongoing investigations and trials for five or 10 years, depending on the severity of the alleged offenses. If no terror-related crime is committed within the time frame, the cases would be dropped.

Militants convicted of intentional killings and those sentenced to life terms before 2005 are excluded from the bill’s provisions. This applies to Ocalan and other senior PKK figures.

The proposal also sets up ministerial and parliamentary committees to monitor the disarmament process. The measures would come into effect only after Turkey’s National Security Council confirms that the group has disbanded and surrendered all weapons.

Those wanting to benefit from the law would have six months to apply after the National Security Council’s decision is published in the official gazette.

Media reports have said exiled PKK members and those in Iraq and Syria are expected to benefit.

PKK says the legislation is a start but there are many things missing

The PKK-linked ANF news outlet carried a statement from the group in which it said that the Turkish legislation is a “beginning” to resolving the outstanding issues but has “serious shortcomings and deficiencies.” It called for Ocalan’s release from prison, saying that the peace process can move forward only if he “lives and works freely.”

It also said that the legislation failed to address demands for democratic reforms and Kurdish rights, adding that PKK fighters would not give up their weapons and return to Turkey “if, upon returning to Turkey, they are unable to engage in democratic politics on the basis of freedom of thought and freedom of association, and if they are prosecuted and imprisoned because of their views or the organizations they establish.”

“The people of Turkey, who have paid a heavy price for many years, now have an opportunity to consolidate peace and build democracy,” Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit, of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM, told parliament.

“Of course, the proposal has shortcomings, and we now have a responsibility to address these shortcomings,” she added, in an apparent reference to demands for greater rights for Kurds and for democratic reforms.

Musavat Dervisoglu, the leader of the center-right nationalist Good Party, which opposes the bill, said it “would pave the way” for Erdogan to stay in power.

The measures were expected to easily pass with the votes of Erdogan's ruling party, its nationalist allies and DEM. Turkey's largest opposition party in parliament, New Party, also said it would vote in favor, despite the bill's shortfalls.

Ocalan's release is not in the cards, but conditions might improve

DEM has lobbied for Ocalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999, to be granted official status to coordinate the transition process, leading to his release.

The current proposal, however, makes no mention of Ocalan’s status or possible release.

Media reports have suggested however, that Ocalan’s conditions in his island prison off Istanbul will likely be improved, giving him broader visiting conditions and communication with the outside world.

The PKK has waged an armed insurgency since 1984 that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and spilled into Iraq and Syria. It has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

The group initially sought an independent Kurdish state but later shifted to demands for autonomy and expanded rights in Turkey.

Previous peace efforts between Turkey and the PKK have failed, most recently in 2015.

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Stella Martany contributed from Irbil, Iraq.

Like Michigan, Wisconsin is one of the nation’s top electoral battlegrounds. The contest may further set the direction of the Democratic Party, as well as set the stage for a highly competitive general election where either party could emerge with complete control over state government. A competitive congressional race could also decide the majority in the closely divided U.S. House.

Four active candidates remain in the once-crowded Democratic primary field to succeed outgoing two-term Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. State Rep. Francesca Hong, a former restaurant owner and democratic socialist who entered the race in 2025 as a self-described “wild card,” has emerged as a top contender for the nomination. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley briefly dropped out of the race in July but reentered with an endorsement from Evers. Former state cabinet secretary Joel Brennan and state Sen. Kelda Roys round out the field.

Campaign finance woes prompted Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez to exit the race, while former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes suspended his bid the same day the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that state Democratic officials had reviewed past allegations against him of inappropriate behavior toward young adult women. The Barnes campaign denied that there were any such allegations. The names of Rodriguez, Barnes and former state economic development director Missy Hughes, who dropped out in June, remain on the ballot.

The winner of the primary will likely face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who faces minimal opposition for his party’s nomination. Tiffany, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement, sits atop a massive war chest that not only dwarfs that of his sole primary opponent but the entire Democratic field combined. As of July 27, he had raised $13.3 million for his campaign overall and had about $5 million in the bank. Hong and Crowley had each raised slightly more than $1 million for their campaigns and had less than $500,000 in their respective campaign coffers.

Evers is Wisconsin’s third consecutive two-term governor. The race to replace him will set two longstanding political trends on a collision course. The state has a 64-year streak of electing new governors from the opposite party of their immediate predecessor. That would seemingly favor Wisconsin Republicans in November, although voters nationwide tend to punish the president’s party in midterm elections, which would favor Democrats.

About half of Wisconsin’s 33 state Senate seats and all 99 state Assembly seats are up in 2026. Republicans hold slight majorities in both chambers. For years, Wisconsin’s state legislative boundaries had been heavily gerrymandered to favor Republicans, but the liberal-leaning state Supreme Court struck down the maps in 2023 and ordered them redrawn ahead of the 2024 elections. State Democrats made gains that year and now believe they could flip control of one or both chambers in November.

Wisconsin’s congressional districts remain among the most tilted toward Republicans nationally, according to an Associated Press analysis. Republicans hold six of the state’s eight U.S. House seats. One Republican-held district is a top target of Democrats hoping to retake the chamber.

U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden of the 3rd Congressional District is unopposed for the Republican nomination in his bid for a third term. He has Trump’s endorsement. Former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge and former boutique owner and nonprofit founder Rebecca Cooke are vying for the Democratic nomination. Cooke ran for the seat twice before. She placed second in the 2022 primary and narrowly lost the 2024 general election to Van Orden.

Milwaukee County is by far the state’s most populous and plays a pivotal role in both Democratic and Republican primaries. However, Waukesha County tends to contribute the most votes in Republican primaries. Dane and Brown counties, home to Madison and Green Bay, respectively, are major battlegrounds for both parties. Ozaukee and Washington counties, which along with Waukesha County, form the so-called “WOW” counties in suburban Milwaukee, tend to be more influential in Republican primaries than in Democratic primaries.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont trounced former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Wisconsin presidential primary. Sanders scored big wins in Dane, Brown, Outagamie, Winnebago, Kenosha, LaCrosse and Eau Claire counties, approaching or surpassing the 60% vote mark in each. Clinton carried only Milwaukee County, which has the state’s highest share of Black residents.

Former President Joe Biden carried every county against Sanders in the 2020 presidential primary, which was held in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sanders’ strongest performance was in Dane County.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. CT, which is 9 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. House, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, state Senate and state Assembly.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter may participate in any party’s primary. Eligible voters may register at the polls on Election Day.

How many voters are there?

As of August 1, there were about 3.6 million active registered voters in Wisconsin.

How many people actually vote?

Around 500,000 voters cast ballots in the Democratic state primaries in 2022, compared to roughly 680,000 Republican primary voters.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 26% of the vote in the 2022 primaries was cast before early in-person or by mail.

As of Friday, about 235,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Counties vary in terms of how and when they release early and absentee results. In previous elections, counties tended to release a mix of all vote types over the course of the night. Roughly a third of counties released all results, regardless of vote type, in the first vote update.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results at 9:09 p.m. ET, or nine minutes after polls closed. About 91% of the vote had been counted by 12 a.m. ET. The last vote update of the night was at 2:59 a.m. ET with 99.8% of total votes counted.

Milwaukee County, the most populous, had counted more than 99% of the vote by its final update of the night at 1:06 a.m. ET. Dane County, home of Madison, reached more than 99% of the total vote by its final update of the night at 12:38 a.m. ET.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

Recounts are not automatic in Wisconsin, but a trailing candidate may request one if the winning vote margin is less than a percentage point in races where more than 4,000 votes are cast. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 84 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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Associated Press writer David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

These are bioplastic pellets. CJ Biomaterials ferments sugar to make plant-based polymers that microbes will consume. These alternatives to traditional plastics made of fossil fuels are seen by some as one of many solutions needed to confront global plastic pollution.

At the company's Woburn research facility, lab technicians recently poured pellets into a molding machine to make forks. The test forks were thin enough for home composting, though too bendy for stabbing a steak. Other batches have been rigid, similar to a typical plastic fork. The technicians melted pellets to roll out flexible films for food packaging, like a bag for baby carrots. The film was quite strong but not stretchy like cling wrap.

They are figuring out how their biopolymers can make products with attributes similar to conventional plastics, but that can go in a composting bin instead of a trash can. Forks and films are breaking down in the lab's compost bin. Straws that were added are long gone. A recently tossed-in knife showed pitting on the surface as bacteria colonized it, starting to consume the material.

Plastics have never really fundamentally been disrupted. Now, interest in bioplastic is growing because of concern over microplastics. It’s the new “wild card” in this market, said the company’s marketing director Leah Ford.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and the compostability has always been a really strong driver. But with the greater understanding of microplastics, I think, that’s going to change how people think about materials,” she said.

Traditional plastics last for decades or even centuries as they fragment into harmful microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics. Microplastics have been found in the ocean and the air, in our food and water, and in a wide range of body tissues. The Trump administration, while rolling back many environmental regulations, says it will address contamination from microplastics.

The most common use for bioplastics is packaging

Bioplastics are biobased, meaning they are made completely or partially from a renewable resource, commonly corn or sugar cane; or they are biodegradable, meaning that they break down completely via a natural process. They can also be both, like the polymers made by CJ Biomaterials. It’s a leader in manufacturing polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs, as a polymer that is marine and soil biodegradable.

CJ Biomaterials is trying to replace conventional plastics that are single use or can’t be recycled when contaminated with food scraps. Food waste decomposing in landfills emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas that warms the planet. A container made of pellets from CJ Biomaterials with food scraps could be sent to a composter, unlike a traditional plastic container.

The Woburn lab's shelves display the company’s successes: compostable cutlery; straws; coated cups for hot beverages and frozen food pouches used in the United States; sushi trays; ramen containers; and reusable paper towels. Lab employees dine with compostable cutlery, drink from compostable cups and make coffee with compostable pods. These products last on shelves because they are not exposed to microorganisms in water or soil.

CJ Biomaterials feeds sugar to microbes that convert it to PHA for energy. The company collects the PHA and turns it into granules. Pellets of this are then sold to other companies that can melt them down and mold them into products. These same bacteria will consume PHA in a compost pile, breaking it down within six months, Ford said.

CJ Biomaterials is part of the $32 billion South Korean conglomerate CJ Group. It has been producing PHA at a manufacturing facility in Pasuruan, Indonesia, since 2022.

One solution with potential to help address the plastic pollution crisis

World Wildlife Fund sees biobased plastics as part of a suite of solutions that are needed. They can reduce the world’s dependency on fossil fuels that cause climate change, said Erin Simon, a WWF vice president. She said the world needs to reduce the amount of plastic being produced, then make the rest sustainably.

Nations are trying to confront the spiraling plastic pollution crisis by crafting a landmark treaty. They have yet to agree on any effective methods to stop plastic pollution, though negotiators plan to meet again early next year.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley has held congressional hearings on plastic pollution, including one exploring alternatives for single-use plastics. He also views bioplastics as one option with potential, among many that are needed. But, he said, more information is needed about how they break down and impact ecosystems and health.

Environmental groups, including the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, argue that bioplastics maintain the single-use paradigm and distract from real solutions. Some say farmland shouldn't be used to grow crops for plastic instead of food.

Bioplastics are a small, but growing, share of the market

Globally, biobased plastics represent roughly 0.5% of the more than 400 million metric tons (440 million tons) of plastics produced annually, according to the industry group European Bioplastics. Production is projected to double by 2030 due to rising demand and the emergence of more advanced applications and products, it said.

China, Sweden and the United States are major exporters of natural polymers.

Large sports stadiums and major restaurant chains such as McDonald's are experimenting with biobased packaging and utensils. The Tous les Jours bakery, part of the CJ Group, uses PHA straws.

There are obstacles to widespread adoption. Bioplastics typically cost more than conventional plastics. Major cities have municipal composting programs, but they are limited elsewhere. A growing number of composting facilities accept compostable bioplastic products, though some refuse out of concern about degraded soil quality. And because bioplastics and conventional plastics often look and feel identical, they can be mixed up and cause problems for composters.

Thirty minutes from the Woburn research lab, Black Earth Compost accepts certified compostable materials. On Monday, compostable cups, cutlery and bin liners were mixed in with a delivery of food scraps and lobster shells. Accepting bioplastics increases the amount of food scraps they receive because people can put an entire compostable container into an organics bin, instead of scraping food out.

Research organization tests biomaterials

The 5 Gyres Institute tested 22 items made of traditional plastic, biobased and biodegradable materials and other alternatives, such as paper and bamboo. Straws, utensils, thin film and bottles were put in different environments across Florida, California and Maine. By the end of the 64-week study, many of the biodegradable materials were gone, or were pitted and cracked as they fragmented. Traditional fossil fuel-based plastics persisted.

Marcus Eriksen, the institute’s co-founder and a researcher, said the synthetic plastic spoon was almost the same as when he first put it in the ocean, but little was left of the spoons made from biodegradable materials.

The California-based nonprofit released the results in 2023. It's currently repeating the study to evaluate end-of-life scenarios for the new generation of packaging.

Eriksen thinks people should use biodegradable options, especially for packaging. Otherwise, he said, “we’re going to flood the entire biosphere with micro- and nanoplastics.”

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

The state has been at the center of a political maelstrom in President Donald Trump’s second term, as the Republican president has focused much of his ire on Minnesota and its Democratic leaders.

An ongoing fraud investigation into state childcare programs contributed to Democratic Gov. Tim Walz ending his reelection bid and has been a frequent topic among Republican candidates on the campaign trail. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens has been a defining issue for Democratic candidates.

Walz’s retirement announcement, as well as that of Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, triggered a reshuffling of races throughout the ballot.

In the race to replace Smith, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are the leading contenders for the Democratic nomination. Smith has backed Flanagan, while Walz has not made an endorsement. Flanagan also has support from key figures in the party’s progressive wing, including U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of the 5th Congressional District. Sanders is an independent but caucuses with Democrats.

Craig’s key supporters are Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Craig has about doubled Flanagan in overall fundraising. She also had about $3.6 million available to spend as of late July compared with about $1.1 million for Flanagan.

The Center Forward Committee and Unite to Win — two political action committees known for backing moderate Democrats — have spent at least $2.4 million on Craig’s behalf. The Center Forward Committee was founded by former Alabama U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer and supports what it describes as “pragmatic policymakers.” Unite to Win recently spent $4 million backing U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in her unsuccessful U.S. Senate primary bid against Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan.

Flanagan’s largest backer in outside spending has been the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, which has spent about $1.2 million on the race.

The Republican primary features nine candidates, including former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya; former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze, who has the state party’s endorsement; and former professional basketball player Royce White, who was the Republican nominee for the state’s other U.S. Senate seat in 2024. Trump has not endorsed a candidate.

Tafoya raised about $5.3 million for her campaign and had about $1.3 million in the bank as of July 22, a larger haul than the rest of the Republican field combined.

In the race for governor, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar faces minimal opposition for the Democratic nomination. She brought in $9.3 million for her campaign and had about $4.5 million in the bank as of July 20. Only three of Klobuchar’s six primary opponents filed campaign finance disclosures, and they reported having less than a combined $3,200 in the bank.

The nine-candidate Republican field includes state House Speaker Lisa Demuth, MyPillow founder and prominent 2020 election denierMike Lindell, who has Trump’s endorsement, and healthcare executive Kendall Qualls, who has the state party’s backing.

Lindell outraised Demuth overall in the campaign, although Demuth sat atop a significantly larger war chest as of July 20.

Craig is the only member of Minnesota’s U.S. House delegation who isn’t running for reelection. Her upcoming departure has triggered a six-way Democratic primary to replace her in the 2nd Congressional District. The field includes state Rep. Kaela Berg, state Sen. Matt Klein and former state Sen. Matt Little. Klein leads the field in fundraising, followed by Little, who loaned his campaign $155,000.

The winner will face Republican state Sen. Eric Pratt, who is unopposed for the nomination.

Craig won reelection in 2024 with about 56% of the vote. Democratic then-Vice President Kamala Harris received about 52% of the district vote in the 2024 presidential race against Trump.

All seats in both chambers of the Minnesota State Legislature are up in 2026. Democrats have a one-seat advantage in the 67-member state Senate, while Democrats and Republicans are deadlocked at 67 seats each in the state 134-member House.

Hennepin County, which is home to Minneapolis, is by far the state’s most populous and tends to contribute the most votes of any county in both Democratic and Republican statewide primaries. Neighboring Ramsey County, which is home to St. Paul, has the second-largest population but tends to be a bigger factor in Democratic primaries. Just north of the Twin Cities, Anoka County, which Trump carried in 2024 by about 4 percentage points, tends to be more influential in Republican primaries. Dakota, Washington, St. Louis and Olmsted counties are important primary battlegrounds for both parties.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s 2006 reelection was the last statewide contest Republicans have won in Minnesota. The last Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in Minnesota was Norm Coleman in 2002.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. CT, which is 9 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, state Senate and state House.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter may participate in any party’s primary. Eligible voters may register at the polls on Election Day or during the early voting period.

How many voters are there?

As of Aug. 3, there were about 3.9 million registered voters in Minnesota.

How many people actually vote?

About 324,000 Democratic primary voters and about 194,000 Republican primary voters took part in the 2024 primaries for U.S. Senate. In the 2022 primaries for governor, about 432,000 voters cast ballots in the Democratic primary and about 323,000 in the Republican primary.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 23% of the vote in the 2024 state primary and about 20% of the 2022 primary vote was cast early in person or by mail.

As of Thursday, about 158,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Counties tend to release results from early in-person and mail voting over the course of the night, along with results from in-person Election Day voting.

The state’s three largest counties of Hennepin, Ramsey and Dakota release relatively few results in their first vote updates, regardless of vote type.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results at 9:08 p.m. ET, or eight minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 1:28 a.m. ET, with more than 99% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

Recounts in Minnesota are not automatic, but the losing candidate may request one under certain circumstances. A publicly funded recount can be requested in federal, judicial or state constitutional offices, like governor, if the margin between the winning and losing candidate is less than 0.25% of the vote. For state legislative races, the required margin is less than 0.5% of the vote. In races in which fewer than 400 votes are cast, the margin is 10 votes or fewer. Candidates may pay for a recount in races in which the vote margin is beyond the threshold for a publicly funded recount. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 84 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

Residents at the St. Cloud Mobile Home Park told News 6 on Friday that part of the community had been without electricity for a third day. Several said they have been forced to find other places to sleep, throw away groceries and spend money they did not plan to spend.

Hector Willems, who has lived in the community for about five years, said the timing of the outage made the financial hit even harder.

“This is the third day,” Willems said. “Everybody already bought their groceries, and all their groceries are ruined.”

Willems said he relies on a CPAP machine while he sleeps, meaning a home without electricity is not an option for him. He said he has been paying for a hotel and estimates that lodging and eating out are costing him at least $150 a day.

“It’s a financial burden for sure,” he said.

Residents show News 6 the impact

A few doors down, Alfredo Sanchez showed News 6 an almost-empty refrigerator after he said he was forced to throw away his groceries.

Sanchez said he had recently spent $259 on groceries and showed News 6 a receipt for part of that purchase. He said the food spoiled after the electricity went out.

Sanchez also said medication he normally keeps refrigerated became too warm to use.

“I lost my insulin ’cause it got too hot. I lost all my grocery food,” Sanchez said.

With his home too hot to comfortably sleep in, Sanchez said he has been sleeping in his car. He said a hotel is financially out of reach.

“I don’t have the money to stay in a hotel,” he said.

OUC: Failed line belongs to customer

The Orlando Utilities Commission sent News 6 the following statement:

“OUC became aware of an outage at the St. Cloud Mobile Home Park on August 5th caused by a failure on a customer‑owned line within the community. The property management directed OUC to disconnect power to a portion of the park for safety reasons. Service will be restored as soon as the property’s management makes the repairs needed to ensure safety."

Orlando Utilities Commission

That distinction is important: OUC says the failed line is not part of its own system and that the property’s management must complete the necessary repairs before the utility can safely turn the electricity back on.

Resident says cable came down near his home

Tony Caban told News 6 a cable came down near his home and that a small portion of his roof caught fire.

Caban said he had previously raised concerns with the property office about the cable months before this week’s outage. News 6 has not independently verified those previous complaints.

He showed News 6 damage near the back of his home and pointed to wires and tree limbs he believes have been an ongoing concern.

Repair requires specially ordered cable

News 6 also reviewed an email sent to one of the residents Thursday explaining why repairs could take additional time.

The message said:

“The specific cable required for this job must be specially ordered. We are making every attempt to get the cable by tomorrow and make this repair.”

But by Friday, residents told News 6 they were still without power.

Sanchez said management had told him repairs could take another three to four days.

News 6 also went to the property’s management office during its posted operating hours seeking additional answers, but no one answered the door.

‘People are just disgusted’

Without a firm restoration time, residents said frustration is growing.

Some have left to stay with relatives. Others are paying for hotels. Sanchez said he is sleeping in his car. Willems said people throughout the community are trying to determine what they can afford to do next.

“People are just disgusted,” Willems said. “People are … trying to figure out what they can do.”

Willems said residents ultimately want two things: the current problem fixed and steps taken to keep it from happening again.

“Get this thing fixed,” he said, “and try and take measures that it doesn’t happen again.”

OUC says it will restore service once property management completes the repairs required to make the system safe.

The contests take place as elements within the party look to redefine the Democratic brand ahead of the midterm elections by replacing old guard figures with younger and often more progressive alternatives.

Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont is running for a third term but must first clear a challenge from state Rep. Josh Elliott. Both candidates have raised just shy of $400,000 in contributions from individual donors. Nonetheless, Lamont, a wealthy former cable entrepreneur, has far outspent Elliott, thanks to $9.5 million in personal funds he’s invested in his campaign. Elliott has received about $3.8 million from the state’s public election funding program.

A primary upset by Elliott, along with additional Tuesday primaries in Minnesota and Wisconsin, could extend a progressive winning streak that began this summer with the defeat of Democratic incumbents in New York City and Colorado and continued with a high-stakes victory in the Michigan U.S. Senate primary on August 4.

The Democratic nominee will face Republican state Sen. Ryan Fazio in November. Republicans last controlled the governorship from 1995 to 2011. Lamont was first elected in 2018 with 49% of the vote and reelected in 2022 with 56%.

In the 1st Congressional District, longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Larson is running for a 15th term. Challenging him for the nomination are former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, Hartford Board of Education member Ruth Fortune and state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest.

This year marks Larson’s first primary challenge since he was first elected in 1998. He won a close primary that year with 46% of the vote but has not appeared on a primary ballot in his subsequent 13 reelection bids.

Bronin has slightly outraised and outspent Larson in the campaign overall, although Larson had a slight edge in terms of available cash heading into the primary campaign’s final three weeks. Gilchrest and Fortune trailed far behind in fundraising.

Larson turned 78 in July. In 2025, an incident on the House floor sparked concerns over his health and age when he suffered what he later described as a complex partial seizure while delivering a speech. He said the episode, which caused him to briefly but abruptly stop speaking, was related to a heart condition that he now treats with medication.

The district is heavily Democratic. Larson received 63% of the vote in his 2024 reelection campaign. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris received about 61% of the district vote in the presidential race.

All 36 state Senate seats and all 151 state House seats are up in 2026. Democrats hold two-to-one majorities in both chambers.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. House, governor, state Senate and state House.

Who gets to vote?

Voters registered with a political party may participate only in that party’s primary. Democrats may not vote in the Republican primary or vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may not participate in either primary.

How many voters are there?

As of October 2025, there were about 2.5 million registered voters in Connecticut, including about 878,000 Democrats and about 529,000 Republicans.

How many people actually vote?

About 114,000 Democratic primary ballots and about 94,000 Republican primary ballots were cast in the 2022 state primaries.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

Early voting was enacted in Connecticut after 2022. There was no statewide Democratic primary in 2024, but about 17% of the Republican primary vote in the 2024 state primary was cast early in-person or by mail.

As of Friday, about 43,000 Democratic primary ballots and about 3,900 Republican primary ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Connecticut runs elections at the town and city level. There are 169 separate jurisdictions administering local elections and they vary in terms of how and when they release results. In many of the larger jurisdictions, results from a mix of voting methods are released together throughout the night.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 general election, the AP first reported results at 8:12 p.m. ET, or 12 minutes after polls closed. The vote count reached the halfway mark at 12:25 a.m. ET. By 2:06 p.m. ET the day after Election Day, about 90% of the total vote had been counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

Recounts in Connecticut are automatic if the vote margin is less than 0.5% of the total votes cast but does not exceed 2,000 votes. Recounts are also automatic in races where the margin is less than 20 votes or in the case of a tie vote. If a recount results in a tie vote, a runoff election (called an “adjourned election” in Connecticut) is held. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 84 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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The AP's Matthew Junkroski contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

We’ve compiled a non-exhaustive list of upcoming Space Coast launches so you can know what to expect.

[RELATED: Best spots to watch a rocket launch]

Keep checking back, though, because as most space enthusiasts know, launch schedules are subject to change due to weather, technical reasons, and range restrictions.

I repeat: All launch dates and times are tentative!

• Date: Aug. 10
• Vehicle: Falcon 9
• Mission: Starlink
• Launch Time: 11:07 a.m. - 2:49 p.m.
• Location: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

• Date: TBD
• Vehicle: Blue Origin New Glenn
• Mission: Blue Origin will launch a Blue Moon lunar lander carrying NASA payloads on a demonstration mission.
• Launch Time: TBD
• Location: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Launch Complex 36

• Date: TBD
• Vehicle: Boeing Starliner
• Mission: An uncrewed Boeing Starliner will deliver cargo to the International Space Station and undergo in-flight validation of a series of system upgrades.
• Launch Time: TBD
• Location: TBD

• Date: TBD
• Vehicle: ULA Atlas V
• Mission: TBD
• Launch Time: TBD
• Location: Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

• Date: Q4 2026
• Vehicle: ULA Vulcan
• Mission: Sierra Space will launch its uncrewed Dream Chaser space plane atop a ULA Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
• Launch Time: TBD
• Location: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Launch Complex 41

Voters will also decide contested Democratic primaries for lieutenant governor and state auditor and choose a Republican nominee to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Becca Balint in November.

Scott is one of only two Republican governors to serve a state that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 election. But toppling him this fall will be no easy feat. He received 73% of the vote in his 2024 reelection bid, improving upon the 69% he won in 2022.

He’s also been a rare Republican critic of President Donald Trump. Scott not only endorsed former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley for president in the 2024 primaries, but he also says he voted for Harris over Trump in 2024 and for Joe Biden in 2020. He is unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Two Democrats are running to challenge Scott: economist Amanda Janoo and former child advocacy organization CEO Aly Richards, who boasts endorsements from former Democratic Govs. Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin. Richards has raised about $453,000 for her campaign, compared to about $308,000 for Janoo. Richards also had about double Janoo’s cash reserves as of the end of July.

In Vermont, the governor, lieutenant governor and other state constitutional officers serve two-year terms. If Scott is reelected and completes another term, he’ll surpass Dean as Vermont’s longest serving governor since it became a state.

All 30 state Senate seats and all 150 state House seats are up in 2026. Democratic state lawmakers suffered significant losses in the 2024 general election, losing more than two dozen seats across both chambers, along with their supermajorities. This year could prove to be another difficult one for the party but for different reasons: Democratic incumbents in five state Senate districts and 11 state House districts face primary challengers. Republican incumbents face challengers in only one state Senate district.

For state legislative primaries, the number of winners in each contest varies by district. With multiple winners in many seats and relatively low turnout for down-ballot primaries, especially on the Republican side, determining the winners could come down to a relatively small number of votes.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. House, governor, lieutenant governor, auditor, state Senate and state House.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter may participate in any party’s primary. Vermont does not register voters by party.

How many voters are there?

As of July, there were about 501,000 registered voters in Vermont.

How many people actually vote?

About 23,000 Republican primary voters and about 33,000 Democratic primary voters cast ballots in the 2024 gubernatorial primaries.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 30% of the vote in the 2024 state primary was cast by mail. In the presidential primaries that year, about 24% of Democratic primary voters and about 13% of Republican primary voters cast mail ballots.

As of Friday, about 17,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Vermont runs elections at the town and city level. There are 247 separate jurisdictions administering local elections, and they vary in terms of how and when they release results. In many of the larger jurisdictions, the bulk of results from both mail voting and in-person Election Day voting are released together in their first vote updates.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results at 7:18 p.m. ET, or 18 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:45 p.m. ET with about 87% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

A candidate may request a recount if the vote margin falls below a certain threshold. In federal, statewide and state Senate elections, a recount may be requested if the vote margin between the winning and losing candidate is 2% or less of the total votes cast, divided by the number of persons to be elected for that position. For state House and local races, the required margin is 5% or less of the total votes cast, divided by the number of persons to be elected. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 84 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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The AP’s Matthew Junkroski contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

The Irish Air Corps plane carrying Daniel Kinahan, 49, landed at an airport on the outskirts of Dublin on Sunday evening after courts in Dubai refused to block his extradition.

Kinahan was taken to the Special Criminal Court in Dublin where he was charged with directing the activities of a criminal organization. He was ordered to remain in custody at the high-security Portlaoise Prison about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of the capital. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 5.

Ireland’s Special Criminal Court handles all organized crime and terrorism cases, as well as others where prosecutors believe the ordinary courts are inadequate to ensure the “effective administration of justice.” Cases are heard by a panel of three judges without a jury.

Large security operation for Kinahan's transfer to Dublin

Irish media reported that a huge security operation was underway to ensure Kinahan faces justice. It included armed police, members of the armed forces and the prison service — which recently acquired a bombproof escort van to transport organized crime suspects, terrorists and other high-risk prisoners, Irish broadcaster RTE reported.

The security precautions came after Kinahan's family members were linked to a bloody gang war with another Irish organized crime group. U.S. authorities said in 2022 that the feud had resulted in 18 murders as they announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the disruption of the Kinahan organization or the arrest and conviction of Daniel Kinahan.

“Since February 2016, the (Kinahan Organized Crime Group) has been involved in a gang war with another group in Ireland and Spain, resulting in numerous murders, including of two innocent bystanders,” the U.S. Treasury Department said when it sanctioned six members of the Kinahan gang and three businesses linked to it.

Irish police, with the help of authorities in Britain, Spain and the U.S., have been pursuing members of the Kinahan gang since at least 2016, when the feud led to a daytime shooting during the weigh-in for a boxing match at a Dublin hotel. Kinahan was a boxing promoter at the time.

The authorities allege the gang smuggled tens of millions of dollars in illegal drugs, including cocaine and cannabis, as well as guns into Europe, then used a network of apparently legitimate enterprises to launder the profits.

‘Large quantities of cocaine’ from South America

Kinahan is believed to have run the day-to-day operations of the gang from his base in Dubai, the U.S. Treasury said. That includes buying “large quantities of cocaine” from South America, organizing its distribution in Ireland and attempting to smuggle drugs into the U.K., Treasury said.

Kinahan has also instructed gang members to deliver money to a number of people in prison, including one who was convicted of attempting to murder someone on behalf of the organization, the agency said.

He was detained by Dubai authorities in April on an Irish arrest warrant.

During a phone interview with Scottish podcaster James English last week, Kinahan denied being an organized crime boss and described himself as the victim of a conspiracy to tarnish his reputation. While he said the extradition proceedings were expedited due to a deal between the Irish and Dubai governments, he said he hoped his trial in Dublin would help clear his name.

“I believe, in a way, I am a scapegoat,” he said in the interview posted on TikTok. "And anyone that looks into this so-called feud that they say they have created, then you will see, you will see things yourself if someone has the time to look into it.”

In March 2022, the head of the Kinahan organization in Britain, Thomas “Bomber” Kavanagh, was sentenced to 21 years in prison after he was convicted of orchestrating drug shipments into the U.K. Two other men were sentenced to 20 years and 19 1/2 years for their part in the crimes.

In the course of their investigation, police found 15 kilograms of cocaine and 220 kilograms of cannabis inside asphalt removal equipment fitted with a tracking device at the port of Dover on the English Channel, Britain’s National Crime Agency said when Kavanagh was sentenced.

Kavanagh lived in a mansion equipped with bulletproof glass and reinforced doors in Tamworth, northeast of Birmingham. When police raided the property in 2019 they seized numerous weapons and 35,000 pounds of cash in various currencies, including Emirati dirhams and euros, as well as British pounds, the crime agency said.

Lindsey Graham won the June 9 Republican primary for renomination to the seat he first won in 2002, but his unexpected death on July 11 from an aortic tear created a vacancy not only for his current U.S. Senate seat but also for his spot on the November ballot as the party’s pick to compete for another six-year term.

U.S. Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to fill her brother’s vacant seat, has President Donald Trump’s endorsement to compete in the general election as the new Republican nominee. Among those challenging her in the special primary are U.S. Reps. Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, former Gov. Mark Sanford and business owner Mark Lynch, who ran against Lindsey Graham in the June 9 primary.

Norman recently sought the nomination for governor and placed third in the primary.

If no candidate receives a vote majority in the special primary, the top two vote-getters will advance to a special primary runoff on Aug. 25.

The winner will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician who challenged Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in the 2022 general election.

Lindsey Graham last won reelection in 2020 with 54% of the vote. Trump carried the state in the 2024 presidential election with 58% of the vote.

Greenville County is the most populous in the state and typically contributes the most votes in statewide Republican primaries. It also has a bit of an independent streak. In the June 9 primary, a plurality of Greenville County voters preferred Lynch over Lindsey Graham in the U.S. Senate race and Norman over the two candidates who would advance to the runoff for governor.

Democratic-leaning Richland and Charleston counties have the next-largest populations and contribute a sizable number of votes in Republican primaries, but they tend to be more influential in Democratic contests.

Horry, Lexington and Spartanburg counties are also large counties that have big impacts on Republican primaries. Spartanburg was the only other county where Lynch outperformed Lindsey Graham in the June primary.

Besides Greenville County, Norman also was the top vote-getter in York County and three smaller neighboring counties, all in his 5th Congressional District, in the June gubernatorial primary.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in the special Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

Who gets to vote?

Voters who participated in the Democratic primary on June 9 may not participate in the special Republican primary on Tuesday. Only Republican primary voters or registered voters who did not participate in any party’s primary may cast ballots in Tuesday’s election.

How many voters are there?

As of Friday, there were about 3.4 million registered voters in South Carolina. Voters in South Carolina do not register by party.

How many people actually vote?

About 465,000 voters cast ballots in the June 9 Republican U.S. Senate primary in which Lindsey Graham was renominated. About 319,000 voters participated in the June 23 Republican gubernatorial primary runoff.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 29% of the vote in the June 9 Republican state primary was cast early in person or by mail.

As of Friday, about 42,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Nearly all of South Carolina’s 46 counties release all or almost all of their early in-person and mail voting results in the first vote update of the night, usually before releasing any results from in-person Election Day voting.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the June 9 primary election, the AP first reported results at 7:22 p.m. ET, or 22 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 12:19 a.m. ET, with more than 99% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

In South Carolina, recounts are automatic if the margin between the winning and losing candidates is 1% of the total vote or less. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 84 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

Scores of firefighters, backed by 43 helicopters, have been deployed to battle wildfires that have burned more than 107,000 hectares (264,000 acres) of forests and other land across the Southeast Asian nation as of Monday, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago said.

East Java authorities said the largest blaze is burning in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java province, where about 743 hectares (1,836 acres) have been scorched. Authorities have closed the park to visitors until further notice.

It said the fire has burned large areas of dry grassland, vegetation and protected edelweiss flowers as flames have spread to the Penanjakan area, a popular viewpoint for tourists visiting Mount Bromo, one of Indonesia’s best-known attractions. No injuries or evacuations have been reported.

Chaniago said weather-modification, or cloud-seeding, operations are considered one of the most effective ways to help firefighters combat wildfires by inducing rainfall through the dispersal of salt particles into suitable clouds. Strengthening El Nino conditions have raised the risk of more forest and land fires during the peak dry season.

However, the effort would be difficult to carry out because scientific monitoring “found no rain-bearing clouds suitable for weather-modification operations through Aug. 18,” Chaniago told a news conference Monday. He spoke after a meeting with related ministers and agency chiefs dealing with wildfires in the capital, Jakarta.

With cloud-seeding ruled out because of unfavorable weather conditions, "we are relying solely on water bombing and ground firefighting teams,” said Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni while visiting Mount Bromo on Sunday. He urged the public to avoid activities that could spark new blazes, including discarding cigarette butts and clearing land by burning.

Wildfires have been reported in several of Indonesia’s most fire-prone regions, including the provinces of Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra on Sumatra island, and Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan on Borneo island, Chaniago said.

In Jambi, more than 50 hectares (124 acres) of peatland have burned, causing choking haze in some areas and raising concerns about worsening air quality. The largest fire has been reported in the village of Sungai Gelam in the Muaro Jambi district, where dozens of hectares of palm oil plantations owned by local residents have been destroyed. The blaze has burned since Wednesday.

About 300 firefighters and disaster personnel have been deployed to battle the fire. Officials said deep peat soil, limited water supplies, difficult access and strong winds have complicated efforts, even with three helicopters conducting aerial firefighting operations.

Forest and peat fires are an annual problem in Indonesia that strain relations with neighboring countries.

Malaysia has reported unhealthy air-quality levels in parts of Sarawak state on Borneo island, with officials saying winds were carrying smoke from hot spots in neighboring areas. In Singapore, authorities have warned that prevailing southeasterly winds could carry smoke toward the city-state, with dry conditions expected to prevail.

“We must uphold the nation’s credibility by showing that we can bring these fires under control,” Chaniago said.

Indonesia’s Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency said August and September are expected to be the most critical months as dry vegetation and strong winds create favorable conditions for fires to spread rapidly.

Wildfires in Indonesia, an archipelago nation of more than 17,000 islands, are often started illegally by plantation owners or traditional farmers to clear land for planting.

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Karmini reported from Jakarta. Associated Press writers Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report.

In a letter sent Sunday evening to the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Democrats said they will investigate whether the Pentagon and DHS are coordinating to deport military service members and their families.

“These efforts imperil military readiness, weaken service members’ morale, and betray America’s promises to the people who put their lives on the line for our nation,” according to the letter, which was signed by more than 60 lawmakers and provided to the AP.

The Pentagon declined to comment, stating it would “reply directly to the authors of the letter.”

DHS told the AP that it values service members' contributions and “U.S. military service alone does not automatically grant lawful immigration status, or exempt aliens from the consequences of violating U.S. immigration laws.”

The VA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In their letter, the Democrats provided an extensive list of questions to the agencies. They said the apparent collaboration between DHS and the military to deport troops’ families “raises both ethical and legal concerns.”

“Donald Trump is breaking our country’s promises to service members by tearing apart dozens of military families who were promised immigration protections,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said. “That’s just plain cruel, and it’s hurting our military readiness and morale.”

Warren's office is leading the probe alongside Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth and several House Democrats.

The AP investigation found President Donald Trump's administration has rolled back protections for military families and departed from longstanding bipartisan consensus to carry out its mass deportation agenda. Service members have been forced to take leave of their duties, including delaying deployment, to care for their children after their spouses were detained.

The lawmakers pressed the administration on why military recruiters are still promoting immigration protections.

Citing the AP's reporting, the lawmakers urged the Trump administration to restore policies that had previously shielded military service members' families from immigration enforcement while allowing them to adjust their legal status.

“This report is appalling and shows the unbelievable cruelty at the center of the Trump immigration agenda,” said Blumenthal, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. “We will be demanding answers and accountability.”

The Republican chairs of the armed services and veterans’ affairs committees, Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker and Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, did not respond to requests for comment.

Last week, Trump established the Military Spouse Commission, chaired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer Rauchet, to develop policies and recommendations for improving life for troops' spouses.

“Military spouses are intrinsically linked to the good order, readiness, and retention of our military,” Trump stated in a letter published in the Federal Register on Aug. 6. “Their support and contributions to our Armed Forces are crucial to mission success.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The Defense Department said in a December letter to Democratic lawmakers, obtained by the AP, that it had not implemented any recent policy changes for noncitizen family members in the military and has not conducted analysis on how deportations impact troop readiness and morale.

Danitza James, president of Repatriate Our Patriots, an organization providing support to military families and veterans facing deportation, said troops are being betrayed.

“Our military service members are the ones that sign on the dotted line to go and defend our country and maybe not come back,” James said. “They trust our government to take care of their families, and they’re not doing that.”

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Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

The district is giving more details into new rules for students who ride e-bikes and e-scooters to school.

Only high school students with a driver’s license or learner’s permit along with a school decal will be allowed to bring the devices onto campus. Middle and elementary school students will not be permitted to have them at school.

Students who are approved to bring an e-bike or e-scooter must also walk the device once they enter campus.

Superintendent Maria Vazquez said violations will be handled through the district’s code of conduct, starting with a warning and parent contact.

“Starting with a warning, contacting the parents, it could result and ultimately removal of the privilege of riding an e-bike or e-scooter,” Vazquez said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said its role is separate from the district’s enforcement. Deputies do not enforce school rules, but they do enforce state laws and county ordinances.

The Sheriff’s Office also has helped draft language for a possible countywide ordinance addressing e-bike and e-scooter safety.

“This ordinance will be at a level where we will begiving warnings, talking to parents and possibly confiscating the e-bikes in the worse case scenario,” said Sheriff Mina.

Meanwhile, teacher contract negotiations remain another major issue for the district.

Vazquez said the district and the Classroom Teachers Association have reached an agreement on salary increases, but the two sides remain at an impasse over health insurance.

A magistrate is expected to issue a recommendation within several days. Both sides will then have the option to accept or reject it. If either side rejects the recommendation, the matter could go before the school board for a hearing.

District leaders also acknowledged ongoing financial challenges and declining enrollment, following the closure of seven schools.

The district expects just over 197,000 students this year, and Vazquez said the focus is now on rebuilding trust and bringing more families back to Orange County Public Schools.

“This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” Ocasio-Cortez, 36, said on Instagram about her decision regarding her reproductive options.

The New York congresswoman, a leading figure of Democrats' progressive left flank, did not say explicitly whether she plans to have children. She said in her social media posts that she was taking a “political risk” in talking so personally about her potential family plans.

She said later on ABC “This Week” on Sunday that she has not ruled out running for president or for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrats’ floor leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, in 2028. She explained that she wants to normalize conversations about what women face in their professional and personal lives, while also highlighting the policies of President Donald Trump's administration.

“In this political environment, where this administration is denying reproductive care to women across the country, from abortion rights to the ability to carry out a healthy pregnancy, I think it’s important for us as leaders to have these conversations,” she said.

Trump's administration opposes abortion rights, and the Republican president's first-term appointees to the Supreme Court provided the margins in the 2022 ruling that struck down the Roe v. Wade decision that had established a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.

Separately, however, Trump in 2025 signed an executive order designed to lower the costs of in vitro fertilization.

Ocasio-Cortez sponsored a Democratic bill in 2022, when the party controlled the House, to codify abortion rights into federal law after the Supreme Court's abortion decision.

As part of her weekend announcement, Ocasio-Cortez noted that women — in politics and other fields — face different standards and scrutiny about their family status.

“Men run for office, or frankly they interview for jobs, and people don’t think in the back of their minds, 'OK, this guy’s running for office, how old is he? Oh, well, is he going to want to start a family?'” she said.

The airline said the crew followed procedure and apologized to customers for the inconvenience, adding that safety is its top priority. Flight 2204 was carrying 199 passengers and six crew members.

In radio traffic, the pilot told air traffic control, “Change of plans. We now have smoke in the back, and we need to deplane immediately.” Air traffic control responded, “You can stop there and do what you need to.”

Passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft on a taxiway using inflatable slides on the side of the plane. They were taken back to the terminal by bus.

It is unknown at this time what caused the smoke.

Sanford city leaders are expected to discuss the possibility of introducing paid parking in downtown during a meeting Monday.

The idea is already getting mixed reactions from people who live, work and spend time downtown.

Jacob York, a Sanford resident, said he believes most people prefer the current system.

“I think the people like it the way it is,” York said. “You know, free parking.”

York said charging for parking could also hurt local businesses.

“I think it’s better for business if you start charging people,” he said.

Wilsa DeLeon said she was surprised to hear the city could consider charging for parking.

“It is shocking. It’s like, what else are we going to pay for?” DeLeon said.

DeLeon said rising costs are already putting pressure on residents and visitors.

“I’d like to come here and just enjoy, you know, free parking,” she said. “And if that’s changing, how much is it going to cost us?”

What parking looks like now

Parking throughout downtown Sanford is currently free.

Visitors can park for free for up to two hours in designated spaces along the sidewalks between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

There are also several free parking lots throughout downtown.

The only paid parking News 6 found in the area is associated with electric vehicle charging stations. In that case, drivers are paying for the charging service rather than simply paying to park in the space.

One downtown business owner told News 6 that paid parking could also create an issue for employees, who would potentially have to pay to park while working.

The city has not yet announced a final plan for paid parking. For now, the idea remains a discussion among city leaders.

News 6 will continue to follow the proposal if it moves forward.

In an “open letter to the football family” revealed on Monday, UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC also said that “when trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”

UEFA runs soccer in Europe, CONCACAF does the same for North, Central America and the Caribbean, while the AFC governs the sport in Asia.

The letter was co-signed by UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, AFC president Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and three general secretaries.

“Football is the world’s greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the member associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future,” the open letter said. “It is in that spirit, as confederations representing its members, that we speak collectively today.”

Infantino is facing a revolt after his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors.

“It is not the conduct of a custodian of the game, but of one who believes the game is answerable to him,” the letter said. “These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve.”

UEFA previously issued a threat to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions despite the governing body abandoning and apologizing for its failed plan.

Norway’s soccer federation called for Infantino to step down, while the English Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino’s re-election next March.

“Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now,” the letter said. “For leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”

Last Wednesday, FIFA said it had apologized for errors made over the failed plan but that senior staff at a crisis meeting in Morocco “reaffirmed their full support” for his presidency.

However, the nature of the meeting was also met with criticism.

“FIFA’s own letter also confirms that only one elected official was present at the leadership meeting in Morocco,” the open letter said. “No FIFA Council members or Member Associations were invited to participate. Only the management committee, composed of FIFA-employed senior staff, was present.”

FIFA was also urged to go further than just acknowledging mistakes were made.

“It treats this as a failure of communication, when what football witnessed was a failure of judgment,” the letter said. “There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment — not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.”

In a statement Saturday, FIFA defended Infantino against what it called a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine his leadership of the organization.

That statement followed a report by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph raising questions about an exit package paid by UEFA to a female staffer who worked with Infantino when he was general secretary of European soccer's ruling body.

UEFA confirmed that a “departure payment” was made to the employee and said it was “in line” with regulations at the time.

Infantino worked at UEFA for 16 years before being elected FIFA president.

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

Kids waiting for the bus Monday and Tuesday morning can expect a warm and muggy start, with temperatures generally in the upper 70s. By the afternoon ride home, temperatures will climb into the low to mid-90s, with only a few spotty showers and storms around.

Rain chances drop to just 20-30% Monday afternoon, which is below normal for early August. Any storms that do develop could still become strong, with frequent lightning, gusty winds of 30 to 50 mph, and locally heavy rain.

The bigger weather story this week will be the heat.

A strong ridge of high pressure over Florida will help keep afternoon temperatures in the low to mid-90s. Combined with high humidity, it will feel more like 102 to 107 degrees across much of Central Florida Monday afternoon.

The hottest part of the day will generally fall between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., so students heading home from school or participating in afternoon practices and activities will need to take the heat seriously.

Drier pattern sticks around

Rain chances remain lower than normal through much of the next seven days.

A layer of drier air moving into Florida will limit the coverage of our typical afternoon showers and storms. Rain chances fall to around 20% to 30% Tuesday, with only isolated to widely scattered storms expected through the middle and latter part of the week.

Another plume of Saharan dust is also expected to move across Florida around midweek, potentially creating hazier skies.

Despite the lower rain chances, we won’t completely eliminate afternoon storms. Any isolated storms that manage to develop could produce frequent lightning, gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall.

The heat won’t let up, either. Highs remain in the low to mid-90s through the weekend, with heat index values potentially approaching 108 degrees on some afternoons.

By Sunday, most of Central Florida could stay dry altogether.

Watching the tropics

There are currently three areas being monitored across the Atlantic, but none poses an immediate threat to Florida.

A tropical wave about midway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles has a 10% chance of development during the next seven days. Conditions are expected to become less favorable for development as it approaches the Lesser Antilles later this week.

Farther east, an area of low pressure south of the Cabo Verde Islands is expected to interact with another tropical wave moving off Africa. Conditions could become more favorable for development later this week, and a tropical depression could form as the system moves west to west-northwest across the central Atlantic. It currently has a 60% chance of development during the next seven days.

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A third area northwest of Bermuda has only a 10% chance of development and is expected to move eastward into cooler waters later this week.

None of these systems is an immediate concern for Central Florida, but we’ll continue to monitor the Atlantic closely as we move deeper into hurricane season.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it was notified that an adult woman was bitten on the arm by an alligator while swimming in the Silver River on Friday.

Good Samaritans pulled the woman from the water and brought her to shore. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.

FWC officers and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper are at the scene working to locate and trap the alligator. The Sheriff’s Department also is assisting.

The park remains open, and the Ocklawaha River remains open to visitors.

Several families shopping for last-minute school items this week said basics such as glue sticks, composition books and other classroom supplies are already disappearing from shelves.

Clarie Bowles, who is headed to first grade, was excited to show off her new backpack, complete with a removable lunchbox.

“I am looking forward to see what time I’m going to go to the playground,” she said.

Her parents said the shopping experience has been less carefree.

“That’s basically what it’s been,” Claire’s Mom said of shelves being wiped out. “We’re going to try to go hunt for the other stuff because you can’t find everything.”

For other families, the bigger concern is cost.

Back-to-school shopping is expected to reach a record high this year. Families are projected to spend more than $43 billion on school supplies, according to a recent survey from the National Retail Federation.

Savannah Hartman, a mother of two seventh graders, said her family is spending more this year than last year.

“I graduated almost 20 years ago, but it was like pencil on a paper and a folder,” Hartman said. “And now everything is digital and extra, and it’s been a lot of an undertaking.”

Hartman said the cost of school supplies alone was about $300 for her two children.

“That was with no wish list items. No extra stuff — just the necessities,” she said. “So when you add in two kids and their clothes, it’s about $700 to get them started back to school. That’s crazy.”

As costs add up, some parents said they are looking for ways to stretch their budgets. That includes taking advantage of back-to-school giveaways, reusing supplies from last year and shopping online to compare prices.

For families still working through school supply lists, online shopping may also help avoid the hassle of driving from store to store in search of items that are already selling out.

WalletHub’s rankings weigh five broad categories — Affordability, Economy, Education & Health, Quality of Life and Safety — using indicators such as housing affordability, income growth, educational attainment and hospital quality.

How Florida performed

Florida’s overall showing was driven primarily by a strong quality-of-life score.

Florida’s category ranks (WalletHub):

• Overall: No. 10 (Total score: 57.48)
• Affordability: No. 32
• Economy: No. 17
• Education & Health: No. 24
• Quality of Life: No. 3
• Safety: No. 11

The results suggest Florida’s lifestyle advantages — including factors captured in WalletHub’s quality-of-life measures — helped offset weaker rankings in affordability and education/health.

What topped the list

The highest-ranked states overall were:

1. Idaho
2. New Jersey
3. Wisconsin
4. Massachusetts
5. New Hampshire

“Idaho is the best state to live in, boasting one of the lowest median real estate tax rates in the country, at just 0.5%, along with the eighth-highest homeownership rate. It also has the fourth-lowest tax rates overall and the highest median household income growth, making it a great place to build and grow wealth.

In addition, the Gem State has the seventh-lowest share of urban interstates experiencing congestion during peak hours. This naturally leads to some of the lowest average commute times in the country.

To top things off, Idaho is a pretty safe state. It has the 14th-lowest violent crime rate and the lowest property crime rate in the country."

WalletHub, "Best States to Live In"

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said people considering a move should weigh both money and day-to-day living conditions.

“When deciding on a place to move, you should first consider financial factors like the cost of living, housing prices and job availability,” Lupo said. “Many states have strong economies, though, so you should also consider… how where you live will impact your health and safety.”

WalletHub’s data was compiled from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, CDC and other federal and research organizations.

Meanwhile, the full list is as follows:

The methodology used for each factor is as follows:

• Affordability
• • Housing affordability
  • Median annual property taxes
  • Cost of living
  • Median annual household income
  • Homeownership rate
• Economy
• • Unemployment rate
  • Underemployment rate
  • Sharecare Well-Being “Economic Security”
  • Share of population living in poverty
  • Media debt per median earnings
  • Population growth
  • Income growth
  • Building-permit growth
  • Wealth gap
  • General tax-friendliness
  • Entrepreneurial activity
  • Job opportunities
  • Foreclosure rate
  • Bankruptcy rate
  • Food insecurity
• Education & Health
• • Quality of public school system
  • High school graduation rate
  • Share of population aged 25 and older with a high school diploma or higher
  • Share of insured population
  • Quality of public hospital system
  • Premature-death rate
  • Poor or fair health
  • Life expectancy
  • Share of live births with low birthweight
  • Share of obese adults
  • Share of physically inactive adults
• Quality of Life
• • Average hours worked per week
  • Average commute time (minutes)
  • Miles of trails for bicycling and walking per total state land area
  • “Bicycle Friendly State” ranking
  • Access to public transportation
  • Quality of roads
  • Traffic congestion
  • Restaurants per capita
  • Bars per capita
  • Museums per capita
  • Performing arts center per capita
  • Movie theaters per capita
  • Fitness centers per capita
  • Accessibility of beaches
  • Weather
  • Air Quality
• Safety
• • Violent-crime rate
  • Property-crime rate
  • Traffic-related fatalities per capita
  • Total law-enforcement employees per capita

He's still on the roster, still battling Riley Leonard for the backup job to Daniel Jones.

No, this is not what Richardson or the Colts envisioned as the former Florida star entered his fourth pro season, again trying to prove he can stay healthy, be productive and become the franchise quarterback Indy thought it selected with the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2023.

“I'm here right now trying to make sure I can stamp my foot on this team and be the best version of myself I can be," Richardson said Sunday at training camp in suburban Indianapolis. “I'm just ready to showcase what I can do and be a winning piece to help the team.”

Richardson sounds content, for now, even though he requested and received permission to find a trade partner during the offseason.

But because general manager Chris Ballard still believes Richardson can reach the potential the Colts saw in college, he's not willing to cut ties that easily.

“We’re not just giving him away, we're not going to do that,” Ballard said when players first reported to camp. "He is a great teammate and he’s fun to be around. He has really grown and worked. It’s been fun to watch, especially when you take a guy as high as we took him, you want him to come in and be the savior right away. Well, everybody’s developmental plan is different, and his was a little different. I still think he has got a future. We’ll see how that plays out here.”

But as Richardson tries to right the ship, his first two weeks of camp have been up and down.

On Sunday, he led his unit to a touchdown in the two-minute drill. Last week, though, he struggled to catch snaps out of the shotgun.

And it's that kind of inconsistency that's coach Shane Steichen wants to see fixed before naming Richardson QB2.

The athletic, strong-armed 6-foot-4, 244-pound Richardson won the starting job in camp as a rookie, but he managed to play in only four games that season. In 2024, he appeared in 11 of 17 games, posting the lowest completion percentage (47.7%) of any regular starter in the league. He was also benched for two games after pulling himself out of a game because he was “tired.”

So in 2025, the Colts signed Jones to compete with Richardson to be the starter.

It was no contest. Jones won the job and played so well through Indy's first nine games he became part of the MVP conversation. Jones struggled after breaking a bone in his left leg in November and suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon in December.

Richardson, meanwhile, missed the final 12 games because of a fractured orbital bone.

Leonard made his NFL starting debut in the Colts season-finale, and when the Colts re-signed Jones to a two-year, $88 million in March, they set up the competition between Leonard and Richardson.

“I think maybe this camp, I've taken a step further in understanding what the defense is doing a lot better," Leonard said while calling Richardson a “great friend.” "When you get to know the offense for a whole year, you don't have to think about things as much and it saves you time. If you break the huddle at 15 seconds, I feel like last year I spent the first eight seconds figuring out what the motions were and who was supposed to be where. Now I'm able to save those eight seconds and really figure out what the defense is doing and get my eyes up.”

Will that be enough to win the No. 2 job?

Time will tell.

“If that's what the team wants, that's what I want. I just want to help the team," Richardson said when asked if he thought he'd stay in Indy all season. “Regardless, if I'm with the first, second or third team, my reps count. I've got to make them count. I feel if I put my best foot forward, then the team will make a decision that's for the betterment of the team.”

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

After a handful of infamous team performances in recent seasons — like the Colorado Rockies losing 119 games last season and the Chicago White Sox dropping an MLB-record 121 games in 2024 — the worst teams have been much more competitive.

In fact, there's a decent chance that no team will lose 100 games for the first time since 2017.

The worst teams are the Rockies (46-72), Los Angles Angels (45-73), Athletics (47-71) and Kansas City Royals (49-70), putting them all within reach of avoiding triple-digit losses even if they play below-average baseball.

This year's show of relative competitiveness by the league's bottom feeders might just be a statistical outlier, though it might also be a sign that teams are viewing complete teardowns as a less compelling strategy.

The Houston Astros paved the way for the all-out tank in the early 2010s when they lost at least 106 games in three straight seasons. It was a painful stretch but paid off in the coming years with World Series titles in 2017 and 2022.

The problem is it doesn't always work out as planned. The Baltimore Orioles were awful from 2018 to 2021 while they rebuilt their roster with high draft picks, but have zero playoff wins to show for it five years later. At last week's trade deadline, they unloaded former No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox and appear headed for another rebuild.

Pre-game ejections

Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale was ejected by umpire Dan Merzel before a pitch was thrown in Sunday’s game against the New York Yankees. The veteran lefty was still in a foul mood a day after being called for a balk that scored a run.

Pregame MLB ejections are rare, but not completely unprecedented.

San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin was ejected before a game against the Colorado Rockies in 2024 after he and bench coach Ryan Christensen delivered the lineup card to home plate umpire Alex MacKay.

Earlier this season, Brent Suter of the Los Angeles Angels and Steven Wilson and Manuel Rodriguez of the Tampa Bay Rays were ejected because of a “standoff” following the “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Umpire Lance Barrett tossed the trio after they refused to leave the field.

Historically, former Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver is famous for a 1975 incident when he was ejected from the first game of a doubleheader for arguing with umpire Ron Luciano. Before the second game even started, Luciaino tossed Weaver again when he continued arguing.

Trivia question

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer moved into 10th place in career strikeouts, passing Hall of Famer Walter Johnson in the Blue Jays’ 7-5 win over Philadelphia on Saturday night. Scherzer has 3,516 strikeouts over 19 years.

How many of the other top 10 can you name?

NL MVP race heats up

The race for National League MVP is shaping up to be a classic.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani and the Chicago Cubs' uber-athletic Pete Crow-Armstrong have turned the competition into a two-man race with roughly 25% of the regular season remaining.

As of Sunday, Crow-Armstrong was a slight favorite over Ohtani, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, and both teams are firmly in the playoff hunt. Crow-Armstrong is trying to earn his first MVP award while Ohtani is chasing No. 5, which would be the second-most in MLB history behind Barry Bonds, who had seven.

Here's a look at the resume of both players.

— Crow-Armstrong has blossomed into a full-blown superstar for the Cubs, greatly improving his consistency at the plate. He's slashed .286/.388/.544 through Sunday's games and has 26 homers, 71 RBIs and 30 stolen bases, all while playing an exceptional center field.

The two-time All-Star also has been worth 7.4 WAR so far this season, according to baseball-reference.com, which is the best in the big leagues.

— Ohtani continues to be an offensive powerhouse, though his numbers are down from previous season. The Japanese standout is slashing .292/.395/.542 and has 26 homers and 71 RBIs. Unlike Crow-Armstrong, Ohtani usually doesn't provide any value in the field, serving as designated hitter when he's not pitching.

But that's the thing: When Ohtani is healthy, he is also one of MLB's most dominant pitchers. The right-hander has an 8-2 record and 1.79 ERA over 14 starters with 95 strikeouts over 85 2/3 innings.

Ohtani hasn't pitched since July 3, mainly because of soreness in his left knee. He resumed playing catch on Saturday and is slowly working toward a return to the mound. If he can provide a few good starts in September for the Dodgers, it might tip the MVP scale back in his favor.

Trivia answer

From No. 9 to No. 1 — Gaylord Perry (3,534), Justin Verlander (3,554), Don Sutton (3,574), Tom Seaver (3,640), Bert Blyleven (3,701), Steve Carlton (4,136), Roger Clemens (4,672), Randy Johnson (4,875), Nolan Ryan (5,714)

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

The Sony-Marvel release has accrued $1.67 billion worldwide in just 10 days of release, putting it on a trajectory to be among the biggest blockbusters ever. Domestically, no movie has wracked up a higher total faster. In U.S. and Canadian cinemas, “Brand New Day” has grossed $655.1 million thus far. Overseas, it’s already surpassed $1 billion.

It took only seven days for “Brand New Day” to become the highest grossing movie of the year, easily displacing “Toy Story 5” ($1.07 billion worldwide). No Sony film has ever cleared $100 million in its second weekend before. It came close to toppling the best sophomore frame on record: “The Force Awakens,” with $149.2 million in 2015.

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” also crossed $1 billion. In its fourth weekend, the Universal Pictures release added $31.5 million domestically to bring its global total to $1.1 billion.

Nolan’s Homeric epic is the director’s first movie to reach that threshold since 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” It now ranks as Nolan’s biggest box-office hit ever, not accounting for inflation, eclipsing both “The Dark Knight Rises” ($1.08 billion) and 2009’s “The Dark Knight” ($1 billion). Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” ($975 million) ended just shy of the milestone.

A big part of that success, of course, has been on IMAX. With $147.3 million domestically on the company’s large-format screens, “The Odyssey” now ranks as IMAX’s highest grossing domestic release of all time.

“The Odyssey” still has one major market left. It opens in China on Friday.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey” have helped drive Hollywood to its best box-office year since the pandemic. Ticket sales are running 18.5% ahead of last year, according to Rentrak. There have already been five $1 billion movies — more than any year since 2019. The other two were “Michael” and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”

Rentrak forecasts that the overall summer theatrical revenue will reach $4 billion on Monday. That seasonal mark has long been a sign of thriving business for Hollywood. Since the pandemic, the only summer to surpass $4 billion was 2023, when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” drove ticket sales.

According to Rentrak, summer revenue is just $14.8 million shy of $4 billion through Sunday.

A pair of comedies tried to provide some counterprogramming to the blockbusters but made little impact.

“One Night Only,” a Will Gluck-directed romantic comedy where premarital sex is outlawed except for one night a year, opened with $5.7 million. The Universal release, starring Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner, cost about $25 million to make. Reviews weren’t good (46% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) but audience scores (a “B+” CinemaScore) were better.

Coming in fourth was Fox Searchlight’s “Super Troopers 3,” the third in the long-running comedy series from the comedy troupe Broken Lizard. It debuted with $4 million.

Two new limited releases packed theaters. A24's “Tony,” starring Dominic Sessa as a young Anthony Bourdain, grossed $348,955, good for one of the best screen-average openings of the year: $58,159 per theater. Mubi's “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” from “I Saw the TV Glow” filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun, debuted with a per-location average of $50,300 across five screens.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

1. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” $145 million.

2. “The Odyssey,” $31.5 million.

3. “One Night Only,” $5.7 million.

4. “Super Troopers 3,” $4 million.

5. “Toy Story 5,” $3.9 million.

6. “Minions & Monsters,” $3.5 million.

7. “Moana,” $2.8 million.

8. “Ice Cream Man,” $2 million.

9. “The Invite,” $717,568.

10. CatVideoFest 2026, $568,414.

Several school districts are changing their policies surrounding the devices, with some implementing new restrictions and others focusing on education as concerns grow over student safety.

Parents are being encouraged to check their district’s rules before the first day of school. Some Central Florida schools are banning e-scooters and limiting who can bring e-bikes onto campus as more students use the devices as a way to get to and from school.

For some families, the changes could impact how students get to class.

During an Orange County Public Schools meeting, one 7th-grader explained how an e-scooter helped with transportation.

“With my parents having full-time jobs, I had the opportunity to ride an e-scooter to and from school,” the student said.

Under Orange County’s new rules, elementary and middle school students will no longer be allowed to bring e-bikes or e-scooters onto campus. High school students can bring approved e-bikes, but only if they have a valid driver’s license or learner’s permit.

The change has sparked mixed reactions from parents.

“If this passes, I don’t know how they will get to school in August,” one parent said during the school board meeting.

Another parent said families have other options.

“There are other ways to get to school,” the parent said.

While some districts are restricting the devices, Oviedo police are focusing on education and safety ahead of the school year.

Officers are teaching families how to identify legal e-bikes and understand the difference between an e-bike and an electric motorcycle.

“What’s a true e-bike? It’s 750 watts or less,” an Oviedo officer explained.

Police say the goal is to prevent dangerous situations after multiple citations were issued earlier this year near Seminole County Middle School involving both e-bikes and electric motorcycles.

Officers warn that some devices can be modified to reach dangerous speeds.

“Kids can make modifications where it can go 60 to 80 miles per hour,” the officer said. “Now we’re talking about kids who aren’t even eligible to get a driver’s license going faster than cars.”

In Deltona, city leaders initially approved an 18-and-over restriction for e-bikes and e-scooters but later reversed the decision after the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said it could not enforce the rule.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood questioned how officers would realistically determine who could legally ride.

“From my perspective, what am I going to do—put a roadblock in front of a school and ask, how old are you?” Chitwood said.

As the school year begins, officials say the message for families is simple: know the rules before you ride.

For many students, getting to school safely starts long before the first bell.

While the list examines removed books from across the state, it turns out only 16 counties actually did so.

They are as follows:

• Clay County: 282 removals
• Polk County: 53 removals
• Escambia County: 22 removals
• Orange County: 19 removals
• Santa Rosa: 17 removals
• Bay County: 10 removals
• Marion County: 10 removals
• Brevard County: 9 removals
• Manatee County: 8 removals
• Broward County: 7 removals
• Hernando County: 4 removals
• Saint Johns County: 2 removals
• Duval County: 1 removal
• Martin County: 1 removal
• Nassau County: 1 removal
• Volusia County: 1 removal

These removals stem from a 2023 law (HB 1069), which allows parents to object to instructional materials in schools that could be deemed “pornographic” or which “depict sexual conduct.”

Part of that law was struck down by a judge just last year, with the state pushing to appeal the decision. In the meantime, though, the FDOE is required to reveal annually which books were removed during the school year.

While some critics refer to these removals as “book bans,” districts have only removed the titles from the shelves of classrooms or school libraries. Students have not necessarily been prohibited from bringing their own copies onto campus.

[You can find some excerpts from “banned” books here]

That said, the full list of book removals in Central Florida between 2023 and 2025 can be found below:

BREVARD

FLAGLER

LAKE COUNTY

No titles listed as removed or discontinued.

MARION COUNTY

ORANGE COUNTY

OSCEOLA COUNTY

POLK COUNTY

SEMINOLE COUNTY

SUMTER COUNTY

No titles listed as removed or discontinued.

VOLUSIA COUNTY

Twenty years ago, British driver Andy Green set the land speed record for a diesel-powered car, reaching 350.092 mph (563.4 kph) at Utah’s famous Bonneville Salt Flats. Green will return to the lunarlike landscape Tuesday and try to beat that mark, this time with a hydrogen-powered car.

The retired Royal Air Force fighter pilot aims not only to win another accolade but to showcase the power of hydrogen as a clean-energy alternative. It's the “fuel of the future,” Green told The Associated Press in a July interview.

Green will be driving the 32-foot (9.75-meter) JCB Hydromax, the brainchild of British construction equipment manufacturer JCB. The car is bright yellow, long and slim, resembling a pencil. It's powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines with a combined 1,600 horsepower, which were adapted from engines used in the company’s construction machinery. They mix pressurized hydrogen gas with air and ignite it to create bursts of power.

In targeting the diesel-powered record, Green also hopes to easily clear the world land speed records for hydrogen internal combustion engines (185.5 mph/298.5 kph) and electric vehicles (341.3 mph/549.2 kph).

Green hit a new top speed of 368.347 mph (592.797 kph) in practice last week, but to officially earn the hydrogen record, he’ll have to do it Tuesday in front of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the international governing body of motor sports.

“What the peak speed is, I can’t say. We just don’t know,” he said. “Part of the adventure here is we’re going to find out.”

One thing Tuesday’s attempt will assuredly not do is approach the supersonic speeds Green reached with jet power three decades ago.

Green had already been flying supersonic military aircraft when he spotted a newspaper ad that read: “Wanted: High-speed driver to break the sound barrier,” according to the Guinness World Records. In 1997, he traveled faster than the speed of sound and set the outright land speed record — 763.035 mph (1,227.98 kph) — in a car powered by twin jet engines. His runs in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert produced sonic booms that shook the nearby town of Gerlach.

Now 64 years old, Green said he thought he was done racing but came out of retirement when JCB approached him with plans for the new car. The company has invested more than $134 million into hydrogen-powered engines that it says emit no carbon dioxide from the tailpipes.

“If you’re serious about emissions, you have to be serious about hydrogen, and a land speed project is the perfect way to prove it,” JCB Chair Anthony Bamford said at the car's unveiling in May. Bamford has also argued that hydrogen can better handle the demands of heavy industries than electric power.

But hydrogen is only as clean as its source, and the vast majority is currently produced from fossil fuels. JCB signed a deal to buy green hydrogen, which is created using renewable energy but makes up a tiny fraction of global hydrogen production.

Hydrogen combustion engines also present unique safety challenges due to the high pressure and flammability of the gas.

“We're managing the risks very carefully,” Green said. The car endured rigorous testing, and Green said he spent months learning how it responds to the elements, how the engines work in tandem and how to deploy a parachute to slow the car on the low-friction salt crust.

Since the first race there in 1914, the glassy surface of the Bonneville Salt Flats has drawn generations of drivers seeking to set new land speed records. A remnant of a prehistoric lake bed, the salt flats are about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Salt Lake City and sit atop an aquifer that cools the tires of the cars.

Spectators must stand about a quarter of a mile (400 meters) from the course's straightaway, which is 10 miles (16 kilometers) long, and often watch through wide-angle binoculars.

The expanse on the border of Utah and Nevada has also been a backdrop for movies including “Independence Day” and “The World’s Fastest Indian,” and the series finale of “Mad Men.”

Green will start about an hour before sunrise Tuesday. His attempt comes a year after a driver going 283 mph (455 kph) died trying to set a land speed record at Bonneville's annual Speed Week. Chris Raschke lost control of his rocketlike vehicle called the Speed Demon last August and died from his injuries.

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Rico reported from Atlanta. Video journalist Serge Cartwright contributed reporting.

“It’s always been fascinating to me to see the origins of things,” Dersch said. “It’s a fun challenge to debug and repair. You can understand the entire system from top to bottom.”

Dersch is part of a growing community of vintage computer collectors who are preserving the classic machines that helped launch the digital revolution. While Silicon Valley has since moved on to shaping the future of artificial intelligence, these hardware enthusiasts are intent on saving the Atari, Commodore and IBM machines that are ancestors to today’s laptops, wearable devices and smart phones.

Where others see junk, people like Dersch see artifacts of computer history that are worthy of attention and respect. They delight in hearing the beeps and chimes of their childhood and firing up a low-def game of “Pong” or “Space Invaders.”

“The enthusiasm for the history of computers and all the stuff around it is growing,” said Erik Klein, president of the Vintage Computer Federation, which organizes an annual festival at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Vintage computer festivals bring collectors together

This year more than 3,500 people attended the two-day Vintage Computer Festival in early August that celebrated the 50th anniversary of Apple, founded in 1976 in nearby Cupertino, Calif. It featured a panel with co-founders Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne reminiscing about the company’s early days as a scrappy startup led by the late Steve Jobs.

More than a dozen such gatherings have since sprung up in cities across North America, South America and Europe.

Growing interest is reflected in more demand for vintage computers in online marketplaces, Klein said. Rare, iconic computers like the Apple-1 — the company’s first product — can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Collectors exhibited the computer systems that they have painstakingly restored to their original working condition, allowing attendees to play with the computers built long before the internet, social media and AI transformed the world.

Restoring the ‘grandfather of the modern computer’

Dersch drove down from Seattle to showcase the pride of his collection: the Xerox Alto. He spent years restoring what's considered “the grandfather of the modern computer,” which was developed at the pioneering Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s.

The Alto was one of the earliest computers to move beyond text on screen and use the mouse and graphical user interface — such as windows, icons and cursors — that became the industry standard. The model famously inspired Jobs and Bill Gates to incorporate the technologies in their early products.

Dersch’s exhibit featured a fully functioning Xerox Alto workstation with its boxy vertical monitor, chunky keyboard and mouse, as well as pizza-sized spinning disks that store tiny amounts of data by modern standards.

“It’s fun to share what I’ve done with people. It’s fun to share in what other people have done,” Dersch said. “Also, there’s a consignment area where I can buy more junk to take home with me, so that’s always fun.”

Klein, a Silicon Valley software engineering manager, was a passionate collector until his hobby overwhelmed his home and family life. He had as many as 150 computer systems — complete with accessories, documents and packaging — crammed into his closets and garage.

He said his beloved collection had become an “albatross” and he worried about burdening his family. So he started selling and giving away his machines until he only had a few favorites left at home.

Similar events for collectors spread around the world

Now Klein channels his passion for vintage computers into organizing festivals, repair workshops, swap meets and other events as president of the Vintage Computer Federation.

“So it’s really about evangelizing that history and evangelizing this hobby of maintaining, collecting and enjoying this vintage technology,” Klein said.

Sellam Ismail is thrilled to see the collector community develop and mature since he organized the first festival in 1997, drawing about 150 hobbyists to a venue east of San Francisco. He ran the events for a decade.

He later co-founded the Vintage Computer Federation, which runs festivals in the US and Canada. He’s helped other groups launch similar festivals in Argentina, Germany and Switzerland.

“The community grew up. More and more people started getting old computers, started collecting them,” said Ismail, who once had a massive collection he stored in a warehouse. “Next year is the 30th anniversary. And I expect this to continue and grow even bigger.”

President Min Aung Hlaing, the former army chief who had originally seized power in 2021 from Suu Kyi’s civilian government, has been trying to win political legitimacy since the takeover and resume relations with ASEAN.

ASEAN came up with a peace plan for the Southeast Asian country in April 2021 to end hostilities and initiate dialogue among contending parties, to be facilitated by the special envoy. Min Aung Hlaing has since been barred from attending top-level meetings for failing to comply with the plan.

In an apparent effort to placate critics, the government allowed a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit 81-year-old Suu Kyi last week, the first known contact with an outside international independent humanitarian organization since her detention five years ago.

Suu Kyi is serving her sentence under house arrest at an undisclosed location in the capital, Naypyitaw, on charges that her supporters and rights groups have said are politically motivated.

The current ASEAN chair, the Philippines, welcomed the meeting as a step toward dialogue and reconciliation Friday, while urging greater access to political detainees and reiterating its call for Suu Kyi’s “complete and unconditional release.”

Myanmar’s foreign ministry's statement late Saturday criticized the call.

“Although the government has commuted her sentences based on humanitarian considerations, the matter of a full and unconditional release shall only be carried out in accordance with the law,” it said.

The statement also said the government will continue working with ASEAN’s current special envoy, Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro, but doesn’t see the need to continue down that path when Singapore takes over on Jan. 1, 2027.

“At present, the government, which emerged from the multiparty democratic elections reflecting the genuine will of the people, has assumed state responsibility,” the statement said.

In a speech more than three months after being sworn in as president following the elections, Min Aung Hlaing dismissed ASEAN’s peace plan, saying some member states have discriminated against Myanmar and it would respond on a case-by-case basis.

Critics dismissed the elections, which were held in December and January, as a sham designed to consolidate the military’s grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule.

Those days are over. Long over.

The wide-eyed newcomer is gone, replaced by a poised and professional 18-year-old who is embracing her role as the leader of the sport's next wave as the 2028 Olympics approach.

The proof was on display during the final round of the U.S. gymnastics championships on Sunday, when Rivera — still not quite 100% while recovering from a hamstring injury sustained at the Pan Am Games in June — won her second straight national title with a poised and polished performance that solidified her status as the current face of a women's program two years out from the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Rivera’s two-day total of 111.950 was more than a point clear of runner-up Claire Pease, making Rivera the first American woman not named Simone Biles to go back-to-back since former world and Olympic champion Jordyn Wieber did it in 2011 and 2012.

Heady company to be sure, but company in which Rivera increasingly feels like she belongs. It might not have seemed like it in the summer of 2024 when she ceded the spotlight to her more accomplished teammates, but the relentlessly upbeat Texan has no problem admitting these days she wants to lead from the front.

“I am comfortable with it,” she said. “And I just love kind of being a leader in a way."

Anna Liukin, who coaches Rivera alongside her husband Valeri, called Rivera “motherly." Rivera laughed when the description was passed along because well, it's strange to hear as a teenager. Yet in many ways, it's applicable.

Lee and Jade Carey helped Rivera navigate her way through the sport's biggest stage and come out with a gold medal on the other side. She feels it's her duty to do the same to the generation of gymnasts just starting to find their way as the lure of a potentially life-changing hometown Games in Los Angeles looms.

“I think it’s just really important to give pep talks because when you’re young, you’re still learning a lot,” she said. “So I just think it's good to get positive vibes.”

Even if producing them takes a little practice. Rivera relied on that practice Thursday when a fall on uneven bars — perhaps her strongest event — sent her tumbling down the leaderboard. She shook the miscue off and found herself in fourth heading into Sunday.

A comeback still seemed somewhat unlikely when Rivera began Sunday with a gritty bars set that included her fighting through a mini-stall just before her dismount and ended with her and giving Valeri Liukin a “what are you gonna do?” shrug after a dismount that included a small step.

Yet twenty minutes later, it was long forgotten during a graceful balance beam routine that brought her to within striking distance of the lead.

“It took a few years to learn that, but I’m at a point now where it’s just like there already,” she said. “I don’t really have to think about it too much.”

Her black-and-white bedazzled leotard glittering under the lights, Rivera put on a performance that made her look every bit the star she has become.

Rivera never glanced at the scoreboard to mark her progress, too intent on trying to stay warm and focused during sometimes lengthy delays. If she was bothered, it didn't show. Every time she saluted the judges, Rivera was all business.

Now she heads into the fall hoping to make her first world championship team. Rivera was practically a lock last year before rolling her ankle during selection camp, something Liukin called “heartbreaking.”

Provided she can stay healthy, Rivera is eager to make up for lost time in the first major international team meet since Paris. Yes, her hamstring still isn't quite there, but she found her way to the top of the podium anyway.

“I think it just shows how strong I am mentally,” she said. “Because physically everything’s there. But the mental aspect of things is definitely where it’s at. You can’t really do this without having a strong mentality.”

Pease and fellow first-day co-leader Skye Blakely couldn't quite keep up. Pease led with two rotations to go, but her floor routine included one tumbling pass that ended with her stepping out of bounds and another in which she opted to keep her right foot hovering above the floor rather than set it down for a penalty.

Still, Pease's second-place finish was a marked improvement from a year ago, when she came to nationals fresh off a victory at U.S. Classic and stumbled to 10th. This time around, she finds herself in a solid position to join good friend and teammate Rivera in the Netherlands.

Blakely's bid to build off a promising opening night stalled quickly. She sat at the end of her first tumbling pass and bounced out of bounds on her final one, her score of 11.900 dropping her from contention for the top of the podium on her way to a seventh-place finish. The 21-year-old called it “irritating” but stressed she's pleased with her progress in her first elite meet competing the all-around since 2024.

Charleigh Bullock, who turned 16 last month, was third. Reese Esponda, who trains at the Houston-area gym owned by Biles' family, was fourth.

Carey, who is methodically building difficulty into her routines as she eyes a third trip to the Games, won the vault title and finished fifth in the all-around in a meet that doubled as a homecoming for the Phoenix native. The two-time Olympic gold medalist also marveled at Rivera's growth both on and off the floor since that memorable trip to Paris.

“I think Hezly did a fantastic job tonight and kind of rebounding from night one and just proving to herself and everybody else that that was just a little fluke and she’s capable of so much,” Carey said. “Back-to-back national champion is something that she should be really proud of.”

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

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels struck a government-held port on the country’s Red Sea coast, deepening fears over threats to strategic shipping routes and a potential return to civil war.

Here’s a look at developments across the Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.

Netanyahu insists no Gaza withdrawal until Hamas disarms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the deal on Gaza announced by Trump last month, saying Israel’s military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed.”

Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting that “Israel rejects the 15-point document” but is still discussing plans for Gaza with Washington, after making similar comments last week. Trump had said Israeli forces would withdraw as the Hamas militant group’s disarmament is completed. Israeli forces control over half the Palestinian enclave of about 2 million people that's been largely destroyed.

There was no immediate White House comment on Netanyahu's statement.

“We remain committed to the road map,” said a member of the Hamas political bureau, Bassem Naim, adding that the group expects mediators and the U.S. to pressure Netanyahu — who also faces domestic tensions as he struggles to hold onto power ahead of the next elections scheduled for Oct. 27.

The Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparked the war in Gaza. A fragile ceasefire continues.

Houthis target Aramco refinery and Red Sea port

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked the government-held port city of Mocha late Sunday night. It was the second attack on the Red Sea coast city in less than 24 hours.

A Houthi military source told the Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV that the attack targeted weapons depots and Saudi troop concentrations.

A statement from the Yemeni Armed Forces posted on X said residential neighborhoods were targeted by ballistic missiles and drones in the attack, and that air defense systems managed to intercept some of the drones.

Drones and missiles were also used during the earlier attack on Sunday. The Yemeni government-allied National Resistance Forces said at least seven people — four troops and three civilians — were killed and 15 civilians were injured in that strike.

Fayed al-Noman, the information ministry’s assistant undersecretary, said the attack severely damaged port buildings and piers as well as commercial goods and food supplies. The military later said missiles landed in several areas, including near a television station.

Mocha is a main port under Yemen’s internationally recognized government and has been renovated to handle shipping that avoids the Houthi-held port of Hodeida.

The Houthis said they targeted military forces and warehouses.

Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, said they also targeted an Aramco refinery in the Saudi city of Jazan with a drone in response to Saudi drones breaching Yemen’s airspace over Hajjah and Saada provinces.

The Saudi Energy Ministry reported a fire at a facility belonging to the Aramco refinery, with no casualties. The ministry did not say the cause. The attacks threaten to reignite Yemen’s civil war after a 2022 truce.

— Samy Magdy in Cairo

Iran's top security post changes again

Iran named a new head of its powerful Supreme National Security Council, state media reported. Mohsen Rezaei had been a military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and a former Revolutionary Guard commander.

It was the latest shuffle at the top for the politburo-like body, which has a range of political opinions and rivalries and is adapting to the loss of several senior officials in the war.

Rezaei replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who took up the role after Ali Larijani was killed by an Israeli strike in March. Zolghadr will become a political adviser to Khamenei.

Rezaei earlier this month said Iran will never allow an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz, which was considered an international waterway before the war and Tehran's assertion of control.

Iran says negotiations ‘cannot resume’ until conditions met

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters that negotiations with Oman about “new maritime routes” on the Strait of Hormuz were in the final stages but “this, however, does not mean that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen.” That step requires conditions that “have been conveyed through intermediaries.”

The Supreme National Security Council on Saturday said the strait will not reopen until the U.S. “corrects its behavior.” It demanded that the U.S. never threaten Iran again, a permanent end to the war with Iran and its armed allies, a lifting of the naval blockade of Iranian ports and a withdrawal of the U.S. military from the area. The U.S. also must “completely compensate” Iran for war damage, lift sanctions and “unconditionally” release frozen assets.

The United States did not comment on the demands. Trump on Sunday asserted to Axios that “we are only semi-negotiating” with Iran and letting economic pressures take their toll.

Araghchi said an “exchange of messages through intermediaries” continues with the U.S. but that doesn’t constitute negotiations, which he said can’t resume until violations of the interim deal end and the U.S. “has remedied” provisions it violated.

Details emerge about a potential Iran-Oman deal

Iran and Oman, located on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz, are working to finalize a temporary deal that would reopen it, with ships entering near Iran and exiting near Oman, according to two people familiar with the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Ships would transit without paying fees or tolls during the interim period.

The agreement is designed to restore the separate interim deal between the U.S. and Iran. The two people said the agreement is endorsed by Gulf Cooperation Council members and is expected to be jointly announced by Iran, Oman, the U.S. and the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization. But they stressed the terms still could change.

The Iranian parliament’s National Security Committee approved “general outlines” of a plan to manage the strait, the state broadcaster reported, but a lawmaker said transits by vessels belonging to “hostile countries” would be prohibited. The member of parliament’s presiding board said countries that have “caused damage” to Iran cannot transit until they compensate for it. There were no further details.

— Michelle Price in Washington and Aamer Madhani in New York

“I can’t do anything about it, so you just run with it,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs used late pit strategy and held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell over the final 20 laps to win the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Iowa Speedway.

Gibbs — the 23-year-old grandson of former NFL coaching great and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs — won by 0.253 seconds over Bell for his second victory of the season and his career.

Gibbs and Bell each pitted with 60 laps remaining in the 350-lap race, but while Bell took four tires, Gibbs just went with two right-side tires, and came out ahead. And when leader Ross Chastain pitted on Lap 330, Gibbs took over the top spot and fought off a late charge by Bell.

Tyler Allen, Gibbs’ crew chief, thought taking two tires was the only chance to get ahead of Bell in that final pit cycle.

“We knew after practice the left sides weren’t wearing much and they tended to refire OK,” Allen said. “So in terms of coming into the race, it was definitely a viable option.”

Gibbs liked the aggressive call.

“I think in the position with our points situation, for sure,” he said.

Gibbs, who picked up his first career win April 12 at Bristol, came into the race ranked fourth in the season standings, and moved into second — 103 points behind JGR teammate Denny Hamlin.

Gibbs, who had an issue in the pits on his first stop of the day when his jack fell too early during the tire change, fell back to 28th before charging back.

“You’re kind of hosed after that deal,” Gibbs said. “So you’ve got to stay locked in and keep working.”

It was the seventh second-place finish of the season for Bell, who led 108 laps.

“Ty did a really good job,” Bell said. “He did a great job of managing the race.”

Pole-sitter Ryan Blaney, who won the inaugural 2024 Cup Series race at the 0.875-mile oval, was third after leading a race-high 129 laps.

Josh Berry finished fourth. It was Berry’s best finish of the season, and only his third top-10 finish. Hamlin finished fifth.

Chase Briscoe was sixth. Chastain recovered to finish seventh. AJ Allmendinger was eighth, followed by defending race winner William Byron. Austin Dillon was 10th.

Reddick’s struggles

Tyler Reddick’s summer struggles continued when he crashed into Erik Jones four laps into the race.

The rear end of Reddick’s car slid entering Turn 1, and Reddick ran into Jones before hitting the wall. Reddick finished last in the 36-car field.

“A 100% that was on me,” Reddick said. “It’s something I don’t normally do, make those kinds of mistakes. Just gut-wrenching on a lot of levels. I thought we kind of figured out what we needed to do for the race today, and made a killer mistake earlier.”

Reddick won the first three races of the season, and four of the first six, and has five wins overall. But he has had four finishes of 30th place or worse in the last six races.

No brakes, all gas for Hamlin

Hamlin had brake issues during practice Saturday, which led to the team changing brake rotors and a cooling unit. Hamlin had to go to the rear of the field, but surged back to finish fifth despite having more brake issues during the race.

“I just had white knuckles every lap, not knowing where my car was going to land when I got in the corner,” Hamlin said. “That was a crazy race to have to do it the whole time without (brakes), but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, and the team did an amazing job. I would take that day a hundred out of a hundred times.”

“I’ve never seen Denny that exhausted,” Joe Gibbs said. “I think he drove his heart out.”

Up next

The Cup Series moves to Richmond Raceway on Saturday night.

AP NASCAR: https://apnews.com/hub/nascar-racing

Trump said that, beginning Sept. 1, Scharf will be replacing David Warrington, who will be leaving the administration to join the private sector. Trump noted that Scharf previously served as a federal prosecutor and represented him in a number of cases, including at the Supreme Court.

“Will is Tough, Strong, and Smart! He also loves our Country, and respects the Law,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Will Scharf will do a great job as White House Counsel!”

The shakeup in the White House counsel's office comes at a critical juncture — just months ahead of the midterm elections, where Trump's Republican Party will be fighting to hold on to control of Congress. Democrats have vowed to pursue investigations into Trump and his administration if they are successful in November.

The White House counsel’s job is to advise on legal and policy questions related to the presidency. The office is the primary White House contact for the Justice Department, and it handles presidential pardons, works on judicial appointments and reviews legislation. The office also helps investigate and manage congressional investigations into the administration and lawsuits against the president when he is sued in his official capacity.

During Trump's first term, Scharf worked to get judges and justices confirmed for him. They included U.S. Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh — who himself served as White House staff secretary for President George W. Bush — and Amy Coney Barrett.

In the period when Trump was out of office, Scharf joined his legal team in October 2023 and was one of his lawyers in the election interference case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. The case went before the Supreme Court, which ruled that presidents enjoy sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.

Scharf is among several of Trump’s lawyers who have been rewarded with spots in his second administration. Todd Blanche, who represented Trump during the Republican’s hush money trial in New York. was confirmed last week as attorney general.

As White House staff secretary, Scharf was responsible for managing the papers that cross the president’s desk. He is at Trump's side when the president signs executive orders and often provides running narration on what Trump is signing.

Trump in July 2025 named Scharf as chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, the executive branch agency with jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region.

Trump's ballroom won final approval from the NCPC in April, though a divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that construction on the project must stop because Congress had not approved it. Trump has vowed to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The project is already well on its way and has begun to rise above ground on the east side of the White House.

Brennan came into the final tournament of the regular season at No. 105 in the FedEx Cup, a disappointing year with only one top 10. Now his season gets extended by at least one week — maybe longer based on how he's playing — after his second PGA Tour title in two years.

Brennan was one shot behind Hossler when he ran off five straight birdies starting on the fourth hole, all of them inside 8 feet. That turned a deficit into a three-shot lead at the turn when Hossler took a bogey on the ninth hole.

Then it was a matter of hanging on for the 24-year-old Brennan, a Virginia native who played his college golf about 30 miles away at Wake Forest.

“I don't want to be done playing golf,” Brennan said. “Unfortunately, I've had a couple of tough Sundays. Outside of that, I had been playing really solid. This is my sixth week in a row. I'm perfectly happy running on fumes next week.”

The FedEx Cup playoffs start Thursday with the FedEx St. Jude Championship at the TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. Only the top 70 players advance, and Brennan shot up to No. 47.

Jackson Koivun, who left Auburn in June and won the 3M Open in only his third start, narrowly hung on to the 70th spot and goes from college to the postseason in only two months.

But he had to sweat it out after closing with a 71. Matt Wallace and Davis Thompson were still on the course and in range of finishing high enough to bump Koivun out of the top 70. But they failed to hole all the key putts, and Koivun made it with eight points to spare.

A bogey might have been enough to knock him out of the postseason. But on the 18th hole at Sedgefield Country Club, Koivun piped his drive straight down the middle, leaving a wedge from the fairway and an easy par. Known for his composure, he was emotionally invested in every outcome down the stretch, a rare sight from the last two months.

“It's just it’s a different type of nerves when you know you don’t have your stuff and you've got to go out there and execute some shots,” Koivun said. “I think that kind of sparked some emotion in me. Yeah, it’s easier to get comfortable when you’re playing well. It was just kind of a different feeling for me today.”

Brennan started feeling the nerves, too. He was four shots behind in a tie for fourth going into the final round of the 3M Open and shot 74 to finish out of the top 20. Last week at the Rocket Classic, he was in the final group and one shot out of the lead when he went the wrong direction again, closing with a 73 to tie for 15th.

He delivered in the final event of the regular season, and it was his mother who came onto the 18th green to celebrate who reminded Brennan the victory also sends him to the Masters. He made his Masters debut this year going from the PGA Tour Americas straight to the big leagues when he won the Bank of Utah Championship last fall.

Brennan made birdie on the final hole to finish at 22-under 258, matching the tournament record at Sedgefield shot three other times, most recently last year by Wake Forest grad Cameron Young.

Ben James, the No. 1 player from the PGA Tour University ranking who has a card already secure for 2027, fell out of contention on Saturday but roared back with a 61 to finish third.

Brennan was the only player to move into the top 70, replacing Steven Fisk, who was at No. 69 but missed the cut at the Wyndham Champion and fell to No. 71.

Also failing to advance to the postseason was Brooks Koepka, the first player to rejoin the PGA Tour after being at LIV Golf. Koepka needed a fourth-place finish and was saddled again by poor putting that led to a tie for 67th. The five-time major champion had only one top 10 this year.

“It's just all on the greens. I don't know what they deal is, got zero confidence,” Koepka said. “There's going to be a lot of changes here soon.

“I think it’s pretty pathetic that I can’t get through (to the postseason),” he said. “To be in the prime of your career and be as good as I think I am, I think that’s very pathetic, disappointing. Just need to go home and completely reevaluate everything."

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

Monday

The first day of school for many will feature much drier conditions as dry air in the mid-levels of our atmosphere continues to filter into Central Florida. This will keep our sea breeze storm coverage to isolated-spotty. Expect a few dotted showers, maybe a t-storm or two, as the kids are leaving school and heading home. The bigger story is the heat! With the drier air, more sunshine, and a ridge of high pressure building in the upper levels of our atmosphere, high temperatures will return to the mid-upper 90s across Central Florida with “feels like” temperatures over 100ºF.

This Week

As this ridge of high pressure continues to build in over the state, rain chances remain low through this week and into the upcoming weekend. This also means that mid 90s are here to stay for the rest of the week with heat indices in the 100-105ºF range.

The first wave is currently moving westward over the main development region of the Atlantic. As it continues to move westward, it has a low chance of development. It has a plethora of hurdles to inhibit organization including Saharan Dust, high wind shear, and slightly cooler-than-normal ocean temperatures.

The second wave the NHC is watching still has yet to depart into the Atlantic waters. Once it does early this week, environmental conditions will be a little more conducive for development as it tracks to the west. This wave currently has a medium chance of development into at least a Tropical Depression by the second half of this week.

Be sure to stick with News 6 for your tropical update and you can get the latest direct from the NHC anytime on our News 6 weather app.

Wilson set an MLB record for his position, playing his 111th consecutive errorless game at shortstop for the Athletics and surpassing the Baltimore Orioles’ Mike Bordick, who went 110 games in 2002. Wilson last made an error on July 6, 2025, in a game against San Francisco.

Jack Wilson, a 12-year major leaguer who also played shortstop, instilled in his son that defense comes first.

“He’s a very defensive-first guy for me growing up by teaching me defense first before the hitting side of things and making sure you’re always prepared to play defense every day,” said Wilson in the corner of a loud clubhouse after the Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Sunday at Fenway Park, ending a 12-series losing skid.

Like any day he plays short, the 24-year-old Wilson was out taking grounders with many of his teammates about two hours before the start of the game.

“I do that every day that I’m playing short,” he said. “The DH days I try to stay off my feet as much as I can, but every day I’m playing short I’m taking ground balls no matter what. You need to get as much work on the field, ground balls-wise as you can.”

On Sunday, he had five plays in the field; two pops, with one in which second baseman Jeff McNeil collided with him on an infield fly, two grounders and the middleman on a 4-6-3 double play. One of the grounders was hit deep into the hole by Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilson made a long throw to first.

Starting pitcher J.T. Ginn sees the work.

“It’s pretty amazing the way he prepares and works,” Ginn said. “That stuff doesn’t come by chance. He’s a great worker. He’s put a lot of time into his defense.”

The work paid off and he knows it’s a good message for Little Leaguers across the country.

“Yes, get a lot of work in,” Wilson said, smiling.

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

As umpires took the field and walked by the Braves' dugout on the third base side, Sale began barking. Merzel tossed him and Sale said something to crew chief Dan Bellino as the two talked near the dugout rail.

“I was by the bat rack because the game was about to start and I was getting my helmet,” center fielder Michael Harris II said after his 10th-inning single gave Atlanta a 2-1 win. “I didn’t see him talking to him, but I actually seen the motion of him throwing him out. I was kind of confused but then I saw Sale and remember what happened yesterday and I put two and two together."

Sale was called for his third career balk by Merzel during the fifth inning of Saturday’s 5-4 loss. Rookie Spencer Jones scored on the balk after getting an RBI triple and Sale began fiercely yelling at Merzel before manager Walt Weiss continued the argument and was ejected.

“I think he had some words for the umpire from yesterday, but you know what, it’s behind us," Weiss said. “Everyone had their say and we move on.”

Bellino told a pool reporter after Saturday's game that Sale was called for the balk because he did not declare he was going to pitch from the windup. Bellino said Sale declared he was pitching from the windup when he struck out José Caballero but did not do so ahead of the at-bat to Austin Wells.

It was Sale’s fourth career ejection. It was his first since Aug. 3, 2019, when he pitched for Boston and was tossed by Mike Estabrook for arguing balls and strikes during the fourth inning of a 9-2 loss at Yankee Stadium.

Sale allowed three runs and five hits in six innings Saturday for his first loss since June 28. In his third season with the Braves, the veteran left-hander is 12-7 with a 2.20 ERA in 21 starts.

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

Nelson’s family confirmed the death in a statement that did not say where he died or provide a cause.

“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” the statement said. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”

Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — also serving as general manager for all three franchises. He was a three-time coach of the year and made the playoffs 18 times in 31 seasons. He went to the conference finals three times with the Bucks and once with the Mavericks, never winning a title.

Nelson introduced what is now known as the point forward, and his up-tempo style of offense created a buzz. He said the idea of shifting from the dominant big men of the 1970s to an offense focused on speed and the fast break came from his playing days under Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach.

“The league really hadn’t seen an offense like the one we were running, and the results were undeniable,” Nelson wrote in 2016 in The Players’ Tribune.

Nelson said that “without Red Auerbach teaching me the mechanics of running the fast break, none of it would have been possible. He deserves all the credit for Nellie Ball, and for how fast the game of basketball is played today.”

Nelson played 11 of his 14 seasons in Boston and was on five Celtics championship teams under four different coaches. He became an assistant coach in Milwaukee after retiring as a player, then took over after coach Larry Costello resigned 18 games into the 1976-77 season. Nelson coached the Bucks for 11 seasons starting in 1976 and won seven straight division titles.

In Nelson’s second season, Milwaukee overcame a 29-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Atlanta 117-115 in regulation.

“I coached the team as though I was still playing for the Celtics, while implementing a few of my own strategies,” Nelson wrote. “I knew I wanted to play unconventional basketball and use speed to my advantage.”

His fast-paced offenses were probably best on display with Golden State in the “Run TMC” era featuring future Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Nelson said he wanted them on the court at the same time.

Nelson spent 11 seasons over two stints with Golden State. The first one was punctuated by a rift with rookie star Chris Webber, who was traded away a month into his second season. Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season due to illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995.

In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, missing 21 games with the Mavericks starting in December 2000 to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.

Nelson’s son, Donnie, joined his father as an assistant coach with the Mavericks in 1998, later became general manager and remained with the organization until 2021. Together they persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the Mavericks. Don Nelson also developed Steve Nash into one of the NBA’s top point guards before Nash went on to win back-to-back MVPs with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006.

“Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today,” current Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not. So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game."

At Golden State, Nelson’s “We Believe” Warriors led by Baron Davis upset Nowitzki and the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs in one of the biggest shockers in NBA history. In his final season as a coach, Nelson mentored rookie Stephen Curry in 2009-10.

“One of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors was because of Don Nelson. The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court,” Curry said in a statement released by the Warriors. “He taught me a lot during our one season together and I’ll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota. We were so happy for him. He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game.”

Davis added: “When I think of Nellie, I’ll always think of the ‘We Believe’ team and our incredible run in 2007. He understood what made us go and made us believe we could beat anybody, ultimately helping us make history as the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series. That time in my life and career was truly special, and Nellie was a huge part of making it possible.”

Nelson retired as the NBA’s career coaching wins leader with 1,335, just ahead of Lenny Wilkens’ 1,332. Nelson kept that top spot for nearly 12 years before close friend and now-retired San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed him in March 2022.

Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2025, he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association. Miffed that the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade, Nelson wore a pair of Doncic’s signature Jordan Brand sneakers to the awards ceremony. He called the trade a “tremendous mistake.”

Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Nelson attended high school in Rock Island, Illinois, and averaged a double-double in college at Iowa. He spent his retirement years living on the Hawaiian island of Maui and owned several short-term rentals on the island.

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

“His biggest worry was letting us down, that’s the type of guy he is," Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said Sunday, when Bridgewater was placed on the reserve/retired list.

The 33-year-old journeyman had signed a one-year deal with the Lions in March after spending 2025 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also spent 2023 and part of 2024 with Detroit.

“So I’ve known Teddy a long time. As a human being he is unbelievable. Certainly as a player, everything that he’s about, the type of teammate he is, the way he prepares. He always played the game up here," an emotional Campbell said, pointing to his head. “He had a huge heart. He’s going to be missed."

Campbell, who was assistant head coach with the New Orleans Saints when Bridgewater played there in 2018 and 2019, has maintained a close relationship with the quarterback.

“I’ll never forget 2019 when Drew (Brees) got injured. We’d just gone out to the Rams, got beat out there and Drew got his thumb and we lost him for five weeks," Campbell said. “Teddy stepped in and we won five in a row. That was Teddy. His time being with us meant a lot, and it meant a lot to our guys. He’s going to be missed."

Bridgewater had been signed to back up Jared Goff. Undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer, the only other QB on the Lions roster, had been getting more reps in training camp earlier this week when Bridgewater was absent, and again on Sunday.

“I thought he did some really good things," Campbell said. “He was put in some tough positions for a young player that you absolutely have to be put in, you just do, you’ve got to be thrust in, you need to fail, you need to make mistakes so you can grow and we thought he handled it really well.”

Altmyer said he has learned so much from Bridgewater.

“It was a joy to spend some time with him, but it brings about opportunity for myself, and the standard is to play good football no matter how many reps and or whatever my role is, I have a job to do and my job is to do that very, very well at a high level," Altmyer said. “I’m thankful. I believe in my abilities and I’m going to go cut it loose whatever that looks like for me.’’

The Lions plan to sign a veteran quarterback as soon as Monday.

Campbell said Goff will not play in the preseason game Thursday in Cincinnati.

“Certainly Altmyer will take a heavy load and anybody else we get we’ll get them up to speed as fast as we can and give them some reps," Campbell said.

Bridgewater was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 and started 28 games his first two seasons. Before the 2016 season he tore his ACL and suffered more structural knee damage that kept him out of action into the 2017 season. Bridgewater also played for the Dolphins, Broncos, Panthers and Jets.

In 2024, before he re-signed with the Lions in December, Bridgewater coached Miami Northwestern Senior High, his alma mater, to the Florida Class 3A state championship. But he was suspended for the 2025 season after revealing that he personally paid for meals, ride-share services and treatments for some players.

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

The 22-foot Bayliner speedboat overturned around 10:25 p.m. Saturday near Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Twelve people were rescued from the water before police arrived, and police divers later located the 27-year-old woman and 5-month-old girl in the water. Both were taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. According to the Coast Guard, the others were in stable condition.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life last night, and our thoughts are with the victims’ family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” said Capt. Doreen McCarthy, the Coast Guard Sector New York commander. “We are extremely grateful for the heroic, swift actions of our partner agencies and Good Samaritan vessel who assisted in rescuing survivors from the water.”

Manuel Hernandez, 46, of New York, has been charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, police said. No phone number for him could be found Sunday, and the case has not yet been entered into online court records.

The victims' identities have not been released pending notification of family, police said Sunday.

Adam Schwartz said his sightseeing company's hot tub boat, Sea the City II, was out on a cruise when the accident occurred and took the 12 survivors onboard.

“Our captain and both crew members immediately assisted, called in to the Coast Guard and ... then coordinated with the Coast Guard and NYPD Harbor units to bring them to land in Brooklyn,” Schwartz told The Associated Press on Sunday.

McCarthy said Coast Guard investigators are working with police to investigate and are committed to holding lawbreakers accountable. According to the Coast Guard, an illegal charter is any passenger-for-hire vessel operation that lacks Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment and inspection certificates.

Coach Becky Hammon rested her top three players because the Aces were playing the second half of a difficult back-to-back after losing in Minnesota on Saturday.

“My players' health is the most important," Hammon said after the game. “You got to be healthy and fresh as much as possible, obviously, after going through a season. So, the health and safety of players come first. Where we end up (in the standings), we end up.”

Hammon felt resting her top players could help the team on the back end of the schedule because all three will be taking part in the FIBA World Cup next month, so they won't be getting any rest when the WNBA goes on break next month for a few weeks.

“I’m not going to put them in any kind of jeopardy to get hurt when we’ve been expending a lot of energy on travel and a lot of miles back and forth crisscrossing the country,” Hammon said.

The necessity to rest the trio happened because of a brutal schedule. After the loss to Minnesota, the team didn't arrive at its hotel in New York until nearly 10 p.m. after making the almost 1,200-mile trek from Minneapolis.

“I mean, everybody has a brutal schedule at some point. I don’t even think they do this in the NBA, though, where it’s less than 24 hours,” Hammon said. “With the time change, it ends up being that.”

The NBA, like the WNBA, actually won't make a team travel two times zones or have less than 22 hours between games if it’s playing consecutive days, according to a person familiar with scheduling. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about it.

Sunday’s game against the Liberty was on ABC and had a 12:30 p.m. EDT tipoff because the network was showing the Little League Softball World Series championship game afterward.

The early tipoff meant an early wake up and arriving at the arena less than 12 hours after the Aces got to their hotel.

Sunday's contest capped a five-game road trip for the Aces that started last Saturday in Chicago. The Aces lost that game and then went on to rout Atlanta. A stop in Indiana on Thursday ended with an overtime victory by Las Vegas thanks to buzzer-beating 3-pointers by Gray at the end of regulation and overtime.

Now the Aces head home for five straight games in Las Vegas.

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

It was her toughest moment of the day after an ultra-dominant performance on the bike from the 2023 champion.

She secured an impressive stage win, and in doing so extended her overall lead over Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney to 1 minute, 18 seconds clear of the 2024 champion.

Vollering raised her bike in the air moments after crossing the finish line in Nice. Niewiadoma-Phinney had started Sunday’s ninth and final stage only eight seconds behind Vollering, who got a time bonus for winning it.

Finally, as the Dutch anthem ended, a lone tear trickled down the side of Vollering's face. A few more soon followed as her achievement hit home.

“It’s not only the dream of winning the Tour de France. It’s also the dream of living this life, of working hard along with passionate people," the 29-year-old Vollering said. “It all starts with dreaming. Go chase the dreams and don’t let anyone stop you."

Nobody could on Sunday.

Knowing that she was well clear, Vollering began to celebrate as the line approached, raising her arm in triumph and then tapping her head with her finger to show her mental strength.

“I was thinking about a lot of things as I was approaching the finish line. I thought that I had never won in the yellow jersey before,” Vollering said. “I thought about how much work has gone into this victory. I thought about the people who have been behind me.”

She finished the stage 1 minute, 4 seconds ahead of Spaniard Paula Blasi Cairol and Niewiadoma-Phinney, who looked tired but was all smiles later on the podium.

Former Giro d’Italia champion Elisa Longo Borghini of Italy was third overall in the Tour — 4:29 behind — after Marlen Reusser lost valuable time after crashing going downhill after the second of the day’s four climbs.

Reusser ended up 14th overall at nearly 26 minutes behind.

Vollering attacks

Niewiadoma-Phinney had it all to do on the final climb, especially with her rival sitting on her wheel, and was unable to pressure Vollering.

Vollering attacked about 800 meters from the top and dropped Niewiadoma-Phinney — as she did when winning Saturday’s eighth stage to take the overall lead from her rival.

Two years ago, Vollering missed out on Tour victory after finishing an agonizing four seconds behind Niewiadoma-Phinney on the last stage.

She made full amends this time.

Vollering has now won five Grand Tours, including two Spanish Vuelta titles and the Giro d’Italia secured in June to join countrywoman Annemiek van Vleuten as the only other female cyclist to have won all three Grand Tours.

“I still have a lot of dreams," Vollering said. "On and off the bike.”

Four climbs

Each of the first three climbs on Sunday was 7.7 kilometers long with a 5.9% average gradient. But the final ascent branched off onto a slightly different route which, even though it was shorter at 6 kilometers, had a steeper average gradient of 7.6% with one portion stretching to a grueling 12%.

It made little difference.

After winning Friday’s seventh stage with an impressive solo attack of her own up the iconic Mont Ventoux, Niewiadoma-Phinney seemed short of energy and Vollering’s lead was never under threat.

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The underlying tone of the social media content the 22-year-old gymnast and the rest of his five-man business team produce for Richard's growing legion of followers gives off the vibe of someone who doesn't take himself — or his sport — too seriously.

Most of that is by design. The athlete who has made it his mission to bring gymnastics to a new audience knows making it seem like fun is a vital part of that process.

It's hardly the only part. And any questions about how invested Richard is in this whole thing were answered Saturday night, when he became the second Black gymnast to win a men's all-around title.

Richard pulled away from Shane Wiskus and Danila Leykin with six polished and professional routines, offering tangible proof that underneath goofing around on TikTok, his plan to be the face of the men's Olympic program in Los Angeles in two years is very much in full swing.

“Winning matters to show that your process is working,” Richard said late Saturday.

Making a statement in more ways than one

That's even if Richard's process can sometimes be at odds with the norms of a sport that has looked a certain way since long before the Massachusetts native was born.

When Richard saluted the judges this weekend, he did it while wearing a uniform that ran afoul of the rules. And we're not talking about the singlet that featured his trademark across his chest.

Rather than don stirrup pants — long the de facto uniform on events like pommel horse — Richard opted for shorts with white compression leggings underneath. It's something he began experimenting with during the later stages of his college career at Michigan, and one he has no plans of abandoning in domestic events even if it means receiving a three-tenths neutral deduction each time.

On Thursday night, that meant his lead over Leykin was slimmer than it had to be. That didn't stop Richard from taking the same deduction at the start of the competition on Saturday, admitting he was more than willing to potentially jeopardize his shot at a national title to make a statement.

“I told you I’d laugh if that happens,” Richard said.

It didn't come to that. He put together an energetic and confident performance to win by more than two points over Wiskus, a 2020 Olympian, and the promising 19-year-old Leykin.

When Richard landed his vault during the final rotation — one that remains a work in progress as he tries to get his power under control — to seal the victory, he turned toward the crowd inside the Mortgage Matchup Center and flashed the “No. 1” sign before posing for a selfie atop the medal stand while asking the fans in the background to join in.

Hey, the brand is the brand. And Richard doesn't believe he has to choose between being a funny, charismatic and remarkably self-aware influencer and a champion. Yes, his uniform choice was a conversation starter. He doesn't think it should distract from what he does while wearing it.

“When you come to a competition, nothing else matters besides staying in your zone, focusing on the details and going for those skills,” he said. “That’s all I came here to do, get better under pressure.”

Returning to the world stage

Well, that and earn a spot on the national and world championship teams, roles he surprisingly missed out on a year ago that seemed to mute the glow from helping the American men win their first team medal in 16 years at the 2024 Olympics.

He promised in the aftermath to get back to work, and with Olympic teammates Brody Malone and Asher Hong out this week — Malone is taking a break while Hong, a two-time national champion, is recovering from an ankle injury — Richard spent his time in the desert showing he's ready to lead in something other than clicks.

The teenager who announced himself by earning a surprise bronze in the all-around at the 2023 world championships is evolving. He served as a captain at Michigan, and as the window opens on his prime, he seems ready to pick up the mantle as a U.S. leader.

“I feel like I’m not like, OK, there’s older guys that are like veterans, but I feel I’m entering that veteran territory,” he said. “It’s not my first worlds. It’s not first Olympics.”

Even if there is plenty to do to assure himself of a place on the team that will step into the spotlight only a home Olympics provides two summers from now. He knows he needs to upgrade the difficulty in some of his routines to become a legitimate medal threat in Los Angeles.

He'll get a litmus test on where he currently stacks up when the American men take the floor at the world championships in the Netherlands in October. As encouraged as he is at how things are going, he's hardly satisfied.

The man who has a team of five working for him to keep his website and social media accounts booming understands there are a lot of 30-plus-hour weeks in the gym ahead. It's a grind, one he embraces when the camera isn't on.

He's hardly the only athlete who considers themselves an influencer. But the reality is anybody with a camera can become one. Not everyone can be a champion. As Los Angeles draws ever closer, Richard is leaning into the difference between the two.

“The No. 1 trait of the most successful athletes, athlete creators, people growing their sports, people hitting icon status is winning,” he said. “And I want to keep winning and pushing myself to see how much better I can get.”

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As U.S. immigration agents staged at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building for a monthslong deportation campaign, protesters with whistles and cellphone cameras assembled to oppose them. Two were shot and killed in the city's streets before Trump pulled back under pressure.

Months later, those confrontations remain the backdrop to Minnesota's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, which features establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and the more progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. The immigration debate is an added schism in a race that otherwise echoes many of the other left versus center divides that have played out across the United States this year.

Craig voted for tighter enforcement soon after Trump returned to office last year, only to later express regret for her decision after the Republican president sent a surge of agents into Minneapolis. She backed a resolution that condemned antisemitism after a 2025 firebombing in Boulder, Colorado, and expressed thanks for law enforcement, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

Those votes may turn out to be some of the most fraught of Craig's eight-year career in Congress, decisions that Flanagan has highlighted while trying to portray her rival as unwilling to fight an unpopular administration in Washington.

“I think that’s when she lost my vote permanently and that’s why I will not vote for her no matter what," said Bryce Bohne, 40, of Minneapolis. The teacher and owner of an educational tourism company is supporting Flanagan.

Around the Whipple federal building, the fences and barriers are down. The ambient soundtrack is no longer the whistles and chants of protesters, just the rumble of departing jets and passing buses.

But the signs of what happened remain. A few volunteers in bright orange vests keep vigil across the street for 12-plus hours a day, ready to help people getting released from immigration detention or leaving hearings at the immigration court inside.

A few miles away, visitors still bring fresh flowers and handwritten notes to memorials marking the spots where Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed.

Craig is no stranger to tough races, but until now the heat was from the right

Craig flipped a Republican-held seat in 2018, and every two years she overcame millions of dollars of attack ads to win tough reelection campaigns.

Until Craig's Senate run, the heat came from the right. Newly under fire from the other side, the decisions she made as a swing-seat congresswoman have become a liability as a statewide Senate candidate. At one recent event, she adopted the language of the insurgent left, though it did not always seem to come naturally.

“The working class keeps getting screwed,” she told volunteers preparing to knock on doors for her Saturday in Brooklyn Park, a Minneapolis suburb. “Folks, I don’t know about you, but it is time that we had a working folks reno— reso— renovation—"

Here, she took a breath.

"—revolution in this country.”

In Craig's view, she is well suited to the antiestablishment fervor gaining a foothold in the Democratic Party. Raised by a single mother in an Arkansas trailer park, she has known economic hardship. The lesbian mother of four grown children, she is not the archetype of a traditional member of Congress.

She was one of the House Democrats to call for President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race after his disastrous debate performance against Trump. As a relatively junior member of Congress, she pushed successfully to become the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, jumping ahead of long-tenured colleagues.

“I consider myself a progressive” she told reporters after her event Saturday. “Every race that I run, Republicans run ads against me saying I vote with Democrats 96, 97% of the time.”

“Of course, in the primary,” she added, “people want to point out the few votes I’ve taken against Democrats.”

‘I regret my vote,’ Craig wrote in a mea culpa

Chief among them was the Laken Riley Act, the first bill passed by Congress after Trump started his second term. It requires federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft and violent crimes.

Craig and nearly 60 other Democrats in the House and Senate voted for the bill early in 2025.

But at the end of the year, as immigration officers descended on Minneapolis, that vote became a liability. Weeks after Good and Pretti were killed, Craig published a mea culpa in a Minnesota Star Tribune column.

Craig explained that although she had qualms with parts of the law, it had the support of Democrats she respected, and many of her constituents were unhappy with the situation on the border under Biden.

But the “outright occupation by aggressive, unaccountable federal forces” made clear to her “that supporting any bill that gives ICE new authority in this administration was the wrong decision. And I regret my vote."

Trump's immigration operation, she says, was not enabled by her vote on the Laken Riley Act.

“Before that, people had a little bit more sensibility about the fact she was in a tough district and had to take tough votes,” said Corey Day, former executive director of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

Craig has since presented herself as a strong defender of Minnesotans against Trump. She says her record of winning tough races positions her to ensure the seat stays in Democratic hands.

“Angie has experience working across demographics that we need to win over statewide, including in rural Minnesota,” said Kevin Anderson, a Hennepin County commissioner who is supporting Craig and went to one of her weekend events. “I love Peggy, I really do, she’s a great politician. But I don’t think she’s ever had to work across Minnesota.”

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has declined to endorse either candidate for the seat held by Democrat Tina Smith, who is not running again. Late last month his wife, Gwen Walz, endorsed Craig over Flanagan, his governing partner for two terms.

The Republican field includes Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter.

Flanagan supporters are suspicious of Craig

To Flanagan and her supporters, Craig’s vote for the immigration bill was not a pragmatic overture to swing voters but a betrayal.

“My primary opponent voted for Donald Trump’s immigration bill and was the only Minnesota Democrat to do so,” Flanagan told volunteers in St. Paul on Saturday. “She since then has said that she regrets that vote, and I’m glad. But it shouldn’t have taken 14 months.”

“We can stand with the immigrant community and not just when it’s politically expedient for us,” Flanagan added.

Like Abdul El-Sayed, who won last week’s Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, Flanagan supports Medicare for All and wants to curtail U.S. military support for Israel. She is running as much against the donors who have spent millions of dollars backing Craig as she is against Craig herself.

“The fact that the money is coming from us and only us makes such a huge difference, because she’s beholden to us, not some billionaire with some business or crypto interest,” said 43-year-old Flanagan supporter Justin Ropella, a customer service manager from Woodbury.

Through July 22, Craig's campaign had spent $9 million and Flanagan's $5.5 million. The disparity was even higher among outside groups, with Craig backers spending considerably more, though both have benefited from an influx of outside spending.

To help make up the difference, Flanagan has called on the support of progressive champions such as Sen. Bernie Sanders the Vermont independent who campaigned with her last month.

“If the people of Minnesota can stand up -- and I’m confident that they can -- and tell these billionaires and their lies and their 30-second ads and their super PACs to go to hell, democracy is going to reign,” Sanders said.

Louisiana has confirmed nine cases of Vibrio vulnificus infections this year, the state's health department said last week in a news release. All were hospitalized, and five died. During the same period over the previous decade, Louisiana reported an average of seven cases and one death.

“Seek medical care immediately if a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm or discolored," officials said in the release. "Tell the health care provider about the water exposure.”

The Gulf is an ideal environment

Vibrio bacteria thrive in seawater and in the brackish mix of fresh and saltwater found in estuaries and lagoons. Most infections are reported from May to October, and most happen in states along the Gulf Coast. Doctors say the Gulf is an ideal environment with the right amounts of salt and heat to let this organism proliferate.

The mostly deadly type is Vibrio vulnificus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As many as one in five of those infections are fatal, a much higher rate than other types of Vibrio bacteria.

Florida, which tends to have more infections than other states, has reported 14 Vibrio vulnificus cases and two deaths so far this year, compared with 33 cases and five deaths for all of last year. Records show more cases in years when Florida is hit by tropical storms and hurricanes.

Bacteria enters through breaks in the skin

Some people become infected by eating raw or undercooked shellfish — particularly oysters. But a large percentage fall ill when the person is in ocean or brackish water and the bacteria enter the body through small breaks in the skin.

Doctors say severe cases are seen more often in elderly patients, people with weakened immune systems, and those with liver disease, diabetes and certain chronic illnesses.

Scientists say climate change is helping the germs proliferate and spread northward. A 2023 study found that the northernmost case has been shifting by about 30 miles each year, and that cases overall have been rising.

Beachgoers can protect themselves

Vibrio vulnificus can enter the body through unhealed cuts and scrapes, recent piercings and tattoos, and recent surgical incisions. People should immediately wash cuts and scrapes thoroughly with soap and clean running water after coming in contact with coastal waters or raw seafood, the CDC said. They should see a doctor if they start to develop symptoms such as fever, chills, and hot red areas on the skin that start to turn dark and blister.

Oysters are a particular risk, and there is no way to tell if an oyster is contaminated just by looking at it. People should wash hands with soap and water after handing raw shellfish and wear protective gloves if they have a weakened immune system and are at a higher risk of infection.

Health officials also offer cooking instructions for clams, mussels and other shellfish. They recommend throwing away any with open shells before boiling or steaming.

Hudson-Smith spoke Sunday at a press conference ahead of the European championships in Birmingham, England, and addressed four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson's comments, in an interview with the Telegraph, that he had now “been able to get these athletes paid.”

Johnson formed the league by providing star athletes with salaries and appearance fees to compete on a four-event circuit in 2025. There also was prize money at each race but the series was cut short when Grand Slam Track canceled its final meet last June in Los Angeles.

“I’m going to be real, I have a memory like a fish, so I can’t remember what’s going on,” said Britain's Hudson-Smith, a two-time European champion in the 400 meters

A filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware in January listed Hudson-Smith as being owed $147,500.

“This whole year, I’ve been just focused on Europeans. Grand Slam, I don’t know if I’ve been paid, to be honest with you, and you can quote that,” said the 31-year-old Hudson-Smith, who won silver in the 400 at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The court filing listed more than 300 people and companies owed some $40 million. Eric Edwards Jr., a lesser-known hurdler, was on the list and told The Associated Press in January that the money was earmarked for practical needs like paying rent.

Johnson told the Telegraph that he's spent the past year finding solutions for the athletes.

“Everybody's been paid — $11 million for three track meets — more money than has ever been paid to track athletes to compete,” Johnson said.

A note on the bottom of the Telegraph's video interview of Johnson said: “Johnson raised $11m to pay athletes but some of that is held in escrow and still in the process of being distributed.”

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Large-scale Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities have become almost routine in recent weeks, with Moscow exploiting Ukraine’s critical shortage of interceptors for the U.S.-made Patriot systems — the sole air defense weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down ballistic missiles.

In the latest attacks, Ukrainian drones killed five people and injured two dozen others, including a 4-year-old boy, in Russia’s border region of Belgorod, according to the regional administration.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, Russian missiles struck a high-rise apartment block in the Saltivskyi district, killing two people and injuring 13, according to regional head Oleh Syniehubov. Eight more people were injured in Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa after “dozens of missiles and drones” struck the city and surrounding region, according to local administration head Oleh Kiper.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has for months lobbied other countries, especially the U.S., to send Ukraine more Patriot systems made scarcer by the Iran war, arguing they are crucial for defending civilians.

Failing that, Zelenskyy wants to make Patriot ammunition in Ukraine or get approval from Elon Musk to use his Starlink satellite communications system to guide strikes inside Russia that can hit its missile launchers.

Meanwhile, Kyiv has kept up long-range drone strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, as well as the country’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, and other targets deep inside Russia, sparking a fuel crisis.

Russia’s defense ministry on Sunday claimed its overnight strikes hit drone warehouses in the Kharkiv region, as well as fuel depots and stores of other materiel belonging to Ukraine’s armed forces at the port of Odesa.

It said its forces had shot down 153 Ukrainian drones during the night, including over Russian-occupied Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.

In Russia's Belgorod region, authorities said Ukrainian drone strikes damaged 29 apartment blocks and five private houses, as well as administrative buildings and unspecified “commercial facilities.”

Debris from Ukrainian drones also fell on two enterprises and a private home in the Russian city of Novorossiysk, mayor Andrey Kravchenko said on Sunday. He did not specify what the commercial sites were. Regional authorities later said falling debris had injured one person, damaged two private houses, and blew out a window in an apartment block.

A major fuel terminal is located at Novorossiysk that links Kazakhstan's oil fields to markets around the world, and which has previously been a target for Ukrainian strikes.

Moldova says blast near Ukraine border caused by drone

A “powerful explosion” believed to be from a combat drone was reported in the village of Crocmaz, in southeast Moldova near the border with Ukraine, local police said Sunday.

No one was injured by the impact, which caused a vegetation fire in the Stefan Voda district, police said, adding that “fragments of a combat drone were found at the scene” and would be examined by specialists. Police did not specify the origin of the drone.

Multiple drones have violated Moldovan airspace since Russia launched its full-scale war in neighboring Ukraine.

Bulgaria summons Ukrainian ambassador over drone incident

Bulgaria has summoned Ukraine's ambassador after a drone entered Bulgarian airspace, the country's public broadcaster BNT reported on Sunday.

The drone exploded on Saturday close to an international gas pipeline shortly after crossing the border from Romania. No casualties or damage were reported.

Bulgaria's defense ministry said the drone appeared to be the type used by Ukrainian armed forces, and that the incident was likely accidental.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said the incident was being examined, but that it did not deliberately target Bulgaria. Ukraine and Bulgaria were in “close contact” to clarify what had happened, he added.

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AP writer Stephen McGrath contributed from Leamington Spa, England.

In the Philippines, five people were rescued and seven remained missing after a landslide that hit three houses in the northern mountain resort city of Baguio on Sunday. The landslide was set off by days of heavy monsoon rains, which had been intensified by Dolphin, officials said.

Dolphin hit the Chinese city of Taizhou in Zhejiang province and the northern parts of neighboring Fujian province, bringing strong winds, estimated at 151 kph (93 mph) when it made landfall, and massive waves to the city's coastline. Heavy rains have created a risk of severe flooding in Zhejiang, and authorities have warned of severe landslide risks.

Shanghai's Hongqiao and Pudong airports canceled about 60% of Sunday's expected flights, according to the Paper, the city's state media.

Forecasters in China predicted that areas could see 200-400 millimeters (7.9–15.7 inches) of rainfall over the next few days.

The outer bands of the storm on Saturday hit northern Taiwan, including the capital of Taipei, bringing rain. Some Taiwanese airlines also canceled their flights to China on Sunday.

On Saturday evening, authorities in Zhejiang evacuated some 390,000 people in the city of Taizhou. Authorities in Shanghai evacuated more than 30,000 people from riskier areas.

Zhejiang authorities also suspended ferries and cruises.

Earlier in the Philippines, Dolphin helped intensify seasonal monsoon rains, which set off floods and landslides, including one that hit three houses on Sunday in Baguio.

Many areas of the main northern Luzon region, including the densely populated capital region of metropolitan Manila were flooded, displacing more than 12,000 people and forcing several northern cities and towns to shut down schools on Friday and Saturday, disaster officials said Sunday.

The monsoon rains were preceded by a tropical storm, which left at least six people dead last week, including four villagers. They died in a landslide and a rockslide in the provinces of Benguet and Rizal in Luzon, Philippine officials said.

El-Sayed said his Friday conversation with Obama was “really warm and inspiring." The candidate did not provide details.

“I was grateful for his advice. It was very warm, very inviting, and I know that he knows the critical role that Michigan is going to play,” El-Sayed told NBC’s “Meet the Press."

Asked if he would like to see Obama come to Michigan to drum up support for Democrats before the midterm elections in November, El-Sayed said he “really” hoped so and that Obama “knows a lot about winning Michigan” after carrying the state in the 2008 and 2012 presidential races.

An Obama spokesperson confirmed the call.

The discussion came the same day that a group of Michigan nominees and other notable national Democrats tried to present a united front at a rally in Detroit. The crowd cheered loudest for El-Sayed, a former public health official who last week narrowly beat establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in a contentious and closely watched primary. A Democratic victory in the fall is crucial to the party's chances of regaining a Senate majority.

Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is not seeking reelection in the perennial swing state, which Republican Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024, while Democrat Joe Biden carried in 2020.

El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman who narrowly lost the Senate race to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in 2024 and has tried to capitalize on lingering tensions within the Democratic Party.

Rogers has released a video message attempting to appeal to Democrats who feel their party may be moving too far to the left with El-Sayed. “You have a home with us," Rogers says in the video.

During an interview Sunday with CNN's “State of the Union,” El-Sayed acknowledged that "we aired our differences” in the heated primary. But he said the internal divisions are "so much smaller than the similarities that we share.”

“You’re seeing folks come together,” El-Sayed said, before adding of moderate Democrats, “We might see the world differently. But we also recognize the responsibility to come together.”

“We couldn’t let them in because we were so full,” Chairman Jacob Keyes said. “That’s a direct impact from the Harrah’s name.”

But a vacancy in Washington is preventing the tribe’s partnership with the gambling giant from moving beyond branding. Plans for Harrah’s parent company to take over day-to-day management of the casino in Chandler, Oklahoma, stalled after it opened in April, because no one is at the helm of the federal commission that oversees tribal gambling.

The last chairperson of the National Indian Gaming Commission stepped down from the role in January. President Donald Trump has not nominated anyone to fill the vacancy. Absent a chair, the commission is unable to perform some key responsibilities, like enforcing legal and safety violations, approving new tribal gambling laws and certifying management agreements between tribes and casino operators.

Industry leaders say the agency's inertia risks delaying business deals, weakening oversight and leaving tribes without a key advocate in Washington as they grapple with an emerging threat posed by online prediction markets.

“At this crucial time, the (National Indian Gaming Commission) is operating with one arm tied behind its back,” said Jonodev Chaudhuri, a former NIGC chair from 2013 to 2019 and a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. “That’s a very precarious position for tribes and Indian gaming."

There’s a lot at stake for tribes that rely heavily on casino revenue to fund healthcare, housing, education and other vital services. Tribal gambling brought in a record $46 billion in 2025, nearly triple the annual casino revenue of gambling powerhouse Nevada.

The commission's core powers are vested in its chair

With its Harrah’s contract stuck in limbo, the Iowa Tribe’s small government staff finds itself managing the 175,000-square-foot (16,258 square-meter) casino, a mammoth task it had intended to outsource.

“It’s discouraging. We’re paying a fee and not getting the full value,” Keyes said.

The decision to outsource management was strategic: Harrah's branding would bring in more business than existing staff could accommodate. Instead, staff has to balance management with other priorities like preparing tribal budgets and overseeing social programs, Keyes said.

The three-member gaming commission was formed in 1988 to regulate casino-style gambling and promote economic development on tribal lands. Some 250 tribal governments across 29 states now operate 545 gambling facilities, the commission said.

Under federal law, its enforcement powers are vested solely in the chairperson. Industry leaders say its inability to cite casinos for violating federal law or force the emergency closure of unsafe facilities is particularly troubling.

In a typical year, the commission issues several citations to tribes for operating casinos on unauthorized lands, failing to submit required financial statements, misusing revenues and other violations. The commission's last enforcement action was issued on Jan. 12 — the same day acting chairperson Sharon Avery's term expired. She remains on the commission.

The commission declined an interview request and said in an emailed statement that tribal officials and its field staff provide “excellent regulation" amid the leadership gap. But Steven Light, an expert in tribal gambling law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the lack of enforcement power could discourage investment in tribal gambling and slow business growth.

“Markets function best when there's stability and certainty around processes and rules,” Light said.

Prediction markets have emerged as a new threat to tribal gaming

The commission vacancy comes as the popularity of online prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket explodes. Tribal leaders fear those platforms, which allow users to wager on the outcome of virtually any event, could violate their sovereignty and take a bite out of gambling revenue.

“Every dollar generated by Indian gaming goes to fund healthcare for our people, education for our children, housing for our elders,” said David Bean, chairman of the Indian Gaming Association and a citizen of the Puyallup Tribe.

At least eight tribes have sued prediction market platforms, alleging they accept bets from tribal lands and in states where tribes have exclusive gambling rights in violation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which the gaming commission is tasked with enforcing.

Prediction markets argue their users are engaging in futures trading, not gambling, and dispute claims that they are circumventing regulation.

The commission chairperson typically serves as an advocate for the tribal gambling industry in Washington, according to former commissioners and staffers. Yet it's been conspicuously silent while the federal government weighs how to regulate prediction markets, said Joe Valandra, the commission’s chief of staff from 2005 to 2007 and a citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

James Siva, who leads the California Nations Indian Gaming Association and is vice chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, said the Trump administration's support of and business ties to the prediction markets industry could explain why it hasn't filled the vacancy.

“These things are happening in conjunction with each other,” Siva said in April at a news conference with the Indian Gaming Association. “It is not a coincidence by any means.”

The leadership gap spans two administrations

The commission's last Senate-confirmed chairperson termed out under former President Joe Biden without a successor in place.

A White House spokesperson called the commission a “valued board” but did not say when a new nomination will be made.

In April, Trump appointed Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, to the commission. That's raised questions about potential executive branch influence over an agency designed to be independent.

“This crosses that threshold in an uncomfortable way,” said Shannon O’Loughlin, the commission’s chief of staff from 2015 to 2017 and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Keyes said a crucial opportunity to develop his tribe's economy hangs in the balance. He doesn't see the commission vacancy as partisan play.

“I don’t want to sound like sour grapes, but when have Native American issues ever been prioritized by the federal government?” he said.

The landmark Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed on Friday by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the three countries seek to deepen security cooperation amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Sunday the agreement was “purely defensive in nature” and that other countries could join if they were willing to uphold its principles and resolve differences through peaceful means, adding the deal reflected a shared desire to strengthen strategic security cooperation.

His post on X came a day after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan similarly said the agreement was not aimed at Iran or any other country.

The agreement stipulates "that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” according to statements released by the three sides. Dar said in his post the stipulation was consistent with the right of individual and collective self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter.

Pakistan, he said, would continue working with countries across the region toward lasting peace and stability.

“The Makkah Accord does not abrogate or replace any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements between these countries, or with other countries or organizations,” he wrote.

His comments followed overnight public celebrations of the agreement. Landmarks in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad and Saudi cities were illuminated in the colors of the Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani flags.

The three countries bring significant but differing capabilities to the arrangement. Pakistan has extensive military experience and is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-armed country; Saudi Arabia brings substantial economic resources and regional influence; and NATO member Turkey has a large military and an increasingly sophisticated domestic defense industry.

In Islamabad, defense analysts cautioned against viewing the agreement as the equivalent of NATO, despite its collective-defense provision. Abdullah Khan, an Islamabad-based defense analyst, said that although the agreement was signed during a period of heightened regional tensions, it should not be interpreted as being directed against Iran or another country.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close military ties for decades and signed a separate mutual-defense agreement in September 2025. Pakistan and Turkey also have expanded military and defense-industrial cooperation in recent years

The confirmation announced on Saturday eased concerns that the rare Bundibugyo virus might spread to the Congolese capital.

More than 200 boat passengers were placed in quarantine on Thursday in the port of Maluku, 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Kinshasa, after one traveler who was previously aboard the boat died with symptoms matching the Ebola virus.

Specialist teams from the Ministry of Health were deployed to Maluku to examine all of those on board. Those exhibiting suspicious symptoms had samples taken and sent to a laboratory for analysis, the ministry said on Saturday, adding that the vessel was also decontaminated.

The National Institute of Biomedical Research, which is responsible for testing, said that all suspected cases tested negative for Bundibugyo. It urged the population of Kinshasa to remain calm.

Congo has been battling an Ebola outbreak that has been deemed the fastest in history in terms of transmission, with confirmed cases since it started in May reaching 4,200, including over 1,900 deaths.

The river boat passenger had become sick and disembarked nearly three weeks ago in Pimu, in the province of Mongala, more than 1,000 kilometers from Kinshasa along the Congo River, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said on Thursday. The capital has no confirmed Ebola case, he added.

News of the passenger’s death caused panic in Kinshasa, which is far from the eastern region hit by the outbreak, the second-largest outbreak on record, behind the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that recorded more than 28,000 cases, including over 11,000 deaths.

Ebola is highly contagious and spreads through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and with contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing.

Health authorities say between 60% and 70% of new cases in the current outbreak are recorded outside of contacts being monitored, and that the outbreak is spreading at an “alarming” rate faster than efforts to track it.

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders said this week that the outbreak is still “spreading at an alarming and unprecedented rate” and that the response, which has been expanding, “is still not reaching communities quickly enough to break transmission chains.”

“None of these folks are represented,” she said.

Chohan is the coordinator of a program that sends volunteer lawyers to immigration courts to assist people without representation and help them navigate the complicated legal system where the stakes are a future in America or deportation.

Appearing without a lawyer opens up even greater risk under the second Trump administration, with the courts playing a key role in its mass deportation agenda. Courts are increasingly denying asylum, deportation officers have arrested immigrants in court hallways, the administration has packed courtrooms to cut backlogs and reduced lead time on hearings, prompting people to miss them.

Data shows that legal representation can be vital to winning in court but many immigrants, unable to pay for a private lawyer or find a pro bono one, navigate the system without an attorney at their side.

“Folks go into immigration court not knowing what’s happening. They come out not knowing what's happening. And when there’s an attorney present," Chohan said, “it’s just so helpful.”

Immigrants aren’t provided an attorney but legal help makes a difference

Unlike criminal court, there is no guaranteed lawyer in immigration courts.

Immigrants have to hire one at a cost of thousands of dollars or hope to get represented by one of the nonprofit organizations assisting low-income immigrants. But waitlists with those organizations are long, and many parts of the country just do not have that many immigration attorneys.

Of the roughly 3.2 million pending deportation cases currently in U.S. immigration courts, people in 52% of those cases do not have a lawyer, according to an analysis of immigration court data by the Vera Institute of Justice, a think tank.

A Congressional Research Service study from 2024 found that only 19% of people who did not have a lawyer won asylum or another avenue to stay in the United States. Among those who did have a lawyer, 47% were successful.

“Having an attorney is just super critical to be able to navigate the system successfully,” said Adriel Orozco of the advocacy group American Immigration Council.

Chohan said she frequently runs into people who have been scammed by lawyers or people posing as lawyers who take their money but do nothing for their case.

“I will give him a list of attorneys who are free and we have vetted,” she told one man who said he was scammed. “They have long waitlists but he should still ask.”

Speaking later to The Associated Press, the man described how he left Guatemala after being threatened by gangs and came to the U.S. in 2024 seeking asylum. Ever since, he said he has done everything that has been asked of him while he tries to make ends meet, occasionally painting houses. He spent $4,500 on a lawyer who in the end did nothing to help him, he said.

“He turned out to be a scammer,” said the man, who did not want to be identified for fear of endangering his case. He is worried about what comes next in court after being warned by the judge that he could be deported. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said.

A nonstop day of consulting with clients, shuttling back and forth into court

Outside the Sacramento building where the court is housed is a long line of immigrants waiting for appointments with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is in the same building. Volunteers with a local anti-ICE resistance group stand ready to help.

Upstairs, two immigration judges are on the bench. One hears the in-depth individual cases of immigrants who are pursuing their claim of asylum.

The other judge has the master calendar docket, where dozens of immigrants will appear in brief hearings geared at making sure their case is ready to go to the next step.

Signs taped to the wall remind people not to videotape or record inside the court complex. A security guard makes sure no one loiters in the hallways. Most people clutch stacks of papers documenting their cases.

After immigrants file into the courtroom for their hearings, Judge Susan Phan introduces Chohan and describes the services her organization offers.

“You are not required to meet with her but it is a rare opportunity that we have someone volunteering their time,” Phan said before launching into the day's work.

The need for a detailed asylum application

Chohan, who works with the California Immigration Project, starts each hearing in the courtroom. She has a clipboard to take notes, extra copies of forms and a crate of books for restless children attending court with their parents. She spends the bulk of her time in the waiting room, talking to immigrants after their hearings and scanning their documents to flesh out what else they need.

Speaking to one young man from Mexico, she asks to see his asylum application, noting that the judge had pointed out that it was not that detailed.

“Sometimes judges can deny a claim if there isn’t enough detail,” she said through one of the organization's volunteer translators.

The organization frequently has clinics to help immigrants fill out their asylum application. Chohan said she will alert him to the next one.

Another woman holding a stack of documents is there with her son and wanted to make sure her children could come with her if she is deported. Chohan also briefed her on what to expect at her upcoming asylum hearing and said the organization will send her an asylum filing guide.

Chohan highlighted places on forms where people need to give answers or answer in more detail. It’s OK to write “none” but she advises them to not leave boxes blank.

Everything submitted in Spanish must be accompanied by a translation into English that must be done by a person, not an automatic online translator. Copies of every single page of a passport must be submitted. Documents must be sent in two weeks before the applicant’s hearing so the judge can review them.

Over and over, Chohan reminds immigrants to download their receipt showing they paid the $102 asylum application fee so they can submit it to the court.

Chohan said a lot of these procedures and forms are discussed in court but it is happening so fast and immigrants are listening through a translator that they do not always understand what is happening.

“A lot of times when they go into court, they’re just happy that they’re out of court and they’re not being arrested,” she said.

A changing immigration court system

Chohan has witnessed the upheaval in the immigration courts during Republican President Donald Trump's second term.

She was in the court hallways last summer when ICE officers waited to arrest immigrants after their hearings. Earlier this summer she watched as the administration started holding “mega masters,” hearings with dozens of respondents at a time that are meant to clear a backlog but have created chaos.

Chohan said there are not enough pro bono lawyers in the Sacramento area to help everyone who needs one so the “Attorney of the Day” program is often the next best thing. She believes everyone should have access to a lawyer.

Until that day, she said, the program "helps bridge that gap.”

Sunday

Drier air will begin filtering into Central Florida Sunday, but we will still have enough instability to get scattered sea breeze showers and storms in the afternoon. We will start the day off mostly dry with a mix of sun and clouds. The sea breeze will begin developing spotty storms around1-2pm east of I-4. These storms will push west over the I-4 corridor right around 3pm, and try to push towards I-75. Storms will move northwest. With the drier air in play, storm coverage will be spotty to scattered. Highs will hit the low-mid 90s.

Next Week

A ridge of high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere continues to build over the state next week, helping to stabilize our atmosphere. This, combined with the drier air, will create the perfect recipe for much drier and hotter conditions for the first week of school. Rain chances will lower to 20-30% for the week ahead with highs climbing back into the mid 90s each afternoon.

The largest fire reported this week has burned about 176 hectares (435 acres) of Mount Bromo, located within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java province, one of Indonesia’s best-known tourist destinations.

Authorities closed the park to visitors Saturday and Rudijanta Tjahja Nugraha, the park chief, said the shutdown would remain in effect until further notice.

Hundreds of firefighters, disaster management personnel, police, soldiers, park rangers and volunteers have been mobilized to contain the blaze. Helicopters and drones have also been deployed to help battle the fire, while crews have built firebreaks to try to prevent further spread.

Nugraha said difficult terrain has complicated efforts, with some hotspots located on steep volcanic slopes that are difficult to reach by land.

The Bromo fire comes as several other wildfires have been reported across Indonesia during an unusually dry season.

A forest and land fire broke out in Central Java’s Banyumas Regency on Friday, authorities said. That fire was triggered by land-clearing activities and spread rapidly to surrounding areas, fueled by dry conditions. In West Java, a fire broke out this week in the Suryakencana Meadow area of Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, a popular hiking destination. The incident prompted authorities to temporarily close hiking trails to Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango.

Indonesia’s Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency said strong winds and extremely dry vegetation are accelerating the spread of fires. The El Niño weather pattern, combined with seasonal dry winds from Australia, has increased the risk of fires across parts of the country.

Forest fires on Sumatra and Borneo islands often break out during dry spells. Fires are often started illegally by plantation owners or traditional farmers to clear land for planting, and those burns periodically blanket parts of Southeast Asia in hazardous haze.

He knows his two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers aren't playing well right now. The only solace is that they're back in the win column.

“That was a tough one,” Roberts said. “But we'll take it.”

Shohei Ohtani brought home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning on an infield single and the Dodgers snapped a seven-game losing streak with a white-knuckle 2-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

There were definitely some good performances in the victory. Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings, Kyle Tucker launched a solo homer for a 1-0 lead in the eighth and Jack Dreyer earned his first save of the year after fielding a comebacker that started a game-ending 1-4-3 double play.

But the negatives were glaring: Edwin Diaz blew a save for the second time two days, giving up the tying run in the ninth. And considering the offense is filled with superstars like Ohtani, Tucker, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, runs are really hard to come by these days.

The Dodgers are averaging less than 3 1/2 runs per game over the past eight games. On Saturday night, D-backs right-hander Brandon Pfaadt breezed through the high-priced Dodgers' lineup with seven scoreless innings.

“I just think offensively we've got to get going," Roberts said. "It's hard to win games when your margin is a razor's edge. It's not like guys aren't trying, but it's a tough way to pitch and have to be perfect.”

Tucker said he wasn't worried about the team's offense. His homer in the eighth was his 11th of the season and one of his best moments with the Dodgers after signing a $240 million, four-year deal during the offseason.

“Hitting's tough — especially in this league,” Tucker said. “Everyone throws really hard, everyone has multiple pitches and when they locate them well it's tough to hit. But we're confident in our ability as hitters and there's a lot of great ones in this lineup. You've just got to keep moving forward.”

There was also a silver lining to Diaz's outing despite the blown save.

Diaz — who is in the first year of a $69 million, three-year deal — gave up back-to-back triples to Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll to start the ninth and it looked like a D-backs win was inevitable. But the veteran closer recovered to retire the next three hitters and send the game to extra innings.

Roberts said during those three outs, he saw the pitcher that was once among the most feared closers in the big leagues. The Dodgers have a little room to be patient — they're now 8 1/2 games up in the NL West after Saturday's win.

“It's just the intensity,” Roberts said. "Once they scored the run, man on third base, we saw the intensity pick up, the stuff pick up, the fastball got better, the slider got better. Talking to him after the game — that's how we have to be from the first pitch.

“That was the first game where I saw that he had some real intensity.”

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

It’s not about the triumph of returning heroes, but the suffering they left behind.

“The Trojan Women,” with a cast of 22, was staged at Epidaurus, the ancient open-air stone arena in southern Greece. It marked what organizers called the first fully accessible performance in the ancient theater’s 2,300-year history.

While Homer followed warriors sailing home from Troy, the playwright Euripides — writing some three centuries later — turned to the city’s ruins and its women, forced into exile and enslavement.

The ancient theater offered a full range of accessibility services for the Aug. 2 performance. Blind audience members received Braille programs, tactile models and live audio description, while deaf spectators followed overhead titles. Physical adaptations also improved access throughout the site.

“It’s the first time a performance at Ancient Epidaurus has been made accessible to everyone,” said Greg Polychronidis, a Paralympic gold medalist who attended the event. “Today was a celebration of equality and it should serve as an example for everyone, forever.”

For many of the performers, standing on the ancient stage was itself part of the message: a voice for those often overlooked. Eirini Kourouvani, a 58-year-old cast member who uses a wheelchair, had never set foot inside the theater before.

“It is just grand,” she said. “I feel my heart opening up as wide as this theater is.”

Ioanna-Maria Gertsou, a blind psychologist, attended with Babu, her guide dog.

“We too have the right to attend performances on an equal footing,” she said, relieved that her dog remained quiet during the play.

The National Theater of Greece produced the performance, and accessibility services were designed by the nonprofit Liminal with financial support from Greece’s Alpha Bank.

Argyro Chioti, the National Theater’s artistic director, said the production should become the norm rather than the exception.

“This was complex, not simple. It required months of planning. It cost money. And it required very specific organizational expertise,” she said. “But that’s the standard and venues we need to reach — the major stages and the major theaters.”

—— Gatopoulos reported from Athens

The loss was a tough one for supporters who watched the team battle its way to the Final Four. But inside the Lake Mary restaurant, pride remained stronger than disappointment.

Lena Dell and Stacey Bruno, who work concessions for the team, said the players’ success reflects years of commitment.

“A lot of these girls have been playing since T-ball together,” they said. “So that determination and the skill. They practice twice a day, three times a day sometimes. So, yeah, they’re determined.”

Lake Mary has become familiar with Little League success. In 2024, the city’s boys’ team won the World Series, and many fans said seeing another Lake Mary team make a deep run so soon is remarkable.

“Something in the water,” Bruno said. “Team players. The girls have always, that’s their dreams. And these girls, a lot of them, they’re going to go further. And that’s that determination.”

Jessica Davis, a Lake Mary resident, watched her niece, Parker Gorondy, compete on the big stage.

“My niece Parker plays on the team,” Davis said. “So win or lose, regardless of whatever happens, the entire city of Lake Mary is behind them.”

The city is expected to hold a celebration next Saturday to welcome the team home.

With fans beginning to file in, and rock music blaring over the state-of-the-art sound system, Brady emerged from the tunnel holding his 3-year-old son Jordan in his arm while enjoying a walk around the sideline.

As much as the first-year coach wanted to use the practice to simulate a game-day routine and get accustomed to the team’s new surroundings, Brady couldn’t help but work family into the equation.

“Those are the moments that I made sure I tried to take in,” Brady said. “So when I say hey, I’m focused, let me just take a second to enjoy a special moment, because once the season goes, you know those are going to be few and far between.”

Soon after, it was back to football for Brady, who at 36 is the NFL’s youngest coach entering this season, and also for a Bills team that officially made the move across the street into its new digs.

The first practice at Highmark Stadium featured a crowd of at least 30,000, a couple of Josh Allen touchdown passes, a brief but heavy downpour, and closed with a fireworks show.

Buffalo will get more chances to break in the new facility before hosting Detroit in its regular-season home opener on Sept. 17. The Bills will also host two preseason games, starting with a meeting against Carolina on Aug. 15.

“It’s awesome. I know everybody loved ‘The Ralph’ and what was over there across the street,” right tackle Spencer Brown said, referring to the Bills former home, also called Highmark. The old home was dubbed The Ralph in honor of franchise founder Ralph Wilson.

“But this is a whole new atmosphere and it’s awesome to call it home. And I look forward to seeing how it is on a normal game day,” Brown added. “It seems like the crowd’s more on top of you. And I imagine on third down it will be rocking.”

With a capacity of just over 60,000, the new stadium has 12,000 fewer seats than the Bills old home. And yet the vertical configuration of the new stadium, with levels stacked overtop one another, brings the fans closer to the action and designed to contain the noise.

“It’s intimidating,” season ticket-holder Tom Beecher said, from his first-row seat at the 15-yard-line. “It’s going to be interesting when it really gets rocking in here. It’s less people, but I feel like it’s going to be louder. It feels like more.”

The loudest cheers were devoted to Allen, of course. They first rose when Allen was pictured on the video-screen boards at each of the stadium during the pre-practice stretching period.

Allen looked up, smiled and provided a thumbs up.

Later, he drew even louder cheers for completing would-be touchdown passes to DJ Moore and then Khalil Shakir.

Place-kicker Tyler Bass gave the new stadium a thumbs-up for its design and aesthetics.

“First impressions, man, it’s amazing. I think it’s a work of art, honestly. It’s very easy on the eye, very symmetrical,” Bass said.

He also credited the design features, including a curved overhang, in working to limit the effects of the wind. Pre-storm wind gusts outside the stadium were barely felt at field level.

Injuries and notes

Starting center Connor McGovern was escorted to the locker room after appearing to hurt his left leg. Backup running back Ty Johnson did not return after going down with a non-contact injury. Brady did not have any immediate updates on the two players. ... The Bills are off Sunday. The team resumes training camp at its home facility on Monday after spending the past two weeks at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York. ... Though Brady wanted to use the practice as a test-run for game day communications, not all of his staff was present. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael was excused to attend Drew Brees’ induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Carmichael was the Saints offensive coordinator during much of Brees' tenure in New Orleans.

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

The 42-year-old Scherzer, making his ninth start of the season, has 3,516 career strikeouts, one more than Johnson, and is second to Justin Verlander (3,554) in strikeouts among active pitchers.

Scherzer struck out Kyle Schwarber leading off the sixth to move past Johnson before giving up consecutive home runs to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper that tied the game at 2 and ended his night.

Scherzer cruised through five scoreless innings against Philadelphia, scattering just three hits, and had retired nine in a row before the consecutive drives by Turner and Harper. He allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 7.25.

Scherzer was selected in the first round (No. 11 overall) by Arizona in the 2006 draft. He has won three Cy Youngs, made eight All-Star teams and won two World Series titles.

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

They work at the Ethnic Huaji Handwoven Cooperative in Shannan, where artisans are trying to preserve one of Tibet’s oldest weaving traditions while creating jobs for local residents.

Founded in 2008 by Tibetan artisan Pasang, the cooperative employs more than 100 local residents, including some people with disabilities, while teaching younger Tibetans a craft that he feared was disappearing.

The cooperative specializes in Zeter, a finer variety of Pulu made from especially soft wool from the necks and backs of sheep. He said the finer wool makes the yarn more difficult to spin than that used for ordinary Pulu.

Pasang said that because Zeter is lighter, softer and more delicate than ordinary Pulu, it was presented as a tribute from Tibet to the Chinese imperial court during the Ming dynasty.

Pasang said he learned the craft from his parents at a time when fewer than 10 people still knew how to weave Zeter.

He added that the craft has been recognized as part of China’s national intangible cultural heritage, and that he hopes younger generations will continue practicing it.

The wool comes from sheep raised around Shannan, about 3,700 meters (12,100 feet) above sea level.

Statues of Tibet's 7th century King Songtsen Gampo and his Chinese bride, Princess Wencheng, stand at the center of the workshop, surrounded by wooden looms. According to local tradition, the weaving craft dates to when Princess Wencheng introduced weaving techniques to Tibet after marrying the king.

In Chinese official history, their marriage symbolizes the historical ties between Tibet and China. “It integrated Tibetan and Chinese cultures,” Pasang said about the fabric’s history.

The Associated Press joined a government-organized trip to Lhasa and Shannan last month, which included visits to the cooperative, palaces, Buddhist temples, tourist sites, an eldercare center and local businesses.

Next to the workshop, a small showroom displays scarves, shawls, jackets, bags and other products made from Pulu and Zeter. Pasang said most sales are in Tibet, although customers also come from elsewhere in China.

Tsering Yangchen has been working for seven years in the cooperative. The 80-year-old woman moved from another county and said she struggled to find work before joining the workshop, where instructors taught her and others how to weave.

She said Pulu is more than just a product she weaves.

“We usually wear them,” she added. “They are made from pure wool.”

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Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed.

The 22-year-old Richard, a key member of the men's team that earned bronze at the Paris Games two summers ago, posted a two-day total of 170.015, two points clear of runner-up Shane Wiskus and three points ahead of promising newcomer Danila Leykin.

The charismatic, socially-media savvy Richard has made it his mission to bring his sport to a larger audience. That includes breaking norms — and the rules — by ditching the traditional stirrup pants on a handful of events in favor of shorts and compression leggings, all under a singlet featuring his “Frederick Flips” logo.

The fashion statement costs Richard three-tenths (0.3) every competition he does it, a move that he has unequivocally said is worth it to bring visibility to a side of the sport that often operates in the shadow of the more popular women's program.

After Thursday night's opening round — when he found himself just two-tenths (0.2) ahead of the 19-year-old Leykin — Richard doubled down, saying he would sacrifice a national championship if that's what it came to.

“I'm not here to say everybody should wear this uniform,” Richard said after night one. “I'm just here to say it's not hurting gymnastics.”

Fortunately for Richard, he didn't have to choose. His confident performance across six rotations on Saturday marked the latest step forward in a comeback year after a disappointing 2025 in which he found himself left off both the national and world championship teams.

The experience was sobering for a gymnast who wants to be the face of a men's program looking to make some noise in Los Angeles in a couple of years. He responded by putting in the work, and it paid off during two days in the desert in which he held off challenges from the promising Leykin and Wiskus, a 2020 Olympian who returned to competition this year following a break after being an Olympic alternate in 2024.

Leykin began the finals with a flourish, scoring a 14.963 following a stylish high bar set that briefly put the pressure on Richard. Yet his bid to finish atop the all-around podium ended on floor, where he shuffled at the end of his first tumbling pass and sat down after his second, his 11.650 giving Richard plenty of breathing room.

Not that Richard needed it. His thrilling high bar set that included three technically intricate releases ended with a 15.005 score, the second best of the night on the apparatus behind Cooper Kim. He had no issues tumbling on a floor that gave others in the fields fits, and when he survived pommel horse without any mishaps — hardly a given — he celebrated by pumping up the crowd. His total of 14.633 allowed him to use the final two rotations as a victory lap of sorts.

When he cleanly hit his vault in the final rotation, he turned toward the crowd and flashed the “No. 1" sign after saluting the judges, the first of what he hopes are multiple national titles during a career still on the ascent finally secure.

Richard is basically assured of a spot on the team that will head to The Netherlands in October for the world championships. Leykin is likely close to a lock.

Stephen Nedoroscik, the pommel horse specialist whose performance in Paris helped the Americans clinch their first team medal at the Olympics in 16 years and shot him to fame in the process, will likely be watching from home.

Competing with the goggles that have long been his trademark and still recovering from multiple injuries that have slowed his training, Nedoroscik came off the horse midway through his routine on Saturday and his two-day total of 28.366 put him well behind gold medalist Patrick Hoopes, who has — for now at least — supplanted Nedoroscik as the best American on a demanding apparatus that is often pivotal in international competitions.

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

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Saturday that the department was actively focused on boosting munitions acquisitions to provide “the weapons our warfighters need at the pace the threat demands.” He confirmed department efforts in the last week to significantly speed the process but insisted it was part of a broader modernization effort that predated the five-month-old conflict.

Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg wrote to industry leaders on Wednesday, giving them no more than 21 days to submit plans to “drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities," according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

“Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Feinberg wrote. “We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.”

The memo comes as recent fighting with Iran used up more of the U.S. military’s already diminished stockpiles of advanced missile interceptors, potentially putting American troops at more risk if hostilities resume, according to a new analysis.

Shrunken inventories of Patriot and THAAD interceptors may force the U.S. and its Middle Eastern allies to take more risks to conserve those air defenses, according to the analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. For example, it said, American forces may launch fewer missiles against incoming Iranian drones and missiles, raising the chance of one getting through.

President Donald Trump in recent days has bristled over public reports of a munitions shortage, posting on Truth Social on Thursday that the U.S. has “massive amounts." He added that “large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the U.S. as needed.”

On Saturday, Parnell affirmed that Feinberg's memo seeking a rapid escalation of weapons production is “real," adding that it “will inform the fiscal year 2028 budget submitted to Congress for funding, and it is entirely consistent with our ongoing push to rebuild the defense industrial base.”

A defense spending bill is currently stalled in Congress, with lawmakers fuming over Trump’s military action against Iran and resisting the White House request to substantially increase Pentagon spending to $1.5 trillion, up from about $900 billion last year.

The number of Patriot interceptors fell from 2,330 before the war to 1,030 when the April ceasefire took effect, CSIS estimated last month. Following recent fighting, the stockpile is now estimated to be between 759 and 827, a decrease of at least 65% since before the conflict began.

The number of THAAD interceptors fell from 452 before the war to between 232 and 262 at the start of the April ceasefire, CSIS said. The U.S. was able to replenish some of the inventory to between 234 and 278 interceptors. But the stockpile is still at least 38% smaller than it was before the conflict.

The pilots were killed when their Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter went down Friday morning, according to the Sevier County Sheriff.

The helicopter was among those fighting a fire in the Fishlake National Forest. The crash ignited a new fire that spread to connect with the existing blaze, which has now scorched nearly 174 square miles (nearly 451 square kilometers).

Officials did not identify the pilots but said they were employed by Helicopter Transport Services, which was contracted by the U.S. Forest Service.

Initially officials said they were unable to reach the crash site because of the fire. Then, on Saturday, crews were able to enter the area and confirmed the deaths, according to the Sevier County sheriff and coroner.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate once its team can examine the wreckage. It will likely take the NTSB a year or more to determine the cause.

Numerous fires also were burning in other parts of the West, including one that closed part of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington.

The National Park Service shut down access to the Sunrise and White River areas of the park after a new wildfire burned less than a third of a square mile (less than a square kilometer). Firefighters were working to gain control of it.

Larger fires near Spokane, Washington, have now burned more than 15.63 square miles (over 40 square kilometers), but firefighters constructed more than 75 miles (over 120 kilometers) of containment line to help control those flames.

Meanwhile in Oregon, hot and dry conditions helped an uncontrolled fire spread beyond 30 square miles (77.7 square kilometers).

Firefighters were still trying to identify the best places to set up containment lines around the Wrights Spring fire as they mourned the death of 47-year-old Jason Ensign, who was killed while operating a bulldozer for a timber company. The blaze grew rapidly Thursday and cut off Ensign’s escape route.

And north of the border in British Columbia, more than 20,000 people had to evacuate ahead of another fast-moving wildfire.

The statement was released Saturday, a day after a report by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph raising questions about an exit package paid by UEFA to a female staffer who worked with Infantino when he was general secretary of European soccer’s governing body.

UEFA confirmed that a “departure payment” was made to the employee and said it was “in line” with regulations at the time.

Infantino worked at UEFA for 16 years before being elected FIFA president.

In the statement Saturday, FIFA accused Infantino’s critics of trying to weaken his authority and remove him from office without due process.

“It is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its president,” the FIFA statement said. “Those who do not have the support of FIFA’s member associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes.”

It said some reporting has included “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims” which shouldn't be presented as fact.

“Change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement with that change cannot justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of FIFA’s president or the institution he was elected to lead.”

Infantino faced intense backlash after details of his plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity were published. UEFA and two other continental confederations — North America’s CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation — rejected the plan.

He did receive backing from FIFA’s management board last Wednesday following a meeting in Morocco, and he apologized over the process. UEFA’s threat to have its 55 member countries boycott FIFA competitions until the plan was scrapped remained, with UEFA saying Thursday that the announcement “changes nothing.”

While confirming the exit payment “was in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time,” UEFA said the rules had been tightened since 2016 and currently “reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organization.”

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

Here’s a look at developments across the Middle East on Saturday. Full coverage can be found here.

Iran says the strait won't open until the US ‘corrects’ its behavior

Iran's politburo-like body known as the Supreme National Security Council said the Strait of Hormuz will not open until the United States “corrects its behavior," issuing new demands that could shake up talks on a deal to manage the waterway.

Iran's state broadcaster published the statement by the council’s secretary, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who is also a commander in the powerful Revolutionary Guard.

The United States must never threaten Iran again, the statement said, and must permanently end the war with Iran and its armed allies in the region. The U.S. must lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports and withdraw its military from the area. It must “completely compensate” Iran for war damage, lift sanctions and “unconditionally” release frozen assets.

The U.S., which has wanted an acceptable deal first on the strait before ending the blockade, had no immediate comment. According to the interim deal signed in June, a schedule to end sanctions and plan on compensation would be part of the final deal, and negotiations would address frozen assets.

Iran has said it was close to reaching a separate deal with Oman to manage the strait, which runs between the two countries.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier Saturday said they were close to reaching an agreement on navigation. But the waterway’s reopening is contingent on other conditions, he said in remarks shared on social media, and blamed the situation on what he called the U.S. violation of the interim deal.

Oman, a mediator Gulf Arab country which has said relatively little on the talks, said in a statement discussions were ongoing “in a positive and constructive atmosphere,” and condemned attacks on ships on the strait.

Details emerge about potential Iran-Oman deal

The strait, crucial to global supplies of oil and natural gas, was considered an international waterway before the war.

The deal Iran and Oman are working to finalize would be temporary, but it would reopen the strait with ships entering the strait through a route close to Iran and exiting through a route close to Oman, according to two people familiar with the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Ships would cross the strait without paying fees or tolls during the interim period.

The agreement is designed to restore an earlier, separate agreement between the U.S. and Iran and restart a 60-day clock for the two countries to negotiate over Iran's nuclear program.

During that time, Iran is expected to be able to sell oil. The current 60-day deadline to negotiate a final deal is due to end in just over a week.

According to the two people who spoke about the talks, the deal is endorsed by members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and expected when finalized to be jointly announced by Iran, Oman, the U.S., and the International Maritime Organization of the United Nations. But the people stressed the terms could still change before the deal is final.

— by Michelle Price in Washington and Aamer Madhani in New York.

Iran attacks a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, the UAE says

A vessel owned by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned ADNOC oil and gas company was attacked while transiting the strait, Emirati authorities said. The Foreign Ministry said Iran fired the missile as part of attacks on commercial shipping.

ADNOC in a statement said there were no casualties following the early Saturday attack. The company said over a dozen of its vessels have been attacked by missiles and drones while transiting the strait since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Iran in February. One crew member has been killed and 20 others wounded, it said.

ADNOC didn’t elaborate on the attack's location or any damage.

Later, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said a vessel east of the town of Khasab, Oman, had been struck by a projectile that caused a fire that was put out, with the vessel and crew safe. It was not clear whether this was the ADNOC incident.

A defense deal is not aimed at any third country, Turkey says

A defense agreement that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed Friday is not aimed against any third country, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said. It says an attack on one would be considered an attack on all three.

Fidan told Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency on Saturday the countries do not view any state as an adversary unless it takes hostile action against them: “We don’t have anything written down — nothing we’ve signed — that defines a common threat."

Asked how the mutual defense mechanism would work, Fidan said a member would formally request help and the two countries’ assistance could range from intelligence-sharing to logistics support or the deployment of military units. The mechanism would establish a secretariat to be based in Saudi Arabia, Fidan said.

He said other nations, which he did not identify, have expressed interest in joining the agreement, adding that he expects Egypt, which he described as a “natural partner,” to participate “at the next stage.”

Yemen's military attacks Iran-backed Houthis

The attacks were in response to the Houthis’ recent strikes in central and eastern Yemen. Col. Majed al-Nazili, spokesperson for Yemen’s military, said the attacks targeted the rebels’ “sites and capabilities” on multiple front lines, without elaborating.

The escalation between the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognized government and its backer, a Saudi-supported coalition, threatens to reignite Yemen’s civil war following a 2022 truce.

Turkey’s Kurdish peace bill wins approval in parliament

A Turkish draft law aimed at advancing a peace effort with the country's Kurdish insurgents passed its first hurdle in parliament on Saturday. A committee approved the measure. It is expected to be approved in the general assembly next week.

Last year, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, declared its decision to disarm and disband as part of the peace initiative aimed at ending the decades-long conflict with the Turkish state.

The draft legislation defines the procedures for the group’s disarmament and rehabilitation of some PKK members. The measures would come into effect once Turkey’s National Security Council confirms that the group has disbanded and surrendered all weapons.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since it began in the 1980s. Turkey and its Western allies consider the group a terrorist organization.

Cunningham, who is white, was shooting a fast-break layup in the first quarter when Carrington, who is Black, came from behind and hit her in the head and neck, knocking her to the court as the shot went in.

Cunningham said she thought the foul in the 90-86 Indiana win was “absolutely” intentional.

“Clearly I think it was unnecessary,” Cunningham said. “I’ve never really spoken to her and I have no beef with her, but I guess she has some pent up stuff.”

Fever coach Stephanie White had a different view of the play.

“It was a hard foul,” White said. “I don’t think that DiJonai intentionally came out to get her across the neck like she did, but it did happen, and I thought it was the right call.”

Cunningham got up immediately, charged toward Carrington and pushed her as she was held back by a teammate.

“I popped up,” Cunningham said. “I’m not going to let anyone just do that to me. I think everyone knows that. I think that’s why she did it because she wants attention.”

The play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2 after the referee said there was windup, impact and follow-through on the foul.

Sky coach Tyler Marsh said he hadn't seen a replay of the play, but that seeing it live, he thought Carrington was making a play on the ball and that he didn't believe it warranted a Flagrant 2 foul.

“I haven’t looked at that play since, so I really don’t know if it was justified or not,” he said. “But, that’s what I thought in the moment.”

Marsh was then asked about Carrington's social media post.

“I have to get back to you on that because I’m just now hearing about that,” he said. “So yeah, we’ll handle that.”

But Cunningham had plenty to say about the post.

“I think the league is taking care of that,” she said. "This has nothing to do with race. Last year, I did the same thing and I got kicked out. And I deserved to be kicked out. There’s no reason even to play that card.”

In the third quarter, Fever star Caitlin Clark was assessed a technical foul after she made contact with a referee when she was forced out of bounds. The technical was Clark's eighth of the season, triggering a one-game suspension for Indiana's next game if not rescinded by the league.

“She said I ran into her,” Clark said in a postgame television interview. “I’ve already watched it on the tape, so we’ll let the league decide. But it wasn’t intentional or anything, so I’m hoping it’s getting rescinded,”

A few hours after the game Clark got her way. The WNBA rescinded the technical foul.

Cunningham has frequently come to Clark's defense after physical play by opponents and has become one of the higher-profile players in the league this season. In an ESPN article published last month, she voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports, which led to small protests and rallies outside Fever games in Seattle and Portland.

In a memo to teams on Friday, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league would have ongoing discussions about the issue of transgender participation in women's basketball.

Marsh said that the controversy surrounding Cunningham didn't add anything extra to the game.

“We didn’t come into this one with any more or less juice than we’ve had in the last four since the All-Star break," he said. "Our mindset is trying to win games.”

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Hossler is No. 122 in the FedEx Cup, knowing his only mathematical chance to be among the top 70 to advance to playoffs is to win for the first time on the PGA Tour.

Brennan, who went from the PGA Tour Americas to a PGA Tour card by winning the Bank of Utah Championship last fall, made a birdie putt from 15 feet on the last hole for a 63.

They were at 16-under 194, one shot ahead of Scottish Open winner Tom Kim (63), and two shots clear of 44-year-old Alex Noren and Alex Smalley, who each shot 65.

Such is the nature of the final regular-season tournament — and the stakes — that nine of the top 10 players on the leaderboard shot 66 or lower on Saturday.

Hossler was leading until a 30-minute delay because of storms, and returned to three-putt from 30 feet for bogey on the par-3 16th hole, ending his streak of 31 holes without a bogey. He hit his tee shot into the rough on the 17th and then came another delay of 1 hour, 20 minutes.

The rough was even thicker and damper when he returned, and the greens were challenging as ever. Hossler save par with three putts from 10 feet or long, and three others in the 5-foot range that looks even longer with the grain in the greens.

“That might be the hardest two-putt on the PGA Tour right there,” Hossler said of the 18th green. “Was really glad to get that down in two and give myself a chance for tomorrow. But very chaotic day, and just glad to make it through.”

Jordan Smith of England, at No. 68 in the FedEx Cup, helped his cause in many ways when he made a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th hole with a 9-iron. That also came with a million reward points from tournament sponsor Wyndham.

Davis Thompson had enough drama to last a week. He is at No. 81 — a year ago he finished 71st after the Wyndham Championship and missed the postseason by five points — and holed out with an 8-iron from 186 yards for an albatross on the par-5 fifth hole.

“Making an albatross usually helps get things going,” Thompson said.

The other par 5 at Sedgefield didn't work out as well. Thompson noticed a crack in his driver on the 13th hole, and he had a spare driver head in his locker. But before it could be brought out to him, he reached the par-5 15h and had to hit 3-wood. He his 3-iron (instead of a mid-iron) into the bunker and had to settle for par.

Even so, his 65 put him in a great spot to hold his own and advance to the postseason.

“It’s my fourth year on tour and two of the three years I’ve been right on the bubble, so I’ve got experience with it,” Thompson said.

He also was close enough to the lead — three shots — to think about winning.

Hossler has no choice but to win if he wants to get into the lucrative postseason, that starts with a pair of $20 million tournaments. Brennan, at No. 105, could finish in a three-way tie for second and still have a mathematical chance at the top 70.

Brennan was more honest than most about the final round.

“I know where I need to be. I know what I need to do. I know I'm going to be thinking about it,” he said. “Just get myself to comeback to the golf I'm playing.”

Keegan Bradley got a reprieve by making the cut on the number, but he could only muster a 69 and needs a low round Sunday to move from his spot at No. 72. Andrew Putnam and Austin Smotherman also need something special.

Ben James, the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking who made his pro debut in June, has to win and he started one shot out of the lead and in the final group with Hossler. But he had four bogeys in a five-hole stretch on the back nine and, much like his Saturday in the Canadian Open, went the wrong direction in a hurry. He shot 72 and was seven shots behind.

Brooks Koepka, meanwhile, will see his season returning from LIV Golf end sooner than he would have hoped. Koepka shot a 74 on Saturday and was 11 shots behind where he needed to be to have any chance of advancing.

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

Boston recorded a franchise record-tying 15-game winning stretch, matching a mark from 1946, before it was stopped on July 22. The team's attempt for a second streak of 10 or more games for the first time in the franchise's 126-year history fell short against the A's.

Gage Jump worked six strong innings, Tyler Soderstrom and Henry Bolte hit solo homers, and Jonah Heim and Donovan Walton added two-run doubles for the Athletics, who snapped a nine-game skid. The A's hadn’t won since beating the Red Sox at home on July 28.

Jump (5-7) struck out a season-high 11 and allowed two runs and six hits.

Andruw Monasterio had a two-run single in the first inning for the Red Sox, whose nine-game run started the day after Jump earned a victory by pitching six scoreless innings.

Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras returned after missing two games with an illness, went 0 for 4 and was booed for jogging lightly on a ground out.

The Athletics' bullpen, which entered with the majors’ highest ERA (5.64), allowed one run in the last three innings. Hogan Harris got the last four outs for his 10th save.

The Athletics erased a two-run deficit with a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and two in sixth.

Boston's Jake Bennett (7-5) breezed through the first three innings, allowing only a walk. He was pulled with one out in the sixth and charged with four runs.

Brian Serven’s RBI single cut the Athletics' deficit in half before Heim’s two-run single in the fifth put them ahead. Walton’s pinch-hit ground-rule double off reliever Justin Slaten into Boston’s bullpen added two more runs in the sixth.

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson matched the MLB record of 110 straight games without committing an error at the position. He is tied with the Baltimore Orioles' Mike Bordick (2002).

Up next

Athletics RHP J.T. Ginn (8-6, 3.51 ERA) will start Sunday. The Red Sox haven’t announced a starter.

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Instead, they loaded the bases against Athletics reliever Hogan Harris after scoring a run, but Ian White lined out solidly to center field to end their bid for a second win streak of at least 10 games in the same season for the first in team history with a 7-3 loss on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.

“That we might actually win the game the way it’s gone,” interim manager Chad Tracy said, when asked what he was thinking with the potential tying run at the plate.

“It was a great effort to get the tying run to plate and give ourselves a shot, which was awesome,” Tracy said of the rally that started with two outs and a runner on second.

It was just Boston’s fourth loss in its last 31 games. On Friday, the Red Sox became just the seventh team since 1920 to win 27 or more in a 30-game span, and the only team to begin their run under .500.

On June 24, the Red Sox were 14 games under .500. Now, they’re 64-52.

Just over two weeks ago, the Red Sox had a franchise record-tying 15-game win streak ended. It matched th mark set by the 1946 club that was led by future Hall of Famer Ted Williams.

The most recent streak started July 29, after a loss in West Sacramento, California, against the Athletics, sending them on a nine-game skid.

“I think that’s our identity. I think that’s who we are as a team,” Boston DH Jahmai Jones said. “We’ve seen comebacks for us, we’ve seen a lot of late inning rallies.

“Unfortunately, it was hit on the screws right at somebody,” he said of the final out.

Entering Saturday, 12 of Boston’s last 19 wins came in a comeback, including Thursday when the Red Sox became the first team in modern MLB history to score in the final five innings from the ninth inning on in the same game in a 12-11 victory over the White Sox.

“We had that hope, that big hope,” infielder Andruw Monasterio said.

Boston has won its last nine series. The Red sox won a franchise-record 11 consecutive series in 1912, the year that Fenway Park opened.

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That's when their two biggest stars went to work.

Rookie point guard Olivia Miles — the No. 2 pick in April's WNBA draft — set up five-time All-Star Napheesa Collier for open 3-pointers on consecutive possessions. Minnesota's star forward buried both to stretch the Lynx lead to 10 points.

The Lynx ended up rolling to a 98-87 victory and improved the WNBA's best record to 26-7.

A couple of questions had been dogging the Lynx since Collier missed the first 26 games of the season recovering from ankle surgery. How long would it take to reincorporate her into the rotation? And how would her game mesh with Miles, who has taken the league by storm as a rookie and led the Lynx to a 20-6 record in Collier's absence?

Turns out there was little reason for concern. Even though they've played just six games together, Collier and Miles are already starting to play off each other like longtime teammates. Their success has Lynx fans dreaming of another dynasty to rival the Minnesota teams that won four league titles in the 2010s.

“It's not hard to integrate Phee,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeves said of Collier, who scored 22 points and added six rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 35 minutes. “She just knows how to play.”

Miles led the Lynx in scoring (19.1 points per game) and assists (5.8 per game) while Collier rested. And as she demonstrated by scoring a game-high 26 points on Saturday, she will continue to dominate and hunt for opportunities to get her shots. Now, she's got one of the game's best inside-out threats to work with as they find new ways to torment defenses.

“I kind of had to take on a little bit more of a load without her on the court,” Miles said. “Now we’re kind of learning how to share the space and get each other touches in the right moments, and I think we’re doing a good job with it.”

They're also vibing well off the court, if an exchange during the postgame press conference is any indication. When asked what Collier brings to the Lynx defensively, Miles said, “Effort, IQ, consistency, knowledge of the game, experience. I mean, I could go on and on.”

Collier, clearly enjoying the praise, laughed and jokingly said, “What else do you need to know about me?”

After Miles finished her compliments, Collier simply looked at her rookie teammate and said, “Thanks, Liv.”

Miles replied, “Of course,” before turning back to the reporter and adding, “Now ask her about me!”

And, given a chance to return the favor, Collier was equally complimentary of Miles.

“I’ve just been so impressed. It’s hard to come into this league and produce, especially as rookie, and especially as rookie point guard,” Collier said. “I’ve got an opportunity to watch her from the bench and just be in awe of what she’s able to do. So being able to be on the court with her and see that, it’s amazing.”

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

The technical would have been Clark's eighth of the season, triggering a one-game suspension for the Fever star. She would have had to miss Tuesday's game against New York.

But, a WNBA spokesman said the technical had been rescinded a few hours after the game ended.

In the third quarter of the Fever's 90-86 win over the Sky, Clark made contact with a referee when she was forced out of bounds and was called for a technical foul.

After the game, Clark said the contact was inadvertent and that no words were exchanged. She was hopeful the WNBA would rescind the foul.

“She said I ran into her,” Clark said of the referee. “I have already watched it on the tape. So, we’ll let the league decide. But, it wasn’t anything intentional or anything. So, I hope it gets rescinded. And, nothing was said.”

Clark got her wish.

“That's a bad call, incidental contact when you're flying out of control,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “I thought her teammates should have come up and talked to her about that as well. I think that’s really bad. that (expletive) happens all the time in the game. you know, officials have to have some awareness in those moments, and it didn’t happen.”

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

Sunday

Drier air will begin filtering into Central Florida Sunday, but we will still have enough instability to get scattered sea breeze showers and storms in the afternoon. We will start the day off mostly dry with a mix of sun and clouds. The sea breeze will begin developing spotty storms around1-2pm east of I-4. These storms will push west over the I-4 corridor right around 3pm, and try to push towards I-75. Storms will move northwest. With the drier air in play, storm coverage will be spotty to scattered. Highs will hit the low-mid 90s.

Next Week

A ridge of high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere continues to build over the state next week, helping to stabilize our atmosphere. This, combined with the drier air, will create the perfect recipe for much drier and hotter conditions for the first week of school. Rain chances will lower to 20-30% for the week ahead with highs climbing back into the mid 90s each afternoon.

Shanahan has been working his way back to full speed since the car crash on July 14 that left him with a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose, a broken hand and more than 40 stitches to close a cut over his eye. In his first news conference of training camp, he said he has just a few remaining symptoms from the concussion.

“I’m doing real good,” he said. “My body feels good. Just got to get this annoying cast off. My ribs feel good, except when I sneeze, and my head feels so much better. Concussions do linger a little bit. The only things I really deal with now is just headaches and fatigue. That’s why I’m not always exactly on the same routine, but pretty damn close.”

Shanahan has been at practice every day this summer and said that the loud music that bothered him at the beginning of camp is no longer an issue. He has only addressed the full team at meetings a few times and didn't feel ready to hold a news conference until after practice on Saturday.

But he said he has been doing the most important parts of his job and that he will be on the sideline for the exhibition opener against Tennessee.

“One thing I haven’t missed anything of is film,” he said. “I watch every single play with the coaches after with the players. I have had a few team meetings. Normally I do it every day. But I do lose a little when I do stuff, so I’ve just had to pick and choose a little bit more. But as far as the film and everything, being out there for all the practice periods of going against each other, those are to me the most important things in my job. I’ve been able to do those every day.”

The 49ers are entering a crucial part of the summer with a joint practice on Tuesday with the Titans ahead of the exhibition opener. The Niners are scheduled to have another joint practice the following week with the Chargers before their second exhibition game and then wrap up the preseason on Aug. 27 against Las Vegas. The team the leaves the following week for Australia, where the 49ers will open the season on Sept. 11 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Shanahan said he thought he would have been back at full strength sooner but is glad he has taken the extra time. He said being patient was easier because of the confidence he had in acting coach Chris Foerster, along with coordinators Klay Kubiak, Raheem Morris and Brant Boyer.

“It made it really easy for me not to worry about me having to do something,” he said. “Our guys are awesome. We have a pretty well-oiled machine. We’ve been here for, this is our 10th year. Those guys made it very easy for me to not do anything stupid.”

Shanahan took the blame for the crash into a car driven by a 21-year-old woman in Palo Alto last month, saying it happened when he reached for his phone. Shanahan was the only person who needed to be hospitalized and police didn't issue him a ticket for the cellphone use.

“Any time you cause an accident that can be avoided, you’d feel pretty stupid, especially when you have a chance to hurt someone else,” he said. I think you get mad when you get a ticket at yourself. So it was kind of the same."

Shanahan said he was driving about 20 mph and his Tesla was in autopilot mode when the crash happened but said he still shouldn't have taken his eyes off the road when he reached behind his seat for his phone.

“I’ve had autopilot for nine years, so I’m pretty comfortable with it,” he said. “Who knows what happened when I turned around, whether it malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off. That’s something that I don’t know yet. But regardless, that is always your fault, whether you’re in autopilot or not. You can’t take your eyes off the road. It’s a partnership driving. You don’t just turn it over to a computer. It’s a good lesson, no matter how comfortable I am with that, that I believe someday could save my life or someone else’s.”

Bosa sits with soreness

Star defensive end Nick Bosa missed his third straight practice with what the team described as “soreness.” Bosa is coming back from a torn ACL that ended his season in Week 3 last year.

He had only taken part in individual drills early in camp but hasn't been able to practice at all since Monday. Shanahan said he wasn't overly concerned.

“You wish that didn’t happen, but no, there’s no concern to where something’s happened that is a big setback or anything,” he said. "We’ll wait until the soreness goes away and evaluate why the soreness has happened, but I still feel pretty good about that.”

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