Greenspan died from complications of Parkinson’s disease, said his wife of 29 years, NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell.

“To me he was my husband, who shaped my life from our very first date in 1984," Mitchell wrote. "He had ‘irrational exuberance’ for baseball, the Washington Commanders, tennis, golf, and music, especially jazz. He will be remembered for his brilliance and his kindness. Being his life partner was the joy of my life.”

The Fed said Greenspan helped to cement the Fed as a trusted institution during a time of economic uncertainty.

“Under his leadership, the Federal Reserve achieved a sustained era of price stability that supported economic growth and helped anchor the public’s confidence in the institution,” the Fed said in a statement Monday. “He brought rigorous analytical discipline to monetary policymaking and helped establish the credibility that remains one of the Federal Reserve’s most important assets.”

Greenspan was hailed as "Maestro'' — before crisis hit

In 18 1/2 years at the Fed, Greenspan presided over a breathtaking surge in stock prices and a 10-year economic boom that started in March 1991. He was celebrated as “Maestro’’ and “Oracle’’ — an economic virtuoso whose every utterance was dissected for clues on where interest rates and the economy were headed.

The intense scrutiny of Greenspan’s intentions gave birth to new Fed folklore: the “Briefcase Indicator.” A stuffed briefcase carried into Fed meetings implied changes might be afoot because Greenspan carried with him charts and research to make his point.

But his reputation began to suffer almost as soon as he left the Fed in 2006. American housing prices tumbled rapidly, meaning huge losses on banks that had bet heavily on real estate. The growing financial crisis pushed the U.S. economy into the Great Recession of 2007-2009 — the deepest downturn since the 1930s.

Critics blamed the devastation on Greenspan’s easy money policies and his support for deregulated financial markets. Greenspan himself later admitted “I made a mistake’’ in assuming that banks could essentially regulate themselves.

The crisis in the U.S. rapidly spread overseas, leading to a debt crisis for nations in Europe. China also engineered a massive government stimulus package to stabilize its economy.

Greenspan became the authoritative voice on the US economy

For almost two decades, it seemed that Greenspan could do no wrong. Not only in the United States but across the world, he was regarded with a mixture of reverence and awe. Many openly dreaded the day when he would leave the Fed.

Investors hung on his sometimes inscrutable observations. In the most well-known such remark, Greenspan sent financial markets reeling on Dec. 5, 1996, when he suggested with just two words — “irrational exuberance” — that stock prices were too high.

Mindful of his power to move markets, Greenspan typically resorted to obfuscation. At times, he even joked about his habit of doing so. “I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant,” Greenspan once told a befuddled congressional committee.

A protégé is born

Born in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, the young Greenspan was a math whiz who was trotted out by his mother to show off for visitors.

“I was a prop at parties,’’ he said in a 2007 interview with PBS NewsHour. A Julliard School dropout, he worked as a professional musician in his teens, playing clarinet and saxophone alongside the future jazz great Stan Getz. It was a humbling experience that persuaded the young Greenspan to seek another line of work.

He pursued undergraduate and graduate study in economics at New York University, eventually earning a doctorate there. For most of three decades, he ran an economic consulting firm. During the 1950s, he became a disciple of the libertarian philosopher Ayn Rand, who stuck him with the nickname the “Undertaker’’ for his dark clothes and quiet bearing. When Greenspan was sworn in as President Gerald Ford’s chief economic adviser in 1974, Rand stood beside him.

An early trial for a new Fed chair

President Ronald Reagan tapped Greenspan to run the Fed in 1987. He was tested almost immediately. On Oct. 19, 1987, which came to be known as “Black Monday,” the stock market suffered the worst one-day percentage loss in American history just two months into his term. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 22.6% for reasons that remain opaque to this day.

Greenspan was credited for helping restore stability. He assured Wall Street that the Fed would supply as much money to the financial system as was needed to restore calm. Stocks recovered, and the American economy emerged unscathed by the market crash.

Greenspan’s crisis management skills were tested again in 1997 and 1998, when a financial crisis in Asia threatened to spread economic devastation around the globe. Under Greenspan, the Fed arranged an emergency loan to Thailand and persuaded U.S. banks to roll over short-term loans to a teetering South Korea.

During his tenure at the Fed, Greenspan drew praise for presiding over what was at the time the longest economic expansion in American history. (It was later surpassed by a 128-month expansion that ran from June 2009 through February 2020.) During Greenspan's tenure at the Fed, the nation’s unemployment rate briefly dropped below 4% for the first time since 1970.

And inflation, which had bedeviled the United States and much of the global economy during the 1970s, was remarkably dormant during Greenspan’s chairmanship, something many economists thought impossible for so long a period.

During the long boom, Greenspan argued that improvements in technology had made the economy so efficient that it could run faster and at lower rates of unemployment, without unleashing inflation. As a consequence, the theory went, the Fed could keep interest rates low even when the economy was roaring.

A passion for numbers and life

As Fed chair, Greenspan relished poring over obscure economic data, from monthly boxcar loadings to steel production, all in a bid to assess where the economy was going. He would often phone economists at other government agencies to discuss details. He would rise early each morning for a two-hour soak in his bathtub, time that he used to review statistics and Fed staff memos.

Improbably, Greenspan also made the gossip pages as an unlikely ladies’ man. He dated the television journalist Barbara Walters and later married Mitchell after a 12-year courtship. They had no children.

Greenspan dated Walters while working as an adviser to President Gerald Ford. According to a biography of Greenspan, “The Man Who Knew” by Sebastian Mallaby, when Ford read a newspaper item about the pair, he cut it out and sent it to his chief of staff, Dick Cheney, with a note that said, “I don’t believe it.”

A strong faith in self-regulating markets is challenged

All along, Greenspan held fast to the belief that financial markets could largely regulate themselves. With officials from President Bill Clinton’s White House, he helped block efforts by Brooksley Born, the nation’s top commodities regulator, to bring federal oversight in the late 1990s to the shadowy market in over-the-counter derivatives. The derivatives allowed speculators to make bets on everything from the price of oil to high-risk mortgages.

Eventually, history would vindicate Born, not the Maestro.

The low interest rates Greenspan had engineered helped swell housing prices into a dangerous bubble. And the financial deregulation he supported allowed banks and other financial firms to pile up huge risks, often hidden from government supervision. Bad derivatives bets helped sink insurance giant American International Group, which required a $180 billion taxpayer bailout.

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, which was assigned to investigate the debacle by Congress, concluded:

“More than 30 years of deregulation and reliance on self-regulation by financial institutions, championed by former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan and others ... had stripped away key safeguards, which could have helped avoid catastrophe."

Life after the Fed

In the years after stepping down as Fed chairman in 2006 just shy of his 80th birthday, Greenspan kept busy doing what he loved to do most — following the economic data. He ran his own consulting firm, Greenspan Associates, through which he dispensed advice to Wall Street clients and collected handsome speaking fees.

He kept up a busy schedule well into his 90s, writing his memoir and two other books on the economy, as well as opining on the latest economic developments on television news shows.

He also signed onto opinion articles and statements defending the Federal Reserve’s political independence from President Donald Trump’s ongoing attacks. In January 2026 he signed a statement criticizing the Trump administration’s investigation of Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The statement, which was also signed by two other former Fed chairs and five former Treasury secretaries, called the investigation “an unprecedented attempt to use prosecutorial attacks to undermine” the Fed’s independence and warned it would have “highly negative consequences for inflation.”

Greenspan’s tenure as Fed chairman — from August 1987 through January 2006 — was just five months shy of the longest Fed chairman’s tenure. That distinction belonged to William McChesney Martin, who served from 1951 until early 1970.

In his 2013 book “The Map and the Territory,’’ Greenspan defended himself against critics who assigned him significant blame for the 2008 financial meltdown. He argued that traditional economic forecasting was no match for the irrational risk-taking that can feed catastrophic price bubbles.

“Bubbles go up very slowly as euphoria builds,” Greenspan said in a 2013 interview with The Associated Press. “Then fear hits, and it comes down very sharply. When I started to look at that, I was sort of intellectually shocked.”

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AP Economics Writers Martin Crutsinger contributed to this report.

Donaldson, 63, was found guilty at Newry Crown Court of one count of rape, four counts of gross indecency and 13 indecent assault charges involving two girls from 1985 to 2008.

He showed no emotion as the verdicts were read or when Judge Paul Ramsey said Donaldson would face a lengthy prison sentence later in the year and had him taken to jail. A pre-sentencing hearing was scheduled for Sept. 25.

Donaldson’s arrest two years ago ended his career as one of the leading Northern Ireland voices in favor of maintaining the historic ties with the United Kingdom. He resigned as leader of the conservative Democratic Unionist Party, or DUP, and gave up his seat in the U.K. Parliament.

Donaldson testified — emotionally at times — over two days and denied all the allegations against him, saying he was “crystal clear” he did not rape one of the girls when she was a child decades ago.

Donaldson’s wife, Eleanor Donaldson, 60, was found to have aided and abetted her husband’s offenses for witnessing the abuse and doing nothing to intervene. Because of mental health issues, she faced only a fact-finding hearing that could not result in a conviction.

The two complainants, who said they were abused as children, testified that Donaldson groped them when they were around primary school age. The older of the two, referred to in court as Complainant B, said he raped her.

“It just didn’t happen, I am absolutely crystal clear about that,” Donaldson testified. “It is not something I would ever have done, it is just simply not true.”

Complainant B said that in the 1990s, years after the abuse, Donaldson apologized “for what had happened in the past” at a meeting held at a Christian center where she had stayed while dealing with drug issues.

Donaldson testified that he had apologized for making her uncomfortable at the meeting.

Donaldson wrote a letter to Complainant A in 2020 to say he regretted “hurt, pain and distress” he caused. He claimed that the letter did not refer to sex abuse allegations but other behavior.

“I know how deep the wounds are caused by my sinful and selfish actions,” he wrote and said he hoped God would “lift a sinner out of the deep pit of sin.”

The International Tennis Integrity Agency made the announcement, saying that Vondrousova refused a test in December, and that the decision was reached by an independent tribunal.

Vondrousova, who won Wimbledon in 2023, reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 that year.

The 26-year-old Vondrousova detailed her reaction to the missed test in an Instagram post in April.

“It is very tough for me to talk about this, but I want to be transparent with you about my mental health,” Vondrousova said. “The recent doping control incident happened because I reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress.”

Vondrousova becomes the latest high-profile tennis player involved in a doping case after Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek and Simona Halep.

Vondrousova’s ban expires June 21, 2030. She can appeal the decision to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Wimbledon starts next week.

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

De la Espriella, a business owner and lawyer who earned U.S. President Donald Trump’s endorsement despite never having run for office, led progressive lawmaker Iván Cepeda, taking 49.7% of the votes, with 99.9% of results released by electoral authorities. Cepeda, Petro’s ally, earned 48.7% support. Election officials have not formally announced a winner.

A victory by de la Espriella is expected to usher in policies that will reverse the agenda of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, including a controversial plan to hold parallel peace negotiations with illegal armed groups. Cepeda, Petro's protégé, had pledged to push forward that strategy and other social reforms if he won Sunday's vote.

The election was colored by people's fears of a renewed internal conflict.

“I will govern for all Colombians," de la Espriella, nicknamed “The Tiger,” told thousands of supporters as he stood behind bulletproof glass in the northern city of Barranquilla on Sunday night. But his conciliatory tone changed as he spoke.

“Pack your bags and prepare to exercise the opposition,” he added. “Make no mistake, Mr. Cepeda. You already know how fiercely the tiger roars.”

Progressive candidate calls count 'unofficial and nonbinding'

Meanwhile, Cepeda told supporters in the capital, Bogota, that his campaign considered the count “unofficial and non-binding” and that his team will challenge results from more than 30,000 voting stations. No recount has flipped the results of a presidential election in Colombian history.

“We will not allow democracy to be violated,” Cepeda said.

Petro also vowed to challenge the outcome. Sunday’s winner will begin a four-year term Aug. 7.

People in the western city of Cali protested hours after results became public. The vote count showed that the municipality that includes the city favored Cepeda with 59.64%.

Authorities there said demonstrators damaged a public transportation bus, several surveillance cameras and an ATM. They said four police officers were also injured and two demonstrators were arrested.

The two candidates pitched voters widely different strategies to prevent the South American country from experiencing the nonstop violence, such as car bombs, kidnappings, disappearances and forced displacements, that Colombians lived with in previous decades.

De la Espriella, 47, promised a heavy-handed approach to crime-fighting, including drug trafficking. He also said he plans to end Petro’s attempts to establish dialogues with multiple armed groups — an effort that has largely failed — and build mega-prisons, emulating Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's aggressive policies. Those tactics have lowered homicide rates in the Central American country but have fueled accusations of human rights abuses.

De la Espriella holds dual Colombian and U.S. citizenship. He's a Trump supporter and a member of the Republican Party.

“He Won, BIG!” Trump said on his social media platform.

‘It’s always the same violence'

Yolanda Hernández, who recycles trash for a living, voted for Petro in 2022, but cast her ballot for de la Espriella this time. While she acknowledged that Petro was unable to deliver on promises meant to help the poor because of congressional gridlock, she said Colombia cannot afford another four years under his vision for the country.

“We want change in Colombia because it’s always the same violence, always the same thing,” Hernández, 49, said. “(Petro) said he was going to lower the cost of services, that he was going to lower the price of food, and everything is more expensive.”

Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Sunday's result shows the country “has not shifted overwhelmingly or decisively” against Petro's project or for de la Espriella's outsider “iron fist showmanship.” Freeman added that the result also underscored Colombia's regional divisions.

“It’s regional not just ideological polarization; or rather, the two overlapping,” he said. “Ironically, de la Espriella's iron-fist message performed best in the core of the country, not the periphery, which bears the brunt of Colombia’s violence.”

Colombia’s illegal groups have more than 27,000 members.

Last year, authorities recorded 14,780 homicides, the most since at least 2015, driven by clashes among illegal armed groups. Among those killed was conservative presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe.

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

And is a wine named SEX too provocative or not provocative enough?

Absurd as they may sound, these are the questions haunting wine marketers grappling with slumping sales and increasingly elusive drinkers. How consumers -- especially younger drinkers -- answer them will determine whether an industry long defined by fuddy-duddy pretense can find its footing in 2026 and beyond.

“That self-important way that wine can refer to itself — we’re really trying to tip that on its head,” said Helen Kurtz, chief of marketing for The Wine Group, which hopes that offerings such as its easy-drinking Cupcake Vineyards wines can attract a generation that came of age on Frappuccinos and gas station BuzzBallz.

“It’s about being less serious about ourselves, because that’s what this consumer is demanding,” she said.

By which she means partnering the company’s MD 20/20 (yes, it’s a wine) with World Wrestling Entertainment matches (“Mad Dog Enters the Ring”), and launching the aptly named Fuel by Franzia line of boxed wine beverages for NASCAR (“Full Throttle Flavor”).

Alcohol consumption has dropped

It’s a fresh lesson on the importance of finding your customer rather than hoping they find you. Because almost across the board, alcohol consumption is down, a trend that accelerated post-pandemic. A host of factors is at play, including aging Boomers seeking healthier lifestyles, Gen Z’s gravitation to low- and no-alcohol beverages, and widening availability of alternatives such as marijuana.

Each segment of the alcohol industry -- valued at around $560 billion in the U.S. -- is responding differently. Hard liquor, for example, has found a rare growth category in ready-to-drink canned cocktails. But the wine industry faces its own constellation of challenges, many of its own making.

For anyone new to wine -- particularly much-coveted 20-somethings -- finding one’s way can be daunting, something of a Château du Stuffy effect.

“You’ve got a bunch of things, what you might call friction points, with wine, that are particularly salient to younger consumers,” including cost and drinkability, said Christian Miller, director of research for the Wine Market Council.

A pretentious image keeps some customers away

Wine, from the labels to the language used to describe it, historically has leaned pricy and pretentious (looking at you, “notes of asphalt and barnyard”). Wine trends also have favored boozy and bracing styles, a hard sell for folks used to sipping hard seltzers at the club.

Fewer than a third of Gen-Z households own a corkscrew, according to a trends report by the British household products company Lakeland. Even simply trying a wine comes with a gatekeeper: Hard liquor is easy to sample at a bar or as single-shot nips; most wine requires a full-bottle commitment.

A cadre of wineries has begun pushing the bounds of wine culture by ditching the fussy façade in favor of a sassy vibe and accessible language. Price matters, too (the sweet spot seems to be the $8 to $20 a bottle range), but not nearly so much as the message.

It's about using contemporary communication to pitch "something that’s been made for centuries,” said Charles Smith, founder of House of Smith, the company behind younger, shopper-friendly brands such as Kung Fu Girl Riesling and SEX Rosé. “My mantra is always to communicate the language of wine to everyone because not everyone speaks wine. The wine should be a reflection of the consumer who is going to buy it.”

Can tie-ins to pop culture make wine more relatable?

Bogle Family Wine Collection has leaned in with its Juggernaut Wines. Adorned with almost graphically violent labels showcasing alpha predators -- a shark, a grizzly, an orca, a lion and some sort of particularly angry bird of prey -- the bottles are a far cry from the placid villas and languorous ladies plastered across so many wines.

The other side of it is getting those bottles into spaces not traditionally associated with wine, said Jessica LaBounty, the company’s marketing director. For two years, Juggernaut has announced “Adventure awaits” as it sponsored the grueling Tough Mudder races. They’ve also done placements at zoos that host nights where people can name dead rodents and insects after former partners and feed them to the animals. Cheers…?

And this year, it’s Discovery network’s Shark Week. Juggernaut's chardonnay label sports an especially snappish great white and “just the right amount of bite.”

“The viewer base of Shark Week lines up really, really nicely with who we know our consumer to be," LaBounty said. "It’s another way to meet them where they are already versus kind of asking them to come to us.”

Learning to speak Gen Z is key

The goal is to bridge a generational divide in which wine got lost. Younger drinkers don’t and won’t talk about wine the way older drinkers do. To point, there's a clever social media meme about a Millennial marketing team pitching wine vs. a Gen-Z social media team. The Millennial effort goes on at length about terroir and full-bodied flavors. Gen-Z’s pitch? “it’s giving… yummy”.

Vibe is everything for Bread & Butter Wines, with the tagline, “Don’t overthink it.” As in, pair their red blend with a candy charcuterie board. Or their pinot noir with a Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich. Want fries with that? Try their prosecco.

“The No. 1 goal is to disrupt the shelf because it is so crowded,” said Caitlin Ward, brand and digital marketing director. “Sassiness is a way to do that.”

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J.M. Hirsch is a longtime food writer who was food editor of The Associated Press for nearly a decade until 2016.

On Monday, commissioners will discuss the city’s tree management and arbor fund initiative.

The conversation was initiated after Commissioner Mark Caruso highlighted the expenditures during a meeting on June 8.

“What I have in my hand here is gross spending,” Caruso said. “Seven months of spending right here in my hand. $427,000. How is that possible?”

Caruso raised concerns about mismanagement as he questioned how the costs reached that level.

The commissioner’s concerns came a year after a controversy involving tree removal along State Road 434 at Michael Blake Boulevard.

At the time, a majority of commissioners voted not to charge a developer nearly a quarter of a million dollars in arbor fees for the tree removal after the developer claimed it had already paid the agreed-upon arbor fee.

During Monday’s meeting, City Manager Kevin Sweet will offer clarification about the recent spending on tree removal.

In a memo, Sweet said Winter Springs was found liable for damages from a serious incident in April 2025.

Since then, the city has been working with an arborist to identify and remove trees that may pose a risk to life and property.

The discussion on spending will happen during Monday’s regular commission meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Amid economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and a sweltering Milan Fashion Week, designers largely stripped things back for next summer, embracing clean lines and pared-down looks. Prada led the way, with co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons arguing for simplicity and familiar clothes reimagined through proportion and fabrication.

That didn’t mean dressing for the heat was straightforward. Milan’s runways were filled with leather and knits for the next summer season, suggesting that fashion’s elite may need generous air-conditioning, mountain escapes or higher latitudes to wear some of the looks.

Key trends from Milan Fashion Week menswear Spring-Summer 2027 collections that closed on Monday include the embrace of luxury materials, sartorial ventilation and lighter tailoring, while a few defiantly chose bling over restraint.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the season was persistence of leather.

Prada’s leather combinations were inspired by the universality of jeans, featuring slim five-pocket pants matched with cropped flat-pocketed jackets that functioned as shirts. Other designers used woven and perforated techniques to make leather more breathable, even as temperatures climbed.

In Milan, luxury and practicality were often in tension.

The return of the body

After years of oversized silhouettes, menswear is once again embracing the body.

Designers broadly agreed that a well-dressed man still wears a suit. The challenge was how to survive the heat. The response was ventilation, with dress shirts left unbuttoned. Some were rendered transparent. Or they were simply done away with.

Long trousers remained dominant, but there was a shift toward closer-to-the-body dressing. Dolce & Gabbana pushed the idea furthest with microshorts that showcased muscular legs, while some brands exposed torsos.

Suiting for a hotter planet

Tailoring remained central to Milan collections, but in lighter, more relaxed forms.

Designers softened construction, opened necklines and experimented with fabrics and construction that allowed more airflow. The result was tailoring designed for rising temperatures without abandoning formality.

The message from Milan was clear: the suit isn’t going anywhere, but it is adapting.

Of course, restraint is not for everyone

While much of Milan embraced restraint, some designers doubled down on decoration.

Philipp Plein presented a crystal-encrusted denim ensemble that takes days of handwork to complete. Dolce & Gabbana also leaned into embellishment, including beaded accents that recalled coral.

If Prada’s vision was reduction, these designers unapologetically offered maximalism and glamour.

New voices get room to shine

A lighter Milan calendar created opportunities for emerging designers to gain attention alongside the industry’s biggest names.

Martin Quad made his Milan debut with unusual tailoring tricks that got him noticed in his native Copenhagen, while Domenico Orefice embraced leather and richly woven textiles for his co-ed collection.

Japanese designer Shinya Kozuka made his Milan debut with one of the most poetic and summery collections of the season, epitomized by bare-chested model in a billowing sheer coat in teal worn baggy white trousers.

The justices, by a 6-3 vote, granted an appeal from New York prosecutors who had urged them to undo a federal appeals court decision that overturned the verdict. The three liberal justices dissented.

Prosecutors had been preparing to try the man, Pedro Hernandez, for a third time. His first trial ended in a mistrial.

The unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed Hernandez’ murder and kidnapping conviction in the second trial because of how the judge had answered a question from jurors.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had called the basis for overturning the conviction “a slender reed” that essentially ignored a five-month-long trial with 66 witnesses.

The justices agreed, in an unsigned opinion, that federal courts should not second-guess state courts under a 1996 federal law that was intended to reduce federal court oversight of state criminal trials.

“The Second Circuit exceeded its authority in holding that Hernandez is entitled to relief,” the court wrote, referring to the New York-based appeals court,

Hernandez, 64, has been serving a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

Hernandez admitted to the crime under police questioning, but his lawyers say he confessed falsely because of a mental illness that sometimes made him hallucinate. They emphasized that the admission came after police queried him for about seven hours before reading him his rights and recording the interview. Hernandez then repeated his confession on tape, at least twice.

Etan vanished while walking to his downtown Manhattan school bus stop on May 25, 1979. Hernandez worked at a nearby convenience shop at the time, but the Maple Shade, New Jersey, resident didn’t become a suspect until 2012.

Etan was among the first missing children ever to appear on milk cartons, and the anniversary of his disappearance became National Missing Children’s Day.

Hernandez already has been tried twice. A jury deadlocked in 2015, and then a different panel of jurors convicted him at a 2017 retrial.

During deliberations, the 2017 jurors asked a complicated question: If they decided Hernandez didn’t confess voluntarily when he hadn’t been read his rights yet, must they disregard his other confessions? The then-judge responded simply, “the answer is no.” The jury went on to convict.

In overturning that verdict, the appeals court said the jury’s question should have gotten a more fulsome answer, including the possibility of discounting all the confessions.

“The final deal is the house,” Vance told reporters after initial talks with Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. “We set the foundation. We haven’t built the house, but we’ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.”

Iran noted “major progress" to end the fighting in Lebanon and called that the first real test of the negotiations.

The mediation effort in Switzerland, which started Sunday and stretched into early Monday, had rocky moments. But the talks also led to some agreements, mediators said, as technical talks continue this week.

In other developments, the U.S. Treasury issued a 60-day license waiving sanctions on Iranian oil as part of the interim agreement to end the war. The license authorizes the production, delivery and sale of Iranian oil. It will last through Aug. 21.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cited the “ongoing productive talks in Switzerland” in a post on X announcing the license.

Trump was not in Switzerland but loomed large over talks

Trump did not attend what was dubbed the “Lake Lucerne Summit,” but his presence certainly loomed large.

The talks were jolted by statements from Trump, who, from thousands of miles away, fired off comments that offended the Iranians.

Iranian state media said talks had paused after the “publication of an insulting message by the U.S. President.” The negotiations later continued.

Vance pushed back against the notion that Trump's threats complicated the talks.

“No, they didn’t throw a wrench in the system," Vance said. He added, "Yes, they did threaten to walk out, or at least there were social media threats that they would walk out. But we were negotiating well past one in the morning yesterday, so they didn’t walk out.”

Vance floats unfreezing Iranian assets to purchase US goods

The vice president suggested that the U.S. could agree to unfreeze Iranian assets for purchases of U.S. soy, corn and wheat. He said Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and one of the lead U.S. negotiators, came up with the idea with officials from Qatar.

Vance said Qatar would have approval over the process, and Iranian money that would be accessible as sanctions were lifted would buy American products "for the benefit of the Iranian people.”

Iran, which has pressed for the unfreezing of billions of dollars in assets, has not commented on the idea. The assets have been made inaccessible over years of sanctions, banking restrictions and legal disputes imposed by the U.S. and international community on the Islamic Republic.

High-level talks have ended but technical talks continue

In a joint statement, mediators Pakistan and Qatar hailed what they called “encouraging progress.”

The interim deal to end the fighting in Iran, signed last week by the leaders of the U.S. and Iran, sets a 60-day period for negotiators on issues including the future of Tehran’s nuclear program amid concerns that Iran wants to use it for military purposes, a claim the country denies.

Vance and U.S. officials claimed progress on multiple fronts, including the establishment of “mechanisms” to ensure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy shipments, remains open and that a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon holds.

While he was returning to Washington, Vance said the technical talks are critical.

“We wanted to set up a structure for that so that you could have proper political oversight, but obviously, as much as this place is very beautiful, I can’t stay here for the next 60 days,” Vance told reporters.

U.S. envoys Kushner and Steve Witkoff are handling many of the technical details.

Meanwhile, investors absorbed the ups-and-downs of Trump’s strategy in Iran. Trading was mixed early Monday and oil prices edged lower on fresh optimism about the progress of the U.S.-Iran negotiations.

Vance warns about the perils of Iranian ‘trash talk’

Trump, over the weekend, made clear he was annoyed by Iran’s public commentary on the strait, which Iran’s military said it closed Saturday in response to continued fighting in Lebanon. U.S. Central Command has disputed that Iran closed the strait again.

Ahead of the talks, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had vowed to “never back down from the right to enrich uranium,” according to state media.

Trump on Sunday told Fox News in a phone interview that Pezeshkian should watch what he says and threatened to take over Iran, according to one of the news channel's correspondents.

Trump also posted on social media as negotiators worked: “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”

Vance said the Iranians should have expected such a reaction from Trump.

“What we told the Iranians yesterday is when you guys engage in what us millennials might call trash talk, you can’t expect the President of the United States not to respond and not to correct the record,” Vance said.

Iranians agree there was progress on their top issue

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that mediators delivered "major progress to end the Lebanon War.” But he said the first “real test” of negotiations would be whether the mechanism succeeds in halting the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Iran has insisted on first addressing the fighting in Lebanon. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the U.S.-Iran deal.

A renewed ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to be holding, and Israel’s military said it would lift movement restrictions for residents near the Israel-Lebanon border on Monday.

Cautious calm continued Monday in Lebanon, with no Israeli strikes reported overnight. Hezbollah has not announced any attacks on Israeli forces since Saturday.

The lull in fighting in Lebanon is the longest since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2.

“This region has been a basket case for a very long time," Vance said.

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Kim and Boak reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Abby Sewell in Beirut, David Rising in Bangkok, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this story.

The S&P 500 rose 0.1%, coming off its 11th winning week in the last 12, and is within 1.3% of its all-time high set early this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 220 points, or 0.4%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.2% lower.

In the oil market, prices eased following talks over the weekend between the United States and Iran on their war. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said they created a “good foundation for a successful final deal.”

An end to the war could clear the Strait of Hormuz for oil tankers and allow for the undisputed resumption of deliveries from the Persian Gulf. Iran’s military had said Saturday that it closed the Strait of Hormuz again, though U.S. Central Command has disputed that.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil fell 2.8% to $78.34, closer to its roughly $70 price from before the war.

The lower oil prices, though, did not pull down Treasury yields in the bond market. Yields have been on the rise with worries that the Federal Reserve may have to hike interest rates later this year in order to keep a lid on inflation, which has been climbing because of expensive oil caused by the Iran war. Economists expect a report on Thursday to show a measure of inflation for U.S. consumers accelerated to 4.1% in May from 3.8% in April.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.49% from 4.46% late Thursday.

Traders are betting on a nearly 90% chance the Fed will have to raise its federal funds rate at least once by the end of the year, with a small minority calling for four. That’s up from the 57% chance seen just a week ago, according to data from CME Group.

High yields in bond markets worldwide caused by worries about inflation have already been threatening to slow economies and undercut prices for all kinds of investments. High yields particularly hurt investments that are seen to be the most expensive, raising the pressure on companies that have soared in the mania around artificial-intelligence technology.

SpaceX fell 6.1% to drop back below $174. It’s heading toward a third straight loss following a big three-day run since its ballyhooed debut on the U.S. stock market, when it initially sold its stock at $135 per share.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, AbbVie climbed 4.9% after saying it agreed to buy Apogee Therapeutics and its potential treatments for patients with dermatologic, respiratory and other related inflammatory and immunological diseases. Apogee Therapeutics soared 46.9% on news of the deal, valued at roughly $10.9 billion.

In stock markets abroad, the United Kingdom’s FTSE 100 rose 0.5% after Keir Starmer announced he was stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party and will leave office within weeks.

In Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.5% and ended at another all-time high, led by technology stocks fueled by excitement about the AI boom. South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.7% to its own record, helped by AI-related companies.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott and AP Senior Producer Mayuko Ono contributed to this report.

He said he was stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party but would remain caretaker prime minister until a new head is chosen by the party.

Andy Burnham, who won a special parliamentary election last week, confirmed that he will run to succeed Starmer.

Starmer won a landslide victory in the 2024 general election, but a series of missteps badly damaged his credibility.

His resignation comes the day before Britain marks the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the European Union, a decision that still roils the country’s economy and politics.

Here's the latest:

Loud cheers as Burnham is sworn in as lawmaker

Andy Burnham has been sworn in as a lawmaker in Parliament.

Loud cheers broke out among lawmakers in the House of Commons as Burnham returned to Parliament after nearly a decade as mayor of Greater Manchester.

European Commission president looks forward to stable relations with the UK

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Starmer “did a true reset built on trust, without any question.”

Speaking on the eve of Brexit's 10th anniversary of Britain’s departure from the EU, von der Leyen said: “I’m looking forward to resuming a strong and stable relationship with the people of the United Kingdom.”

Burnham greeted by media frenzy as he arrives at London train station

About 50 journalists and photographers waited to greet Burnham as he arrived at London’s Euston station by train from Manchester, ahead of being sworn in as a lawmaker at Westminster.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester told reporters that his “priority” for the day was to be officially sworn in as a lawmaker.

“It’s been very kind of sad for me today to leave Greater Manchester. The people have been brilliant to me over the last few years. I’ve loved every minute of the role,” he said.

Britain and Labour Party would benefit if Burnham faces a challenge for the prime minister post

A leadership contest would strengthen Britain’s new government because it would give front-runner Andy Burnham the chance to lay out his policies before becoming prime minister, said Victoria Honeyman, a professor of politics at Leeds University.

Burnham arrived in London on Monday to take up his seat in Parliament following a special election victory last week.

“If you are Andy Burnham, you want a bit of a proper contest because these kinds of show contests where it’s basically all decided are not necessarily good for anybody,” Honeyman said. “It isn’t good for the country because it doesn’t really kind of wrinkle out all of the issues that people want to talk about. You don’t really get a very good view of the individuals that are competing for the role.”

But Burnham won’t want the contest to be “too bruising,” she said, “because you don’t want the party to be criticized too massively publicly, and you want to be able to present yourself as being unified, which is very difficult if it’s quite a vicious battle.”

Why is Andy Burnham the front-runner to succeed Starmer?

Because many people see him as the best person to defeat the anti-immigrant Reform Party at the next election, according to Olivia O’Sullivan, the director of the UK in the World Program at the Chatham House think tank.

Burnham’s greatest asset is that he appeals to Labour Party lawmakers who were frustrated by the way Starmer has governed, O’Sullivan said. The hope is that he will set out a “clearer vision” and connect with voters in parts of the country that are in danger of turning to the Reform Party, she said.

Burnham was elected to Parliament last week after decisively defeating a Reform candidate in a special election.

“He won a very strong majority in precisely the type of area, the type of constituency that the Labour Party is worried it’s losing,” O’Sullivan said. “So it may be that a lot of his appeal is centered in the fact that he seems to connect better with those voters and offer a clearer vision. But it’s absolutely correct that that is not the same thing as offering a radically different set of policies or even a particularly clear policy program.”

Ukrainian President thanks Starmer

“Keir, thank you for all our cooperation, your support, and the joint decisions that have helped make our Europe and our protection of life stronger," Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X.

"Here in Ukraine, we deeply value Britain, and every meeting and every conversation we have had has always been filled with real substance ... I wish the United Kingdom and all British people every success as well as realisation of your national goals. We have confidence in Britain.

Keir, you are always a welcome guest in Ukraine.”

Reform UK leader calls for a general election

Nigel Farage, who leads the anti-immigration party, wrote on X that “Reform demands an election, and we are ready to deliver radical change.”

“If Labour thinks it can shove another professional politician into No 10, it has another thing coming,” he said.

Farage said Labour has betrayed voters’ trust, citing the Starmer government’s unpopular welfare and tax policies and illegal immigration as examples of the party’s failings.

Britain’s next national election doesn’t have to be held until 2029. British politics allows parties to change leaders midterm without the need for a general election.

EU Council president praises Starmer's role in EU-UK relations

António Costa said on Monday that Starmer helped turn “a new page” in EU-UK relations 10 years after Brexit.

“We turned a new page in EU-UK relations,” Costa said in a social media post. “The EU is committed to continued cooperation in this spirit.”

Starmer was seen as repairing relations with Brussels following Brexit and had helped schedule an EU-UK summit for July 22.

But on Monday, the European Commission said they were reassessing that plan.

Norwegian prime minister thanks Starmer for a ‘strong and close partnership’

“I respect the decision he has made,” Jonas Gahr Støre, a fellow center-left leader, said in a statement.

“The United Kingdom is Norway’s close ally in Europe, and over the past two years our countries have grown even closer through important agreements," he said.

Støre added: “We have worked closely together to strengthen security cooperation in Europe and to support Ukraine.”

Burnham says the country expects ‘stability and seriousness’

In a post on X, Andy Burnham thanked Starmer for his service and leadership.

He said Starmer’s decision to step down “marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process.”

“The country expects stability, seriousness and a continued focus on the issues that matter most and that is what it will get.”

He added: “People want to see progress on economic growth, cost of living, public services, housing and opportunities for the next generation. Political change should never distract from the responsibility to improve people’s lives.”

Andy Burnham will run to succeed Starmer

Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham confirms he will run to succeed Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister.

Wes Streeting, considered another leading contender, said he will back Burnham. That makes it more likely that Burnham will be selected without a leadership contest.

Liberal Democrats say ‘merry-go-round of prime ministers’ needs to change

Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat Leader, said Starmer’s replacement would have to change “our broken politics.”

“The British people are sick of being let down by an endless merry-go-round of prime ministers while nothing really changes for them,” he said. “This time must be different. It can’t just be about changing who’s in No. 10, it has to be about changing our broken politics so we can fix our country.”

Zack Polanski, who leads the Green Party, echoed that the U.K. needs a “bold change of direction.”

Referring to former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who many expect to become the next Labour leader, Polanski said: “The time for half measures and sticking plasters is long gone — if he becomes the next PM, Burnham must be bold or he will be bust.”

German leader calls Starmer a reliable partner

“The German government has always had in Keir Starmer a reliable and close partner in foreign policy questions, particularly regarding Ukraine,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, told reporters. He declined to comment on the “internal motives in Britain.”

He said the government believes a meeting that Merz plans to host in Berlin Wednesday of the so-called “E5” — Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Poland — will go ahead as planned despite Starmer’s announcement. The meeting is meant as part of preparations for the upcoming NATO summit.

Some key quotes from Starmer’s resignation speech

"Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life. A new Labour government. The first in 14 years. A page in our country’s history turned after years of disappointment and despair. ... The chance to change the lives of millions of people for the better. That’s what I came into politics for. The journey to that point was not easy."

“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question. And I accept that answer with good grace."

“Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision.

“I will remain in post as Prime Minister until the contest is complete. And I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power.”

The curious sign of the lion and the unicorn

Starmer stood behind a lectern featuring a crest with a lion and a unicorn.

One is not a native of the U.K. and the other is mythical.

Both have shared the distinction of being part of the royal coat of arms since the 17th century.

The lion, although never living in the wild of England, is its national animal. The unicorn, though fictional, is Scotland’s official animal.

The two became part of the crest when the two crowns were united in 1603, when King James I ascended the throne in England; he was already King James VI in Scotland.

Starmer is the sixth prime minister in 10 turbulent years of UK politics

When he was elected in 2024 in a landslide victory for Labour, Starmer pledged to steady the ship and end years of political chaos under his successors, the Conservative Party.

Starmer had succeeded Rishi Sunak, who held the top job from 2022 to 2024.

Before Sunak, Liz Truss lasted only 45 days. Truss followed three other Conservative prime ministers: Boris Johnson (2019-2022), Theresa May (2016-2019), and David Cameron (2010-2016.)

Formal contest to replace Starmer will begin in early July and could end in days

Starmer said Monday that nominations will open on July 9 and close when Parliament breaks up for its summer recess, which is scheduled to begin July 16. The contest will be open to members of Parliament from the ruling Labour Party.

Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is the leading candidate to replace Starmer. The question now is whether anyone will challenge him.

If there is no challenge, Burnham could become Labour leader and thus prime minister soon after nominations close. Even if there is a contest, Starmer said a successor would be selected by Sept. 1.

EU leader praises Starmer

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer’s legacy after news of his resignation in a post online on Monday.

“It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years,” she said on X. “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir.”

The prime minister's speech ends on an emotional note

Starmer’s voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement.

“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” Starmer said. “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.”

Starmer resigns

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party.

Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen in the next few weeks.

Starmer made the announcement after facing growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the government’s flagging fortunes. He has been in office since leading Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024. In those two years, his popularity and that of the party have plummeted.

As Starmer spoke, protesters sing

As Starmer began his speech, protesters nearby played the EU anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”

Expectations of a resignation

Expectation is building that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out a timetable for his resignation, conceding to pressure from his Labour Party to hand over the reins of power.

If he does, Starmer will be the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside 10 Downing Street and announce a premature departure.

Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following the victory of intraparty rival Andy Burnham in a special election for a seat in Parliament. Burnham, until last week the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, ran with the aim of challenging Starmer for leadership of the party and the country.

Burnham is due to be sworn in as a member of Parliament on Monday.

Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until his Labour Party chooses a new leader — with expectations growing that it will be former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

Burnham confirmed on social media that “I will put myself forward as part of this process.” Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who was considered his main rival for the top job, said he will back Burnham.

It was Burnham's victory in a special parliamentary election last week that triggered Starmer's decision to resign, as Labour lawmakers flocked to the charismatic former mayor in the hope he can revive the party's fortunes. After nearly a decade as mayor of the northwestern city, Burnham returned Monday to Parliament, where he took the oath of office in the House of Commons.

Only members of Parliament are eligible for the party leadership.

Streeting's statement makes it more likely that Burnham will be selected without a leadership contest.

Britain’s next election does not have to be held until 2029. Asked if he would call an early vote if he becomes prime minister, Burnham said: “You’re jumping several hurdles ahead there.”

Starmer is the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside No. 10 Downing St., and announce a premature departure. His statement came the day before Britain marks the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the European Union, a decision that still roils the country’s economy and politics.

After weeks of insisting he would fight to keep his job, Starmer conceded to growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the government’s flagging fortunes. He led Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024, but since then his popularity and that of the party have plummeted.

A new leader in place within weeks

Starmer made the announcement outside his official residence, where he delivered his first speech as prime minister two years ago. His voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement, which was watched by his staff, Cabinet ministers and scores of journalists.

“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” Starmer said. “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.”

He said he spoke to King Charles III, Britain's constitutional monarch, to inform him of the decision.

Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following Burnham's special election victory.

Starmer said nominations for a leadership contest will open July 9, and the new leader will be in place by the time Parliament returns from its summer break on Sept. 1.

If Burnham is the only candidate, the change could come by mid-July.

Starmer struggled to fulfill election pledges

Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living. He has been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as U.K. ambassador to the United States.

Labour is losing liberal voters to the growing Green Party and facing a rising Reform UK, the Nigel Farage -led anti-immigration party that consistently leads in nationwide opinion polls.

U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in even before an announcement, linking Starmer’s exit to two of the Republican leader's recurring grievances: immigration and renewable energy.

“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT,” Trump posted on his social media platform.

Starmer’s initially warm relationship with Trump has soured in recent months over issues including the Iran war, which the U.K. didn’t join.

Praised on the world stage

In contrast to missteps domestically, Starmer has won praise for his international role, notably in rallying European support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, and working to mitigate the economic and political turmoil unleashed by the Iran conflict.

A NATO summit in Turkey next month may be his last foray on the world stage as Britain's leader.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posting on X, thanked Starmer for his support and cooperation “that have helped make our Europe and our protection of life stronger.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer’s legacy.

“It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years,” she said on X. “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir.”

While many Labour lawmakers have rallied behind Burnham, some have said that Starmer had been treated unfairly. London legislator Neil Coyle railed on X against “the prospect of an utter stitch-up & the media circus being rewarded."

Many hope Burnham can connect with voters

Burnham is the front-runner to succeed Starmer because many people see him as the best person to defeat the anti-immigration Reform Party at the next election, said Olivia O’Sullivan, an analyst at London's Chatham House think tank.

Burnham appeals to Labour Party lawmakers who were frustrated by the way Starmer has governed, O’Sullivan said. Many hope that he will set out a “clearer vision” and connect with voters in parts of the country that are in danger of turning to Reform.

Still, O'Sullivan cautioned that may not translate into genuine change.

“It’s absolutely correct that that is not the same thing as offering a radically different set of policies or even a particularly clear policy program,” she said.

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Associated Press writers Danica Kirka in London and Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed.

The blast at the Ras Laffan industrial area could cause further chaos in global energy markets, as Qatar remains one of the world's top natural gas producers. Qatar shut down its production after Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz meant it couldn't get shipments out to clients.

With Iran loosening its grip on the strait as negotiations continue over a permanent end to the war, Qatar began work to try to restart its export terminal. That work sparked the explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility, state-run QatarEnergy said.

The scale of the damage remains unknown. Officials initially said only a few people had been hurt. Hours later, Qatar's Interior Ministry said 18 people were missing and 54 were hurt.

Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi gave the death toll of 13 during a news conference Monday afternoon in Doha, Qatar’s capital. He described the explosion as related to an industrial accident.

The Barzan plant had a capacity of almost 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of sales gas per day, which Qatar used primarily for local electricity generation and to power its crucial water desalination plants in the desert reaches of the Arabian Peninsula.

Qatar owns nearly all of the plant, with a small share also held by ExxonMobil. The oil company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In March, an Iranian missile hit Ras Laffan, sparking a fire that caused “extensive” damage before it was extinguished, authorities said. Qatar had already halted production there because of Iranian attacks.

Qatar shares its massive offshore natural gas field in the Persian Gulf with Iran. That natural gas production has made Qatar wealthy. It has used that money to raise its profile worldwide through hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, creating the Al Jazeera news network and funding its work as an international mediator, including the talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States.

The business leaders were on different sides of the debate when Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016. But 10 years later they are both frustrated by Brexit.

A decade ago, backers promised that Brexit would be the key to a bright new future where, freed from the edicts of EU bureaucrats, Britain would regain control of its laws and its borders and the economy would boom. But the reality failed to live up to the hype as Britain struggled to adjust to life without unfettered access to the 27-nation free trade bloc and its market of 450 million people.

Economic growth is anemic, taxes are high, public services are creaking and successive governments have been unable to stem the flow of migrants who wash up on the English Channel coast in inflatable boats. As a result, it's not exactly a happy anniversary.

“No, it’s not delivered everything that was said it would deliver on the tin, but it is delivering,” Boyd told The Associated Press. “It’s very sluggish. You only need to look at the statistics to see that.”

Boyd, the managing director of REIDSteel, which employs about 130 people at a plant in Christchurch, England, still stands behind his decision to support Brexit, but blames lackluster results on politicians who weren’t committed to delivering. Britain has also experienced unexpected challenges over the past 10 years, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, Boyd said.

Economists see fundamental issues

The Brexit vote quickly increased costs for businesses as they prepared for an uncertain future during years of negotiation over the U.K.’s new relationship with the EU. Then, when Britain finally left the bloc on Jan. 31, 2020, new rules governing trade in goods and services made it more expensive and time-consuming to do business with European partners.

Creon Butler, who leads the global economy and finance program at Chatham House, a London-based think tank, said there were long-term consequences to leaving the European single market.

“Whatever was promised, whatever one hoped for, (you have) to accept that it has been a major loss of wealth and prosperity for us through the choice we made to leave,” he said.

“That’s a decision the British public have made, and they’re entitled to make it, but it does make us poorer,” he added.

By most measures, the British economy today is weaker than it would have been without Brexit, according to a recent report published by the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The report, compiled by researchers in Britain, Germany and the U.S., compares the performance of the U.K. economy to 33 other countries, including its European neighbors, the U.S., Canada and Japan.

Brexit has reduced Britain’s gross domestic product, a broad measure of economic output, by 6% to 8%, investment by 12% to 13% and productivity by 3% to 4%, the researchers concluded.

Carmakers had many challenges

Britain’s carmakers were early and outspoken opponents of Brexit, arguing that increased red tape surrounding shipments of parts and finished vehicles would damage an industry built on a network of interlinked factories in multiple European countries.

Those concerns reduced investment in the U.K. auto industry because international carmakers were less likely to see Britain as an attractive way into the European market. As a result, the industry is hoping that international trade deals will help boost demand for its products.

“We have been able to move with the times, so to speak, but undoubtedly it’s putting us at more cost into the industry, more pressure,” Hawes said.

Brexit supporters trumpeted the freedom to negotiate its own trade agreements as one of the primary benefits of leaving the EU, and Britain has since signed dozens of deals with countries ranging from Australia to India to the United States.

But EU countries still account for 41% of Britain’s exports and half its imports, according to the latest government figures.

During more than 50 years as a member of the EU and its predecessors, many British businesses also came to rely on Europe as a source of cheap labor, especially after the bloc’s eastward expansion in 2004.

That pipeline dried up after Brexit ended the free movement of labor, one of the bloc’s founding principals.

The owners of Britain’s curry restaurants, an integral part of communities from Aberdeen in Scotland to Aberystwyth in Wales, have been especially hard hit by the loss of Eastern European workers who went home rather than deal with burdensome new visa requirements. And they’re furious because the industry backed Brexit after assurances it would lead to more visas for South Asian cooks, something that hasn’t happened.

“We feel betrayed,″ said Oli Khan, president of the Bangladesh Caterers Association UK, who serves up tandoori lamb chops, vegetable biryani and chili paneer at his restaurant in Stevenage, north of London.

In an effort to mitigate some of the problems caused by Brexit, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has begun talks with the EU about rebuilding a closer relationship as he seeks to energize the country’s stagnant economy.

Starmer won't finish them, however. On Monday, he said he is stepping down.

Polls suggest frustration with Brexit is growing

Starmer’s move comes as a survey by the Ipsos polling firm, the Policy Institute at King’s College London and the think tank UK in a Changing Europe suggests that frustration with Brexit is growing.

The survey of 2,245 Britons aged 18 and older carried out in May, found that 48% said Brexit was going worse than they expected, up from 28% in March 2021. Some 9% said it was going better than expected and about one in three said it was going as expected.

But Boyd said the most important survey is still the one that took place on June 23, 2016, when 51.9% of those who cast ballots — or 17.4 million people — voted to leave EU.

He continues to believe that Britain has a brighter future outside the EU.

Brexit hasn’t delivered on its promise because politicians, large corporations and other entrenched interests worked to thwart the will of the people, Boyd said. This resulted in a Brexit deal that kept Britain too closely tied to the EU and unable to realize its potential as an entrepreneurial nation filled with creative, hardworking people, he said.

And there's no going back, he said.

“Imagine if we were to rejoin ... today. The conditions upon which we would be allowed back in would be akin to us re-boarding the Titanic on the condition that we surrender our life vests first,″ he said. “Need I say any more?”

Then came this spring’s historic and devastating floods across northern Michigan — in some areas, for the first time anyone can remember — swamping homes, pushing dams to the brink of failure and washing out roadways. Dozens of counties were under a state of emergency.

Black Lake was so high that floating ice broke apart decks and crashed through windows.

“We’ve never seen anything like that. Never,” said Solum, who experienced flooding often when he lived in Houston. Knee-high floodwater forced them to tear out flooring, drywall, furniture, bedding and appliances.

Across Michigan, thousands were left without financial protection after record April rains fell on top of record March snowfall. Worse, many had no idea they were at risk despite years of increasingly heavy precipitation.

Their experience exposes vulnerabilities across the country, experts say, because flood plain maps don’t cover all areas. What's more, the federal government's mapping method is arguably outdated and does not account for actual risks as climate change increases the odds of more extreme weather.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency develops and updates maps that determine who's in a flood plain and must buy insurance, and to help communities plan. But it hasn’t developed maps in many less-populated areas, including some Michigan counties that experienced unprecedented flooding.

Black Lake, for example, straddles two counties — Cheboygan, which has a 2012 FEMA flood plain map, and Presque Isle, where most areas have never been mapped. The longtime summer and retiree destination is ringed by small cabins and some larger homes.

Another issue: FEMA’s maps are based on risks of rivers, streams and other waterways overflowing their banks. But they don’t account for flooding caused strictly from increasingly heavy rainfall that overwhelms stormwater infrastructure in urban areas and inundates rural towns where there's nowhere for the water to go.

First Street, a company that researches the financial implications of climate change, found more than twice the number of properties at significant flood risk nationwide after incorporating that rainfall data into its own models and by mapping the whole country, including smaller streams that FEMA does not.

That includes four times more properties in Michigan.

“I couldn’t believe it when we first started building our model how different we were from FEMA,” said Jeremy Porter, chief economist at First Street, who says federal maps are “missing a whole source of flooding.”

FEMA uses that extra rainfall data to help set insurance rates, experts said. But it's unclear whether it's proceeding with an effort to incorporate it into flood plain mapping.

The General Accounting Office, a federal watchdog agency, raised concerns five years ago that FEMA’s flood hazard maps didn't reflect the best available climate science or heavy rainfall.

FEMA declined an interview request, but said in a statement that 95% of the U.S. population lives in areas with maps, which are “snapshots in time.” It did not respond to questions about whether this year’s flooding adds urgency to mapping less-populated areas or whether it's updating its mapping methods.

Climate change sets the stage for devastating floods

Michigan experienced “truly a monumental flood” that in many areas exceeded what is known as a 100-year flood, meaning it has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year, said Matthew Occhipinti, the state's National Flood Insurance Program coordinator.

But it wasn’t a fluke, experts said.

A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture for longer periods, which can lead to heavy rain or snow when enough builds up. And this spring, an “extraordinarily warm” Gulf of Mexico set the stage for both snow and rain in the upper Midwest, said Richard Rood, a University of Michigan climate scientist.

A massive March snowstorm dumped up to 2-4 feet (61-122 centimeters) across northern Michigan. Then April’s record rainfall created more runoff than waterways, dams and culverts could handle.

“We call these storms historic; that is only true compared to the past,” said Rood, adding that Michigan and neighboring Wisconsin experienced their wettest March 1-April 15 period on record. “I think it is more appropriate to consider it typical of the climate of the future.”

That's why it's important to update flood maps and for communities to be prepared, experts said.

“You should never be lulled into complacency that, ‘Oh geez we just had the big flood so we’re good for another 100 years or another 500 years,’” said Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers. “Mother Nature does not obey statistical averages.”

FEMA mapping progress is slow in rural areas

FEMA has been working to update existing flood plain maps — some that were decades old — but has made little progress creating new ones in rural areas where development could occur, despite a 2012 congressional mandate, Berginnis said.

The agency has historically prioritized places with the greatest population and risk, which makes sense due to budget constraints, Berginnis said, but also leaves about two-thirds of the country’s streams, rivers and coastlines unmapped. Some of those areas are unpopulated federal land that likely won't be mapped.

His organization estimates it would cost $4 billion to $12 billion to fully map the country, but FEMA has never had the funding to do so, he said.

Flood plain managers worry the agency could fall even further behind due to significant staffing losses under the Trump administration.

FEMA lost close to 20% of its total workforce in 2025, according to a General Accounting Office report. That includes about 25% of its permanent and most senior staff, said Christopher Currie, who audits FEMA for the GAO.

“We're very concerned,” said Currie, adding that FEMA was chronically understaffed even before Trump's second term. Now it would have to divert resources from many programs, including mapping, to respond to multiple disasters.

Some communities don't understand their risks

Getting accurate flood-risk information to communities is a challenge even beyond flood plain mapping.

Communities must participate in the National Flood Insurance Program before homeowners can buy policies underwritten by FEMA and sold by private companies. But many — including several hundred in Michigan, Occhipinti said — have never joined.

Communities can participate without a map. But experts say those that haven’t might never have experienced damaging floods or don’t understand the insurance program.

They also might not realize they have an elevated risk if they rely on FEMA’s National Risk Index, a separate tool from mapping. The index gives one score for a community’s overall risk of any type of natural disaster, and assumes there are no flood risks if the community doesn't have a flood plain map, said Berginnis.

That means a community with a low score might actually have elevated flood risks, he said, which “gives people the absolute wrong sense of security.”

But even program participation doesn’t guarantee homeowners get accurate information.

Diane Peterman, who evacuated as her crawlspace filled with floodwater, said she tried buying insurance three times but was told she couldn’t, even though her township participates in the National Flood Insurance Program.

“They said, ‘You’re not in a flood zone’ and I said, ‘But I live on a lake,’” said Peterman, who later learned that her neighbor had insurance.

In Michigan, an average policy costs about $1,000 for $250,000 in coverage, though that rate can vary widely based on factors such as home value and location, Occhipinti said. Some companies will sell private flood insurance, though it’s rare, he said.

Berginnis said homeowners and communities should seek information beyond what FEMA provides.

“FEMA flood maps should always be the beginning of the journey and not the end,” he said. “Maybe states and communities need to step up and lead a little bit more.”

___

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 national weather service, Meteo France, said that most of the country — the largest in the European Union and the second most populous — is entering what it described as a “plateau” of unrelenting heat-wave conditions that isn't forecast to start easing before Friday.

Human-caused climate change is tied to increasing extreme weather, and U.N. climate agency projections say the next five years should shatter more heat records.

Multiple towns in western and central France, including the major Atlantic port of Saint-Nazaire, experienced their hottest night ever Sunday to Monday, with an overnight low of 23.2 C (73.8 F), Meteo France said.

Paris baked through its hottest night for June, not getting below 24.2 C (75.5 F) — a half-degree hotter than the previous record from 2017.

The weather service warned of even hotter nights: “This will continue through the end of the week, with heat levels never before recorded across more than three-quarters of the country on Wednesday and Thursday.”

The heat wave also worsened air quality in the French capital as it causes the formation of ozone that traps pollution. The air quality monitoring agency in the Paris region said pollutants were likely to exceed the recommended threshold.

In a country without widespread air-conditioning, people, businesses and services tried to adapt. Hundreds of schools were closed on Monday and many hundreds more canceled some classes, the education minister said.

Broadcasts on the Paris transport network urged commuters to hydrate. Medical specialists took to the airwaves to warn of the potentially deadly cocktail of drinking alcohol in extreme heat. Authorities cracked down on alcohol consumption in public.

Multiple drownings were reported as people sought relief in rivers, despite warnings about currents and other dangers.

A growing swath of France, spreading on Monday to more than half its regions, was under a “red alert” for heat, with larger areas forecast to suffer highs past 40 C and nights not dropping below 20 C.

In the United Kingdom, the weather office issued a rare “red” weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday. It said temperatures could exceed 37 C (99 F) in the shade, and could rise to 40 C, in parts of England and Wales.

The Met Office said that as well as a risk to health, extreme temperatures could cause heat-sensitive equipment to fail, including power and mobile phone services.

Over the last four years, more than 200,000 people across Europe died from heat-related causes, and most of those were preventable, the World Health Organization’s Europe office said this month. The above-average temperatures can cause heat exhaustion and life-threatening heat stroke.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The EU monitoring agency found that in Europe and globally, 2024 was the hottest year on record and the continent experienced its second-highest number of “heat stress” days.

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

The burning of gasoline, oil and coal, plus deforestation, wildfires and many kinds of factories, release heat-trapping gasses that cause climate change.

___

Associated Press writer Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report.

Earlier this month, News 6 introduced viewers to Casselberry homeowner Lindsay Feist, who said a code compliance complaint left her with just 10 days to get rid of the hens she had raised for years.

Feist said she believed she was following the rules when she started keeping the chickens and later learned they were not allowed under city regulations.

Instead of getting rid of them, she launched a petition and began pushing for a change.

“I’ve been very encouraged,” Feist said. “The city reached out, staff, and let me know that they had completed their research and gotten on the agenda for Monday.”

According to an email from Community Development Director Christopher Schmidt, city staff plans to present its research and findings regarding backyard chickens during Monday night’s City Commission meeting. The issue also appears on the agenda as a discussion item.

Feist said support for her petition has grown to more than 750 signatures.

“Our neighbors are very supportive,” she said.

She said many of the concerns she has heard involve roosters, which she noted are not what supporters are asking the city to allow.

“It’s about sustainability. It’s about education for your children. It’s about just a lifestyle that can be incorporated within city limits,” Feist said.

Feist said she never expected to become the face of the issue.

“This was not a role that I saw myself taking on at all,” she said.

She said she hopes commissioners will look to neighboring communities where backyard hens are already allowed.

“We’re hoping that the city will look at Maitland and Altamonte and Longwood and unincorporated areas and say this has been done, it’s reasonable and it can be done responsibly and find a path forward for residents,” she said.

Feist plans to attend Monday night’s meeting and speak during public comment.

“I think that the meeting tomorrow will determine whether this goes forward or ends here,” she said.

For now, Feist said city staff has agreed to hold off on enforcing the ban while the issue is under discussion.

Whether commissioners ultimately decide to change the rules — or whether the hens eventually have to go — remains to be seen.

A friend who did mountain rescue told Blea to download a free app called Watch Duty. On the app, he could see the fire's perimeter, track evacuation orders and read updates about the emergency response. “It influenced me to leave the home sooner than later,” said Blea, who left with his wife and son that evening, before the Eaton Fire destroyed their home.

Blea was one of more than 2.5 million people who used Watch Duty to track fires burning across Los Angeles County that week. The information was collected, vetted and disseminated by about two dozen Watch Duty staff and over 100 volunteers who monitored emergency radio traffic, aircraft reports and local agency communications.

The service proved vital, said David Hertz, a Malibu resident and captain of his community’s fire brigade, especially when some areas received little-to-no warning about the Eaton and Palisades fires that killed 31 people. “It’s like a democratization of data that empowers people."

This month, Watch Duty began helping people track another deadly and destructive climate hazard: flooding.

The expansion comes as peak flash flood season begins in the U.S. and nearly one year after last July’s deadly Texas floods that killed more than 130 people, prompting outcry over why Texas Hill Country residents and visitors didn’t receive better communication about the impending danger.

“This is painful that this keeps happening,” said John Mills, CEO and co-founder of the donor-supported nonprofit behind the app. “We’re not spreading enough information fast enough on as many channels as humanly possible.”

Mills built the app after his own close calls

Mills founded Watch Duty in 2021 after not receiving official alerts or evacuation instructions when a fire burned near his Northern California home.

It’s a problem seen in many recent disasters. While the U.S. has systems for sending alerts by text, radio, and other means, the process to issue a specific warning or evacuation order can get tangled in bureaucracy and often depends on humans making difficult decisions under pressure.

Often the information people need to understand their risk is out there, Mills said, but it is hard to find and use. “The systems are really struggling to meet people where they are."

On fire days, Mills found himself relying on volunteer radio operators who monitored scanners during emergencies and posted updates on social media. The posts helped, but social media had downsides — including how misinformation and unrelated content could drown out life-or-death updates.

A software engineer and entrepreneur, Mills recruited some of those volunteers and fellow engineers to build an answer. He made Watch Duty a nonprofit, which has helped build trust with its more than 20 million users. It received nearly $6 million in grants and donations in 2025.

Watch Duty puts emergency information in one place

Watch Duty now has about 300 volunteer “reporters" who collate and vet information from radio scanners, cameras, satellites, user-generated content and public announcements. Information is available in five languages and pushed out through maps, text feeds, and push notifications that can sound even when phones are silenced.

“You’re not going to have to go to multiple other entities, to the weather service, emergency management website, county website,” said Watch Duty meteorologist Pete Curran. “It’s in one place, in plain language, and it's going to wake you up if you're asleep."

Watch Duty can sometimes push out information faster than local agencies in part because its reporters have only one role to fill, said Curran, a retired firefighter. “Our only responsibility is to watch and listen. We’re not in charge of the incident.”

The nonprofit took on flooding next because of its widespread impact. “We are seeing crazy rainfall in places that it’s not normal for them,” said Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. Fire Administrator under President Joe Biden and longtime data scientist who is now a Watch Duty board member. “Maybe it’s never happened before, but it’s happening now, so you need to be aware.”

The app pulls weather modeling and other data from the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Geologic Survey. Users can view NWS flood warnings and watches, river gauge levels, and notices of possible dam or levee failures.

Users can also better understand their risk ahead of time. They can see whether they're in a FEMA-designated flood area, or what levels on a river gauge would indicate danger, and customize notifications to be alerted if a gauge reached a certain height.

Preparation and redundancy enhance safety

Despite Watch Duty's explosive growth, a phone app can't solve all the challenges with informing the public during emergencies.

“I love seeing products like this come out, but one thing we know to be true in the Texas floods, is a warning is only as good as the knowledge to do something about it,” said Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers.

The ASFPM recommends knowing how to reach an evacuation zone and not just having an emergency plan, but practicing it. “One of the massive failures is not knowing what to do,” said Berginnis.

The national infrastructure for monitoring weather and alerting the public is also at risk from past and proposed funding cuts to federal agencies and local emergency warning systems. “At the end of the day, if you want eyes and ears out there, you've got to pay for it,” said Berginnis.

Mills stressed Watch Duty is not meant to replace the work of weather and emergency agencies. “We need National Weather Service, we need fire service, we need all this infrastructure to operate.” He said users should still enroll in their local alerting system.

And of course, a phone app is only helpful to those who download it, and who have cell coverage to use it.

“You have to have redundancy,” said Berginnis, adding that an inexpensive NOAA weather radio can fill in when other systems fail. "Sometimes we get so focused on tech, we forget the easy stuff.”

———

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

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: June 23
• Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
• Mission: Starfall Demo
• Launch Time: 6:43 a.m.
• Location: Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

• Date: First half of 2026
• 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: July 2026
• Vehicle: ULA Atlas V
• Mission: Amazon Project Kuiper
• Launch Time: 12:27-12:56 p.m.
• 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

Deputies said they assisted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in locating the alligator involved. The alligator was removed from the area, authorities said.

With the alligator no longer in the area, the river has reopened.

Deputies responded just after 1 a.m. to a noise disturbance on Sipes Avenue. According to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, while working to break up a large crowd, two armed individuals opened fire.

Two other people suffered non-life-threatening injuries. No deputies were hurt.

FDLE called in for independent review

The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct an independent investigation into the deputy-involved shooting.

The sheriff’s office said there is no continuing threat to the community and the incident is being treated as isolated.

“Based on the information known at this time, the deputy’s actions likely saved lives by immediately stopping an armed individual who was actively firing at a large gathering,” the sheriff’s office said.

Alberto Carvalho denied any wrongdoing earlier this year and had asked to be reinstated as head of the nation's second-largest district.

The FBI served search warrants on Feb. 25 at his home and the LA Unified School District’s headquarters. Two days later, the district’s Board of Education voted unanimously to place him on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

In its statement released early Monday, the Board acknowledged it received a letter of resignation from Carvalho. The resignation was effective as of Sunday.

“The Board remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring stability, continuity, and continued progress through strong leadership. Our focus remains unchanged: providing every student with a high-quality education, supporting our dedicated workforce, and maintaining the trust of the communities we serve,” it said in the statement.

It said that Andrés Chait, who has been acting superintendent, will remain in that position until a permanent decision is made.

Authorities have not provided details of the nature of the investigation involving the district, which serves more than 500,000 students, nor have they accused Carvalho of any crimes.

The FBI also searched a third location near Miami. The Miami Herald reported the Florida property belonged to Debra Kerr, who previously worked with AllHere, an education technology company that had a contract with Los Angeles schools before it collapsed and its leader was indicted for fraud.

In 2024, Carvalho heavily touted a deal with AllHere for an AI chatbot named “Ed” designed to help students. But about three months after unveiling the technology and paying the company $3 million, the district dropped its dealings with AllHere, which collapsed into bankruptcy. Months later, founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with securities and wire fraud, along with identity theft.

At the time, Carvalho denied personal involvement in the selection of AllHere, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“Mr. Carvalho respects the rule of law and the investigative process and has always acted in the best interests of students and within the bounds of the law,” a statement provided by Holland & Knight, the law firm representing him, had said. “While the government’s investigation remains ongoing, no evidence has been presented by prosecutors supporting any allegation that Mr. Carvalho violated federal law.”

An email seeking comment was sent to the law firm Monday.

Following the search of school headquarters, LA Unified said it was cooperating with investigators and had no further information.

Carvalho became superintendent for LA in 2022. He previously led the public schools in Miami.

Highs are expected to reach the low to mid 90s along the coast, with inland communities warming into the mid to upper 90s.

When humidity is factored in, heat index values will soar between 102 and 106 degrees.

A weak offshore wind pattern will allow the east coast sea breeze to move inland this afternoon, offering a brief break from the heat near the coast, with highs in the low 90s.

Rain chances are lower than they have been in recent days as drier air filters into the area. Still, isolated to scattered afternoon and evening storms remain possible, with the best chance for development focused inland from Orlando southward (30-40%).

Any storm that develops could produce wind gusts up to 50 mph, frequent lightning, torrential downpours, and localized flooding.

Expect very similar conditions through the majority of the week, with feels-like temperatures in the triple digits and a few spotty sea breeze storms.

The 2026 midterm contests in Maryland take place under the shadow of the 2028 elections. Moore is running for reelection amid speculation that he also has his eye on a possible presidential campaign. Meanwhile, the contested primaries in all eight of Maryland’s congressional districts could be the last held under the current set of boundaries, as state lawmakers consider entering the national mid-decade redistricting fray with a map that could eliminate the state’s lone Republican congressional seat in time for the 2028 elections.

At the top of the ballot, Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller face a primary challenge from Eric Felber and his running mate, LaTrece Hawkins Lytes. In Maryland, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run on the same ticket. Felber is a physician who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin in the 8th Congressional District primary in 2024.

The Democratic ticket will face the winners of a nine-way Republican primary field that includes former state Del. Dan Cox and his running mate, Rob Krop. Cox lost to Moore in the 2022 general election for governor and ran unsuccessfully in 2024 for the 6th Congressional District Republican nomination.

In the 5th Congressional District, 24 contenders seek the Democratic nomination to replace former Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who is retiring after 23 terms. Among those running are former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, health care business executive Quincy Bareebe, Prince George’s County state Del. Adrian Boafo, Prince George’s County Councilwoman Wala Blegay and former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn.

Bareebe led the field in fundraising as of early June, followed by Dunn. Boafo has endorsements from Hoyer, Moore and Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks.

Dunn served at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters supporting President Donald Trump attacked the complex in an attempt to block certification of his 2020 presidential election defeat. Dunn ran in the 3rd Congressional District in 2024, placing second in the 22-candidate Democratic primary.

The district includes all of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s County in southern Maryland, but the bulk of voters come from parts of Anne Arundel County and heavily Democratic Prince George’s County.

U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney seeks a second term in the 6th Congressional District but first must clear a strong Democratic primary challenge from the man she replaced, former U.S. Rep. David Trone, who has loaned his campaign $25 million from his personal fortune. Trone gave up the seat for an unsuccessful 2024 U.S. Senate primary bid where he spent $63 million of his own money to place second behind Alsobrooks, who went on to win the seat.

A majority of voters in the 6th District come from Democratic leaning Frederick County and heavily Democratic Montgomery County, but the district also includes all of Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties in heavily Republican western Maryland.

Moore and his allies in the state Legislature attempted to redraw the state’s congressional districts in response to new Trump-backed maps in several Republican-controlled states, but the measure was blocked in mid-April by Democratic state Senate President Bill Ferguson, who said the plan put existing Democratic seats at risk.

But in the wake of an April U.S. Supreme Court decision that prompted some Republican-controlled southern states to eliminate several Democratic-held majority-Black districts, Ferguson said in a statement that “Maryland must respond as the ground shifts under us.” The Legislature may take up the measure again ahead of the 2028 election in the form of a state constitutional amendment that could go before voters as early as November.

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 governor, U.S. House, state Senate, state House and local offices in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

Who gets to vote?

Voters registered with a political party may participate only in their own 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 May 31, there were about 4.6 million registered voters in Maryland. That includes about 2.2 million active registered Democrats, about 1 million active registered Republicans and about 1 million active voters not affiliated with any party. There are an additional 250,000 inactive registered voters that the state does not break down by party.

How many people actually vote?

About 671,000 registered Democrats and about 295,000 registered Republicans cast ballots in the 2022 primaries for governor. That was about 16% and 7% of registered voters at the time.

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

About 60% of Democratic primary votes and about 37% of Republican primary votes in the 2022 primaries were cast early in-person or by mail.

As of Wednesday, about 228,000 Democratic primary ballots and about 67,000 Republican primary ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

The first vote reports of the night tend to be from early voting and mail ballots cast before Election Day.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2022 primary, the AP first reported results at 8:42 p.m. ET, or 42 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 4:15 a.m. ET with about 56% of total votes counted.

In Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, the two most populous in the state, the first votes were reported at 9:05 p.m. ET. The last election night update from Montgomery County was at 2:25 a.m. ET with about half the vote counted and from Prince George’s at 3:05 p.m. ET with about 59% 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 Maryland are not automatic. A losing candidate may request and pay for a recount if the vote margin between the top two candidates is 5% or less of the total votes cast for those two candidates. 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 133 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

___

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

The new congressional boundaries could result in an additional Democratic seat, as Republicans try to retain a slim U.S. House majority in a midterm election environment where the president’s party typically loses seats in Congress.

The state adopted the new map over the objections of the Republican-controlled Legislature after a Utah court invalidated lawmakers’ 2021 plan, which divided the Democratic stronghold of Salt Lake City among four Republican-dominated congressional districts. The court ruled that the Republican lawmakers’ map violated a voter-backed 2018 measure designed to reduce partisanship in redistricting.

The Utah Supreme Court upheld the lower court ruling in February, and a Republican measure backed by President Donald Trump to repeal the 2018 anti-gerrymandering law failed to make the November ballot. The reshuffling of seats in Utah comes as Republicans are set to make gains from mid-decade redistricting efforts in several states at Trump’s urging.

In the newly drawn Salt Lake City-based 1st Congressional District, former Salt Lake City mayor and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams looks to return to Congress in a district more favorable than the one he represented for one term at the end of the last decade. He faces state Sen. Nate Blouin, tax attorney Michael Farrell and former American Heart Association lobbyist and former TikTok and Meta policy analyst Liban Mohamed. At the start of June, McAdams had almost triple Blouin’s overall fundraising haul and dwarfed the rest of the field combined in cash available.

Republican Riley Owen is running unopposed. Had this district been in effect in the 2024 presidential election, former Vice President Kamala Harris would have carried it with 60% of the vote.

The new 2nd Congressional District in northwest Utah is the least changed of the state’s four districts. It tracks closely with the current 1st Congressional District. Republican U.S. Rep. Blake Moore, who currently represents the 1st District, is running for a fourth term, but he faces a tough primary against state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee. At the April state party convention, Lisonbee defeated Moore by an almost two-to-one margin in a nomination vote among delegates, but Moore secured a spot in the primary through a signature petition. Lisonbee has criticized Moore for co-chairing the “Better Boundaries” committee that helped pass the 2018 redistricting law that many state Republicans blame for costing them a seat in Congress.

In the massive new 3rd Congressional District spanning southern and eastern Utah, Republican U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy faces a primary challenge from former state Rep. Phil Lyman in her bid for a second full term. Maloy currently represents the 2nd Congressional District, which overlaps with the new 3rd District in southwest Utah, but the bulk of the new district along the Colorado border will be new territory. Maloy narrowly won the nomination vote at the April state convention over Lyman after two rounds of voting, but not by enough to keep Lyman off the primary ballot.

In the new 4th Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kennedy is unopposed for renomination. The district overlaps mostly with Maloy’s current 2nd District on the western side of the state, not the eastern half that he’s represented since 2025.

Republican U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens of the current 4th District in the heart of Utah opted not to seek reelection.

Trump has endorsed all three incumbents seeking reelection.

About half of Utah’s 29 state Senate seats and all 75 state House seats are up for election in 2026. Republicans hold overwhelming supermajorities 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. MT, which is 10 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, state Senate, state House and state Board of Education.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter may participate in the Democratic primary regardless of party registration. Only registered Republicans may vote in the Republican primary. Eligible voters may register in-person at the polls during the early voting period or on Election Day. Voters who are not affiliated with any political party may affiliate with the Republican Party at the polls on Election Day and vote in the Republican primary.

How many voters are there?

As of June 16, there were about 2.1 million registered voters in Utah, including about 1 million registered Republicans, about 297,000 registered Democrats and about 622,000 voters not affiliated with any party.

How many people actually vote?

Roughly 427,000 votes were cast in the 2024 Republican state primary. Total votes in Democratic primaries ranged from about 68,000 in the 2024 presidential primary to about 221,000 in the 2020 presidential primary.

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

Elections in Utah are conducted predominantly by mail.

As of Thursday, about 163,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s primaries, including about 127,000 from Republicans, about 32,000 from Democrats and about 2,900 from unaffiliated voters.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Most counties tend to release a significant amount of early in-person and mail results in the 1st vote update of the night. But in about two-thirds of counties, advance voting results are released along with results from in-person Election Day voting.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results at 10:03 p.m. ET, or three minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 2:07 a.m. ET with about 74% of total votes counted. The tally surpassed 90% of the vote counted by June 27 at 6:32 p.m. ET, two days after Election Day.

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 automatic in Utah only in the event of a tie vote. A losing candidate may request a recount if the vote margin is 0.25% of the total vote or less. In elections with fewer than 400 total votes cast, recounts may be requested if the winning margin is one vote. 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 133 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

___

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

The Republican gubernatorial runoff features two-term Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson, son of Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson. President Donald Trump announced Friday he was endorsing both Evette and Wilson in the runoff.

“I can’t hurt one of them by only Endorsing the other,” he said in a Friday evening social media post. Trump had endorsed Evette in the primary over Wilson and five other candidates.

Trump’s picks have had a strong record at the ballot box in 2026, although some recent contests have shown that the president’s backing is not a guarantee of victory. The president’s picks for Iowa governor and Georgia governor lost their nomination bids, while his pick for Oklahoma governor was forced to a runoff after placing second in the June 16 primary.

Evette had Trump's endorsement for the primary but also failed to win the nomination outright. She received 28.9% of the primary vote, narrowly outperforming Wilson, who received 26.1%. U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman placed third with 17.1%.

Evette’s best showing was in the Pee Dee region to the northeast along the North Carolina border and the Atlantic Ocean. The region was a strong area for Trump in 2024 and comprised about 15% of the total primary vote. Wilson’s strongest area was in the central core of the state, where Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris ran about even in 2024. The area includes Richland County, home to the state capital of Columbia, and reaches southwest to the Georgia border to include several of the state’s majority Black counties. Collectively, the area made up about 19% of the total primary vote.

A key battleground in the runoff will be the Upcountry region that includes some of the state’s most populous counties, including Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson. Evette was the top vote-getter in this area, although the margin between first-place Evette and third-place Norman was less than 2 percentage points.

The eventual Republican nominee will face Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, who won the nomination outright in the primary. Democrats last won the governorship in 1998.

The winner in November will succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who has endorsed Evette. Regardless of party, his replacement will likely play a key role in the early stages of the 2028 presidential race, with the state expected to once again hold critical first-in-the-South presidential primaries.

Placing a distant fifth in the gubernatorial primary was U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a one-time staunch Trump ally who broke with the president in calling for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Both the Republican and Democratic primaries to replace her in the 1st Congressional District were forced to a runoff.

The Republican finalists are Charleston County Councilwoman Jenny Costa Honeycutt and state Rep. Mark Smith. The Democratic finalists are former Hilton Head Island general counsel and U.S. Coast Guard veteran Mac Deford and retired Navy Vice Admiral and former Navy Reserve Chief Nancy Lacore. Honeycutt had a 4-point lead over Smith in the Republican primary, while Lacore outperformed Deford by nearly 8 points in the Democratic primary.

Trump carried the 1st District in 2024 with about 56%, compared to about 43% for Harris.

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 primary runoffs for U.S. House, governor, attorney general, agriculture commissioner and state House.

Who gets to vote?

Voters who cast a ballot in a partisan primary on June 9 may only vote in the runoff of the same party as they did in the primary. In other words, Democratic primary voters may not vote in a Republican primary runoff or vice versa. Registered voters who did not participate in a party primary on June 9 may vote in the runoff for either party.

How many voters are there?

As of Saturday, 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 473,000 voters cast ballots in the June 9 Republican primary for governor.

The total number of voters in a runoff tends to be smaller than in the preceding primary. In the last Republican primary runoff for governor in 2018, the number of voters fell about 7% from the primary. The drop-off was about 14% in the 2010 Republican gubernatorial runoff.

The two statewide primary runoffs in 2022 had much starker drops. The number of Republican runoff voters for state school superintendent fell by 47% compared to the primary. Total voters in the Democratic U.S. Senate runoff was 74% less than in the primary.

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

About 52% of the Democratic primary vote and about 29% of the Republican primary vote in the June 9 primaries was cast early in-person or by mail.

As of Wednesday, halfway through the state's two-day early voting period, about 37,000 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, the AP first reported results at 7:20 p.m. ET, or 20 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 12:19 a.m. ET with about 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 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 133 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

___

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

Russia has pounded civilian areas of Ukraine with drones and missiles since it launched its all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, with a United Nations tally saying more than 16,000 civilians have died in the war. U.S.-led peace efforts have failed to stop the fighting.

The Sumy attack hit a home and killed a 36-year-old man, his 13-year-old son and a 73-year-old woman who was the mother of the man’s partner, according to Oleh Hryhorov, the head of the regional military administration. The man’s partner and 10-year-old son were wounded, he said.

“Their home was destroyed,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X. “An ordinary home — not a military target whatsoever.”

Monthly civilian casualties in Ukraine are highest in 4 years

The number of civilian casualties in Russian attacks has jumped recently, according to the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, as Moscow’s forces struggle to gain momentum on the battlefield.

At least 274 civilians were killed and 1,763 injured in Ukraine in May — the highest monthly total of civilian casualties since April 2022, it said earlier this month. Most casualties are in cities far from the front line, it said.

A Russian nighttime drone strike also killed a woman and wounded three people, including an 11-year-old boy, in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, regional head Ivan Fedorov said.

In total, Russia launched 88 long-range attack drones and one ballistic missile overnight, Ukraine’s air force said, with air defenses shooting down or jamming 79 of the drones.

Ukraine, meanwhile, fired many more drones toward Russia and territories it controls, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, as Kyiv sustained its long-range campaign against oil facilities, military transport and infrastructure.

The campaign's success has prompted Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales. Also, all summer camps in illegally annexed Crimea on Monday stopped accepting children and new bookings until Sept. 1 for security reasons, the Russian-installed governor of the occupied peninsula, Sergei Aksyonov, said.

Ukrainian cruise missiles target a Russian electronics plant

The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday its forces intercepted 301 Ukrainian drones during the night over multiple Russian regions, the Crimea peninsula, the Azov Sea and the Black Sea.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that 84 Ukrainian drones targeting the Russian capital were shot down.

He didn’t say whether the attack caused any damage, but all four Moscow airports temporarily halted flights in the wake of the attack.

Also, some residential buildings were evacuated in Russia’s Vladimir region east of Moscow and the Tula region south of the capital as a result of the attack, local authorities reported.

Air defenses also intercepted several aerial targets over the city of Voronezh in southwestern Russia, Gov. Alexander Gusev said.

An industrial plant that he didn’t name sustained unspecified damage and three people were injured, Gusev said.

Ukraine's General Staff said it used high-precision, air-launched cruise missiles to hit a Voronezh factory that produces electronic parts for Russian missile and air defense systems. It described the strikes as “successful,” without elaborating.

___

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

One incumbent who is not up for election but has emerged as a key figure in the campaign is New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is looking to shape the city's congressional delegation through a series of endorsements, including for challengers to two Democratic incumbents.

New York is expected to play a key role in deciding control of the chamber in November.

In New York City, competitive primaries in traditionally safe Democratic seats could help define the party’s identity in the Empire State and beyond.

In the 10th Congressional District in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, two-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Golden faces a strong challenge from former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who has endorsements from Mamdani and Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. Mamdani and Lander are former mayoral campaign rivals.

In the 13th Congressional District in Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx, five-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat faces three primary challengers, including doctoral student and political organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier, who also has Mamdani's backing.

In the 7th Congressional District straddling Brooklyn and Queens, retiring 17-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez has endorsed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, but he faces a tough race against state Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, who has endorsements from Mamdani and Sanders.

In Manhattan’s 12th Congressional District, eight Democrats are running to succeed retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler. The top contenders include state Assemblymen Alex Bores and Micah Lasher, attorney, Donald Trump critic and former Republican George Conway, and Kennedy family scion Jack Schlossberg. Conway leads the field in fundraising, but Lasher boasts endorsements from Nadler, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and former independent New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

North of the city in the 17th Congressional District, five Democrats hope to unseat two-term Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, who is unopposed for the nomination. The field includes former White House counterterrorism official and Army combat veteran Cait Conley, Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson and Tarrytown Village Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley. Conley leads in fundraising and available cash as of early June, followed by Davidson, with Phillips-Staley a distant third.

This swing district in the northern suburbs of New York City is among the top seats Democrats hope to flip. Democrat Kamala Harris narrowly carried the district in 2024. Her strongest showing was in Westchester County, the largest of the district’s four counties and the closest to New York City. Trump carried Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess counties with double-digit leads.

On Long Island, vulnerable Democratic freshmen Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen are defending their seats in the 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts, respectively. Both face contested primaries.

In the massive 21st Congressional District in upstate New York, Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik is not seeking a seventh term following her aborted run for governor and her withdrawn nomination for United Nations Ambassador. State Assemblyman Robert Smullen has the backing of local party officials to replace her, while business owner Anthony Constantino has an endorsement from Trump.

The only statewide contest at stake on Tuesday is the Democratic primary for state comptroller, where the five-term incumbent, Tom DiNapoli, faces his first-ever primary challenge after almost 20 years in office.

Hochul and state Attorney General Letitia James are running for reelection, but they are unopposed for their party’s nominations and do not appear on primary ballots, as is the case for their Republican opponents, Bruce Blakeman and Saritha Komatireddy. Under New York election law, primaries are not held in contests where only one candidate seeks the nomination.

Voters will also decide contested primaries for state Senate and state Assembly. All 63 state Senate and 150 state Assembly seats are up for election in 2026. Democrats hold about 2-to-1 majorities over Republicans 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 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. House, state comptroller, state Senate and state Assembly.

Who gets to vote?

Voters registered with a political party may participate only in their own 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 Feb. 20, there were about 13.4 million registered voters in New York, including about 6.4 million registered Democrats, about 3 million registered Republicans and about 3.4 million voters not affiliated with any party.

How many people actually vote?

About 899,000 Democratic primary votes and about 451,000 Republican primary votes were cast in the 2022 primaries for governor.

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

About 20% of the 2022 primary vote was cast early in-person or by mail. The figure rose to about 39% in the 2024 presidential primaries.

As of Wednesday, about 107,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

New York counties and New York City tend to release all or almost all of their results from early voting and most of their results from mail voting in the first vote update of the night, usually before any results from in-person Election Day voting are released.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2022 primary, the AP first reported results at 9:04 p.m. ET, or four minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 3:11 a.m. ET with about 95% 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 New York, an automatic recount is triggered in races where more than 1 million votes are cast if the margin of victory is less than 5,000 votes. For smaller races, the automatic recount is triggered if the margin of victory is 20 votes or less or 0.5% or less of the total votes 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 133 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

___

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

Across Florida, survivors can face an impossible choice: stay somewhere dangerous or walk away and absorb significant financial penalties.

Leaving with nothing

A separate survivor, who News 6 is not identifying to protect her safety, said she left while pregnant. “The final straw was really when he slapped me in my face. And I said, I can’t do this anymore.”

With no money and no plan, she made the decision to go anyway.

“No money, no nothing, just hop on the bus and just pray that the bus driver didn’t really ask for a ticket or anything,” she said.

A gap in the law

“A lot of people don’t think about this one in particular, that if you’re sharing the lease with someone who is abusing you, how do you get out of it?” said Michelle Sperzel, Harbor House CEO.

In June, state Senator LaVon Bracy Davis introduced a bill aimed at closing that gap. The legislation would have given survivors the right to break their lease early without financial penalty, required landlords to change the locks within a set timeframe, and hold the abuser, if also on the lease, financially responsible.

The bill never got a hearing.

“There wasn’t a huge appetite for that this session. And it’s unfortunate, there were other priorities from the committee chairs,” Senator Bracy Davis said.

What Florida did pass

Florida did pass several protections for domestic violence survivors this session, including:

• Stiffer penalties for repeat abusers
• Shielding victims’ personal information from public records
• Requiring nurses to be trained to recognize human trafficking

But advocates say the lease bill is the missing piece.

Senator vows to try again

Bracy Davis said she is not giving up on the legislation.

“We’re going to continue working it. We may edit it, file some amendments, and then we go back to Tallahassee and we give it another try,” she said.

Joshua Manns, 30, pleaded no contest last Friday as part of a plea agreement with the State Attorney’s Office and was found guilty of second-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, child neglect with great bodily harm, and child abuse. Jury selection had been underway in Viera for his trial on first-degree murder and the other charges.

Under the plea agreement, Manns’ sentences of 30 years each for aggravated child abuse and child neglect — and 26 years for child abuse — run concurrently with the 60-year sentence for second-degree murder.

Investigators and prosecutors determined that Manns and the boy’s mother, Erica Dotson, beat and abused toddler Jameson Nance over several months, inflicting injuries including a broken rib, brain swelling, and stab wounds. Jameson was 3 years old when he died in 2021.

An autopsy revealed Jameson died from severe, ongoing physical abuse, not accidental drowning in a bathtub, as Manns had claimed.

Dotson, 32, also faces trial on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and related offenses. Prosecutors say Dotson was involved or complicit in abusing Jameson and chose not to act to protect him.

Among the evidence against her: text messages recovered from phones belonging to Dotson and Manns that show the two fabricated cover stories, minimized critical injuries to the child, and chose to protect themselves rather than seek medical help for Jameson.

Doton was tried last summer, but a judge declared a mistrial.

A DCF investigator accused of failing to report the abuse avoided going to jail when she was put on probation.

Dotson is scheduled for a retrial on July 20.

The suspects, aged 14 and 15, were arrested. The suspects and the victims were students of the San Jose National High School in Tacloban city, where the mid-morning shooting happened, regional police chief Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy said.

An investigation was underway to determine the cause of the shooting in the government-run school, which has more than 1,500 students. Capoy said that the suspects, who were close friends, said in initial questioning that they were bullied in school. He did not elaborate.

They have no criminal records. One of the suspects got the 9 mm pistol he used in the attack from an aunt, a police officer, who was now being investigated. The other suspect used a cal. 38 revolver. They managed to bring the guns onto the campus because there was only one guard on duty at multiple entrances and exits, Capoy said.

“The suspects barged into two rooms because after the shooting in the first, the children scampered and the suspects apparently ran after some victims into another room,” Capoy told reporters.

Most of the dead and wounded were female students, he said. Police recovered at least 40 shell casings at the scene of the attack.

In a video posted online, students hiding under desks in a shut classroom can be heard screaming and weeping as gunshots are heard outside. Some called their mothers. Other videos show visibly terrified students streaming out of the school campus, some holding and embracing each other.

One of the suspects was arrested in the school after the attack but the second fled and hid in a house nearby. He was found by police who were alerted by residents, police said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a thorough investigation of the shooting and asked law enforcers to boost security in all schools, workplaces and public areas, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

“The president was saddened by this incident. Anybody, especially the parents of the victims, will feel sad and terrified,” Castro said.

The suspects were to be turned over to government welfare officers after the investigation since they are minors. The 14-year-old would be exempt from criminal prosecution under a 2006 Philippine law, which sets the minimum age of 15 for a minor to be criminally liable and only if authorities determine that a suspect was clearly aware of the crime that was committed and its repercussions.

The national police have urged the public to remain calm and cooperate with authorities by providing any information that may aid the ongoing investigation.

Crimes involving the use of firearms are prevalent in the Philippines, partly due to the proliferation of unlicensed firearms, but school shootings are relatively rare.

In 2022, a man armed with pistols opened fire at an upscale university in the Manila metropolitan area ahead of a graduation ceremony, killing a former Philippine town mayor with whom the suspect had a long-running feud, and two others in the brazen attack. The gunman was arrested.

Your Father’s Day will feature plenty of morning sunshine and humid conditions. Spotty storms will begin developing near I-75 around 11am and push eastward along our westerly flow.

These storms will be along the I-4 corridor around noon and linger into the early afternoon. Storms will favor the coastline mid-afternoon towards sunset. Highs will hit the low-mid 90s with heat indices between 100º-105ºF.

Rain chances begin to decline and high temperatures quickly ramp up as upper level ridging strengthens over Florida. This will allow highs to soar to the mid-upper 90s and heat indices in the 105º-108ºF range. Heat advisories are certainly possible for much of next week. Rain chances will be spotty to scattered at best.

Your Father’s Day will feature plenty of morning sunshine and humid conditions. Spotty storms will begin developing near I-75 around 11am and push eastward along our westerly flow.

These storms will be along the I-4 corridor around noon and linger into the early afternoon. Storms will favor the coastline mid-afternoon towards sunset. Highs will hit the low-mid 90s with heat indices between 100º-105ºF.

Rain chances begin to decline and high temperatures quickly ramp up as upper level ridging strengthens over Florida. This will allow highs to soar to the mid-upper 90s and heat indices in the 105º-108ºF range. Heat advisories are certainly possible for much of next week. Rain chances will be spotty to scattered at best.

The week ahead will include a high dose of heat as a ridge in the upper levels of the atmosphere builds over Florida.

The warm, sinking air we see with this ridge will allow high temperatures to soar into the mid-upper 90s with heat indices up to 108ºF for the entirety of this week and into next weekend. This ridge will also serve to lower rain chances as the atmosphere will be more on the stable side.

Your Monday will still feature spotty afternoon storms, however, coverage will be lower as this ridge builds in. Afternoon storms will push from the I-75 corridor just before noon towards the I-4 corridor just after lunchtime.

Storms will continue to move towards the east coast beaches for the second half of the day. Rain chances are only at 30-40%. Highs will hit the mid 90s with heat indices up to 105ºF.

A total of 100 people have recovered in the outbreak concentrated in the Ituri province since it was declared on May 15, Congo’s Ministry of Health said Sunday. At least 365 patients are in hospitals or in isolation, it said.

The Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no vaccines or treatment, was the worst ever in its first month. Officials admit there could be far more cases they still don’t know about and that the peak of the outbreak is still ahead.

Contact tracing remains a key issue for local authorities, who have only achieved a 55% coverage rate, the ministry said.

“If you want to control an outbreak, especially Ebola outbreak, you must know the index case. We don’t have confidence on when this outbreak started,” the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya told The Associated Press last week.

Officials also are yet to identify the patient zero and trace more than 35,000 people who have come in contact with infected individuals as of last week, authorities said.

That’s partly because eastern Congo is also battling ongoing violence from rebels. In Ituri, attacks by the Islamic State group-backed Allied Democratic Force have cut off access to many villages and forced people to flee their homes, including those sheltering in overcrowded camps and others constantly on the move.

More than a month into the outbreak, officials believe the disease continues to outpace response efforts and no one knows its true scale.

Displaced persons at risk as unexplained deaths reported in a camp

At the Kigonze displacement camp in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, camp officials said Friday that 10 people had died last week in unusual circumstances, raising the fear of a possible outbreak in the camp of over 20,000 displaced people.

There had been no Ebola case confirmed at the site, camp officials said, but added that the death rate was unprecedented and called for investigation.

The U.N. refugee agency has said at least 2 million people forcibly displaced from their homes, including over 320,000 refugees, live in areas at risk of Ebola in Congo.

In a statement on Friday, the agency said it was “deeply concerned by the accelerating spread” of the virus and “the growing risks it poses to displaced communities across the region.”

“If a disease or epidemic were to spread among the thousands of people living at this (Kigonze) site, it would be a real catastrophe given our already very precarious living conditions,” said Charité Banza, a civil society leader in Ituri.

So, perhaps it's only right that for Clark to sew up his latest, sweetest triumph, he had to rescue himself from a potentially history making collapse — and do it in front of a New York crowd that, for the most part, came out to Long Island to watch him fail.

Clark's second U.S. Open victory will be remembered as the one where he handled Shinnecock Hills and somehow salvaged a final-round Sunday that saw a six-shot lead at the start dwindle to a single, precious stroke by the end.

It will also be remembered for the cheers when he missed shots, and for a winning, tap-in putt on the 18th green that was greeted with an awkward dribble of applause — a strange reaction, especially given the hills Clark has had to climb to become a champion,.

“We've dealt with his anger issues since he was that high," said Clark's father, Randall, explaining the journey as he held his hand about hip high. "It's because golf is not a game of perfection. And he wants to be perfect."

Clark, 32, was open about his struggles at his last U.S. Open victory in 2023, explaining his mother's death 10 years earlier had left a scar and that the rage came out most viscerally in the aftermath of missed golf shots.

His felt like a simple tale about overcoming obstacles and personal growth.

But that journey is never truly finished.

His demons came back into full view a year ago when he smashed a locker at Oakmont after missing the cut at the U.S. Open. He has since apologized and the suits at Oakmont, appalled at first, have moved on, as well.

The fans in New York clearly haven't. It made for an awkward stroll across the course Sunday, where Clark was paired with top-ranked Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler, trying to complete the career Grand Slam, likely would've been a fan favorite against anyone. No problem there, he said, but even he found himself cringing at the cheers ringing out when Clark missed shots, which happened a lot on a front nine in which he shot 38 and saw his lead shrink to one.

“You like seeing the fans cheer for you,” Scheffler said. “I think sometimes it can get a little too much when, you know, balls are kind of going off greens and you start hearing cheers. That felt a bit much to me.”

Clark's winning moment came on No. 16. Nursing the one-shot lead, he teed off into the deep fescue — a horrendous lie, according to caddie-turned-TV analyst Jim “Bones” Mackay. Clark made it look better than that, lashing into the fairway, then hitting an 8-iron that straightened out along the back of the green.

He nailed the 30-foot birdie putt — his longest make of the day — to give himself a two-shot lead over Sam Burns with two holes to play.

About a half-hour later, Clark two-putted from 50 feet on 18 to become a two-time winner instead of the player to blow the biggest 54-hole lead in U.S. Open history. The two-putt was reminiscent of the way he wrapped up his win three years ago at Los Angeles Country Club.

So much has changed since then.

“It’s been part of every question in every interview for the last 12 months," his dad said of the constant rehashing of the locker incident, all of which Clark has handled with patience. "I do think it's gone on too long.”

In response to Oakmont, Clark has paid for the repairs to the locker. He has given money to charity and participated in anger-management courses.

He did not feel much love on Long Island.

“A little disappointing,” said Randall Clark, who took a red-eye flight from Denver to be there for the win. “At the same time, he's a warrior. He 'bowed up and said ‘I’m going to figure this out and still get through.' It's too bad. We've seen this before in the New York area with the Ryder Cup."

But this was no Ryder Cup, the likes of which was marred by unruly behavior from the New York fans last year at Bethpage.

Clark conceded he heard it all and concluded, “man, they definitely don't want me to win.”

“It’s pretty rare in an open championship, or a major, to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots,” he said.

All he could do, though, was turn to his caddie and laugh, especially when they heard from one of those rare fans who were actually pulling for him.

Now, the question is — will this show of grit in the face of adversity give Clark a fresh start? Or will it always be about the locker and some meltdown lurking around every corner?

“I sure hope it closes the door on it,” he said. "I figured in my mind that this would maybe be the last time just because it’s one year removed. I’ll probably always get (those questions). But I hope I don’t become the heel of the PGA.

“I guess if I am, any press is good press, right?”

___

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

The French state already has a 50% stake in KNDS, which was formed in 2015 with the merger of Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and France's Nexter. The other half is held by the German family behind Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

Headquartered in Amsterdam, KNDS had 4.4 billion euros ($5 billion) in revenue last year and more than 11,000 employees.

European countries are moving to ramp up their defense spending and production and boost their military ranks as they contend with Russia’s war in Ukraine and concerns about the United States’ unpredictability.

The German government said its planned stake “will secure long-term influence on a company that is strategically significant for European security and defense capability.” It added in a statement that “national industrial value creation, as well as technological sovereignty and the protection of security interests and key technologies in Germany" also will be strengthened.

A separate joint statement said that the German and French governments have reached an agreement on the strategy and governance of KNDS, “of which they intend to become joint shareholders through transactions aiming at equal shareholding levels for both countries.”

It didn't specify when that will happen or what level the countries' stakes will ultimately settle at, but said the accord paves the way for a possible IPO of KNDS in the near future.

The two governments said their agreement “reflects the shared determination of France and Germany to strengthen Europe’s industrial and defense capabilities, support their armed forces, and strengthen European sovereignty over the long term.”

Beside the tanks, KNDS' products also include Puma infantry fighting vehicles and Boxer and Dingo armored personnel carriers.

The data includes over 160 cities from across the country, with billions of dollars being spent annually on the content creation platform.

Overall, the top-ranked city turned out to be Atlanta, with residents there apparently spending upward of $26.2 million in 2025.

That amounts to roughly $525,000 per 10,000 residents — a rate higher than anywhere else on the list.

However, it wasn't just Atlanta that spent a whopping sum last year. There were a few places in Florida that did, as well.

For starters, Orlando came in at No. 2, with over $14 million spent on OnlyFans.

“When shifting the focus to urban nodes, the concentration of wealth and digital consumption becomes even more pronounced,” the study reads. “Urban centers in the ‘Sun Belt’ (Georgia, Florida and Arizona) dominate the top of the city rankings.”

Within Central Florida alone, the counties that spent the most (per 10,000 residents) were as follows:

• No. 1: Orange County — $108,886 ($16.7 million total)
• No. 2: Osceola County — $69,482 ($3.3 million total)
• No. 3: Volusia County — $60,499 ($3.6 million total)
• No. 4: Seminole County — $59,382 ($2.9 million total)
• No. 5: Marion County — $59,134 ($2.6 million total)
• No. 6: Polk County — $58,459 ($5.1 million total)
• No. 7: Brevard County — $58,161 ($3.8 million total)
• No. 8: Lake County — $51,792 ($2.3 million total)
• No. 9: Flagler County — $47,366 ($590,000 total)
• No. 10: Sumter County — $40,248 ($542,000 total)

Meanwhile, the top 20 cities nationwide are as follows:

The report was issued last week, examining several different companies in the quick-service restaurant industry, including giants like McDonald’s, Subway and Starbucks.

To determine the ranking, researchers examined which of these businesses scored highest on customer satisfaction.

Chick-fil-A was the top-ranked in last year’s list, and it actually managed to score the same this time around.

[RELATED: Buc-ee’s is not Florida’s most satisfying convenience store]

However, Jersey Mike’s — in its first appearance on the ACSI annual ranking — managed to come out ahead by just a hair, taking the No. 1 spot in 2026.

“Jersey Mike’s ACSI success is consistent with their business performance, including rapid unit growth, strong customer demand, and a model designed around throughput and off-premise convenience from high digital pickup usage,” the report reads. “The chain’s menu is fairly narrow, and they have a model conducive to franchisee success.”

Meanwhile, the full ranking is as follows:

The tiny island nation that stunned tournament favorite Spain last week did it again against Uruguay — a two-time World Cup champion — on Sunday, coming from behind for a 2-2 draw.

Kevin Pina scored on a free kick for Cape Verde's first-ever goal in the World Cup, and Helio Varela scored the equalizer for what has become one of the most surprising teams of the expanded 48-team tournament — a club now with a legitimate chance of getting into the knockout stage.

“This is something we owe to other smaller national teams — teams that struggled to qualify for a world tournament,” Cape Verde coach Pedro Leitão Brito said through an interpreter, adding his entire squad believes it can continue its historic play and reach the knockout stage.

Cape Verde, which has two points in Group H along with Uruguay, faces Saudi Arabia in its final group match.

“We’re also here to show that a country may be small, may struggle financially," he added, "but if they are resilient, if they can endure struggle, they can also stand shoulder to shoulder with other major teams and with players who are on another level.”

The group of islands off Africa’s West coast have about 4,000 square kilometers of landmass and approximately a half million inhabitants, making Cape Verde the third-smallest nation by population to qualify for the World Cup.

Even as a large number of fans at Miami Stadium chanted for Uruguay throughout Sunday's match, Cape Verdean players seemed undaunted.

“Once you’re on the pitch, a lot of things become equal,” Leitão Brito said.

Cape Verdean fans who watched their squad pull off one of the stunners of the tournament last week by holding Spain to a scoreless draw continued their celebrations when Pina split Uruguay's wall and blasted a strike past diving goalie Fernando Muslera for a 1-0 lead in the 21st.

Maxi Araújo and Agustin Canobbio scored late first-half goals to put Uruguay ahead. But Varela, minutes after coming into the game in the second half, took advantage of a bad pass by Mathias Olivera and caught Muslera way off his line for a tying empty-net goal and his first international score.

“I had dreamed of this,” Varela said in a quote distributed by FIFA, “but I never imagined it would happen this way. Scoring my first goal for the national team on my World Cup debut is incredible. I have no words.”

Varela celebrated by hopping into his teammates' arms and flexing atop their shoulders as Muslera and other Uruguay players dropped their heads in disappointment.

“The result, I think, was quite deserved,” coach Marcelo Bielsa said afterward through an interpreter.

Uruguay failed to capitalize on numerous late chances to take the lead and settled for its second draw after a 1-1 finish against Saudi Arabia in its opener. La Celeste face Spain in their group stage finale, needing a positive result to have a chance at advancing.

“The organizational mistakes that were made — that a squad makes — they always fall upon the driver,” Bielsa added. “What I mean by that is the head coach. ... There is no magical recipe whatsoever to fix them. It goes without saying we paid a very high cost for those mistakes.”

It was another special moment for Cape Verde's Vozinha, who became one of the tournament's breakout stars after shutting down Spain. The 40-year-old goalie had his mother in the stands for Sunday's match; she was unable to attend Cape Verde’s opening draw against Spain because she couldn’t obtain a visa.

It was also the first World Cup match with two starting goalies aged 40-plus. Muslera, who made his 18th World Cup appearance, turned 40 on June 16.

Vozinha waved at the crowd after the final whistle as his teammates ran to a section of Cape Verdean fans, who cheered and danced on their way out of the stadium as if they were celebrating a victory.

“You show up, you believe, and we work very hard as a team,” said Cape Verde defender Stopira. “I think all the world can see we play, we play very good, and we also have quality in the team. So now it’s on to the next game, and to try to reach the next one.”

___

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

The new Prada uniform for next spring and summer: slim, cropped jackets and five-pocket trousers, pulled together with timeless blazers or leather blousons.

“Sometimes you just realize you need a good pasta pomodoro,” Simons said before the show, referring to the Italian mealtime staple.

Prada's pasta pomodoro

While the collection was inspired by jeans, Prada acknowledged she had never worn a pair in her life, while Simons said he had only recently returned to the everyday classic after two decades of wearing wool trousers year-round.

So against all odds, five-pocket trousers paired with flat-pocket jackets became the new Prada uniform, both slim and cropped.

Most looks were realized in luxurious, buttery leather in monochromes of antique white, gray, burgundy or turquoise that hit the runway to rock guitar riffs. A subset appeared in nearly transparent white technical fabric more suited to Europe’s recent heatwave. Only a handful of closing looks were fashioned from actual denim.

A smattering of cropped shirts and knitwear vests featured geometric patterns that were pulled together with clashing silk scarves tied around the midriff. The only bags were colorful pouches worn at the waist, sometimes attached to thick belts. A pointy shoe with multiple Velcro straps finished the looks.

Back to the streets

Prada said the goal was a collection of pieces that were universal and to avoid “useless design,” which she added was “a lot of what’s around” on other runways.

Simons said the designers wanted to reconnect fashion with the way people actually dress, noting that some of fashion’s strongest ideas historically came “from the street” rather than being dictated by luxury brands and runways.

“It’s a clear silhouette, vertical, simple, sharp, proud. A lot of white, peaceful, hopeful, and cleansing,” Simons said. “We think this collection is breaking the perception of what is perceived as typical luxury in high fashion.”

In the spirit of simplicity, the collection was presented in a bare showroom with transparent bench seating.

Everyone had a front-row view, with the VIP section hosting NBA superstar Anthony Edwards, South African-Australian singer and actor Troye Sivan, K-pop boy group ENHYPEN and British actor Louis Partridge.

Crowds of excited fans withstood the early summer heatwave to greet their favorite celebrities.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Canadian Secretary of State (Defense Procurement) Stephen Fuhr signed the first phase of a pact to provide early warning radar coverage from the Canada-United States border into the Arctic.

“What this really means is that Australia and Canada are now partners in terms of the future development of the Over-the-Horizon Radar,” Marles told reporters at the Australian Parliament House in the capital Canberra.

“There is now a very strategic dimension to the relationship,” Marles added.

Fuhr said the two British Commonwealth countries, both of which are partners in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance that also includes the United States, Britain and New Zealand, had “stood shoulder-to-shoulder for generations.”

“As the world adjusts to its new strategic and economic realities, I can’t think of a stronger partner to work with more than Australia,” Fuhr said at a joint press conference with Marles.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced he’d chosen Australia’s radar system over comparable U.S. technology shortly after he came to power last year.

In March, Carney became the first Canadian prime minister to visit Australia in 12 years.

During the visit, Carney and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese agreed to increase cooperation on defense technologies, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.

BAE Systems Australia said in a statement it will support both governments in developing the Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar.

The Australian system, developed over 40 years, works by refracting high-frequency electromagnetic waves off the ionosphere to detect distant objects that are invisible to conventional radars because of Earth's curvature.

The deal is Australia’s largest ever defense export. Australia’s previous record defense export was a $700 million deal signed in 2024 to provide Germany with 100 Australian-made Boxer heavy weapon carrier vehicles.

The Commerce Ministry said that Chinese companies would be blocked from exporting “dual-use” items to the 10 companies, which include military drone makers and some involved in rare earth mining. Dual use refers to goods that can have military as well as non-military applications.

The ministry said the export ban was both to safeguard China’s national security and in response to what it called the U.S. government’s “wrongful expansion of its so-called List of Chinese Military Companies.”

George Chen, partner for Greater China at the advisory firm The Asia Group, said the ban was an unsurprising and proportionate response to the U.S. restrictions.

“Most of them are U.S. defense industry players or they have close connections with the U.S. government for contracts and other reasons,” he said. “Those companies are not going to do business in China, so the impact will be quite symbolic.”

Separately, the Finance Ministry said that government entities would be prohibited from buying products from 46 American companies including multiple units of Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and General Dynamics. A brief statement did not give any reason for the prohibition.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Defense Department added several tech companies including Alibaba and Baidu to its list of firms that it says have links to the Chinese military. Baidu said the suggestion that it is a military company is “totally baseless.”

The designation prevents them from getting U.S. military contracts.

The Commerce Ministry said at the time that the American sanctions run counter to the consensus that Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump reached during Trump's visit to China in May.

In Monday's announcement, the ministry said that companies or individuals in third countries are prohibited from transferring dual-use items from China to the sanctioned American firms. It also said that Chinese companies could apply for export approval for goods that are “genuinely necessary.”

The 10 companies are AVEOX in Simi Valley, California; Red Cat Holdings and Teal Drones, both in South Salt Lake, Utah; IMSAR in Springville, Utah; Jaia Robotics in Bristol, Rhode Island; Ball Aerospace & Technologies in Broomfield, Colorado; Oshkosh Defense in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; L3Harris Maritime Services in Norfolk, Virginia; MP Materials in Las Vegas; and USA Rare Earth in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Lawyers for defendant Tyler Robinson have asked Judge Tony Graf to block the death penalty in the case, claiming the prosecutors' comments could sway potential jurors regarding his guilt.

But criminal law expert Paul Cassell said it would be extraordinary for Graf to grant the defense request. Their concerns could be addressed in other ways, such as more closely questioning jurors to ensure they aren't biased, the University of Utah law professor said.

“A standard defense attorney maneuver is to avoid talking about the guilt or innocence of your client. The theory is that as long as you're talking about anything other than whether the defendant is guilty, you're winning as a defense attorney,” Cassell said. “This seems to be an extreme example of that.”

Representatives of the Utah County Attorney's Office said they were compelled to speak publicly about the case following speculation in some media outlets.

The speculation began after the defense team publicly disclosed that initial tests were inconclusive to determine whether the bullet was fired from the suspected murder weapon.

Conjecture over the evidence in Kirk’s killing has fueled unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that there might have been a second shooter, or that his death was staged. The case has attracted enormous media attention and concerns from both sides about misinformation tainting the potential jury pool.

Robinson has not yet entered a plea. Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty if he is convicted.

The 23-year-old from southwestern Utah is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 killing of Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump who was shot in the neck while addressing a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University.

Judge Graf held a hearing last week over whether prosecutors should be held in contempt for their comments about the bullet.

Robinson’s attorneys accused prosecutors including Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard of trying to influence potential jurors by going on a “media tour" to talk about ballistics evidence in the case.

Ballard argued at the June 12 hearing that he didn’t speak to the media about case specifics, and he only remarked generally about how ballistics testing can be inconclusive.

The defense team also pointed to another Utah criminal case in which prosecutors were accused of contempt and suggested that one potential remedy would be to bar the state from seeking the death penalty.

While the judge in that earlier case disagreed that an order barring the death penalty was merited, Robinson’s attorneys noted that “the court did not conclude that such a remedy was beyond its authority where the facts support it.”

A key hearing in Robinson's case is scheduled for July 6-10, when prosecutors must show they have enough evidence to warrant a trial.

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Brown reported from Denver and Boone from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press reporter Hannah Schoenbaum contributed from Salt Lake City.

The races have become bellwethers of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's political clout, testing whether the young democratic socialist can leverage excitement he ignited last year to reshape the city's congressional delegation.

And he has been working hard to promote his slate of three House candidates, lending his star power to several campaign videos, along with hosting a rally with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders last week to boost his picks just before the election.

“The party of the past will not be what leads us into the future. We need a Democratic Party with backbone,” Mamdani said.

Meanwhile, in another closely watched race, Jack Schlossberg, the 33-year-old grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is hoping to ride his family ties and big social media following to a seat in Congress representing part of Manhattan.

But the Kennedy scion is facing strong opposition from Alex Bores, a state Assembly member at the center of a Silicon Valley spending war over his proposals to regulate artificial intelligence, and Micah Lasher, another state Assembly member who has deep experience in New York government and is backed by many of the state’s Democratic leaders. George Conway, an attorney who was once married to a top Trump adviser but later become one of the president’s critics, is also in the race.

In his campaign's closing stretch, Schlossberg rallied with David Letterman, former host of the “The Late Show with David Letterman.” His mother, Caroline Kennedy, cut a campaign ad for him. Lasher hit the street to meet voters. Bores releasing an ad about the dangers of AI and worked to highlight the millions of dollars that Big Tech players are spending to oppose his run.

Mamdani has not made an endorsement in that race.

Instead, he's focused on three other congressional contests, including two featuring embattled incumbents.

Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist whose campaign has been buoyed by the mayor’s support, is challenging U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who was the first Dominican American elected to Congress in a district that includes northern Manhattan and part of the Bronx.

Espaillat has drawn attention to inflammatory social media posts Avila Chevalier made in her 20s, attempting to portray her as an unserious candidate. Avila Chevalier, in a recent debate, said she regretted the posts and apologized for one crass post about former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Former city Comptroller Brad Lander got the mayor's endorsement in his attempt to unseat U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, a fellow Democrat.

Lander, who appeared in the crowd at a joyous City Hall ceremony celebrating the Knick's NBA championship win on Thursday, has worked to play up his alliance with the mayor, while Goldman, who did not endorse Mamdani in his mayoral race, has tried to shift the conversation to his own productiveness in Congress.

Mamdani is also supporting Claire Valdez, a former state Assembly colleague and democratic socialist ally, in her bid to defeat Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez.

Reynoso and Valdez are both progressives who share many similar views, though Valdez has framed herself as a potential Mamdani ally in Washington.

The latest attack — which now number at more than 60 — brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to more than 210 people since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September.

It is unclear if the survivors of this strike were rescued. In this case, and the strike on June 16 that left two survivors, U.S. Central Command said that they notified the U.S. Coast Guard. The US Coast Guard said they suspended their search for survivors for the June 16 strike a day later with “no signs of survivors or debris” but had no comment on the current strike.

As with most of the military’s statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs.

A black and white video posted on X showed a boat speeding through the water before being struck by a visible projectile and then bursting into flames.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Critics of the strikes have questioned the overall legality as well as their effectiveness. Part of the argument has been that the fentanyl behind many fatal U.S. drug overdoses is typically trafficked over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

On Thursday, U.S. lawmakers demanded that the Pentagon release “unedited video” of the very first strike that the military conducted after reports emerged that the U.S. chose to conduct a follow-up strike on survivors of its initial attack.

Two men on the boat initially survived the attack that killed nine others, and they were clinging to the wreckage when the vessel was struck again, killing them. The White House confirmed the follow-up strike, insisting it was done “in self-defense” to ensure the boat was destroyed and in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.

But some legal scholars said a second strike killing survivors would have been illegal under any circumstance, armed conflict or not.

The Pentagon’s watchdog said in May that it planned to look into whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out the strikes. However, the evaluation is focused specifically on what’s known as the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle and not on the legality of the strikes, the inspector general’s office said.

A victory by de la Espriella would effectively be an indictment of the policies of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, whose protégé had promised to continue his agenda if he defeated his rival.

De la Espriella, a business owner and lawyer who earned U.S. President Donald Trump’s endorsement despite never having run for office, led progressive lawmaker Iván Cepeda taking 49.7% of the votes, with 99.9% of the results released by electoral authorities. Cepeda, Petro’s ally, earned 48.7% support. Election officials have not formally announced a winner.

“I appear before you tonight to announce the most important news of my life: the Colombian people have entrusted me with the supreme honor of serving them as their next president of the Republic of Colombia,” de la Espriella told thousands of supporters as he stood behind bulletproof glass in the northern city of Barranquilla. “I will govern for all Colombians … there will be no retaliation, no persecution, because in a democracy there are no irreconcilable enemies.”

Cepeda told supporters that his campaign considers the count “unofficial and non-binding” and that his team will challenge results from more than 30,000 voting stations. No recount has flipped the results of a presidential election in Colombian history.

“We will not allow ... the rollback of the social gains we have achieved,” Cepeda said. “We will not allow democracy to be violated.”

Petro also vowed to challenge the outcome.

Both candidates pitched voters widely different strategies to prevent the South American country from experiencing the nonstop merciless violence, such as car bombs, kidnappings, disappearances and forced displacements, that Colombians lived with in previous decades.

Sunday's winner will begin a four-year term Aug. 7.

De la Espriella promises tough-on-crime approach

De la Espriella, 47, promised a heavy-handed approach to crime-fighting, including drug trafficking. He also said he plans to end Petro’s attempts to establish parallel peace negotiations with multiple armed groups — an effort that has largely failed — and build mega-prisons, emulating Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's aggressive policies. Those tactics have lowered homicide rates in the Central American country but have fueled accusations of human rights abuses.

De la Espriella, nicknamed “The Tiger,” holds dual Colombian and U.S. citizenship. He's a Trump supporter and a member of the Republican Party.

“We have had an armed conflict and a drug trafficking problem for too long, and this has greatly polarized the country,” retired economist Víctor Duque, 72, said while wearing a national soccer team jersey at a voting center in the capital, Bogota. “I believe it is one of the most important elections that has taken place in Colombia this century.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Presidents Javier Milei of Argentina and Daniel Noboa of Ecuador were among the first political leaders to congratulate de la Espriella.

“The Trump Administration looks forward to working closely with your incoming administration to advance regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States, and strengthen our economic ties,” Rubio said on X. “Colombia’s best days are ahead.”

“He Won, BIG!” Trump later said on his social media platform.

Voters seek change

In the first round, Cepeda earned 41% of the vote, while de la Espriella garnered 44%, according to official results. Petro, without evidence, sowed doubts in the results after Cepeda, who had consistently led polls ahead of the May vote, did not win outright and even finished behind de la Espriella.

Yolanda Hernández, 49, voted early Sunday before she started selling black-ink pens outside a Bogota voting center. Clients, she said, buy the pens because ink cannot be erased from paper ballots, which reduces the possibility of fraud.

Hernández, who recycles trash for a living, voted for Petro in 2022, but cast her ballot for de la Espriella this time. While she acknowledged that Petro was unable to deliver on promises meant to help the poor because of congressional gridlock, she said Colombia cannot afford another four years under his vision for the country.

“We want change in Colombia because it’s always the same violence, always the same thing,” Hernández said. “(Petro) said he was going to lower the cost of services, that he was going to lower the price of food, and everything is more expensive.”

People in the streets of Bogota yelled “Petro out! Petro out!” and honked car horns as results became public.

Fighting between rebel groups plagues the nation

Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Sunday’s result shows the country “has not shifted overwhelmingly or decisively” against Petro’s project or for de la Espriella’s outsider “iron fist showmanship.” Freeman added that the result also underscored Colombia’s regional divisions.

“It’s regional not just ideological polarization; or rather, the two overlapping,” he said. “Ironically, de la Espriella’s iron fist message performed best in the core of the country, not the periphery, which bears the brunt of Colombia’s violence.”

The election comes 10 years after Colombia signed a historic peace pact with guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, that had offered hope to break the nation’s vicious cycle of fighting between rebel groups and the government.

But violence has since roared back, particularly as most rebel groups abandoned their ideologically driven fight for the financial benefits of drug trafficking. Colombia’s illegal groups have more than 27,000 members.

Last year, authorities recorded 14,780 homicides, the most since at least 2015 and driven by clashes among illegal armed groups. Among those killed was conservative presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe. Extortions have also soared, reaching 13,417 cases in 2025, more than double the number tallied in 2015.

He quieted them with a 52-foot putt to tap-in range for his second U.S. Open title in four years, avoiding the worst collapse in tournament history after his six-stroke lead dwindled to one.

Oh, how this anybody-but-Wyndham crowd would've relished that.

New York loves a winner, but the one these fans really wanted to see on Sunday was Scottie Scheffler, who was chasing the career Grand Slam, or Sam Burns, who lost by a stroke. Not Clark.

Call it backlash for him damaging a locker in a fit of rage at Oakmont Country Club while missing the cut last year in the U.S. Open. Or for saying on TV that being surrounded by kids playing in the Masters Par 3 Contest was “great birth control." Or even for winning his first U.S. Open title in 2023 over fan favorites Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler.

Or maybe the folks spending their Father's Day at Shinnecock just wanted to see a little drama after Clark built leads of two, four and six strokes after each of the first three days.

“Man, they definitely didn’t want me to win,” Clark said.

On Saturday, he complained that fans had largely deserted the course by the time he was finishing his third round. On Sunday, he might’ve wished they had stayed home.

It's rare for a golfer in the lead at a major championship — or any golfer for that matter — to be the subject of such derision. It happened to McIlroy at the Ryder Cup last September at Bethpage Black, also on Long Island, but that was a team competition. McIlroy was the star of the winning European side and U.S. fans went overboard in letting him have it.

Clark said he tried to see himself in an “underdog” role on Sunday, as he did in 2023.

“Anytime someone said something negative to me, I replaced it with something positive,” Clark said. “Some of it’s self-deserved. I kind of brought it on myself, but I also get it, too. Scottie was going for the career Grand Slam, and it hasn’t happened very often.”

Even so, the animosity appeared to rattle Clark early in his round. He bogeyed the second, sixth and seventh holes as fans threw their support behind Scheffler. They cheered Clark's mistakes while showering Scheffler with affection — even serenading the four-time major champion, who turned 30 on Sunday, with “Happy Birthday."

It was “Get in the bunker!” for Clark and “We love you Scottie!” for Scheffler, who tied for fourth at even par.

“You like seeing the fans cheer for you. I think sometimes it can get a little too much when, you know, balls are kind of going off greens and you start hearing cheers,” Scheffler said. “That felt a bit much to me.”

Anti-Clark fans cheered when he flared a shot under a pair of trash containers on the fourth hole and again when his shot on the seventh hole landed in a bunker.

“Wyndham gonna lose 'em,” a man said as Clark walked to his ball on 10.

“Get in the fescue!” a fan yelled after he teed off on 13. When his second shot landed on a precarious part of the green, the crowd chanted “Go! Go! Go!” and gleefully roared as the golf ball rolled off the back.

Clark won over the crowd, at least for a moment, on the 16th hole — punching out from the tall grass and pumped his fist after nailing a 24-foot birdie putt to go to 5-under par. For the moment, he held a two-stroke lead and the crowd's hopes of a different winner were fading.

But the taunts returned on the next hole as Clark backed off of his 8-foot par putt and then missed it. As Clark walked to the 18th tee, scratching his head with his hat in hand, a fan in the grandstand sang “Under Pressure."

“Yeah, it was tough, but I’m proud of myself that I battled through,” Clark said. “I mean, things really could have gotten away from me. I stood tough. Yeah, I would have liked to have won by more, but as long as you win, it doesn’t matter.”

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Associated Press writers Doug Ferguson and Eddie Pells contributed to this report.

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

A statement from mediators Pakistan and Qatar said the cell would include the Lebanese government and would “ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon." But it remains unclear whether that will be enough to stop fighting between the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah and Israel, which occupies Lebanon and insists it must maintain a free hand to attack militants who are launching attacks into northern Israel.

The U.S. offered no immediate comment, while Iran praised the meditators' work.

The talks marked the start of a 60-day diplomatic process that seeks to reach a permanent deal to end the Iran war. But the fighting in Lebanon remains one of the key sticking points.

Meanwhile, Iran insisted it had again shut the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf crucial to energy shipments, while the U.S. said traffic continued.

Tense start to talks

The negotiations had a tense start Sunday in Switzerland, when Tehran took offense at U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to attack and his warning that Iran's president should watch what he says.

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump said on social media. “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”

The comments from afar — on social media and to news outlets — complicated efforts by Vice President JD Vance and mediators Pakistan and Qatar to keep Iran engaged in discussions.

“They would do better to be careful about their statements," Iran's lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said on X after Trump's comments. "Our armed forces are prepared to respond to them in a different manner. They may keep talking, it is we who act.”

But later, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that “tireless Pakistani and Qatari mediation has delivered major progress to end Lebanon War.” He said the first “real test” of negotiations would be whether the deconfliction cell succeeded in halting the fighting in Lebanon.

Vance and U.S. negotiators including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, met with Qalibaf and Araghchi for what Iranian state media said was about 80 minutes. One released photo showed Vance on a laptop, working with Qatar's prime minister and Kushner over his shoulder, a coffee machine visible in the background.

Pakistan and Qatar after the meeting said lower-level technical talks would continue in Switzerland for the rest of the week. Such talks aim at producing the breakthroughs needed for high-level officials to return and sign agreements.

A senior U.S. diplomat engaged in the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe private discussions, said the talks Sunday included clarifying what Iran meant by recent statements about the Strait of Hormuz. Negotiators also discussed “mechanisms” to ensure the strait remains open and that a ceasefire in southern Lebanon is enforced, along with “robust” discussions on the nuclear issue.

Iran first wants to focus on Israeli strikes in Lebanon

Negotiators are in a 60-day sprint to reach an agreement on the technical details that hold massive implications for the world economy and global security.

“The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together? Can we turn over a new leaf?” Vance said as the talks began, and asked whether they could “change relations in the Middle East permanently.”

The Iranian delegation did not take part in speaking to assembled Western journalists ahead of the talks.

The U.S. wants Iran locked into negotiations over its nuclear program amid concerns it may be used for military purposes, which Iran denies. Vance also wants Tehran to commit to keeping open the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran on Saturday claimed to close. The U.S. has disputed that, saying shipping traffic continued Sunday.

A renewed ceasefire in Lebanon, brokered on Saturday, appeared to be holding, and Israel's military said it would lift movement restrictions for residents near the border with Lebanon on Monday morning — another sign of calm.

But neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the U.S.-Iran deal, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep his forces in southern Lebanon until any threat to Israel is eliminated. Hezbollah has refused to halt attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing.

Sharp words are exchanged over Iran's nuclear program

The agreement signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian immediately allows Tehran to sell its oil freely and paves the way for Iran to tap into billions of dollars in assets that are currently frozen. A member of Iran's negotiating team told state television that draft wording was reached about “temporary sanctions waivers for oil and petroleum derivatives."

The agreement also calls for Iran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, believed to be buried under nuclear sites that were targeted in U.S. strikes a year ago.

Pezeshkian, however, declared Sunday that "we will never back down from the right to enrich uranium, and the other side is also forced to accept it,” according to Iran’s state media.

Trump, in a telephone interview with Fox News, later warned that the Iranian president should watch what he says and threatened to take over Iran, in comments relayed by a Fox correspondent.

Iran had cautiously approached the talks given its previous experience with U.S. negotiations on the nuclear issue, which twice in the past year were interrupted by military strikes.

The deal has stirred controversy

Trump and Vance have come under searing criticism from parts of their own party for the deal, with Republican hard-liners unfavorably likening it to the nuclear agreement signed by the Obama administration that Trump and Republicans have insisted did nothing to terminate Iran’s nuclear program.

The new agreement says commercial vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days without charge, but does not preclude future fees imposed by Iran. Trump made his own threat Saturday to levy U.S. tolls if there is no deal with Iran in 60 days, insisting that the money would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.”

The Trump administration has been working to reassure global markets that the war has been merely a blip on oil prices, as Americans complain about high gasoline prices ahead of peak summer travel. After the deal was announced, oil futures dropped almost 8%.

___

Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

There were 64,003 people in the stadium for the 2-2 draw between Cape Verde and Uruguay on Sunday night, none of them with a better how-they-got-there story than Ana Candida Evora — the mother of Vozinha, Cape Verde's goalkeeper.

Evora arrived in Miami on Friday, reunited with her son over the weekend and watched Sunday's game from a suite at Miami Stadium. Cape Verde's storybook ride now has a chance of reaching the knockout stage, depending largely on how its group stage finale against Saudi Arabia goes.

Cape Verde is one of the absolute feel-good stories of the World Cup, a tiny island nation with two draws in its two matches to this point. Vozinha — whose name is Josimar José Évora Dias — had his mother in the stands Sunday; she was unable to attend Cape Verde’s opening draw against Spain because she couldn’t obtain a visa.

And even without a win — in fact, her 40-year-old son didn't even make a save Sunday — her presence makes Cape Verde’s story even better. She waved her country's flag when it was over, celebrating wildly as her son saluted fans from the field.

“We have a lot of people working very hard,” Vozinha said.

Goalkeepers don't always have to make a save to be effective. Vozinha's best two plays of the match might not even show up on a stat sheet — he was perfectly positioned on a pair of Uruguay scoring chances in the closing minutes, cutting down angles and forcing shooters to aim at tight spaces. Both shots sailed high, and Vozinha exhaled deeply both times.

“I want to thank all the fans, everyone who helped in the process, for the support you gave to the team, especially to Cabo Verde,” Evora said Sunday in remarks distributed by FIFA in a video message before the match. “We’re all rooting for Cabo Verde to play well, to shine on the pitch. The players need to have faith and everything will go well.

“Keep your heads held high, go onto that pitch, push for a goal and you’ll perform beautifully, my boys. A kiss for you, be strong and brave. Blue Sharks!”

The team is commonly called Tubarões Azuis in Portuguese, which translates to Blue Sharks.

Evora carried a Cabo Verde flag into the stadium Sunday, her son's name and jersey number on the back of her shirt, and she was ushered into a suite to watch the contest. Vozinha heard roars from the fans — even with a mostly pro-Uruguay crowd — whenever he was shown on the video screens during warmups, and got perhaps the loudest ovation of any player when starters were introduced.

Evora's visa issues — primarily raising the money needed for one — were worked out after the U.S. State Department, FIFA, U.S. lawmakers and Cape Verde's soccer federation evidently combined efforts and cleared a path for Evora to come to Miami. She arrived Friday afternoon after more than 24 hours of travel from Cape Verde and was immediately surrounded by FIFA officials and volunteers as she made her way through the airport.

FIFA even hosted her briefly at the organization's tournament headquarters in Florida over the weekend, officials said Sunday.

Vozinha had about 50,000 followers on Instagram as the World Cup was starting. He was up to 15 million followers by game time Sunday after he grabbed the world's sporting attention by leading Cape Verde to a scoreless draw against Spain — one of the pretournament favorites to win the title.

That means he gained about 30 followers every second from the end of the Spain match to the start of the one against Uruguay.

He went viral after that match against Spain with tearful comments, wishing that his late grandparents could have seen him play in the World Cup and that his mother's visa issues had been resolved in time to be there. That sparked an immediate effort to find ways for Evora to get to the U.S. for the tournament.

And the tie, combined with a story of a goalie and his mom, brought attention onto Cape Verde's soccer team like never before. A showdown with the Saudis awaits Friday in Houston and it's possible that, if Cape Verde advances, it could be back in Miami Gardens for a round-of-32 game — potentially against Lionel Messi and defending World Cup champion Argentina.

“When you dream of something, something can happen,” Cape Verde defender Pico Lopes said.

___

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's comments on X came as the delegations met overnight in a Swiss resort and shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Sunday, even as talks began in Switzerland between his vice president and Iranian officials on next steps in the interim agreement signed last week to end the war.

The U.S. team is led by Vice President JD Vance and includes Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. The Iranian negotiators are led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Pakistan and Qatar are mediators.

On the eve of talks, Tehran said it closed the Strait of Hormuz again over Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. The interim deal is meant to stop fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon. Iran has said talks must first address that issue.

The U.S. says shipping traffic on the crucial waterway continues, and Trump has threatened to impose American tolls in the strait if a final deal with Iran isn’t reached in 60 days. Other issues include unfreezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets and addressing the heart of tensions: Iran's nuclear program.

Here is the latest:

Pakistan and Qatar says lower level talks planned for rest of week.

High-level negotiations in Switzerland seeking a permanent end to the Iran war ended early Monday, with lower-level talks planned for the rest of the week as Iran and the United States agreed to create a “de-confliction cell” to address the fighting in Lebanon.

A statement from mediators Pakistan and Qatar said Iran and the United States agreed to create a “de-confliction cell” to address the fighting in Lebanon. The cell would include the Lebanese government and would “ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon.”

But it remains unclear whether that will be enough to stop fighting between the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah and Israel, which occupies Lebanon and insists it must maintain a free hand to attack militants who are launching attacks into northern Israel.

The U.S. offered no immediate comment, while Iran praised the meditators’ work.

The talks marked the start of a 60-day diplomatic process that seeks to reach a permanent deal to end the Iran war. But the fighting in Lebanon remains one of the key sticking points.

Iran’s foreign minister says major progress to end Lebanon War

Abbas Araghchi says on X “Pakistani and Qatari mediation has delivered major progress to end the Lebanon War, ” saying that they “delivered major progress.”

Pakistan, Qatar and Iran all have acknowledged the end of the first round of high-level talks. The U.S. hasn’t comment.

In his message, Araghchi said the first real test of the understandings reached would be a deconfliction method create over the fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran has tied success in the talks to the end of the fighting there. Israel insists it will continue to occupied Lebanese territory and must have a free hand to fight Hezbollah, which has launched attacks into northern Israel.

Negotiators expect to work through the night

Negotiators hoping to reach a deal to end the war in Iran are anticipating working through the night, according to a senior U.S. diplomat engaged in the talks.

The diplomat, who insisted on anonymity to detail private discussions, said the Iranians remained in the talks contrary to some reports, and said that much of the discussions have included clarifying what Iran meant by some of its recent statements about the Strait of Hormuz. The negotiators also discussed various “mechanisms” to ensure the strait remains open and that a ceasefire in southern Lebanon is enforced.

— Seung Min Kim

Oil prices rise slightly

Oil prices inched up a bit on Sunday amid the lingering uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, the critical passageway for the world’s oil and natural gas.

The price of U.S. crude oil rose nearly 3% to $78.70 per barrel on Sunday. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, was up a little over 1% to $81.70 per barrel.

Iran says Lebanon but also oil, frozen assets discussed

Members of Iran’s delegation, briefing their media, said the talks Sunday to reach a deal to end the war in Iran had mainly focused on Lebanon.

Other issues, including the release of frozen Iranian assets and Iran’s oil exports, had also been discussed, the reports said.

Hamid Bovard, CEO of the National Iranian Oil Co., who is part of Iran’s delegation in Switzerland, said the issue of lifting oil-related sanctions and the associated waivers was pursued during negotiations.

Bovard was responding to a question from a correspondent from IRNA, Iran’s state-run news agency.

Iran celebrates World Cup draw with political points

Iran is celebrating its World Cup 0-0 draw with Belgium and goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand’s seven saves.

Some Iranian media are sharing images of Beiranvand blocking the Strait of Hormuz. And Iran’s lead negotiator in Switzerland, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, posted a photo of one save on X with the statement: “This is how we protect our land.”

Netanyahu brushes off criticism the war fell short of its goals

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes the Iranian government will collapse as a result of the military campaign. Creating the conditions for a popular uprising was one of his original goals.

“I think we created the conditions for its future fall,” Netanyahu told the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem on Sunday.

“That is what will be the real triumph, when the Iranian people take their own destiny in their hands, and they knock out this brutal regime that is terrorizing them and terrorizing the rest of the world.”

Syria's president says he has no desire to intervene in Lebanon

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa says Syria has no desire to intervene militarily in Lebanon, despite Trump’s remarks suggesting Syria could help “take care of Hezbollah.”

Al-Sharaa's comments came in an interview with United Arab Emirates network Al Mashhad on Sunday. He said Trump's remarks had been “misunderstood.”

Trump “spoke about Syria’s role in finding a safe and peaceful solution, but the statement was misinterpreted as if Syria were going to invade Lebanon tomorrow morning,” al-Sharaa said.

Israel will lift movement restrictions near border with Lebanon

Israel’s military says residents of the north near the border with Lebanon will be able to move around freely with no restrictions as of Monday morning. For months, residents have faced restrictions because of the threat of attack by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in southern Lebanon.

The military did not say what led to its decision Sunday, but it has noted that a fragile ceasefire is in place. Its announcement came as the U.S. and Iran meet in Switzerland on their interim deal to end the war. Iran has insisted they must address Israel’s attacks in Lebanon first.

Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon.

Iran state news agency suggests talks hit ‘difficult’ phase

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency suggested that talks have “entered a difficult phase” after what it described as an “insulting” statement by Trump. It did not specify the statement. Trump made multiple provocative warnings to Iran on Sunday, including to “hit Iran very hard again.”

An official with knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press that the Iranian delegation remains engaged in the talks and has not indicated to mediators any intention to leave. The official requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.

— Victoria Eastwood in Cairo

Hezbollah leader wants Israeli forces out of Lebanon

Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said in a televised speech that the militant group will not accept any ceasefire deal that grants Israel “freedom of action” within Lebanon or does not result in a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

“There are no ‘security zones,’ for Israel,” Kassem said, using Israel’s term.

He also said Hezbollah will comply with a ceasefire “if it happens,” but “we will not accept any violation.” The Iranian-backed Hezbollah is not part of the talks between Israel and Lebanon that will continue Tuesday in Washington.

Uneasy calm has settled over Lebanon, with no Israeli strikes reported overnight or Sunday after days of heavy fighting.

U.S. ambassador says Trump and Netanyahu are still close

The U.S. ambassador to Israel is playing down recent differences between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mike Huckabee said in a speech in Jerusalem that despite Trump’s sometimes blunt language about the Israeli leader, the two still have a close relationship and the president remains deeply committed to Israel’s well-being.

“The one thing that I’ve always heard him say – always -- and that I’ve always watched him do, is that America has an unbreakable bond with the state of Israel,” Huckabee told the JNS International Policy Summit. “And I trust that he means what he says.”

Trump makes a threat and Iran's lead negotiator responds

Trump in a telephone interview with Fox News has said that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had “better watch his mouth.” The broadcaster also quoted Trump as saying Pezeshkian had “better shape up or we’ll take over the rest of the country.”

Not long after that, Iran's lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf posted on X that “We do not regard American threats as amounting to anything. They would do better to be careful about their statements.”

Pezeshkian earlier Sunday said that “what is certain is that we will never back down from the right to enrich uranium, and the other side is also forced to accept it,” according to state media.

Netanyahu says Israel won't withdraw from Lebanon

Speaking at a memorial service for his late brother, Yonatan, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will "remain in the security buffer zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary.” He was referring to an area up to 10 kilometers (six miles) from the border that Israel has occupied.

Netanyahu has made similar comments in the face of Iranian and U.S. calls for a halt to Israeli military operations in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. He spoke Sunday as U.S. and Iranian officials began negotiations in Switzerland.

Netanyahu also reiterated his claim that he “will not allow Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons."

Iranian TV says Iran is talking with Qatar after direct talks

Iranian state television says the Iranian and Qatari delegations are having discussions after about 80 minutes of four-way negotiations including the U.S. and Pakistan.

Israel’s president says Iran complicates peace deal with Lebanon

Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Fox News that a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon cannot be reached if Iran is “trying to squeeze themselves into this conflict” via the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group.

Herzog's position is largely ceremonial. He said Israel and Lebanon will hold another round of talks in Washington on Tuesday. Hezbollah is not a party to the talks.

Iran wants any agreement with the U.S. to include peace on all fronts including Lebanon. It has said Lebanon will be a focus in today’s talks in Switzerland.

Iran's president worries about street protests

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed concern that some Iranians could openly protest again. He said in a speech reported by semiofficial news outlets that “what I fear is that we may fail to satisfy the people, and that they may come out into the streets to protest," which could affect the country's unity during negotiations with the U.S.

Iran saw nationwide protests weeks before the war began as unrest over the weak economy turned into anti-government anger. Thousands of people were killed in the crackdown that followed, the bloodiest since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. For a while, the U.S. and Israel mentioned regime change in Iran among their war goals.

US energy secretary says ships still pass through the strait

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says 67 ships went through the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours, similar to traffic before the war began in terms of oil and oil products.

Iran’s joint military command on Saturday said it had closed the strait over Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. The U.S. disputed that announcement.

Wright also told Fox News that Iran has not yet “demined” the strait’s central shipping channel, but the U.S. has opened a separate channel to the south and has been escorting ships through it.

Wright acknowledged that some commercial shippers still have safety concerns.

Israel's military stands by for renewal of combat

Israel’s military issued a statement around the time that direct talks began. Its chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, was speaking from southern Lebanon. He said “the ceasefire that has been declared is fragile, and we must maintain a high level of readiness for the renewal of combat operations.”

He said the military continues to defend against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its efforts to rebuild.

Previous talks between Vance and Iranian officials lasted nearly a day

The last time that Vance met directly with senior Iranian officials for such talks was in early April, days after a ceasefire took effect in the war. Those talks in Pakistan's capital of Islamabad ended after 21 hours without reaching an agreement. Again, Vance was meeting with lead negotiator Qalibaf.

It's now after 4 p.m. in Switzerland.

Direct US-Iran talks have begun in Switzerland

Both Iran and the White House say four-way talks have begun in Switzerland. Vance is meeting with Iranian officials.

Trump hopes to get the agreement signed last week back on track. Israel's ongoing military campaign in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group threatens progress on implementation.

Iran says its main focus in these talks is the situation in Lebanon. Israel says it must defend itself from Hezbollah. But the U.S. side wants to get Iran locked into negotiations over its nuclear program, which has long been at the heart of tensions.

Trump warns Iran about Hezbollah

Trump has warned in a post on social media that Iran needs to stop Hezbollah from “causing trouble.”

"If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!” Trump wrote from Camp David, where he is spending the weekend.

Vance says that the Mideast is at a turning point

The U.S. vice president spoke as officials were gathering for the start of the U.S.-Iran talks on Sunday.

“The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together? Can we turn over a new leaf?” Vance said in brief comments ahead of the talks, dubbed the “Lake Lucerne Summit.”

“Can we change relations in the Middle East permanently, or do we go back to doing things the old way, which is not our preference, but is certainly very much something that can happen,” Vance added.

It was not clear if the Iranians were present during Vance's remarks.

Israel says it killed 2 militants in Gaza involved in Hamas’ financial arm

The Israeli military says it killed two militants who were involved in helping transfer up to half a billion dollars to Hamas. The military says the two — Hussein Qadra and Mohammed Farra, who worked with Hamas and the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad — were killed in a strike last week.

It said on Sunday that the men oversaw a network of couriers and money exchange spots in both Gaza and Turkey that funneled money toward Hamas militants and infrastructure.

Both men were killed on Wednesday and buried on Thursday, according to their families. Farra’s family said his father, mother and sister were killed in an Israeli strike earlier in the war.

The conflict in Gaza is not part of the U.S-Iran talks underway in Switzerland.

Pakistani team meets separately with US, Iranian delegations

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has separately met with JD Vance and with the Iranian delegation at the Bürgenstock Resort near Lucerne in Switzerland where the high-level talks are taking place.

Islamabad says Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, accompanied Sharif at the meetings. It did not provide further details.

Sharif has repeatedly said Munir played a key role in brokering the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran.

A video released by Sharif’s office shows him warmly embracing Qalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker, and Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, as Munir looks on.

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog is also at the scene of the talks

Rafael Grossi, chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency — met with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis on the sidelines of the gathering at the picturesque mountainside resort near Lake Lucerne on Sunday morning.

The agency had monitored the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated between the U.S. and Iran under the Obama administration.

Trump in 2018 withdrew the U.S. from that agreement.

Talks in Switzerland will focus on the Israel-Hezbollah war, Iran says

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei says Tehran will mainly focus during the talks on Sunday on the ongoing fighting in Lebanon.

Tehran insists that the deal’s implementation start with a cessation of all fighting — including between Israel and Hezbollah.

Baghaei said the U.S. “has been unable or unwilling” to hold Israel to the ceasefire.

Iran will meet in the morning with Pakistani and Qatari mediators, and in the afternoon, there will be a four-way meeting including the U.S. negotiating team. There is currently only one day of negotiations planned, Baghaei told the state news agency.

“The implementation of any document is more important than its signing,” Baghaei also said Sunday.

Iran’s president has said that Iran will maintain its right to a nuclear program.

“What is certain is that we will never back down from the right to enrich uranium, and the other side is also forced to accept it,” Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday, according to state media.

A temporary lull in Israeli strikes in Lebanon

As the U.S.-Iran talks were to kick off in Switzerland, a ceasefire appears to be holding in Lebanon, a lull that came after another day of heavy fighting.

Since the ceasefire, Israeli strikes on Friday and Saturday killed 97 people, including eight women and four children, Lebanese officials said. Five Israeli soldiers were also killed.

Israel says it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure on Saturday, including a tunnel network in the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Tebnit.

But by Sunday morning, residents in southern Lebanon reported a lull in Israeli strikes. There also were no reports of Hezbollah fire from the Israeli side.

Israel’s military has received instructions to uphold the ceasefire, and said it is only acting defensively, according to an Israeli military official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines.

—Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel

Strait of Hormuz is once again a challenge

The strait has emerged as a key focus, with Iran’s joint military command saying on Saturday that it was closed again because of the U.S. “clear breach of its commitments” by failing to end the war. The interim deal is meant to stop fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon where Israeli forces are battling the militant Hezbollah group.

The U.S. disputed Iran’s announcement, with the U.S. Central Command saying that traffic continues to flow and that 55 merchant ships transited on Saturday with more than 17 million barrels of oil.

Ships began transiting after the interim U.S.-Iran agreement was signed last week. The U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran’s ports and now allows Tehran to sell its oil freely — terms that have left some in U.S. Congress asking whether the war was worth it.

The interim deal signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian gives negotiators 60 days to reach a nuclear agreement, but the time can be extended.

It was no problem for Heim, whose No. 67 Toyota inexplicably kept getting faster on the way to his first career Cup Series victory in only his 13th start.

The 23-year-old part-time driver from Marietta, Georgia, took a deep breath before the second half of the race and reminded himself that he had as much experience as the veterans on the 16-turn, 3.4-mile street course on Coronado Island, just south of downtown San Diego.

“I’m speechless,” Heim said. “Maybe I knocked some good into the car. I have no idea. I had high expectations coming into this race. I just reset and went after it.”

Heim, the 2024 truck series champion who will move full time into Cup next season with 23XI Racing, led the final three laps after snatching first from teammate Tyler Reddick.

“I was able to stick with him, and five to go came, and it was time to put some pressure on him and see if I could get him to make a mistake,” Heim said. “Sure enough, he did.”

Bubba Wallace finished second to deliver a 1-2 finish for 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and NBA great Michael Jordan.

Reddick suffered a flat tire in the closing laps and fell to 25th, cutting his lead in the standings to eight points over Hamlin.

“To even have a shot at it at the end was really nice,” said Reddick, who started from the rear after unapproved adjustments to his No. 45 Toyota. “First and foremost, congratulations to Corey. I thought I was going to be able to hold him off there. It definitely stings. Really needed a good points day. Had another really bad one, so we’ll try and scrape together.”

It’s the second time in three years that an inaugural street race has produced a first-time winner in NASCAR’s premier series. Shane van Gisbergen won his Cup debut in the 2023 Chicago Street Race.

Heim became the third first-time winner in Cup this season, joining Ty Gibbs (Bristol) and Carson Hocevar (Talladega).

“Just crazy,” Heim said. “I hope I don’t wake up from this dream.”

His peers already think Heim’s for real.

“Awesome job by Corey Heim,” two-time Cup champion Kyle Larson said after finishing third. “That’s really cool. He’s a super talented race car driver, and it's neat to see somebody get their first win, especially at a challenging track like this.”

Zane Smith and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top five.

Hamlin, the driver-owner who had won the past three races for Joe Gibbs Racing, finished 14th.

SVG stunner

Van Gisbergen finished 38th in his bid for an eighth road or street course victory (which will make him the active leader among Cup drivers).

After starting from the pole position, van Gisbergen was caught in a crash that started when Trackhouse Racing teammate Connor Zilisch and Austin Hill collided while battling for the lead on a Lap 32 restart. The nine-car incident caused a nine-minute red flag for wall repairs.

“I felt like I was giving Austin space, and the next thing, I was in the wall,” said Zilisch, who led the first eight laps of his Cup career in the highlight of a miserable rookie season. “Really unfortunate. I hate to end both days for both Shane and I. We had a really fast car today. I had a lot of fun. I really enjoyed just getting to race out front and lead laps.”

Driver swap

During the first caution, Christopher Bell was replaced in the No. 20 Toyota by Brent Crews, but the driver relief stint was short. Crews exited in last place after a gearbox problem on the 28th lap.

Bell is still recovering from a broken wrist in a June 7 crash at Michigan International Speedway and said getting out of the car was precautionary and not because of pain.

One more for Johnson

In his second and last Cup start of the 2026 season, Jimmie Johnson slammed a tire barrier after missing a chicane on the fifth lap and finished 28th.

The seven-time series champion said Saturday that he still plans on the 2027 Daytona 500 as his final start as a Cup driver, but he is open to racing in other series.

Up next

NASCAR will stay in California, heading north to Sonoma Raceway on June 28. Van Gisbergen dominated in winning on the road course last season, leading 97 of 110 laps from the pole position.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Sunday at Shinnecock Hills wasn't much better. The New York crowd behind Scottie Scheffler in his bid for a career Grand Slam turned on Clark, cheering his misses and wishing for the worst.

That's what made this U.S. Open title so much sweeter.

On the edge of the greatest collapse in U.S. Open history, Clark held his nerve against a charge by Sam Burns and a Shinnecock Hills crowd that never gave him much love until he showed his mettle with his second U.S. Open title in four years.

“The first one was kind of just the breakthrough of knowing I can do it,” Clark said after a two-putt par from 50 feet for a 3-over 73 and a one-shot victory. “And then this one was a lot of redemption. Last year was so tough, a terrible year. I left this place in shambles, and it’s amazing what a year can do. I’m leaving here this Sunday as a champion, and I’m just so blessed.”

Clark, who won the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, became the first wire-to-wire winner of the U.S. Open since Martin Kaymer at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014.

This sure didn't feel like a stroll through the Hamptons.

He had the largest 54-hole lead in the U.S. Open in 15 years. It was down to a single shot in just five holes, and stress followed him the rest of the way.

The clincher for Clark was on the par-5 16th, where on Saturday he made the only eagle of the week. This time it was his worst drive, well left into the gnarly fescue. He gouged that out and narrowly cleared a bunker. His 8-iron barely stayed on the back of the green. He rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt for a two-shot lead with holes to play.

It was a signature moment with muted applause. The gallery rooted against him all day, putting all their support behind Scheffler, who made his own share of mistakes and never got closer than three shots of Clark all day.

“Winning major championships is extremely difficult,” Scheffler said after a 71 to tie for fourth. “He had some stones down the stretch. ... Being in the arena is not for everybody, and I think it shows a lot about Wyndham, how he handled not only this golf course but I think the crowd today. And he is a well-deserving champion.”

Clark had the highest final round of a U.S. Open champion since Graeme McDowell closed with a 74 to win at Pebble Beach. No matter. The 32-year-old American has two U.S. Open titles, and two wins in the last month.

Burns closed with a 67, his second chance in as many years to win the U.S. Open. He bounced back from a three-putt bogey on the 15th with a an 18-foot birdie to stay within one shot. He made a weak pass at a 10-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead on the 17th. What haunts him is a 17-foot birdie chance on the 18th that grazed the right edge of the cup, causing him to drop to his knees.

“I would say last year at Oakmont I felt more I lost the golf tournament. I certainly don’t feel that way today,” Burn said. “I did everything I could to have a chance to win today.”

Clark finished at 4-under 276 and got a surprise at the end when his father, Randall, took an overnight flight from Denver to watch his son win for the first time.

Even the New York crowd had no choice but to salute him.

“New York didn't really like me — I love you guys,” Clark said at the closing ceremony, hoisting the silver trophy. “But I get it. Some of it’s self-deserved. I did some unfortunate things last year that I really regret, and I’ve been sorry multiple times and I’m still sorry, so hopefully I can win you guys over eventually."

Clark noticed fans leaving early on Saturday and hoped for a big crowd and big energy for the final round. He got every bit of that, and it was uncomfortable at times. One was ejected when he shouted, “Don't choke, Wyndham.” The grandstand behind the seventh green broke into cheers when his shot rolled off the green and into the bunker.

“I get it — they were rooting for Scottie,” Clark said. “Grand Slams only happen a few times. He’s going to get it. He’s the best player in the world. But today it’s my day.”

It almost wasn't.

But Burns never caught caught him. No one did.

Tom Kim, who like Scheffler celebrated a birthday on Sunday, was on the fringes of seriously contending until he fell back with a bogey on the 17th and shot 70 to finish third.

Clark's hit a superb wedge that spun back to 4 feet for birdie on the 10th to restore the lead to two shots. But then he went long on the 13th with a pitching wedge and couldn't save par. And then came his big moment on the 16th, and one last act of lagging a 50-foot putt to tap-in range.

That's how it was at Los Angeles in 2023, when he needed two putts from 60 feet and lagged it close. Clark simply is at his best against tough tests, and rough arenas. Three years ago, he denied Rory McIlroy. This time it was Scheffler.

“The first one was amazing, and this one seems even better,” Clark said. “I think especially after such a sour taste last year in this championship, to have some redemption and win this again is almost surreal.”

A month ago, he was two years without a win and No. 75 in the world. Then he shot 60 in the final round to win The CJ Cup, contended the next two weeks and won his second major. It moves him to No. 8 in the world.

The smile he wore holding that U.S. Open trophy would suggest he feels on top of the world.

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

The 17-year-old amateur surprised his father, Joe, on the 18th hole Sunday when his caddie brought Russell's clubs to him outside the ropes to carry them the rest of the way.

“It was kind of a fun Father’s Day gift,” Miles Russell said. “Kind of cool since it was my first one. Hopefully it’s something he’ll remember for a long time.”

Russell had Charlie Woods, Tiger Woods' son and his future teammate at Florida State, carrying the bag for him when he advanced to the U.S. Open through a 36-hole qualifying tournament earlier this month.

Ramon Bescansa was on the bag for Russell at Shinnecock Hills — but only for 71 1/2 holes.

As Russell walked toward the 18th green, Bescansa turned toward the ropes and found Joe Russell. He placed the bag down just inside the ropes and removed his caddie bib and handed it to Joe, who put it on.

According to the NBC broadcast, Miles Russell asked a USGA rules official in the morning if he would be allowed to make the switch and was given permission. Joe Russell was not aware of the plan.

Miles Russell smiled widely as his father caught up to him and they walked up to the green.

Russell tapped in for par to finish off an even-par 70 in the final round. After becoming the second-youngest male amateur since World War II to play the weekend at the U.S. Open, he finished at 7 over for the tournament while being paired the final two rounds with fellow amateur Jackson Koivun, who led Auburn to two NCAA championships and shared low amateur honors with Ryder Cowan at 5 over in his final tournament before turning pro.

“It was a pretty special week,” Russell said. “Just to be here was really special, and to make the cut was kind of bonus points. I didn’t quite have my best stuff the last two days, but still really cool. Just a great experience.”

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

“If my grandmother had tires, she'd be a car,” Niemann said Sunday, not wanting to speculate much after wrapping up a tournament sullied by an opening-round 11 on the par-4 sixth hole that featured two tee shots out of bounds and two penalty strokes for hurling his club in frustration.

Niemann shot 4-under 66 in the final round to finish at 1-over 281. It doesn't take heavy math to imagine the possibilities had he not shot 7-over par on one hole.

Maybe more importantly, his 281 put him in a tie for seventh, which means he'll get an invitation to next year's U.S. Open, at Pebble Beach, that goes to everyone in the top 10.

Niemann's 66 paired with a 65 he shot in the second round, shortly after learning his 9 on No. 6 had been bumped up two shots for violating the code of conduct. It meant the only person to shoot a lower round than Niemann over four days at Shinnecock was Wyndham Clark, the winner, who opened the week with a 64. Of course, with that 11, Neimann also recorded the single worst one-hole score over the four rounds.

“A good experience, a good test for myself," Niemann said. "What happened on Thursday and coming back, I was pretty proud of” myself.

Niemann didn't try to deflect blame or suggest he didn't deserve the two-shot penalty for chucking the club after hitting the two errant tee shots, then being rejected when he asked for relief from what he thought might be fire ants.

Play was called for the day shortly after that. Niemann completed his first round Friday morning, then learned about the penalty.

“I was not trying to offend anyone,” he said. “I was frustrated. I had my expectations, which are always super high. I was playing good golf. I knew it was going to be a tough week, a long week, a challenging week. ... I’m not happy doing that. I’m not proud about throwing a golf club.”

He did not want to delve into the debate about whether the USGA was too aggressive in applying the penalty. Even though the course was virtually empty at the time, he did, in fact, throw the club.

He called his comeback story “something to learn from.”

Asked what others might learn from his odyssey around Shinnecock Hills, he said: “Everyone just stop throwing clubs. Just behave.”

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

But Scheffler never nailed down the other part — namely, applying any pressure of his own on the player who left the door open Sunday at the U.S. Open before sneaking away with the win.

While Clark hung on to beat Sam Burns by one shot and capture his second title in four years in the toughest test in golf, Scheffler will wait another year for a chance to fill that last hole on his Grand Slam resume.

“I felt close again,” Scheffler said. “It's just little things here and there.”

With Clark struggling most of the day, the world’s No. 1 player celebrated his 30th birthday by making a grand total of two birdies over a round of 1-over 71 at Shinnecock Hills. He actually beat Clark by two shots in their final-pairing showdown. But he came in trailing by six.

In a more telling sign of the opportunity he could not cash in on, Scheffler started as the best bet to reel in Clark among those jammed in a four-way tie for second heading into the round. He left in a three-way deadlock for fourth, passed up by Burns (67) and left behind by fellow birthday boy Tom Kim, who shot 70 and finished alone in third.

Scheffler's struggles were all part of a strange day and a strange vibe around Shinnecock. It was filled with lots of cheers for everything he did well, but also cheers for Clark's mishaps — the product of a New York crowd familiar with Clark's history of smashing a locker at Oakmont last year out of frustration.

"You like seeing the fans cheer for you," Scheffler said. “I think sometimes it can get a little too much when balls are kind of going off greens and you start hearing cheers. That felt a bit much to me.”

It never really led to momentum, though, for the Texan, who won the British Open last year and put himself in position to become the seventh player to complete the career Grand Slam. He'll have to wait until next year at Pebble Beach. On Sunday at Shinnecock, he spent most of the day stuck in neutral.

His chances to mount a comeback got delayed on the par-3 seventh, where he needed two shots from a bunker and a 15-foot putt just to save bogey. That kept him within four of Clark. But he never drew closer than three.

Scheffler's last, best chance might have been on the par-5 16th, when Clark teed off into the thick fescue and Scheffler was in perfect shape in the fairway. But Scheffler hit driver off the deck into the rough and Clark hit a fantastic shot back into the fairway. When Clark made birdie there to Scheffler's par, the lead was five and it was a two-man contest between Clark and Burns, who was playing three groups ahead.

"He showed what he’s made of there with a great birdie on 16," Scheffler said. “Wyndham has a pretty good -- I don’t know if 'escapability is the right word — but he’s, I would say, a very underrated scrambler.”

With the tip of his cap, Scheffler also gave a nod to reality: He lost this tournament over the first two and half days — or maybe even over the first nine holes, where he made the turn at 3 over after a three-putt from 30 feet for double-bogey on No. 8.

Two months ago, Scheffler overcame a similarly slow start at the Masters and made a Sunday charge to finish one shot shy of Rory McIlroy in what would have been an unprecedented comeback from 12 strokes down heading into the weekend.

This time, Scheffler was eight back of Clark after the first day.

“I’ve been pretty good in first rounds over the last few years, and for some reason, the sharpness just hasn’t been there early in tournaments,” Scheffler said. “I haven’t had those leads that I’ve needed in order to win tournaments. I’ve been playing catch-up all year.”

And so, Scheffler heads into the defense of his British title still with four majors to his name, but no U.S. Open. One thing those wins have in common: He has had at least a share of the lead heading into the final round of all of them.

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

The Panthers and Ottawa finalized a deal Sunday night, with Florida sending four draft picks to the Senators for Brady Tkachuk — the brother of Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk.

The picks were the No. 9 pick in this year's draft, Tampa Bay's first-round pick this year (acquired earlier Sunday in a trade Florida made sending Mackie Samoskevich to Seattle), the Panthers' second-round pick in 2027 and their top 10-protected first-round pick in 2029. And that means Florida adds an elite player to its forward corps without losing any of its top seven scorers from this past season.

“Brady is a dynamic competitor and one of the most physical and relentless forwards in the league,” Panthers hockey operations president and general manager Bill Zito said. “A proven leader and exactly the type of player we want in our locker room, he strives to make everyone around him better both on and off the ice. We’re thrilled to welcome Brady to South Florida to join our group as we continue our pursuit of championship hockey.”

Brady Tkachuk has spent the entirety of his eight-year NHL career in Ottawa, and now he joins his brother, Olympic teammate and podcast co-host in Florida — the place where Matthew Tkachuk has spent the last four seasons, winning two Stanley Cups and getting to the final three times.

The Athletic was first to report the pending trade.

Brady Tkachuk has two seasons left on the seven-year, $57.56 million contract he signed in October 2021 when he also became Ottawa’s captain. As recently as late April, he bristled at conversation about his name being in trade rumors following a first-round playoff exit.

“This was not a decision we took lightly, but ultimately we did what we felt was best for the long-term future of our hockey club,” Senators general manager Steve Staios said Sunday. “We now possess cap space and draft capital and will be actively working to improve our roster.”

It’s a move that makes sense for so many reasons and has seemed almost inevitable.

Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk reveled in the chance to play alongside one another for USA Hockey at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 (winning silver) and the Milan Cortina Olympics this year (winning gold, the first for the American men’s program on the Olympic stage since the miracle in Lake Placid 46 years ago).

Their parents — their dad is NHL legend Keith Tkachuk — have a home in Florida and are regular attendees at Panthers games, and the USA Hockey ties means Brady Tkachuk already has relationships with many in the Florida organization. Zito had a role within USA Hockey during this past Olympic cycle and Panthers equipment manager Teddy Richards had a role with the 4 Nations and Milan Cortina teams as well.

Brady Tkachuk was Ottawa’s captain for the last five seasons, and he was — by far in some cases — their leader in countless categories over his eight years with the Senators. No player had more goals (213), points (463), power-play goals (62), shots (2,202), hits (1,921), winning goals (28), multigoal games (30) and penalty minutes (821) in his tenure with the club, which acquired him with the No. 4 pick in the 2018 draft.

And now, four years after landing Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers have tapped into the Tkachuk family well of talent again.

It also adds another big name to the list of players that Florida has locked up for several seasons going forward, including Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, Anton Lundell and others. They’re all Stanley Cup winners, and now Brady Tkachuk would figure to have a real chance to get his name etched onto hockey’s chalice in the coming years as well.

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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

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

Officers responding to a 911 call around 9:51 p.m. found the man unconscious and unresponsive with injuries indicating a fall from an “elevated position,” New York City police said. Police did not say how far the man fell, but said he was in Section 300. They identified him as Paul Kueker of Niantic, Connecticut.

The man was with his wife, according to police. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police do not suspect foul play.

The rock band Goose was performing. In a statement, the band said it was “reeling” from the tragedy.

Goose played a concert Sunday evening in Central Park and said all proceeds from the show would go toward a charitable fund providing support and resources for their fans.

“We considered whether or not we were going to play and came to the decision that the best thing we can do right now is bring our community together, lean on one another, and offer a space for healing,” the Sunday statement said. “So let’s be kind to each other tonight and remember our friend.”

He was that close to sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole to tie leader Wyndham Clark at the U.S. Open and instead missed just right by a half-inch — maybe.

"I really thought I made that putt," Burns said after shooting a 67 Sunday to get to 3 under for the tournament and go into the clubhouse one stroke behind Clark. “It just didn't go in.”

Burns sat down in the scoring tent, let out an exasperated sigh and put his hands on his head. He could only watch as Clark birdied No. 16, bogeyed 17 and two-putted in on 18 to win by the single shot Burns did not make down the stretch.

"I felt like I was chasing all day," Burns said. “It's unfortunate I just came up one short.”

The heartbreak at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island came a year after Burns' miserable finish at the U.S. Open at Oakmont outside Pittsburgh. He led after two rounds, played in the final group Sunday and everything fell apart in the rain when he shot 78 to fall out of contention and into a tie for seventh.

Burns was brilliant Sunday in his bid for retribution. Entering the final round at even par, seven back of Clark, Burns birdied three of his first eight holes to move past Scottie Scheffler and others into second place.

“To start the day seven shots back, I knew it was going to take something really special,” Burns said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better start.”

Clark bogeying three of his first seven holes made it close, but Burns was never able to pull into a tie for first. Three-putting at No. 15 put him in a difficult spot, and he thought the back nine was playing difficult.

With Clark shooting the same back-nine 35, Burns felt differently following this loss than a year ago, saying, “The guy who played the best won.”

It just wasn't him.

“Last year at Oakmont, I felt like more I lost the golf tournament,” Burns said. "I certainly don’t feel that way today. I gave it my best, and I did everything I could to have a chance to win.”

When Burns was hitting balls on the driving range Sunday night, his dad, Tom came over with a fatherly message on Father's Day.

“He just said he was really proud,” Sam Burns said as he got choked up. “I think we both knew how special it could have been for Father’s Day. But I know he’s proud.”

Burns' wife, Caroline, is 37 weeks pregnant with the couple's second child, he said. Burns played with 2-year-old son Bear while waiting for Clark to finish and left the course with life perspective after another difficult defeat.

“It’s a crazy life we live sometimes,” Burns said. “As a competitor, you want to go out there and compete as hard as you can and try to win. But at the end of the day, when you’re off the golf course, it’s really not that important and family is a lot more important than golf.”

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

The Iron Fire in Utah’s Juab County was first detected Saturday and had blackened 34 square miles (87 square kilometers), authorities said. The fire about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southwest of Salt Lake City forced the evacuation of Eureka, population 1,000, and people at a nearby ranch.

No homes had been lost, and UTAH Fire Info, a multiagency operation, said in a post on X that firefighters conducted a successful backburn operation to protect the town.

Kelly Wickens, a fire prevention specialist with the Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands, warned that the fire was continuing to grow amid drought conditions. Wickens said the fire was human-caused and remains under investigation.

Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox visited the town Sunday.

“We knew that there was going to be extreme fire danger, and sure enough we had multiple fires,” Cox said.

The Iron Fire was one of six fires burning in Utah at varying levels of containment.

A wildfire prompted evacuations over the weekend near Sedona, Arizona, burning about 300 acres (120 hectares) of steep and rugged terrain near Oak Creek Canyon. As of Sunday afternoon, about 300 fire personnel were fighting the blaze, which remained uncontained. Residents evacuated earlier were still not being allowed to return home.

Much of the Western U.S. from the Rockies to the Pacific coast saw above-average temperatures this weekend with even hotter weather anticipated for early this week. Officials warned that the prolonged dry, hot weather and relatively low humidity increased the risk of fire danger.

Much of Utah is experiencing severe to extreme drought, while parts of Arizona and Colorado are experiencing severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In Colorado, the southwest corner of the state was under a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service until Monday, due to gusty winds and low relative humidity.

Extreme heat claimed the lives of three hikers in two separate incidents last week in the Grand Canyon. Temperatures were expected to climb in the Southwest on Sunday, with a forecast of up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42.2 C) in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Meanwhile, the Florida Forest Service said fire crews from across the state had nearly contained several brush fires in western Miami-Dade County in Florida,

No worries.

Forbes called on freshman Caden Glauber for the 29th time this season, and for the 29th time he's pitched, the Tar Heels won.

Their 6-2 victory over Oklahoma kept alive their pursuit of the school's first national championship in baseball. The winner-take-all Game 3 is Monday night.

“This is what it’s all about,” Forbes said. “This is why you work so hard — to play in a night game, national championship game. So we’re excited about that opportunity.”

Lynch and Glauber cooled off Oklahoma’s bats, Owen Hull and Cooper Nicholson homered, and North Carolina (54-13-1) bounced back from a 9-3 loss in Game 1.

The Sooners (42-23) scored twice in the first inning and then had two hits and a total of five baserunners the rest of the way. Lynch injured his lower left side throwing his second pitch of the fifth. Glauber (12-0) came on and struck out the side and fanned a total of eight over five innings.

“When you play for the best team in college baseball, it’s pretty easy to go out there with the defense you have and the offense you have,” said Glauber, who has allowed one run in 10 1/3 CWS innings.

Glauber graduated from high school a year early and was 17 when he enrolled at Carolina last fall. He's the only pitcher in Division I with 12 wins and five saves and is pitching to a 2.05 ERA over 92 innings, with all but three of his appearances in relief.

He's been comfortable on stages big and small all season. Sunday he faced an OU team that had been averaging 9.4 runs per game in the postseason and 8.25 in the CWS.

“The preparation takes over the fear,” he said. “We work so hard on it. You know, you’ve got to have the right mindset, and you know that you’re made for the moment, whatever moment you’re in.”

The Sooners were held to their fewest runs since a May 19 loss to LSU. They hadn't been held scoreless over eight straight innings since a 3-0 loss to Southeastern Louisiana on March 17. Their four hits were their fewest since a March 19 loss to LSU.

“Obviously, tough loss today,” OU's Trey Gambill said. “But I don’t think we overly care. We know that we still have the opportunity to win the national championship. It’s going to be a fun atmosphere. We’re excited. Have a good meal tonight, good shower and be ready for tomorrow.”

OU freshman starter Xander Mercurius (1-3) struck out six of the first seven batters he faced but encountered trouble when Carolina's first two batters reached base in the third inning. Jake Schaffner pulled a ball into the right-field corner for a two-run triple and scored on a wild pitch to put the Tar Heels up 3-2. Mercurius began laboring in the third and left after Hull's second homer of the CWS and ninth of the season leading off the fifth.

“The trick in baseball is to not get away from your game plan and start trying to punch guys out,” OU coach Skip Johnson said, “and he kind of lost it a little bit. Instead of just trying to throw the ball to the target, he’s trying to punch people out.”

Nicholson's team-leading 16th homer, off Nate Smithburg in the seventh, made it 6-2.

Glauber walked consecutive batters with one out in the ninth. The game ended when Dasan Harris grounded to second and Gavin Gallaher turned an unassisted double play that was confirmed after Oklahoma challenged the call.

Johnson said Nick Wesloski (2-1) would start for the Sooners on Monday. Wesloski pitched 5 2/3 innings in an 11-4 win over Georgia last Wednesday. Forbes said he was undecided on a starter.

“It will be all hands on deck,” he said. “I feel like we’ve got about seven options to start tomorrow, and I like every one of them.”

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

At the match's conclusion, at least one attendee wearing a pre-revolutionary flag shirt was detained for trying to run onto the pitch. And afterward, though demonstrations were quieter than Monday's, an Associated Press reporter observed a fan who got into a scuffle with protesters being loaded into an ambulance.

But before the match had even kicked off, U.S. Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said Sunday that the Iranians had “tried to get somebody in yesterday” who had direct ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. In a statement, the soccer federation vociferously pushed back.

“The claim that an official representative of the Iranian Football Federation attempted to board a flight to enter the United States yesterday and was prevented from doing so is an outright and undeniable lie,” the statement said.

Mullin told Fox News that most teams travel with around 120 people, but the U.S. had accepted 53 in Iran's case. He said the rest of the people Iran had tried to secure visas for had “direct ties to the IRGC and aren’t their normal traveling group.” The federation called Mullin's claims “completely unsupported by any evidence or documentation, but also represent a clear attempt to cover up discriminatory behavior and unreasonable restrictions.”

That statement echoed Iran's complaints throughout the tournament that politics have infringed on soccer, even as U.S. Vice President JD Vance said there was an opportunity to “turn over a new leaf” with talks beginning in Switzerland on the interim deal to end the war. Iran’s players and coach have complained about shuttling to and from Mexico instead of Tucson, Arizona, and the barring of some officials and staff, and the federation has said it would pursue a complaint against FIFA.

Iranian national team player Alireza Jahanbakhsh said after the match that he doesn’t want to keep focusing on the challenging situation, and that players are now focused on recovery and preparing to travel to Seattle for the next game, against Egypt. He said he hopes the team can head there as soon as possible to adapt.

“We don’t ask for much. We just ask for the same procedure as for all the other 47 teams,” he said. “Hopefully we can bring everyone who is involved and help us with us.”

At the stadium near Los Angeles, fans wearing green-and-red scarves, stickers and T-shirts were mixed on the impact of the team's shift to train across the border in Mexico. Some said the team was unfairly burdened, while others who followed the team to Tijuana were thrilled to get closer access to the players.

Shamira Ghaemmaghami, 66, of nearby Orange County, said she was supporting the players from her native Iran and also from Belgium. She said she respects the right of protesters to voice their opinions but feels sports should unite people, not separate them.

“Fighting over these things, sports and politics should not be mixed,” she said. “They worked so hard to get where they are, both sides, actually.”

Outside the stadium, a few hundred people demonstrated against Iran's government. Aside from some verbal altercations and the scuffle after the match, the protests were smaller than at Iran's first game and featured more security from the outset. Inside, some fans carried the red-and-green flags emblazoned with a golden lion and sun that predate the 1979 Islamic Revolution — a flag that seemed at least as visible as the official flag of Iran itself. They were also joined by a sizable crowd of Belgium fans wearing red and yellow and those donning jerseys from countries including Argentina, the U.S. and Mexico.

Gerald Martinez, 66, of Tucson, wore a green Iran scarf. While not Iranian, he and his son decided to support the team when they initially announced they'd be training in their hometown.

“I wish they were all here. I wish they were welcome,” Martinez said, adding he felt the team was suffering a disadvantage.

Stefan Arts, 42, traveled from Antwerp, Belgium, and said he's met many people who were Iranian but supporting his country’s team instead. That's how Arman Sharif, 40, of Los Angeles, feels. He was outside the stadium to protest and said he feels the players are allied with the government in Tehran.

“Whoever it is, we're a fan of the opponents,” Sharif said.

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Associated Press reporters Ty ONeil, Gregory Bull and Andrew Dalton in Inglewood, California; Gabriela Aoun Angueira in San Diego and Thomas Strong in Washington contributed to this report.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Church leaders told members they are cooperating with investigators and focusing on supporting anyone who may have been affected as the investigation continues.

“Our greatest concern today is the individuals and families that may have been impacted,” Lead Pastor Sidney Brock told the congregation. “These are very serious allegations.”

The comments came two days after the arrest of Charles “Bart” Lucas, a longtime member of the church who served as a volunteer overseer.

According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation began after suspicious files were discovered on a work computer that had been taken in for repairs at RoMac Building Supply. Detectives said the investigation led them to additional material stored in a cloud account, including videos showing girls changing clothes and footage recorded inside a bathroom.

Investigators said some of the recordings were linked to a hidden camera placed inside a church bathroom and a room where girls changed clothes following baptism services.

Lucas was arrested Friday and faces five charges related to secretly recording people without their knowledge, including one charge involving a girl younger than 16.

Before Sunday services, News 6 spoke exclusively with Administrative Pastor Melvin Davison, who said church leaders learned of Lucas’ arrest Friday evening.

“We’re being fully cooperative and our congregation, our staff, we’re just kind of heartbroken right now over everything that’s going on,” Davison said.

Davison said Lucas had been part of the church since it was founded in 2008 and served as a volunteer overseer.

When asked what he would say to church members searching for answers, Davison said the church remains committed to its congregation.

“Anybody that’s been part of the Heritage Church community for any time knows our hearts, knows that we love them,” Davison said. “We will do anything and everything, especially to protect the next generation.”

Investigators said they are still working to identify possible victims. According to the arrest report, some of the material recovered dates back years.

When asked what message he would have for anyone who may have been affected, Davison said, “That we love them. We’re praying for them. We’re here for them.”

During Sunday’s service, Brock acknowledged the pain the allegations have caused within the church community.

“Our heart is broken over what’s taking place,” Brock said. “What’s taking place goes against everything that we believe.”

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains active and additional charges could be filed as detectives continue working to identify potential victims.

“The city and county have opened spaces for families seeking relief from the smoke, and we will continue working around the clock and doing everything possible to put this fire out completely," Bass said in a news release announcing the emergency declaration.

The fire at a privately owned cold-storage warehouse in the city's Boyle Heights neighborhood started Wednesday, prompting shelter-in-place orders in the area because of the risk of hazardous air. Residents were told to close all windows, doors and vents, turn off air conditioning and bring people and pets to an inside room.

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said in a news conference that they have taken care of the hazardous materials portion of the blaze and now they are working on the biohazard challenges.

“We have 85 million pounds of frozen food inside of this facility and the way the building has been laid out, it’s very difficult for us to get in there because there’s zero visibility inside,” Moore said. “Our firefighters are not able to just go in there and start moving pallets.”

The mayor's declaration asks for recovery help under the California Disaster Assistance Act. She also asked the state to expedite access to resources and other relief programs.

Bass said their chief concern is for the health and safety of the people impacted by the fire, so they are trying to secure the help needed to move the toxic materials away from the area and dispose of them in a way that will avert a major environmental disaster.

“So this is about prevention,” she said. “This is about protecting your public health.”

The match “is everything in our world for the moment,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said Saturday in comments translated from Arabic.

Their pursuit of history is part of a larger surge in African soccer's global standing.

The expanded 48-team pool at this year’s tournament helped give African teams more representation and a chance to show they belong at the top level of international soccer. A record 10 teams are representing the continent at the World Cup, Egypt among them.

“The national squads of Africa have proven their great performance many times at the World Cup, including this one,” Hassan said.

At the 2022 World Cup, Morocco made a memorable run to the semifinals.

Other African teams have made their mark on this World Cup already, with Ghana and Ivory Coast winning their opening matches against Panama and Ecuador, respectively. Four African teams, including Egypt, played to a draw in their opening matches.

The Pharaohs’ 1-1 draw against Belgium gave them their first World Cup point since 1990. They carried a lead into halftime against Belgium, the first time they had done so at the World Cup. In fact, the match against Belgium was only the second time Egypt had ever had a lead against an opponent at all in the tournament.

Morocco staved off five-time champion Brazil, Congo escaped with a draw against Portugal and Cape Verde stunned tournament favorite Spain, holding it scoreless in a 0-0 draw.

From a continent on the rise, Egypt has emerged as a powerhouse. Seven-time winners of the Africa Cup of Nations, the Pharaohs want to demonstrate that their prowess extends outside of Africa at this year’s World Cup.

“We want to represent African football and Arab football,” said Hassan, Egypt’s all-time leading goal scorer and a key player for the Pharaohs at the 1990 World Cup.

Hassan’s experience helped propel an Egyptian squad headlined by stars Mo Salah and Omar Marmoush back into the tournament after missing out in 2022.

Salah sits two goals shy of matching his coach’s record. The squad also features a solid lineup of younger players, including 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim. Abdelkarim made his international debut with the senior team in a friendly against Russia just last month, the latest debutant in a new generation of African stars.

We want to live up to the aspirations of the Egyptian fans,” Hassan said. “I only think about bringing happiness to our fans.”

After New Zealand, the Pharaohs face Iran in Seattle for the last match in the group stage.

As Egypt closes in on history, the team plays for its fans and nation – and also for Africa.

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Connor Joyce is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Deputies were called around 2:55 p.m. June 21 to the 1700 block of Oak Grove Chase Drive, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.

When deputies arrived, they were told a neighbor fired shots into a fence, causing pieces of the panel to scatter, officials said.

According to a statement from the sheriff’s office a man was struck by a piece of the panel and was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Official’s said an arrest was made, and there is no threat to the community.

No additional details were released.

Five strokes behind third-round leader Jing Yan and four back of Woad going into the day, the 4-foot-11 Yamashita shot an 8-under 64 to get to 17-under 271 at Blythefield Country Club.

“I didn’t think about like win today,” Yamashita said. “I just focused on playing just like every round. My putting was solid today and I was able to put together a really good round.”

The 24-year-old Japanese player birdied the par-5 18th in regulation and the playoff.

“I really didn’t expect like it’s going to be playoff, but once it did, I was able to reset mentally and focus on the task at hand,” Yamashita said. “I’m glad I was able to take advantage of the opportunity and turn it into a win.”

Woad had a 68, holing out from a bunker for birdie on the 17th before running into trouble on the 467-yard 18th.

“Felt like I hit an OK putt,” the 22-year-old English player said. “Obviously, lipped out on the high side.”

In the playoff, both players were in front of the green in two. Yamashita played first, hitting a flop shot to 3 feet. Woad then hit her pitch 10 feet past and missed the comebacker.

Yamashita won for the third time on the LPGA Tour after winning 13 times on the JLPGA. Last year, she won the Maybank Championship and major Women’s British Open and was the LPGA rookie of the year.

Wei-Ling Hsu (67) and Yan Liu (67) tied for third at 15 under. Minji Kang (66) and Cassie Porter (70) were 14 under. Yan had a 73 to tie for seventh at 13 under.

The major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship begins Thursday at Hazeltine in Minnesota.

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

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the incident between two commercial flights that happened Saturday at Boston Logan International Airport.

Todd Curtis, a former safety engineer at Boeing, estimated the distance between the two jetliners using Flightradar24, a website that tracks flights. Curtis now coproduces a podcast about flight safety issues.

“This is a significant incident,” Curtis said, adding that it was particularly concerning because it involved two professional airline crews.

He said federal aviation officials have been concerned about such runway incursions for a while now and will scrutinize Saturday’s close call.

Near-misses and runway incursions at U.S. airports will be the subject of a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation will seek ways to strengthen safety across the national airspace system.

The Delta flight from Dallas had to execute a go-around, or aborted landing, to avoid the American plane departing from an intersecting runway, according to the FAA and flight logs.

The crew of Delta flight 2351 coordinated with air traffic control to perform the go-around, an airline spokesperson said. The plane, which had 129 passengers and six crew members on board, landed safely and deplaned normally, according to the spokesperson.

Go-arounds are safe, routine procedures performed at the discretion of the pilot or air traffic controllers, according to the FAA.

Still, seeing the single-sentence announcement from The All England Club that the 23-time Grand Slam champion will play singles at Wimbledon was stunning nonetheless.

“Serena Williams (USA) receives the final ladies’ singles wild card,” read the key line in Sunday's announcement, which was issued eight days before the grass-court Grand Slam begins.

At age 44, Williams will actually play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon after already accepting a wild card for the doubles competition with older sister Venus.

“This is not a drill,” Wimbledon said on its social media accounts Sunday.

Commented the WTA Tour, “Name a more iconic return…we’ll wait.”

Wimbledon held open the eighth and final women's singles wild card spot until Williams made up her mind. As recently as earlier this week after losing a doubles match in Berlin, she appeared to be waffling over the decision.

“Oh my gosh, there are some left?” she replied when she was told there was still a wild card spot open. Wild cards are special invitations handed out by tournament organizers, which allow former champions and others access to the main draw without the necessary entry qualifications. But then she mused about her readiness for it.

“Do you think I’m ready for singles?” she asked a reporter and then turned to doubles partner Karolina Muchova to ask what she thought.

“I think I would be interested in it,” the Czech player responded.

“That’s the question of the hour, right?” Williams said. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I wonder why there’s — I don’t know.”

Well, now that Williams has made up her mind, the big remaining question is how she can physically handle singles play after so long.

Serena’s most-recent singles match was a loss to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, she said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis. Her second daughter was born in 2023.

“Just finished a mean game of duck duck goose,” Williams said on X after the wild card announcement.

Of Williams' 23 Grand Slam titles in singles, seven have come at Wimbledon: in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016. She’s also won 14 Grand Slams in doubles, all with Venus, and six of them at Wimbledon.

Serena also swept the singles and doubles (with Venus) titles at the 2012 London Olympics, when the tennis competition was held on the hallowed grass of the All England Club.

At her last Wimbledon appearance in 2022, Serena was beaten in the opening round by 115th-ranked Harmony Tan in her first match since having to stop less than a set into her opening contest at the All England Club because of an injury the year before.

Serena won a doubles match with partner Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club last week but then the pair had to withdraw after Mboko injured her knee in a singles match.

In another doubles match at the Berlin Open on Tuesday, Serena and Muchova were beaten by Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe.

As of Sunday, Serena had not entered the singles draws of any grass-court tuneup tournaments before Wimbledon.

She will learn who her first-round opponent is on Friday when the singles draws for Wimbledon are held.

While she’s No. 593 in the doubles rankings courtesy of her victory last week, Serena has no singles ranking after being away for so long.

Iga Swiatek is the defending Wimbledon champion, while Aryna Sabalenka is ranked No. 1.

Because Serena has no ranking, she could potentially face Swiatek, Sabalenka or any other top-ranked player in the opening rounds.

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

“Why isn’t Governor Pritzker calling me for help. I could make Chicago a safe City in ONE MONTH, in ONE YEAR, it would be one of the safest!!!” Trump said in a Sunday morning Truth Social post.

The office of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender who has repeatedly rebuffed Trump's calls for a military intervention, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under Trump, National Guard troops have been deployed on crime-fighting missions in Democrat-led cities including New Orleans, Washington, D.C. and Memphis, Tennessee.

While Chicago Police Department data shows a slight uptick in shooting incidents compared to the first half of last year, violent crime rates have generally dropped in the city over the past few years, in parallel with national trends.

Preliminary information shared by Chicago police indicate there have been at least two dozen shooting incidents since 5 p.m. on Friday. Those killed by gunfire include a 21-year-old shot in the chest Sunday, an 18-year-old shot in the armpit Saturday evening and a 50-year-old shot in the chest Friday.

At least 12 people in a crowd on a Chicago street suffered gunshot wounds Friday evening after an SUV pulled up and two people inside started shooting, police said.

The eight men and four women in the group ranged in age from 17 to 47. They were being treated at four hospitals. Police said another man suffered unknown injuries and refused medical treatment.

That shooting happened on Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. Earlier Friday, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama welcomed the first visitors to his presidential center on the South Side.

“What should have been a night of celebration and community reflection for Juneteenth was shattered by a horrific act of violence,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in an X post Saturday. “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones.”

“Violence has no place in our city, and those responsible will be held accountable," he said.

Other major U.S. cities experienced gun-related violence over the weekend. In Philadelphia, two people were killed and two others wounded following a shooting early Sunday morning, according to Fox-29. In Cincinnati, a shooting killed three people Saturday evening, WLWT reported. And police in Kansas City, Missouri say they are investigating a shooting Friday evening that left one dead and five wounded.

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Associated Press writer Jack Brook contributed from New Orleans.

Multiple drownings were reported as people sought relief in whatever water they could find.

About a third of France is under a “red alert” for heat, and high temperatures reached 40 C (104 F) in some areas, in a country where air conditioning isn’t widespread. The forecast for Monday is even hotter.

The Eiffel Tower and other Paris venues set up misting stations to cool down crowds. Tourists in Rome dunked in fountains.

Over the last four years, more than 200,000 people across Europe died from heat-related causes, and most of the fatalities were preventable, the World Health Organization’s Europe office said this month. More above-average temperatures are expected this summer, which can cause heat exhaustion and life-threatening heat stroke.

Human-caused climate change is tied to increasing extreme weather, and U.N. climate agency projections say the next five years should shatter more heat records. A rapid study found that human-caused climate change was responsible for killing about 1,500 people in an unusually early European heat wave in May.

Waterways offer comfort, and dangers

In this latest European hot spell, French media reported that four children drowned Saturday. Summer drownings are an annual problem that health authorities say worsens during hot spells. One man drowned in southwestern Germany and three others were missing after swimming in the Rhine River, the German news agency dpa reported.

Canal Saint Martin in Paris drew throngs Sunday splashing and diving off a bridge, despite authorities' attempts to control the crowds.

“With this heat, it’s the only way to have fun while going out,″ swimmer Nicolas Cruz told The Associated Press.

Zouzou Hobbs was skeptical at first of swimming in the murky urban canal.

”But it’s hot. I’m going to risk it,''' she decided. ‘’We need to cool off before tonight when we’re gonna be dancing.''

Solstice parties draw large crowds in extreme heat

France’s annual Music Day on Sunday was of particular concern. The nationwide summer solstice celebration involves thousands of concerts in village squares, rave venues and Paris clubs, bringing communities together and increasingly drawing British and other international visitors. Some concerts were canceled.

The French government banned drinking booze in “red alert” zones, and ordered organizers of music day events to limit alcohol consumption to “preserve emergency services and allow medics to concentrate on taking care of the most vulnerable.”

Authorities are notably worried about people living in the baking streets, and elderly people in nursing homes or isolated in their homes. About 15,000 older people died in France in a 2003 heat wave that became a national reckoning.

The government mobilized emergency services and military forces for reinforced wildfire readiness, imposed tightened surveillance of water supplies to France’s many nuclear reactors, and ordered 845 schools to close Monday.

Spain, Italy, Germany swelter as tourists seek relief

Spain kicked off the summer with large parts of the country on alert because of temperatures expected to hover around 40 C (104 F) — even in the interior of the Basque region, an area in the north of the country, which typically experiences cooler temperatures.

Authorities have suspended outdoor sports and cultural activities in the region. The heat wave is expected to scorch Spain at least through Wednesday.

In Italy, authorities expanded heat warnings — referred to locally as “red flags” — to eight cities Sunday in northern and central parts of the country. Temperatures there are mostly in the upper 30s C (high 90s to low 100s F).

At one farm outside Milan, owners set up fans and sprinklers to keep cows cool, while visitors to Milan Fashion Week huddled under parasols and clutched fans. In Rome, tourists dunked their arms and occasionally their faces into the city’s famed fountain pools.

German meteorologists are forecasting temperatures of up to 37 C (98 F) for Monday and Tuesday, and up to 39 C (102 F) on Wednesday.

The U.K. weather office has issued an “extreme heat” warning for much of southern England and parts of Wales from Monday until Thursday, saying temperatures could reach 38 C (100 F). The current record for a June day is 35.6 C (96 F), reached in 1976.

Thunderstorms also threatened regions in Germany and Poland.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is convening a new government heat crisis meeting Sunday, and ordered government ministers to plan for better adapting France to heat waves in the future — including “via air conditioning, if necessary.”

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Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Greece, Claudia Ciobanu in Warsaw, Poland, Jill Lawless in London, and Teresa Medrano in Madrid, contributed to this report.

Teenage superstar Yamal scored 10 minutes into his first start on soccer’s biggest stage and Spain kickstarted its tournament with the 4-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday.

The 18-year-old forward slid in at the far post to touch home a low cross for the opening goal and became the eighth-youngest scorer in World Cup history. More importantly, he settled Spanish nerves after the European champion was held to a surprise 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in its opening game.

“The first game wasn’t really us, it was different, but now we’ve arrived and we’re going for more," Yamal said.

In a tournament that has already seen Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane get off to flying starts, Yamal's strike saw him join the party.

“I’ve always dreamed of being at a World Cup, and being able to score in my first match as a starter is a dream,” he said. “I watched the last World Cup from a classroom so being able to score here with my mum and my family in the stands is a dream come true.”

The Barcelona winger is already considered one the world’s top players and helped Spain win the European Championship in 2024 despite being just 16 years old when the tournament started. He is tipped to take over from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the sport’s biggest star but came into the World Cup with questions over his fitness after he missed the end of the season with a hamstring injury.

After being used only as a second-half substitute against Cape Verde, he was thrown in from the start on Sunday and wasted no time in making his presence felt, repeatedly slicing through the Saudi defense before turning home Mikel Oyarzabal's cross.

“When there are players with individual attributes in this game that can work (beat opponents) one-on-one, they can make a difference,” said Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis. “This is a player that makes a difference all the time in Spain and I think the better the physical condition, the more time he has, he’ll help his team even more.”

A full house at Atlanta Stadium that was mainly filled with Spain fans erupted in celebration just at the sight of Yamal emerging for the pre-game warm up. And the cheers were even louder as he raced away to celebrate his goal, dropping to his knees, praying and kissing the turf.

It was just the impact Spain coach Luis de la Fuente wanted from his star player, having been inundated with questions about when Yamal would be ready to start.

Those questions felt even more anxious after Spain, one of the pre-tournament favorites, was shut out by Cape Verde.

After all, Spain has failed to advance beyond the round of 16 since lifting the World Cup in 2010, winning just three games during that run.

But Yamal's opener sparked a flurry of first-half goals. Oyarzabal, who was criticized for not touching the ball at all in the first 30 minutes against Cape Verde, not only provided the assist for Yamal, but scored two more with close range strikes in the 21st and 24th.

So dominant was Spain's lead that De la Fuente had seen enough and took both his scorers off at halftime.

Inside four minutes of the second half, the lead was extended when Marc Cucurella's shot rebounded off Hassan Altambakti for an own goal.

“It’s crazy to question this team,” De la Fuente said. "You can have better days, worse days, normal days, but questioning, doubting this generation of very young footballers, with a bright future, I think it’s unfair.

“I love that I have the honor to lead this group of footballers, this group of players who are a role model for many people in football and for many athletes and people loving this sport.”

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Mona Khalil, who spent more than two decades protecting sea turtles along Lebanon’s coastline, was critically injured in the strike on her home in the village of Mansouri earlier this month and died of her wounds Friday. She was 76.

The Orange House, which Khalil helped build into a small conservation hub and ecotourism site in Mansouri, became a refuge for endangered loggerhead and green sea turtles and a training ground for volunteers documenting nesting activity along the coast.

News of her death triggered an outpouring of grief among environmentalists and those who volunteered and worked with her over the years.

Journalist and environmental activist Fadia Jomaa first met Khalil in 2016 while researching sea turtles in Lebanon and then decided to volunteer with her project.

For the volunteers, “this relationship didn’t stop at being a volunteering relationship — Mona became our mother,” Jomaa said.

Jomaa became one of Khalil’s closest collaborators, eventually helping manage the sea turtle conservation project with her. She also brought her own children to volunteer, introducing them to the work of protecting nesting turtles and hatchlings along Lebanon’s southern coast.

During the previous war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in 2024, Khalil initially refused to leave Al-Mansouri beach, Jomaa said. The Lebanese army ultimately persuaded her to evacuate for her safety. “She was the last one to leave the area,” Jomaa said.

“She had an awful time in Beirut,” Jomaa said, adding that Khalil longed to return to the south, to the Orange House and the beach she had spent years protecting.

Another Israel-Hezbollah war erupted in March. Hezbollah fired across the border into Israel on March 2, two days after Israel and the U.S. attacked its ally, Iran.

Khalil could have left Lebanon altogether. She held Dutch as well as Lebanese citizenship, having lived in the Netherlands before returning to Lebanon and settling in what had once been her grandmother’s home — the building that would later become known as the Orange House

But she refused to leave her home again.

“She said I am a civilian, I have no weapons, I will shut my door," Jomaa said.

On June 4, an Israeli strike hit her home. Khalil and her domestic worker were rushed to the hospital. It was not clear what the intended target of the strike was.

The Israeli military said in a statement that Khalil “was not a target of the IDF” and that “there is no known IDF strike in which she was injured,” but added that “strikes were conducted in the area after the IDF issued evacuation warnings.” It said it “deeply regrets any harm caused to civilians and remains committed to operating in accordance with international law.”

Khalil's condition initially appeared hopeful after surgery, Jomaa said, but she succumbed to her wounds two weeks later.

“It is a great loss for conservation, for the country, and for all of us who cared about the sea and the natural heritage of Lebanon,” said Johnny Baaklini, a former volunteer at the Orange House who worked closely with Khalil.

Like Jomaa, he recalled that Khalil “treated us, the conservation advocates, like her kids.”

“It feels impossible to describe the impact Mona personally had on me and on so many other young naturalists,” he said.

At the heart of Khalil’s work was a narrow stretch of coastline, Al-Mansouri beach in Tyre province. Each nesting season, she and volunteers would patrol the beach at night, marking fresh tracks in the sand and carefully relocating vulnerable nests away from human activity and coastal light pollution.

The Orange House also functioned as a small beachfront bed-and-breakfast.

During the summer nesting season, Khalil organized sea turtle hatchling viewings for visitors. Many families brought their children to watch the small miracle unfold.

These viewings typically took place at sunset, when volunteers would guide groups to the beach to observe hatchlings making their way from protected nests to the sea.

“She used to say, ‘My soul will stay here,’” Jomaa said, recalling conversations in which Khalil would point to an olive tree or a small hill overlooking Al-Mansouri beach. “She used to say, ‘This is where you will bury me.’”

Where Khalil will ultimately be buried remains uncertain and is tied to the security situation in the area, Jomaa said.

Might have been when 500 people showed up at the airport to welcome its national team for the World Cup. Or when players for The Fennecs saw the giant Algerian flag that local artist Stan Herd had crafted of mulch and sand. Or maybe when members of the school's marching band took the time to learn "Kassaman,” the anthem of the north African nation.

“Respect,” Algeria captain and Manchester City player Riyad Mahrez told the people of Lawrence, shortly before Lionel Messi scored a hat trick and Argentina beat them 3-0 last week to start the tournament, “and thank you so much for the welcome.”

Yet the feel-good story of a town and a team comes at a complex time for Algeria. More than 5,000 miles from the World Cup, human rights advocates say, authorities have been cracking down on protests, social media and other forms of public dissent.

That includes the detention of French journalist Christophe Gleizes on what critics call trumped-up charges of “advocacy of terrorism.”

It is but another example of how politics and sports often intersect on the world's biggest stages.

“He is a soccer journalist and nothing but a soccer journalist,” Gleizes’ parents, Sylvie and Francis Godard, said in a statement. “This never-ending situation is devastating for us. We once again appeal to President (Abdelmadjid) Tebboune to grant clemency so that Christophe may regain his freedom, his family and his job as a sports journalist, as soon as possible."

Rolling out the welcome mat in Kansas

Algeria is one of four countries whose home base is in the Kansas City area, albeit 40 miles west of the metro. But while Argentina, the Netherlands and England have been treated as if they were family by the smallest host city for the World Cup, the bond struck between Algeria and Lawrence has been something else entirely.

Players shot hoops at Allen Fieldhouse, the historic home of the Jayhawks. They tossed footballs at Memorial Stadium. Signs posted in Arabic around town encourage the Algerian players, who in turn spend their free time kicking balls around with local youths.

“The more we learned of the challenges Algerians faced to get here, the stronger our commitment became to show how welcoming our city could be,” said Ruth DeWitt, the director of community relations for city's convention and visitors bureau.

“They quickly became our home team,” DeWitt said. “Businesses have Algerian flags, banners and merchandise in windows. Schools and summer camps have done projects learning about Algeria, organizations have made welcome videos and our arts programs have created public displays that focus on soccer and the international connections between people.”

Just as the Algerian players have left their mark on Lawrence, so too have the locals left a mark on them.

“That first evening, seeing the fans waiting outside our hotel, it gave me goosebumps,” Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic said, “and it filled me with a source of pride. Then we had that opening training session as well, and we saw that there was so many U.S. citizens that had scarves for us. They showed so much support. And they really wanted to celebrate this moment.”

FIFA's president asks Algeria for a “great act of humanity”

As the World Cup was about to start, though, it was FIFA president Gianni Infantino himself who cast a spotlight on Gleizes, calling for the Algerian authorities to pardon him. The French writer has been detained since 2024 as part of a controversial seven-year sentence for “glorifying terrorism” and “possessing propaganda harmful to national interests."

FIFA granted Gleizes a media credential for the tournament and has symbolically left a seat open for him.

“I've invited his parents to a game,” Infantino said, “but I hope — I really hope — that in a great act of humanity, he will be given grace, the presidential grace, and can even join us here for the World Cup. But for the time he's not here, his seat is here for him.”

Gleizes was detained while investigating the death of an Algerian soccer player, Albert Ebosse. His appeal was rejected in December in a case Reporters Without Borders has called “unfounded and outrageous," and which critics say is an example of the way the Tebboune administration has muzzled the media, public activists and political debate.

Even while detained, Gleizes has been trying to do his job. During a recent news conference, Vincent Duluc of the daily L'Equipe told French coach Didier Deschamps that he was asking a question on his behalf about hydration breaks during the World Cup.

“Well,” Deschamps said, "as it regards Christophe, I had the opportunity during the final of the French Cup to meet his parents, and I hope for him and his family that he will be here as soon as possible, and be in a position to ask his questions himself.”

Algeria continues in World Cup with Jordan up Monday

Far from the courtrooms, prison cells and politics of Algeria, its national team — led by Mahrez, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Mohamed Amoura — will take the pitch once again Monday for a crucial Group J game against Jordan in Santa Clara, California.

It has been nearly a week since Les Fennecs lost to Argentina inside Arrowhead Stadium, not far from their Lawrence base. And even though 32 of the 48 teams in the World Cup will advance to the knockout phase, there is suddenly intense pressure to win.

Algeria has qualified for the tournament five times but has never advanced past the round of 16.

It did not qualify at all for the past two World Cups.

“To tell the truth,” Petkovic said, “we are used to having hundreds of thousands of (our) fans right behind us, and that's what is great about Algerian football. They not only get behind us, they put up with us, so many people. Some of the fans are very critical but they are still very happy and proud to get behind their nation and country.”

That sounds a lot like some folks in eastern Kansas, who have chosen to adopt Algeria for the duration of the World Cup.

“I hope that all the neutrals do cheer on Algeria,” Petkovic said, “because it's been a wonderful feeling. We've had a great helping hand. Even in our open training session, they really gave us some positive vibes, not only the Algerian people but also locals from the United States living in this area. We'll try to give them something back.”

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

The protesters gathered in front of the Czech public television offices in Prague to voice their support for the media a day before their staffers plan to go on a warning strike, and after recent protest marches in the regional capitals and Prague.

According to the plan approved last week, public radio and television would be financed from the state budget starting next year, and not from fees paid by individuals, households and businesses.

Critics say that change would give the three-party coalition government a means to take control of the media following the examples of populist governments in Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico and in Hungary under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

“The media don’t belong to politicians,” Mikuláš Minář, a main organizer from the Million Moments for Democracy group said. “They belong to us all and we won’t allow them to be stolen from us.”

Babiš, members of his government and loyal lawmakers have a record of attacks against the public and other mainstream media.

The government plan, which has been criticized by international media organizations, would give the media about 15% less money than they have this year. It contains no guarantees of funding in the future.

The directors of public radio and television said that would require them to lay off hundreds of staffers. Babiš said that the media need to save money.

The agenda of Babiš' coalition includes steering the country away from supporting Ukraine's fight against Russia, and rejecting some key EU policies.

Jacka used the pandemic and the suspension of her studies at an agricultural college to plant her own vineyard at her family home in South Africa. It was a way to fast forward her dream of becoming a winemaker by bringing it, literally, within reach.

Nothing in the wine world moves too fast, though, and it was four years before the first harvest and vintage.

Jacka's debut wines from grapevines that she planted, cared for and harvested in the yard of her parents' sea-facing home in Cape Town — also stomping the grapes herself — were greeted with high praise by critics.

What a relief, she said.

“It could have been so much work and if it doesn’t deliver, you know, then you just feel ... I can’t imagine how I'd feel,” Jacka said. “I wasn’t looking at it like, ‘oh this is going to make a fortune,’ or anything like that. This is a labor of love.”

Christian Eedes, the editor of South Africa's respected online wine review publication winemag.co.za, said that Jacka's project was “a triumph of hope over good sense,” given how difficult it is to produce fine wine and turn a profit from such a small vineyard.

Jacka squeezed 1,400 vines into two blocks in her parents' garden, which had at one time been part of a smallholding. One batch to produce a white blend, the other a syrah red wine varietal. That's a tiny number considering that regular wine farms usually have more than 50,000 vines.

“There’s plenty of space in the world for craft and handmade,” Eedes said. “It’s the opposite of mass produced. It’s made with thought and care, and typically hard to come by.”

The coronavirus pandemic struck at the height of Jacka's ambition. She was 27 and, tired of working for grumpy chefs, had left a job in the restaurant business to study viticulture at an agricultural college in the winemaking town of Stellenbosch, just outside Cape Town.

She was following her passion and full of zest, she said, when the pandemic reduced her world to the boundaries of her parents' home in the Cape Town suburb of Noordhoek. Then, one day, she saw potential there.

“I was actually looking out the window and I thought, imagine if there were vines here,” she said. “It was a small spark.”

That was followed by conversations with her family to get their buy-in, and then a large amount of work.

Jacka needed to clear the ground, procure more than 1,000 vines, and plant each one of them with a tall wooden stake to hold them. Her parents helped, though mom Sonia was soon banned from the planting process after putting one vine in upside down.

There were also curious neighbors to reassure and an unexpected challenge to negotiate from a miniature horse called Spirit that the family keeps on the property. Spirit thought the vines were tasty.

“We lost one or two vines,” said Jacka, now age 32. “It was hard to make it horse-proof as well.”

Jacka's Noordhoek project has been the inspiration for a larger winemaking career. Her Alinea line of wines includes five others that she's produced from grapes sourced from other parts of the region around Cape Town, which has a rich winemaking tradition.

She's still looking forward to the next vintage from her vines in Noordhoek, though she continues to play the role of picker, stomper, labeler, sales rep, accountant and delivery truck driver there, she said with a laugh.

Eedes, the wine critic who gave Jacka her first positive reviews, said that he's still fascinated by the micro-vineyard that grew out of a COVID-19 lockdown.

“She managed to not be bored, like we all were,” Eedes said. “It’s really just an extraordinary undertaking.”

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Neil Shaw contributed to this report.

Soon, fans were swapping theories online, photographers were staking out vantage points and residents found themselves fielding questions about a wedding that never was. Or at least, a wedding that seems yet to happen.

The rumors, so far, have proved unfounded. But they offered a glimpse into life in Watch Hill, the Rhode Island beach community in the town of Westerly, close to the Connecticut border, where Swift has owned a home for more than a decade and where curiosity about the singer has become woven into everyday life.

Rumors take hold

From the nearby lighthouse, visitors craned for a better view of Swift’s mansion, a sprawling white home perched atop a rocky bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Security cameras dotted the property, and a guard called out to visitors who strayed too close.

Wedding planner Nicole Simeral, dressed in black, stood outside the small white chapel across from the massive yellow Ocean House hotel — Swift's neighbor on the beach — waving along cars and buses that slowed and directing traffic to keep moving.

She watched visitors speculate about a wedding she said she knew wasn’t Swift's. She's working a different wedding every weekend in June in that spot. Still, the questions kept coming.

“Is Taylor Swift getting married here? Many, many, many have asked,” Simeral said.

She said there had been “a lot of chitter chatter” as people tried to connect sightings of people who know Swift in local shops to impending nuptials. But she doubted Watch Hill would be practical for a wedding of that scale because of its limited luxury lodging.

The Watch Hill rumors also dovetailed with separate online speculation that Swift and her fiance, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, were planning a celebration at Madison Square Garden, though no details about the pair’s wedding have been released, despite multiple requests for comment to Swift’s spokesperson.

The tent itself, Simeral said, was hardly unusual. “Next weekend, there’ll be another tent just like this.”

For two summers, Westerly Police Department community service officer Nick Quaratella has stood at the entrance to a public path leading to the beach beside Swift’s estate, answering questions from beachgoers and keeping traffic moving.

“They come to the beach, but then they also ask if she’s here or not,” Quaratella said.

He said he can't help but joke around with some fans.

“I’ll say, ‘Oh, did you hear that she moved?’” he said. “And they’ll say, ‘No.’ And I say, ‘Yeah, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson moved in.’ And they’ll go, ‘Oh, really?’ and then they’ll walk away.”

“That's pretty funny,” he concluded.

Over the years, he’s seen plenty of unusual reactions. His coworker once spotted a fan on their knees, bowing toward the entrance gate near the property. Visitors have shouted “I love you, Taylor!” from the roadside. One woman convinced her granddaughter he was Swift’s security guard and posed for a photo with him.

Quaratella has fielded a few questions about the supposed wedding, but not as many as he expected.

“At this point, it’s part of my job,” he said. “It makes me smile. It makes me laugh. I have no problem with it. It makes the day go by.”

Living with Taylor Swift

Down near a strip of beach boutiques, lifelong resident Lauren Nigrelli said the frenzy surrounding the star has eased since Swift first moved into the neighborhood in 2013. Back then, Nigrelli recalled, fans would drive around in circles by her shop playing Swift’s songs.

“Things have definitely calmed down since then,” she said.

Today, Swift’s presence remains a fixture among local businesses in what she described as a “quaint New England coastal community.” Nigrelli, a Realtor who owns the boutiques Tide and Tide Kids, said she began selling apparel emblazoned with “Holiday House,” the nickname associated with Swift’s mansion, after children began coming into the store asking for it. On Saturday, she was also selling a Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce wedding sticker book.

“I think every shop has something related to her,” Nigrelli said.

On the beach below the mansion, Audrey and John Curtis, a married couple from Connecticut who have been vacationing in Westerly for years, settled into beach chairs and debated the wedding rumors.

“We were just looking up at her house,” Audrey Curtis said, pointing toward the mansion. “She’s not getting married here now, though.”

Curtis said she had heard various theories, including speculation that a wedding might be held at Ocean House. But as she thought through the logistics, she became skeptical.

“Then I was thinking about, ‘How would everybody get here?’” she said. “In New York, you’ve got JFK, you’ve got LaGuardia, and she’s got two penthouses in New York that she combined, so I figured they could obviously have more people there.”

Her husband wasn’t so sure.

“They could lie and say it’s happening there, but it’s happening here,” John Curtis said. “When important people do things, they don’t want people to know.”

Six friends from New York, posing for photos in matching Watch Hill sweatshirts while celebrating a birthday, said Swift wasn’t the reason they chose the beach town, though they weren’t sure they would have discovered it if not for the singer.

Leslie Aucapina, 24, who attended Swift’s Eras Tour in Philadelphia, said she grew up listening to Swift’s music and thought the Taylor-themed merchandise was “really cute.” She liked that the excitement surrounding Swift helped local businesses and enjoyed visiting the inspiration for “the last great american dynasty,” a song about Holiday House from Swift’s 2020 Grammy Album of the Year-winning album, folklore.

But she said the speculation at times crosses a line. “If she wants to share it, she wants to share it,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s someone’s house.”

The fifth installment in the Pixar series debuted with $160 million in domestic ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, easily setting a new franchise record and notching the biggest opening weekend of the year.

Launching 31 years after the original “Toy Story” first landed in theaters, “Toy Story 5” far surpassed the previous series-best debut: $120 million for “Toy Story 4” in 2019. Internationally, it was just as successful, with $152 million in opening-weekend sales, for a worldwide haul of $312 million.

The “Toy Story” franchise is one of the most profitable for The Walt Disney Co. Before “Toy Story 5” launched, the movies had collectively grossed more than $3 billion, while also pulling in billions from merchandising.

Though the series seemed to reach a conclusion with 2010’s “Toy Story 3,” the decision to revive the franchise almost a decade later — while controversial — has been extremely lucrative. “Toy Story 4” exceeded $1 billion in ticket sales, and “Toy Story 5” is all but certain to as well.

Among animated films, only 2018's “Incredibles 2” had a bigger opening weekend ($182.7 million) than “Toy Story 5.”

These toys aren't cheap

Keeping the “Toy Story” movies going has gotten more expensive, though. The fifth movie cost $250 million to make, not including marketing. It returns a voice cast led by Tom Hanks (as Woody), Tim Allen (as Buzz Lightyear) and Joan Cusack (as Jessie).

In the sequel, the toys are pushed aside when Bonnie gets a new tablet. It’s directed by Andrew Stanton, the Pixar veteran who helmed “Finding Nemo” (2003) and “WALL-E” (2008). “Toy Story 5” also features a new song by Taylor Swift, “I Knew It, I Knew You.”

Reviews have been very good and audiences gave “Toy Story 5” an “A” CinemaScore, suggesting it should remain a force in theaters for weeks.

After its chart-topping debut, Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” slipped to second place with $17 million in its second weekend. That’s not the hold that Universal Pictures was hoping for. Dropping 61% from its first weekend suggests “Disclosure Day” might not find the legs Spielberg’s sci-fi thriller needs to break out this summer.

Still, the $115 million budgeted movie, starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colman Domingo, has grossed $160.4 million globally in two weeks. “Disclosure Day” stands a good chance of remaining the top adult-oriented option in theaters in the coming weeks.

“Toy Story 5” faced little competition from newcomers.

‘Robin Hood’ misses the bullseye

A24’s “The Death of Robin Hood,” a violent revisionist approach to the old legend, flopped with $2.6 million on 1,762 screens. The film, starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Michael Sarnoski, was modestly budgeted at $20 million. But after finding mixed reviews, audiences didn’t go for the movie, either. It earned a “C+” CinemaScore.

Neon’s “Leviticus” came out just ahead of “The Death of Robin Hood,” with $2.7 million from 1,076 theaters. Written and directed by Adrian Chiarella, the buzzy low-budget horror film is about two teen boys who meet at conversion therapy. It's a fine start for an indie with a small budget of $3.5 million and good word-of-mouth. But “Leviticus” also faced unusually strong competition in the still-potent horror hits “Obsession” and “Backrooms.”

The top horror choice remained “Obsession,” the microbudget phenomenon by 26-year-old Curry Barker. In its sixth weekend, it nearly equaled its $17 million opening weekend from mid-May. The Focus Features release, which cost less than $1 million to make, added $14.2 million to bring its domestic total to $215.8 million and its global haul to $333.3 million.

With “Toy Story 5” and “Obsession” driving sales, the summer box office is up 15% from the 2025 summer, according to Rentrak. More impressively, summer ticket sales are nearly equal to the 2019 summer at the same point, not accounting for inflation. The summer to date is just 1.9% down from that year.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, expects that Hollywood is heading for its best summer since before the pandemic. And the success is coming from both expected and unexpected places.

“To me, this is a hybrid summer and this could be the new blueprint for how you build the perfect summer box-office beast,” says Dergarabedian. “You throw in a mix of very eclectic films and not just the usual suspects — the big franchise films, the known brands — but also films like ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ and original films like ‘Disclosure Day.’”

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. “Toy Story 5,” $160 million.

2. “Disclosure Day,” $17 million.

3. “Obsession,” $14.2 million.

4. “Backrooms,” $7.3 million.

5. “Scary Movie,” $6.7 million.

6. “Masters of the Universe,” $5.6 million.

7. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” $3.9 million.

8. “Leviticus,” $2.7 million.

9. “The Death of Robin Hood,” $2.6 million.

10. “Michael,” $2.2 million.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party won 438 seats out of 501 in the House of Representatives, the National Election Board of Ethiopia said. The new parliament is expected to convene in October to reelect Abiy for another five-year term.

The election was marred by a crackdown on dissent. Insecurity in the Oromia and Amhara regions resulted in 143 polling stations failing to open, the election board said. Fighting between the Fano armed group and the federal government in Amhara, and the Oromo Liberation Army rebels in Oromia, has been the main cause of instability as the government seeks to disarm the groups.

Turnout was 94%. More than 50 million people, out of Ethiopia’s estimated population of 130 million, were registered to vote, the board said.

The Tigray region, where hundreds of thousands of people had died in the war between the federal forces and regional groups, was again excluded from the election, denying it a voice in parliament and further pushing it to the margins. The region has not had federal representation for six years.

The electoral board chairperson, Melatwork Hailu, said Sunday that the board maintained “institutional neutrality and performed its duties solely in accordance with the law and electoral guidelines, without interference.”

The presence of observers from regional organizations such as the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, who were confined mostly to Addis Ababa, helped provide the election with international legitimacy. The missions were criticized for not deploying more personnel across the country.

Opposition criticizes climate of fear and intimidation

The election faced criticism, with most of the ruling party opponents prevented from participating, while its most prominent critics were imprisoned, in exile, or had disappeared.

Those who chose to run in the election complained that it was neither free nor fair and that the political environment was rife with fear and intimidation.

Yitayal Assefa, who ran under the opposition banner of the All Ethiopia Unity Party and lost, told The Associated Press on Sunday that he felt the government had an overwhelming advantage while opposition members were harassed and did not stand a chance.

“My participation was not about winning but about fighting for my voice and political ideals within the political spectrum against a government that is assured of a win, win or lose,” he said.

Merara Gudina, a professor at Addis Ababa University and an opposition leader who refused to participate in the election, told the AP that the vote was a “sham” and that the ruling party’s win was no surprise.

He said the result will “negatively affect the already deteriorating stability of the country.”

Abiy’s administration has been accused of human rights violations against critics and journalists despite the promise of democracy and peace he made in 2020.

Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for solving a long-standing conflict between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea, though the two countries are currently at loggerheads, with Addis Ababa accusing Asmara of supporting rebel groups to destabilize it, while Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of threatening to seize its sea port.

Police said officers heard a traffic crash around 11 p.m. June 19 in the area of French Avenue and 27th Street. Officers found a pedestrian who had been hit in the roadway.

The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene, police said.

The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital, where medical staff later pronounced the person dead, police said.

The crash remains under investigation.

Troopers said a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox was traveling eastbound near mile marker 128 in the center lane when, for unknown reasons, the SUV left the roadway to the right and entered the outside grassy shoulder.

The SUV hit a ditch and then struck a fence, troopers said. The impact caused the vehicle to overturn several times before coming to rest on its left side.

The driver, described as an adult man, was pronounced dead at the scene.

This crash remains under investigation.

St. Cloud police arrested a man accused of vandalizing a roadside memorial near Key Foods on 13th Street, according to the St. Cloud Police Department.

Police said officers arrested 34-year-old Brandon Thomas for vandalizing the memorial on June 16.

Thomas is charged with criminal mischief and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, police said.

Police thanked community members who provided information and assistance, saying the tips helped bring the case forward and offer peace to the family who placed the memorial.

Starmer has publicly vowed to stay in office, but pressure is building as more and more Labour Party colleagues conclude that his time is up. Expectation is growing that he will announce a timetable for his resignation as soon as Monday. That’s the day Burnham will be sworn in as a lawmaker in the House of Commons after winning a special election last week.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle said Sunday that Starmer is “making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities that he finds himself in.”

“I know he is a prime minister who always puts his country first,” Kyle told the BBC, though he said that reports that Starmer will resign are “speculation.”

Starmer is spending the weekend at Chequers, the country mansion used by prime ministers, with his family. He gave no public hint about his decision, but sent a Father's Day message on social media.

“Being a dad is my greatest joy. Today, I’m thinking about my dad, and the father I am to my children because of him,” he wrote on X.

U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in even before an announcement, linking Starmer's potential exit to two of his recurring bugbears: immigration and renewable energy.

“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network.

It was unclear whether Trump was responding to media reports about Starmer's plans. The two leaders haven't spoken over the weekend.

Starmer's initially warm relationship with the president has soured in recent months over issues including the Iran war, which the U.K. didn't join.

If Starmer quits, he will be the sixth prime minister to leave office in the past 10 years, an extraordinary rate of churn for the United Kingdom.

Discontent with the prime minister has been building for months, with Labour lawmakers desperate to reverse the government’s decline in popularity since Starmer led the center-left party to a landslide election victory in July 2024.

He has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and has been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as the U.K. ambassador to the United States.

Labour is losing liberal voters to the growing Green Party and facing a rising Reform UK, the Nigel Farage -led anti-immigration party that consistently leads in nationwide opinion polls.

Burnham, until this week the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, decisively won the seat of Makerfield in northwestern England in a special election held Thursday. He took almost 55% of the 45,510 votes cast, over 9,000 more than the Reform UK runner-up.

Now that Burnham is becoming a lawmaker, he’s in a position to challenge Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party. Burnham’s acceptance speech left no doubt that he wants to lead both the party and the country.

“Everyone knows that politics isn’t working,” he said. “Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.”

It’s unclear whether Burnham would face a coronation or a challenge, if Starmer steps aside. Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last month to protest Starmer’s leadership, has said that he will run in a contest if there is one.

Starmer congratulated Burnham on Friday, but insisted that he would fight any attempt to oust him.

“I will run, I will stand,” if there is a Labour leadership contest, Starmer said. “I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that.”

But Charlie Falconer, a senior Labour member of the House of Lords, said Saturday that Starmer has “absolutely no authority” left.

“There should be an agreed transition process in which Andy and Keir cooperate as to when the handover should take place,” he told the BBC.

His decision to join Inter Miami in 2023 has already been good for all parties, raising the profile of soccer in the United States, delivering titles for his club and writing a new chapter in his storied career.

But Argentina could be the biggest winner of all, with Messi arriving at what might be his last World Cup with his powers still at stratospheric levels aged 38.

“Leo will be the best for as long as he wants; he has been doing it every single match for the last 20 years,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.

Thierry Henry described him as “on the moon” after his hat trick in Argentina’s opening game against Algeria.

“Leo is just different. It’s just a different topic,” Henry told Fox Sports.

Messi scored his first hat trick at a World Cup and also moved level on 16 goals with Miroslav Klose as the leading scorer in tournament history.

“I tried to prepare myself in the best possible way to feel good physically, to feel useful, and to be able to help the group,” Messi said.

That's an understatement.

Despite saying the last World Cup was likely his last, Messi is once again at the heart of the Argentina team, its biggest creative and attacking threat. At this stage of his career, that was far from guaranteed.

“We should be used to this, but if you ever needed any more confirmation that when it comes to Argentina, Messi is the system, he is the tactic, he’s the formation, he’s the identity and he is the heart,” Fox analyst Alexi Lalas said after the 3-0 win against Algeria. “It was something to behold.”

Messi has not lost his rhythm after US move

Messi left behind the intensity of European soccer to join Inter Miami in 2023, delivering a massive boost for Major League Soccer.

He said he wanted to “live football in another way" and while that included changes to his home life in the U.S., there was also a step down in the level of competition compared to Europe's top leagues.

But at a time when top players are warning of burnout because of soccer's increasingly congested calendar, Messi appears to be benefiting from making the move. He has played fewer games in the U.S. than at the height of his Barcelona career when he could play in excess of 50 a season. His performance at the start of this World Cup shows he hasn't lost his sharpness even if he is not regularly facing the world’s top defenders in MLS.

“I love to play, to compete. And no matter where it is, today I find myself at another World Cup, which brings extra happiness, but I prepare myself just as I have done throughout my entire career,” he said.

Many people already rated the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner as the greatest soccer player of all time. But even past his peak years, he has hit new heights on the sport's biggest stage.

His long-awaited World Cup triumph in 2022 came after his move away from Barcelona, where he was winning Champions League titles and setting scoring records, but repeatedly fell short with Argentina in international tournaments.

He was at Paris Saint-Germain when, as a 35-year-old and playing in his fifth World Cup, he finally managed to win the one trophy that had eluded him. Again, Argentina may have been the beneficiary of its icon taking a step down at club level.

While PSG hoped Messi's arrival could deliver the Champions League, the domestic competition in France is not regarded as highly as Spain's. Messi no longer faced such intense soccer on a weekly basis.

He went on to produce his finest form at a World Cup in 2022, scoring seven goals, including two in the final as Argentina beat France in a penalty shootout. He managed just one goal at the previous edition in Russia.

Messi is an inspiration for his teammates

He is back again four years later and looks like he is in the mood for more.

His Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul has spoken of the extra training both players had put in to ensure they were in peak condition for the tournament.

“We killed ourselves to, physically, arrive in the best way,” De Paul said.

Messi, meanwhile, has taken inspiration from Rafa Nadal after watching the Netflix docuseries on the tennis great's drive to stay at the top of his game.

“I am very similar in that sense. I always want to feel good. As long as I can and I am well, I will be there,” Messi said.

For his teammates, he is simply the biggest inspiration.

“What Leo transmits is spectacular, it is hard to explain,” said Scaloni. “His teammates view him both as a God and as a kid from the neighborhood.

“Honestly, you just run out of words. Beyond the goals he scores, it is what he transmits—both to his teammates and to the fans. We will miss him.”

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AP sports writer Debora Rey contributed to this report from Dallas.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Gov. Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed head o Crimea, said that overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and wounded 28 others. He did not specify the target of the attack.

He later wrote on social media that local gas stations would halt all sales to non-state companies and individuals for an undefined period.

“Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea,” Aksyonov said. “I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information.”

Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted fuel supplies to Crimea in recent weeks, triggering the worst energy crisis in the region since it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement Sunday that a Crimean oil depot, as well as an oil transport facility in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region were among the targets. He described the attacks as part of Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” against Russia’s energy infrastructure.

“Russia understands only strength, and our long-range strength is certainly working for peace,” he wrote.

Russian officials in Krasnodar reported earlier Sunday that a drone strike sparked a fire at a Black Sea oil terminal in the village of Chushka. They said that Ukrainian attacks struck a ferry, killing one person.

Motorists struggle to find fuel

The Crimean peninsula has had periodic fuel shortages from Ukrainian strikes before, but the current crisis is the worst since its 2014 annexation.

At the end of May, authorities restricted the sale of gas to 20 liters (5 1/3 gallons) per vehicle owner per week, using prepaid coupons. Those were snapped up immediately following their release on an official messaging app channel, and motorists lined up for hours, waiting to refuel.

Social networks have been abuzz with requests and advice on where to find fuel, and authorities launched a hotline for tourists in the area who have found themselves trapped.

Some motorists bring their own gas from Krasnodar and elsewhere via the Kerch bridge, but they are restricted to carrying 100 liters (about 26 1/2 gallons) per vehicle. Some speculators are selling gas at double the market price.

In a rare public acknowledgment, the Kremlin has recognized the scope of the problem and promised to address the issue quickly.

However, Ukraine’s successes have highlighted its ability to inflict painful damage on Russia and change the course of the conflict while Moscow’s advances recently have ground to a near halt. On June 11, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine reached its 1,569th day, surpassing the duration of World War I.

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

DeSantis took to X on Friday to respond to another user, who claimed that it would be “PHENOMENAL” to have a Buc-ee’s at the exit of U.S.-1 in Florida City, just before a stretch of highway leading to the Florida Keys.

“Yes and it would do very well,” DeSantis wrote in response.

DeSantis has been a longtime proponent of Buc-ee’s in Florida, even promoting an upcoming location that’s planned to open near Interstate 75 in Ocala.

Yes and it would do very well. https://t.co/WuUQ5idbCj

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) June 19, 2026

In a news conference last year, he even joked that he approved an expansion project along that highway after learning that Buc-ee’s would be opening there.

“I said, ‘Sign me up,’” he explained at the time.

[RELATED: DeSantis holds 2024 news conference to discuss I-75 project]

That said, DeSantis has also described Buc-ee’s owner Arch Aplin III as a friend and political ally.

“He’s been supportive politically, and he’s involved in Texas. And sometimes if you’re involved on one side, the other side wants to attack you," he said. “So I remember there was a couple years ago, there was an effort. These are probably paid left-wing groups. They wanted to boycott Buc-ee’s because the owner had given to (Texas) Gov. Abbott. And I’m like, ‘Yeah, that boycott ain’t going to work very well.’”

The Ocala location is slated to open in 2029. But it’s not the only location that’s planned for Florida.

FT. PIERCE

According to TCPalm, another gas station is expected to open in Ft. Pierce sometime in 2027.

Site plans unveiled last year show that this store is set to open north of Fort Pierce, likely on the southeast corner of the I-95 Indrio Road interchange.

Those plans also show that the site may feature up to 120 gas pumps and well over 700 parking spots.

TALLAHASSEE

During the same news conference where DeSantis discussed the I-75 project in Ocala, he also claimed that a new Buc-ee’s is coming to the state capitol.

There’s no opening date yet for this site, but according to DeSantis, this Buc-ee’s store is planned to be built off Interstate 10 near Tallahassee, which he said will “revolutionize driving on I-10.”

Per the Tallahassee Democrat, the Tallahassee store is slated to bring in around 200 new jobs, and the travel center itself could span 75,000 square feet, which would even overtake the gargantuan Ocala location.

PORT CHARLOTTE

Last year, News 6 also dug up property records showing that a rezoning project for a potential was approved along Harborview Road near Interstate 75, clearing the way for over 650 acres of development.

North and east of the highway, the project is slated to bring in plenty of residential development, though a smaller parcel of land to the southwest of I-75 may potentially become home to a new Buc-ee’s gas station, county records reveal.

Leo, who has clashed with the Trump administration over its migrant crackdown, urged young people in particular to learn about Cabrini’s life and service, once again confirming history’s first U.S. pope as the heir to Pope Francis in prioritizing the plight of migrants.

Leo prayed before Cabrini's tomb in a basilica named for her in her birthplace in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, near Milan, and presided over an evening prayer service. The visit to northern Italy is part of Leo’s summertime grand tour of Italy to visit key cities to get to know his flock.

Cabrini, the patron saint of migrants, is well known to many Americans for her work caring for Italian immigrants in the United States at the turn of the last century. Her work went beyond the U.S., however, as she crisscrossed the globe building schools, hospitals and orphanages for those who had nothing.

After she died in 1917, as a naturalized U.S. citizen in Leo’s native Chicago, Cabrini was beatified and then canonized in 1946 as the first American saint.

Leo asks what Francis would do

In praising Cabrini on Saturday, Leo said she was inspired by her faith to help those migrants who had left everything behind to try to find a better life.

“What could be more relevant today than a missionary charism dedicated to serving migrants?” he said.

“Let us ask ourselves: if Mother Francesca were alive today, what would her missionary spirit tell her?” Leo said. “And what would a pope like Francis — who, as the son of Italian immigrants, made service to migrants one of the key priorities of his pontificate — ask of her?”

“I therefore take this opportunity to make an appeal, especially to young people: get to know St. Frances Cabrini!” Leo said, urging them to read her writings, travel journals and notes from retreats.

A July 4 with migrants

Leo has embraced the Catholic Church’s Gospel-mandated call to “welcome the stranger” in his ministry to migrants. Last week, Leo spent two days in Spain’s Canary Islands, a major destination for migrants leaving West Africa, where he called for welcoming and integrating those fleeing hardship and conflict.

Leo’s next Italy day trip is on July 4, when he heads to Lampedusa, the Sicilian island that is a major destination for migrants fleeing North Africa for Italy.

Leo's clash with the Trump administration over migration has given added symbolic significance to his decision to spend July 4 — U.S. Independence Day — in Lampedusa, which was where Francis chose to make his first trip outside Rome as pope, in 2013.

A prayer at the tomb of St. Augustine

Leo arrived in Cabrini's hometown after first stopping in nearby Pavia to pray at the tomb of St. Augustine, the fifth-century inspiration of his religious order. There, he encouraged Italians to rediscover their lagging Catholic faith.

Like many once-Christian strongholds in Europe, Italy has seen its churches empty in recent years amid secularizing trends, with fewer and fewer Italians getting married in the church or going to Mass regularly.

“At a time when many people seem to have lost their spiritual appetite or, for various reasons, no longer find the Christian faith appealing for their lives, we are called first and foremost to proclaim the Gospel,” Leo said.

He pointed to Augustine as a source of inspiration for today’s faithful.

Augustine was born in 354 in what is today Algeria, but he lived for five years in and around Milan, where he converted to Christianity. He later became a bishop, developed a rule for monastic life and wrote some of the most important works of Western thought, including “Confessions” and “The City of God.”

“His thought, the story of his conversion, and his spirituality remind us of the value and primacy of interiority,” of finding meaning inside oneself, Leo said.

Leo proclaimed himself a “son of St. Augustine” on the night of his election and has cited Augustine prolifically in his first year, making clear that the saint is the guiding inspiration of his pontificate.

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Nicole Winfield reported from Rome.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Buxton tied Houston’s Yordan Alvarez for the American League homer lead and made the score 12-0. It was the center fielder’s third career grand slam.

The Twins already led 6-0 after batting around and scoring four runs in the fourth. They topped that in the fifth, sending 14 men to the plate. Brooks Lee, Victor Caratini, Luke Keaschall and Ryan Kriedler each had two hits in the inning, with Kriedler’s triple driving in the final two runs to make it 16-0.

Zac Gallen started for Arizona but left after giving up the first three hits of the inning. He was charged with nine runs and 12 hits in four-plus innings, both career highs.

“We came out, we just continued to put pressure on," Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “I mean, the (fourth) inning, we put the ball in play. We didn’t hit a lot of balls hard to start it, and we found some holes, and then we just continued to build on it. Really proud of our group for doing that.”

Lee started the fifth with a triple, added a double later, has four hits for the game and finished 4 for 6, a home run short of a cycle.

“I just felt like once Gallen came out, we still had our foot on the pedal,” Lee said. “It was awesome.”

As for the would-be cycle, Diamondbacks position player Ildemaro Vargas was pitching in the ninth and retired Lee on a popup to short.

“I thought to myself, like, `If it doesn’t happen, doesn’t happen. But I’m going to swing hard,” Lee said.

Yilber Díaz relieved Gallen and gave up seven hits, including Buxton’s home run, and seven runs. He threw 44 pitches and recorded two outs. Philip Abner relieved and got the final out of the inning.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar posted the news of his latest addition on his Instagram account Saturday.

“We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together. Thank you for being born safely,” read a message from Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka. They also thanked supporters.

The post showed an image of a baby's hands and feet in a blue blanket suggesting that Ohtani has a son to go with his daughter who was born in April 2025. Tucked in the baby's arms was a tiny stuffed version of Ohtani's beloved dog, Decoy, who also got his own photo at the bottom of the post.

The news that Ohtani was about to have a second child came out of nowhere Friday. He wasn't in the Dodgers' lineup, which was posted much later than usual, after the team said he was “away from the team on paternity.”

The absence of the two-way star did not last long. Ohtani was back in the lineup in the leadoff spot for Saturday's game against the Orioles. He went 1 for4 at the plate with a home run to leadoff the ninth inning as the Dodgers' late rally fell short in a 3-2 defeat.

Ohtani also remains in line to make his next start from the mound Wednesday at Minnesota, manager Dave Roberts said.

“I’m assuming the baby is healthy, mom is healthy,” said Roberts, who had not yet had a chance to catch up with Ohtani a few hours before Saturday's game.

The famously private Ohtani has never publicly revealed his daughter's name and has carefully avoided showing her face in the rare family photos he posts to his social media.

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“We can’t let the occasion get too big,” head coach Darren Bazeley said. “It’s about us winning a game of football.”

The All Whites enter Sunday’s match against No. 29 Egypt with a chance to move out of the group stage for the first time in their World Cup history. For a nation ranked No. 82, fourth lowest in this year’s expanded 48‑team format, simply getting here for the first time since 2010 might have been enough.

But now, New Zealand has given itself a chance.

“Putting ourselves in such a great position – like this opportunity to create history – we know how good we can be,” midfielder Ben Old said. “It’s just a really exciting moment to be in.”

New Zealand’s presence in this tournament is tied directly to the expanded field. The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) earned its first-ever automatic berth, and the All Whites claimed it through a three‑step qualifying process that concluded with a 3–0 win over No. 151 New Caledonia.

No. 25 Australia, once the region’s powerhouse, left for the Asian Football Confederation in 2006 in search of stronger competition and a clearer route to the World Cup. Its departure left New Zealand as the dominant team in a confederation where the next‑highest‑ranked team is New Caledonia.

That imbalance is why region matters so much. FIFA allocates its 48 places unevenly.

“It’s not something for us to be scared about,” Bazeley said. “If we’re going to win a World Cup, we have to play against top teams and top players and perform well.”

Larger confederations tend to get more representation across the board. UEFA, for example, gets 16 slots. OFC is granted just one ticket.

In some regions, strong teams miss out entirely. In fact, 17 of FIFA’s 48 top-ranked teams did not qualify this year. Denmark, ranked No. 20, missed this tournament out of UEFA, and No. 14 Italy has missed three straight. If World Cup qualifying was based simply on ranking, No. 48 Venezuela would be the last team in. It is the only team to never qualify out of CONMEBOL, which is granted six automatic berths.

Qualifying often depends heavily on geography rather than global standing.

New Zealand knows its region cannot sharpen it. So it schedules friendlies against higher‑ranked opponents, a strategy that seemingly paid off in the opener in the All Whites’ 2-2 draw against No. 22 Iran.

Midfielder Elijah Just scored both goals Monday, matching New Zealand’s total goal output in each of its previous World Cup appearances in 1982 and 2010. With two group matches left, New Zealand can break its single‑tournament scoring record and chase its first‑ever World Cup win.

“We’re always used to being the underdogs,” Old said. “We’re not afraid to play any of these teams.”

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Drew Renner is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

The result was his first career cycle in the major leagues on a night when his Philadelphia Phillies teammate Kyle Schwarber hit three home runs – two in the same inning – in a 15-3 win over the New York Mets.

Harper had been struggling, with one hit in his last seven games. He opted to change bats to a 35-ounce model that he has had for a while but never used in a game. And he got in the batting cage early.

“I was trying to hit homers,” Harper said. “Just trying to have some fun.”

Sure enough, he hit a home run in his first at-bat, a solo shot off Mets starter Freddy Peralta. Then, he had a double and a single in the Phillies’ eight-run third inning. In the fifth, he sprinted out of the box on a liner into left-center field. Trea Turner and Schwarber scored ahead of him and Harper slid into third while the throw went home.

Harper had just the 11th cycle in Phillies history and the first since Weston Wilson on Aug. 15, 2024. The triple was only the eighth Harper has hit in eight seasons in Philadelphia.

“I got close a couple of times,” Harper said. “But being able to do that and having that moment was really, really cool.”

Harper, who finished 4 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs, is the second player this season — and this week — to hit for the cycle, joining the Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, who accomplished the feat Monday night in a 5-4 win over Colorado.

The Phillies' third-inning offensive outburst was powered by Schwarber, who became the 67th player in major league history to hit two home runs in an inning. He’s the second this season, joining Houston’s Yordan Alvarez on June 12, and the fourth in Phillies history with Trea Turner (Aug. 19, 2023), Von Hayes (June 11, 1985) and Andy Seminick (June 2, 1949) also accomplishing the feat.

“That was cool,” Schwarber said. “First time I’ve done it in my career. I think it was a pretty cool overall night in general.”

Schwarber led off the third with a solo home run off Peralta that traveled 456 feet into the second deck in right field. He added a three-run homer off Cionel Perez into nearly the same spot, flying 457 feet.

Schwarber hit his major league-leading 28th homer of the season in the seventh inning off Tobias Myers, a two-run shot just inside the foul pole in right. He finished 4 for 5 with six RBIs and four runs scored.

The Phillies are just the second team in MLB history to have a player hit for the cycle and at least three homers in the same game, joining Tony Lazzeri and Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees on June 3, 1932.

“We were wondering that in the dugout,” Harper said. “We didn’t think there was going to be two guys that did it. But to have those two names up against ours is pretty cool. It’s a pretty awesome moment.”

—

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Trump said his predecessors had let the pool turn an algae-stained green and that he'd line it with “American flag blue” so it better reflected the Washington Monument. But after the new pool was unveiled, its blue tinge quickly became a familiar green. Workers treated it with chemicals to kill the algae, but then the painted blue lining on the bottom began to peel.

On Friday night, Trump posted about the pool.

“We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool," he posted on his social media site Friday night. "Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed.”

He offered no details to substantiate his claim.

Agencies responsible for law enforcement and upkeep on the National Mall — the U.S. Park Police, National Park Service and Interior Department — did not respond to requests for comment. Trump on Saturday followed up by posting that Park Police “have arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll," correcting his spelling to “Pool” later.

He went on: "Who would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail!”

Trump later acknowledged in a post that the Reflecting Pool will need to be repaired, yet again, to restore it to "an equal level of Beauty” as before. “We met with contractors today, will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs, but will have them done as quickly as possible,” he wrote.

One man arrested was David Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, who owned a company that made composite used to build watercraft. He said he stopped by the pool during his 64-mile bike ride Friday to see what was going on.

Hearn, a former Olympic canoe racer, told The Associated Press that he reached into the pool because he wanted to examine the peeling new coating. He said he briefly touched a chunk that was still attached to the side of the pool, then let go shortly after a park worker told him to.

But, Hearn said, he was then detained by National Guard troops and Park Police for five hours before being released Friday night.

“I'm a curious citizen,” Hearn said in a telephone interview. “I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery.”

The Washington Post first reported Hearn's arrest, and he said he has a date to appear in court next month and is looking for legal help.

Even if someone pulled ribbons of paint from the side of the pool, it would not explain the clouds of algae in green water and swaths of loose blue paint detached from the bottom.

Trump insisted something nefarious has been going on at the scene. “No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work,” he posted Friday evening.

That was an apparent reference to the discovery of large numbers etched in discolored grass on the National Mall the week before: “86 47.” Authorities said the numbers could have been meant as a threat to Trump, the 47th president. The number 86 can be slang for “getting rid of.” They are investigating.

Trump's claims came after days of negative attention to the state of the pool, which has drawn television cameras and curious onlookers.

The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat watch at the Grand Canyon for midday Monday through Tuesday, forecasting temperatures that could reach or exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) at the low-elevation Phantom Ranch.

People are “strongly advised” to avoid hiking in the middle of the day, the National Park Service said this week in a statement following a “recent influx of heat-related incidents.”

An extreme heat watch was in effect June 16 when two hikers, ages 67 and 68, were found dead on the North Kaibab Trail, which the NPS describes as the most difficult of the major inner canyon trails. The service said they appeared to have succumbed to symptoms of heat-related illness.

A third person, 72, died June 12 along the South Kaibab Trail after becoming ill from the heat, NPS said.

About 90 miles (145 kilometers) to the south, Oak Creek Canyon visitors and residents were evacuated late Friday as a wildfire burned hundreds of acres just north of Sedona.

Much of the Western U.S. from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast saw above-average temperatures Saturday and with even hotter weather anticipated for early next week. Officials also warned that the prolonged dry, hot weather and relatively low humidity increased the risk of fire danger.

Extreme heat increases risk of hiking at the Grand Canyon

Park and weather officials alike emphasize to visitors that hiking conditions can be deceiving. Temperatures at the rim of the Grand Canyon are often 20 to 25 degrees cooler than what hikers will experience at the bottom.

“It's just a hot place at the bottom of the Grand Canyon,” said Justin Johndrow, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Flagstaff. Johndrow warned that the region is approaching the hottest period of the year before rain monsoon season later in the summer offers some relief.

Hikers may have cooler temperatures and an easier time going downhill to start the descending trails, but they face an intense climb of thousands of feet in elevation and much hotter bottom-of-the-canyon temperatures to get back up. Those conditions can cause heat illness symptoms to sneak up on visitors.

“That’s very strenuous even on a mild day,” Johndrow said of the hike back up to the rim. “Throw in temperatures of 105 to 110 degrees, and that causes some pretty bad problems.”

Wildfire near Oak Creek Canyon posed risk to public safety

A federal interagency team and at least a dozen local agencies were working to combat the blaze, which was burning nearly 300 acres (12 hectares) of very steep and rough terrain near Oak Creek Canyon, said Dick Fleishman, fire information officer with the Southwest area complex incident management team.

The fire was concentrated in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain wilderness area about 7 miles (11 kilometers) north of Sedona, but it started to creep into the Coconino National Forest. Firefighters were working to contain the burn, to prevent it from moving toward Oak Creek Canyon, where residents and visitors were evacuated, or Sedona, and to prepare for the possibility that it does.

Fleishman said the steep slope, the nearby property at risk, the heat from the fire and the risk of post-fire flooding caused by rainwater rushing down the slope were among the reasons the Pocket Fire is particularly concerning.

“This fire ramped up in complexity quickly,” he said. “We want to try and keep it as small a footprint as possible.”

About 30 miles (50 kilometers) of the adjacent state highway was closed in both directions.

The Coconino National Forest issued a formal closure Saturday afternoon for all campgrounds, picnic sites and trailheads in the area.

“For June 20,” said Fleishman, who drove through the area, “I've never seen it that quiet.”

Oak Creek Canyon attracts millions of visitors each year.

Yes, if the U.S. Open plays out Sunday like it did in the third round, then the race for second place will be a nailbiter.

Three players whose names will drive Google searches galore for casual golf fans — Tom Kim, Sam Stevens and Sahith Theegala — found themselves tied with a bigger name, Scottie Scheffler, in a four-way logjam for second with 18 holes to play at Shinnecock.

They all finished Saturday trailing leader Wyndham Clark by six shots.

"As you can see, it’s kind of a jumbled leaderboard," Kim said, “except for where the leader is.”

For the record, a six-shot rally would be one less than the biggest final-round comeback in U.S. Open history. That belongs to Arnold Palmer, back in 1960 at Cherry Hills.

Even if they had resumes approaching Palmer's, the odds would be stacked against these three dreamers. Turns out, they don't.

Kim, Stevens and Theegala have a total of one top-5 finish in majors between them. All in their 20s and looking for a breakthrough, they have a total of 39 starts in majors between them, dating to 2020.

They will play in groups ahead of Scheffler, whose early round of 69 left him in that jumble at 1-under 209 and gave him the last, and featured, tee time with Clark on Sunday.

The other three know they have quite a hill to climb. If Clark falters or Shinnecock Hills rises up — now less likely with the wind expected to calm down — then Scheffler figures to be the best bet to scoop up the trophy and wrap up the career Grand Slam.

“So much of it kind of depends on what Wyndham does,” Stevens said. “I could play a great round tomorrow and shoot 3- or 4-under and still lose by seven.”

But, stranger things have happened.

“There's a disaster waiting to happen on every hole,” Theegala said. “So you just have to be patient.”

A quick look at the group in second place:

Sahith Theegala

At Pepperdine, became only the fifth player in the last 30 years to win the three biggest awards for college players: The Fred Haskins, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus Awards.

But Theegala became a bigger name when he appeared on the Netflix series “Full Swing,” which takes an inside look at players on the PGA Tour. He was still living at home when he made it to the tour, and things like doing his laundry felt new.

Theegala's best major finish was ninth place at the 2023 Masters. His lone win on tour was at 2023 at the Fortinet Championship.

Quotable: “There’s a lot of danger involved in pushing it a little bit, but you do have opportunities to kind of make a push at the end there.”

Tom Kim

Kim became a lightning rod for his fiery appearances at the Presidents Cup in 2022 and 2024. There was friction because of the fist-pumping antics he pulled and some difference of opinion over who, if anyone, crossed the line when he teamed with Si Woo Kim in a match against Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.

Kim also made a splash when he waded into a swamp looking for an errant tee shot at the 2023 PGA at Oak Hill. He came out a muddy mess and had to dip into a stream to clean up — a viral moment that he explained by saying: "I mean it’s a major championship. I’m fighting for every single stroke I have.”

Kim finished in a tie for second at the 2023 British Open, though he shot a 67 to pull into that tie and was still six shots behind winner Brian Harman in a major as lopsided as this one is shaping up to be.

Quotable: “I think you’ve just got to look at it as you’ve got to kind of do your own thing. You can’t really force a lot of things out here. You’ve got to keep staying patient, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Sam Stevens

A father of four, Stevens is the third generation of a golf family with deep roots in Kansas and across the Midwest.

His grandfather, Johnny “Slim” Stevens, made more than two dozen starts on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and played in the 1969 U,S. Open. His father, Charlie, played college golf at Oklahoma, had a brief stop on the Korn Ferry Tour and won the Kansas Amateur in 2010.

He has made more than $10 million on the PGA Tour but has yet to post his first win. Asked earlier in the week about his surge at Shinnecock, he said a good conversation with his wife, Kelsey, helped him rediscocver his perspective.

“I’m only 29,” he said, “so I probably don’t need to be bitter about things quite yet.”

Quotable: “You don’t normally shoot a low number trying to shoot a low number. You kind of shoot a low number just because it happens.”

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

Despite the tensions and challenges surrounding Iran's participation in the World Cup, early Saturday morning finds the mood inside the four-star hotel relaxed, even jubilant. Several dozen fans mingle and bond over their shared excitement to see the squad's players before they depart for their second group-stage match.

“I wanted to come down to support Iranian soccer, and cheer for them when they exited the building and make them happy,” says Lucas Zarrabi, 13. The teen, who attended Monday's 2-2 draw with New Zealand and has a ticket for Sunday's match against Belgium, is one of several fans from Los Angeles who made the drive to stay with the team. Others flew in from San Jose, California, and even Miami, turning up at the hotel not quite 4 miles (6 kilometers) from the border crossing.

Showing up is important, some said, because of what they describe as unfair conditions imposed on the team. After the outbreak of war, the Iranian team was forced to move its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana. Eleven team officials and staff members did not receive U.S. visas. The U.S. has also denied Iran’s requests to arrive two days before matches — and mandated that the team must leave immediately after the game.

“Every little technicality is making it difficult for the team,” says Abbas Eftekhari, who was born in Iran and has lived in the U.S. for more than 40 years. “I think this is going to drain them psychologically and also physically.”

Iran's soccer federation has been vocal about the obstacles, saying it would lodge a complaint with FIFA.

“Football shouldn’t lose its power to politics,” Hedayat Mombeini, secretary-general of the Iran Football Federation, said Friday. He added that the restrictions “are certainly having a negative effect on us, but we are trying to overcome these problems with our Iranian pride.”

Since the team landed on June 7, Ali Eslami has visited the hotel gates nearly every day.

“It’s the best pleasure for me. I wished them the best luck, I told them it’s hard but they’re doing excellent things,” said Eslami, who splits his time between Southern California and Tijuana.

He was there again Friday, waiting for the players to return from afternoon training just blocks away at the Estadio Caliente, home to the Liga MX's Xolos.

“I have been in America for 50 years — this has been the most emotional thing, to see the team that I have not seen in 50 years,” he said.

Some Iran fans fear reprisal from fellow members of the diaspora for supporting the team, insisting they were in Tijuana for the love of soccer and the players, not politics. Eftekhari worries that the mood at Iran’s first match, where fans and protesters clashed, impacted the players.

“As soon as they see that their countrymen have slogans against them, it also has a negative psychological effect on them. But, that’s how things are at this time,” Eftekhari says.

Just over 24 hours until Sunday's noon kickoff, it's not just Iranian fans contributing to the atmosphere. A group of flight attendants from China staying at the hotel embrace the excitement, donning jester hats and waving scarves with red, white and green. And soccer fans from Tijuana are eager to show some local hospitality. Iran has diplomatic ties with Mexico, unlike the U.S., and had sought to move its group stage matches to the country where it has an embassy.

“We love the Mexican people very much and for us, the best situation is for our games to be held in Mexico,” Abolfazl Pasandideh, the Iranian ambassador to Mexico, said at the time.

Leonardo Ramirez Lopez, a 10-year-old soccer fanatic from Tijuana, clutches his autograph album in hopes he’ll get more signatures.

“It’s a new team that I don’t have experience with how they play,” he says. But Iran is already his third-favorite team, behind Colombia and Argentina.

After more than two hours of waiting, several dozen fans break into cheers as players finally file through the lobby. The squad smiles and waves, stopping for a few autographs. As each player leaves, he kisses a Quran, pressing his forehead against it before boarding the bus to Tijuana's airport.

“Iran, Iran! Whoop, whoop!” fans cry, breaking into song.

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All the while, Clark couldn't help but notice thousands of fans leaving the course Saturday evening and the grandstands no longer full.

Perhaps they were trying to catch the train. Or maybe they sensed this U.S. Open was over.

Even with a bogey on the final hole that gave Clark an even-par 70, he left Shinnecock Hills with a six-shot lead going into Sunday.

Riding shotgun with him will be Scheffler, who finally got on track by making three straight birdies, shooting 32 on the back nine and at least keeping alive hope of a career Grand Slam.

But it’s a big mountain to climb.

No one has ever lost more than a five-shot lead in 125 previous editions of the U.S. Open. Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters is the only player to lose a six-shot lead in any major.

“It’s all in Wyndham’s hands, really,” said Xander Schauffele, who faded with a pair of double bogeys on the back nine. “If he plays a really solid round of golf tomorrow — if he shoots even par or 1 over or 2 over — he’s going to win the golf tournaments. That’s how I think it’s going to pan out.”

It was an astonishing performance, starting with three par saves around the turn as Scheffler was sending the gallery into a frenzy with his timely run that led to a 69. It was one of only two rounds under par as Shinnecock — even without the raging wind from the morning — showed some bite.

But it was subdued at the end.

“It was kind of unfortunate that we're finishing in the dark and people weren't really out there,” Clark said, alluding to the decision for the leaders to tee off at 3:45 p.m. “Because there were some obviously key, big moments, and it did kind of get a little flat. ... ”I'm still excited to be where I'm at.”

He was at 7-under 203, the lowest 54-hole score ever at Shinnecock Hills.

Clark now has one more round to add another U.S. Open title to the one he captured at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023. At his side will be Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, trying to turn Sunday into a most magical day.

At stake for Scheffler is a chance — a long shot at that — to get the final leg of the career Grand Slam — on Father’s Day, which also happens to be his 30th birthday.

“I think it’s appropriate to understand what’s at stake," Scheffler said, aware as anyone of what's in front of him. "We want to be in these positions. This is why we practice and play, to have the opportunity to win golf tournaments, and that’s what tomorrow is.”

Scheffler has won all four of his majors from in front. Now he's chasing on a course that demands precision and a lot of patience. And the player he's chasing has expanded his lead each day — two shots on Thursday, four shots on Friday and now at six shots.

Clark, in position to be the first wire-to-wire U.S. Open champion in 12 years, still doesn't think he has played his best golf.

From thick rough right of the 18th fairway, his wedge went right and some 60 feet away from the pin. “Gosh, I’ve hit some terrible shots today. This is ridiculous," Clark said to his caddie.

He was leading by seven shots at the time, though he did put himself in some tough spots — 75 feet away on the downwind ninth, over the back of the green and down the slope on the 10th, a bunker on the scary par-3 11th.

He took them all on, particularly behind the 10th green when he made the bold play to bump it into the hill to let it trickle down to 5 feet, instead of a safer flop to avoid the ball rolling back to him.

And when he got in trouble on the 13th after trying to drive the green, he made a 15-foot putt for par. It was like that all day. And the lead kept growing, even with that short miss at the end.

“The only way that you catch somebody like Wyndham is the golf course starts to win against him,” Keith Mitchell said after his third successive round at 70. He joined Clark as the only player at par or better three straight rounds, and Mitchell was eight shots behind.

Clark went from scrambling to soaring with one shot. He was 275 yards away on the 604-yard 16th hole, with helping wind that made it a perfect 5-wood — except he didn't have one in his bag. His caddie suggested taking a little off a 3-wood, and he played a high cut to perfection, getting a nice bounce short of the green as the ball rolled out to 4 feet.

It was the only eagle on the 16th hole all week.

“Really one of the shots of the tournament,” Clark said.

Scheffler, who fell nine shots behind with a pair of bogeys at the start, shot 32 on the back nine by chipping in from 65 feet on the 14th for the start of his three straight birdies. His one big lament was missing a 4-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

“Scottie is the best player in the world, and he’s going to play probably really good. He always does,” Clark said. “But it’s nice to have a six-shot lead on him.”

Scheffler moved into the last group when Shinnecock Hills did a number on everyone else.

Sam Stevens, who closed within two shots of Clark on the front, started the back nine with three straight bogeys and closed with six straight pars for a 72. Tom Kim dropped two shots at the wrong time and shot 72. Sahith Theegala had one birdie, one bogey and 16 pars for a 70. That usually works at any U.S. Open, particularly this one.

All of them were at 1-under 209, leaving only five players under par.

Rory McIlroy was there, but only briefly. He made three straight birdies, including a putter from off the sixth green from 66 feet, and at one point only had one player between him and Clark. But just like the previous round, he lost ground with a series of mistakes and shot 73 to fall 10 behind. He left Shinnecock without speaking.

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

“Not bad, not bad,” Russell said afterward with a smile. “I hit that one pretty good.”

Imagine what he might be able to do when he's all grown up.

The 17-year-old Russell and 21-year-old Koivun were paired together in the third round, a grouping that was being referred to during TV coverage as the future of golf.

Already so accomplished before they are even professionals — Russell hasn't even started college yet — both players understand why such expectations have been placed on them.

“I mean, I’m trying not to think about that,” Koivun said. “Just taking it one day at a time and let my golf game do the talking, but those are great compliments.”

Both players shot 4-over 74, dropping to 7 over for the tournament. Those scores weren't too bad on a difficult day at windy Shinnecock Hills for any golfer, let alone two that were playing on the weekend for the first time in a major championship.

It's expected to be the first of many times for both.

Koivun is about to turn pro after a dominant college career in which he led Auburn to two national championships in three seasons, becoming the first freshman since Justin Thomas in 2012 to win the Haskins Award, given to the nation's top collegiate golfer. He won the Southeastern Conference individual title all three years and has been the world's top-ranked amateur.

Russell is now the next big thing. The left-hander is ranked No. 1 in the American Junior Golf Association and No. 7 among all amateurs in the world. He is headed to Florida State and will be a teammate with Charlie Woods, Tiger Woods' son, who carried Russell's bag when he earned his spot in the U.S. Open through a 36-hole qualifier.

“He’s been been in the game for a while and he’s just such a good player,” Koivun said.

The players who didn't know each other well before this weekend will be paired again Sunday. Russell, who played with 54-year-old Padraig Harrington in the first two rounds, took advantage of a chance to be with someone closer to his age Saturday to get some advice about school.

Like Koivun, he tried to downplay the “future of golf” hype around them.

“I don’t know, that’s kind of crazy,” Russell said. "I mean, I think the main thing is just keep enjoying it, because if you’re not enjoying it, you may not have much of a future in it. So, I think we just keep doing what we’re doing, and see where it takes us.

“Golf is a very difficult sport," he added. "One day you have it and the next day it’s gone, so I think you just have to kind of block it out and just keep doing what you’re doing, and hopefully one day that’s true.”

Still, he could tell there was an interest in them, even though they were out early in the morning, long before anyone near the top of the leaderboard.

“At the beginning, we had some good crowds out there,” Russell said. “I think if we might have played a little better, they might have stuck around a little longer, but it was cool.”

Koivun and Russell were two of the five amateurs who made the cut, a group that was led by 21-year-old Ryder Cowan. Cowan, who will be a senior at Oklahoma, was tied for 11th after 36 holes.

So perhaps the future of golf goes beyond Koivun and Russell.

“Yeah, I mean, amateur golf is in a great spot right now,” Koivun said. “The college kids are definitely showing off, showing off how good they are, and for five of us to make it through, it’s quite impressive.”

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

Chipping in from 65 feet on the 14th hole began a stretch of three consecutive birdies Saturday for Scheffler, who went into the third round outside the top 10 at the U.S. Open. Slightly more subdued fist pumps followed, as did a bogey after landing his tee shot in the bunker on No. 17.

By the time his eventful back nine was over, Scheffler shot a 69 tie for second place at 1 under for the tournament. He was six strokes behind leader Wyndham Clark going into Sunday.

“We’ve been battling hard for a few days, and I did a good job of keeping myself in the tournament,” Scheffler said. “It was nice to steal a couple there on the back nine when I really needed them as the tournament was kind of slipping away from me.”

Milestone day for Scheffler

Only Arnold Palmer in 1960 and Johnny Miller in 1973 have won the U.S. Open when trailing by six or more strokes going into the final round. The opportunity to pull off the third such comeback after 54 holes just happens to land on Scheffler’s 30th birthday and Father's Day, not long after he and wife Meredith Scudder welcomed their second child in April.

“We want to be in these positions,” Scheffler said. “This is why we practice and play: to have the opportunity to win golf tournaments, and that’s what (this) is. I have an opportunity to go out there and have a great round and give myself a chance to win the tournament.”

Scheffler dug himself a hole

After an opening 72 in the gusting wind, Scheffler has been playing catch-up since. While shooting 68 on Friday got him into the mix, he still went into the weekend outside the top 10 with a lot of players between him and the top of the leaderboard.

Scheffler fell two more shots back of Clark by bogeying the first two holes Saturday. His tee shot went way left into the hay and his next one into the bunker on No. 1, then he was short right into the sand and missed a 6-foot putt on No. 2.

After parring Nos. 3 and 4, he faltered on the easiest place on the course at 5, two-putting on a hole more than half the field made birdie or better.

“I got off to a tough start,” Scheffler said. “Just did my best to try and stay patient.”

Back nine had ups and downs

His first birdie of the third round didn't come until the 10th hole, hitting a flop shot he said he has only made a few of that caliber in his career. The birdie on No. 14 he felt gave him some momentum, and the emotional celebration showed how he felt.

Scheffler found his groove to birdie No. 15 and then had to wait several minutes to tee off on 16 because of people moving around in his line of sight. Caddie Ted Scott ran down the fairway to clear the path.

“Ted finally, I think, got tired of trying to holler,” Scheffler said. “He just got a little impatient and ran up there and got them out of the way.”

Scheffler was not thrown off his rhythm, and his second shot took a perfect bounce to within just over 13 feet of the cup. Even missing that eagle putt, he was able to move another shot closer.

Being slightly off target on a par putt on the 17th hole and a birdie attempt on the 18th prevented him from being in sole possession of second place but didn't take away from his overall satisfaction.

“You can hit a lot of good shots and end up in some spots where you’re going to be frustrated with the result, but I think that’s part of the U.S. Open test,” Scheffler said. “Proud of how we played on the back nine."

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

A wave of protests over the last five weeks has called for Paz to step down over austerity measures imposed by the government, including the cancellation of fuel subsidies, and other issues. The demonstrations have unleashed violent confrontations between dynamite-wielding demonstrators and riot police, leading to at least 365 arrests and 37 injuries, according to authorities.

At least 17 people have died, most of them linked to a lack of medical care caused by transportation disruptions, according to Bolivia’s ombudsman’s office and human rights organizations.

Barricades erected on key roads have effectively isolated the city of La Paz, triggering fuel and food shortages, paralyzing transportation and preventing patients from reaching hospitals — causing at least seven deaths for lack of medical attention, the government says.

“This is not a state of emergency to restrict people’s lives. It is a state of emergency to give people back their freedom,” the president said in a televised address to the nation.

As businesses closed over the course of the protests, supermarket shelves emptied and hospitals ran out of oxygen, calls from some sectors of society escalated for Paz to restore order through force.

On Friday night, Paz signed an agreement with one of the labor unions, whose leaders called for the blockades to be lifted. But other protesters have demanded that Paz resign and refused to negotiate.

Paz said that the state of emergency is intended to guarantee fuel supplies, which have become increasingly scarce as roadblocks have left tanker trucks stranded.

The decree prohibits “blocking streets, avenues, roads and highways in ways that affect transportation and supplies,” and orders the armed forces to temporarily support the police “in restoring order, reopening roads and protecting the population.” The state of emergency doesn't limit due process rights or constitutional guarantees and allows people to continue their daily activities, according to the decree.

The state of emergency will last 90 days, but could be lifted earlier if “violence and threats against the population come to an end,” the government said in a statement.

Paz came to power in November, ending almost 20 years of uninterrupted rule by Bolivia’s Movement Toward Socialism party, or MAS, which delivered the country's worst economic crisis in a generation. A centrist who triumphed over more conservative candidates, Paz promised to resolve chronic fuel shortages and replenish the central bank's almost-empty coffers, while protecting the social welfare that represented a pillar of MAS' popularity.

But his austerity measures, most significantly the elimination of long-standing fuel subsidies, have exacerbated biting inflation. His government fixed fuel shortages, but with poor-quality gasoline that damaged thousands of vehicles. Reforms to encourage foreign investment and stimulate economic growth have stalled in Congress.

The highland Indigenous and rural workers' groups — who long supported MAS but helped vault Paz to power last year — have led the protests, accusing his government of neglecting their needs since entering office.

He faces rising pressure from both Bolivia's hard-right, which dominates Congress, and long-ruling left. Former President Evo Morales has supported the protests and demanded a new election from his hideout in the coca-growing tropics, where he is evading an arrest warrant on charges related to statutory rape.

The Trump administration has backed Paz, who repaired relations with the U.S. after years of anti-Western hostility in Bolivia under Morales.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Paz to inform him last week that Washington was “ramping up emergency assistance and logistics operations support” to help alleviate shortages caused by the blockades.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth denounced the protests as “attempts to overthrow the legitimate government,” and issued a stark warning to those who he said were “profiting on death and destruction in our hemisphere.”

“The United States is watching,” he wrote on X.

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Isabel Debre reported from Buenos Aires.

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The Sooners' offense is producing at a level higher than any team to play in the College World Series since the event moved to Charles Schwab Field 15 years ago.

When it looked as though OU's pitching could implode after being nothing short of magnificent the last week, Cord Rager settled in after a rocky first inning and combined with two relievers to shut down North Carolina the rest of the way in a 9-3 victory in Game 1 of the CWS finals Saturday.

“I’m just going to stay out of their way,” Johnson said. “I don’t know any other way to do it. You think we’re going to go out and hit tonight and take 100 groundballs somewhere? We’re not going to do that. I can promise you that. Just stay out of their way.”

Deiten Lachance homered twice off North Carolina ace Jason DeCaro early and the Sooners (42-22) used a four-run fourth inning to pull away for their ninth straight win. Rager, Gavyn Jones and LJ Mercurius allowed only two runners to reach second base after the Tar Heels (53-12-1) struck for three runs in the first.

Oklahoma won national titles in baseball in 1951 and 1994 and will go for its third on Sunday. North Carolina, looking for its first, will try to force a deciding Game 3 on Monday.

“North Carolina’s a really good team,” Johnson said, “and we picked a fight today. They’ll be ready for us tomorrow.”

OU ended DeCaro's uncharacteristic bad day in the fourth inning. The Sooners scored all four runs that inning with two outs starting when Kyle Branch broke a 3-all tie with a two-run single. Branch came home on Jason Walk's base hit and Camden Johnson singled off Walker McDuffie to make it 7-3.

DeCaro (11-3), who came in with a 2.31 ERA, was charged with all seven runs after having not allowed more than three in any of his previous starts.

“I think they just really punished the mistakes,” DeCaro said. “I feel like for the most part I made some pitches, and then whenever I did leave a ball over the plate, especially with two strikes, they capitalized.”

Lachance homered for a 2-0 lead in the first inning and again in the third to tie it at 3. The 6-foot-5, 231-pound Canadian known as “Big Maple” has hit all 18 of his homers in the last 32 games, including six in the last eight.

“I’m just trying to catch barrel at the plate right now and just help the team, just pass the baton,” Lachance said. “That’s a big thing for us.”

Oklahoma has hit 45 of its 93 home runs in the last 17 games. OU has connected 28 times in 11 NCAA Tournament games, and its 10 homers in four CWS games are the most by a team since the event moved to Charles Schwab Field in 2011. The Sooners are batting .331 and averaging better than eight runs per game in the CWS.

“Their approach is to get an ‘A’ swing off. That's clear,” Carolina coach Scott Forbes said. “They’re not afraid to strike out.”

Rager (7-3), who threw 15 2/3 shutout innings over his previous three outings, steadied himself in the second inning and lasted through the fifth.

“After the first inning, I stopped playing for myself,” Rager said. “I just started playing for the guys around me, for the team. I really had to try to really be a pitcher today because I didn’t have my best stuff.”

Carolina's Carter French made the defensive play of the CWS in the third when Walk sent a drive to deep right. As French went back to make the play, his glove got lodged under the padding running across the top of the fence. His glove was a bit crumpled as the ball landed in it. He held onto it and displayed it to the umpire.

“The great thing about baseball when you’re playing in a weekend series is you move on quickly,” Forbes said. “That’s what our team will do. They just beat us today.”

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This version corrects the spelling of Oklahoma pitcher Gavyn Jones' first name.

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